Chapter 047: Snatching Food from the Tiger’s Mouth—The Yellow Ginseng King!

Now that he knew there were others after the treasure, Song Kai became even more cautious. He didn’t dare pause for a moment, running along the narrow path up the mountain for a full ten minutes.

This trail, told to him by Uncle Chen, was fairly easy to traverse. After ten minutes, Song Kai found himself above the group of pursuers. They hadn’t bothered searching for the burly man he’d knocked out; instead, they ascended slowly, climbing rope by rope.

Hiding behind a large boulder, Song Kai observed them. Each man moved with agility—clearly accustomed to rock climbing and fitness. Every one carried a backpack, obviously loaded with weapons.

Song Kai scanned his surroundings. Not far away stood an old tea tree; it seemed Uncle Chen had gathered tea leaves from this very tree. The supreme Polygonatum should be nearby.

Song Kai, anxious, crouched behind the rock. He couldn’t go out searching now; if the Dragon Seekers snatched the supreme Polygonatum, it would be disastrous.

As he pondered his next move, suddenly—there was a thunderous blast, as if dynamite had been detonated for quarrying. Startled, Song Kai peered below.

The Dragon Seekers were tossing a bundle of detonators into a cave at the edge of the cliff.

“Could they know the supreme Polygonatum is inside that cave?” Song Kai was stunned, but even more anxious. Clearly, their information exceeded his; he didn’t know the exact location, but they knew the cave precisely.

Just as worry seized him, a black-brown creature suddenly darted out of the cave. Song Kai froze in astonishment, gazing at the creature: a worm-like being, three meters long and as thick as a basketball.

Yes, an earthworm!

Had it been a three-meter python, Song Kai wouldn’t have been surprised—snakes could grow that long. But a monstrous earthworm of such size was astonishing. It must have lived for countless years.

The earthworm shot out of the cave, like a gigantic strip of flesh, twisting and springing toward the Dragon Seekers.

Song Kai realized at once: this was surely the guardian beast of the supreme Polygonatum! Every heavenly treasure had a guardian creature, bound in symbiotic existence. This earthworm’s size was undoubtedly due to the ambient spiritual energy provided by the supreme Polygonatum.

“Detonate!” cried the captain of the Dragon Seekers, a man in his sixties named Zhang Zhuzi.

Despite his age, Zhang Zhuzi was agile, showing none of the frailty of old age. Though his parents named him Zhang Zhuzi, no one called him that anymore; everyone addressed him respectfully as Fifth Master Zhang.

At his command, the buried landmine exploded with a boom.

After the blast, blades shot everywhere! The explosive wasn’t powerful, but it was packed with blades that flew out and embedded themselves in the giant earthworm’s body.

The earthworm writhed in pain, not dead but enraged, and chased after Fifth Master Zhang and his men. Yet, with blades stuck in its flesh, its movements slowed, likely because the pain intensified as it rubbed against the ground.

At this point, Fifth Master Zhang’s crew drew hunting rifles and electric rods, preparing for battle. The rifles were loaded with strong tranquilizer darts.

Song Kai stayed hidden behind the stone, watching Fifth Master Zhang’s practiced, methodical ambush and handling of the giant earthworm. Clearly, they’d rehearsed this scenario. From their actions, Song Kai deduced they intended to capture the earthworm alive.

This was his chance!

Determined, Song Kai crept toward the cave entrance. Fortune favors the bold—if the Dragon Seekers seized the supreme Polygonatum, he would have waited in vain.

As the seekers tried to capture the earthworm alive, Song Kai slipped directly into the cave.

Inside, the stench was overwhelming—wet, rotten earth everywhere. But Song Kai ignored it, crawling swiftly into the depths. After advancing seven or eight meters, he felt a surge of pure spiritual energy.

“It’s here!”

Unable to wait any longer, Song Kai hurried forward. The cave extended more than twenty meters.

When he reached the end, he saw a cluster of golden light lying there, with countless root-like tendrils.

Swallowing hard, Song Kai realized it truly was the supreme Polygonatum, nearly ready to transform!

This Polygonatum, by its appearance, had matured for at least eight hundred, perhaps a thousand years. In fact, Polygonatum hundreds of years old grew enormous—larger than a human. Such specimens were indeed supreme, with potent medicinal properties.

Yet, even those weren’t the best. If a giant Polygonatum continued to mature, it wouldn’t grow larger; instead, it would shrink, condensing until it was the size of a fist.

At this stage, the Polygonatum would transform—into a humanoid or an insect, able to move on its own.

The specimen before Song Kai, though not yet transformed, had clearly condensed from a giant to a small form.

A true treasure!

Song Kai pulled out a red cloth and covered the supreme Polygonatum. It possessed a faint consciousness and tried to struggle.

Song Kai wouldn’t let it escape. He drew his dagger, severed the root tendrils, and wrapped the Polygonatum tightly, then dashed out of the cave.

Outside, four or five men were approaching—the Dragon Seekers had evidently subdued the earthworm.

The group saw Song Kai emerge from the cave and froze. Instantly, they drew their guns and aimed at him.

Song Kai rolled on the ground, but the terrain was steep—he couldn’t stop himself and tumbled down the cliff.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

Gunshots rang out; a bullet grazed his backside as he fell.

Song Kai cursed inwardly. With his free hand, he pulled the dagger from his boot and plunged it into the cliff wall.

He kept sliding downward. The trees around him couldn’t halt his fall—the cliff was too steep and high.

“Damn! Am I going to die here? That won’t do. If I die now, there might not be another chance for soul transmigration,” Song Kai muttered, stabbing his dagger into rocks as he went.

At last, the descent slowed.

A pine tree blocked his path—he grabbed it with both arms.

Crack! The pine snapped.

Song Kai cursed again as he continued sliding, but fortunately, more pine trees appeared below.

After several desperate grabs, Song Kai finally halted, standing on a protruding rock. Looking up, white clouds billowed overhead; looking down, mist shrouded everything below.

No visible edge above, no bottom below—only the sound of water trickling somewhere beneath.

He now stood midway down the cliff, unable to ascend or descend, stranded on a rock barely half a square meter in size, enough for one person. Any movement risked a fatal fall.

Song Kai frowned, gasping for breath—the moment before had been life and death.

The Dragon Seekers were not only skilled, but ruthless and accurate with their firearms.

Suddenly, more than a dozen stones tumbled down from above.

Song Kai pressed himself against the cliff, watching the rocks fall past.

He realized the bastards hadn’t given up; they wanted to find him or make sure he died.

At that moment, Fifth Master Zhang stood grim-faced on the cliff, his clothes whipping in the mountain wind. He stared at the cave where the giant earthworm had emerged, his expression dark as storm clouds.

“Master, what do we do now?” A middle-aged man beside him asked in a low, deferential tone.

Fifth Master Zhang snorted coldly. “Alive, bring me the man. Dead, bring me his corpse! The treasure guarded by that giant earthworm must be priceless—it could let a martial artist leap straight into the innate realm! That fool dared to snatch it right under my nose. Unforgivable!”

“Yes, sir!”

The middle-aged man nodded, then began directing the Dragon Seekers to prepare ropes and gear for a search below. He took out a special phone and dialed.

Soon after, the local police of Enshi received orders from above: a very important tourist had fallen from the Old Cliff, into the mountain gorge. He must be found at all costs.

And so, hundreds of police officers and rescue workers began searching below…