“I told you that we shouldn’t have come here. This mountain forest and that stupid stockade are all so weird!” The other conscious young man sounded as if he was near tears.

“What’s the use of saying all these things now? Try to think of a way to get out of here quickly.” The young man, who was the leader, was also anxious. He was also worried and regretted their decisions.

They had acted on a temporary impulse when going there. Then again, this rash impulse of his was not a new thing. He had wandered into deep mountains and forests, sealed and forgotten villages, and other places that were said to be haunted by ghosts. Nothing had happened. Unlike this place, where three people had passed out.

The other friend kept praying to God and mumbling prayers. “Bodhisattva, bless us. Bodhisattva, bless us.”

Maybe his prayers worked because they managed to get out of the jungle safely. They immediately found a local clinic to treat their three comatose companions.

“Their vital signs are considered stable,” the doctor said. “Our facility is limited, so we can’t treat them. Hurry to a larger hospital.”

“Doctor, do you mean that the lives of my three friends are not in danger for the time being?”

“That’s the case for now, but it’s hard to say after a long time,” the doctor responsibly said.

“Alright, thank you so much.” After hearing that, the young man hurriedly contacted a bigger hospital that he could take his friends.

There was more news about the Valley of Thousands of Medicine on the Internet.

[The people there don’t understand the outside language. They still speak the local dialect, so we couldn’t communicate with them.]

[It’s a dangerous place. After entering, our party got sick for no reason. We had to abandon the journey halfway through. But the scenery there is really beautiful.]

[Can we go there?]

[If you’re not afraid of death, you can try it.]

A special forum had been created just to discuss the Valley of Thousands of Medicine.

Those who were curious, bored, or adventurous had not stopped exploring the topic because of those posts. Instead, they had ignited their interest.

Hence, more people began to search for the Valley of Thousands of Medicine. Unlike in the past, this time, they had a clear route. Those who had been there before had marked out the exact route.

“Chief?”

“Qingfeng, what did people outside say?”

“It’s not easy to deal with. This time, it’s obvious that someone outside is aggravating this situation. Someone must be working to publicize it behind the scenes.”

“Who is it?”

“We haven’t found the person yet,” Miao Qingfeng said. “It’s not easy to investigate this matter.”

“His goal has been achieved,” Miao Xihe said. “We have been exposed to the world. We are no longer mysterious and isolated from the world.”

All his past efforts and insistence, the customs and traditions that this stockade has passed down for hundreds of years, seemed to be headed for destruction in just a few days. He did not have any good ideas to stop it.

“What should we do?”

“Our people outside are trying to find a way, but the network is too developed now.”

“I see. Leave me.”

“Yes.”

Miao Qingfeng left the cabin.

After he went out and had been walking for a while, he saw a young man with a green sickly face.

“Yinghao, when did you come back?”

“I just came back,” the young man said. “It’s very lively outside!”

“Yes, it’s very lively,” Miao Qingfeng said. “The wind sweeping through the tower heralds a rising storm in the mountains!”

For the first time, he felt that things were happening beyond his expectations and moving out of control. What they were doing now was like trying to wrap fire in paper. They were only suppressing it for a while, not for a lifetime. At some point, the fire was bound to roar back stronger than ever.

“What can I do?” Zhao Yinghao asked.

“You? Nothing is needed for the time being,” Miao Qingfeng replied with a smile.

“These things don’t happen without any reason. There must be someone acting behind the scenes. We have to find out who it is.”

Zhao Yinghao didn’t say anything. He looked around and took in the stockade around him.

“It’s really good here.” He had already regarded this place as his second hometown.

“Yes!”

Miao Qingfeng lit a cigarette.

They were used to living a peaceful life. None of them wanted to be disturbed by outsiders. Furthermore, they didn’t just have a peaceful life here. Other things couldn’t be brought to light. Some things couldn’t be known by outsiders. Those curious outsiders couldn’t be controlled or restricted. That kind of danger had to be nipped in the bud. Unfortunately, the more they tried to suppress the situation, the stronger its aftershocks came at them.

In Jing, thousands of miles away …

Wang Yao had been there for nearly a week. During that time, several guests had visited the Su family. Their real purpose was to see him. They weren’t there to seek treatment. They just wanted to greet him. It was a way of forming a relationship between them.

Su Xiaoxue was about to resume her lessons in school and would be busy again. It was time for Wang Yao to leave.

“Sir, have a safe journey.”

“Alright. Go back in. I’ll come back when I have time.” Wang Yao heled Su Xiaoxue in his arms before leaving.

Their parting words were full of reluctance.

That night, Wang Yao returned home.

The next day, the clinic opened, as usual, to receive patients.

On the first day open, a middle-aged woman came to the mountain village with her son to receive Wang Yao’s treatment.

“How are you feeling these days?” Wang Yao asked.

“I feel great,” He Xiao Rui said with a smile.

Since he had begun receiving treatment there, the young man felt that his body had improved significantly. His mentality had become bright and sunny, and he had grown talkative.

“His body has become strong,” his mother said. “He dares to move now and is more spirited. He also loves to eat.”

“Well, good, we’ll continue treatment today.”

After taking some medicine, acupuncture needles pierced into his skin. Suddenly, someone came in from outside.

“Uncle, what can I do for you?” The man who entered the clinic was Wang Yilong.

“Ah, you have patients,” Wang Yilong hurriedly said. “You go on with your things first. I’ll come back later.”

“It’s fine. You can just tell me if something is going on.”

“There’s nothing much. I’ll come back later.” Wang Yilong waved his hands and smiled left the clinic.

The medicinal bath lasted a long time. It took more than three hours before and after, so Wang Yao didn’t eat lunch.

“Drink some water.”

The medicinal bath was steaming. A body lost a certain amount of water, so it was necessary to replenish the lost moisture in time.

It was nearly 2 p.m. when he finished the treatment.

“Dr. Wang, I’m really sorry for delaying your lunchtime.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Wang Yao said with a smile. “A skipped meal won’t affect me much.”

It was not a huge matter at all. Compared with chief surgeons who had to stand by an operating table for hours, this small degree of hunger was incomparable.

After paying the treatment fees, the mother and son sincerely expressed their gratitude before leaving for the county’s town center.

At about 4 p.m., Wang Yilong returned to the clinic.

“Uncle, what can I do for you?” He had come two times that day. Wang Yao thought the old man must have needed help with something.

“Nothing. I’m here to give you a little thing,” Wang Yilong replied with a smile.

“What is it?”

“Here, I caught this in Beishan Mountain.” Wang Yilong took out a bag, which contained a wild pheasant.

“Ah!” Wang Yao was stunned.

“Is this why you’re here?”

“Yes, this thing tastes quite delicious. It’s just that the meat is a little dry. It needs to be stewed well.”

“No, you don’t need to do this. You can eat it yourself.”

“It’s for you.” Wang Yilong insisted on leaving it there.

“OK, OK, I’ll accept it,” Wang Yao said. “You look better and better, Uncle.”

He had taken his pulse a couple of days ago. The old man was recovering well. The malignant tumors in his body had basically disappeared. Wang Yao’s treatment plan was feasible and effective.

“Yes, I’m much better, Wang Yilong said with a smile. “I go out and take a spin whenever I have time now. I even went to Beishan Mountain yesterday and saw two wild pheasants. I threw a stone at them and, viola, what a coincidence. I hit one.”

“If this happens again, you can just eat it yourself. You need to nourish your body.”

This wild pheasant was delicious and nutritious. It was a real mountain treasure. It was a top-notch nourishing ingredient. These birds were reared and bred in many places now.

After chatting for a while, Wang Yilong cheerfully left.

Wang Yao looked at the pheasant in his hand and murmured, “Alright, let’s take it back.”

“Where is the pheasant from?”

“Uncle Yilong brought it to the clinic this afternoon.”

“Why did you take it?” Zhang Xiuying asked.

“Oh, I didn’t want to, but I couldn’t reject him.”

“Alright, since you’ve already accepted it, I’ll make stew tonight.”