The county magistrate Wang brought along were wide-eyed.
These auxiliary police officers had never even heard of a python this massive, let alone seen one.
Some of the more timid ones were already crying in fright, while the braver ones, who had been here before, were busy collecting the corpses scattered on the ground.
The foxes and wolves from before had already been dealt with and sent away, but many other animal carcasses remained.
The most valuable was the tiger; its hide was a treasured item.
They had been too eager to leave previously to take it, so now they could transport everything back.
The value of just these animal pelts alone was considerable.
Tigers were protected species, and hunting them was forbidden.
However, this tiger had poisoned itself to death; they were merely collecting it, and with so many people present and Magistrate Wang overseeing things, turning it over for confiscation would be completely fine.
Regardless, they would each manage to net a tidy sum.
“Boss Zhang, should we dig right here?” Magistrate Wang approached, carrying a shovel.
Every auxiliary police officer accompanying him this time had brought tools.
With so many people working together, they could quickly excavate the large pit Zhang Yang required.
Zhang Yang nodded gently.
“Right here is fine.
My apologies for the trouble!” Some of the bolder men nearby had already started covering the Golden Crown Python’s head with leaves and branches.
The most terrifying aspect of this python was its head, and those digging could barely bring themselves to work while staring at it.
Once covered, at least they couldn't see it, which allowed them to work with more peace of mind.
The thirty-plus men began digging in sections.
Many hands made light work, and soon a shallow trench was dug out.
Zhang Yang and the few others stood to the side; it wasn't that they refused to help, but they weren't needed.
The thirty men brought by Magistrate Wang were more than sufficient.
They dug for over three hours.
As dusk approached, the nearly two-meter-deep pit was finally completed.
The soil in the forest was notoriously hard; if they hadn't brought such complete tools, and if Magistrate Wang hadn't managed the labor division effectively, they couldn't have finished in such a short time.
Once the pit was finished, everyone rested.
Digging such a large hole in the deep mountains was a first for every auxiliary officer.
After the pit was ready, the group worked together again to maneuver the massive python into it.
Zhang Yang personally handled the serpent’s head; the others dared not touch that part at all.
The giant snake was buried just as the sky turned completely dark.
The deep mountain night felt even more terrifying, punctuated by the occasional roar of distant beasts.
Before leaving, Zhang Yang spoke with Magistrate Wang privately for a while.
He asked that everything witnessed here be kept secret by the magistrate and his men, and that nothing be disclosed to anyone else.
The Golden Crown Python was simply too large, and Zhang Yang clearly understood the consequences if such news leaked out.
Magistrate Wang agreed to everything.
He was counting on Zhang Yang to help them build a road, so he naturally intended to pass Zhang Yang’s instructions down with utmost severity.
It was very late by the time they returned to the camp.
Su Zhantao and the others had not slept, and only breathed easy when they saw Zhang Yang and his group return safely.
With so many people present, none of them had eaten dinner.
After seeing the giant python’s carcass, they likely wouldn't be able to stomach food for two days.
The day’s experience was arguably the most thrilling and perilous they had ever known.
The sight of the Golden Crown Python’s corpse was something they would never forget as long as they lived.
The next morning, only Zhang Yang and Long Cheng managed to get up; the others remained in bed.
These men were suffering from a degree of psychological shock.
Seeing something so terrifying required a couple of days to recover from.
No one ventured out that day, and the matter of hunting was not mentioned again.
It wasn't until evening that the group regained some appetite, and even then, they ate only vegetarian food.
Even Wu Zhiguo, who usually couldn't live without meat, abstained from anything remotely animal-based this time.
After resting for a full three days and regaining their composure, they began preparing for the return journey.
Their original plan had been to hunt for several days, but the shock of the massive python had completely extinguished their enthusiasm.
Zhang Yang felt somewhat helpless about this outcome.
He had intended to keep everyone away from that particular area, but he hadn’t anticipated that other beasts would lead them there—it was not the result he had desired.
Before departing, Zhang Yang gave Long Cheng a cashier’s check for three million yuan.
This was the money he had promised for repairing the town’s road.
The section requiring repair was about thirty kilometers long.
Based on current prices and without any extra considerations, this road could certainly be built, though it would have to be constructed to the standard of a general village road rather than a proper county highway, given the terrain.
Though they called it a town, it was essentially a large village.
The required funds had been calculated by Long Cheng.
Initially, Long Cheng or the group planned to cover this cost, but Zhang Yang vetoed the idea.
It was a promise he had made, and having promised, he would see it through.
Three million yuan—if calculated merely as the cost of digging one pit, this sum was quite valuable.
However, compared to Zhang Yang’s harvest this time, three million was insignificant.
With such a huge gain, helping the people of this town was a good deed, and it would also facilitate their future visits.
Furthermore, Zhang Yang had used this money to sign a confidentiality agreement with the town, stipulating that they must never speak of what happened that day, or Zhang Yang would have the right to pursue legal action and demand the money back.
This served as a gag order, though Zhang Yang never intended to actually sue them, it was a way to effectively muzzle them.
Just as everyone was about to leave, Lightning finally woke up.
It had caused Zhang Yang immense worry these past few days.
If he hadn't been certain its vital signs were normal, he would have tried harder to wake it up.
This time, Lightning had slept for a solid four or five days, longer than ever before.
Upon waking, Lightning was exceptionally lively, its speed even faster than before.
Sometimes, even Zhang Yang’s eyes struggled to keep up with its movements, which left him feeling somewhat helpless.
He hadn't expected that merely consuming the Golden Crown Python's poisoned gall bladder would result in such a massive improvement.
He was clearly no longer a match for Lightning; if they fought now, he would certainly be the one to suffer.
However, the stronger Lightning became, the greater the benefit to Zhang Yang; Lightning’s increased strength was equivalent to his own.
Moreover, upon waking, Lightning’s loyalty rating had increased by another point, surprising and delighting Zhang Yang.
Reaching over eighty loyalty was extremely difficult for each subsequent point.
If it reached ninety, the pet's devotion to its master would reach an unimaginable level.
At that point, even if the master passed away, the animal would continue to accompany and protect the master’s descendants, effectively becoming a guardian spirit beast for the household.
Magistrate Wang personally escorted Zhang Yang and his party to the county seat, intending to collect the funds and arrange the road construction.
The road out of the town was notoriously difficult.
Magistrate Wang had traveled this route for many years but had never felt as relieved and happy as he did this time.
He knew clearly that the era of this road being a nightmare to traverse was about to end; thanks to the assistance of these influential bosses, they would finally escape life without proper roads.
“We’re out! Finally out! I need to eat a proper meal first!” As soon as they reached the county seat, Wu Zhiguo began shouting.
He had suffered the most these past few days, not having touched a single speck of meat.
He had wanted to eat some meat after the second day, but the others strongly objected, refusing to let him cook meat.
Consequently, he had subsisted on plain vegetables with everyone else for two days, which had driven him crazy.
“If I had known this trip would be so thrilling, I wouldn’t have come!” Su Zhantao said, still shaken.
First, he was attacked by wild boars, and then he saw such a horrific carcass.
This experience was truly unforgettable for him, and he wondered if he would have nightmares about it later.
“Thrilling? You haven’t seen truly thrilling things yet!” Long Cheng shook his head with a slight laugh, his gaze involuntarily drifting toward Zhang Yang as he spoke.
No one knew that he had gone back into the forest with Magistrate Wang and his men midway through.
Magistrate Wang hadn't grasped what was happening and was deeply worried, so he tagged along to take a look.
On this second trip, they found the location where Zhang Yang had battled the Golden Crown Python.
Towering trees were uprooted, areas were smashed to pieces, and brown-red bloodstains marked the ground, all testifying to an earth-shattering battle that had taken place there.
There, Long Cheng found several more scraps of clothing.
This time, he found even more, even spotting the half-pant leg that belonged to Long Feng.
Based on these remnants, he could largely confirm that the giant python had been killed by Zhang Yang and Long Feng together.
The sheer shock of recalling the scene made Long Cheng’s body tremble involuntarily.
It was too terrifying, too stunning; in his view, it was something beyond human capability, yet Zhang Yang and Long Feng had managed it.
From the fragments of their clothing, Long Cheng could also guess how arduous that fight must have been.
But this did not diminish his reverence for the two men.
He had always heard his clan elders speak of how incredibly powerful and miraculous the Inner Sect seniors were; now, he had experienced it firsthand.
The more formidable Long Feng was, the prouder Long Cheng became.
Every time he recalled Long Feng hinting at guiding him, he felt an intense surge of excitement.
He did not reveal everything he observed to Magistrate Wang.
However, he did hint to the magistrate that the entity that killed the giant python was human—a very powerful human.
Magistrate Wang had already harbored suspicions on this point.
The wounds on the python were clearly man-made; other animals could not have inflicted such specific damage.
It was just that this conclusion was hard for him to believe.
What kind of person could be powerful enough to slay such a terrifying monstrous beast? After Long Cheng’s subtle cues, the magistrate vaguely grasped something.
He sensed the difference in Zhang Yang: one man had killed three wild boars, and yet he showed no fear or concern when facing the giant python’s body, even suggesting they bury it.
All of Zhang Yang’s demeanor seemed slightly unusual.
The thought that Zhang Yang might be the one who slew such a colossal monster sent a slight chill down Magistrate Wang’s spine.
After receiving Zhang Yang’s donation, he had returned to the town and repeatedly warned the auxiliary police officers who had entered the deep mountains not to speak of that day’s events under any circumstances, threatening the severest punishment for any leaks.
Zhang Yang was unaware that Magistrate Wang’s secret deductions were now helping him conceal his secret.
In any case, the fewer people who knew about the Golden Crown Python, the better; delving too deeply into the matter could very well invite trouble directly upon himself.
(To be continued)RQ