Chapter 246: Such a Big Snake
Just how violent can Taotie be?
Violent enough to pin a black bear to the ground and beat it mercilessly.
The black bear trembled under Taotie’s blows, blood oozing from its mouth and nose. One of its sharp fangs had even been ripped out by Taotie.
Taotie stood up, cracking his knuckles with a snap, and glared coldly at the bear.
The bear lay on the ground, shivering, its body jerking as if it had been beaten to tears.
The pitiful sight made Fang Xiaocao question—who was the real bear here?
Taotie wasn’t the type to show mercy, especially not to a bear. He didn’t care if it looked pitiful.
Straddling the bear, he grabbed its two furry ears and, with a mighty heave, lifted the entire beast off the ground. His hands slid down to its waist, and he hoisted it up effortlessly.
Taotie weighed the bear in his arms and grinned. “This bear might look skinny, but it’s pretty heavy.”
Fang Xiaocao blinked, staring at the bear that was easily four times her size, and couldn’t agree.
Taotie spun in a circle and then flung the bear. It whooshed through the air before crashing into a tree with a loud thud. The impact drew a pig-like squeal of pain from the bear, leaving it sprawled on the ground, unable to get up.
With a cold laugh, Taotie strode toward it.
Frowning, Fang Xiaocao called out, “Taotie, stop!”
“Let it go!” she said. “It’s already beaten to a pulp. It’s no threat to us now. We have more important things to do—don’t waste time here.”
Taotie paused and glanced at her. Seeing the seriousness in her expression, he nodded.
“As you wish, Princess!” he replied cheerfully.
Still, he couldn’t resist giving the bear one last kick.
“Lucky bastard, I’m letting you off this time!” he sneered. “Next time, pick your targets better!”
After his little lecture, Taotie picked up his machete, sheathed it, and resumed leading the way according to their map.
Fang Xiaocao glanced at the bear, which lay motionless, its beady eyes cautiously watching them. She shook her head, picked up the fang Taotie had knocked out, and pocketed it before following Taotie.
Bears were intelligent creatures—they could mimic humans, test their limits, and even recognized guns and their lethality.
But they were also vicious and bloodthirsty.
Once a bear marked you as prey, the experience would be nothing short of a nightmare.
Of course, if you could make it fear you, it would flee at the mere scent of you from miles away.
Unless it grew stronger and decided to stalk you from the shadows, waiting for a chance to kill you.
That was the nature of bears—deceptively cute on the outside, but cunning, savage, and vengeful beneath.
Best not to provoke them.
But if you ever encountered one, unless you had a fast escape vehicle, running was the worst option. Instead, making yourself appear big, shouting, and slowly backing away gave you better odds of survival.
Because despite their bulky frames, bears were faster than humans and had an acute sense of smell.
In short—you couldn’t outrun them, and you couldn’t hide.
After trekking another three kilometers, Taotie stopped again and waved at Tom. “Hey, Tom, come here!”
Tom handed rear guard duty to Hummingbird and approached Taotie. Curious, Fang Xiaocao also moved closer.
“What’s up?” Tom whispered.
“Take a look over there. Doesn’t that tree match the landmark described on the treasure map?” Taotie pointed at an oddly intertwined ancient tree ahead.
Tom’s eyes widened as he studied it. “It does!”
“Should we check it out?” Tom’s voice brimmed with excitement.
“Let’s go!” Taotie agreed, and the two cautiously approached the tree.
Fang Xiaocao hesitated, worried about potential dangers, and stayed behind, keeping a close watch on them.
Tom and Taotie carefully examined the tree, comparing it to the yellowed treasure map and scanning their surroundings.
Their tense movements made Fang Xiaocao nervous too, her eyes locked on them as she waited for confirmation—was this the landmark leading to the treasure?
Then, her pupils shrank abruptly.
Her gaze fixed on something massive—a serpent as thick as a barrel, its scales glinting coldly under the moonlight.
The snake’s enormous head swayed slightly, its cold eyes locked onto Tom and Taotie as its massive body slithered silently toward them.
Fang Xiaocao had never seen a snake this large before. The sight was suffocating.
But she knew fear wouldn’t help now—she had to act.
If that snake attacked, coiling around either of them, it could crush every bone in their bodies.
Survival would be a miracle.
Or more likely—impossible.
Without hesitation, Fang Xiaocao drew her gun and aimed at the serpent.
“Tom! Taotie! Watch out for the snake!” she shouted.
Hearing her, the two men spun around, spotting Fang Xiaocao’s panicked expression and the gun pointed behind them. They immediately turned and drew their weapons.
At the same time—
Realizing it had been spotted, the snake abandoned stealth and lunged, its gaping mouth rushing toward Tom and Taotie.
Fang Xiaocao gritted her teeth and pulled the trigger.
BANG!
A bullet tore through the air, striking the snake’s head in a burst of blood.
A direct hit!
Even Fang Xiaocao was surprised—she had only meant to scare it off and buy time for the others.
Hiss—!
The snake shrieked in pain, its lunge interrupted as it writhed on the ground.
“Damn, Princess! Nice shot!” Taotie grinned, giving her a thumbs-up.
Then, in the next second—
He unsheathed his machete and charged at the snake.
(End of Chapter 246)
