Chapter 39 The Test

In that eerily silent place, a man and a snake were locked in such a silent stalemate. Time was like a trickling stream, slowly flowing in this noiseless confrontation. Every passing second seemed to be infinitely elongated. Ten or so minutes felt like a very long time had passed. Zhao Yuxuan's nerves were always on edge. He could clearly feel that the cobra coiled around his calf was gradually loosening its grip. At this moment, his eyes were fixed firmly on the snake, and his heart was like a taut bowstring, ready to react at any time.

Finally, he seized that fleeting opportunity and suddenly loosened his foot. In that instant, he was like a cheetah counter - attacking after being provoked, and then he stomped down hard. Once, twice... Each stomp carried resolute force, and the "thumping" sound was particularly jarring in the silent environment. After stomping seven or eight times, his calf suddenly felt lighter as the snake's body slipped down. Looking at the motionless snake body on the ground, the cobra's head must have been stomped to a pulp by him.

Li Yuexuan watched this scene quietly from outside the stone crevice. There was a faint trace of surprise and admiration in her eyes. At this time, she smiled again, and there seemed to be a different meaning in that smile as she said, "Zhao Yuxuan, you're really something. You could still stomp a cobra to death at a time like this. But look at my method now."

After saying this, she slowly raised the piccolo in her hand to her lips and began to play it. The flute sound faintly rang out, as if it were a strange summons coming from a distant place. As the flute sound rang out, seven or eight snakes actually gathered on the ground outside the stone crevice. The patterns on their backs were all different, like the colors randomly smeared by nature, colorful yet dangerous. But their heads were all flat, which was the sign of extreme toxicity. There was no doubt that they were all highly poisonous. They seemed to have heard some command, all raised their bodies, and their long tongues were constantly flickering in and out, making a slight "hissing" sound, which was like the whisper of the Grim Reaper, making people shudder.

Zhao Yuxuan's heart skipped a beat. He knew very well in his heart that once these snakes slithered in, he would surely die. Despair flooded over him like a tide, and a sense of desolation welled up in his heart. At this critical moment of life and death, he suddenly shouted at the top of his voice, "Old witch, old beast Li, even if I die, I won't let you off as a ghost. If I don't avenge this grudge, I'll never reincarnate." His voice was full of anger and unwillingness and echoed in this silent space.

Just then, Li Yuexuan suddenly threw her head back and laughed heartily. The laughter was particularly harsh in this silent night. She said, "Li Ruize, what a great idea you had. In my life, I've never been cursed like this before. Forget it. If we keep on acting, this little Zhao will probably curse even more nastily." Li Ruize beside her heard this and shook his head helplessly, saying, "All right, it's almost enough. Yuexuan, call your snakes away."

Zhao Yuxuan was stunned when he heard the conversation between the two, as if he had been put under a body - freezing spell, not knowing what had happened. His mind was in chaos. Just a moment ago, he was struggling on the verge of life and death, but now there was a sudden turn of events. This huge contrast made him at a loss.

Then Li Yuexuan played the piccolo again, and the rhythm of the flute sound seemed to change, becoming more relaxed. Those snakes then slowly scattered and slithered away, winding their bodies and gradually disappearing into the darkness.

Li Ruize slowly moved closer to the outside of the stone crevice, with an inscrutable look on his face, and said, "Zhao Yuxuan, come out. Take a closer look and see if this piece of jade is the same as yours at home." As he spoke, he lifted the ancient jade with one hand and held a mini - focused flashlight in the other hand to shine on it. The light of the flashlight shone on the ancient jade, giving it a mysterious luster.

Only then did Zhao Yuxuan see clearly that this was not the jade with blood - written characters stolen from his home at all, but clearly a similarly - shaped stone. He frowned, his eyes full of confusion, even more unable to guess his intention, and shouted loudly, "Li, what on earth do you mean?"

Li Ruize sighed, and there seemed to be a lot of helplessness in that sigh, and said, "Zhao Yuxuan, come out and talk about it. We don't mean you any harm."

Zhao Yuxuan had already sensed that something was strange at this time. Recalling that he was almost certain to die just now, but now the other party seemed to be harmless, and there was no need for them to deceive him into coming out anymore. So he slowly edged out of the stone crevice and stood in front of the two. His eyes were still full of vigilance, like a frightened deer.

The clouds in the sky had all dispersed, and the moonlight shone down without reservation, even more bright and clear. At this time, Li Ruize had a kind and upright look on his face, like a highly respected elder, looking like an honest and venerable old man; and Li Yuexuan was also smiling slightly, and the venomous aura from before had disappeared without a trace, and she had become that beautiful and amiable Grandma Yuexuan again.

Seeing Zhao Yuxuan's dazed expression, Li Ruize asked gently, "Zhao Yuxuan, are you really determined to investigate the murder of your parents?" Immediately, the figures of his parents emerged in Zhao Yuxuan's mind, and he nodded without hesitation, saying, "Of course." There was firmness in his eyes, an unshakable determination.

Li Ruize asked again, "But I have to tell you that in the process of investigating the murder case in the future, you will surely encounter situations far more dangerous than today. Are you afraid?" When Zhao Yuxuan heard this, his heart couldn't help but tremble. How could he not be afraid? Those unknown dangers were like huge beasts hidden in the darkness, ready to devour him at any time. But, remembering the injustice to his parents, he still said firmly, "I'm afraid, but I will still investigate."

Li Ruize nodded, with a hint of approval in his eyes, and said, "Very well. Everyone will be afraid in the face of danger. It's a human instinctive reaction. But if one can calmly analyze and deal with it and avoid danger, that is a truly brave person. Zhao Yuxuan, your adaptability tonight has satisfied me very much, so I've decided to let you stay in the mountain stronghold."

Zhao Yuxuan hadn't completely dispelled his hostility towards him yet, and there were still many doubts in his heart. He asked, "You haven't seen the jade in my home. How do you know its shape?"

Li Ruize replied, "Although I haven't seen it with my own eyes, I asked the owner of the antique shop in Henan in great detail. I spent a lot of effort at that time. He even drew a rough shape and described what the ancient jade looked like. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to find your home."

Zhao Yuxuan nodded, and a glint of thought flashed in his eyes, and said, "Mr. Li, I want you to tell me, are there really any clues to my parents' murder case?"

Li Ruize's face darkened, like a cloud covering the sun. Suddenly, he sighed deeply and said, "There are indeed, but it involves a secret. This secret is extremely huge, as vast as the universe, making it difficult for people to see the whole picture; it is also extremely complex, as tangled as a mess of hemp, making it impossible to sort out the threads. It is bigger and more complex than you can imagine, and I don't even know if there is still time to unravel it."

Zhao Yuxuan was stunned for a moment, but he soon realized that he meant whether there was time in his lifetime to unravel it, and said, "Mr. Li, what kind of secret is this? Tell me. No matter how difficult it is, I'm willing to do it." His eyes were full of eagerness, the persistent pursuit of the truth.

Li Ruize shook his head and said, "Zhao Yuxuan, I can't tell you this secret yet because I need someone with excellent strength, wisdom, and adaptability to help me solve this secret. Your parents' murder case is already related to this secret. You seem to be a suitable candidate, but today's test was only the first step. I've already witnessed your wisdom and adaptability, but you still lack strength. In this world, there are many things that can only be accomplished by strength."

Zhao Yuxuan saw that Li Ruize was speaking so mysteriously, and his curiosity was like a flame being lit, growing stronger and stronger. He asked, "All right, then what should I do to meet your requirements?"

Li Ruize said, "As long as you achieve two things, I will tell you how to solve this secret and what the characters left by Miezu mean."

Zhao Yuxuan heard this and his whole body trembled suddenly, as if he had been struck by an electric current, and said, "What? You can recognize those strange characters?"