Chapter 366: The Poison Array Beyond the Valley
Chapter 366: The Poison Array Beyond the Valley
A shout echoed through the forest, causing the leaves to rustle and the dry grass to sway. They waited for a long time, but no response came.
Hu Ma's brows furrowed, and the others around him felt a sense of unease as they looked towards the forest ahead, finding the silence increasingly eerie.
They had just entered the mountain and hadn't even seen anyone from the mine yet, let alone discussed any grievances. But they had already encountered the harmful poison dogs, and their loud shout was a display of respect in the jianghu. If anyone was nearby, they should have heard them.
But now, there was not a sound, and they wondered about the other party's intentions. Were they not willing to respond at all?
The old abacus-wielding man took out a map and whispered, "Speaking of which, we should have arrived by now. I just used my small feng shui skills, and we haven't taken the wrong direction. It's not like we're being led astray by ghosts."
"But here, we can't see a thing..."
Following his gaze, everyone looked ahead and saw that the open space before them was still a dense forest, with no sign of the blood feast mine.
The area was deserted, as if they had entered a desolate wilderness.
"Perhaps we have indeed arrived," Hu Ma observed, taking a deep breath. "This clearing looks odd, and it seems to be a trace left by the mine's woodcutting and house-building activities."
"Maybe, after passing through that forest ahead, we'll reach our destination."
They listened to his words and also observed the area, feeling that he made sense. But as they looked further, the forest ahead didn't seem any different from the one they had passed through. Vines intertwined, and trees towered, with no sign of a path.
Hu Ma didn't rush to speak. Instead, he turned to the old abacus-wielding man and said, "Old brother, we haven't offended anyone, and we've followed the rules of the jianghu by shouting out. If we do anything else, it won't be considered rude, right?"
The old abacus-wielder immediately nodded and said, "Of course. No matter where you go in this world, you can't ignore reason, can you?"
"That's good," Hu Ma said, taking a deep breath. He then dismounted from the donkey and took the sinister jagged blade from Zhou Datong, holding it under his arm. He slowly walked towards the edge of the clearing and gazed at the eerie forest where vines entwined like tentacles.
Suddenly, he took a deep breath and swung the blade with a burst of vital energy, exuding a hint of yang exorcism power. He slashed at the gnarled roots of a towering tree within the forest.
"Boom..."
The sound of the blade striking reverberated in everyone's ears, followed by a piercing wail that made their eardrums throb. As their vision blurred, the entire forest seemed to tremble in panic, and eerie shadows scattered in all directions.
When the commotion subsided, they stared in astonishment. Where there had been intertwining vines, a path now appeared through the old forest.
On the path, there were wheel tracks, indicating that people frequently used it.
"The blood feast mine is indeed ahead..."
The old abacus-wielder couldn't contain his excitement. He jumped off the donkey cart and took a look, his face filled with joy. "I knew my small feng shui skills were worth the two blood feast pills I paid for. It must be a genuine skill..."
"Have we really found the place?"
Zhou Datong and the others hurried over, filled with delight. But Hu Ma quickly stopped them and picked up a small stone from the ground, throwing it forward.
Inside the forest, a light mist lingered, and the branches swayed. From the front, it appeared lush and green, with no abnormalities. But when the stone struck a leaf, it flipped over, revealing a multicolored venomous insect hiding on the back of the leaf, which then fell to the ground.
The group's initial excitement faded, and they exchanged glances, not daring to imagine what awaited them inside.
"This forest is filled with traps..."
Hu Ma took a deep breath and said to the old abacus-wielder, "It seems it's not a sorcerer blocking our way, but the people from the blood feast mine don't want us here..."
"First, the poison dogs, and now this forest filled with venomous insects..."
The old abacus-wielder's face turned pale as he observed the scene, whispering, "The people from this mine are quite fierce and unfriendly..."
Hu Ma carefully examined the forest and said, "Old brother, do you know how to dispel the poison?"
The old abacus-wielder grimaced and said, "In the past, a sorcerer wanted me as his son-in-law, and he would have taught me if I had agreed to the marriage. But I was too proud back then and refused the proposal..."
"Not much skill, but a lot of talk," Hu Ma thought to himself, also feeling a headache. He didn't know what was in the forest or how many strange things were hidden there. Even with his skills as a year-end guardian, he didn't dare to charge in recklessly, fearing ordinary venomous insects...
But now, he had come all this way to take over the blood feast mine, and he couldn't just turn back halfway, could he?
As he was thinking, he heard a snort. It was the horse that had been docile throughout the journey, but now it lifted its head with excitement, gazing into the depths of the forest.
Then, without a sound, it slowly lifted its hooves and started walking towards the forest.
Zhou Datong and the others were startled and rushed to stop the horse, but Hu Ma had an idea. "Let's follow the horse," he said.
Old Abacus and the others were perplexed, but they saw Hu Ma following behind the horse, and the others quickly followed suit. Even the donkey, which had already become wary, tucked its tail tightly and quietly trailed behind.
"Chiii, chiii, chiii..."
Following the horse into the deep woods, the group was increasingly startled. Initially, the appearance of the forest didn't seem much different from the outside, but as the horse led the way, trampling through the grass and kicking aside vines, it was as if they had stumbled upon a hornet's nest.
On both sides, among the swaying branches and leaves, venomous insects and strange powders occasionally leaped out, sticking to the horse's back and causing stinging, biting pain.
In the dim light, they spotted thumb-sized scorpions, coin-sized spiders, and slender venomous snakes with black rings on a white background.
At first glance, these creatures were invisible, hidden on both sides, but now they suddenly emerged, like an agitated hornet's nest, all attacking the horse simultaneously, making the followers behind them feel their scalps tingle.
The horse, clearly in pain, trembled incessantly, but its steps became lighter and quicker. When it couldn't bear it any longer, it let out two hearty neighs, as if celebrating something.
"This horse..."
The venomous insects on both sides were frightening, but the horse's behavior was even more so.
Whether it was Old Abacus or Zhou Datong and the others, they all felt their scalps tingling. This horse's madness seemed a bit abnormal.
"This old fellow has finally made it through..."
Hu Ma, following behind, couldn't help but feel a chill, but he only sighed lightly, as if fulfilling some sort of promise.
Red Wine Miss had handed this horse over to him, intending for it to die.
It was eager for death, but it couldn't bring itself to have someone else kill it, so it could only wait for its death to arrive. Red Wine Miss had him lead it here because her estate didn't have the danger it sought.
Now, it had ventured through the poison formation for him, and its death from the evil poison was like finally achieving its own fulfillment.
Hu Ma wouldn't kill it himself, nor would he deliberately send it into a deadly situation, but now that it had found its opportunity, he naturally wouldn't stop it...
Thus, borrowing the horse to lead the way, the group followed behind, slowly making their way through the woods, and seeing the lights ahead.
Finally, when they emerged, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. The venomous insects on the horse's body suddenly stiffened and fell off in a flurry, and its body turned red and swollen, its hooves floating in the air before it heavily collapsed.
"Be careful!"
Hu Ma quickly stepped forward, his hands turning into death, to avoid being poisoned. Then, he supported the horse's chest, allowing it to slowly kneel on the ground.
Looking into the horse's hollow eyes, he could see its relief, and Hu Ma merely nodded lightly at it, not intending to explain his confidence or his reasons to others. It was enough for him to know.
But as he watched the horse slowly kneel and quietly lie down in the grass, waiting for death, Hu Ma turned and looked coldly into the woods behind him. Regardless of who had set up this poison formation or their intentions, he had taken note of this matter.
Beside him was a simple wooden gate, with a tattered red lantern hanging from it. Inside, there was no fire, and it swayed helplessly in the wind.
Hu Ma glanced at it and understood the Blood Feast Mine's attitude towards the Red Lantern Society.
The red lantern was the symbol of Red Lantern Lady, and hanging it up represented her territory. Although it was hung here, it was neither oiled nor repaired, making it look more like a joke than a symbol.
Deeper in, they saw a valley ahead, lit up by fire basins and torches, illuminating the entire area.
In the valley, countless people holding knives and guns, with fierce expressions, sat roasting meat. Upon seeing Hu Ma and the others, they were startled and rushed over.
Their gazes were unfriendly, shouting, "Who are you? This is the Blood Feast Mine. Are you trying to get killed by barging in?"
"..."
"Miners?"
Hu Ma scanned the group of ragged, fierce-looking people but didn't pay them any mind. Instead, he looked past them, deep into the valley, and suddenly took a deep breath, shouting sharply, "Where's the manager here?"
"I'm a Red Lantern Lady's Red Fragrance Disciple, here to inspect the accounts. Mine Master, come and see me immediately!"
"..."
This shout startled the miners in front of them, causing their faces to change and them to back away. The tools in their hands clattered to the ground.
The horse, having suffered numerous strange poisons, slowly lowered its massive head, welcoming death. Its consciousness was already blurry, as if it were about to fall into endless darkness...
...and then it was suddenly jolted awake, looking at Hu Ma with a resentful gaze. "The feeling I was just brewing was ruined by you..."
(End of Chapter)
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