In times of chaos and famine, I traded one pound of rice for two royal flushes.

Su Jin's heart leaped into her throat. She tightly covered Su Tang's mouth with her hand, while her other hand gripped Qin Shaolang's clothes tightly. She could feel her little sister trembling violently in her arms, a fear stemming from instinct, almost breaking free from her grasp.

In the darkness, Qin Shaolang remained motionless, like a lifeless rock.

His body was completely relaxed, his breathing steady and long, blending into the surrounding night. Only the hand holding the dagger, with its veins slightly bulging, showed that he was not entirely calm.

Trouble.

These three words were all he could think about.

He anticipated that government troops would come and that they would suppress the bandits, but he didn't expect that they would bring their most troublesome scouts—hunting dogs.

Humans can be deceived by disguise, but a dog's nose cannot.

In this valley, there was the scent of dozens of living people, the lingering smell of blood from a recent surgery, and the aroma of food. To the hunting dogs, this place was as conspicuous as a campfire in the dark.

Running away is a dead end, and hiding will soon lead to being discovered.

Panic spread silently in the darkness like a plague. Although they couldn't see each other's faces, Qin Shaolang could sense that the men hiding in the crevices of rocks and bushes were beginning to breathe heavily.

If even one person breaks down due to fear, everyone will be exposed.

"Waaah..."

Su Tang let out a suppressed sob behind him, her small body trembling like a leaf in the wind.

Su Jin had to use almost all her strength to hold her down.

Qin Shaolang did not turn around.

He simply stretched his left hand, which was behind his back, gently back and grasped Su Jin's cold hand, then tapped her hand three times steadily and firmly with his fingers.

Once, twice, three times.

It moves at a steady pace, carrying a strange, calming power.

Su Jin's body stiffened abruptly, and then the chill that had risen from the soles of her feet was dispelled considerably by the three taps. She looked at Qin Shaolang's back; in the darkness, his silhouette remained upright, like an unshakeable mountain.

She took a deep breath, tightened her grip, and hugged Su Tang even closer, using her body heat to comfort her sister.

Just then, Qin Shaolang made a move.

He didn't get up, but instead squatted down very slowly, put the military dagger back into its sheath at his waist, and then reached for the oilcloth bag that Su Jin had brought back.

That cloth bag containing all his medical belongings.

His fingers rummaged through the cloth bag, his movements gentle and silent.

The barking grew closer.

He could even hear the scout leader's low curses and urging.

"Damn it, why did those bastards rush into that dead valley?"

"Hurry! Keep up! Don't let them get lost. If they delay the general's important business, we'll all lose our heads!"

The footsteps became disordered; they were clearly going downhill towards the entrance of the valley.

found it.

Qin Shaolang's fingers touched a small ceramic bottle.

He didn't take it out immediately, but listened intently to determine the wind direction.

The wind in the valley blows from inside the valley towards the valley entrance.

In the darkness where no one could see, a dangerously slanted smile played on his lips.

He gently unscrewed the cork of the ceramic bottle, and a scent a hundred times more pungent and stimulating than strong liquor silently wafted out.

That was a powder he had ground from several special herbs, which he used in his previous life in the jungle to repel venomous snakes and certain wild beasts. One of the main ingredients had an extremely strong odor, which, to canines with their keen sense of smell, was no less potent than the strongest tear gas.

He pinched a pinch of powder on his fingertip and waited quietly.

Like a seasoned hunter, waiting for the prey to step into the trap at the last moment.

Three burly hunting dogs, their tongues lolling out, charged ahead to the valley entrance. Excited growls emanated from their throats; they had clearly caught the strong scent of their prey.

Following closely behind were seven or eight soldiers and scouts, each wielding a broadsword and wearing leather armor.

"Boss, we've found something! The dog's reacting!" a scout shouted excitedly.

The lead scout raised a torch, its dim light illuminating a small area at the valley entrance. He gazed at the deep, silent valley, his brow furrowed.

"That's strange, this place doesn't look like anyone lives here," he muttered, but still waved his hand. "Go in and check it out! You all better be smart!"

Encouraged, the hounds hesitated no longer and rushed headlong into the valley.

It's now!

Qin Shaolang flicked his finger.

The colorless and odorless powder drifted silently towards the three hunting dogs on the gentle breeze blowing through the valley.

"Awooo—!"

The hunting dog at the front seemed to have crashed into an invisible wall, letting out a piercing howl and staggering backward, its head shaking wildly and its two front paws scratching its nose frantically.

Immediately afterwards, the other two hunting dogs, as if possessed, also let out the same pitiful howls one after another. They sneezed incessantly, drooling profusely from their mouths and noses, rolling and howling frantically on the spot, as if enduring immense pain.

This sudden turn of events stunned all the scouts.

"What's going on?!"

"Possessed by an evil spirit? What's wrong with this dog?"

The scout leader also looked on with suspicion and uncertainty. He mustered his courage, took a few steps forward with his torch, and a faint, pungent smell wafted into his nostrils, causing him to sneeze.

He immediately stopped in his tracks, looked at the three hunting dogs that were completely useless, and then at the silent, dark valley in front of him that seemed to devour everything. A chill ran down his spine.

"Boss, this place... seems a bit eerie." A younger scout's voice trembled.

Another experienced scout chimed in, "Yeah, boss. I've heard those bandits from Black Wind Mountain know some unorthodox witchcraft and sorcery. Could it be that they set this up?"

The scout leader's expression shifted unpredictably.

Suppressing bandits is a military order, but one's own life is more important.

This valley doesn't look like a safe place. Three elite military dogs were already exhausted before they even went in. If a person were to go in...

He dared not think any further.

"Damn it, what bad luck!" The scout leader spat angrily. "Black Wind Mountain is the real target! Don't waste time in this godforsaken place! The entire army is assembling; we need to scout out the surrounding area before the general offensive!"

"Then... what do we do here?"

"A godforsaken, dead valley, who cares! Mark the location, and after we've wiped out the bandits, we'll send a large force to burn the mountain!" The scout leader decisively ordered, "Let's go! To the western road!"

A group of people, cursing and swearing, dragged the three still-twitching hunting dogs away without looking back.

The footsteps and the mournful barking of the dogs gradually faded into the distance until they disappeared completely.

The valley remained deathly silent.

But this time, the silence was not one of despair, but of the relief of surviving a catastrophe.

After another quarter of an hour, and once he was certain that the enemy had truly gone far away, Qin Shaolang finally sent out the signal.

"We're safe now."

His brief voice was like lighting a fuse.

The next moment, suppressed, violent breathing sounds echoed from all directions of the valley.

Some people even collapsed to the ground, gasping for breath in the cold air.

Wang Tiezhu led several men out of their hiding place. They walked up to Qin Shaolang and, without saying a word, knelt down in unison with a thud.