Taking the opportunity of traveling through books

Chapter 117 The haze is coming again and the road is blocked

The haze is coming again and the road is blocked again

Before I could finish my words, I felt my feet suddenly go empty, and I fell uncontrollably. My cry of surprise caught in my throat. The wind whistled past, and I felt the world spinning. "Yaoyao!" Hao Yang exclaimed from above, and then I felt a warm, strong hand grab my wrist, stopping me from falling further.

I was hanging in mid-air, looking up in shock. Hao Yang was crouching at the edge of the valley, his other hand clinging tightly to a protruding rock. His face was pale, and beads of sweat were oozing from his forehead. "Hold on!" Elder Wei and Wei Feng had also arrived. They quickly found vines and pulled me up.

My legs gave way as I landed on the ground, nearly collapsing. Hao Yang quickly caught me. "Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, his eyes filled with worry.

I shook my head and took a deep breath, trying to calm myself. "I'm fine. I'm glad you caught me."

The valley was deeper than we'd imagined, and the bottom was shrouded in mist, making it difficult to see clearly. Elder Wei pulled a tinder from his pack and lit a torch. The flames illuminated a small area around us, revealing that the soil at the edge of the valley was very soft. No wonder I fell so suddenly.

"Be careful, the terrain here is very complicated." Elder Wei warned.

We walked down the valley wall carefully. The valley was filled with thick fog and visibility was extremely low. From time to time, we heard strange bird calls and the growls of wild beasts around us, which was creepy.

"This place... is a bit weird." Wei Feng gripped the sword tightly in his hand and looked around vigilantly.

After walking for about half an hour, we reached the bottom of the valley. The terrain here was relatively flat, with all kinds of exotic flowers and plants growing. The air was filled with a faint medicinal fragrance. "The magical herb should be nearby," I said.

Just then, a rustling sound came from not far away, and then several black shadows rushed out from the fog and pounced towards us.

"Be careful!" Hao Yang shouted, protecting me behind him, while pulling out the dagger from his waist and fighting with the black shadow.

Only then did I see clearly that these black shadows were actually several huge wild wolves. Their eyes were flashing with ferocity, and their fangs and claws were sharp, which made people shudder.

Elder Wei and Wei Feng also joined the battle. For a moment, the valley was filled with the flashing of swords and the shouting of killing. Although I didn't know martial arts, I also tried hard to find opportunities and hit the wild wolves with the stones in my hand.

During the fierce battle, I noticed Wei Xue hiding in the shadows, a sinister smile on her face, as if she was quite pleased with the chaotic situation. I was startled. Did she deliberately lure these wolves here?

Just as I was distracted, a wolf took advantage of the situation and circled around behind me, pouncing on me. "Yaoyao!" Hao Yang exclaimed, pushing me away... I heard a low growl of pain, and then everything seemed to slow down... I saw blood dripping from Hao Yang's arm...

The moment Hao Yang pushed me away, I could clearly hear the sharp claws of the wolf tearing through flesh. Time seemed to stand still, and my world was filled with only his painful groans and the horrifying wound on his arm. Bright red blood dripped down his arm, staining the ground and my vision red.

"Hao Yang!" I rushed to his side, my voice trembling, tears streaming down my face. He was pale, his lips tightly pursed, beads of sweat rolling down his forehead, but he still endured the pain and forced a smile at me: "I'm fine, just a minor injury..."

"You said you were fine! You're already like this!" I choked and frantically searched for medicine in my storage bag. My hands were shaking so badly that I could barely hold anything. Elder Wei also rushed over and examined Hao Yang's injuries. His face was solemn: "The wound is very deep and needs to be treated as soon as possible."

While bandaging the wound, Hao Yang held my hand tightly. His palm was cold, but it gave me great comfort. I looked at him with heartache, my eyes filled with worry and self-blame. If I hadn't been distracted, he wouldn't have been injured...

At that moment, Wei Feng shouted loudly, his figure flashing like lightning, successfully leading some of the wolves away. With his agility and sharp swordsmanship, he moved effortlessly among the wolves like a brave and skilled general. He would occasionally glance back at us, his eyes filled with determination and encouragement.

"Wei Feng, be careful!" I couldn't help but shout.

He smiled slightly, gave me a reassuring look, and then continued to deal with the wolf. His heroic behavior not only relieved our pressure, but also made everyone trust him more. It was as if he was a mountain in our hearts that we could rely on and trust.

With the help of Wei Feng, we finally repelled the remaining wild wolves. Elder Wei gave Hao Yang a healing pill, and his complexion improved slightly.

"We have to find the spiritual herbs as soon as possible." Elder Wei said, "Hao Yang needs treatment as soon as possible."

As we continued to go deeper into the valley, the thick fog gradually dissipated, and the surrounding scenery gradually became clearer. Various exotic flowers and plants swayed in the breeze, and the air was filled with rich medicinal fragrance, which was refreshing.

"This...this fragrance..." I took a deep breath and felt refreshed. "The spiritual herb should be nearby!"

We followed the scent of the herb and finally found a magical herb emitting a shimmering green light in a crevice on the mountain wall. It was crystal clear, as if carved from jade, and exuded a heart-pounding spiritual aura.

"Found it!" I shouted in surprise.

However, before we could get close, an old voice suddenly rang out: "Who dares to approach my spiritual herb!"

An old man wearing coarse linen clothes and with white hair and beard appeared in front of us at some point. He was leaning on a cane, his eyes were sharp, and he exuded an aura of oppression that was hard to ignore.

"We are here to..." I was about to explain but was interrupted by the old man.

"I don't care who you are, you are not allowed to come near my spiritual herbs!" The old man said firmly, leaving no room for doubt. "Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude!"

...He slammed the crutch in his hand to the ground...

The old man slammed his cane down on the ground, and the ground began to shake! Then, countless vines emerged from the ground, like giant green pythons, sweeping towards us.

"Be careful!" Elder Wei shouted, and the spiritual power in his hands surged, forming a barrier to block the attacking vines.

I quickly dodged. These vines were incredibly fast and powerful. If I got entangled, the consequences would be disastrous. Hao Yang also drew his weapon, shielding me and fighting with the vines.

"This old man is really weird!" Hao Yang said while resisting the attack of vines.

I nodded, feeling quite daunted. We'd never seen this old man attack in this way before, and we were momentarily flustered. Wei Xue, meanwhile, hid in a safe place, watching our plight with a schadenfreude of glee. This woman truly craves chaos!

Just as we were struggling to hold on, Master Hao joined the battle. He was experienced and quickly saw the weaknesses of the vines. He swung his sword and accurately cut off vines one after another.

"The roots of these vines are the key. As long as we cut off the roots, we can stop their growth!" Master Hao reminded us while fighting.

With Master Hao's guidance, our pressure was immediately relieved. Hao Yang and I worked in perfect harmony, constantly cutting off the roots of the vines. Gradually, the vines' offensive power began to weaken.

When the old man Lingcao saw this, his face changed and he slammed the crutch in his hand to the ground again. The ground shook even more violently and more vines emerged from the ground. These vines were thicker and tougher than before.

"It seems that this old man is serious!" Master Hao said in a deep voice.

The battle reached a stalemate once again. Hao Yang, Master Hao, and I teamed up to deal with Elder Lingcao. Vines surged toward us like a tide, and we struggled to cope, gradually developing scars on our bodies.

As I fought, I observed the old man. His face was pale, beads of sweat covered his forehead, and his breathing was a little rapid, as if he was holding something back. In his eyes, besides anger, I saw a hint of... pain?

Just when I was puzzled, Old Man Lingcao suddenly groaned, the cane in his hand fell to the ground, and he staggered and almost fell.

"Master!" A childish voice suddenly sounded.

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl of seven or eight running out from a crack in the mountain wall. She ran to the old man Lingcao, supported him, and asked anxiously, "Master, what's wrong with you?"

The old man stroked the little girl's head, his eyes full of love. He looked at us and said in a hoarse voice, "Please... let my spiritual herbs go..."

His trembling finger pointed deep into the crevice of the mountain wall... a smaller one emitting a faint golden light...

The vines' attacks intensified, and I could feel my spiritual energy draining away. Hao Yang's situation wasn't optimistic either. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead, and his weapon movements slowed. Elder Wei and Master Hao, despite their vast experience, were also gradually finding the strain. This old man, the Spirit Grass, possessed such unfathomable strength!

Just when I was about to collapse, Elder Lingcao suddenly groaned, and the crutch in his hand fell to the ground. He staggered and almost fell. At this moment, a childish voice broke the stalemate: "Master!"

I looked in the direction of the sound and saw a little girl of seven or eight running out from a crack in the mountain wall. She ran to the old man Lingcao, supported him, and asked anxiously, "Master, what's wrong with you?"

The old man stroked the little girl's head, his eyes filled with kindness, a stark contrast to his previous ferocious demeanor. He looked at us and said hoarsely, "Please... spare my spiritual herbs..." His trembling finger pointed deep into the crevice of the mountain wall... a smaller plant emitting a faint golden light...?

My heart sank. The plant looked delicate and fragile, emitting a faint golden glow, standing out against the dark crevice of the mountain wall. Could this be the magical herb we were looking for? But why did the old man guard it so desperately? Was it simply because it was a rare medicinal herb?

I noticed that besides pain, there was also a hint of deep helplessness in the eyes of the old man holding the spirit herb. He held the little girl tightly, his body trembling slightly, as if enduring immense pain. My intuition told me that things were not that simple. Perhaps there was some unknown secret hidden behind this spirit herb.

The battle abruptly stopped. Elder Wei and Master Hao also stopped their attacks, looking at the old man and the little girl with confusion. Wei Xue stood aside, watching with a cold, mocking smile. She seemed unconcerned with the story behind the spiritual herb, only concerned with whether we could obtain it.

"Old Man Lingcao, why do you protect this spiritual herb so much?" I asked tentatively, trying to break the strange silence.

The old man Lingcao didn't answer, but just hugged the little girl tightly, his eyes full of pain and struggle. The little girl looked at us with eyes full of fear, her small hands tightly grasping the old man Lingcao's clothes.

Seeing this scene, I was even more confused. What was the relationship between this old man and the little girl? What kind of story was hidden behind his protection of the spiritual herbs?

I turned to look at Hao Yang, who also had a puzzled look on his face. We exchanged glances, both seeing the same question in each other's eyes.

"Wei Yao, stop talking nonsense with him! It's important to get the spiritual herbs quickly!" Wei Xue urged impatiently, she seemed unable to wait any longer.

I glared at her and ignored her. My attention remained on the old man with the magical herb and the little girl. I had a strong feeling that there must be a touching story behind this magical herb.

"Old man," I slowed my tone, trying to sound sincere, "we mean no harm, we simply need this magical herb to save our lives. Could you tell me why you're guarding it?"

The old man remained silent, though the pain in his eyes deepened. He slowly raised his head and gazed at the spiritual herb emitting a faint golden light deep in the crevice of the mountain wall. A complex light flashed in his eyes... His lips trembled, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he kept silent... His gaze fell on the little girl, filled with love and... farewell?

"Child..." He gently pushed the little girl away, and then...