I have a martial arts panel.

"Yes, it's six taels. My uncle said that a big family in Kangyun County has recently increased their demand for Liangkucao. The pharmacies in Kangyun County are almost sold out, and the price has been soaring. The purchase price in the city has reached eight taels."

Guo Ye said, "My uncle has been busy going from one village to another lately, trying to get more dried grass to sell to that big spender."

"So that's how it is..."

Xu Ning nodded somewhat blankly, but his mind was still preoccupied with picking the withered grass.

"When you're gathering herbs lately, pay more attention to *Liangkucao* (凉枯草), it's valuable now."

Guo Ye placed three taels of silver in Xu Ning's hand and reminded him.

Thank you.

Xu Ning took the silver, exchanged a few pleasantries, and went straight out the door.

Without much hesitation, he went home, grabbed his machete, prepared his equipment, and headed back towards Yunze Mountain.

Xu Ning wanted to take advantage of this opportunity to earn some money to alleviate his current financial pressure.

……

More than half an hour later, inside the Yunze Mountains, a tall young man with distinct features was cautiously moving forward.

It was Xu Ning.

In fact, Yunze Mountain is not a single mountain, but a continuous mountain range.

The area is characterized by steep mountains, numerous ferocious beasts, and even rumored monsters, making it an extremely dangerous place.

However, it also contains a large amount of valuable resources, so people from several nearby villages and towns are willing to go there, which has made a living for the local people.

"Although my strength has improved, I still need to be careful..."

Xu Ning's destination was clear, so he didn't slow down.

However, at the same time, he held the machete firmly in his hand, constantly observing the surrounding movements.

"arrive!"

Following the route in his memory, Xu Ning found the place that had been covered with withered grass.

It was a rather steep mountainside, and as far as the eye could see, there was a large patch of withered grass.

The withered grass swayed in the breeze, adding to the desolate autumn atmosphere when viewed from afar.

However, in Xu Ning's eyes at this moment, it was all just money.

"Fortunately, this patch of withered grass hasn't been discovered yet..."

At this moment, Xu Ning was still dozens of meters away from the patch of withered grass, but he did not go there immediately.

This is the boundary between the inner and outer rings of Yunze Mountain.

The outer circle has fewer wild animals and is safer, while the inner circle is not only full of ferocious beasts, but also teeming with poisonous insects and plants.

Xu Ning was very cautious. He climbed a nearby tree, looked around, and found no signs of danger.

"Find the harvest quickly, then leave as soon as possible..."

Xu Ning climbed down the tree, tucked the machete behind his waist, and ran over quickly.

He began to bend over, carefully pulling out each of the withered grasses one by one, and then throwing them into his basket.

"There's a lot of withered grass here; we'll have to pull it all out. It'll probably weigh about fifty pounds!"

As he pulled, Xu Ning pondered, this far exceeding his expectations.

If they were all transferred to Guo Ye, they could be exchanged for nearly three hundred taels of silver.

That's a lot of money.

Although Xu Ning was careful, he didn't dawdle. In just a quarter of an hour, the basket was filled to the brim.

"This must weigh over twenty pounds..."

Xu Ning's basket was not small, but it was already completely filled.

After observing that about half of the withered grass had not yet been pulled up, Xu Ning pondered for a moment and decided to leave first.

Firstly, I no longer have a suitable means of carrying the items, and secondly, the items are too heavy, which would slow down my movement if I encountered danger.

Xu Ning flattened the dry, withered grass in the basket and then sealed it.

After tidying up, Xu Ning carried the basket on her back.

He was about to turn and leave.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from behind me.

"Footsteps..."

Xu Ning jolted awake, instantly drawing his wood-chopping knife from his waist and turning around.

Five or six large, jet-black wolves stood higher up, staring coldly at him.

"call……"

Xu Ning took a deep breath.

We've run into trouble again.

He pondered briefly, then suddenly stepped forward and roared.

Several eager black wolves, who were about to attack, were startled by Xu Ning and each took a step back.

Taking advantage of this opening, Xu Ning, who had been looking like he was about to fight to the death, immediately turned around and ran away.

"Indeed, the further we ventured into the Yunze Mountains, the greater the risks became!"

Xu Ning ran while looking back.

The black wolves had already caught up and were clearly preparing to make him their prey.

"Can't outrun them!"

Xu Ning quickly realized the problem.

The mountain roads here are steep, making it a natural habitat for wild animals. Coupled with the fact that I was carrying over 20 kilograms of dry grass, it was only a matter of time before I was caught up.

Xu Ning heard the footsteps chasing behind him getting closer and closer.

He gritted his teeth and stopped trying to escape. He climbed up the nearest big tree.

As soon as it climbed the tree, the black wolf came chasing after it.

They leaped and pounced, one of them nearly grabbing Xu Ning's trouser leg.

These black wolves in the inner circle of Yunze Mountain are not only larger than those in the outer circle, but they also have a higher leap and are more powerful.

"We need to find a way to escape..."

Xu Ning's expression was solemn as he looked at the black wolves under the tree that wanted to tear him apart, his mind still deep in thought.

There's no way to run away now; there are only two paths to choose from.

Either wait until the black wolves leave.

We must either climb down the tree and fight these black wolves to the death.

"Now that I've mastered the Gale Blade Technique to a minor degree, I should be able to handle a few black wolves..." Xu Ning pondered. "However, if I fight desperately, I'm definitely at risk of getting injured... If I get injured here, even if I escape the wolves' clutches, I might still end up as the belly of other wild beasts..."

Xu Ning was somewhat conflicted.

Indeed, to gain extra profits, one must take risks.

Xu Ning calmed himself down and moved up a little to prevent any black wolves from leaping up and scratching him.

At this point, the black wolves, who had tried to pounce on the tree several times without success, gradually calmed down.

However, they remained around the tree, staring intently at Xu Ning, clearly not intending to let him go.

"Let's wait a bit..."

It was not yet noon, and Xu Ning could afford to wait.

Time passed second by second.

Xu Ning began to eat some of the bread he carried with him to replenish his strength. The black wolves under the tree also lay down beside the tree, guarding Xu Ning, showing no intention of leaving.

Two hours have passed.

"These guys are so patient..."

Xu Ning discovered that these black wolves were very persistent with him, showing no signs of impatience and displaying great patience.

If this continues, my stamina will be depleted, and my combat effectiveness will decline even further.

"Give it a shot!"

Xu Ning revealed a resolute look in his eyes.

He looked down and saw the black wolves lying in a circle under the tree, their heads drooping.

It's afternoon now, and they seem a bit tired, their attention scattered.

Xu Ning took a deep breath and leaped into the air.

"drink!"

Xu Ning gripped the woodcutter's knife tightly, and in an instant, the essence of the Gale Blade Technique resonated in his mind.

A fierce gust of wind!

Using the momentum of his leap, Xu Ning slashed down at the back of the largest black wolf.

puff!

Blood splattered.

The black wolf howled and tried to get up, but its spine was broken, so it could only struggle in place.

Meanwhile, the other black wolves were startled.

They were caught off guard by Xu Ning's sudden attack, and their instinctive reaction was to dodge.

"A great opportunity!"

This time, Xu Ning did not escape.

Instead of advancing, he retreated and swung his knife again at the black wolf closest to him.

puff!

Neck laceration.

Of the six black wolves, two have already been killed.

At this point, the black wolf finally began to fight back.

But Xu Ning was no longer flustered. Two of the six black wolves had already been dealt with, including the largest one.

The pressure on oneself to fight the enemy has dropped sharply.

Xu Ning began to retreat, leaning against the tree trunk, wary of being attacked from both sides by the four black wolves.

And so, one man and four wolves stared at each other.

This time, neither of them made the first move.

The black wolf, which wasn't quite dead yet, was still howling nearby.

The situation remains dangerous.

Just as Xu Ning was preparing to continue the fight to the death, suddenly, a black wolf took a step back.

Immediately afterwards, the other three black wolves also retreated.

Their cold gazes left Xu Ning, glanced at their seriously injured companions, and then they each turned and left.

Soon, the black wolves disappeared from Xu Ning's sight.

The instincts of wild beasts made the remaining four black wolves feel threatened with death.

They chose to abandon this dangerous prey.

"We're safe now..."

Xu Ning's tense nerves could finally relax.

He glanced at the two severely wounded black wolves, abandoned by their companions.

"The cruel laws of nature treated me like prey, but unexpectedly, I killed me instead..."

Xu Ning didn't linger any longer and turned to leave.

Normally, he might have chopped down the two black wolves for firewood.

Although there are many wild wolves on the outer edge of Yunze Mountain and their fur is worthless, this black wolf has a shiny coat and sharp claws, so it could fetch at least seven or eight taels of silver if sold.

However, at this time, they were too close to the inner circle of Yunze Mountain. Cutting the hides would take too long, and the smell of blood would attract even more terrifying beasts.

After weighing the options, Xu Ning decided to forgo the spoils of war.

But he didn't feel regretful; the withered grass in his basket was what was truly valuable.

"go home!"

Xu Ning wiped the blood off the machete and quickly left the spot.