Lin Taichu lay prone in the grass, keeping even his breathing extremely light.
"That kid was hit by Soul-Confusing Powder. He shouldn't have been able to run that fast. Could he be hiding somewhere?"
"Who cares where he's hiding? Let's search this slope. The grass is so tall—he might be hiding here."
Lin Taichu's heart tightened. He gripped the cloth bundle containing Purple Flame Grass against his chest and fixed his eyes on the nearest black-clothed man.
That man had already raised his foot to step into the grass when hoofbeats suddenly sounded in the distance, accompanied by shouts. "Who are you people? What are you doing sneaking around here?"
The Black-clothed Men's expressions changed when they heard the voices.
"Mountain patrol soldiers? Don't get tangled up with them. Retreat first!" The Black-clothed Men immediately turned and ran deeper into Heifeng Mountain. Lin Taichu remained hidden in the grass, listening as the hoofbeats drew closer. Only when footsteps stopped beneath the slope did he slowly raise his head.
Two soldiers in official uniforms dismounted. When they saw Lin Taichu crawling out of the grass, they hurriedly asked, "Who are you? Why are you here?"
Lin Taichu let out a breath. "I'm an apprentice from the Healing Immortal Medical Hall. I came here looking for members of the Snake Shadow Cult. They stole Purple Flame Grass from the herb garden."
"We're patrol soldiers from a nearby town. People have been saying there's something strange about Heifeng Mountain lately, so we came to take a look. Are you all right?"
Lin Taichu shook his head. "I was hit by some Soul-Confusing Powder, but I'm fine. Could I trouble you to take me back to the Healing Immortal Medical Hall?"
The soldiers nodded. "No problem. We're heading back anyway—it's on the way." Lin