Chapter 155: The Red Thread and the Golden Toad

He Zhixing smiled without offering an explanation. In truth, he had subtly channeled his spiritual energy through his hand while painting. It was no surprise that the artwork could induce a state of purity, lightness, and total relaxation, allowing viewers to drift into a realm of self-perception. The entire piece had taken him several hours to complete.

He Zhixing and "Crazy" Lai could not refuse the warm hospitality of the old man's family, so they agreed to stay the night. After dinner, the Jiangxi news channel coincidentally broadcast a report about an unknown, dangerous creature appearing in the deep mountains of the Lushan Scenic Area. Two hikers had been bitten and poisoned by a strange, terrifying entity. After their uninjured companions discovered them and called for help, police and an ambulance arrived forty minutes later, only to find that both victims had already died on the way back.

Their bodies were swollen and covered in a lethal toxin that spread in golden and red patterns. It was declared on the spot that they had succumbed to a bizarre, incurable poison. Police officers immediately scoured the scene, but found no trace of any venomous creature; the surrounding area was combed thoroughly with no results. When questioned, the surviving hikers insisted they had not seen what attacked their companions. Furthermore, the incident occurred in a rugged, remote section of the Lushan mountains rarely frequented by the public. This left the police facing the daunting challenge of determining the cause of the tragedy, forcing them to seal off a vast area and dispatch a squad of officers to guard all mountain entrances and exits.

He Zhixing became instantly intrigued by the news and let out an involuntary exclamation. He turned to "Crazy" Lai and said, "Crazy, we are going there tomorrow."

Gan Ling, sitting nearby, had sharp ears. "What? You're going there tomorrow?"

He Zhixing smiled. "That's right. We're going to see what kind of creature is powerful enough to bite and poison people to death."

At this, Gan Ling's parents and Elder Gan all overheard the conversation and exclaimed in shock. Her mother said, "What? You're going there tomorrow? It's too dangerous! You could lose your lives in an instant! Xiao He, listen to your auntie and don't go. Haven't you seen that the police have already sealed off the area?"

He Zhixing replied, "It's alright, Auntie. We have ways to ensure we won't be harmed."

None of them believed him, assuming he was just boasting. Elder Gan chimed in, "Xiao He, listen to everyone's advice—it's better to be safe. That place is far too dangerous. People are running away from there; why would you go and court disaster? Are you tired of living?"

Seeing that no one believed him, He Zhixing called over a few small spiritual creatures nearby. "A-Zi, Little Turtles, show them what you can do! Let them see your skills!"

The sable and the golden money turtles obeyed his command, each channeling their own spiritual energy. First, the sable transformed into a streak of lightning and darted off. Within seconds, it returned to their sight, carrying a mouse it had just killed, which had died from the sable's own mysterious venom. Everyone was left dumbstruck. Meanwhile, the turtles blew large bubbles from their mouths. He Zhixing asked the family to take objects and strike the spirit-infused bubbles, but they found they could not break them. The bubbles were as sturdy as bronze and iron, no matter how hard they struck. It was too bizarre, too extraordinary! The family was completely stunned.

He Zhixing stood beside a turtle and asked it to blow a bubble. The turtle obeyed, and the light, ethereal bubble slowly expanded, enveloping He Zhixing's entire body. The bubble rolled over to where the others were sitting. He Zhixing told them to strike it with a hammer. They did, only to hear loud "thuds," with not a single scratch or sign of damage on the bubble.

Afterward, He Zhixing smiled and asked the turtles to retract their bubbles. The creatures inhaled, and the spiritual energy vanished back into them.

Seeing such miraculous artifacts, Gan Ling grew interested and wanted to stand inside a bubble herself. He Zhixing signaled a turtle to blow one for her. Gan Ling was overjoyed; she found it incredibly fun and refused to come out for a long time.

After she finally stepped out, she uttered a sentence that left her parents thunderstruck: "Mom, Dad, I want to go with Brother He and the others tomorrow!"

Her parents were terrified by her words. Her father exclaimed, "What? What did you say? Ling, have you lost your mind? Is that any place for you to go?"

Gan Ling replied, "Dad, let me go. I'll be fine with Brother He and the others protecting me. Besides, they have these little spiritual creatures."

Elder Gan then spoke up: "Let them go. Just remember to be very careful!"

Upon hearing the old man's decree, her parents dared not argue. "Alright then. Ling, remember to stay far away from anything dangerous. Stay as far back as you can."

"Yes, I know, Mom," she promised.

The next day, they set off for Lushan, arriving two days later.

To their surprise, they found many strange, eccentric people gathered there. Even more astonishing to He Zhixing were the figures from his past conflicts: Liu Tian and his son, the one-armed man and his apprentice, the Korean monk Park Jung-jin and his disciple, as well as Jiang Ni and Master Jinyun. From Master Jinyun, he gathered that the dangerous creature might be a Red-Thread Snake and a Golden Toad. He Zhixing was invigorated; a place harboring two such extreme toxins must surely contain other miraculous medicinal herbs or fairy grasses. Otherwise, the simultaneous appearance of two such lethal creatures would hardly be a simple coincidence.