Fangxian Heretical Path

Chapter 222 Python Woman, Snake Man, Dragon Rabbit, Dragon Seed
Fang Shu mingled among the crowd and did not follow the crowd to board the luxurious ship in front of him.

As agreed, he quickly found the White Protector and his companions lingering in a corner.

Unlike last time, the four people who appeared before him this time were either wearing cloaks or masks, each concealing their identities. Fang Shu himself, on the other hand, was still wearing the fox fur he had used when they met that day.

The White Protector and the others glanced at Fang Shu, but said nothing. After all, the fox fur on Fang Shu's body was clearly a magical artifact used to conceal his identity, no different from the cloaks and masks they wore.

Amidst the crowd, Protector Bai uttered only one word: "Go."

His voice was completely different from when the group met; it was clearly a disguise, sounding more like a male voice.

The group immediately rushed toward the ship where the Dragon Girl was recruiting a husband.

Once aboard the ship, they found that there were quite a few immortals in the crowd who had also concealed their identities.

This surprised Fang Shu slightly, but also reassured him.

He quickly understood the reason.

Throughout the ship, the sounds of string and wind instruments and singing and dancing could be heard everywhere. Men and women, indulging in unrestrained behavior, and various graceful and strong singers and male prostitutes, swaying their figures, moved about endlessly.

Clearly, this place where the Dragon Girl is choosing a husband is actually a great place for pleasure-seeking. There are probably many prominent figures from the market or the five sects of Mount Lu, as well as scions of noble families, who are disguising themselves and having fun there.

In addition, another voice transmission appeared in the ears of Fang Shu and the other three.

It was the White Protector who spoke up to introduce the origins of this place.

It turns out that although this place is called Dragon Boat, the so-called Dragon Girl's search for a husband is just a pretext. In reality, what they do is exploit people, steal their essence, and plunder their immortal seeds.

White Protector also added:
"Fellow Daoists, please keep your eyes peeled. The python women and snake men here, though they don't ask for spirit stones or talismans, do demand your true energy."

Even if you do encounter the so-called favor of a dragon maiden, don't think it's a good thing. Nine times out of ten, it's just some guy on the ship eyeing your life essence.

These words immediately caused a slight change in the expressions of the others.

One of them also transmitted his voice, saying, "So that's how it is! I was wondering why my good brothers, once they've been here, dream of coming back a second time. It seems they've probably fallen victim to the evil magic of these witches."

Pharmacist Sun suddenly transmitted his voice as well:

"Lust is a steel knife that can scrape the bone; those who can be seduced by these guys are truly useless."

Fang Shu and the female talisman master surnamed Luo did not speak, but they looked around warily a few times.

"Oh! Welcome, gentlemen and ladies!"

Soon, the snake-woman from the ship, swaying her bucket-like figure, greeted them with a wrinkled smile.

Compared to the exquisite python women and snake men on the boat, these old women and pimps were truly ugly beyond belief. But for some reason, this only made the python women and snake men on the boat seem even more exquisite and handsome.

The snake woman led everyone to a private room and said with a smile:
"Please have some snacks first. Tonight, the Dragon Maiden of this ship will come out in two hours to choose a husband. Please be patient."

After saying that, the other person left the Accord.

Less than a hundred breaths later, the snake woman knocked on the door to deliver what she called "little snacks" into the room.

Instead of waiters and pimps serving tea and dishes, came a series of slender and robust python women and snake men. They were barely clothed, and the few items they wore were food made of fruits, honey, cheese, and other such ingredients. Each of them was a feast for the eyes.

What was even more unsettling was that these pastries, as they breathed out, carried a fragrance that made the group slightly restless.

This situation caused the expressions of everyone present to darken slightly, except for the White Protector, who remained calm and composed. She immediately embraced a python woman, raised her chin, and let the woman feed her grapes.

Inside the elegant pavilion, a vibrant and fragrant scene unfolds instantly.

Fang Shu sat down, his internal energy circulating on its own, avoiding the strange fragrance emanating from the python woman and snake man around him.

He discovered that this exotic fragrance was quite magical, its effects seemingly strong yet not strong. It could both enhance the mood, making people unable to extricate themselves, and bewitch people, making them feel like they were floating on air. It was truly a good thing to enhance the mood.

Suddenly, the White Protector raised his head and shouted:

"What are you all standing there for? It's a rare occasion for me to host this event, so please don't stand on ceremony."

"Yes, thank you, fellow Daoist." "You've gone to so much trouble, fellow Daoist."

Several responses rang out.

Everyone started to play along with the python women and snake men, and a burst of laughter filled the room.

Among them, the old pharmacist Sun came to his senses and nodded almost imperceptibly to Protector Bai.

Before long, a "Do Not Disturb" sign was hung outside the private room where they were, and the glass panes in the windows became blurry, blocking their view.

The python-women and snake-men passing by outside the room all looked at the elegant room with envious expressions on their faces.

They chatted and laughed, teasing the brothers and sisters in the pavilion for their good fortune today, having run into a lustful fool who was able to open for business so early.

However, the actual scene inside the room was completely different from what they had imagined.

As the Accord was closed, several loud thuds of heavy objects falling to the ground echoed inside.

It was those python women and snake men who had come to serve them.

Their eyes were glazed over, and they either collapsed onto the floor or lay slumped on the table, falling into a deep sleep in the blink of an eye.

The old pharmacist Sun stood up, went over to examine the item, and then sneered, "You dare to play with incense in front of an old man like this? You're just showing off your limited skills."

The man then turned to the crowd and said, "I have already administered the Bewitching Soul-Stealing Powder. These guys are just fourth-tier Qi Refining demons. Once they are affected, they will have a hard time waking up within thirty hours."

Upon hearing this, Protector Bai expressionlessly parted the python woman's waist from her body and nodded, speaking:
"Thank you, fellow Taoist, for taking the initiative."

Beside him, the Zhuang-surnamed martial artist glanced at the limp python woman and snake man, muttering, "It's a pity to just leave them like this."

Fortunately, this person knew what was important and didn't do anything excessive, only glancing at Protector Bai.

At this moment, Protector Bai's gaze was fixed on Fang Shu.

The eyes and ears that were getting in the way in the room have been captivated. As everyone had previously agreed, it was now time for Fang Shu, the immortal cultivator of the array, to take action.

Fang Shu didn't say much. He nodded in agreement and immediately closed his eyes slightly.

With a whoosh, his divine sense spread out, covering the entire elegant room and causing the expressions of the people inside to change slightly.

"This child has remarkable spiritual awareness!" someone thought to themselves.

As Fang Shu's divine sense emerged, other Gu worms flew out, burrowing into the crevices of the elegant room to act as eyes and ears, making all the array formations in the room clearly visible in his mind.

After about half a cup of tea's time, Fang Shu opened his eyes:
"The array in this cabin is indeed quite sophisticated. In addition to isolating the inside from the outside, it also has the function of bewitching the mind and collecting energy... It should be collecting the true energy and aura of pleasure released when the guests are having sex."

After giving a brief introduction, he immediately got up, walked to a corner of the private room, and drew a one-foot-wide circle on the ground with his foot.

Fang Shu said, "This is the weak point of the formation in the room. By entering and exiting through this point, one can leave this cabin silently. Furthermore, the area below appears to be a secret passage used for ventilation or even for smuggling goods."

Upon hearing the words "secret passage," the others looked on in surprise and couldn't help but turn to Protector Bai.

The White Protector remained calm, clearly having anticipated this.

Seeing everyone looking at her, she explained, "Rumor has it that those who go to the dragon boat to find a husband, especially those who come alone, even if they don't associate with women or men, will dream of women, and women will dream of men. Some even suffer from depletion of their vital essence, unplanned pregnancies, or even disappear without a trace."
It seems the rumors were true; he was indeed stolen by the guy who entered and exited through the ship's secret passage.

As soon as she finished speaking, Protector Bai leaped up from her seat. She strode towards the corner that Fang Shu had drawn.

The woman turned to the crowd and said, "Now that the secret passage has been found, please follow me to explore the secrets of this dragon boat."

Immediately after questioning Fang Shu, Protector Bai bowed to the crowd and fearlessly took the lead in entering the room.

Fang Shu and the others stood in the room, exchanging glances. The Zhuang-surnamed martial artist followed closely behind Protector Bai with a nonchalant air. He shrunk his body to only a foot in size and also used magic to enter the secret passage.

Master Sun followed closely behind, becoming the third to enter the secret passage.

It was Fang Shu's turn and that of the Luo-surname female talisman master.

Fang Shu remained unmoved, instead extending his hand to politely decline, allowing the other party to go first: "I will cover your rear and suppress the formation."

The female talisman master gave Fang Shu a strange look, but seeing that Fang Shu showed no sign of taking a step, and that what Fang Shu said made sense, she had no choice but to enter the secret passage first.

Having successfully protected the four people in front of him, Fang Shu glanced at the elegant pavilion a few more times, and after confirming that there was nothing unusual, he also entered the secret passage.

He even tore off a talisman for escaping into the ground, instead of casting the spell directly, to avoid revealing his ability to leap through walls.

In the dimly lit passageway, the group walked along for about ten breaths before arriving at the bottom of the dragon boat.

Upon landing, everyone was enveloped in a dense aura of spiritual light, ready to unleash their power at any moment. Fortunately, because it was newly opened, there were no staff members behind the secret passage; only the sounds of footsteps could be heard from the left and right.

At this point, Fang Shu no longer needed to intervene. The Zhuang-surnamed martial artist led the way, shouting, "Protector Bai, where are we going to rescue people this time? Show us the route."

The White Protector pondered for a moment. She took out a small, crimson snake from her sleeve and inserted a silver needle into its body, letting it fall to the floor. The snake trembled and immediately burrowed forward, following a certain scent from its base.

The group followed behind the small red snake, navigating the maze-like passageways without much difficulty.

Just as the little snake paused, suddenly turned with everyone, and burrowed deeper into the bottom, the voices of the workers immediately rang out from all around: "Time for shift change?"

But as soon as those words were spoken, the rest of the other person's voice was choked up.

The man was grabbed by the throat by the martial arts master surnamed Zhuang, and his neck was snapped cleanly and decisively, like a chicken or duck.

The opponent still had the spiritual light of the talisman flickering on his body, trying to resist the Zhuang-surnamed martial artist, but the spiritual light just burst like a bubble, without causing any effect.

In addition, the White Protector was already prepared. She spat out another bead from her mouth and immediately shouted, "Freeze!"

A strange fluctuation arose, immediately freezing the spiritual energy within a radius of several dozen feet, so that the death of the man did not cause the slightest commotion.

The White Protector explained: "This is the Spirit-Stabilizing Pearl. It can temporarily stabilize blood energy, talismans, formations, and freeze mechanisms."

But its effect is short-lived, lasting at most the time it takes to drink two cups of tea, and can only be used once every three days. Everyone, follow me quickly; this mission must be swift and decisive.”

After giving her instructions, she took the precious pearl and led the group forward.

Along the way, the group encountered several more companions, all of whom were snake-type demons, with cultivation levels ranging from Refining Essence to Refining Qi.

With the cooperation of the five people, they were all dealt with cleanly and efficiently, without making a sound.

Finally, the group arrived at a bottom cabin where iron cages were placed.

Looking around, the bottom of the hold was densely packed with at least a hundred cubic meters of iron cages.

These cages varied in size, some as small as chicken coops and others only a few feet tall. They were filled to the brim with all sorts of creatures, including humans, beasts, and demons, many of which were creatures that Fang Shu had never heard of before.

It seems that what the White Protector said was true; this dragon ship was indeed secretly plundering immortal beings as it traveled around.

Among the many cages, the most eye-catching was the pheasant cage hanging directly above. Inside one of them was a live creature.

The creature lay at the bottom of the cage, its small body appearing extremely helpless.

Upon seeing this living creature, Protector Bai stared intently, and his expression changed unusually.

This made Fang Shu and the others realize that this item must be the target of their mission, the one they were trying to rescue.

As expected, Protector Bai immediately stepped forward and leaped to open the cage and release the creatures inside.

She had only taken two steps when she stopped with a troubled expression. The Spirit-Stabilizing Pearl in her hand trembled again and began to buzz.

Under the effect of the Spirit-Stabilizing Pearl, the surrounding spiritual energy was stabilized, and strands of silk appeared in the bottom cabin.

The iron cages in front, especially around the golden birdcages, were all entangled with spiritual energy as fine as a hair. If anyone were to touch them carelessly, it would surely alert others or even bring danger.

This situation prompted someone at the scene to mutter, "How the hell is it another formation?"

As a result, everyone's eyes turned to Fang Shu again.

Under everyone's gaze, Fang Shu's expression remained unchanged. He didn't make any boastful remarks, but instead nodded thoughtfully:
"Please protect me, everyone, as I attempt to break this."

In reality, Fang Shu was calm and even breathed a sigh of relief. Although the formation in front of him was complex, the Spirit-Stabilizing Pearl of Protector Bai had frozen the spiritual energy, and he also had the Hundred Gu Flag of the Flood Dragon Spine in his hand, so he could easily confuse the formation for a moment.

However, since it was something too easy, people were unaware of the value of Fang Shu.

Besides, this place is ultimately someone else's territory, and he can take advantage of the opportunity to break the formation so that he no longer has to get involved in other things.

Fang Shu chose a spot, sat cross-legged, and his divine sense and Gu worms flew out again.

Half a cup of tea passed.

Sweat beaded on his forehead, his hands moved rapidly in a series of hand seals, and numerous insect-like creatures fell around him with a series of slaps, as if he had died from exhaustion.

However, the array in front still appeared densely packed, with less than one-fifth of it having been cleared away.

This situation put some pressure on the people around, and even the White Protector was starting to lose his composure.

The woman couldn't help but urge him on:
“Fellow Daoist Hu, if we delay any longer, someone may come. I implore you to lend a helping hand. If there are any losses, I, Bai, am willing to compensate you double.”

Upon hearing this, Fang Shu, who had broken the formation, opened his eyes, a look of hesitation on his face.

He gritted his teeth and replied, "I hope Brother Bai will keep his word."

He took out his banner, held it in his hand, and began to perform the ritual steps.

An oppressive atmosphere immediately spread.

Before the crowd could even feel surprised or suspicious about the foreign flag, they heard Fang Shu shout sternly in their ears:

"This is a tangled mess, so let's cut it clean! Everyone, we only have a moment, so get ready to provide backup!"

As everyone's hearts tightened, Fang Shu shook the banner, and immediately Yin-Yang Gu worms pounced out. The two worms spiraled together and charged fiercely toward the birdcage.

The threads that the Gu worm encountered were instantly twisted and torn apart, revealing the birdcage where the living creature was located, now free from its restraints.

The White Protector immediately flashed to the birdcage, intending to break it open and take the bird out, but for some reason, the cage was incredibly sturdy.

Seeing this, she drew her knife from her waist and chopped the birdcage off the top of the cabin, carrying the whole thing out.

Having successfully retrieved the birdcage, the White Protector lifted it and gracefully landed, a hint of joy barely concealed on his face.

The small creature inside the cage was revealed to everyone; it was a small, soft, white animal.

This beast has a short tail, a three-lobed mouth, and lies prone in a crouching position; it is clearly a rabbit demon, except that instead of two long ears, it has two horns on its head.

The rabbit demon in the cage also opened its eyes at the right time. Its eyes were golden-red, quite noble, and full of spirituality. It revealed surprise and fear in a human-like way. It hurriedly got up, as if it was saying something, but the sound could not be heard from the birdcage.

When Fang Shu and the others saw this appearance, it immediately aroused their suspicions.

Among them, the old pharmacist Sun blurted out:

"Dragon Rabbit?! This filthy place actually harbors dragons!"

　This is a belated update from yesterday.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)