The Intersection, Part One

Sky Peak Cave is located at the border of Great Ling provinces, in a desolate mountain range called Jiao Lin Mountain.

But barrenness in the mountains doesn't mean there's no one there.

At this moment, the skilled guard left behind by Isibass to watch over the Sky Peak Cave, a Hu Xi People Mengbadia Mombadia, was whistling, with his knife slung over his back, and unzipping his trousers to urinate into the tree roots.

This place had already been cleaned up, and insect repellent powder and animal droppings had been sprinkled on it, so wild animals basically wouldn't dare to come here.

Security anomaly.

Three guards remained with them, all of whom were highly skilled martial artists handpicked by the leader of Isibass.

In terms of rank alone, they may only be third or fourth grade, but when they use all sorts of methods, even a fifth or sixth grade expert can be taken down if they are not careful.

After all, most people who make a living at sea are skilled in both firearms and martial arts.

The speed and power of firearms made them the preferred auxiliary means for most purposes.

After relieving himself of the water, Mengbadia pulled up his belt, slowly turned around, and walked towards the temporary camp.

He had only walked a dozen meters when he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

A faint smell of blood drifted in with the breeze through the forest and entered his nostrils.

Something's not right!?

Mengbadia became wary and approached the camp slowly, tiptoeing.

He bent over, trying to hide most of his body from the surrounding bushes and grass.

Before long, he arrived near the camp and peered through the gaps in the grass.

Hiss. The horrific scene in the camp sent a chill down his spine.

The other two skilled fighters who remained behind were already lying on the ground, their mouths gushing blood, and they were long dead.

Meanwhile, an elderly man with gray hair, wearing a pale demon mask and dressed in gray, was slowly walking around the camp, seemingly searching for something.

Mengbadia was sweating profusely. He slowly backed away, not daring to utter a sound. After retreating more than ten meters, he quickened his pace, trying to keep his voice down, and started jogging into the distance.

"No!! We have to get back to the boss immediately! There's been a sneak attack; they're probably trying to steal the treasure!!"

Mengbadia knew just how valuable the Sky Peak Cave they had discovered was.

Leaving aside the various Treasure Medicine inside, even the century-old herbs on the outer perimeter far surpass the old Medicine Garden of ordinary large pharmacies.

Another crucial point is that the Sky Peak Cave is located in a very secluded area, nestled in a crevice of a valley, and shrouded in miasma. Only the three of them knew the route.

The three were waiting for reinforcements to arrive and lead the way, but they never expected this...

"We have to escape quickly, or that person will find us."

They were getting further and further away from the camp.

Mengbadia also started running at full speed.

He must return as soon as possible to report the news.

As for his two dead companions, he didn't care at all. They were just people who made a living on the edge, their lives worthless, so their deaths were no big deal. As long as it wasn't him who died, that was enough.

The problem now is, if we don't leave here as soon as possible, something might happen... Whoosh! Suddenly, Mengbadia's vision blurred.

A Gray-clad Man suddenly appeared a few meters in front of them.

The other person had gray hair that was loose over their shoulders, and a pale, demonic mask on their face. In the dark forest, there was a faint, indescribable fear about them.

"No, don't kill me!! I'm under the command of Grand Shipowner Isibass!"

Before he finished speaking, Mengbadia's expression changed, and he raised his hand to aim at the other party, pulling the trigger of the gun.

Bang!!

The bullet flew out, but missed its target. The man seemed to have noticed his movement long ago.

With a flash, the Ghost Mask Man appeared beside him, waving his right arm.

Thud! A gray shadow flashed, and Mengbadia screamed as his gun-wielding hand was instantly fractured and twisted, breaking in the opposite direction.

He endured the excruciating pain and launched a lightning-fast kick at his opponent.

But before the raised leg could kick halfway, the Ghost Mask Man raised his foot in return and kicked it hard.

Click.

His leg bone was also broken.

"Foolish!" The Ghost Mask Man made his final move, his finger striking precisely at Mengbadia's throat.

Puff.

A force shattered his throat, and Mengbadia choked, spitting blood and foam, collapsing to the ground, struggling like a shrimp.

Hiss.

Just then, a faint rustling of grass and trees came from afar.

The Ghost Mask Man suddenly turned his head and looked carefully in that direction, but he didn't see anyone.

He is a person who lives in seclusion here, using the Sensing Gate, specifically to search for the ruins of the Medicine Garden.

He has been searching here for three years, just to find the Sky Peak Cave.

Unexpectedly, he had been searching for so long without finding it, but these Hu Xi People, sailors and crew members who made a living at sea, stumbled upon the perfectly hidden Sky Peak Cave by sheer luck, following unknown clues in no time.

Overjoyed, Ghost Mask Man tracked down and confirmed the location of the Sky Peak Cave. He immediately took action, intercepting and killing all the other people in the vicinity who knew the location except for himself.

Once these people are dealt with, no one will know the exact location of Sky Peak Cave.

Then he can safely harvest the Treasure Medicine inside and bring them back to the sect.

This cave can also serve as a place for cultivating medicinal herbs within the sect.

"No... there's a human presence!" Suddenly, the Ghost Mask Man sniffed the air, his eyes darting around.

He quickly picked up the body and rushed into the depths of the forest, intending to deal with the body and the makeshift camp first, and then silence the witnesses.

As for the person who made the commotion, he was probably a herb gatherer from nearby. Even if he ran, he couldn't get very far.

Now that he has discovered this natural Medicine Garden, Sky Peak Cave, then it is only right that the virtuous should possess such rare and precious materials. Therefore, it naturally belongs to his Thousand Stone Sect.

Anyone else who dares to lay a hand on me will be chopped off, hand and all! *** "Giddy up!"

On the Official Road, two brown horses galloped at full speed, rapidly approaching the direction of Jiao Lin Mountain.

On horseback, a man stood tall and strong, with bright, narrow eyes.

It was Zhang Rongfang had come to find the Main Herb of the Golden Toad Skill Technique.

The other man wore a round hat, had a curly mustache, and carried a short bow and scimitar on his back.

It was Nubaen, an elite crew member from Isibass who came to guide them.

"Nubaen, are you sure the people you left there can find the Sky Peak Cave?" Zhang Rongfang asked again from horseback.

He was still a little worried.

"Rest assured, the people we found, after repeatedly confirming their characteristics, immediately notified us via carrier pigeon. We then sent two more experts to establish a small camp."

"As long as we get close and set off fireworks, they can do the same, allowing us to determine their location," Nubaen replied respectfully.

Both were martial artists, and even on horseback at high speed, they could speak clearly and articulately.

"That's good. Let me ask you one more question: besides those three, does anyone else know the location of Sky Peak Cave?" Zhang Rongfang asked again, frowning.

"No, not at all. We notified the boss immediately after we discovered it. Then we informed you. This is my first time going there myself," Nubaen replied.

The "big boss" he was referring to was Isibass.

Zhang Rongfang shook his head inwardly.

Although Isibass was a major ship owner, he didn't know exactly how much power he had under his command.

Therefore, he was somewhat unsure about this operation.

Soon, under the gray sky...

They set off in the morning and, as night fell, finally arrived in the vicinity of Sky Peak Cave.

That is, the Official Road near Jiao Lin Mountain.

The two slowed their horses and strolled along.

Nubaen took a signal firework from his pocket, lit it with a tinderbox, and then pointed it at the sky.

Poof! A bright yellow flash of light streaked past.

A cross-shaped cloud of yellow Signal Flare suddenly exploded more than 20 meters in the sky.

The bright glow of the Signal Flare illuminated the surroundings clearly for a moment.

The sky darkened, the moonlight was shrouded in thick clouds, and the light was even lower.

The entire Jiao Lin Mountain appeared increasingly dark and deep.

Nubaen set off fireworks five times in a row to make sure the contact person could see and hear them.

Only then did he take out a torch, light it carefully, and hold it up to illuminate the room.

"My lord, it's getting late. Shall we dismount and find a place to camp temporarily? We can send the signal again tomorrow."

Zhang Rongfang looked around, a faint glint of light reflecting in his pupils.

Only then did he truly understand what Dark Light Vision meant.

Even though the surrounding light was already dim, it still appeared as bright as day to him.

Everything was completely unambiguous and undisguised.

He could even easily see what was inside places where a thin mist drifted through the forest.

This feeling is wonderful.

Just like things closer to you, everything becomes translucent and naturally emits a faint glow.

"Good."

Coming to his senses, Zhang Rongfang nodded calmly.

He dismounted.

The two men led their horses to a nearby spot, found a large enough tree to tie the reins, took out their luggage, and started a fire to cook food.

"Speaking of which, how exactly did you discover this Sky Peak Cave? Could you tell me?" Zhang Rongfang sat down cross-legged, watching Nubaen earnestly start a fire.

"That's right. We used the terrain features in that ancient book to find more than thirty places that matched the description, and then we sent people to eliminate them one by one."

Seeing that Zhang Rongfang was interested, Nubaen began to explain in detail.

As darkness fell, the two could not proceed until they received a response Signal Flare from the person who had stayed behind.

So now we can only wait for a reply from the person who is supposed to be there.

The tinkling sound of horse bells drifted continuously.

Ding Luo gripped the hilt of his knife, watching his surroundings warily.

Behind him were five servants armed with long sticks, guarding the two carriages of the Ding Family, Bing Province.

The Ding Family's relocation from Mian Province to Bing Province was a plan that had been in place for a long time.

As Shang Family specializing in the fur trade, the Ding Family's business in Mian Province has been constantly suppressed, especially after the new regulations on Great Ling Clothing Color Reform were introduced, making business even more difficult.

This time, after a long period of deliberation, Ding Luo's father, Ding Junshan, finally decided that the whole family should move to Bing Province and, with the help of his wife's family in Bing Province, get involved in the Bing Province animal fur hat market.

Great Ling People love to wear hats, whether they are Imperial Clan, Noble, wealthy merchants, or commoners.

Most people own one or more hats.

Some extravagant people would even wear different hats depending on the season and time of day.

Other Hu Xi People, Bei People, and Man People were also influenced by the Spirit Person to some extent, which increased the size of the hat market.

This is also why the Ding Family chose to enter the hat market.

With the release of the Heavenly Garment Pavilion's regulations, the original market will inevitably change, and this presents new opportunities.