Return to the City: The Strongest King
Chapter 778 - 779: The Reason for Leaving

Chapter 778: Chapter 779: The Reason for Leaving

Three days later, Song Xiaodong had already set foot on the territory of Xishuangbanna.

Here, there were no more roads to follow, and the two wore thick camouflage outfits, carrying two large backpacks, walking into the forest.

Song Xiaodong had been to Xishuangbanna before and had carried out missions in the virgin jungle, but he had never been to this particular spot with Sun Yiyi.

Song Xiaodong held a machete in his hand, clearing the path ahead, while Sun Yiyi followed behind, also wielding a machete, though she hardly has a chance to use it.

As Song Xiaodong cleared the way, he asked, "We’ve come all this way, aren’t you going to tell me what we’re here to do?"

Sun Yiyi replied, "Actually, I just want you to help me get something."

"Get something? You’re not planning on stealing, are you?" Song Xiaodong asked with a smile.

"Pretty much," Sun Yiyi chuckled lightly.

Song Xiaodong frowned slightly and said, "Come on, that doesn’t sound good, does it?"

With a giggle, Sun Yiyi said, "Stealing is definitely right, but we’re not stealing from anyone, we’re going to steal from snakes."

"Steal from snakes? This thing is in a snake’s nest?" Song Xiaodong suddenly became intrigued, having heard legends that certain very special Spiritual Medicines were guarded by spiritually enlightened animals.

In the past, Song Xiaodong hadn’t really believed in such legends, but ever since he had enhanced his abilities through medicine, he now found himself quite looking forward to such things.

With a playful smile, Sun Yiyi said, "Yes, it’s in a snake’s nest. I saw it mentioned in the Sun family’s ancient texts. However, whether it’s true or not, I can’t say for sure."

"So what is this thing? I don’t want it, I’m just really curious—is this one of those legendary Spiritual Medicines guarded by a spiritual creature?"

"Guess!" Sun Yiyi said with a smile, no veil covering her face.

Song Xiaodong rolled his eyes and replied, "If you’re not going to tell, fine. I’ll see it when we get there anyway."

Sun Yiyi giggled lightly and said, "You’re right, it’s indeed a Spiritual Medicine. It’s said to be a Snake Saliva Fruit."

"Snake Saliva Fruit?" Song Xiaodong had never heard of such a plant.

"Yes, the texts say that in places where venomous snakes congregate, the saliva they secrete daily, accumulated over many years, gives rise to a peculiar plant. This plant takes hundreds of years to grow and then produces a crimson fruit, which is the Snake Saliva Fruit."

"But if the fruit absorbs so much snake venom, wouldn’t it be extremely poisonous?"

"Not at all, this fruit, though it grows in a highly toxic environment, has no toxins. Moreover, not only is it non-toxic, but eating it can also make one immune to all poisons. If combined with several other medicines, it can even greatly enhance one’s True Qi."

Excitedly, Song Xiaodong said, "That really is a fantastic thing! Do you have the formula?"

"Yes," Sun Yiyi said proudly, lifting her chin, "but I can’t give it to you."

Song Xiaodong rolled his eyes and replied, "Fine, keep it then." For him, who had already enhanced his strength with medicine, the allure of this formula was particularly significant.

Sun Yiyi said, "Hehe, feeling envious? I know you can perform alchemy, and I can’t, so if I get something, I’d have you make it for me. How could I not tell you? But we have to get the fruit first, otherwise telling you would be pointless."

"Great!" Song Xiaodong was immediately overjoyed and said, "If we get the fruit, can you share a portion with me when you make it?"

"Of course, our Sun family and your Su family are equally strong. If we suddenly improved, you definitely wouldn’t help us, so I can only give you a portion to keep our strengths balanced."

Song Xiaodong laughed heartily and said, "Well said, oh, right, this is such a big deal, why would the Sun family let you come?"

"Hehe, it wasn’t the Sun family that let me come. I didn’t tell the Sun family when I came; I sneaked out, and they didn’t bother to stop me."

"Then you still think about the Sun family."

"I’m thinking of my grandma. I can’t let my grandma get beaten by you, can I?"

Song Xiaodong’s face darkened, but he found himself unable to refute. While the Su family and Sun family were still cooperating, who knew what would happen in the future? Moreover, from his current situation, it seemed inevitable that the families were going to clash sooner or later, and he was that very weapon. Confronting Sun One would likely be unavoidable then.

"But this way, I’ll be able to improve too, so by then, I might end up fighting... cough cough, clashing with her."

"By then I wouldn’t care anymore. It doesn’t matter much if we lose, what I’m afraid of is getting beaten so badly that we lose face completely. Her old lady’s temperament couldn’t possibly tolerate that."

Song Xiaodong thought about Sun One’s peculiar temperament and was momentarily speechless. However, he felt that Sun Yiyi might still be hiding something from him. But he couldn’t force her to speak; everything would have to wait until they found the Snake Saliva Fruit.

The deeper inside they walked, the tougher the path became. Fortunately, both of them knew Kung Fu, which made it manageable, but they still had to watch their step. Several times, they saw snakes slithering under their feet.

The pair continued walking until dusk. Sun Yiyi checked the map and the positioning system, and said, "Not far ahead, there’s a small creek. That should be an open area. We’ll rest there tonight."

Song Xiaodong nodded, then followed the direction pointed out by Sun Yiyi. In less than twenty minutes, they saw a small creek. Creeks were abundant and could be seen almost everywhere in the rainforest, but this one was uniquely surrounded by a grassy lawn without being overshadowed by the tall trees.

Both were very tired by this time, so they sat down to rest for a while, then set up a tent. Song Xiaodong also gathered some dry branches to start a fire and they ate something as well.

However, just as they had eaten a bit, they suddenly heard voices from not far into the woods.

Song Xiaodong and Sun Yiyi exchanged glances, both showing surprise in their eyes, as they didn’t expect to encounter anyone here.

"Are they natives?" Sun Yiyi asked quietly.

"No, they’re speaking Burmese. Oh, and there is someone speaking Japanese too. These must be Japanese people who hired Burmese guides."

"You can understand them?" Sun Yiyi asked in a soft voice again.

"Yes, I can understand a bit," Song Xiaodong nodded.

At that moment, a group emerged from the woods, totaling eleven. All were dressed in camouflage outfits. They clearly were taken aback by the sight of Song Xiaodong and his companion, stopping in their tracks.

They paused briefly, then the group approached Song Xiaodong and Sun Yiyi. From the way they walked and their posture, both could tell that most of these people were experts.