Wu Xie
Standing in front of the relief, Wu Xie stared at the wall, while Pangzi came close to also have a look at it. He was impatient to find the Queen Mother's palace as soon as possible so Pangzi was actually quite prone to urge Wu Xie into find the next clue to where they should head out.
"Tianzhen, you are the expert here so go do your scholar thing and get us in the right track." Pangzi hurry him and Wu Xie started analyzing what he was seen.
"The lost civilization of this place used to worship snakes, which is not surprising giving the fact this basin forest is plagued with them and the Queen Mother use them also as a symbol in her palace. Here the tiger keelback is worship... look at this. Here they pour the snakes into the pagoda, while the priest host a ceremony and the people kneel down around it." Wu Xie started.
"Seriously, what kind of crazy people worship deadly snakes, as gods? Did they not fear death? I mean they are damn deadly and all..." Pangzi said as he shudder.
"Precisely because they are deadly is why they worship them. Here in this part you can see the people in here were not strangers to war and judging by how they dress they should be the Queen's Mother people warring against some other civilization that lived close or came here to in search of what we are looking now. Here and here, you can see clearly that they were losing the fight... but then, the snakes came out of the pagoda and help them defeat their enemies." Wu Xie said as he pointed the carvings.
"So the damn things were actually warriors of the Queen Mother." Pangzi concluded.
"Most likely... but I think it was more than just that..." Wu Xie said as he moved to the next relief.
"Looking at the structure of the city, it seems that the whole thing is connected underground, from where the snakes can move freely all around the tunnels. In times of need, the people here lure them out from the underground to fight the Queen Mother's enemies. It's an efficient way to take care of their enemies, giving the fact that the keelbacks are fast and deadly, thus the worship is quite fitting." Wu Xie told him.
"Hum, I guess it makes sense, they should have the antidote ready at all times, so there should not be as troublesome to them as they are for us... let's look at what Xiaoge is seen in his side." Pangzi suggested and the both of them turned to join Zhang Qiling.
"Okay, Tianzhen, what about this one?" Pangzi urged him.
"Here is someone of superior position, sitting in a carriage while pulled with eight horses and it's coming here not as an enemy... but... judging by the style of the chariot, it resemble the Western Zhou and if I remember well, it was said in a legend that King Mu came to this land with his imperial army for a banquet with the Queen Mother to seek for the longevity secret." Wu Xie ended and Pangzi smiled while tapping his shoulder.
"Not bad, Tianzhen. I guess your intelligence makes up for your bad luck." Pangzi teased.
"Why you! Is not like I have back luck all the time!" Wu Xie protested.
"Don't kid with me, tall that to Xiaoge who even have an exclusive radar to get you out of dangerous situations at whatever tomb you decide to go... wait, is not limited to tombs, right Xioge?" Pangzi asked at the quiet man, but Xiaoge was not paying attention to them, but at a part of a relief he was trying to clean. Both Wu Xie and Pangzi then join him.
"Okay, Tianzhen what about this one. This is different from the others." Pangzi pointed.
"This one should be about the Great Pythons that we saw before. I think is quite possible both snakes were here a long time ago and the Pythons preyed on the keelbacks." Wu Xie said, but to Xiaoge it looked differently.
"They are matting." He said.
"What?" Pangzi asked.
"Cross-matting? They are two different kinds of snakes and the size alone it should be impossible." Wu Xie whisper as he analyze the new information and what that could mean.
"There are birds that had mistakenly catalog as different types, because the male and females are of different sizes. Could it be like that here too?" Pangzi asked.
"No, looks closely." Xiaoge whisper and so Wu Xie did, noticing a difference in the carving of the two huge snakes.
"You are right, Xiaoge... those two are indeed different... but what is the other one?" Wu Xie asked himself as he looked closer trying to make sense of it. Then it hit him.
"This is an inbreed indeed. The little snakes are helping the Python mate with this huge other snake that also lived here... which means, that's probably the snake mother. The one who rules them all." Wu Xie concluded and Pangzi whistle.
"Wuhu! Here comes the mating season of monsters. I'm so glad that this snake mother should be dead by now. I mean this relief should be thousands of year's old, right?" Pangzi asked, but when Wu Xie was about to respond, something unexpected happen.
A figure cover in mud came out of nowhere and take away Pan Zi's backpack then run away in a dash, taking them all by surprise.
"Aunt Wenjin! Is that you?!" Wu Xie shouted and the figure, halted in her haste for a moment before dashing again into the woods. Out of instinct Wu Xie chased her, closely follow by the rest, including Xiaoge. They ran after what they believe was Wenjin for a while, until Pangzi stumble and rolled down into a steep in the ground.
"Wu Xie, stop!" Xiaoge yelled as he saw Pangzi, which was in the front of their running line, roll down and try to catch Wu Xie's hand before he could fall down too, but too late as when he reached his hand, Wu Xie was already in his way down to the steep, pulling him along by the force of gravity.
Even so, Xiaoge manage to turn Wu Xie and twist his own body as he fell, so Qiling could take both of the impact of the falling on his own body, falling down on his back while wrapping Wu Xie on his arms, then both of them rolled down the steep, with Pan Zi falling after them on his own.
They rolled down a long way until finally they free fall into a river. The impact on the water was luckily not too much, as the distance was short, so Xiaoge easily surface while holding Wu Xie close, then Pan Zi fell by them.
"Wu Xie..." Xiaoge whisper as he looked at him with an unspoken question on his deep gaze and gently let go of him Wu Xie smiled.
"I'm fine Xiaoge." Wu Xie assure him and Xiaoge assented with relief.
"I'm really beginning to get jealous. How come I can't be saved like that?" Pangzi asked as he watched the couple with envy.
"You are not Master Wu Xie, is as simple as that." Pan Zi said as he walked to the river shore.
"That I know... but still, Xiaoge, please get your radar extended a bit my way too, okay?" Pangzi said as both Wu Xie and Xiaoge walked out of the water.
"Sorry no can do. He is mine." Wu Xie said as he sit on the rocky river shore, exhausted by the sudden run and fall.
"Don't be selfish Tianzhen." Pangzi protested.
"He is too busy counteracting my back luck... but I can pass you some of it if you want." Wu Xie said simply and Pangzi smirked.
"No, thank you. I truly not envy that of you." Pangzi said and Wu Xie looked around to see if he could see where Wenjin had go, but as he did his gaze came to a halt in a place where he spotted something.
"Xiaoge..." Wu Xie whisper as he pointed in the direction of what he saw and Xiaoge was immediately on his feet and helping Wu Xie do the same.
"Is that a body? Tianzhen, you are seriously cursed. How come we find more corpses out of a blue?" Pangzi asked and Wu Xie ignore him.
"Stay here, I will have a look." Xiaoge said as he walked toward the body that lay at the side of a rock and squat down to turn it.
"Oh so it's him..." Pangzi said.
"You know him?" Wu Xie asked.
"He works for Master San." Panzi said. It seem they were really in troubles..." Pan Zi added as he looked around more closely.
Xiaoge for his part, searched the body for anything that can give them a clue of what happen to San Xing's group and found a walkies-talkie, but it was obviously broken, thus he was going to trow it away.
"Ah, no Xiaoge... we may fix it later." Wu Xie said and Xiaoge pass it to Wu Xie.
"There is someone else there too." Pan Zi pointed at the opposite direction and they all saw another body lying on the top of another rock by the river.
"Tianzhen... isn't that man dressed like your uncle?" Pangzi asked and it was then, that his heart froze. Xiaoge gave Pangzi another cold stare as he, put a hand on Wu Xie's shoulder for silent reassurance.
"It may not be him." Xiaoge said.
"That's right. Master San will not die that easily, just don't take this idiot words for granted." Pan Zi added and they crossed the shallow river to see who was there.
Soon they were in front of the body and Wu Xie was about to flip it to see the face, when Pan Zi halt him.
"I will do it." He offered and Wu Xie was glad for it. Knowing that if the body actually turned out to be Wu San Xing and thus another blow for Wu Xie, Qiling took Wu Xie's hand on his and slightly press it, feeling as Wu Xie press it back in understanding.
To his intense relief, the body tuned out not been San Xing, but another member of his team, or so Pan Zi confirmed and Wu Xie let out a sight.
"Yep, it's confirmed, Master San's luck is definitely greater. What a relief..." Pangzi said and Wu Xie stumped on his feet.
"Yeah, yeah, I will shut up, no need to be so violent."
"You deserve it." Wu Xie said, but let it go as soon as he saw something useful, a tool that at least they could use, to defend themselves if nothing else.
"Let's see if we can find other things we can use. Right now we have no equipment other than what we carry before we were distracted. Pangzi, have this, it may save your life..." Wu Xie said as he throw the light weight axe to him and they get to finding something useful from the corpses, but as Wu Xie bend to pick something else from the rocks, he notice a sudden movement on the periphery of his vision and a hiss sound.
"Damn snakes! Be careful there are more snakes around!" Wu xie shouted and in record time, Xiaoge was by his side and taking Wu Xie back several feet from where the tiger keelback was.
"Take out your knife." Xiaoge told Wu Xie and he obeyed without questions.
"Let's get out of here first... let's back off somewhere else less infested." Pan Zi said he as too retreated.
"This can be their feeding ground... we truly end up even worse than last night." Pangzi said as they hear even more hisses coming from all around.
"Run!" Wu Xie shouted and so they did while the snakes that were around throw themselves at them as they pass. Xiaoge's natural reflexes intercepted most of them, but as their advance was less rushed than they wished it was getting hard to avoid some on their way.
Wu Xie did his best to slash anything that jumped his way and so where the others, with Xiaoge getting most of it in a dangerous dance of knife and blood. If circumstances were not as dire, Wu Xie would had sat on a rock and watch Qiling dance like the Master kung fu he was, but there was not time for that as they try their best to escape that deadly place in one piece.
At some point, Wu Xie stumble in the rocks and fall while the others were busy saving themselves, however almost to prove that his luck wasn't that bad, when he fell he had done it over a muddy piece of the river shore and thus his face was instantly cover on the fresh mud, that make him momentarily invisible to the snake that was about to bite him, as he keep himself as still as a stone.
The keelback didn't notice him and turned to get someone else, but soon it was cut in half when Xiaoge came to his 'rescue' and help him stand.
"It didn't bite you, right?" Qiling asked worriedly as he check on him with nervous hands.
"No. It seems that when I'm out of your radar, I truly am lucky. The mud really can save your life." Wu Xie whisper and Xiaoge squatted to get himself a bit of mud on himself for safety matters.
"Let's go." Xiaoge urged Wu Xie and they joined the other two soon after and keep up their hasted escape, however, along the way, Pangzi was bitten on a leg and fell. Wu Xie stopped his dash and while Pan Zi and Xiaoge defend them, he pick up Pangzi on his back.
"Tianzhen... you are a true bother... if I don't make it..."
"Shut up! I promise no one else was going to die here. We will be back at the camp to find the antidote soon, just remember to lose some weight when we are back home." Wu Xie interrupt him and they keep up their retreat until corner into a deeper part of the river and a cliff.
"Now what?" Pan Zi asked as they backed into the water.
"We climb. Pangzi needs the antidote as soon as possible otherwise he will not make it, he is already unconscious." Wu Xie said.
"You can't carry Pangzi up. I will." Xiaoge offer.
"No, you both had better chances of survival." Wu Xie deny it and Xiaoge glare at him.
"Then I will lure them away." Xiaoge said.
"Oh no, you will not. There are vines on that cliff, I can tie Pangzi to me and climb up. You guys try to keep the snakes away just for us to have a small start..." Wu Xie said as he retreated further into the river to a deeper part with Pangzi still on his back. When his shoulders were cover with water thought, something unexpected happen and the river begin to form a vortex at the middle, pulling them both in.
"Wu Xie!!!" The instant Wu Xie disappear from his sight along with Pangzi, Xiaoge was instantly diving into the river to try find him, but was also swallow by the vortex along with Pan Zi right after him.
As soon as Wu Xie was spitted into a chamber bellow the river, Wu Xie coughed the little water he swallowed when pulled in by the force of the vortex that had trap them and pull them into the tunnels underground, like in the relief they were studying before.
Wu Xie turned around trying to get his bearings, but it was dark down there, so he used his small flashlight to try see just where he had been thrown... then he remember that he was separate from Pangzi, but when he was about to look for him, someone else came down from one of the tunnels, almost falling over him.
"Wu Xie!!" Qiling called and seen him close, he hug the man in a desperate attempt to calm his fear, after seen him been swallow by the sudden whirlpool.
"I'm fine Xiaoge..." Wu Xie whisper on his ear and Xiaoge could not resist the urge to kiss him to calm himself down by feeling him responding back, which Wu Xie did, giving into the kiss for a bit, before he separate himself from his lover.
"As most as I love to kiss you, we need to find Pangzi..." Wu Xie said and Qiling pointed at one corner, where of course the man was laying over a pile of vines. Wu Xie hurry to him and check his pulse to see if he still was with them and to his relief, Pangzi heart was still beating.
"He is still alive... but we need to..." A yell came from another tunnel and Pan Zi was thrown next into the chamber and Wu Xie sighed.
"We are all here... this is good." Wu Xie said, but then there was someone else voice, a weird one that seems to resonate all over the water chamber as it closed the water gate above them.
"What the hell was that?" Wu Xie asked as he illuminate around.
"Don't know. From where it comes?" Pangzi asked, also looking around. Then the voice called to Wu Xie again and Xiaoge pointed at his right.
"There." He said and they carefully approached what looked like another body swallow in and Wu Xie check for vitals that were no longer there.
"He is dead." Wu Xie whisper, but then Wu Xie was yanked backwards by Xiaoge who spotted the snake before he did.
"I lost my blade up there..." Wu Xie lamented as the snake slither over the wall and seems to stare at them, then it did what make Wu Xie's skin had goosebomps. It hissed his name.
"Wu Xie..." The thing said and Wu Xie retreated a few steps back in horror as Xia0ge placed himself in front of him protectively.
"Impossible... how come this thing gained human speech...?" Wu Xie whisper to himself as the thing called his name yet again.
"Don't let it bother you... take Pangzi, I will take care of this." Xiaoge said and after Wu Xie stare at him for a moment, he turned and took Pangzi on his back once again. Soon he didn't hear the snake talk again and both Xiaoge and where behind him.
Shortly after, they encounter two figures in the darkness and Wu Xie halted again.
"Who are you?" Wu Xie asked and he hear a coughing, that sounded familiar.
"Just a few days apart and you forget about your cousin?" Xio Xua asked and Wu Xie almost laughed.
"Ah, Xia Hua... it's so good to see you alive and well..." Wu Xie said.
"You however, don't look so good. What happen to Pangzi?" Xiao Hua asked.
"He was bitten, please tell me that you guys had brought antidotes with you..." Wu Xie almost pleaded.
"Of course, I can sell it to you for a very good price." Xiazi joked, but that earned him only an elbow on his ribs.
"Don't joke in time like these, you idiot. None of them are in good shape, come this way..." Xiao Hua said as he leaded the way to their temporary camp. There he came to finally see his uncle as Xiazi took Pangzi to be treated.
"Uncle third!" Wu Xie yelled as he came to meet with his lost uncle once and for all. However, San Xing was not as pleased to see his nephew back and instead of greeting him, he actually was going to kick him.
"You rascal, why you came when I told you not to?" San Xing asked as he moved his feet to kick him, but before he reached the kid, Wu Xie fall backwards into the arms that were ready to catch him and lose consciousness for good.
AN: Ups, long chapter, but many things happen in this episode. Thanks for reading and see you next time. 💖💖😍