Chapter 137: The Threat of the Giant Python

I nodded, making a quick decision. "Pan Ximi, you distract it. Li Qiang, come with me and let's attack its belly!"

Li Qiang looked anxious. "But I don't have a weapon!"

I snapped, "Can't you use your ice axe?"

That reminded him; the poor guy had likely never encountered such a situation and had momentarily lost his head.

Hearing my instructions, Pan Ximi didn't hesitate. He swung his knife, lunging toward the giant python’s head. The serpent was enraged, letting out a roar that echoed throughout the tunnel. It whipped its tail around; Pan Ximi dodged nimbly, but the impact sent his knife flying, sliding into a corner of the tunnel.

I pulled Li Qiang with me, rushing toward the python's underbelly. Sensing our intent, the massive creature twisted its body, trying to shake us off with its tail. Li Qiang stumbled and nearly fell, but I grabbed him, shouting urgently, "Quick, use the ice axe!"

Li Qiang finally regained his senses. He gripped the ice axe with both hands and struck hard at the python's wound. The creature hissed in agony, its body writhing violently; the entire tunnel seemed to shake. Taking the opportunity, Pan Ximi retrieved his knife and stabbed at the python's head once more.

The python’s attacks grew more ferocious as it whipped its tail repeatedly to drive us back. Suddenly, its tail swept across, hitting both Li Qiang and me. We were thrown heavily to the ground, the pain so sharp I could barely stand. Seeing this, Pan Ximi roared and, with all his remaining strength, plunged his knife into the python's eye.

The python let out a piercing shriek, its body convulsing as it tried to shake Pan Ximi off. Pan Ximi was knocked back by the brute force, but he didn't give up—he charged again. Li Qiang and I, not to be outdone, ignored our pain and renewed our attack on the beast's belly. Li Qiang’s ice axe struck the wound repeatedly, sending blood splattering everywhere.

The python's movements grew sluggish until, finally, its body went limp. With one last low hiss, it collapsed to the ground, dead.

We stood there gasping for air, staring at the massive carcass, filled with the relief of having survived. Pan Ximi wiped the sweat from his brow and panted, "This thing is finally dead."

Li Qiang was still shaken, his hands trembling slightly. "That was an absolute nightmare!"

I patted his shoulder, comforting him. "It's alright, we won."

Just as we were about to breathe a sigh of relief, a low sound drifted from deep within the tunnel, as if something were approaching. Pan Ximi frowned, looking warily toward the source of the noise. "It seems there’s more than just this one python in here."

I sensed the aura in the air and activated my Golden Eyes. In an instant, I perceived that in the adjacent chamber, there were at least three more pythons of the same size coiled up.

I held everyone back. "Don't go in. We'll come back tomorrow properly equipped; there’s something seriously wrong in there!"

Though Li Qiang looked frustrated, he realized that he had to stay alive to have any chance, so he followed us as we retreated. We quickly packed our gear and headed toward the exit. The tunnel remained dim, but just as we neared the exit, a blinding beam of light shone in, making it impossible to keep our eyes open. We stopped, watching the light source with caution, unsure if it was friend or foe.

"Who's there?" I called out, gripping my weapon, ready for any emergency.

A blurry figure emerged from the light and gradually came into focus. It was a member of the academic team!

He held a high-powered flashlight, sweeping it over our faces first. Then, he looked at Li Qiang. "Li Qiang, what is going on? You were supposed to guard the jade vein, not go wandering inside!"

Li Qiang scratched his head awkwardly and blurted out, "Pan Ximi dropped something earlier today, so I went in with them to help him find it."

Hearing this, I saw Pan Ximi nearly burst out laughing. The academic team member frowned, clearly unsatisfied with the explanation, but he didn't press further. He just said, "The professor gave orders that no one is to go down there without a warrant. Don't cause trouble."

"I understand, Senior!" The sincerity on Li Qiang’s face was so convincing that even Pan Ximi and I had to admire his acting skills.

The academic team member sighed helplessly. "Fine, hurry back. The professor is waiting for your report."

The three of us quickly composed ourselves and followed the academic team member out of the cave. Along the way, Li Qiang kept glancing back at the depths of the cave, clearly still haunted by the experience. To show off his findings, he blurted out to his seniors, "There are pythons in that cave, and more than one!"

The academic team members’ faces turned serious at once. They exchanged glances, and one of the older students said in a deep voice, "It seems we underestimated the danger of this cave. Li Qiang, you three go back and rest. We will arrange for a more thorough investigation."

I nodded, feeling fortunate that we had managed to get out unscathed. Pan Ximi patted my shoulder and whispered, "We need to be more careful. This place is not simple."

Pan Ximi and I soon parted ways with the academic group and returned to the office at Bengjian Market. Reflecting on the scene, Pan Ximi looked at me. "Boss... a python that size—was it not marked on the map you saw earlier?"

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "The map didn't record the existence of these creatures at all. You have to understand, maps usually only mark fixed landmarks. A python is an animal; how would it be recorded?"

Pan Ximi frowned in deep thought. "That’s strange. Logically, a creature that large should have been discovered long ago. To think it’s been living right under our Bengjian Market—it’s going to be the death of me!"

I nodded, my own heart filled with doubt. "Perhaps these pythons are just excellent at hiding, or maybe they only migrated here recently."

"I don't think it's recent. I have a feeling there's a whole nest down there... Ugh, just thinking about being rammed in the kidneys by that giant snake makes me ache!"

I sighed. "Pythons are just animals; that part is manageable. I just don't know what lies behind that stone wall. I have a feeling the pythons are connected to that glowing cavern!"

At this moment, Li Qiang leaned in, his face still pale. "Boss, what should we do now? Should we keep exploring the cave? I feel like if we don't act, the others might beat us to it!"

"Look at that Li Qiang—he looks so honest, but he's actually quite cunning!"