Chaotic World of Martial Arts: I Have a Spirit Pearl of Desire

This time, Gao He did not ride in Chen You's carriage again, but instead rode his own tall horse, walking alongside his deputy leader Xu Youliang and several other subordinates at the head of the group.

Inside the carriage, Chen You and Tang Yan sat on opposite sides, watching the skeletons and rotting corpses that appeared from time to time along the way.

Tang Yan sighed softly, a hint of sadness in her eyes: "Look at these corpses, many of them were young people in the prime of their lives, full of passion and fervor, coming here to find treasure, only to end up as wild animals feeding wolves. Alas..."

"The world is bustling, all for profit; the world is bustling, all for gain." Chen You leaned against the carriage wall, his expression indifferent. "Without the strength to overcome the risks, yet coveting opportunities that don't belong to you, this is inherently a gamble with your life on the line. If you lose your life, you can't blame anyone else."

Tang Yan pondered Chen You's words carefully, finding them increasingly philosophical. She secretly memorized them, deciding to share them with others later to make them feel cultured.

"I didn't expect you to be so cultured. Unlike me, all I can do is sigh when I see this..." Tang Yan withdrew her gaze and looked at Chen You with some surprise.

Chen You looked at her with some curiosity: "Aren't you from the Tang family? With such a good background, why didn't you like studying when you were little?"

Upon hearing this, Tang Yan's face immediately fell, and she gritted her teeth, saying, "That's not true! I'm just a collateral disciple in the Tang Sect, with a lowly status. The training resources I'm allocated are pitifully scarce, so how could I possibly have the opportunity to study and learn to read? My father used to say that if I didn't have the ability to make a name for myself in the future, he'd just marry me off to some rich old man as a concubine..."

Upon hearing this, Chen You's lips curled into a slightly mocking smile: "Oh? Then you must tell me in advance when you get married."

Tang Yan was taken aback: "What? Are you here to save me?"

Chen You patted his trouser leg and said with a smile, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, "I'm going to a wedding banquet, and I'll bring you a gift while I'm at it."

"You..." Tang Yan almost choked on her breath, glaring at him fiercely, "Chen You! Can't you utter a single kind word?!"

"I'm just congratulating you in advance on finding your soulmate, how is that not a compliment?"

"Get out! If you want to marry, go marry him yourself!"

Inside the carriage, the two started teasing and joking with each other, which diluted the somewhat oppressive and heavy atmosphere caused by the corpse on the roadside.

Over the next two days, the team traveled safely without encountering any further incidents.

At noon that day, the convoy finally slowly drove into a deep and winding valley.

According to Gao He, the leader of the Salt Gang, once they cross this valley, they will reach the area of ​​their destination, Snake Island.

Looking out, the valley presents an extremely primitive and wild forest landscape.

The ancient trees, dozens of meters tall, blocked out the sun, and the thick vines, like giant pythons, wrapped around the vigorous trunks, completely blocking the sunlight overhead, making the entire forest appear dark and damp.

The ground was covered with decaying leaves that had been piled up for who knows how many years. It was soft and collapsed when you stepped on it, and it gave off a strong smell of rotting grass and earth.

The surrounding area is a vast, ancient forest with jagged rocks, and a thin, pale green mist hangs in the air year-round. Occasionally, the roars of unknown wild beasts and the low chirps of poisonous insects can be heard from the depths.

There are almost no traces of human habitation here, and the air is filled with a dangerous and ancient atmosphere.

This location is no longer suitable for bringing horses in.

Gao He arranged for four people to stay behind.

Chen You's carriage was also entrusted to these four people for guarding.

Afterwards, the group, carrying packages filled with various supplies, entered this awe-inspiring primeval forest!

As soon as you step into the depths of the valley, a cold and damp atmosphere hits you, penetrating straight to your bones.

Outside, the sun was blazing, but inside the forest, it was as cold as a giant ice cellar.

Although Gao He did not have a precise hand-drawn map, he had clearly done his homework on the area.

Relying on the oral accounts obtained by the spies he had previously sent out at the cost of their lives, he rode on horseback, occasionally looking up to discern the shape of the moss on the ancient trees and the strange rocks, leading the entire large caravan through the rocks and dense bushes.

As evening approached, the sun set earlier in the forest than in the outside world due to the dense canopy of trees blocking out the sun.

The dim sunlight quickly faded, replaced by pitch-black darkness. The entire primeval forest seemed to fall asleep instantly, or perhaps countless ferocious eyes opened in the darkness.

Suddenly, a soft rustling sound came from the surrounding bushes.

The sound was sometimes near, sometimes far, and extremely faint, like the sound of autumn wind blowing through fallen leaves.

Gao He, riding on his horse, tightened the reins, looked up at the dark canopy of trees, and didn't pay much attention, just taking it as the night wind blowing through the valley.

He turned around and shouted to his gang behind him, "It's completely dark, and the path in this forest is difficult to traverse. Everyone, set up camp right here and start a fire! Sprinkle the insect-repelling realgar powder all around!"

Upon hearing this, the members of the Salt Gang busied themselves, moving firewood and setting up tents.

However, as the torches were lit one after another, the flickering flames did not bring warmth; instead, they introduced a strong, nauseating stench into the air.

The smell was extremely pungent, like a dead fish that had been rotting in a mud pit for half a month, mixed with a sticky, fishy odor that went straight into the nasal cavity.

"It stinks... What's that smell?" Tang Yan, standing beside the carriage, pinched her nose, her brows furrowed.

Something's not right.

Chen You, who was leaning against the side of the carriage, suddenly spoke. His eyes were as sharp as a hawk's as he slowly swept over the busy Salt Gang members around him.

Gao He was about to take the water pouch from his subordinate when he heard this and was taken aback. He turned around and asked, "Young Master Chen, what's wrong? Have you discovered something?"

Chen You coldly looked at the crowd gathered around the fire and said in a deep voice, "Your team is missing one person."

"Are you short of men?" Gao He frowned, then chuckled, "Young Master Chen, you must be joking. My brothers are all right behind the convoy..."

However, seeing Chen You's extremely serious expression, Gao He felt a chill creep into his heart.

He immediately turned around and loudly counted his men.

He quickly frowned: "There really is one person missing!"

Upon hearing this, the noisy camp instantly fell silent.

The gang members looked at each other, their faces filled with fear.

Why is someone missing for no reason?

Gao He's face immediately turned extremely ugly, and he shouted loudly, "Second brother! Take a few men, take torches, and search! Make sure they haven't fallen into a trap or broken their legs!"

Deputy gang leader Xu Youliang quickly drew his broadsword from his waist, and shouted to three gang members, who, holding tall torches, carefully groped their way back the way they had come.

"Hey, hey!! Answer me if you hear me!" Xu Youliang's rough voice echoed in the dark valley, but only elicited hollow echoes.

Chen You didn't move, but instead smelled the pungent, fishy stench.

The smell didn't come from the ground, but... from above.

"Stop looking on the ground." Chen You suddenly opened his eyes and looked up at the huge, pitch-black tree canopy above everyone's heads.

"What?" Xu Youliang and the others subconsciously stopped and looked up in the direction of Chen You's gaze.

Gao He also drew his sword and raised his torch, shining it above the ancient tree that required several people to encircle.

The leaping flames pierced the darkness beneath the tree canopy.

The next moment, everyone who saw what was happening above had their pupils shrink to the size of pinpoints, and they stood frozen in place as if struck by lightning!