Three Kingdoms Lords: Starting by walking into the mouth of a giant python

Chapter 68 Yueming, Happy Mid-Autumn Festival

When Li Yu returned to [Fanghu], Xiong Ba and [Thirteen Ants] breathed a sigh of relief.

[Snake Princess] is still not here, [Cold Peach] is about to ripen, and she is guarding [Azure Sea Island] without leaving her side.

When [Thirteen Ants] asked about [Bottleneck Test]'s experience, Li Yu mentioned [Yellow Rank] when he was nine years old, which surprised Xiong Ba.

Only when he realized it was Zhao Yun did he understand.

Then they became curious about what "Zhao Zilong of Changshan" looked like, whether he was a white horse with a silver spear, handsome and refined.

Li Yu laughed heartily, "No horse, no clothes."

He recounted how he taught Zhao Zilong spear techniques and even gave him a courtesy name.

The way Xiong Ba looked at him was somewhat strange.

After Zhao Zilong leaves the mountain, will he fall into the dilemma of "which came first, the chicken or the egg," that his lord once mentioned?

As Xiong Ba was about to begin the [Martial Arts 70 Bottleneck Test], Li Yu handed him two [Python Gallbladder Wind-Preventing Pills].

Xiong Ba shook his head and refused, saying that he had already mastered the [Scholar's Sword Technique] and there was no need to waste pills.

Having said that, he entered the [bottleneck test] space.

Li Yu waited where he was. After a while, [Thirteen Ants] pleaded with him in his palm to go to the pond.

When Li Yu arrived, he learned that she wanted to show off her newly acquired "mount"—a strange little green-tailed animal.

What's strange is that the eyes of this little green-tailed fish are noticeably raised.

It has a fish-like face that, at first glance, bears a striking resemblance to a horse's face.

Li Yu thought it was ugly, but Thirteen Ants liked it very much, saying that this horse-faced green-tailed fish was very intelligent and comfortable to ride.

Having said that, she leaped down from Li Yu's palm.

The little green-tailed horse-faced fish, which was swimming slowly under the lotus leaves, suddenly leaped out of the water, and [Thirteen Ants] landed on its back by chance.

Fish carrying ants fall into the water.

The little green-tailed cat, its pectoral fins spread wide, landed steadily on the water's surface, carrying [Thirteen Ants] as it swam around. It chased after larger fish, getting its head pounded, and leaped onto lotus leaves, sliding down a slide, having a wonderful time.

From beginning to end, [Thirteen Ants] remained seated steadily.

Upon closer inspection, Li Yu discovered that the section of the little green tail's back near its head had become remarkably smooth. Not only was it no longer covered in scales, but it also had a layer of fine downy hair.

No wonder the [Thirteen Ants] could sit so steadily.

Before Xiong Ba returned, Li Yu began to stroll around in the [Fanghu].

In the Fairy Garden, many fruit trees were moved away, some planted in the Spirit Field and some in the Fertile Soil.

There's no way around it; thanks to the irrigation from the [Fountain of Aganepe], the fruits and crops in the [Fairy Garden] ripen quickly and have exceptionally high yields.

The warehouses built by Ding Gu were all piled up to the brim. Li Yu sent a lot more to the Sky Courtyard and started having Snake Princess make fruit wine in several large cauldrons to avoid waste.

Right now, a sweet aroma of fruit wine is already wafting through the air in [Fanghu].

Li Yu noticed that the black steeds were swaying as they carried the load. He wondered if it was because the fruit on their heads was too heavy, or because the aroma of the wine had intoxicated the ants.

[Xuanju] seemed to sense the presence of its [lord], and quickly put down the fruit on its head, swung its big black butt, and started to fight.

Li Yu found it quite rhythmic.

After listening for a while, Li Yu waved his hand to disperse them.

Speaking of [Xuanju], Li Yu remembered that he had punished a [Xuanjiu 985] before, and wondered how it was doing now.

He searched around and finally found a small pebble covered in moss. Underneath the pebble was a black horse, with a strong beard and a plump rump.

Wait, no!

The moss on the stone is not a blade of grass.

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'Moon Lotus'

[Rank] Not Ranked

[Attributes] Literary style +20, Auspiciousness +10.

[Description] Also known as Mingjia or Lijia. Emperor Yao observed Mingjia to know the moon, Guizhong to know the past, and Qianque to know the future.

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Li Yu was overjoyed, for it turned out to be an auspicious plant.

[Auspiciousness] is a great attribute. If its value exceeds 100, auspicious beasts such as phoenixes and qilins will come uninvited. They may offer blessings or treasures, and if the conditions are right, they may even settle in your territory.

nice one!

Li Yu picked up the small pebble, turned to leave, but after thinking for a moment, he picked up a slightly larger stone and pressed it down.

Li Yu placed [Yue Ming] on [Xian Lu Stele].

The Bamboo Annals record that the grass called Yueming grows along the steps. On the first day of the lunar month, it produces one pod, and by the middle of the month, it produces fifteen pods. After the sixteenth day, one pod is produced each day, and by the end of the month, all the pods are gone. If the month is short, one pod will wither but not fall off.

This little thing is a calendar plant.

After settling [Yue Ming] in, Xiong Ba finally returned. He had some minor cuts and bruises, but nothing serious.

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[Name] Xiong Ba

[Reputation] 90

……

[Level] Strength 70, Intelligence 46, Leadership 31, Politics 21

……

[Title] [Mysterious Rank - Warrior], [Mysterious Rank - Wandering General]

……

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[Martial Prowess] increased to 70. The original [Yellow Rank Martial Artist] was upgraded to [Mysterious Rank].

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"Warrior"

[Rank] Mystic

[Attribute] Martial Arts +40, with [Trait: A Gentleman of the Outlaws] and [Trait: Nourishing My Spiritual Awareness].

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[The Gentleman of Noble Character] can gain experience in [Martial Arts] and [Intelligence] through self-study.

[Nourish My Spiritual Awareness] Enhance the six senses: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and thought.

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Xiong Ba recounted the process of the [bottleneck test], where his opponent was a foreigner wielding a wooden staff and covered in graffiti.

He swung his staff and uttered a series of incoherent words, and Xiong Ba felt exhausted and drowsy.

Xiong Ba struggled to keep going and chased after the man for a while, stabbing him half to death. Then, he passed the [bottleneck test].

The two talked as they hurried toward [Canghai Island].

Because it was far away, Li Yu rode on a bamboo-ribbed ox.

Meanwhile, Xiong Ba, with Ding Gu in his arms, mounted the bone horse. After a bumpy ride, they arrived at their destination, where Ding Gu used his mastered "Slap and Leap Off the Horse" move to knock Xiong Ba off his horse.

Xiong Ba looked at Ding Gu, speechless. He turned to Li Yu and suggested building a road from Xianlu to Canghai Island to save them from the discomfort.

They even said something like "To get rich, build roads first," I wonder who they learned that from.

Li Yu readily accepted advice and allowed him to make the revisions.

The two climbed the small hill where peaches were planted, with [Ding Gu] below, stepping on the head of the bone horse to climb up.

Li Yu's eyes immediately fell upon the peaches on the [cold peach wood], which were as translucent as jade.

Although there was no fruity fragrance, in just a short while, Li Yu had already seen the [Snake Queen] quietly waiting to the side, and swallowed his saliva three times.

Suddenly, the stem broke, and the [cold peach] fell to the ground.

A snake's tail suddenly shot out, its tip coiling into a small circle to support the fruit.

The fruit was handed to Li Yu.

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'Winter Peach'

[Rank] Earth Grade

[Attributes] Each consumption grants +6 to Constitution, +3 to Agility, and +3 to Spirit, with a high chance of triggering "Internal Organ Petrification". If any single attribute is ≥ 70, consuming this will have no effect.

[Description] Yushan, Nankang...

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The fruit was good, and the added [attributes] were even better, but when he saw the "very high chance of triggering 'internal petrification'", Xiong Ba was speechless.

Is eating a peach such a risky gamble?

Li Yu didn't think it was bad.

Once he finds that Qi-refining method, let alone [Cold Peach], even if he and [Snake Queen] take turns chewing stones together, it will be a piece of cake.

Seeing that [Snake Princess] was staring longingly at [Cold Peach], Li Yu waved his hand, telling her to swallow it.

[Snake Princess] quickly retracted her snake tail, picked up the peach, and ate it in a few bites.

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[Name] Jiang Yaya

[Unit Type] Snake Princess

[Level] Strength 74, Intelligence 30

【Characteristics】[Cauldron Food], [Stone Sword], [Transformation], [Petrification]

[Skills] Sword (Minor Mastery), Shield (Minor Mastery)

[Equipment] [Serpent Armor], [Serpent Scale Shield]

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[Petrification]: When the snake's tail touches an enemy, it petrifies them.

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[Snake Princess] has an additional [Petrification] trait, making her essentially a lower-tier version of Medusa.

Li Yu was satisfied and let her also start the [bottleneck test].

[Snake Princess] returned in just a quarter of an hour. [Strength] 75, clearly she passed the [Bottleneck Test].

She didn't say anything, so no one knew what had happened inside.

………………

Zhuojun.

A chubby boy of eleven or twelve years old was yelling and screaming.

Upon hearing this, his father rushed over from outside.

After asking a few questions, he grabbed the chubby boy's petrified right hand and began to worry.

[Ye Shi Jun] and [Ruicao·Yue Ming] wish everyone a happy Mid-Autumn Festival!!!

(End of this chapter)