Chapter 237: Do Not Cross the Stone Tablet

　　"Caught it! Really caught it!"

　　Seeing the small mountain ginseng tightly ensnared by the red rope, Zhao Fengchun stood up excitedly, dragging his injured body, and hurried over.

　　"Brother Huzi, your trap is really amazing!"

　　"Hehe, just so-so." Huzi, proudly modest, wrapped the ginseng in layers with the red rope to prevent it from coming back to life and escaping.

　　"Just a mere ginseng, got it! Boss, didn't I live up to your expectations?"

　　"Not bad, I'll give you a bonus when we get back." Lu Fei smiled and gave him a thumbs up.

　　The little black dog felt indignant and barked a few times.

　　"That's right, and we have our little Black. We'll give Little Black some extra cans when we get back." Lu Fei picked up the little black dog.

　　The little black dog held its head high, full of pride.

　　This ginseng was really hard to catch; it took the three of them and the little black dog to succeed. No wonder Zhao Fengchun couldn't manage it alone.

　　"Old Brother Zhao, here you go!" Tiger generously stuffed the ginseng into Zhao Fengchun's hands.

　　"I don't know what to say, thank you so much! On behalf of my father, I thank you all!" Zhao Fengchun looked at the ginseng in his hand, feeling a mix of emotions, but mostly gratitude.

　　Jing Jian, however, showed a trace of reluctance, saying, "This ginseng is a spirit of the mountain, taking many years to grow into a human form. It's quite a challenge. Is it not a bit too wasteful to use it for medicine like this?"

　　Zhao Fengchun quickly explained, "Brother Jing, don't worry. We only need three of its roots. We won't use the whole thing for medicine, and it won't harm its life!"

　　"We, the mountain guardians, have been protecting the resources of the mountains and safeguarding the great mountains generation after generation. How could we do such a heinous thing?"

　　"So that's how it is, I was indeed ignorant!" Jing Jian nodded.

　　Lu Fei smiled, "Old Brother Zhao, that's just how Jing Jian is. He has a good heart, but he speaks his mind directly. Don't take it to heart."

　　"I can see that... Actually, it's my fault for not explaining clearly from the start." Zhao Fengchun gave a bitter smile, as if he was already used to it.

　　Then, he plucked three ginseng roots from the mountain ginseng, carefully wrapped them in a clean red cloth, and placed them in his bosom.

　　After that, he untied the red string from the mountain ginseng, placed it back under the big tree, and sincerely knelt to express his gratitude.

　　"Little Ginseng Lord, my father is seriously ill, and I have no choice but to borrow these three ginseng roots. When my father recovers, we will certainly bring offerings to pay our respects to you!"

　　The mountain ginseng swayed twice, stood up again, but appeared to be very angry, turning its back and burrowing into the soil.

　　The little red flower retracted, leaving only the light green leaves outside.

　　"All that fuss for just three ginseng roots, what's that little thing running away for?" Huzi said, somewhat speechless.

　　"Even three ginseng roots take a long time to grow, just like your fingers. Would you be willing to give them up?" Jing Jian gave him a sidelong glance.

　　After kneeling, Zhao Fengchun supported his body to stand up, holding the mountain ginseng in his chest, still unable to contain his excitement.

　　"My father finally has a chance! Brother Lu, you all are our family's saviors. When you come down the mountain, you must visit my home. I will treat you to the best corn liquor."

　　"Brother Zhao, we appreciate your kindness. After we gather the herbs, we will visit your home as guests." Lu Fei was happy for him but they still had their most important task unfinished.

　　"Do you have to go?" Zhao Fengchun showed a worried expression, "Although you are not ordinary people, that ruined temple is no joke. What kind of medicine is more important than life?"

　　"There's no other way. I owe someone a life-saving favor, and I must repay it!" Lu Fei smiled calmly, his eyes filled with determination.

　　Jia Banxian helped his grandfather enter the netherworld, suffering from bad luck for three whole years, which forced him to roam about. Now Jia Banxian's legs are almost useless, and Lu Fei can't just leave him be.

　　Jing Jian shrugged, "No choice, I owe Lu Fei a life-saving favor too!"

　　Back then, in Fuxian Town, when they faced the fish demon in its true form, it was Lu Fei who risked his life to save him. This debt of gratitude, if left unpaid, would haunt him for the rest of his life.

　　Hu Zi patted his chest, "I am a volunteer. The boss is my life-saving boss! If the boss goes to the mountaintop or through the fire, I will follow!"

　　Zhao Fengchun looked at the three people and suddenly felt a bit envious.

　　"Alright, follow me."

　　He didn't say anything more, looked up at the darkening sky, found his direction, and led the three people deeper into the mountains.

　　It quickly turned pitch black.

　　Zhao Fengchun took out a special torch from his backpack and lit it.

　　This kind of torch burns for a long time and has a special scent that can repel some dirty things.

　　Everyone followed him, stepping deeper and shallower as they gradually entered the depths of the mountains.

　　On the way, Lu Fei always felt something was following them. He turned around to look, but saw nothing.

　　So he kept an eye out and stayed on guard.

　　After walking for what seemed like a long time, they finally crossed a valley.

　　Zhao Fengchun squatted down, pulled away the overgrown weeds on the ground, and lit them up with a torch.

　　In the dim yellow light of the flame, an ancient and simple stone tablet half-buried in the soil came into view.

　　The surface of the stone tablet was covered with moss, and faintly, a few words could be seen, seemingly indicating some kind of temple.

　　"Brother Lu, go straight ahead for no more than 200 meters and you will arrive at that temple." Zhao Fengchun took a deep breath, "Forgive me for not being able to go in with you; we mountain guards have an ancestral precept: our patrols can never go beyond this stone tablet, no matter how far we walk."

　　"This is enough! Elder Brother Zhao, without you, we wouldn't even find the place." Lu Fei patted him on the shoulder, "However, it's already dark. Will you be alright going back alone?"

　　He didn't actually want Zhao Fengchun to come along either. There might be zombies in the dilapidated temple, and their own chances of victory were slim, let alone taking an ordinary person with them.

　　"With the torch, it should not be a big problem." Zhao Fengchun looked at the heavy night and the dark forest, taking a deep breath, he said, "I'll run all the way down the mountain without stopping."

　　"You are still injured, you can't run fast, and I've had the feeling that something is following us along the way!" Lu Fei narrowed his eyes, looking behind, his expression serious.

　　"That Xiong Family Woman likely has not given up yet. If you are left alone, I fear it would be dangerous."

　　At the mention of the Xiong Family Woman, everyone's faces turned grim.

　　Zhao Fengchun was clearly terrified. Yesterday, he had nearly lost his life in the monster's mouth. If he encountered it again today, he would have no chance of surviving.

　　Jing Jian thought for a moment and said, "How about we first take Brother Zhao back to the village? We can leave markers on the way, and then return along the same path later?"

　　"No, that would take too much time." Lu Fei shook his head. "We only have seven days in total. Subtract two days for the journey, and we have only five days left in the mountains. We've already wasted one day, and we don't know what's happening at the ruined temple. If we can't make it back in time, we'll miss this year's test and won't be able to join the association."

　　"What should we do, then?" Jing Jian also became worried. "Should we kill that Xiong woman first?"

　　"That thing is too cunning; it's not practical," Lu Fei pondered, his gaze falling on Huzi. "I think the best solution is to leave one person with Brother Zhao to go down the mountain."