"What a place! In this treacherous Black Swamp Mountain, there's actually a spot that feels like a paradise hidden from the world!"
Su Hao couldn't help but marvel. The valley was filled with birdsong and fragrant blossoms, practically a fairyland on earth. If one had the leisure, it would be a fine place to live for a while and cultivate the mind and body.
"First, I'll find that Blood Ginseng!"
After wandering around the valley for a bit, Su Hao gathered his thoughts, remembering why he had come.
"In this cave?"
After searching, Su Hao found a pitch-black cave in the valley. He pondered for a moment, then took a fire striker from his robes, lit a torch he had prepared earlier, and used it to illuminate the way.
The dim yellow light cast a glow over the cave's interior. The space inside was quite spacious, and the walls were covered in weeds and vines. The air was damp, and beads of moisture seeped down from the ceiling!
"What a lovely fragrance!"
Su Hao sniffed, catching a rich medicinal scent. His gaze swept over the center of the cave, where tender green leaves, as vivid as jade, grew from a patch of fertile soil. In the dark, damp surroundings, they seemed to glow faintly.
"Blood Ginseng!"
Su Hao's eyes lit up. Those were ginseng leaves, so this had to be where the Blood Ginseng grew!
Su Hao took out his medicine shovel and other tools from his pack, crouched down, and began to dig carefully.
Digging up ginseng required patience; its roots and stems must not be damaged. Su Hao was meticulous, slowly and gently loosening the soil, bit by bit.
"It really is Blood Ginseng!"
As the soil was cleared away, the outline of the Blood Ginseng gradually emerged. His breathing quickened slightly.
It was a ginseng root that was crimson all over, as if carved from blood jade. Anyone could tell at a glance that it was extraordinary!
Ginseng, especially wild ginseng that had grown for many years, was already costly and potent. Blood Ginseng was an even rarer variant, worth more than ten times as much as ordinary wild ginseng. It was said that even someone grievously wounded and on the brink of death could prolong their life for a little while by holding a slice in their mouth. It was astonishingly valuable, and an exceptional medicinal treasure for martial artists in training!
Steadying himself, Su Hao spent nearly half an hour patiently digging the Blood Ginseng out, root and all.
"It's about seven inches long and weighs around seven liang. They say seven liang makes ginseng, while eight liang makes a treasure. This Blood Ginseng is probably around twenty years old... What a pity. If it had another few decades to grow and reached the 'Ginseng Treasure' level, its value might multiply several times over—perhaps even tenfold!"
Su Hao examined the Blood Ginseng closely and sighed to himself.
He knew the Blood Ginseng wasn't all that old. No wonder Su Yu, who had discovered it several years ago, hadn't been willing to harvest it. But Su Hao was short on cultivation resources and couldn't wait another few years—or ten—for it to grow.
Su Hao took out a wooden box lined with soft padding and carefully stored the Blood Ginseng inside.
"Hmm? What's that sound? Is someone else coming?"
At last, with the Blood Ginseng secured, Su Hao's ears twitched. He heard faint noises coming from outside the cave. Someone else had entered the valley.
"Why would anyone else come here? Are they after the Blood Ginseng too?"
Su Hao's thoughts raced, uncertainty rising. It couldn't be a coincidence that the others had entered this valley hidden in Black Swamp Mountain. Most likely, they knew there was Blood Ginseng here and had come for it!
Though startled, Su Hao moved quickly. He thrust the torch into the soil and snuffed it out, then darted away, concealed his presence, and hid behind a jutting rock at the far end of the cave. He was silent as death, seeming to melt into the darkness. He decided to observe the situation first.
"There's a valley like this in Black Swamp Mountain? What a paradise! Once I have some free time, I could come here for a vacation!"
At the valley entrance, three men filed inside. One of them, a lean-faced man in gray in his thirties, looked at the beautiful surroundings and sighed in admiration.
"Heh heh, drinking and having hot pot here would be a real treat!"
Another man, fat as a little mountain of flesh, jiggled with fat as he chuckled. He breathed in the fragrant scent of the flowers and grass, looking thoroughly pleased.
"All right. We'll have plenty of time to come back later. First, let's get that Blood Ginseng. It may not be very old, but it can help the boss take another step forward. We might as well put it to good use!"
The leader was a tall, broad-shouldered man in blue, with a lean build. His imposing face was stern as he spoke.
"Yes!"
The other two nodded in agreement. They knew they had a mission to carry out.
Led by the man in blue, the three headed straight for the cave. Clearly, he had been here before.
"Three of them. Heavy breathing, steady footsteps. They're all martial artists, and they're no weaklings."
Hidden behind the jutting rock in a corner of the cave, Su Hao's ears twitched. His senses were sharp; just from their breathing and footsteps, he could tell that all three were martial artists.
"Hmm?"
The man in gray raised the torch, illuminating most of the cave. But the man in blue's expression soon changed when he saw the freshly dug soil in the middle of the cave. The Blood Ginseng was gone!
"The Blood Ginseng... It's gone? Someone dug it up?"
The man in blue's face changed dramatically. He had come here several times, but the Blood Ginseng growing in the cave had vanished. Someone else had harvested it?
The fat man and the man in gray exchanged glances, their eyes strange. They looked at the man in blue with a peculiar expression.
"We didn't know where the Blood Ginseng was. Only the boss and Hall Master Kuang Fei knew. Could he have harvested it ahead of time?"
The two suspected that the man in blue had taken it earlier and had deliberately brought them along to put on this show.
"No, the soil here is fresh. It was dug up recently... We didn't run into anyone on our way in, so the person who took the Blood Ginseng may still be here!"
But the fat man soon bent down and picked up a handful of the excavated soil. He spoke with absolute certainty: it had only just been turned over!
The three immediately went on alert. The man in blue seemed to sense something as well. His sharp gaze fixed on the only place in the cave where someone could hide—the jutting rock. He barked, "Who's there? Why not come out and show yourself?"
"They found me..."
Su Hao sighed inwardly. He knew he couldn't stay hidden any longer, so he came out.
"It's a young man."
All three men were startled. By the torchlight, they saw a tall, handsome, resolute-looking youth before them.
At the same time, they all relaxed. He was only a boy. With their status and methods, he'd be easy to handle.
"Who are you? State your name!"
All three scrutinized Su Hao, their gazes fixed on him. The gray-clad man, whose face looked especially fierce, demanded an answer.
"I... My name is Wen Tailai. I'm from Phoenix Creek Village nearby. I came into the mountains to gather herbs... and accidentally wandered into this valley. I'll leave right away..."
Su Hao's body trembled slightly, and he wore a timid expression, as if he were terrified of the three men, who were clearly no good. He spoke cautiously, naturally keeping his true identity to himself. He was also trying to appear weak and learn more about them.
The three exchanged glances. They too wondered whether the boy was really just an herb gatherer who had wandered here by chance.
The fat man wore a false smile. "You picked the Blood Ginseng? It belongs to us. You're not taking it with you."
So they had come for the Blood Ginseng too!
Before you continue