What do you mean by saying that the corpses I sew are all ominous creatures?

As the sun sets in the west, the afterglow is like blood.

The orange-red afterglow could barely penetrate the branches and leaves of the centuries-old trees overhead, and the temperature in the mountain forest began to drop rapidly.

A thin mist, carrying the smell of damp, decaying leaves and a faint, sweet, fishy odor, began to spread through the forest.

Faced with this miasma that even ordinary cultivators would avoid, I did not roll up the car window.

Instead, I took a deep breath of the dangerous air.

The off-road vehicle continued forward, and the road ahead began to narrow and become rugged.

I squinted and looked through the windshield at the mountain peak at the end of the road ahead.

The mountains there are quite unique, with two steep peaks curving inward to form a pass that resembles a giant buffalo horn.

Seeing this familiar landmark, I knew that I had officially entered the territory surrounding the Lan Family's main stronghold.

Once past the Ox Horn Pass, the vast area ahead will be under the strict surveillance of the Lan family's mountain patrolmen.

To avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings or overreactions, I released my right foot from the accelerator and gradually slowed down the car, allowing it to glide forward in a relatively gentle manner.

My brain was rapidly processing the current situation.

Actually, I didn't feel too much pressure about joining the Lan family.

Looking back on my time at the Lan family, I was not only treated as an honored guest, but I also attended two large-scale banquets of extremely high caliber.

At the banquet, Grandpa Lan held up a wine bowl and announced to all the Lan family leaders and younger members that he, Chen Yang, was the great benefactor of the Lan family.

That elder's token, which represents the highest authority in the Lan family, was also given to me by him personally.

Logically speaking, with such a halo, I could walk sideways on the Lan family's territory.

But reality doesn't allow me to be so optimistic.

The Lan family token that the old man in Luohua Town found was like a thorn stuck in my flesh, constantly reminding me that the Lan family's internal affairs had become murky.

At this critical juncture, any ordinary member of the Lan family patrolling the mountain could be an informant for an inside job.

Unfortunately, I left in a hurry this time, and the Elder's Token, which is the best proof of my identity, is still lying quietly in the guest room of Tingyuxuan in Jiangcheng.

I was originally thinking that if I didn't have a token, I might have to explain myself to the patrol officers who were checking the area.

You might even need to show a bit of menacing aura to intimidate the other party.

However, things took an unexpected turn.

Sure enough, before my car had even driven two minutes into the Niujiaoshan Pass, several figures appeared in the middle of the road ahead, blocking the way.

I stepped on the brakes, and the SUV came to a steady stop five meters away from them.

The heavy tires made a dull thud on the gravel road.

Using the car headlights as a light, I squinted slightly and sized up the person blocking my way.

They were several men dressed in blue-black Miao-style jackets, each with an antique-style Miao knife at their waist.

When my gaze fell on the face of the leader, a hint of surprise flashed in his calm eyes.

He was a middle-aged man with a hideous scar running across his dark skin, which added to his fierce and menacing aura.

It turned out to be someone I knew.

It was the same scarred man who stopped us at this intersection for questioning when Lao Hei took me and Jin Wanliang into the mountains last time.

I sat in the driver's seat, not in a hurry to get out of the car, nor did I make any defensive gestures; I just quietly watched him.

Outside the car window, the scarred man, accompanied by two henchmen, habitually placed his hands on the hilts of his knives and strode steadily toward my car.

The mountain patrolmen in the Hundred Thousand Mountains live on the edge of danger year-round, and they always harbor the greatest hostility towards unfamiliar vehicles entering their territory.

He walked to the driver's side window and peered into the car through the untinted glass.

The instant his gaze met mine, I clearly caught the dramatic change in the micro-expressions on his face.

At first, he looked fierce and scrutinizing, clearly mistaking the unfamiliar SUV for some reckless smuggler who had wandered into the deep mountains.

But when he saw my face clearly, his scarred face froze for a moment, and an undisguised surprise burst forth from the depths of his eyes.

Immediately afterward, this surprise turned into deep apprehension.

I saw his right thumb involuntarily rub against the hilt of the Miao sword.

I know it's his muscle memory at work.

The last time at this intersection, he relied on his local connections and tried to intimidate me through the car window in order to test our capabilities.

As a result, that yin energy collided with my evil energy, causing him to suffer a considerable hidden loss.

The backlash from the malevolent energy entering his body clearly left a significant shadow in his mind.

After a brief moment of stiffness, the scarred man's fear gradually subsided, replaced by a look of respect.

Of course he recognizes me.

As a minor patrol leader, he was absolutely qualified to attend the two grand banquets held by the Lan family.

In southern Xinjiang, people admire strength, but they value gratitude and righteousness even more.

A young outsider who could command the respect and deference of the elders and be regarded as their benefactor was definitely not someone a mere patrolman like himself could offend.

This is why his expression changed so quickly.

The scarred man immediately released his grip on the knife hilt, even taking a half-step back and slightly hunching his posture as a sign of respect.

Seeing his series of reactions, I immediately understood what was going on.

It seems I don't need to worry about getting into the mountain for now.

I stretched out my finger and pressed the window control button.

The car window slowly rolled down, and a cool night breeze from the mountains, mixed with miasma, blew into the car.

I leaned back in my seat, looked at the scarred man standing outside the car, and said:

"Good evening, brother. It's been a long time. You must be tired from patrolling the mountains lately."

Upon hearing my voice, the scarred man straightened up slightly and forced a somewhat stiff smile.

"Mr. Chen, you're too kind."

I didn't expect it to be you driving here yourself. It was too dark earlier, and I didn't see the license plate clearly. I apologize for any offense."

Unlike his previous treatment of Old Hei, he didn't put on airs; he even changed his form of address to a more respectful one.

The two young Miao-style Gu masters standing behind him, though they had never seen me before, immediately lowered their heads upon seeing their leader behaving so respectfully, no longer daring to look at me with such hostile eyes.

I waved my hand gently, indicating that he didn't need to worry about these formalities, and then went straight to the point:

"Brother, let's skip the formalities."

I rushed over here overnight because there was something very urgent.

I need to see Grandpa Lan; could you please do me this favor?