Era: You're asked to cook a home-style dish, but you cook Wellington.

A flash of cold light, and the sharp blade pierced straight towards Gao Yang's head.

Gao Yang's pupils suddenly contracted, and he instinctively tilted his head to the side.

"Whoosh!"

The sharp blade, revealing a deadly intent, grazed Gao Yang's head, severing a strand of his hair.

Gao Yang was immediately terrified, as if he could smell the indelible scent of blood on the tip of the knife.

"bite!"

A crisp sound rang out; it was a stone that Su Wanqing had thrown from a short distance away, which had struck the dagger.

The assassin's hand trembled, and the dagger slipped from his grasp.

Gao Yang clearly grasped this point, and suddenly thrust out his short knife, piercing through Lao Wu's palm. Immediately afterward, he raised his foot and kicked Lao Si in the chest.

"Aaaaaah!"

The fifth brother lay on the ground, his palm pierced by a short knife, his finger bones exposed, and blood gushing out.

He convulsed in pain, his piercing screams shattering the forest, and he was utterly powerless to fight back.

The fourth brother was kicked solidly by Gao Yang, feeling as if his chest had been hit by a heavy hammer, and his ribs ached faintly.

He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into the mud, coughing up blood, and unable to get up for a long time.

"hiss!"

Only then did Gao Yang feel the pain.

His body was covered with countless tiny cuts, which stung him painfully.

He knelt on the ground, panting heavily.

But no one dared to underestimate him anymore.

In the blink of an eye, the two assassins fell to the ground one after another. This was the first time they had encountered such formidable opponents.

The eldest brother stood on high ground, staring at Gao Yang, and slowly frowned.

The remaining two assassins' expressions changed drastically, a hint of fear flashing in their eyes, but they still gritted their teeth and attacked Gao Yang from the front and back.

They stood on either side, their blades aimed directly at Gao Yang's vitals. Their moves were ruthless, each strike intended to take his life; it was clear they were seasoned killers.

Despite the excruciating pain from his wounds and his severe exhaustion, Gao Yang's eyes grew increasingly cold and ruthless, showing no sign of backing down.

He sidestepped the assassin's horizontal slash from the left, twisted his wrist, and with a swift, swift motion, slashed the short knife at the opponent's forearm, instantly creating a deep, bone-revealing wound from which blood gushed forth.

The second brother, in pain, caused the blade to veer off course, leaving only a 20-centimeter-long gash on Gao Yang's body.

"We succeeded!"

Hearing the blade slice through the skin and seeing the blood flow, a hint of joy appeared on the second brother's brow.

Little did they know, Gao Yang was also waiting for this moment.

He seized the opportunity to get close and slammed his elbow into his neck.

The blow was so powerful that the assassin's vision went black and he collapsed to the ground.

The moment the second brother collapsed to the ground, blood gushed from the twenty-centimeter-long wound on Gao Yang's body, flowing down his side, soaking through his tattered clothes, and mixing with the mud and water. Every movement caused excruciating nerve pain.

He staggered to steady himself, his hand holding the short knife trembling slightly. His strength had already been exhausted to the limit, and he was only holding on by a stubborn determination.

"Useless! A whole group of you couldn't even handle one wounded person!"

The leader at the top finally moved, his voice as cold as ice, and he walked steadily down the slope, each step carrying an intimidating sense of oppression.

He didn't take a machete, but only gripped a pair of gleaming brass knuckles, his knuckles protruding, his eyes terrifyingly sinister, staring intently at Gao Yang as if he were eyeing something already in his bag.

At the same time, the fourth and fifth brothers, who had been lying on the ground, recovered and struggled to get up.

The fourth brother clutched his chest, his eyes filled with resentment.

The fifth brother, his left hand clutching his bleeding right hand, his face contorted, still circled around Gao Yang step by step despite his serious injuries, cutting off all of Gao Yang's escape routes.

With four people surrounding them, and the leader, who was among the strongest fighters, personally taking action, the group slowly approached.

Gao Yang's heart sank. This was really troublesome; it was hard to say whether he could escape.

Su Wanqing watched from the side, her heart breaking with terror, tears streaming down her face.

She wanted to rush over and help him.

Gao Yang shouted sternly, "Don't come any closer! Stand still!"

The leader walked up to Gao Yang, looked him up and down, and a cruel smile curled at the corner of his mouth.

"You've got some skill to beat my men like this, I even admire you a little. It's a pity someone is willing to pay for your life, you shouldn't have left Cangmang Mountain alive."

Before he finished speaking, the leader moved suddenly, so fast that he was just a blur, his fist with brass knuckles aimed straight at Gao Yang's face.

The boss's punches were fierce; with each swing, the air was compressed and exploded instantly, the surging force impacting like a bullet.

Gao Yang barely managed to raise his knife to parry.

With a loud clang, the force of the metal colliding made his arm go numb, the short knife almost slipped from his hand, and he was shaken backward, his legs gave way, and he half-knelt on the ground.

The fourth and fifth brothers seized the opportunity to pounce on Gao Yang, landing punches and kicks on his back and shoulders.

His already numerous wounds burst open again, causing him to convulse in pain. He could no longer hold back and vomited a mouthful of blood.

"Gao Yang!"

Su Wanqing screamed, feeling as if her heart was being torn apart. She could no longer care about the danger and was about to rush forward.

"Don't come any closer!"

Gao Yang suddenly looked up, his face ashen, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

His eyes were unusually firm, and he roared at Su Wanqing with all his might.

"Take the ginseng and leave! Leave now! Go down the mountain from the east, and don't look back!"

Su Wanqing shook her head, tears streaming down her face: "I won't leave! If we have to go, we'll go together! I can't leave you behind!"

Yes, it was she who wanted to save the old man. It was Gao Yang who knew about the century-old ginseng in Cangmang Mountain. It was Gao Yang who helped him fight against the tiger. Now, it is Gao Yang who is helping him attract the attention of these people.

She hated herself for panicking as soon as she heard the news, not bringing anyone else with her, and now she was completely helpless.

Looking at Gao Yang's body, his close-fitting white shirt was tattered and covered with countless bright red dots, all of which were wounds.

"Those were injuries Gao Yang sustained protecting me!"

"obedient!"

Gao Yang's eyes were red, and his voice was extremely hoarse.

He didn't even need to think about what kind of expression Su Wanqing had at that moment; he didn't need to see it, nor could he.

At this moment, he could only stare at these assassins with an unyielding resolve.

"Don't lose the old ginseng! The old man is still waiting for you to save him. Your survival is more important than anything else! I'll hold them off, you run!"

Seeing this, the eldest brother's eyes grew even colder. He kicked Gao Yang in the chest, sending him flying and crashing heavily into a tree trunk.

"Trying to leave? None of you will live today!"

The eldest brother stroked his beard, his eyes gleaming with venom.

"I got soaked in the rain and chased around by the cops trying to catch you. Now you think I'm letting you go?"

Su Wanqing looked at him, a flash of inspiration striking her.

"I know you're in it for the money. How much did they give you? I'll pay double!"

Her body was trembling; this was her last resort, and if all else failed, there was nothing more she could do.

Unexpectedly, the boss revealed a mocking smile.

"That won't do. We also have professional ethics. If you get away, we won't be able to explain it to the client."

Upon hearing this, Su Wanqing was completely at a loss.

She looked at Gao Yang, her heart filled with immense sorrow.

At this moment, Gao Yang lay on the ground, the dagger slipped from his hand, and his bones felt like they were falling apart.

He struggled to his feet, staring intently at his boss and the two assassins. He spread his arms wide, shielding Su Wanqing, and roared with all his might, "Run! Su Wanqing, run!"

He knew he couldn't hold on any longer. His boss's strength was far beyond that of the other assassins, and with the two heavily injured men launching a counterattack, he was doomed.

But Su Wanqing cannot die, and that century-old ginseng cannot be lost. It is the only hope to save the old man, and the only thought that Su Xiaoyu has been waiting for in the old house.

Su Wanqing looked at Gao Yang's bloodied back as he stood in front of her, and at his wounded yet unyielding appearance, and cried her heart out.

She knew Gao Yang was telling the truth; if they delayed any longer, they would both die here, and the old ginseng would be taken away.

She clutched the small bag containing the ginseng tightly, turning back every few steps to look at the person who had protected her with his life, her voice choked with emotion.

"Gao Yang, you must come back alive! I'm waiting for you!"

After saying that, she gritted her teeth, turned around, and ran wildly into the dense forest to the east.

Tears blurred her vision, but she dared not stop. She knew that every extra step she took was a way to repay Gao Yang for the life he had risked his life for.

"Trying to run away?"

Seeing this, the eldest brother raised his foot to chase after him.

Gao Yang lunged forward and grabbed the boss's leg tightly, wrapping his body around him. Even as he was punched and kicked and his wounds were excruciatingly painful, he refused to let go.

"Smack!"

A muffled thud echoed through the mountains and forests.