Chapter 28 Man Vs SnakeI gnce at Mrs. Patient on my back, ensuring she's securely fastened and won't fall off no matter how I move. With her safely in pce, I draw my sword, Grampa. The old, rusty bde transforms into a blinding white light as I unsheathe it. The transformation never ceases to amaze me.

  The azure-colored serpent hisses, its eyes locking onto me, ready to strike. The air is thick with tension, the scent of earth and blooming flowers now mingled with the metallic tang of anticipation.

  I step forward, my heart racing but my mind clear. "Alright, you big snake. Let's dance."

  The serpent lunges towards me, spreading its maw wide enough to swallow me whole, its massive body moving with terrifying speed and grace. I sidestep to the left, narrowly avoiding its razor-sharp fangs, each one as long as Grampa. The serpent's momentum carries it forward as it swings its rge tail to attack. I leap and ssh downwards with all my strength. In mid-air, a white ssh is released from my bde. I hoped to sever more than half its tail, but the result is a deep gash that oozes blood. The wound makes the serpent writhe in pain, becoming more wild and enraged that its majesty was questioned by an ant. After stabilizing itself, the serpent stares at me. It slightly bends its head back and opens its mouth wide.

  A horrible premonition strikes me. I run in zigzags back to the apple orchard.

  WHOOOOOO!

  A thick pilr of water is unleashed like a torrent, destroying every tree that I run behind.

  WHOOOOOO!

  WHOOOOOO!

  WHOOOOOO!

  WHOOOOOO!

  Each shot of the water pilr uproots a thick, aged tree.

  After the fifth water pilr, the serpent seems out of breath. "Now it's my turn." I said, starting my offensive. I run towards it, releasing sword sshes again and again. I swing my bde narrowly so that if it tries to dodge one, it will be hit by another. But its reflexes are something to be respected. It dodges narrowly each time. I try to decrease the distance and time between each ssh.

  HISSSSSSSSSSSSS!

  I finally hit it with a ssh, leaving a bloody trail from its right eye down to its chin.

  The monster now takes me as a threat as much as I take it as a threat. Throughout the fight, my smile never drops for a second, even when I'm moments away from dying with every step.

  My heart pounds like a drum. I feel free, I feel liberated, I feel alive.

  We are at a standoff, staring at one another. One wrong move would lead to my death, and it knows I would do the same to it.

  I grab my sword and perform a feint ssh horizontally. The beast ducks, thinking I aimed at its head. I knew I had it. I ssh at its only functioning eye. Now totally blinded and bleeding profusely from its face, the serpent thrashes about, the ground trembling in its wake.

  BANG!

  BANG!

  BANG!

  I feel the anger and frustration of the beast. It was a king, and it had been sin by an ant. As it thrashes, more blood sprays out, gushing from both sides of its face and from the first ssh on its tail. I take a few steps away from the slithering, half-vanquished foe. Its blue-tinged blood pools beneath it. After some time, its movements begin to slow down. I know it's over.

  Finally, it loses all its energy and ys on the ground, its proud head now resting on the floor. As it takes its st breath, I walk up to it. I rub its head in appreciation for such an exciting fight. I raise Grampa and plunge it into the serpent's brain, then pull it out with a twist. The fight is over, but my excitement is still quite alive. I close my eyes in the afterglow of the battle.

  Breathing heavily, I sheath Grampa, the blinding light fading as the old, rusty bde returns to its dormant state. I turn to Huo Lian, my heart still racing but filled with relief.

  “Hahaha, that was so great. Really too much fun,” I say aloud, the adrenaline still coursing through my veins. The thrill of the fight had been exhirating. I gnce back at the lifeless body of the azure-colored serpent, thinking of the potential it holds. "I'll probably have to go back to the clinic to get some tools to dissect the snake. Master left a book that talked about how rge animals could actually be cultivation beasts and their bodies are beneficial to humans. Maybe I can use the snake to make something to help with Mrs. Patient’s awakening."

  “Mrs. Patient, thank you so much for dealing with all the shaking. And also thank you very much for letting me fight that thing; it was very enjoyable.”

  As I take a step forward, I feel my strength leave me. My legs wobble, and I nearly stumble. "Yeah, I did use more than 30 sshes. When I first learned it, I could only do 12 without dropping. At least this means I am getting stronger. Hahaha. Sorry, Mrs. Patient, it looks like I have to rest. Let’s go and stay at the farmhouse tonight."