Feng Shuhao glanced at Chen Qing, his brow furrowing slightly.

He couldn’t gauge the man’s true strength.

The man’s aura was restrained, but anyone who could travel alone in the Ghost Wail Swamp was no amateur.

More importantly, the token hanging from the man’s waist... It was the mark of an Inner Sect Disciple of the Wutai Sect!

’Someone from the Wutai Sect...’

Feng Shuhao’s mind raced.

Although the Wutai Sect and Qixia Manor were both part of the Four Cloud Forest Sects, they weren’t close. In fact, they were subtle competitors for resources and influence.

To meet in a place like this, with him alone and having just emerged from that treacherous area...

"Let’s go!"

Feng Shuhao made a snap decision. "Anyone who dares to venture into the Ghost Wail Swamp alone is not to be trifled with. It’s best to avoid trouble. Our target is the Red Flame Fruit, so let’s not get sidetracked!"

Without another moment’s delay, he led his fellow disciples in another direction, and their figures quickly vanished into the dense woods.

Chen Qing had already noticed the group of Qixia Manor disciples and recognized the young man in the lead.

He had, of course, seen Feng Shuhao’s name and portrait in the Jianghu Anecdotes.

’Feng Shuhao...’

Chen Qing repeated the name in his mind, but his steps never faltered.

He had no intention of interacting with them either, merely adjusting his direction slightly to ensure he didn’t travel the same path as the group from Qixia Manor.

His priority was to leave this troublesome place as quickly as possible, take his Red-eyed Poison Python Essence Blood and all his other gains, and return safely to the Wutai Sect.

.....

The night was black as ink. Fog from Dingbo Lake crept silently over Lake Heart Island.

Chen Qing’s figure melted into the darkness as he returned, silent as a ghost, to his small, secluded courtyard.

He shut the courtyard gate behind him and took a deep breath.

He didn’t light any lamps. Only the faint moonlight shone through the window lattice.

Instead of resting immediately, he walked to the table and gently set down his heavy bag.

He untied the bag and began to take stock of his haul from the trip.

First was a pile of broken weapons and a few pieces of relatively intact Inner Armor.

Du Kui’s pair of Poisoned Steel Hooks, the fragments of the large man’s Short-Handled Copper Hammer, the swordsman’s Long Sword, Zhao Tieying’s Wind-Splitting Saber, Yue Mountain’s Scorpion Tail Whip... Every single item was stained with blood.

Among them, Du Kui’s steel hooks and Zhao Tieying’s Wind-Splitting Saber were of the finest quality, on par with Middle-Grade Treasure Artifacts.

Yue Mountain’s whip was also an exceptional item.

There were also a few sets of Inner Armor stripped from the corpses. One was of good quality, offering decent protection.

These were all illicit goods that couldn’t see the light of day. They were valuable, but also too hot to handle.

Next were several bulging money pouches and one heavy leather sack.

Silver notes, gold leaves, scattered silver coins... A rough estimate put the total at seventy to eighty thousand silver taels!

Obviously, this wasn’t their entire life savings, but it was still a considerable sum.

The most precious items were the Treasure Medicines stored in Jade Boxes.

A Bone-Rotting Orchid, a Red Blood Vine, a Cold Crystal Grass... But the most dazzling of all was a twenty-year-old Silver Pattern Blood Ginseng. It was the size of a bowl, its cap plump, and its natural silver patterns seemed to flow with a gentle luster in the moonlight.

The older a Treasure Medicine, the higher its value.

The value of this one plant alone was immeasurable.

Finally, there were the main objectives of his trip: several Cold Jade Small Bottles containing the Essence Blood of the Red-eyed Poison Python and the Red Blood Ghost-faced Spider.p>There was also an incredibly tough silk sac and several Jade Bottles filled with venom.

’I really hit the jackpot this time...’

Even with Chen Qing’s composure, he couldn’t help but feel a stir of emotion as he looked at the pile of items spread before him.

Weapons, Inner Armor, silver coins, Treasure Medicines, Essence Blood, rare materials... The trip to the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp had been fraught with immense risk, but the rewards were equally astounding.

The Silver Pattern Blood Ginseng, in particular, would fetch at least fifteen thousand taels of silver.

No wonder Jiang Bohong had wanted to kill them all.

However, he also knew that these items had to be dealt with as soon as possible.

This was especially true for the weapons and Inner Armor. The quantity was large, and it would be extremely unsafe to keep them or try to sell them through the Liu Family in Yunlin Prefecture.

The name of the Hundred Treasures Pavilion surfaced in his mind—that place at Hundred Boats Beach, by the entrance to the Ten Thousand Poison Swamp. It was a place with a mysterious background where anything could be fenced, no questions asked. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

It seemed he would have to find a suitable opportunity to make another trip.

After sorting all the items, wrapping them carefully in oilcloth, and hiding them in a secret spot in his house, Chen Qing finally sat down, exhausted.

He poured himself a cup of cool water and drank it in one gulp.

The Ten Thousand Poison Swamp... The scenes were all crystal clear in his mind.

"The human heart... is truly the deadliest poison of all."

Chen Qing muttered to himself, his eyes cold as ice.

If he hadn’t been vigilant from the very beginning, taking an Antitoxic Pill in advance and protecting his body with True Qi, his own corpse would likely be lying in the swamp’s rotting mud.

’Logically speaking, Jiang Bohong must have had considerable savings. I wonder where the rest of his assets are.’

Chen Qing shook his head. ’Forget it. This trip’s haul is more than enough.’

As an Assassin for so many years, and one skilled in the Alchemy Path, Jiang Bohong was undoubtedly a rare talent. His accumulated savings over the years must have been substantial.

But there was no telling if those savings would attract other kinds of trouble.

.....

「The next morning.」

At the first light of dawn, Chen Qing opened his eyes.

After a night of rest, his energy was mostly restored.

He carefully selected a Jade Marrow Mushroom from his hidden stash of Treasure Medicine—one known for its miraculous effects in solidifying one’s foundation and aiding breakthroughs. He also picked up a bottle of the Red-eyed Poison Python’s Essence Blood and headed straight for the Cyan Wood Institute.

"Senior Brother!"

"Senior Brother!"

When the Cyan Wood Institute disciples saw Chen Qing, they all stopped what they were doing to greet him.

Chen Qing nodded to each of them in turn and then made his way to the rear courtyard.

The mixed aroma of fresh herbs and the residual heat from a pill furnace washed over him.

Li Baichuan was still seated cross-legged beside the ancient pill furnace, the fire within boiling and burning brightly.

"Master Li."