Chapter 68: The Ginseng Snake Guardian

Chapter 68: The Ginseng Snake Guardian

Wu Yongbing was leading a group of commune members in working hard in the cornfield.

As a cadre of the production team, he not only had to devote himself entirely but also had to supervise whether any other members of the production team were slacking off or loafing around.

Whenever he caught someone, he would immediately start scolding them without mercy; otherwise, others might follow suit, slacking off and loafing around.

"Hurry up and finish the harvest. Once this batch of corn is collected, we can apply to the commune with the permit. Let's aim to be the first to qualify for a movie screening in Red Flag Commune this year!"

Wu Yongbing was responsible for playing the bad cop, while the old party secretary played the good cop, using the prospect of a movie screening to encourage and entice everyone, thereby stimulating the members' labor enthusiasm.

Indeed, the old party secretary's mention of the movie screening proved quite effective.

Every year after the rush harvest, the commune would invite the county's projectionist to reward each production team by showing a movie, a way to thank them for their hard work.

However, it was mandatory to submit the public grain and obtain the permit before applying. The production team that completed the submission task first would get the privilege of watching the movie first.

In this era of material scarcity and extreme spiritual deprivation, villagers' daily entertainment revolved around gossiping about this and that, chatting endlessly about the affairs of each household after meals. It was hardly novel anymore.

Only when the projectionist arrived to show an open-air movie did the excitement surpass that of the New Year. Almost everyone in the village would be looking forward to it, curious about what new films had come out that year.

Usually, the projectionist would stay in a production team for just one night, showing at most two films before moving on.

But after waiting a whole year, the villagers found a few hours of movies far from satisfying.

Fortunately, when the projectionist went to the countryside, they would stay in Red Flag Commune for about a week, rotating through various production teams to show movies.

Thus, the energetic youths or children in each village would follow the projectionist from one production team to another throughout that week, only stopping when the projectionist returned to the county.

These people never tired of watching the same films multiple times. They would even enthusiastically discuss the plot with people whose names they didn't know.

By the time the movie ended, it was already around eleven or midnight. Groups of people would laugh and head back to their respective villages in the dark, not minding the long walk of ten to twenty miles.

That’s why, no matter how loudly or harshly Wu Yongbing scolded, the commune members worked mechanically, but when the old party secretary mentioned this once-a-year treat, the villagers immediately perked up.

One by one, they worked harder, chatting with their neighbors about the plots of last year’s two films, getting all excited.

However, just as everyone was working energetically, they heard a loud rumbling in the distance. At first, they thought it was a military truck from the neighboring farm transporting grain and paid little attention.

But gradually, some began to realize something was amiss.

"That doesn’t look like a truck from the neighboring farm!"

"It looks like a heavy-duty transport vehicle, at least twenty or thirty of them. By the color, it must be the military’s vehicles!"

"Nonsense, if it’s not the military’s, whose could it be?"

"The question is, why would so many transport vehicles come to this remote area?"

"Oh my God, something’s not right; these vehicles are heading towards our village!"

"Oh really, they’re entering our village! Team leader, old party secretary, come and see what’s happening!"

A group of working commune members stretched their necks, watching as dozens of heavy-duty transport vehicles drove uniformly into Kaoshan Village.

Wu Yongbing, who had been angry at the members for slacking off, could no longer bother to scold anyone. After exchanging a glance with the old party secretary, they hurried back to the village.

Seeing this, the other members abandoned the rush to harvest the corn and also rushed back to the village to check out the commotion!

The other production team cadres were so angry they were shouting from behind, but they couldn't be stopped. In the blink of an eye, the vast cornfield was deserted, with not a single person left working.

On the other side, Ye Qing was giving Song Hongying an acupuncture treatment. She had just completed the flying needle technique when a sudden loud rumble startled everyone in the room.

"What's that sound? Is it an earthquake?"

Gu Weinan, who had just observed Ye Qing's needlework and was holding a silver needle, was so frightened by the sound that he almost dropped it.

When Gu Weinan mentioned "earthquake," Ye Qing froze involuntarily and her breathing quickened.

Having survived the apocalyptic disaster, Ye Qing had a deep-seated fear of earthquakes. Instinctively, she was about to evacuate everyone.

The moment she opened the main door, she saw a line of military green armored vehicles pull up in front of the Gu family's house and stop at the gate.

Ye Qing sighed in relief, realizing it was a false alarm.

"It's not an earthquake. It seems a convoy of heavy military trucks has arrived. Let's go back inside. It's not our concern."

She called everyone back inside and resumed the acupuncture treatment for Song Hongying.

Before she finished, she heard Gu Weibei calling from outside:

"Sister, Ye Qing, come out!"

Ye Qing was startled and exchanged a glance with Gu Weinan before calming Song Hongying.

"Stay here. I'll go check and come back."

When she stepped outside, a group of spirited soldiers had already jumped down from the military trucks and were standing in formation. At the front of these PLA soldiers stood several cadre officers in four-pocket uniforms. One of them was an old acquaintance of Ye Qing.

"Political Commissar Hao, long time no see."

Seeing Hao Shaofeng, Ye Qing guessed why such a large deployment of PLA soldiers had been made.

It must have been due to the phone call Gu Weidong made that morning, prompting the military to take it seriously and immediately dispatch a group of armored soldiers to handle the situation.

They arrived surprisingly fast.

Hao Shaofeng had already questioned Gu Weibei about the situation, but the latter was clueless and obviously unaware of the discovery of the Kwantung Army fortress in the mountains.

"Comrade Ye Qing, I heard you were present when a major situation was discovered last night?"

On the way down the mountain, Ye Qing and Gu Weidong had already exchanged information about the Kwantung Army fortress, so she knew how Gu Weidong had reported it to the higher-ups. Even when asked by Hao Shaofeng, she remained calm and nodded.

"You've come for the Kwantung Army fortress, right? Last night, I did go into the mountains with Gu Weidong, but I didn't enter the fortress. Gu Weidong knows the specifics of the situation best. He's currently up in the cabin in the mountains. Gu Weibei can guide you there if you need to find him."

Hao Shaofeng looked at this young girl with great interest.

"No need. Since you were there last night, you'll be our guide instead. While we're on the way, you can tell me how the two of you discovered the Kwantung Army fortress."

Hao Shaofeng was very interested in this female educated youth, Ye Qing.

The last time he had sent her to the countryside, he was too focused on helping Gu Weidong mend his broken marriage and hadn't paid much attention to this female educated youth who had hitched a ride.

Later, when Gu Weidong insisted on leaving the hospital early to return to his hometown, Hao Shaofeng witnessed this young girl's brutal scene of castrating a pig on the riverbank of Duck River, which left a deep impression on him.

Soon after, when Gu Weidong reported back to the regiment, he mentioned the mysterious assistance he had received while on a mission in Shen City. To Hao Shaofeng's surprise, the person who provided the assistance was none other than Ye Qing.

Then came the poppy powder incident and the discovery of the Kwantung Army fortress. Within less than half a month, a series of major events had occurred in Kaoshan Village, and this female educated youth had been involved in every single one, playing a crucial role in each.

Thus, Hao Shaofeng's curiosity about Ye Qing reached its peak, and he was particularly eager to get close to this young woman. If her personality and qualities were up to par, he was considering following in the footsteps of Colonel Xu, who had poached Gu Weidong. He wanted to try recruiting this young woman into their Special Forces Regiment.

Ye Qing hadn't expected that Hao Shaofeng would directly ask for her. Seeing that the political commissar's expression didn't seem like he was joking, she felt helpless and could only say:

"You'll have to wait a little while. I still have a patient undergoing acupuncture treatment in the house. I need to finish the acupuncture session and prescribe the medicine before I can go with you."

Hao Shaofeng didn't mind the delay and only urged Ye Qing to hurry up.

What could Ye Qing do? She had no choice but to work quickly and finish the task at hand. She quickly wrote out the prescription, and as soon as the time was up, she removed the silver needles from Song Hongying and hurriedly sent her off.

Xu Xianzhen, always one to join in on the excitement, saw the large commotion outside and immediately wanted to ask Ye Qing about it.

Just as she was about to speak, Wu Yongbing and the old village secretary had already rushed back to the village, looking anxious. Upon seeing Political Commissar Hao, both were taken aback and asked in unison:

"Political Commissar Hao, what's happened?"

The political commissar's expression was serious. "Gu Weidong discovered a Kwantung Army stronghold in the rear mountains and called us for support. Captain Wu, you've come at the right time. You'll accompany us into the mountains shortly."

This statement left both Wu Yongbing and the old village secretary bewildered.

In the Changbai Mountains, there was actually a fortified position built by the Japanese? When did this happen, and how come they knew nothing about it?

The two production team cadres looked at each other, both showing great shock.

And it wasn't just them. Even the villagers who had come over to join in the commotion were all wide-eyed with surprise.

Back in the day, the Japanese had indeed invaded the village, but the people in the nearby villages had hidden in bomb shelters. The young people from each village had spontaneously formed militia units, engaging in guerrilla warfare and tunnel battles with the Japanese, fighting back and forth for several years, exhausting the enemy.

But they had never imagined that while the Japanese were entangled with them, they had also been secretly building a base in the mountains, all while they had been cutting wood and hunting in the mountains for years without discovering this secret!

The villagers were both astonished and furious, excited yet fearful, all wanting to go up the mountain to see for themselves.

However, since the military had taken over the matter, no outsiders were allowed to enter the mountain or the forest area until the situation at the stronghold had been fully investigated.

With the soldiers' swift deployment, a cordon was quickly set up at the mountain entrance near Kaoshan Village, and onlookers were moved to the outskirts, with entry prohibited unless absolutely necessary.

After that, Hao Shaofeng and several military cadres began an emergency assembly call, leading a whole company of soldiers in preparation to set off. Under Ye Qing's guidance, they set off into the mountains.

Along the way, Hao Shaofeng couldn't help but ask Ye Qing about her situation, subtly probing if she had any interest in joining the military. It didn't take long for Ye Qing to understand what this political commissar was aiming for.

In truth, she had been approached quite a few times recently, and these recruiters all had the same uncle-like demeanor, with the same intention of trying to recruit her.

Ye Qing wasn't an innocent girl who didn't understand these things. There was no need to mince words with Hao Shaofeng. She decided to cut off his probing directly and refused bluntly, "Political Commissar Hao, I'm sorry, but I'm not interested in joining the military. I have no plans to become an army medic in the future. I have a clear plan for my career and don't intend to change my original goals."

Hao Shaofeng was stunned.

Ye Qing, however, didn't care about his reaction.

She could explain her ideals and ambitions in rural healthcare to Dean Gu and Zhao Jinliang, but there was no need to go into such detail with Hao Shaofeng. After all, their relationship was merely superficial, and since he was a military leader, they wouldn't have interacted otherwise. Their relationship hadn't reached the point where they could discuss deep matters.

Hao Shaofeng was truly surprised. Ye Qing's response was so calm and composed. Her steady and resolute personality, combined with her straightforward and decisive rejection, was not at all what you'd expect from a young girl. It was quite similar to Gu Weidong's temperament.

At this point, Hao Shaofeng understood why Gu Weidong had gotten involved with this young girl after returning to the village. They were kindred spirits, after all!

This realization made Hao Shaofeng even more interested in Ye Qing, to the extent that he wanted to re-inquire about the details of Ye Qing saving Gu Weidong in She Mountain.

After all, back in Shen City Hospital, Gu Weidong kept emphasizing that he didn’t catch those two enemy agents. Instead, he mentioned several times that he had encountered a young village girl picking wild fruit in the mountains that night. But at the time, Hao Shaofeng thought Gu Weidong was hallucinating due to excessive blood loss from his severe injuries and didn’t believe his words.

Unexpectedly, after Ye Qing saved Gu Weidong’s life in Shen City, she was assigned to the very village where the young man was from. What a strange twist of fate.

Hao Shaofeng casually asked about the details of the rescue mission in She Mountain and capturing the enemy agents while stroking his chin and observing the slim girl climbing the mountain diligently.

For some reason, a string in his mind suddenly connected.

Gu Weidong had just broken off his engagement with the Wu family. Judging by that young man’s state, he probably wasn’t planning to deal with personal matters anytime soon after the setback in his marriage.

Moreover, the young man had applied to attend a training program and would likely focus on his studies for the next two years, with no interest in other matters for the time being.

The young girl in front of him was still young, but in two years, she would become an official eighteen-year-old adult, just the right age for matchmaking.

These two people had such a deep connection, having saved each other’s lives and shared a bond. They had similar temperaments, each with their own strong opinions. Where else could you find a more perfectly matched pair?

With this thought, Hao Shaofeng’s matchmaking radar immediately went online. The more he pondered, the more satisfied he became with this potential marriage, his smile becoming deeply meaningful.

Ye Qing felt a chill in her heart from his expression. She didn’t know what this peculiar commissar was planning and worried that her previous words might have revealed some flaw. She could only speed up and lead everyone to the cabin.

Once she handed these people over to Gu Weidong, she would be able to complete her task and quickly go down the mountain, keeping her distance from this odd commissar to avoid being targeted by the old fox.

After walking in the mountains for about two hours, it was nearly dark when Ye Qing finally led them to the cabin.

After returning to the mountain, Gu Weidong had been bored in the afternoon. With Ye Qing’s unconcealed use of healing wood-element abilities, Man Cang’s injuries had almost fully recovered. So, he didn’t stay in the cabin anymore and took Man Cang with him into the mountains, picking many wild berries and digging up numerous common and rare Chinese herbs, all of which Ye Qing had taught him to identify previously.

Just as he was carrying the herbs and berries back to the cabin, he saw a group of over a hundred people coming up the mountain.

As soon as he heard the commotion, Man Cang grew alert, standing straight with his fur bristling, ready to howl and summon his pack for backup.

With such a large group entering the mountain, Gu Weidong almost instantly understood what was happening and hurriedly patted Man Cang’s back to calm him down:

“Don’t be nervous. These people are our own. They’re coming up the mountain to find me!”

Reassured, Man Cang let out a few whines and sniffed the air again, confirming the scent of the human who had saved his life. Only then did he relax his tense posture.

Before Gu Weidong could say anything, Man Cang eagerly wagged his tail and darted off.

In no time, he rushed through the forest and directly to Ye Qing’s group.

“Ah, it’s a wolf!”

“Coyote spotted, all personnel, be on alert!”

Before Man Cang could reach Ye Qing, the soldiers in green uniforms noticed his presence and immediately raised their guns in caution.

Ye Qing was startled and quickly shouted, “Don’t fire! Don’t fire! I know this coyote. He’s here for me!”

Hao Shaofeng was taken aback and hurriedly waved to his soldiers to hold their fire.

Under everyone’s surprised gaze, the coyote rushed over to Ye Qing like an enthusiastic dog, wagging its tail and bounding over to her feet.

Then, this large, sturdy tail-wagging wolf actually stretched its neck and placed its head in Ye Qing’s hand, allowing her to messily rub its neck without getting upset. Instead, it acted affectionate, nudging and acting playful.

This behavior stunned everyone, almost questioning their judgment.

“Is this really a wolf, or is it a wolf-dog?”

"Is the coyote really being this fawning? Am I dreaming?"

"Is this coyote bewitched or something? It's so shameless, is this even a wolf?"

The group looked at Man Cang with indescribable expressions, especially since the scene between the girl and the wolf was so harmonious, far exceeding their usual understanding.

However, Ye Qing didn’t offer any explanation. She simply reached out to touch Man Cang’s belly, confirming that the wound had healed nicely and there was no sign of infection or inflammation under the skin. Only then did she feel relieved.

As they moved forward, they could already see the cabin. Outside the cabin, Gu Weidong was already waiting. Seeing the group approaching, he immediately stood at attention and saluted the chiefs, before providing a more detailed report. He took out a piece of paper and gave a thorough breakdown of the underground warehouse structure beneath the fortress, including the various strategic supplies stored inside.

The more Chief Hao Shaofeng and the other leaders listened to Gu Weidong’s report, the more serious their expressions became. Clearly, the scale of this underground facility was larger than they had anticipated, and there might be plenty of flammable and explosive military supplies inside.

There were many issues to consider: how to deploy personnel, how to manage the transfer of these strategic materials, and so on.

Ye Qing, however, didn’t need to get involved in these matters. Her job was to bring the group here, and once that was done, her mission was complete. She didn’t intend to linger in the cabin and planned to head back to the village immediately.

"Ye Qing, wait!"

Although Gu Weidong was fully engaged in discussing the fortress with the higher-ups, he hadn’t forgotten to keep an eye on Ye Qing’s movements.

Seeing that she was about to head down the mountain, he quickly called out to her and handed her the flashlight he had with him, along with a large basket of wild berries and medicinal herbs he had stored in the cabin.

"I replaced the batteries in the flashlight today, so it should last for two to three hours."

"The wild fruits were picked this afternoon and are very fresh. I picked only the ripest and sweetest fruits. Didn’t you say you wanted to make candied fruit and wild fruit vinegar? These should work perfectly."

The flashlight wasn’t particularly useful to Ye Qing. Her five senses were sharper than most people’s, and while she might not see perfectly at night, she could definitely manage to travel without any issues.

However, the basket of wild fruits immediately caught her attention.

Although the Changbai Mountains were rich in species, as an outsider, Ye Qing wasn’t as familiar with these wild fruits as Gu Weidong, the local. Without trying each type herself, she wouldn’t know which ones tasted good.

Now that Gu Weidong had already picked out the good ones for her, it saved her a lot of effort. Additionally, after this, she would have the experience, and in the future, she could follow Gu Weidong’s choices when picking wild fruits in the mountains.

Ye Qing couldn’t help but give Gu Weidong a thumbs-up, then took the basket and the flashlight.

When no one was paying attention, she secretly slipped a bag of malt candy into Gu Weidong’s hands.

The last time, Ye Qing had commandeered all the malt candy Gu Weidong had brought into the mountains to lure away the black bear cub, so after she came down the mountain, she had boiled more malt sugar to compensate him.

Seeing Gu Weidong looking at her quizzically, Ye Qing quickly lowered her voice and said,

"If you don’t have time to eat, just have one of these. It can quickly replenish your energy. I’ve added something to improve the taste, so it’s better than the batch I made last time."

Gu Weidong instantly understood and a faint smile flickered in his eyes as he swiftly tucked the bag of candy into his chest.

Satisfied, Ye Qing didn’t stay any longer. After slinging the basket over her back and saying goodbye to Chief Hao and the others, she prepared to descend the mountain.

When Chief Hao heard that Ye Qing was going back to the village, he was a bit worried. It was already dark, and it wouldn’t be safe for a young girl to walk the mountain path alone.

He was just about to arrange for two soldiers to escort Ye Qing down when, to everyone’s surprise, the girl pulled out a whistle from around her neck and blew it forcefully.

Just as they were wondering what the girl was doing, a large group of gray coyotes emerged from the forest, appearing majestically before Ye Qing. They lifted their heads and wagged their tails, just as obsequious as the previous coyote.

The officers were stunned. It was as if they didn’t recognize the creatures called wolves anymore.

"The coyote leading the pack is the leader of the coyote clan. Ye Qing saved its life recently, so the entire coyote clan has submitted to her. Now, the whole pack follows Ye Qing’s commands. If she tells them to go east, they wouldn’t dare go west."

It's unbelievable that a group of coyotes is waiting for commands.

Everyone's eyes widened in an instant, watching Ye Qing interact with the group of coyotes as if they were watching a spectacle.

Hao Shaofeng was flabbergasted.

He couldn't help but think that it was no wonder Gu Weidong felt at ease letting this young girl go down the mountain alone. She had tamed a pack of coyotes as her personal guards. No wonder she was so bold and fearless, roaming the forest fearlessly at night.

Under the curious gazes of the crowd, Ye Qing led the pack of coyotes straight down the mountain and soon left the group of officers behind.

Thinking about going back to the village to prepare the ginseng lingzhi pills for her master, she didn't stop, hurrying back to Kaoshan Village.

However, halfway along the path, the coyotes seemed to sense something unusual. After a strange howl, the female coyote, Man Cang, darted into the nearby woods. After a short while, she returned and bit Ye Qing's pants, pulling her into the woods, clearly wanting her to take a look.

Ye Qing hesitated for a moment but followed Man Cang's wife into the low shrubs.

As she approached, Ye Qing's expression became serious.

Lying among the tangled shrubs was a dazed and dying yellow fox. With its willow-leaf-shaped phoenix eyes and familiar fur pattern, it was none other than the little thief who had stolen her Dolly Varden trout and later asked her for sweet potatoes.

Seeing that the fox was barely alive, Ye Qing didn't hesitate. She quickly put down her basket and knelt to examine the fox.

Upon closer inspection, her expression turned grave.

There were two dark, thin bite marks on the fox's neck. Judging by the distance and neatness of the wounds, Ye Qing determined almost instantly that the fox had been bitten by a venomous snake.

The venom was quite potent, and the fox was deeply poisoned. The toxins had already invaded its lungs, and it would probably die soon.

"You're lucky you ran into me. Otherwise, with the level of poisoning, you wouldn't have made it today," Ye Qing muttered helplessly. She took out a silver needle and a small knife from her side bag and quickly inserted several needles into the fox. Then, she swiftly made an incision on its paw with the knife.

As soon as the silver needle was inserted, it turned from silver-white to deep black, and black blood began to drip quickly from the wound on the fox's paw.

Pressing her hand on the fox's neck, Ye Qing worked to clear its meridians, using her elemental abilities to expel the toxins from its blood vessels as much as possible.

The healing effect of the third-level elemental ability was evident. The snake venom was gradually expelled, and within a few minutes, the black blood turned red, and the blackness on the silver needle slowly faded until it completely disappeared.

Ye Qing then withdrew her hand, removed the silver needles, and waited for the fox to wake up.

Soon, the yellow fox opened its eyes and, upon seeing Ye Qing and the group of coyotes around it, shuddered and immediately flipped over and stood up.

"You're able to stand and seem quite alert. Alright, you should be fine now. Go find your mother quickly. I'm leaving," Ye Qing said, relieved to see the fox looked normal again. She stood up, slung the basket she had left aside over her back, and was about to leave.

The fox was a bit disoriented when it first woke up, but it quickly realized that Ye Qing had saved it. Seeing her packing up to leave, it grew anxious and rushed forward to bite her pants and drag her towards the deep mountains.

Ye Qing, eager to get home, found herself at a loss.

Why do all the furry creatures in the mountains resort to this trick?

Seeing the fox's anxious expression, Ye Qing had no choice but to follow it to see what it wanted.

After several twists and turns, Ye Qing, the fox, and the group of coyotes arrived in front of a mountain wall. The fox darted into a crevice.

Ye Qing then noticed that a natural hollow existed in the mountain wall, a cave too dark for the moonlight to reach. Its depth and destination remained unknown.

Ye Qing quickly retrieved the flashlight given by Gu Weidong and shone it into the cave.

Ye Qing gasped in shock as she shone the flashlight into the cave.

Inside lay another yellow fox, clearly paralyzed, its four legs unable to move. Wrapped around the fox was a light brown striped snake, which was tightening its grip, attempting to crush the fox to death.

The fox Ye Qing had just rescued couldn't wait to rush in and help its companion. No matter how it tried to bite, the snake refused to let go, stubbornly keeping the fox pinned under its body.

Even though Ye Qing wasn’t particularly afraid of snakes, the sight was so visually striking that her body stiffened involuntarily, sending a shiver down her spine.

Realizing it was helpless, the yellow fox immediately dashed back to the cave entrance and whined at Ye Qing's feet, begging her to save its companion.

Although Ye Qing was generally unwilling to interfere in the natural predation of the wild, the fox’s desperation moved her. When the fox noticed her hesitation, it darted into the cave again and quickly climbed up a sloping part of the cave wall, guiding Ye Qing to look up.

Ye Qing shone her flashlight in the direction the fox indicated.

To her surprise, there was a circular gap at the top of the cave wall, connected to the outside. A faint moonlight shone through the opening, illuminating a protruding stone.

Nestled in the crevice of that stone grew a lush herbaceous plant with a long stalk and palmate compound leaves, as thick as a wrist. Underneath the leaves, several clusters of plump, red berries hung.

The size and shape of the berries looked familiar. Ye Qing recognized them almost instantly. They were just like the ginseng seeds that the fox had given her in exchange for sweet potatoes the last time they met.

It turned out that the plant growing in the crevice was the hundred-year-old wild ginseng that Ye Qing had been eyeing for a long time.

A sudden realization struck Ye Qing as she quickly lowered her gaze to the brown striped snake coiled around the fox on the ground.

Could this be the legendary ginseng-guarding snake, the white-browed pit viper?

The more she looked, the more certain she became. White-browed pit vipers were mainly found in the Changbai Mountains and the Lesser Khingan Range. These snakes were extremely venomous and preferred hiding in concealed, damp environments.

More importantly, they were known to use ginseng fruits as bait to lure their prey.

Ginseng fruits took three years to bloom and six years to bear fruit. Their bright red, round appearance made them particularly attractive to small animals. The older the ginseng, the larger and redder the fruits, drawing even more creatures to them.

Thus, white-browed pit vipers often lurked near old ginseng plants, waiting for unsuspecting animals to fall into their trap.

It seemed that after successfully trading ginseng seeds for sweet potatoes last time, the foxes had come back to the cave to gather more fruits. Unfortunately, they had encountered the white-browed pit viper lying in wait.

Realizing that she might have inadvertently caused this situation, Ye Qing couldn't help but sigh. Although it wasn’t her intention, if the fox died from gathering the ginseng seeds, she would feel like she had indirectly caused its death.

With this thought in mind, Ye Qing could no longer remain a bystander.

She drew a silver needle and aimed at the snake’s vital point.

The needle was thrown with precision, stopping just outside the snake’s heart. At the same time, her special abilities seeped through the needle, paralyzing the snake’s nerves.

Shocked, the white-browed pit viper immediately released the fox.

Without hesitation, Ye Qing pulled the fox out from under the snake and removed the silver needle.

The white-browed pit viper, paralyzed by the silver needle, took several seconds to recover.

By the time it realized what had happened, its prey had already escaped its clutches.

Furious, the snake hissed and tried to attack, but just as it made its move, several wolves rushed into the cave.

The white-browed pit viper, demonstrating its adaptability, realized that both the wolves and the human were formidable opponents. Unwilling to continue the fight, it quickly slid into a crevice and vanished in an instant.

Ye Qing:……

After snatching the snake's prey, Ye Qing had planned to compensate the white-browed pit viper with some of her special abilities, but before she could, it fled.

This left Ye Qing in a state of amusement and bewilderment.

After removing the snake venom from the other fox, Ye Qing's attention shifted to the ginseng plant.

Using the vines to lift herself to the crevice, Ye Qing began to carefully examine the well-concealed old mountain ginseng.

The ginseng was at least two or three meters off the ground, and the location was so secluded that it was unlikely to be found by anyone, which explained why it had been growing there undetected for so many years.

The ginseng was very robust, with the roots covered with rhizomes, displaying a clear three-section rhizome feature.

The so-called three-section rhizome means that the rootstock had bamboo-joint rhizomes, stacked-flower rhizomes, and horse-tooth rhizomes all at the same time, which is the primary characteristic used to determine the age of wild ginseng.

The ginseng in front of Ye Qing had rhizomes at the root connection that were curved, stacked, and intricately intertwined, with tight rhizome bowls. Preliminary estimates suggested it was at least three hundred years old, making it an extremely rare, ancient ginseng, almost reaching the level of a legendary being.

When Ye Qing first entered medical school, her teachers had said that finding century-old wild ginseng on the market was nearly impossible. Even ginseng that was thirty to fifty years old was a rarity. Ginseng over three hundred years old wouldn't circulate on the market, and even veteran professors with years of experience had never seen one.

Ye Qing was truly surprised and delighted. This ginseng, which her teachers had only spoken of in legends, was something she had unexpectedly encountered in the Changbai Mountains!

However, digging out such a large old ginseng would be difficult even if it were growing normally in the soil on a hillside. Moreover, the one in front of her was growing directly in a rock crevice.

Ye Qing estimated that the roots of this old ginseng had already extended into the crevice for at least a meter or more. With such a deep and complex root system, the difficulty of extracting it entirely had increased several times over.

Since she lacked the proper tools, Ye Qing decided not to attempt it rashly. Anyway, the ginseng was so well concealed that there was no need to worry about someone else digging it up. If someone found and took it from this spot, it would mean she was not destined to have this old mountain ginseng.

After carefully noting the location of this hidden treasure, Ye Qing did not linger in the cave and headed down the mountain with her basket on her back.

As soon as she descended the mountain, Gu Weidong and Hao Shaofeng returned, their eyes red and swollen, their faces flushed with intense humiliation and anger. Upon descending the mountain, they hurriedly got into a car and headed towards the commune.