"S-... Save... save me, young hero..."
"Who?!" Lu Danian bent his bow and notched an arrow, aiming straight for the woods where the voice had come from.
This was deep within Mount Erlong, a domain haunted by the Mountain Lord. How could a cry for help suddenly emerge from here?
"Young hero, please don't shoot! I'm an herb gatherer from the mountain, and I accidentally took a bad fall..."
Rustling noises came from the forest as a figure slowly limped out.
The man was in his thirties, clad in tattered garments and smeared all over with mud. One of his legs dragged bloody and limp behind him, making it look as though he had suffered a severe fall.
"Have mercy, young hero... please save me..."
Lu Danian kept his guard up, his gaze sweeping over the woods behind the man.
Seeing nothing unusual, Lu Danian finally looked back at him.
"Who are you? What are you doing alone out here in the depths of Mount Erlong?"
"I... I'm an herb gatherer from Blackwater Village..."
"I came into the mountains to forage... and accidentally slipped down a rocky slope. My leg... I'm afraid it's broken..."
His face was etched with desperation.
"Young hero, I beg you to show some kindness and take me out of here... I'll kowtow to you!"
As he spoke, he actually made a move to prostrate himself.
"Wait." Lu Danian stopped him, his gaze dropping to the injured leg. "How did you fall?"
"I... I slid down a steep slope, twisted it, and the bone... the bone might be dislocated..." the herb gatherer pleaded piteously.
Lu Danian fell silent for a moment, weighing his options in his mind.
This man's appearance was suspicious, yet his injuries did not look fake.
Mount Erlong was treacherous. If he truly were an unfortunate herb gatherer who had met with disaster, leaving him to die would weigh heavily on his conscience.
"Stay where you are." Lu Danian's tone softened slightly.
He strode over to the wild hare he had shot down earlier and quickly picked it up.
"I'll get some food and make a fire. This cave will keep out the wind, and since you've injured your leg, you won't be able to travel tonight anyway. Rest here for the night."
As he spoke, Lu Danian expertly began to process the hare.
Even so, the corner of his eye remained locked onto the man.
The herb gatherer showed no signs of overly powerful blood and qi fluctuations, clearly making him just an ordinary person—otherwise, Lu Danian would never have taken him in.
Hearing this, the man let out a sigh of relief and showered him with repeated thanks.
"Thank you, young hero... thank you, young hero... You truly have the heart of a bodhisattva..."
A fire was soon crackling inside the cave, driving away the chill, and the herb gatherer moved closer.
He introduced himself as Long Er.
Lu Danian handed him a portion of the rabbit meat, which was sizzling with glistening grease. Long Er snatched it and began to wolf it down, looking as though he was starved.
Lu Danian ate his share of the rabbit meat as well, asking casually:
"Long Er, your leg injury isn't light. I brought some Golden Wound Powder, and its medicinal effects are decent. Let me put some on you so it heals faster."
Long Er's hand paused mid-bite, and he muttered vaguely:
"N-... No need to trouble the young hero. I've carelessly applied some wild herbs myself, and I can manage. Your good medicine is precious and best saved for self-preservation. With my thick skin and rough flesh, it would be a waste of good medicine."
Doubts instantly surged in Lu Danian's heart.
When ordinary villagers were injured and someone offered them good medicine, they would be too grateful for words. How could anyone push it away like this?
Outwardly, Lu Danian remained unruffled, merely saying blandly, "As you wish."
"Ah, thank you, young hero." Long Er buried his head and ate.
"Right, Long Er, are you from around Mount Erlong?" Lu Danian asked again, as if making casual conversation.
"Yes, yes, my ancestors have all lived in Blackwater Village, eating off the mountain." Long Er nodded.
"You come to Mount Erlong often?"
"Not... not really often, just looking for some ordinary herbs..." Long Er's eyes flickered. "I was just unlucky this time, breaking my leg..."
Lu Danian shifted the topic. "Then let me ask you, since you're a local, you must have heard news about the Mountain Lord around here, right? What's the deal with it, anyway?"
A trace of vigilance surfaced in Long Er's eyes as he looked at Lu Danian.
"Young hero... why did you suddenly ask about this? Could it be that you're here specifically to hunt down that Mountain Lord?"
Lu Danian waved a hand, a self-deprecating smile on his face.
"Hunt the Mountain Lord? I don't have that kind of ability! It's just that before coming into the mountains, I always heard people around talk about how that creature became a spirit and claimed countless human lives, so my curiosity was simply piqued."
Hearing this, Long Er relaxed a bit, grinning widely.
"Young hero, don't you believe those tales! What Mountain Lord, what spiritual intelligence—those are just groundless rumors made up by outsiders to scare people!!"
"If there really were a Mountain Lord, would I dare to forage alone in these deep, old mountains?!"
A cold sneer formed in Lu Danian's heart.
Foraging? Alone?
He had spent so many days in the mountains, and from start to finish, the only living person he had run into was this very one!
Back in the day, Lu Danian had personally participated in the hunt against that Mountain Lord; the matter of the Mountain Lord was definitely not baseless.
Along the way, he had also gathered plenty of intelligence. While opinions varied widely, it was a consensus that Mount Erlong harbored a Tiger King bringing disaster.
How did it turn into baseless rumors the moment it came out of Long Er's mouth?
This fellow was extremely suspicious.
However, Lu Danian let a look of relief show on his face.
"So that's how it is. Hearing you put it like that, my mind is finally at ease."
Seeing that Lu Danian believed him, Long Er piled smiles onto his face. "Exactly, exactly! You can set your mind at rest, young hero."
As he spoke, he moved his injured leg a little, his brows furrowing.
"Sigh, it's just this leg of mine... what a terrible delay. The main herb I was supposed to harvest today hasn't been secured yet, and my mother is still waiting..."
A thought stirred in Lu Danian's heart.
This fellow had put on an act for so long, and his ultimate goal was finally about to surface.
He followed the flow of the conversation and asked, "Oh? What medicine is still missing? Is it urgent?"
"Extremely urgent... It's the medicine to save my mother's life... It's in a mountain cave not far from here. Given my condition, I'm afraid I can't crawl in there..."
Long Er gazed imploringly at Lu Danian.
"Young hero, could you... could you be a hero to the end and help me out? That medicinal material is just inside the cave..."
Very well, I'd like to see what kind of medicine you're selling in this gourd... Lu Danian pondered for a moment, as if persuaded.
"Saving a life is worth seeing it through. Where is the mountain cave? We'll make a trip there tomorrow!"
Early the next morning, the chill had yet to disperse.
Long Er woke up, a grateful smile on his face.
"Young hero, after resting for a night, I feel much better. I really have to thank you."
"No matter, let's head to the mountain cave early so your mother won't have to wait too long..."
Overjoyed, Long Er hurriedly pointed in a certain direction.
"It's right over there, just a few miles of climbing and we'll spot the cave entrance! The young hero's great kindness, Long Er will never forget for generations!"
The two of them filed out of the cave, one after the other.
Seeing that Lu Danian was willing to help him gather herbs, Long Er's legs seemed to have recovered quite a bit, and his pace was exceptionally fast.
Crossing a slope of jagged rocks, they indeed spotted a cave nestled in the cliff face, half-concealed by vines.
"This is it! Young hero, the herbs are just inside!" Long Er pointed at the cave entrance, a flash of eager urgency in his eyes.
Lu Danian nodded and said to Long Er who was in the lead, "Lead the way, then. I wouldn't know where the herbs are."
"Ah, right, right," Long Er responded eagerly, scrambling into the mountain cave first.
The light inside the cave was dim, accompanied by an unfamiliar musk and stench.
Though familiar with various beasts in the mountains, Lu Danian found this particular scent somewhat alien.
Yet a certain suspicion arose in his heart.
Lu Danian slowed his pace and began utilizing Eagle Eye to observe the specific situation inside the cave.
After breaking through Blood Pass, his Eagle Eye had gained a further boost, allowing him to see through the dim cavern as if it were daytime.
Within his line of sight, blurred massive paw prints seemed to mark the ground, while a few coarse, yellow-and-black tiger hairs were scattered in the corner.
Tiger hair! And fresh at that!
Looking at Long Er leading the way ahead, how could Lu Danian fail to understand what trick this fellow was playing?
He suddenly stopped, his voice echoing in the empty cavern:
"Long Er."
Long Er turned his head, his voice tinged with urgency and anticipation.
"Young hero, the herbs are right up ahead. Why did you stop?"
Lu Danian slowly drew his long saber, the corners of his mouth curving into a cold sneer:
"That herb you mentioned... could it happen to be the Mountain Lord?"
Long Er's body stiffened.
Before you continue