**Chapter 108: The Dragon-Taming Gate**
The giant serpent's massive body coiled around the tower-ship's multiple decks, squeezing the structure until it groaned and shrieked. Scholars stumbled everywhere in shock, and the crew froze in terror.
"Brother Wei Yong—can you fly?" Qin Mu asked abruptly.
Wei Yong hadn't recovered his wits. "What?"
Qin Mu seized the chubby youth and hurled him off the ship. Wei Yong's scream rose from below: "I can't fly! Aaaah—!"
Qin Mu leapt after him. The previously drunken Little Fox was now wide awake—sober as an owl at midnight. The instant Qin Mu jumped, she cast her spell, conjuring a cushion of wind beneath his feet.
Riding the gust, Qin Mu dove and caught Wei Yong in midair. Wei Yong, still reeling, looked down and screamed again.
"Quiet!"
Qin Mu pushed forward through the air. Above them, the tower-ship screamed as it was torn apart. The serpent was crushing the decks, and the wreckage was crashing down in massive timbers. Qin Mu dodged repeatedly, weaving between the plummeting debris as he fled toward the forest below.
Wei Yong looked back, eyes glazed. The serpent had coiled around the ship and was tightening with crushing force. The tower-ship was about to be squeezed in two.
Scholars were leaping from the ship in desperation. Some who had cultivated flight arts managed to steer spirit weapons through the air. Others had no such skill and plummeted, flailing, toward the ground.
"Long Jiaonan! You dare rebel?"
The ship's captain erupted in fury, transforming into a giant of flame and charging the elegant man atop the serpent. His supernatural arts were devastating, but the ship could not endure a battle between two such powers. The core furnace room, crushed by the serpent's coils, burst open. The alchemist and his apprentices scrambled out and jumped for safety.
The serpent spat a cloud of venom directly into the captain's face. The flame giant extinguished instantly and toppled backward, rigid as a board.
"We're finished..."
Wei Yong's face was chalk-white. "The Dragon-Taming Gate has rebelled. That man riding the giant snake is their young master, Long Jiaonan—a notorious villain. . . ."
Qin Mu bore them both toward the ground. Below was a forested hillside where they could hide from the Dragon-Taming Gate's forces.
A moment later they landed. Little Fox dismissed her spell and was about to speak when a scream rang out from above. A scholar crashed through the dense canopy and hit the ground before them, broken apart, brains and liver spilling across the earth.
Thud!
A heavy impact nearby.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
The hillside became a killing field. Scholars rained from the sky one after another, smashing into the ground and shattering.
Wei Yong's face was the color of dirt. His whole body trembled. Qin Mu's ear twitched. He seized Wei Yong and sprinted forward. Behind them, a thunderous crash shook the earth—half the tower-ship had plummeted, demolishing a swath of forest. Trees toppled in every direction, their shattered trunks hurtling outward like arrows. The carnage was horrific.
The massive hull slid a hundred zhang and nearly crushed Qin Mu before grinding to a halt.
Qin Mu didn't stop. He kept running. Inside the wreckage, a tremendous explosion erupted—the furnace detonating, its shockwave slamming into them and sending man and fox tumbling.
Qin Mu landed, released Wei Yong, and whispered, "We need to move. Dragon-Taming Gate cultivators will be here soon to check for survivors."
Wei Yong, still shaky, surged to his feet and ran. "What will they do if they find someone alive?"
Little Fox gave him a look, still a bit tipsy—she'd clearly sneaked drinks. "Think about it, Fatty Wei."
Wei Yong shuddered. "The Dragon-Taming Gate has gone mad—attacking a ship of scholars bound for the capital exams right under the capital's nose. When the State Preceptor recovers, he won't let them get away with this!"
"You really think the State Preceptor was injured?" Qin Mu shook his head. "In my view, he was never hurt at all. He deliberately lured the snake from its hole—inviting every hostile force in the realm to reveal themselves so he could wipe them out in one stroke. The Dragon-Taming Gate just walked right into his trap."
Wei Yong stared. "You mean... impossible! I've heard of more than twenty revolts—cities seized, civilians slaughtered, bandits running rampant. Why would the State Preceptor allow such chaos?"
Qin Mu said, "It's strategy. If he hadn't appeared wounded, how could he draw out these traitors? So he was wounded. He suffered a defeat in the Great Ruins, was ambushed on his return and gravely injured—his reputation and strength both diminished. Who would pass up such an opportunity?"
He spoke with conviction. "In my judgment, the State Preceptor has had this plan for a long time. He won't move until every rebel has shown his hand."
Wei Yong still struggled to accept it, muttering, "But so many people will die..."
"But once the State Preceptor's enemies are all eliminated, he'll have no more hindrances—correct?" Qin Mu glanced at Wei Yong. The chubby youth was surprisingly agile, keeping pace despite having no mastery of wind-riding and being unable to step on wind-currents for flight.
"With his rivals gone, who would dare stab him in the back the next time he takes the field? And if he's netted every last enemy, who would object if he wanted the throne?"
Wei Yong shuddered several times and stared at Qin Mu as though he were a monster. "Brother Qin—you're about my age, aren't you? How can you come up with all these schemes and plots? Little Fox, is he an old fox spirit who took human form?"
Little Fox hopped excitedly. "Fatty Wei, you noticed too? I've long suspected the Master is a fox spirit!"
"Don't call me Fatty Wei—the Wei family of Jiangling is a distinguished house. It's embarrassing if word gets out."
The little fox said, "Then I'll call you Portly Wei."
Wei Yong was silent for a beat, then said with a sour expression, "Just call me Wei Yong. At least 'Fatty Wei' implies merely slightly chubby."
---
Suddenly, Qin Mu asked, "Brother Wei Yong, what is your cultivation level?"
"I've broken through the Five Stars barrier and opened the Five Stars Divine Treasury," Wei Yong replied. "But I don't think I'm much ahead of you in cultivation. What about you?"
"The Spirit Womb Realm."
Qin Mu rolled his qi outward and drew the Pig-Butcher's Blade. "Brother Wei Yong, you take two—I'll take two."
Wei Yong didn't understand. Then four enormous serpents emerged from the forest ahead, accompanied by the sound of a flute—clear, lilting, and playful, like a village maiden teasing a green snake in the grass. The melody darted up and down, now high, now low.
The flutist was surely a Dragon-Taming Gate disciple. Qin Mu looked toward the sound but saw no one—the player was hidden.
The Dragon-Taming Gate was originally based in Daxing Commandery near the capital. They bred snakes for a living, raising truly massive serpents, and had named themselves the "Dragon Taming" Gate.
The sect had been subjugated by the State Preceptor and had kept to itself—even the military's exotic beast corps included giant serpents raised by Gate disciples.
The flute sang. The serpents moved in rhythm.
"Brother Qin, the Dragon-Taming Gate's weapon isn't really the snakes—it's the flute. The music controls the serpents' attacks—"
Before Wei Yong could finish, Qin Mu had already charged forward. Wei Yong sighed and rushed after him.
The flute's tempo quickened, turning dense and sharp. The red-crowned serpents surged forward with terrifying speed.
The instant Qin Mu met the first serpent, his blade lit up—silver light exploding outward like a luminous sphere.
*Night Battle: Continuous City in Wind and Rain!*
Blood and flesh sprayed. The red-crowned serpent hadn't even opened its jaws before silver light swept from head to tail. When the light faded, all that remained was an enormous skeleton—completely stripped of flesh.
At the same time, Little Fox sent her wind-blade curved swords slashing at another serpent. The flute-commanded snake opened its mouth and inhaled, sucking the wind-blades inside. It was about to spit venom when Qin Mu extended two fingers and thrust forward. The Shao Bao Sword pierced the serpent's eye, and with a flick of his fingers, the blade split through the skull and burst out the top.
On the other side, Wei Yong rushed forward. His cultivation was deep, and he carried a sword-box on his back, controlling multiple flying swords that lanced at the remaining serpents. The sword-box was a spirit weapon, though its sharpness couldn't match Qin Mu's Shao Bao Sword or the Pig-Butcher's Blade.
Wei Yong dodged between two serpents with surprising agility, scoring cuts but failing to find an opening for a killing blow.
His cultivation was substantial, but his combat instincts were far inferior to Qin Mu's. His techniques were textbook academy style—competent, but lacking the precision for a single decisive strike.
Suddenly, Little Fox darted into the forest. Qin Mu simultaneously plunged into the trees from another angle. Wei Yong shouted and tried to follow, but the two serpents kept him pinned.
Then the flute stopped abruptly. Without its guidance, the serpents hesitated, dazed. Wei Yong seized the opening, slew both snakes, and ran into the forest. Little Fox's voice called: "Fatty Wei—over here!"
He hurried over. Qin Mu and the little fox stood beside a towering tree that was bleeding. Wei Yong couldn't see a person. Looking closer, he realized it wasn't the tree bleeding—it was a man. The man's clothing was painted to match the bark exactly, and even his face bore bark-patterned markings.
The man had hollowed out the trunk just enough to conceal himself. Without close inspection, he would be invisible.
"A Dragon-Taming Gate disciple!"
Wei Yong's heart hammered. "Brother Qin, Dragon-Taming Gate disciples always operate in groups!"
"You mean—"
Qin Mu's expression changed. He peered into the deep forest. Between the lush trees, a hundred figures emerged from the trunks—all bearing the same bark-patterned markings.
The flute sounded again. Behind the trees, countless serpents glided forward, flooding the hillside. Their red crowns swayed like flowers in the wind.