Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 70: Chapter 68 The Giant Python in the Forest

The team reached the flat land by the shore, where everyone hurriedly found a patch of soft grass to start setting up camp.

Since it was just a temporary camping spot, they didn’t erect tents, opting instead to lay out a tarp on the grass for everyone.

Huo Sining began allocating tasks, and in pairs, they set out to search for food, large stones, and dry firewood, leaving Luo Jinzhi and her to watch over the luggage.

Huo Sining instructed Luo Jinzhi to be in charge of fetching water for everyone at the shore and keeping an eye on the luggage, while she herself walked up along the riverbank alone.

The stream must have been formed from spring water flowing down from the mountains; the water wasn’t very deep, and one could vaguely see the swimming fish through the clear, crisp water.

Huo Sining did not want to fish in front of Luo Jinzhi and raise suspicions, so she had to send everyone away.

...

It was unexpected that she was stopped by a cliff not far upstream, with the stream flowing down from the top of the cliff, forming a huge deep pool at the base of the cliff.

Just as Huo Sining was preparing to jump into the deep pool, she suddenly heard a rustling sound coming from the jungle behind her.

Huo Sining’s footsteps halted, thinking there was someone in the jungle, and she immediately thought to herself, “That was close.”

Withdrawing the foot she was about to place in the water, Huo Sining’s face showed vigilance. Turning her head back, her eyes tightly focused on the forest behind her, and she asked in a cold voice, “Who’s there?”

No one responded, but Huo Sining could clearly hear the sound of footsteps crushing the underbrush within the jungle.

This area was within the training camp’s boundaries, so in theory, there should be no outsiders trespassing, but Huo Sining still felt some tension, worried there might be wild beasts or something else.

Nevertheless, she bravely approached the source of the noise. After only a few steps following the sound, Huo Sining was scared stiff.

In the underbrush less than ten meters from her, a python with a length of six to seven meters lay on the ground.

The snake’s tail was dragging a withered old skin; it was obvious that the snake was molting.

Sensing Huo Sining’s approach, the snake opened its huge mouth toward her, flicking its bright red tongue.

Huo Sining was terrified, her brain freezing for a second. When she came to her senses, her first reaction was to run, but as she turned to leave, her feet halted again.

Because she clearly saw what seemed to be a wound oozing fresh blood on the snake’s body, and even the corners of the snake’s mouth were stained with blood, she immediately understood.

The snake was injured!

Back in Baiyun Town, Huo Sining often heard villagers say that snakes are most vulnerable when they are shedding their skin, during which the corneas of their eyes turn purplish-blue and they temporarily lose their sight.

Furthermore, the skin of a python that has just shed is not hardened yet, making it susceptible to injury from predators. Hence, they usually choose a safe stone cave or tree branch to coil upon during molting.

Huo Sining didn’t know why the snake hadn’t hidden in its cave but instead was weakly lying in the underbrush.

But the snake was clearly seriously injured and appeared to be on its last breath; although it had its mouth wide open as if to threaten Huo Sining, it was obviously exhausted. The large creature couldn’t move at all, so this immense python was nothing more than a paper tiger.

Upon understanding this, Huo Sining calmed down, feeling that the giant python wasn’t so terrifying after all.

She was about to leave when a saying from an elder in the village suddenly came to mind: “Seeing a snake shed its skin is an omen; you won’t die but a layer of skin will peel off.”

It’s said that snakes are extremely intelligent and vengeful creatures that can hunt down their enemies by scent, and no matter where you hide, even to the ends of the earth, they can find you.

Thinking of this, Huo Sining’s steps involuntarily halted, and after breaking off a sturdy tree branch, she turned back to the snake’s side.

She did not want to be marked by a snake, so she decided to end it once and for all.

However, just as Huo Sining’s hand gripped the sharp end of the branch, preparing to poke at the snake’s head, perhaps because the Spiritual Energy of the Azure Pearl was becoming increasingly strong, the snake seemed to sense something and suddenly lifted its head, moving towards Huo Sining. The python’s tongue, as thick as an arm, extended and incessantly licked Huo Sining’s hand, and its smoky, misty eyes even revealed innocence and pleading.

Had this snake become a spirit?! Huo Sining was shocked and saw the snake struggling to move its tail to coil around her in a gesture of goodwill, which made her both annoyed and amused.

Moved by compassion, Huo Sining refrained from killing the big python that was cutely seeking her favor.

After inspecting the snake’s wound, she helplessly extended her hand, channeling Spiritual Energy to heal it.

The snake, feeling the Spiritual Energy, became instantly docile, staying motionless in the grass, and lay comfortably in the undergrowth, looking thoroughly content.

Once the wounds on its body were fully healed, the python’s skin at its tail smoothly shed, and not only that, the scales on its body became tougher; its green scales shimmered dazzlingly under the sunlight, quite majestic.

Seeing the purple in the snake’s eyes gradually fade, Huo Sining knew it was healed and no longer paid attention to it, turning around to walk into the pond.

Luo Jinzhi and the others were still waiting for her over there; she didn’t have so much time to waste.

The pond was deep, around seven or eight meters, formed by the impact of water falling from a height.

As soon as Huo Sining entered the water, she felt a current of coolness and was immediately comfortable.

Indeed, she saw many schools of fish swimming in the pond, and Huo Sining was about to catch a few plump fish to grill and eat when she suddenly felt her foot step on something hard. That sensation was unmistakably a clam shell she was familiar with.

Old clams were a treasure, not only for their delicious meat but also because their shells could be used as containers.

They were camping now, without any tools, and having this old clam could solve many problems.

Delighted, Huo Sining’s body sank as she reached for the clam.

The clam felt large in her hand, and though Huo Sining held it, her eyes continued to search the pond’s bottom, wanting to find a few more. Unexpectedly, her gaze fell upon a black square object on the bottom.

“What’s that?”

Huo Sining was somewhat puzzled and moved closer to brush away the seaweed entangled on the black object, revealing a box about one foot in length.

The box was made of wood, dark brown in color, and its lacquer skin was somewhat peeled off.

On one side of the box, there was a finely crafted lock nose with an iron lock hanging on it.

Because it had always been submerged, the box’s surface was covered in green moss.

Huo Sining wiped away the moss, and the carved floral patterns on the box’s surface became visible.

Huo Sining felt surprised; the box looked like an antique from many years ago, so how did it end up in this pond?