Ultimate True Lord

the other side.

In the dense forest, Jiang Ming slowly stopped, turned his head and took a deep look behind him, then exhaled a heavy breath.

"What the hell was that thing just now?"

He recalled the fleeting glimpse of that scene, and in that instant, Jiang Ming felt a strong sense of danger, goosebumps rising on his skin. It was as if some strange, supernatural being was rapidly approaching.

"The number of precious red herbs has been increasing over the past year."

"In the Yancang Mountains, there are long-standing legends about the immortals and gods of the mountain."

"And that weird bear covered in red fur just now."

Jiang Ming felt increasingly uneasy as he thought about it, and a strange chill crept up his spine.

There's definitely a big problem hidden deep within the Yancang Mountains!

After a while.

Sanyuanling is the location of the Wen family's herb-gathering team.

Jiang Ming rushed back, took out a box from his pocket, and showed it to the most experienced herb gatherer in the group.

The old herb gatherer's eyes lit up when he opened it.

"Jiangtou, this is Golden-Veined Grass!"

"One plant costs more than two hundred taels of silver, equivalent to two ordinary red pills. If it were put on the market, it would be snapped up in no time."

Jiang Ming nodded. This trip to the mountains to collect herbs was indeed the most fruitful one yet, with a total value equivalent to three red herbs.

In addition to the other high-quality medicinal herbs they found, they returned home with a very full load.

After a brief commotion, the herb-gathering team began packing up their tools, preparing to descend the mountain and return to the city. Originally, it would have been another hour or two before their return trip. However, the team leader, Jiang Ming, changed his mind and insisted on descending the mountain more quickly.

and so.

The entire herb-gathering team quickly assembled and then headed down the mountain.

Halfway there.

Jiang Ming found the most senior herb gatherer in the group.

"Old Yu, you've been collecting herbs in the mountains for over twenty years. Have you ever seen a mountain bear that's four or five meters tall and covered in reddish-brown mycelium? There's also a dark red human-shaped figure covered in red fur lying on the back of its neck."

Old Yu's expression changed, and he immediately realized that Jiang Ming might have just seen something, so he responded immediately.

"No, but I have heard a legend circulating in the Yancang Mountains, a story about a fungus demon."

Old Yu swallowed hard, and then began to tell the strange tales that had been passed down through generations in these mountains.

Legend has it that deep within the Yancang Mountains lies an incredibly eerie mycelial realm. The entire area, including trees, streams, rocks, and even the mountains themselves, is covered in layers of scarlet mycelium.

The Fungal Demon was born from that place; it is a monster formed from bizarre fungal mycelium. The only weakness of this evil creature is its fear of fire; otherwise, it is virtually immortal.

They are bloodthirsty by nature and love to feed on human blood and flesh. But if they can't find humans, they will also hunt various birds and beasts to survive.

However, deep within the mountains, there is a Mountain Lord who has been suppressing these ghosts and monsters, preventing them from causing trouble.

That's why the area around Wangyue City has been able to live in peace and tranquility.

However, legends aside, these so-called terrifying fungal ghosts have never actually appeared in the Yancang Mountains.

Jiang Ming's expression darkened slightly after hearing this.

How could I have encountered such a rare fungal demon? Or has some enormous change occurred deep within the Yancang Mountains?

He had no way of knowing and could only suppress his worries.

……

……

At dusk, the herb-gathering team from the deep mountains returned to Wangyue City and arrived at the bluestone square inside the Wen Family Pharmacy.

This trip into the mountains yielded a bountiful harvest: two red medicinal plants, one of which was even more remarkable as it was actually a golden thread grass.

Upon learning this, Wen Jin's face lit up with joy.

He waved to the steward behind him to cut the red medicine, then turned to Jiang Ming and said.

"Old Jiang, judging by our current momentum, we can start forming the second mountain herb-gathering team. I've already recruited a martial artist who has reached the peak of the Powerful Strength realm. I'll introduce you to him later."

Jiang Ming was slightly surprised.

"So fast?"

Wen Jin smiled slightly.

"This is all thanks to the team you led."

“You always have a good harvest when you go into the mountains, and you always find red herbs. Everyone sees this and thinks it has great potential. Then I take the opportunity to recruit people, and they are naturally willing to come.”

As they chatted, they walked to a corner next to the square.

Jiang Ming slowed his pace, lowered his voice, and recounted his encounter with the two men from Guang Sheng Pharmacy deep in the mountains. Since they were now in the same boat, Wen Jin needed to know what Jiang Ming had done.

After hearing this, Wen Jin was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected such a twist to happen during the herb gathering trip, and immediately asked.

"Has the matter been resolved?"

"They've all been dealt with," Jiang Ming said. "I killed both of them, and I erased all traces of their martial arts skills from their bodies..."

Wen Jin nodded, already somewhat accustomed to Jiang Ming's ruthlessness. After a moment of contemplation, he spoke.

"Then there's no major problem."

"This happened in the middle of nowhere. Unless someone witnessed the whole thing, there's no way to trace it back to you. Even if Guang Sheng Pharmacy finds out, my Wen family will definitely protect you."

"Besides, they were the ones who started this whole thing with malicious intent, trying to steal the Red Medicine Golden Thread Grass from you. You fought back, so the moral high ground is on our side."

Jiang Ming nodded slightly. Along the way, the trust between him and Wen Jin had deepened, and their cooperation had become increasingly seamless.

The two chatted for a while.

Jiang Ming then recounted the strange encounter he had with the fungus ghost on his journey.

Upon hearing this, Wen Jin frowned immediately; he had never heard of such a bizarre and strange thing before. After a moment's consideration, Wen Jin spoke.

"I've made a note of this."

"I will have someone keep an eye on the relevant news, and I will notify you immediately if any clues are found."

Jiang Ming nodded after hearing this.

The two chatted for a few more minutes before the sky darkened.

Jiang Ming bid farewell to Wen Jin and turned to leave the Wen family pharmacy.

……

……

The night was dark, and the evening breeze made the alleyway feel particularly deserted.

In a secluded meeting room at Guang Sheng Pharmacy.

The candlelight flickered, yet the light was bright.

The head steward, Zhang Chengye, sat on a wooden chair, his face grim. Beside him was a cup of tea that he hadn't yet drunk. In front of him stood a gray-clad guard, none other than the one who had witnessed everything from the bushes earlier.

The guard bowed his head and reported everything truthfully.

The guard had been following behind Xia Feng and his nephew, but he was moving slowly and had fallen behind. By the time he caught up, the three had already started fighting. The guard dared not approach and could only hide in the bushes.

The specific details of the fight were not clearly seen; all that is known is that Xia Feng and Chen Lu both died in the end. Before dying, Xia Feng roared that the killer was Jiang Ming, a soft-style martial artist from the Wen family's herb-gathering team.

The guard hesitated for a moment, then spoke again.

"Besides that, I also witnessed something extremely strange in the mountains and forests. A monster covered in fungal hair, half-human and half-bear..."