"After learning that Su Yu was from Su Family Fort, the young master didn't kill him. He planned to make him hand over something as compensation, so Su Yu told us where the Blood Ginseng was in Black Swamp Mountain..."
Zhang Wenxuan's words made Su Hao nod to himself. The man probably hadn't been lying. This also explained how the Flying Cloud Gang had learned where the Blood Ginseng was. Su Yu had indeed been forced by their superior strength to reveal its location as a bargaining chip to buy his life.
"Afterward, the young master had Su Yu lead the way so we could come to Black Swamp Mountain and confirm the Blood Ginseng was real... But along the way, Su Yu seized a chance to escape. Our Flying Cloud Gang experts immediately pursued him, chasing him deep into Black Swamp Mountain. While fleeing, Su Yu accidentally fell into a poisonous bog. The Flying Cloud Gang members kept watch outside the bog for several hours. Only after confirming he was well and truly dead did they leave..."
"We thought Su Yu was dead. But more than half a year ago, one of our Flying Cloud Gang's branch halls was attacked by an expert. More than ten people were killed or wounded... The attacker was none other than Su Yu, who should have been dead!"
Choosing his words carefully, Zhang Wenxuan recounted everything he knew.
"What he said... should be true."
As Su Hao listened in silence, he watched Zhang Wenxuan's eyes and expression. When ordinary people made up lies, their eyes and expressions usually changed in subtle ways. What Zhang Wenxuan had said was probably at least ninety percent true.
Deep in Black Swamp Mountain, poisonous insects and savage beasts abounded. Miasma blanketed the area, and vast stretches of marshland gave the mountain its name. Su Yu had been hunted by the Flying Cloud Gang there and fallen into a poisonous bog. He should have had no chance of survival, yet more than half a year ago, he had attacked the Flying Cloud Gang!
If Father really is still alive, why hasn't he sent even the slightest word home? What happened to him?
Su Hao pondered silently. There was probably more to this than met the eye.
"Young Hero Su... Though your father had a grudge against the Flying Cloud Gang... we never harmed him. This has nothing to do with us! You should go after the people responsible. We'll leave the Flying Cloud Gang too. We'd never help tyrants do evil..."
After telling Su Hao everything he knew, Zhang Wenxuan began pleading in a humble voice. He had cooperated obediently in the hope of improving Su Hao's mood. That way, they might still have a chance of surviving!
"Sorry. You cooperated and told me what I wanted to know, and I'm grateful. But I've never been in the habit of sparing my enemies. The only way I can repay you... is by giving you a quick death."
Su Hao's emotionless voice rang in Zhang Wenxuan's ears.
"You..."
Zhang Wenxuan's hair stood on end. His eyes widened as he tried to say more.
"Crack!"
But in the next instant, Su Hao pressed his palm against Zhang Wenxuan's forehead. Force surged through his palm, erupting with a thunderous blast that split Zhang Wenxuan's skull. Blood and brains spilled out, and his body slumped to the ground like a heap of mud.
"Our gang leader... will avenge us..."
Kuang Fei gritted his teeth. Though his heart pounded like a drum and he was terrified of the death awaiting him, he didn't beg for mercy. At least he'd kept a shred of dignity.
"He'll be joining you soon enough."
Su Hao's face was expressionless. He didn't care whether Kuang Fei met death defiantly or on his knees. He was going to die either way!
Before long, Su Hao had killed Kuang Fei and the fat man on the spot. The valley fell quiet once more.
Su Hao showed no mercy. The three men might have ended up in a sorry state, but they had brought it on themselves. If Su Hao hadn't been strong enough, he was sure they would have treated him even more cruelly and ruthlessly!
After killing the three men, Su Hao searched their bodies. Apart from a few pieces of silver, he found nothing else.
"Father must have encountered something deep in Black Swamp Mountain... I should go investigate."
Su Hao put away the Blood Ginseng and the other items, then left the valley and headed deeper into Black Swamp Mountain.
According to Zhang Wenxuan, Su Yu had fallen into the poisonous bog and remained submerged for two hours without resurfacing. By all reason, he should have been doomed. Yet later, he had attacked the Flying Cloud Gang. Perhaps the key to it all lay deep within Black Swamp Mountain!
As Su Hao ventured deeper into the poisonous marshlands, the terrain grew increasingly treacherous. Fallen leaves covered marshy ground that was almost impossible to distinguish with the naked eye. Poisonous plants grew there too, and even a careless cut to the skin could prove fatal.
That wasn't all. A haze of gray mist, like smog, was gradually rising in the depths of the poisonous marsh. It was poisonous miasma. Breathing it in for too long would make a person dizzy and light-headed, until they fainted and died.
"This place... something's wrong. It's dangerous. I can't go any farther!"
Su Hao's expression grew more and more grave. The deeper he went, the denser the miasma became. He could barely see three or five yards ahead.
On top of that, his body instinctively warned him of danger!
In his previous life, Su Hao had visited some of Blue Star's natural danger zones to train, such as primeval forests teeming with poisonous insects and savage beasts, where no one lived. Yet the danger he sensed in the depths of the poisonous marsh was more than ten times stronger than anything he'd felt in Blue Star's danger zones!
"I'll come back to explore once I'm better prepared. It's getting dark. I should head back."
The rumors about this place were true. It was indeed a danger zone. Su Hao hadn't regained his peak strength, so he wasn't about to overestimate himself and press on. He decided to turn back, then retraced his steps by following the marks and trail he'd left along the way.
Not long after Su Hao left, the mist ahead began to churn. A human silhouette gradually appeared in the hazy gray fog. He stared in the direction Su Hao had gone, his eyes filled with a trace of savagery and regret.
The gray fog rolled like the gaping maw of a beast devouring everything. The figure disappeared into the mist, vanishing little by little.
"The Eastern Land World really is different from Blue Star. There are things here that defy all reason... This world is vast and full of wonders. Someday, I'll have to go out and see it for myself!"
Su Hao left Black Swamp Mountain and looked back at the layered ranges, crouched in the darkness like a giant beast. He thought to himself.
The Eastern Land World was said to bear traces left behind by immortals, and all kinds of incredible things happened there. Su Hao was full of curiosity and a thirst for knowledge about the wonders of the unknown! He would advance step by step, climb to the peak, and look down upon the mountains below!
Before the sky had gone completely dark, Su Hao returned safely to Su Family Fort.
"Thank goodness... Ah Hao didn't run into anyone from the Flying Cloud Gang while he was out." Sun Lan let out a long breath of relief.
The Su family had offended the Flying Cloud Gang, and Su Hao's trip outside had left Sun Lan uneasy. She had feared the gang was still keeping an eye on the family and that Su Hao would run into trouble as soon as he left Su Family Fort. Thankfully, he had returned safe and sound.
Of course, Sun Lan had no idea that the Flying Cloud Gang hadn't been keeping an eye on Su Hao at all. Instead, they had accidentally crossed paths in Black Swamp Mountain. The Flying Cloud Gang members, including a branch-hall master, had all died at Su Hao's hands!
Su Hao didn't tell Sun Lan what he knew about Su Yu. If he gave her hope only for things to turn out differently from what she wanted, it would only leave her even more despairing.
"With this Blood Ginseng, I'll be back to my peak before long! Tomorrow, I'll turn it into ginseng wine and steep it over and over to get the most out of it!"
That night, Su Hao examined the Blood Ginseng in its box, his heart burning with excitement. In his hands, it could prove immensely useful.
The next day, Su Hao bought some supplementary herbs and soaked them with the Blood Ginseng in a wine jar.
The wine in the jar gradually took on a medicinal fragrance. Steeping Blood Ginseng in wine was extravagantly wasteful!
"What a wonderful smell!"
Su Xiaoqing watched the wine jar curiously.
Su Hao ladled out a scoop and smiled. "Xiao Qing, come over. You can have a little. I'll pour some for Mother too."
"Mm."
Su Xiaoqing nodded vigorously.
The Blood Ginseng Wine was incredibly expensive, but Su Hao wasn't selfish enough to keep it all to himself. A little for Su Xiaoqing and Sun Lan would still do their bodies good and help improve their constitutions!
Carrying a gourd of ginseng wine, Su Hao headed to the spacious back mountain of Su Family Fort to practice martial arts. He had to make the most of his time and get his strength back to its peak!
Before you continue