Chapter 62
Deathly Silence!
The further you go in, the quieter it becomes.
This kind of quiet is not the same as the kind of tranquility.
Rather, it was a kind of...dead silence.
It was like walking into a graveyard that had been muted.
The rustling of leaves in the wind and the distant sounds of wild animals running, which could be heard just moments before, have all vanished.
Even the sound of Jiang Han's own footsteps on the thick layer of fallen leaves sounded particularly jarring.
sand.
sand.
sand.
The viewers in the live stream also sensed that something was wrong.
"Why is there no sound?"
"Wasn't it quite lively just now? Why did everyone suddenly mute?"
"I have a bad feeling...something usually happens at this point in horror movies!"
"Watch out, streamer! The atmosphere is so tense!"
Jiang Han stopped in her tracks.
He tilted his head slightly, and his nostrils twitched.
The stench of decay in the air had faded.
Instead, it has a... cloyingly sweet taste.
It smells so good, it's almost sickeningly sweet.
That's a fishy smell.
An extremely strong fishy smell.
"Gathering Yin Pool".
Jiang Han uttered three words in a low voice.
"In feng shui, this kind of terrain is called 'land of no descendants'."
"If the yin energy does not dissipate, the yang energy cannot enter."
"Perfect for raising... insidious creatures."
He lowered his head and looked down at his feet.
When I walked over just now, the sensation under my feet already felt a bit off.
It's soft and slippery.
It didn't feel like stepping on decaying leaves; it felt more like stepping on... some kind of silk.
Jiang Han used the tip of his knife to gently pry open the thick layer of dead leaves at his feet.
Splash!
The withered leaves were turned over.
What was revealed sent chills down the spines of millions of viewers in the live stream!
A person with trypophobia died on the spot!
That's not soil at all!
Instead, it was layer upon layer, densely intertwined... a snake's molted skin!
White, yellow, transparent...
Countless snakeskins were piled together, some only as thick as a finger, others thicker than a thigh!
They were like countless dead ghosts, layer upon layer, covering the entire ground!
"Holy shit! Ugh—!"
"How many snakes are there?!"
"I'm getting goosebumps! Help!"
"Is this a snake pit underground?!"
"Not just underground."
Jiang Han's voice was cold.
He slowly raised his head and looked at a piece of dead wood three meters in front of him.
"There are still obstacles blocking the way ahead."
On that piece of dead wood covered in moss.
There was a clump of yellowish-brown stuff sitting there.
If you don't look closely, you might mistake it for a pile of cow dung.
But it is moving.
It slowly wriggled.
It was a snake.
Its body is as thick as a bowl, coiled up in a circle, with its triangular head held high.
It did not hiss as a warning sound like a typical venomous snake.
It simply watched Jiang Han quietly.
There was a strange...smile in those vertical pupils?
The most terrifying thing is the pattern on its body.
Behind its triangular head, the dark brown patterns twisted together, looking remarkably like... a crying face!
It has all the facial features, and you can even see the "tears" flowing down its face!
"Giggle giggle..."
A deep sound came from its throat.
It didn't sound like a snake's cry; it sounded more like someone covering their mouth and chuckling.
"The ghost face falls in seven steps."
Jiang Han tightened his grip on the knife slightly.
"Scientific name: *Viper terrestris*, highly venomous."
"But this one... has become a spirit."
"Judging from its pattern and size, it's lived for at least fifty years."
"It's laughing."
The live stream chat exploded.
"Snakes can laugh?! Streamer, don't scare me!"
"That's a snake demon!"
"That face scared me half to death! It was so eerie!"
"Hey streamer, you'd better take a detour! This thing looks dangerous!"
"A detour?"
Jiang Han did not move.
Instead of moving, he slowly turned his head.
His gaze slowly moved upwards, following the direction of a large tree beside him.
The camera also rotated accordingly.
"Brothers."
"Do you think this is the only road here?"
The camera pans across the surrounding tree trunks, branches, and bushes.
At first, no one noticed anything amiss.
But as the camera zooms in, it focuses.
Everyone's blood froze instantly.
On the tree.
On every branch.
Things were hanging on them.
Green, black, red, floral...
That's a snake.
Thousands upon thousands of snakes!
They were densely wrapped around the branches, like strange fruits growing on the tree.
Some hung in mid-air, swaying gently in the breeze.
Some of them are wrapped around the tree trunk and blend into the bark.
Some peeked out from among the leaves, flicking their tongues.
Countless pairs of cold, emotionless eyes.
At this moment, everyone's attention was focused on Jiang Han, who was standing in the middle of the forest.
This is hardly a forest.
This is clearly an ocean made up of venomous snakes!
The deathly silence just now was because this was their territory.
No bird or beast dared to make a sound here.
Except for... the prey's dying screams.
"Hiss hiss hiss..."
Suddenly, that teeth-grinding grinding sound rang out from all directions.
That was the sound of countless scales rubbing against the bark.
That was the sound of countless seeds vibrating in the air.
Like a death knell, it echoed through this desolate space.
Jiang Han was surrounded.
There was no way to go to heaven, and no way to go to hell.
This was not a case of accidentally wandering into a snake's den.
This is like falling into a den of ten thousand snakes!
"Oh no! How are we going to escape?!"
"This number...it's going to kill anyone with trypophobia!"
"Hurry up and use fire! Or what about that beast-repelling spray?!"
"It's no use! With so many snakes, you'd drown from their spit!"
Jiang Han stood in the center of the snake swarm.
His face was still pale, but his eyes were frighteningly bright.
He did not panic, nor did he turn and run away.
He simply sighed softly.
It seemed somewhat helpless.
"I originally wanted to keep a low profile."
He looked at the grotesque snake that was still cawing at him, a cruel smile curving his lips.
"Since you're so enthusiastic..."
"Then... let's all come out and meet our ancestors."
Before he could finish speaking...
The snakes in front suddenly parted like a tide.
A giant, monstrous snake, entirely crimson with a rooster-like growth on its head, slowly emerged from the depths of the swarm of snakes.
When it stood upright, its height even exceeded that of Jiang Han!
Those golden vertical pupils, carrying a kingly disdain, were fixed on Jiang Han's throat.