"Do you see a pair of feet over there?"
The bald man pointed at a pile of garbage not far away.
Amidst the heap of discarded refuse, a pair of black leather shoes reflected a faint gleam under the streetlights.
"Boss, don't scare me," the woman clutched the bald man's arm tightly.
"Scared?" A triumphant smile played on the bald man's lips as he wrapped an arm around her waist.
"Who wouldn't be scared in the middle of the night?" The woman, ignoring the liberty taken, nestled into the bald man's embrace, trembling.
"Boss, let's take a detour."
"Don't be afraid. It's probably just a drunkard. I've traveled far and wide, seen it all," the bald man said, stepping forward.
"Boss, you must protect me!" the woman said, her hand gripping his arm as she shrank back nervously.
"What are you afraid of? Maybe it's one of your sisters who's lonely and bought it for some fun."
The bald man paid it no mind and casually walked up to the garbage pile.
A pair of brand-new leather shoes, with half a gray sock visible at the ankle.
Looking up, he saw a pair of well-made trousers.
The woman's eyes widened abruptly because the trousers looked somewhat familiar.
"Oh my god!" the man shrieked, pushing the woman away and turning to run.
It was then that the woman noticed a pair of eyes, staring unblinkingly from the garbage pile.
"Ah!"
A scream pierced the night sky.
The woman's soul felt as if it had flown away.
She slumped down limply, supporting herself with her hands as she crawled backward.
—
At this moment, Wang Xiaoli was drinking by the river.
Buzz buzz buzz…
A strange sound approached.
Wang Xiaoli quickly raised her head, looking towards the dark night sky.
Her unusually brown pupils narrowed into slits.
Lin Fan had tracked them to Shimeng County, and from the feedback of the Golden Silkworm Gu, he knew he was getting closer to the snake demon.
He had not expected, at all, that the snake demon would be hiding in Shimeng County.
Fortunately, the Gu worms had had a hearty meal before they set out; otherwise, they might not have been able to fly this far.
As the insect swarm descended, Lin Fan landed steadily as if walking on invisible stairs.
As if sensing the snake demon's presence, the Gu worms became exceptionally agitated, flying around Lin Fan like headless flies, their feedback chaotic.
Some warned of danger, others urged Lin Fan to flee, and some were ready to fight to the death.
Seven shimmering golden silkworm Gu worms weaved through the swarm, quickly suppressing their frenzy.
Under their management, they all gathered above Lin Fan, forming a dense insect cloud, like an open umbrella.
"Should I call you Wang Xiaoli, or just snake demon?"
Lin Fan greeted the snake demon with a teasing remark.
Wang Xiaoli gritted her teeth, temporarily suppressing her anger, and said, "Give me that thing, and I can let go of our past grievances."
She trembled with excitement, black snake scales appearing and disappearing on her cheeks, nearly revealing her true form.
Dragon-type inner core!
She sniffed, sensing the pure spiritual energy in the air, and the unique aura of the dragon race.
"Give it to me!"
Wang Xiaoli stepped forward, struggling to suppress the urge to snatch it.
Lin Fan frowned slightly. As expected, she was after the dragon pearl!
"If I give it to you just because you ask, wouldn't that make me lose face?"
"Stop the nonsense!"
Wang Xiaoli's expression turned ferocious, revealing her fangs.
"I can overlook the fact that you injured my true body. Give it to me quickly!"
She roared the last sentence.
"Come and get it if you have the guts."
Lin Fan observed his surroundings.
He had to admit, the snake demon was both brave and cunning, having chosen a good spot.
It was deserted, and snakes, being creatures of water, could easily escape into it if things turned bad, making it impossible for Lin Fan to pursue.
"You're courting death!" Wang Xiaoli snarled, and her body began to transform.
Her neck elongated, fine scales erupted from her skin, and her beautiful head morphed into a triangular snake head.
"Swarm her!" Lin Fan waved his hand, and the Golden Silkworm Gu led the insect swarm in a fierce, suicidal charge.
"Petty tricks!" a grating human voice emanated from the snake's mouth, clearly dismissive.
Then, she inhaled deeply and contorted her massive body, drawing closer to Lin Fan.
A terrifying suction pulled surrounding grass, trees, and debris towards her gaping maw.
"Hiss~"
Wang Xiaoli inhaled again, aiming at the incoming Gu worm army.
The Gu worms' flight speed drastically increased, and they were about to plunge into the snake demon's cavernous mouth. Cold sweat broke out on Lin Fan's forehead.
If the Gu worms he had painstakingly subdued were annihilated in the first encounter, what was the point of fighting?
The best course of action was to retreat!
Just as the dark mass of Gu worms was about to become the snake demon's meal,
Suddenly, seven dazzling golden lights appeared, flying with incredible speed towards the snake demon's head.
"What's going on?" Wang Xiaoli's heart skipped a beat. Without time to think, she quickly lowered the nictitating membranes over her eyes to protect her most vulnerable area.
Whoosh!
A flash of gold.
Wang Xiaoli felt a burning pain in her eyeballs.
Then she discovered that her eye membranes had been sliced in two!
Two small things were burrowing into her body through her nostrils!
The sharp claws and wings of the Golden Silkworm Gu could easily tear through the snake demon's flesh.
"Pfft, pfft, pfft!" Wang Xiaoli, ignoring the pain in her eyes, violently shook her head and sneezed.
The Iron Head Gu worms, seeing their commander succeed, were greatly emboldened and swarmed towards the massive snake demon.
They were intelligent, not biting the hard scales, but rather finding gaps to burrow into.
Some, fearless, charged directly into the snake demon's mouth.
"Good worms!" Lin Fan exclaimed with excitement, watching the snake demon writhe on the ground, bitten by the Gu worms.
The snake demon's body was thicker than a water bucket, weighing perhaps ten tons, equivalent to three adult elephants combined. On land, it was practically invincible.
However, the formidable and fearless Gu worms were equally powerful. With their sharp teeth and claws, they flew around the snake demon, seeking vulnerable spots and pouncing to gnaw fiercely.
Lin Fan stood a short distance away, hesitating whether to help.
Despite his exceptional skills, facing the snake demon's enormous size was like tickling an elephant; it was likely useless.
"What are these abominations?" Wang Xiaoli let out a pained roar and fled towards the river.
Deep gouges appeared in the ground wherever her body passed.
Splash!
With a spray of water, Wang Xiaoli jumped into the river.
Normally, flying insects would be afraid of water, as it would dampen their wings, preventing flight, and they couldn't breathe underwater.
Clearly, Wang Xiaoli's choice was sound.
However, she had underestimated the nature of the insects she faced.
The Golden Silkworm Gu were impervious to water and fire, able to live freely even in the sea.
While the Iron Head Gu were not as extraordinary, staying underwater for several days was not an issue.