Chapter Two: The Nine Hades Snake Venom

A serene, verdant river meandered gracefully through the landscape, its clear waters rippling gently downstream. Along the riverbank, a slender youth with long hair cascading to his waist stood. In his left hand, he held a book, and in his right hand, a fishing rod. The melodious sound of his reading echoed, harmoniously blending with the tranquil nature surrounding him. The soothing flow of the river added a poetic touch to the scene. Suddenly, the youth's right wrist flicked lightly, and a foot-long grass carp was effortlessly lifted from the water and landed in a basket a short distance behind him. Then, with another flick of his wrist, the fishing line gracefully arched through the air, the baited hook returning to the river. Throughout this process, the youth's eyes never left the book in his left hand.

"brother, brother." Just as the youth was engrossed in his book, an urgent child's voice rang out from behind him. The youth furrowed his brows slightly and turned slowly. With a face like jade, brows like sword edges, and eyes like bright stars, he was a handsome young man. His striking face carried a perpetual friendly smile, making people instinctively drawn to him. Though just fifteen years old, his tall figure exuded a certain charm. He wore a white linen robe that fluttered in the breeze, lending him an air of casual elegance.

Standing silently, he seemed to blur the lines between sky, earth, and himself, creating an atmosphere where it was difficult to distinguish between the three. In such an environment, the youth appeared to be a perfectly harmonious note in the symphony of nature.

"brother ziming, I knew you would be here." A chubby boy, panting heavily, had run up to the youth. Without speaking much, he bent over and gasped for breath. The youth, wearing a slight smile, didn't rush to speak, waiting until the chubby boy's breathing had evened out a bit before asking, "Little Chubby, what's the matter?"

"brother ziming, please come quickly. The village chief is injured, and it looks serious. Grandpa sent me to fetch you!" The chubby boy said, his voice trembling.

"Injured?" The youth's ears perked up, and in an instant, he had covered a distance of several dozen meters. The chubby boy rubbed his eyes vigorously, shook his head, and couldn't comprehend how the youth had disappeared so quickly.

At the village chief's home, a crowd of anxious villagers had gathered, and their worried expressions revealed their deep concern for the village chief. They held him in high regard.

"Make way, everyone, let ziming in! Let ziming through!" Voices from outside the crowd urged, and the villagers quickly parted to create a path just wide enough for one person to pass. In a hurry, the youth arrived at the end of this pathway.

"ziming, you're here. Please take a look. What's happened to the village chief?" An old man in the room gestured toward the village chief, who lay on a bed.

"ziming, please save my father, please!" Long Qian, the village chief's daughter, clung to the youth's arm with tears streaming down her face, her voice trembling.

"Qian Jie, don't worry. Let me examine the village chief's condition first," the youth reassured her.

"brother ziming, how is he? Is he okay?" Long Qian anxiously stared at the youth's handsome face.

The youth shook his head and said, "I've only used silver needles to control the toxins in the village chief's body, preventing them from spreading and attacking his heart vessels. This can maintain his condition for seven days."

"What? Only seven days? What happens after seven days?" Long Qian's voice trembled even more.

"Seven days is our deadline. If we can't find an antidote by then, the village chief will succumb to the poison that has attacked his heart," the youth explained.

"Antidote... What's the antidote? ziming, please tell me! I'll find it!" Long Qian was trembling with fear.

"Nine Hades Snake Venom? What kind of snake is that? I've never heard of it before," the old man furrowed his brows, puzzled, as he looked at the youth.

"Not only have you not seen it, but I've only read about it in books. The Nine Hades Snake originates from a foreign land, and it's elusive and rarely encountered. It's hard to believe that the village chief encountered this creature," the youth said with a perplexed expression.