In the world of martial arts, grind your skill level to become a saint.

"This is…?"

Su Hao's eyes flickered slightly as he saw a black insect, about the size of a thumb, with some golden spots on its body, crawling and wriggling on his arm.

Su Hao frowned slightly, used the wooden stick in his hand to pry the insect away, and it fell into the bushes next to him.

A sense of unease also arose in my heart.

He was deeply impressed by this strange, unidentified insect.

Because on the night he dealt with Chen Biao, he had seen it at the residence of one of Chen Biao's former underlings named Liu San.

Although they are different in size, they should be of the same kind.

Perhaps it was because the scene he saw that night was so terrifying that when he saw the same kind of insect, he would unconsciously associate it with the scene when Liu San died.

Could it be a coincidence?

Su Hao thought to himself.

Seeing that the group had already started to set off, he put aside his thoughts and followed.

The entire Black Wind Valley is very long and narrow, and because it is shrouded in fog all year round and never sees sunlight, it is extremely damp and cold.

Walking on the somewhat slippery stone path, people in the group would occasionally slip and fall.

Fortunately, there was nothing seriously wrong.

Su Hao and the rest of the guards were all on high alert to prevent any possible ambush attacks.

Fortunately, we had good luck this time, and the situation we had anticipated did not occur during the journey through the valley.

After leaving the valley, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

The overall atmosphere shifted from tense to relaxed and lively.

The most dangerous part of this transport route, besides the poisonous insects and wild beasts in the mountains, is Black Wind Valley.

While there are ways to prevent poisonous insects and wild beasts, ambushes and attacks are unpredictable.

Over the years, many caravans and镖师 (bodyguards/escorts) have perished in Black Wind Valley, so people are very wary of it.

As evening fell, after the group crossed a mountain ridge and dense forest, a cluster of buildings the size of a small town finally appeared below.

Qiufeng Township was originally a small village located deep in the Yanshan Mountains. The original inhabitants relied on collecting medicinal herbs for generations. However, as more and more herb collectors and merchants flocked to the area, the influx of people gradually made the place prosperous, eventually forming a place similar to a town.

After entering Autumn Wind Village, the group chose an inn to stay at and began their own activities.

Now that they have reached their destination, the guards are not required to remain gathered together until they return home, and this is permitted.

As for the final rendezvous, that was to be handled by Shen Qing, who was the team leader.

Su Hao put his luggage in the guest room and then went downstairs to explore the town famous for its medicinal herbs.

The main reason was that he heard from the other guards that the medicinal herbs here were much cheaper than those in Yanshan City.

This naturally includes various mountain products and health supplements.

After leaving the inn, Su Hao began to wander around Autumn Wind Town alone.

Qiufeng Town itself is not large, but it is bustling and extremely crowded.

Even at night, the lights are still on.

If it weren't for the fact that most of the buildings were wooden buildings or mud and stone houses, Su Hao would have thought he was still in the market town of Yanshan City.

Walking and stopping along the way, Su Hao passed through a somewhat dilapidated alley and then entered a street full of street stalls.

His eyes kept scanning the stalls, looking for the dried red-eared civet meat he had eaten before.

Su Hao quickly found what he was looking for.

Standing in front of a stall, Su Hao picked up the three catties of dried red-eared civet meat he had just bought and couldn't help but sigh.

Sure enough, in this autumn wind village, medicinal herbs and tonics are much cheaper than in Yanshan City.

The dried red-eared civet meat he bought in Hongqiao Town cost five taels of silver per catty.

Now, it only costs three taels of silver here, and that's even though he's not very good at bargaining.

Su Hao felt that he had suffered a huge loss before.

If Yanshan City weren't so far away, he would really like to come here to replenish supplies every time.

With a sigh, Su Hao took the dried meat and prepared to return to the inn.

He's been out for a while now. Although Shen Qing doesn't restrict his freedom to go out, she has set a time limit for him to return, otherwise it wouldn't be good if someone came looking for him.

Just as Su Hao left the stall, a somewhat shrill voice came from behind him.

"Is this brother going to buy some dried meat supplements?"

Su Hao turned around and saw a short man with a bald patch on his head standing behind him, looking at him with a questioning gaze.

"Uh... I've already bought it, I don't need it..."

Su Hao shook his head slightly.

He had encountered this situation several times along the way, so he was used to it.

"The dried red-eared civet meat you just bought, I can get it for only one tael of silver here, and the quality is much better. It's not a rare thing, there's plenty of it on Autumn Wind Mountain. That guy overpaid you..."

The man showed no sign of giving up, and continued.

He then took out a piece of dried meat from a bag and handed it to Su Hao.

Su Hao didn't reach for it, but lingered on the jerky for a moment.

Judging from the quality, it is indeed better than the one I just bought.

How much do you have left?

Su Hao hadn't expected this thing to be so cheap, and he became somewhat interested in it.

"Just two... I brought samples with me today, but I was late starting work so I couldn't find a stall to sell them. These are all mobile stalls. If you want more, you can come with me to my place to get them. If you don't like the goods, that's okay too."

The short, bald-headed man continued.

"Never mind then, I have something to do, so I won't watch it."

Upon hearing this, Su Hao shook his head and refused.

In this unfamiliar place, he wouldn't believe the short man's words, whether they were true or false.

Just in case, there's no need to take the risk for such a small saving.

Immediately, Su Hao ignored the other party and turned to leave.

"you…"

The bald man was also taken aback, not expecting Su Hao to refuse so decisively.

But after seeing Su Hao leave, he glanced behind him and then walked into the crowd.

Su Hao left the street without lingering and headed straight for the inn.

As he passed through the dark alleyway he had just passed, Su Hao suddenly quickened his pace and ran forward.

blah blah blah!

At that moment, several hurried footsteps followed closely behind.

"Catch up with him quickly!"

A somewhat shrill voice rang out, and several figures with their faces covered in black cloth rushed out of the darkness.

boom!

Before they could stop, a gust of wind came straight at them and slammed into the head of the tall man at the front!

The man grunted, his body flying backward like a sandbag, crashing heavily into the wall behind him with a series of cracking sounds.

"careful!!!"

The others were also shocked when they saw this. Before they could react, a large cloud of white ash rushed towards them, and the dark alleyway was plunged into chaos.