Why humanoid?
Because every one of these women had the upper body of a human and the lower body of a snake.
But aside from their somewhat demonic-looking snake tails, each of them possessed exceptional beauty, with fair skin and graceful figures. They came in all styles, too. Some were delicate and fragile, others projected a heroic air, and still others were cold and enchanting.
Yet at this moment, they were all dressed in tattered rags. A few even had bruises on their skin, and their auras were unstable, clear signs of significant injury. A dozen beautiful women, all with the bodies of snakes, drenched and shivering in the heavy rain. It was a pitiful sight, yet it also stirred a primal urge to ravage them ruthlessly.
Bringing up the rear of the procession were another dozen men in straw raincoats and conical hats, serving as the rearguard.
"Gulp… these Snake-People women really live up to their reputation. Just looking at them makes my skin crawl. Boss, why don't we keep one or two for the boys to enjoy instead of selling them all?" one of the men at the front asked. He was a handsome but lecherous-looking youth who had just snuck a glance at the prison cart behind them before swallowing hard and addressing the burly man in the lead.
Hearing this, the leader, who radiated a formidable aura, glanced back at the youth and snorted coldly. "You idiot, letting your lust cloud your mind. Do you think you're worthy of touching this cargo?"
"Do you have any idea how many gold coins a single Snake-Woman is worth? Do you? Besides, this batch was personally reserved by Patriarch Jia. Touch them? Only if you don't want to live in Reservoir City anymore! Keep one or two? If you want to die, don't drag me down with you! Patriarch Jia is a Dou Ling expert!"
Rebuked by his boss, the youth shrank back and fell silent, not daring to say another word.
"Hahaha, don't be angry, Boss. The kid's new to this line of work; he doesn't know the rules," a middle-aged man chimed in, trying to ease the tension. He then smacked the youth on the back of the head.
"You brat, if you really can't hold it in, just wait until we deliver the goods and get paid. Then you can have your pick of the girls at the Rose Pavilion. Besides, this isn't your average cargo. The weakest one among them is a Dou Zhe. You think you could handle one? Don't get yourself killed on some woman's belly!"
Seeing this, the leader let the matter drop. "I know he's a rookie, otherwise I would've kicked him out of the squad ages ago," he said coldly. "Just keep stupid comments like that to yourself in the future."
"Yes, yes, the boss is right. If this brat messes up again, you won't have to lift a finger, Boss. I'll be the first to tell him to get lost," the middle-aged man said, bowing and scraping before shooting his nephew a fierce glare.
Chastised by his own uncle, the youth lowered his head, the fire ignited by the Snake-Women quickly extinguished. His boss was a genuine three-star Da Dou Shi, while he was just a fledgling Dou Zhe. If it weren't for his uncle's connections, he never would have gotten into Reservoir City's top-ranked mercenary group. The Snake-Women were alluring, but not as important as the money he could earn with the squad.
After this small interruption, the group fell silent once more. Only the Snake-Women in the prison cart stared at the mercenaries with cold, hateful eyes.
After about fifteen minutes, the brawny mercenary commander suddenly raised a hand, signaling the team to halt.
As the strongest mercenary group in Reservoir City, their discipline was impeccable. They moved with a seamless coordination, and upon seeing their commander's signal, they stopped instantly. Their hands went to their weapons, ready for action at a moment's notice.
The commander narrowed his eyes, peering a hundred meters ahead. Through the downpour, he could make out four figures walking toward them. Their attire was highly suspicious; all four were cloaked in wide black robes, their faces completely obscured by deep hoods. The long robes dragged on the ground, hiding their feet from view. The pouring rain made it even more difficult for the commander to discern who they were.
He turned to his subordinates. "Someone's coming. Stay sharp, everyone. We can't afford any mistakes."
The mercenaries all nodded in acknowledgment.
Although the four approaching figures gave the commander a sense of foreboding, he wasn't overly concerned. His strength was among the top tier in Reservoir City. He waved his hand, and the team continued forward. With so many men on his side, and only four on theirs, he had nothing to fear unless they were all Da Dou Shi experts, or if there was a Dou Ling among them.
The two groups slowly closed the distance. Soon, they met on the road. The commander and his mercenaries were at their highest state of alert.
Fortunately, the four figures seemed to ignore them, walking past the procession without a second glance.
The commander allowed himself to relax slightly.
But in that same instant, a primal sense of danger screamed through his mind, and his expression changed dramatically.
Hiss!
Simultaneously, a colossal, blue-violet serpent materialized behind him and lunged forward to bite! The massive snake was five zhang long and as thick as a water bucket. Its gaping maw was large enough to swallow an adult man whole, and its entire body radiated a blue-violet mist of energy.
Just as the serpent was about to strike, the commander, relying on years of life-and-death battle instincts, rapidly condensed a suit of yellow Dou Qi armor around his body.
Bang! Boom! Crack!
With a series of explosive sounds, the commander was sent flying. He soared more than ten meters through the air before crashing hard onto the ground. The Dou Qi armor on his back had been completely shattered and dissipated by the single blow. The straw raincoat he wore was blasted into dust by the powerful energy impact, and the skin on his back was melted away in several places, revealing bloody flesh beneath.
"Ptoo!"
Spitting out a mouthful of blood, the commander suppressed the searing pain in his back and the violent turmoil in his organs. He rolled to his feet and roared, "Ambush! To arms!"
But when he saw the state of his team, he froze in shock.
Aside from the Snake-Women in the prison cart, not a single one of his mercenaries was left standing. The twenty-plus men were sprawled on the ground, some vomiting blood, others barely breathing. The weaker ones had been torn limb from limb, leaving behind only pools of blood and scattered pieces of flesh.
The muddy ground where his men had stood was now pockmarked with several large craters, from which the unique energy fluctuations of residual Dou Qi emanated.
The commander stood there, stunned, unable to process what had happened. He couldn't believe that his mercenary team, with over a dozen Dou Shi and himself, a Da Dou Shi, had been virtually wiped out in an instant.
Before he could even accept this reality, a figure appeared a few meters in front of him as if from nowhere.
"You…" The commander snapped back to his senses, a chilling fear creeping up his spine as he stared at the black-robed figure.
"Hehe…" A woman's delicate laughter emerged from beneath the black hood, but it was laced with unmistakable mockery. The figure then pulled back her hood, revealing a beautiful face.
Seeing that his assailant was a woman, the commander's eyes widened in sudden realization. "You're a Snake-Woman!"
No wonder! No wonder he hadn't heard a single footstep when the four of them had passed by!
"Quick on the uptake, aren't you? But what made you so bold as to capture women of my Snake-People Race? With your pathetic level of strength?" the woman sneered, her voice dripping with contempt.
The commander barely registered her taunts. His mind was racing, trying to figure out a way to escape. To have annihilated his team so quickly, the other three had to be at least as strong as he was—all Da Dou Shi. And this woman before him, who had grievously wounded him in a single strike, was far stronger.
Unfortunately, the black-robed woman seemed to read his thoughts. She made no move, simply watching him with an amused expression.
"Crushing Mountain Strike!"
Suddenly, the commander lunged at the woman. A massive amount of earthy yellow Dou Qi erupted from his right hand, coalescing into a layer of stony armor over his fist as he threw a punch.
Facing his all-out attack, the black-robed woman appeared utterly nonchalant. She gave a casual wave of her fair, slender hand.
Instantly, a torrent of Dou Qi, far more potent than the commander's, surged forth, transforming into a stream of blue-violet light that met his fist.
Boom!
The violent collision kicked up a gale that blew the raindrops aside. A ferocious shockwave of Dou Qi rippled outwards. The commander was sent flying backward once again, spitting out another mouthful of blood. The impact had worsened his injuries; he felt as if his internal organs were being twisted into knots. Despite the agony, a flicker of hope appeared on his face.
But before he could even hit the ground, a blue-violet silhouette flashed past him, leaving a shimmering trail of Dou Qi in its wake.
Swish! Thwack!
A solid, translucent longsword of blue-violet energy pierced through him from behind. Without any resistance, the blade plunged into the commander's heart and emerged from his chest. His body froze mid-air, suspended in place.
"Dou… Ling…"
The commander's eyes were wide with terror and regret. He strained to turn his head, looking at the black-robed woman behind him as he slowly forced out the two words.
The black-robed woman said nothing. With a flick of her sword, she decapitated him, severing his head from his neck.
Ignoring the commander's falling corpse, she moved to the prison cart and swung her sword. The cart, though forged from a special metal, was as fragile as paper before her blade and was instantly sliced open. A few more strikes, and a large hole appeared in its side.
The Snake-Women inside emerged with joyous expressions, gathering before the black-robed woman to bow. "We greet Commander Ling Sha! Thank you for rescuing us, Commander!"
"Commander Ling Sha, it's done. There are no survivors," the other three black-robed figures reported as they arrived and bowed.
Ling Sha nodded and spoke to the rescued Snake-Women in a gentle voice. "We must leave quickly. This is human territory. If the Dou Ling expert in Reservoir City discovers us, I won't be able to protect you all."
"Yes, Commander!"
Just as the group was about to depart, Ling Sha's head snapped toward the base of a nearby mountain peak.
"Someone's there!"
"Holy shit! What is she? How is her perception so sharp?!"
"Run!"