"Hand it over to me," Tuoba Yan stepped forward and surrounded the brothers Deng Erfu and the others upon seeing this.
"Little Deng, are you trying to get fired? You're even snatching things from your own people," Meng Shaode was anxious to the point of frustration.
Deng Erfu was not one to be trifled with; he had picked fights with Meng Shaode when drunk in the village, and they would always end up with bruised faces.
"Oh, isn't this Master De? Your horse is beyond saving, it's good that it's dead for everyone to have a bite. Giving water to a dead horse would be a waste, wouldn't it?"
As Deng Erfu spoke, he was about to drink, causing the onlookers to involuntarily swallow.
Just then, a small head peeked out.
"Mama!"
Deng Erfu's face turned ashen with fright, and he immediately threw the waterskin away.
The waterskin arced through the air, spilling a good amount of water.
Tuoba Yan, with quick reflexes, caught it. "This is for your sister Ajiu."
Ajiu snatched the waterskin and glanced at Deng Erfu, whose face had turned pale with fear.
Looking at him, he seemed utterly petrified.
"Snake... there's a snake," Deng Erfu managed to squeeze out after a long pause.
Actually, Ajiu had been too hasty and picked up the wrong waterskin, but it was for the best. Anyone who dared to snatch her waterskin again would be inviting their own death.
The little head that had peeked out was clearly seen by Deng Sanfu, his brother.
He had expected to drink after his elder brother, but then the snake crawled out.
The snake's head was triangular, clearly indicating it was an extremely venomous viper.
"Elder brother, this girl is crazy! She keeps a snake in her waterskin! Elder brother, this dead girl must have done it on purpose to harm you."
Only then did Ajiu coldly retort, "If you hadn't snatched my waterskin, who would have been harmed?"
Ajiu didn't even look at the Deng brothers as she secretly switched waterskins.
Meng Shaode gritted his teeth, his face flushed and panting as he finally pried open the horse's mouth. "Ajiu, pour."
Song Fengshou held the horse's head steady, and Ajiu poured water into its mouth with a gurgling sound.
She managed to pour an entire waterskin of water into the horse's throat.
As soon as its mouth was released, the horse snorted forcefully, expelling some of the inhaled spiritual spring water.
Now, the horse raised its head. Everything depended on this. Ajiu could only offer silent prayers.
"This girl is truly playing with death, keeping such a poisonous thing."
Granny Sun was so scared she dared not speak.
The surrounding people instinctively took two steps back, as if afraid the snake from the waterskin would escape and bite them.
Ajiu stood up and smiled serenely, "Granny Sun, don't be like Uncle Deng. My snake is a King Cobra, and one bite can take down an ox."
Her words caused an uproar.
"King Cobra?"
"Oh heavens, child, you're truly daring! Aren't you afraid of being bitten yourself?"
Ma Dabiao couldn't help but curl his lip, his expression extremely grim.
Most of the elders here had watched Ajiu grow up, and she had always been timid. Now, she was truly courting death.
"Uncle Ma, don't worry. How would the snake I raised bite me?" Ajiu said casually, as if chatting about everyday matters.
However, the hearts of the bystanders were already in turmoil.
"My daughter's snake has even bitten and killed the bandit chief, Da Dang Jia, of Qiming Mountain."
Cai Lihua brushed her sleeves and added indifferently, embellishing the story:
"Oh, and he also snatched my daughter's water. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been poisoned and died on the spot, without even a gasp."
"Dead?" Deng Erfu's legs felt unsteady, and if Deng Dafu and Deng Sanfu hadn't supported him, he would have collapsed.
"Indeed. Poisonous foam sprayed from his mouth until he died. He didn't even have time to take a sip of water before he was gone."
Cai Lihua stood with her arms crossed, speaking in the same calm tone as if discussing trivial matters.
The atmosphere became extremely tense.
"Then... then you can't travel with us," Deng Dafu was terrified. As his senses returned, his mind was filled with the scenes Cai Lihua had described:
"Jiu'er, you must kill that thing, otherwise, the lives of everyone here will be in danger. Everyone, don't you agree?"