Chapter 311 - 136: Snake Hidden in the Vines (Part 3)
At this moment, it had been enraged by the abrupt disturbance of the axe blade, its body like a coiled spring, muscles tensed, neck arched, and tongue flicking, poised to attack at any moment.
Only after Chen Zhou actively sought it out, did Lai Fu, who hadn’t sounded a warning earlier, finally see this sinister assassin and began barking loudly in unease.
The birds resting in the water grass on both sides of the riverbank were startled by this loud barking and flew away in a flurry.
In the pitch-black River Valley Plain, there was the sound of flapping wings everywhere and the anxious cries of birds, creating a lively scene.
Realizing this bad-tempered snake was about to launch an attack, Chen Zhou didn’t give it a chance, swinging his hand axe, directly chopping the snake hanging on the axe blade onto the tough grapevine.
This snake, though odd-looking, had an intelligence not much different from ordinary snakes, never realizing that the spot it rested wasn’t a natural creation, but a human-manipulated "guillotine."
In just an instant, its body was lifted askew by the axe blade.
The axe blade, which had appeared harmless moments ago, once powered up, sliced the snake’s body into two parts.
No piercing scream, no blood splatter, just like chopping a piece of wood or cutting a section of rope.
The snake’s upper body and lower body parted hastily without having a chance to say goodbye.
Its upper body fell to the ground, while its lower body remained entwined around the grapevine, swaying left and right.
Lai Fu, seeing the snake’s head fall in front of him, instinctively wanted to pounce and bite.
Luckily, Chen Zhou was quick-witted and pulled him back.
While enjoying himself on the fishing forum, he often saw posts from night anglers encountering highly venomous snakes like krait, five-step snake, or green pit viper.
Many newbie anglers also encountered snakes they couldn’t recognize, taking pictures to post and ask forum members to identify them.
Among them, there was an identification method not applicable to all snakes, but applicable to most: triangular heads mean venomous snakes, round heads mean non-venomous snakes.
It can be said, apart from a few species of cobra like Zhoushan cobra, black mamba, most triangular-headed snakes are venomous.
According to the professional forum members knowledgeable about reptiles, the triangular head’s venomous nature is because it’s a characteristic of the viper family, and all snakes of the viper family are venomous.
It’s also essential to note that a snake doesn’t immediately die after being severed; its upper body still retains some degree of attack power for a while.
If one assumes cutting it means it’s safe to pick up and play with, that’s a grave mistake. If it uses its last bit of strength to bite and inject venom, it’s not a joke.
Seeing the snake’s pointed split head, Chen Zhou had long determined it wasn’t benign, and dared not let Lai Fu near it.
It’s uncertain who would bite whom if they got too close.
"I didn’t expect to find this thing in the River Valley Plain; it seems I shouldn’t wander here after sunset."
Putting away the axe, turning off the flashlight, and picking up the lantern from the ground, Chen Zhou felt a lingering fear.
Though small, venomous snakes are deadlier than wild beasts, and with their slim bodies, they’re hard to spot.
He’d rather get scratched by a wild cat or bitten by a cat than deal with snakes.
In nature, venom is truly an overpowering weapon.
Even if he weighs several hundred times more than a venomous snake, one bite has a significant chance of being fatal.
Knowing that there are venomous snakes in the River Valley Plain is undoubtedly terrible news for him.
This means that tomorrow, when he looks for cassava, he can no longer leisurely and freely explore; he must slow down, sweep the grass with a stick to scare off snakes before proceeding.
Exploring the same area this way will likely take twice the time, and the chance of finding cassava will decrease.