Late that night.

Lin Mo, Lei Zhen, and Aria left the hotel early and headed to the agreed-upon location to wait for their guide.

To Lin Mo's surprise, the guide arrived earlier than the agreed time.

Without saying much, the group set off.

The night was as dark as ink, and the group moved forward in silence. About an hour later, they stopped in front of a dead tree that had been struck by lightning. The tree seemed to have suffered a divine punishment; deep burn marks were left on its trunk, like the claw marks of a demon.

Even more chilling was the sight of a corpse hanging from the branches of the dead tree.

The corpse had lost its life force and became a feast for wild animals.

Carrion crows circled above the corpse, occasionally pecking at the disfigured face. The legs, closer to the ground, had already been devoured by wolves, leaving only a bloody skeleton, a gruesome sight.

Lei Zhen's voice was deep and full of doubt: "What's in his mouth?"

Iria's heart raced instantly. She closed her eyes briefly, trying to calm the sudden fear before daring to look at the gruesome corpse again.

The man's face had lost its former color, turning a chilling grayish-green, and his mouth was cruelly forced open, as if screaming silently.

An irregularly shaped white object lay quietly between his teeth, forming a stark contrast with everything around it.

“Salt.” The guide’s voice broke the silence, carrying an indescribable heaviness.

They continued onward, each step feeling exceptionally heavy.

About fifty meters away, there was another corpse, lying there quietly.

Scavengers had already visited this place; the remains were torn to pieces, and above, a tattered rope hung forlornly from the branches of an elm tree.

If the guide's dog hadn't sniffed him out and jumped into the bushes to search, Lin Mo might have unknowingly ridden past.

"What did you find, dog?" The guide leaped lightly from his horse and followed the loyal dog, striding briskly toward the spot of discovery. His hands, rough yet strong, gently lifted the helmet half-hidden in the dust.

The dead man's head was still inside, accompanied by greedy worms and beetles, reveling wildly on this deserted stage.

"This is a fine helmet," the guide appraised. "Although it's a bit warped, the dents aren't deep. Little helper, would you like the helmet?"

Lei Zhen glanced at the scene inside the helmet and replied, "I don't want it; it's full of insects."

"The bugs will be gone after washing, kid. Don't be so fussy like a girl."

Lin Mo frowned. "No need, it's too big for him."

"He'll grow up."

"I don't want to," Lei Zhen said.

The guide shrugged and tossed the tattered helmet back into the bushes.

Suddenly, a clear bark broke the silence, and it rushed towards an ancient tree, raising one leg.

However, as they ventured deeper into the woodland, the shadow of death gradually loomed over the tranquil landscape.

Every hundred steps, a corpse hangs from a branch: whether it is the branches of the elm, the tender leaves of the alder, the heavy beech, the white birch, the vigorous larch, the tenacious elm, or even the graceful old willow and the dignified chestnut, all become the place where these innocent lives end.

Each corpse, like a doll cursed by fate, had a rope tightly around its neck, swaying helplessly in the wind, as if telling of its helplessness and sorrow in life.

What's even more chilling is that everyone's mouth was stuffed with salt. That salty, astringent taste seemed to be the last flavor of their lives, and the cruelest mockery the world could offer them.

Their clothes, which were once gray, blue, or scarlet, have become blurred and mottled after being washed by rain and exposed to the sun, making them difficult to distinguish.

Lin Mo realized that these were bandits.

Judging from their appearance, most of them were Daxia people, with a small number being Dongpango people.

Clearly, these bandits were taking advantage of the chaos of the war in Jidong to plunder and loot. However, they never expected to encounter someone like Huo Cheng here...

I looked up.

Some of them were bald, some had messy beards, some were young and vigorous, and some were old and decrepit. They varied in size, some were short, some were tall, some were fat, and some were thin.

But now, they had all become the dead souls of this wilderness. Their swollen corpses and faces ravaged by time and wild beasts looked so ferocious and terrifying.

On the gallows, everyone is equal.

Lei Zhen had read about it in a book, but he couldn't remember which one.

Later, the guide finally revealed what they all realized: "These are the people who plundered the surrounding people."

"Well done, Lord Huo!" Lei Zhen's voice was particularly strong at this moment, his eyes flashing with anger and determination. "These damned scum, instead of serving the country, they do such heinous things! They should be nailed to the pillar of historical shame and never be able to rise again!"

At that moment, the last rays of the setting sun fell on the land like blood, turning the corpses into an eerie red.

The dog suddenly barked, sharp and terrified, as if it had sensed some indescribable horror.

The guide looked around, his brow furrowed, a deep worry in his eyes.

"Should we quicken our pace?" His voice trembled slightly in the night. "The sun is setting, and this land will become even more eerie and dangerous at night. These people were wicked and dangerous when they were alive, and I suspect they won't be any better off dead."

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