The journey was silent.

They got on the highway from Qingzhou and drove continuously for two whole days. After accounting for the time spent resting at night, on the third day, the group arrived at a village called Huabao Village.

This village had only one dirt road leading into it, nestled deep within the mountains. According to Situ Yufeng, to find the Sakura Falling, they had to pass through this Huabao Village.

And, only the villagers of Huabao Village could enter the primordial forest.

Because, the primordial forest not only had fierce beasts but also poisonous plants and miasma. Even the strongest practitioners, if unaware, could perish inside, leaving no trace of their bodies behind.

However, it seemed that Situ Yufeng wasn't the only one who knew this information.

When Ye Guichen and his group arrived at Huabao Village, the dirt road outside the village, covered in weeds, was already filled with various luxury cars.

The cheapest of those luxury cars cost around five to six hundred thousand, and the most expensive ones were worth over tens of millions.

It was evident that Situ Yufeng's group wasn't the only one trying to benefit from the Sakura Falling.

"Strange, could it be that the news of the imminent death of the Sakura Falling's old leader is known by more than just our Azure Dragon Commerce?" Looking at the license plates from various places, Situ Yufeng couldn't help but frown and mutter.

Ye Guichen squinted slightly but said nothing.

Earlier, Situ Yufeng killed Huo Yi. Although the body was disposed of, there was still a faint smell of blood in the car.

Ye Guichen sniffed and said, "You go find a guide first, we need to set off as soon as possible."

"Understood." Situ Yufeng's thoughts were similar to Yuan Shao's, and having seen Ye Guichen's extraordinary skills, he wanted to impress Ye Guichen further, especially after killing Huo Yi. He had no way out but to team up with Ye Guichen against An Cangsheng.

Otherwise, if An Cangsheng found out, he would have no way to survive.

Situ Yufeng quickly got out of the car and walked straight into the village.

Soon, Situ Yufeng returned with a middle-aged man in his forties, dressed in coarse linen clothes with an axe at his waist, looking much like a hunter. He approached Ye Guichen and said, "Mr. Ye, this is Zhu You, a hunter from Huabao Village. He can take us into the forest."

Ye Guichen nodded, "Brother Zhu, have many people come here recently?"

"Yes, there have been about four or five parties, all insisting on entering the Devil's Forest. Several people from our village have gone there, but their prices are high." The Devil's Forest mentioned by Zhu You was evidently that primordial forest.

Hearing Zhu You mention prices, Situ Yufeng's face instantly darkened, "I'll give you ten thousand to take us there, that's not small money."

"Heh, brothers, entering the Devil's Forest is like putting our lives on the line. I was only considering you alone at first, but it seems like there are more of you?"

He glanced at Yuan Shao's car and held up a finger, "Taking one person into the Devil's Forest costs ten thousand. If there are four or five of you, the price will be higher. Agree and I will guide you, otherwise, we have no deal, and I'll only take you to the edge of the Devil's Forest. As for deeper inside, no amount of money will make me go."

"You..." Situ Yufeng, as the second secretary of Azure Dragon Commerce, wasn't lacking these tens of thousands, but being coerced by a country bumpkin infuriated him.

Ye Guichen interjected, "Enough, let's go."

Immediately, he got out of the car and called Yuan Shao and the others to get ready.

However, upon seeing the large figure of Shui Liao, Zhu You was clearly taken aback.

After a moment, he pointed at Shui Liao, "He's too big and conspicuous, which increases the danger. That will cost extra."

"Damn you..." Situ Yufeng was furious.

Indeed, desperate times breed desperate people. He had never encountered such outrageous demands before.

Ye Guichen didn't want to haggle over such an amount, so he waved his hand, disgruntled, "Hurry up."

Recognizing Ye Guichen's anger, Situ Yufeng suppressed his rage, glared at Zhu You, and took out a wad of cash from his bag.

It looked like about a hundred thousand yuan.

This was the amount Situ Yufeng had prepared after hearing that guiding fees were required here.

Moreover, there was no signal here; the villagers only accepted cash and not transfers.

For five people, one hundred thousand was the minimum price quoted by Zhu You.

After receiving the money, Zhu You told Ye Guichen's group to wait and ran back into the village.

Less than ten minutes later, Zhu You returned, now equipped with various gear.

Besides essential weapons like crossbows and axes, Zhu You's waist was also adorned with around ten coarse cloth bags, each about the size of a fist but bulging with contents, emitting a strong pungent odor from afar.

Zhu You handed five bags to Situ Yufeng, "Put these on."

Situ Yufeng took them, frowning, "What are these?"

"These are our own herbal concoctions, used to ward off the miasma and insects in the Devil's Forest."

Without another word, Zhu You turned and started walking toward the side of the village.

There, a barely visible trail began.

After taking the bags, Ye Guichen's group put them on.

Shui Liao and Ma Xiaoling reacted indifferently and hung them from their waists.

Yuan Shao frowned at the pungent smell, initially wanting to discard it, but after some thought, he hung it at his waist too.

After receiving his bag, Ye Guichen took a sniff and his eyes brightened.

What Zhu You said wasn't wrong; the concoction not only repelled miasma and kept one alert but also deterred insects.

It seemed the villagers frequently went into the mountains, and these herbs were likely the result of years of experience.

Nonetheless, as Zhu You turned and moved forward, his steps raised Ye Guichen's suspicion.

Though Zhu You had haggled earlier, his eyes hadn't shown the usual greed after receiving ten thousand.

Moreover, despite Zhu You's typical village appearance, with a tanned complexion and rough demeanor, his movements carried a certain weight.

This sensation wasn't something common folk could possess, only martial artists.

Could there be martial artists in this small village?

Ye Guichen found it exceedingly odd but remained silent.

Along with Zhu You, the six of them followed the trail beside the village.

Soon, the path disappeared entirely, overgrown with weeds and strewn with loose stones.

Despite this, Zhu You's speed didn't decrease, moving as though on flat ground.

What was more bizarre, seeing Ye Guichen's group keeping pace without falling behind, Zhu You did not question them.

"Something's off, this Zhu You seems suspicious."

Ye Guichen's group had experience traversing such terrain, making the journey manageable.

Zhu You, even as a hunter accustomed to the mountains, shouldn't achieve this speed.

Additionally, apart from bargaining with Situ Yufeng, Zhu You hadn't asked any irrelevant questions, almost as if he knew they were looking for the Sakura Falling.

"Hey, Mr. Ye, doesn't Zhu You seem a bit fishy to you?" Yuan Shao discreetly approached Ye Guichen and whispered.

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