The streets were bustling with activity, and people carrying weapons could be seen everywhere. The man in black, completely unprepared for this outcome, stared blankly. He cautiously peeked through a corner of the window and, seeing the parade outside, felt a chill run down his spine. The men inside trembled. "What do we do now? We can't afford to pay. We shouldn't have been so greedy! Now, not only have we not gotten the money, but we've also lost five brothers and are trapped here, our fates uncertain!"
This incident briefly caused some conflict among the teammates. The person standing by the window glanced at him and said, "We're all just doing this for money. Who are you trying to convince with these words? Besides, we're Second Master's men. It's only right that we die for him. Stop spouting nonsense!"
The man's words were serious, and everyone fell silent for a moment, though a hint of resentment flickered in their eyes. Seeing this, the man had no intention of letting them off so easily and continued, "Don't cause any trouble for me at this time, or we'll all end up like those dead people outside."
Fortunately, they arrived in batches, which did not match the description of a group of ten people, so the innkeeper did not suspect them.
As for Xu Yuehuai, after Nangong Yu's loud shout, there was no follow-up to that sentence. All six people sat in the room, looking at Nangong Yu with serious eyes, "You did that on purpose just now. You were so reckless."
Xuan Chi's words carried disapproval of Nangong Yu's actions, which Xu Yuehuai had already guessed when he didn't follow up. Nangong Yu touched his nose embarrassedly and said matter-of-factly, "Senior Sister has done so much for them. Now that someone wants to kill Senior Sister on their territory, can't I even speak out so that everyone knows? Junior Brother, you're being too kind."
In Nangong Yu's mind, everything that can be used should be used; there is no such thing as being reckless.
Xu Yuehuai didn't think anything of it. What's done is done, and there's no point in saying more. "Alright, this isn't the time to talk about that. Those people haven't dared to cause trouble lately. So many people are looking for them. If they come out, they're doomed. So our top priority right now is to resolve the Cangtian Forest issue while they're preoccupied with their own problems. Only after that will we have the energy to deal with those people."
Xu Yuehuai felt that after they had made preparations, there might be a second assassination attempt. Such things are bound to happen twice. The group nodded in agreement and, after some discussion, decided to go up the mountain this afternoon.
After lunch, the group stood at the foot of the mountain. Xu Yuehuai stood at the entrance, looking into the forest. There seemed to be nothing unusual from the outside. "If anything seems amiss, remember to report it immediately. This way, we can make a judgment and help with the rescue, understand?"
Xu Yuehuai didn't believe in ghosts or gods. She preferred to believe that everything had a reason. The others nodded obediently, and the group got ready to go.
"What are you doing? Didn't Miss Xu tell you yesterday that it's dangerous up in the mountain? If you go in and don't come out, how are we supposed to explain it to everyone? The people of Duancheng value you more than anything!" The speaker was the woman from that family, holding a basket filled with mushrooms mixed with soil.
Her face was filled with worry, as if she had encountered some problem. It wasn't that she didn't trust Xu Yuehuai, but too many people had died here. Xu Yuehuai's identity was very special to them, and if something happened to him inside, no one would know.
Xu Yuehuai knew exactly what she was worried about. He took two steps forward and patted her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll be fine. There are so many of us, and we've all received professional training. Unlike the older generation in the village, we can handle all kinds of dangers. I don't believe there are gods in this Cangtian Forest. If you want to unlock the secrets here, you have to go in yourself."
The woman was illiterate and didn't understand these profound principles. She just looked worried, but when she met Xu Yuehuai's bright yet resolute eyes, she nodded without even realizing it, willing to believe in Xu Yuehuai.
Xu Yuehuai smiled slightly, rejoined the group, and waved to her, "We might be inside for a long time. If we don't come out in a short time, don't worry about us or be anxious."
After saying that, Xu Yuehuai led the other five people up the mountain. The path up the mountain was difficult to walk on. No one had walked on it for a long time, so it was extremely rugged. Moreover, it had rained the day before, so the ground was very slippery. Moss had grown on the rocks because no one had walked on it for many years, which made their journey even more difficult.
Shi Mu muttered to himself, "This place looks like no one has ever lived here. Is the old Valley Master really inside? And according to them, if the old Valley Master were really inside, wouldn't he have died long ago? How could he possibly be alive?"
Nangong Yu waved her fan, lifted the hem of her robe, and tapped him on the head with the fan. "I told you to go out and socialize more often, but you wouldn't listen. You don't even know this simple thing."
"The old Valley Master is the Valley Master of Dragon Roar Valley, so naturally he has something to protect his life. If he really died here, his body wouldn't decompose; there would be a protective shield. When the first Dragon Roar Valley member who finds him opens this shield, his body will still be in the exact state it was when he died. Every Dragon Roar Valley Master has something like this." Nangong Yu explained briefly.
"Then why do they have these things on them? Are they some kind of magical artifacts?" Shi Mu rarely had the opportunity to learn this kind of knowledge. Although his life had become much better after following Xu Yuehuai, he still couldn't bear to read those idle books. He devoted all his spirit stones to cultivation and daily life, and knew nothing about or cared about anything else.
Xuan Chi, who was standing to the side, took over the conversation, "This is to prevent the Valley Master from being framed and not being able to find any clues. The corpse has been decomposing for a long time, so you can't find anything. Therefore, Dragon Roar Valley came up with this drastic measure to prevent this situation from happening, so that they can find their enemies when they want to take revenge."
Shi Mu nodded, indicating that he understood.
Unbeknownst to them, as they talked and followed Xu Yuehuai's footsteps, they had now reached the edge of the forest. They were surrounded by dense trees and thick fog. "This place is too strange. It's already afternoon, why is there still so much fog?"
Shi Mu looked around and took out a compass box from his pocket.
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