Blood Ginseng! Enemies on a Narrow Road!

"To think that in this treacherous Black Swamp Mountain, there exists a place that feels like a paradise on earth!"

Su Hao couldn't help but marvel. The valley was filled with the songs of birds and the fragrance of flowers, a veritable fairyland. If one had the leisure and inclination, it would be a wonderful place to reside for a time and cultivate one's character.

"Find the Blood Ginseng first!"

After wandering the valley for a while, Su Hao reined in his emotions, not forgetting the purpose of his visit.

"In this cave?"

After some searching, Su Hao discovered a dark cave within the valley. He pondered for a moment, took a flint from his robes, lit a torch he had prepared in advance, and used it to illuminate the interior.

The dim, yellow light cast a glow that revealed the scene inside. The cave was quite spacious, its walls covered in weeds and vines. The air was damp, and moisture seeped down from the ceiling.

"What a fragrant scent!"

Su Hao sniffed the air, catching a rich, medicinal aroma. His gaze swept across the center of the cave, where, in a patch of fertile soil, leaves as tender and green as jade were growing. In this dark, damp environment, they seemed to emit a faint glow.

"Blood Ginseng!"

Su Hao's eyes lit up. These were the leaves of a ginseng plant; this had to be the Blood Ginseng!

Su Hao immediately took out the medicinal trowel and other tools he carried on his back, knelt down, and began to dig carefully.

Digging for ginseng requires patience; one must not damage the roots. Su Hao was extremely meticulous, slowly and gently loosening the soil bit by bit.

"It really is Blood Ginseng!"

As the soil was cleared away and the outline of the Blood Ginseng was gradually revealed, his breathing quickened slightly.

It was a ginseng plant entirely blood-red, as if carved from blood jade. Anyone could tell at a glance that it was extraordinary!

Ginseng, especially wild ginseng with age, is inherently expensive and potent. Blood Ginseng, however, is a rare mutation, ten times more precious than ordinary wild ginseng. It is said that even if someone is severely wounded and on the verge of death, holding a slice in their mouth can prolong their life for a time. It is incredibly expensive and a top-tier medicinal herb for martial artists!

Su Hao steadied his mind and spent nearly half an hour patiently digging the entire Blood Ginseng out.

"About seven inches long, weighing about seven taels. As the saying goes, 'seven taels is ginseng, eight taels is treasure.' This Blood Ginseng should be about twenty years old... A pity. If it had been given a few more decades to reach the 'Ginseng Treasure' category, its value would have multiplied several times over, ten times at least!"

Su Hao examined the Blood Ginseng closely, sighing inwardly.

Knowing that the age of this Blood Ginseng wasn't particularly high, it was no wonder Su Yu, who had discovered it years ago, hadn't been willing to harvest it. However, Su Hao was currently lacking cultivation resources and didn't have the time to wait another decade or two.

Su Hao took out a wooden box lined with a soft cushion and carefully tucked the Blood Ginseng away.

"Hm? A sound? Has someone else arrived?"

Having finally secured the Blood Ginseng, Su Hao's ears suddenly twitched. He heard faint sounds coming from outside the cave; someone else had arrived in the valley.

"Why would anyone else come here? Are they also after the Blood Ginseng?"

Su Hao's thoughts raced, filled with suspicion. It was clearly no coincidence that the others had entered this valley deep within Black Swamp Mountain. In all likelihood, they knew of the Blood Ginseng's existence and had come specifically for it!

Though startled, Su Hao acted with lightning speed. He thrust his torch into the soil to extinguish it, then flashed into the shadows. Concealing his presence, he hid behind a protruding rock at the back of the cave, remaining deathly silent as if he had merged with the darkness. He decided to observe the situation first.

"To think there's a valley like this in Black Swamp Mountain? It really is a paradise. I should come here for a vacation when I have some free time!"

At the entrance of the valley, three men walked in one after another. One of them, a thin man in his thirties wearing grey, looked at the beautiful surroundings and couldn't help but exclaim.

"Heh heh, drinking wine and eating hotpot here would certainly be a pleasure!"

Another man, stout and shaped like a small mountain of flesh, felt his fat jiggle as he chuckled. He took a deep breath of the floral-scented air, looking completely satisfied.

"Enough. There will be plenty of time to come back later. Let's go get that Blood Ginseng first. Although it's a bit lacking in age, using it to help the Sect Leader take another step forward will be a good use of it!"

The leader of the three was a tall, long-limbed man in blue robes. He had a stern appearance and spoke in a deep voice.

"Yes!"

The other two nodded, knowing they had a mission to complete.

Led by the man in blue, the three headed straight for the cave. It was clear this wasn't the man's first time here.

"Three people in total. Heavy breathing, steady footsteps—all martial artists, and their strength is not low."

In the corner of the cave, hidden behind the protruding rock, Su Hao's ears twitched. With his keen senses, he could tell they were all martial artists just from the sound of their breathing and footsteps.

"Hm?"

The man in grey held up a torch, illuminating most of the cave. However, the man in blue's expression changed quickly when he saw the patch of soil in the center of the cave—the Blood Ginseng was gone!

"The Blood Ginseng... is gone? Someone dug it up?"

The man in blue's face shifted dramatically. He had been here several times, yet the Blood Ginseng growing in the cave had vanished, harvested by someone else?

The fat man and the man in grey looked at each other, their eyes filled with a strange, suspicious glint as they looked at the man in blue.

"We two didn't know the location of the Blood Ginseng; only the Sect Leader and Hall Master Kuang Fei knew. Could he have harvested it in advance?"

Both men suspected the man in blue had taken it early and was merely putting on a show for them.

"No, the soil here is fresh; it was dug up only a short while ago... We didn't run into anyone on our way in. The person who took the Blood Ginseng might still be here!"

Suddenly, the fat man bent down and picked up a clump of excavated soil. He said with absolute certainty that the soil had just been turned over!

The three men immediately grew vigilant. The man in blue seemed to sense something; his eyes turned sharp as he stared at the only rock in the cave large enough to hide behind. He shouted, "Who is there? Come out and show yourself!"

I've been discovered...

Su Hao sighed inwardly. Knowing he couldn't remain hidden any longer, he didn't hesitate and stepped out from the shadows.

"It's just a youth."

The three of them froze for a moment, then, by the light of their torches, saw a tall, handsome youth with a resolute expression standing before them.

At the same time, all three breathed a sigh of relief. Since it was only a youth, given their status and methods, they could easily handle him.

"Who are you? State your name!"

The three pairs of eyes locked onto Su Hao with a hint of scrutiny. The grey-clad man with the slightly vicious features fixed his gaze on Su Hao and barked the question.

"I... my name is Wen Tailai. I'm a villager from Phoenix Creek Village nearby. I came into the mountains to gather herbs... and accidentally stumbled into this valley. I'll leave right away..."

Su Hao put on a trembling, timid act, appearing terrified of the three men who clearly weren't to be trifled with. He spoke with extreme caution, naturally concealing his true identity while feigning weakness to figure out exactly who these three were.

Exchanging glances, they harbored some doubt as to whether this youth was truly just a herb gatherer who had stumbled upon this place by coincidence.

The fat man offered a cold, mirthless smile. "Did you pick the Blood Ginseng? That belongs to us; you aren't taking it anywhere."

So, the other party was indeed here for the Blood Ginseng as well!