C19 Golden Fur Mongoose's Fatal Blow

Ma Tianming's grip on the water bag was instinctive, his fingers wrapped around the vessel containing the intoxicating liquor.

The Snake Demon was mere moments from sinking its fangs into Ma Tianming, but it halted its attack with a jarring abruptness. In the nick of time, Gold had swiftly caught up, clamping its jaws onto the Snake Demon's tail and forcefully anchoring the creature in place.

With its gaping maw and razor-sharp teeth bared, the Snake Demon hissed menacingly at Ma Tianming. The sight was so grotesque and terrifying that Ma Tianming didn't have time to process fear; instead, he felt a wave of revulsion and instinctively backed away.

The Snake Demon's head whipped around suddenly. "Be careful," Ma Tianming called out, realizing the Snake Demon was about to strike at Gold. In response, Gold leapt aside, either out of its own vigilance or heeding Ma Tianming's frantic warning, narrowly evading the Snake Demon's lunge.

The Snake Demon lunged at Gold, snapping its jaws in a futile attempt to catch the elusive creature. The mismatched combatants resembled a hammer trying to squash a mosquito; Gold, though appearing disheveled, adeptly avoided each of the Snake Demon's assaults.

Seizing the rare opportunity, particularly since Ma Tianming had only just arrived, the Snake Demon had forsaken the pursuit of Gold, who posed a greater threat, to target him instead. The significance of this location to the Snake Demon could not be overstated.

Ma Tianming emptied the wine from the water bag into a pit teeming with wild fruits. "Drunk Dream Guiding!" he invoked, casting his spell. He scooped up the wine and smeared it over his arm, which bore the scars and fresh blood from being dragged across the ground by the Snake Demon. Now, the blood mingled with the wine in the pit.

A fierce hiss erupted from the Snake Demon. After several fruitless attempts to bite Gold, the creature's attention was drawn back to its 'wine pool' by the sight of the human washing his hands in it. This was an affront it could not tolerate!

Abandoning Gold, who was adept at evasion, the Snake Demon lunged once more. The creature was perilously close to Ma Tianming this time, and it seemed unlikely that Gold could intervene again. Alert to the danger, especially upon hearing the Snake Demon's hissing charge, Ma Tianming crouched and sprang forward in a desperate leap for survival.

Ma Tianming, a martial artist through and through, leaped nearly ten feet before rolling forward on the ground to safety. The Snake Demon, in its frenzied rush, was not concerned with Ma Tianming but rather with the wine in front of its cave. It didn't bother to pursue Ma Tianming, instead coiling its lengthy body protectively around its precious alcohol, ignoring Gold, which was usually such a nuisance to it.

With a roar that pierced the sky, the Snake Demon made a declaration like a sovereign proclaiming dominion over its territory: "This wine is mine; no one shall take it from me."

In the face of the Snake Demon's ferocity, Gold didn't dare to attack. It simply bared its teeth at the Snake Demon, looking as though it was ready to fight to the death at any moment.

Indeed, while Gold was a persistent irritant to the Snake Demon, it was ultimately just a minor demon that only dodged, never daring to strike. The Snake Demon had no time for Gold when its 'treasure wine' was at risk of being stolen.

Having made its proclamation, the Snake Demon suddenly dipped its head, bit into the fruits submerged in the puddle, and began to slurp up the wine with a resounding "whoosh" – "I'll drink this wine first, and then we'll see who dares to covet my treasure. I'll deal with you all once I've had my fill."

"Go on, drink up! Have a little more," Ma Tianming thought to himself.

After tumbling on the ground for a bit, Ma Tianming scrambled to his feet and took cover behind a tree. He noticed the Snake Demon hadn't followed but was instead indulging in the wine from the water hole.

'Incredible! Could this Snake Demon be a drunkard too?'

Ma Tianming and Gold could only watch as the Snake Demon guzzled the wine, unable to intervene. For Ma Tianming, it was an ideal chance to make his escape.

Yet, Ma Tianming knew he couldn't flee; his only hope lay in the wine's potency taking effect.

The Snake Demon savored a hearty gulp of wine, then let out a long, contented sigh, seemingly pleased with itself.

It appeared the Snake Demon had noticed something different about the wine – not only had Ma Tianming refined it with his Drunk Dream Guiding technique, but the half-bag of wine he'd mixed in was more than enough to delight the Snake Demon, accustomed as it was to only mild spirits.

As expected, once the Snake Demon had a sip of the wine, it gobbled up the fruits and wine with ravenous gusto.

"Drink, drink, drink! Drink yourself to death!" Ma Tianming was so thrilled he was nearly shaking. 'If this wine can tame the Hare Demon, it's bound to work on the Snake Demon too.'

Gold, much like Ma Tianming, watched the Snake Demon savor the wine, poised to strike at any moment. But with the Snake Demon facing it, there was no opportunity; it could only wait patiently.

They continued this standoff for nearly half an hour, with the Snake Demon appearing to relish the wine.

"Hey!"

After such a long time, the wine should have started to affect the Snake Demon, no matter its size. Ma Tianming called out to it.

This human!

Gold couldn't fathom why it suddenly felt an inexplicable attachment to this human. It certainly didn't want him to die, yet there he was, recklessly calling out to the Snake Demon.

Amid Gold's bewilderment, the Snake Demon, previously vigilant, turned its head to look at Ma Tianming.

"Come here!" Ma Tianming beckoned.

The Snake Demon loathed this human, especially for meddling with its wine. It longed to devour him whole.

But upon hearing Ma Tianming's call, the Snake Demon felt an overwhelming urge to approach him.

"You dare to turn your back on me!"

Gold had been waiting for this moment all along, and now that the Snake Demon had turned, it wasted no time. It moved swiftly and silently.

In a flash, Gold clamped its jaws onto the back of the Snake Demon's neck.

With a hiss, the Snake Demon cried out in rage, attempting to throw off the Golden Fur Mongoose.

But Gold had seized a rare chance and wasn't about to let go easily. It clung on, biting down hard on the Snake Demon.

The Snake Demon thrashed wildly, trying to reach back with its newly grown hand to grab Gold. But the hand was too short, unable to make contact.

The Golden Fur Mongoose was determined to bite the Snake Demon to death!

Although the Golden Fur Mongoose was adorable, Ma Tianming's visit to Top Touching Mountain today was with the intent of capturing a pet with a more intimidating presence. Clearly, the Snake Demon fit the bill. He couldn't just kill it!

Yet, facing the Snake Demon, Ma Tianming couldn't quite bring himself to believe he could tame such a creature.

Gold's strike, while not lethal, had effectively targeted the Snake Demon's vulnerability. As time slowly ticked by, the situation began to change.

Nearly half an hour later, the Snake Demon's struggles began to wane, and eventually, it lay still.

Ma Tianming emerged from his hiding spot and approached the subdued Snake Demon. "I've finally done it. I've killed it."

Gold, overjoyed, leapt into the air, paying no mind to its own exhaustion from the battle, and cried out triumphantly.

Wait a second!

Gold suddenly noticed something astonishing.