14: Chapter 14 The Fox's Den

The smile on Zhang Youqiang's face deepened, but he used the corner of his eye to surreptitiously scan Ye Jing's expression.

Seeing a flash of curiosity in the elderly man's eyes as expected, he deliberately lowered his voice and said mysteriously, "To tell you the truth, at noon today, we chased a Roe deer deep into the valley and accidentally stumbled upon a hidden mountain stream. There's a den of red-furred foxes hidden there!"

Foxes?!

Wang Laosan sucked in a breath of cold air upon hearing that, his voice rising significantly. "Those are rare! I've heard people say foxes are worth a lot; a single whole fox can be sold for several taels of silver! If we could catch a few cubs alive, I'm afraid they'd fetch an even higher price!"

Zhang Youqiang nodded, his tone carrying a hint of pride mixed with difficulty. "Exactly! There are dozens of foxes in that den, enough for us to make a fortune."

"However, foxes aren't like wild bears; they are cunning and hard to catch. Their nest is in a stone cave halfway up the mountain, and the mountain is filled with thick miasma, making it very difficult to succeed."

Speaking to this point, Zhang Youqiang deliberately paused and looked at Ye Jing, his tone sincere. "Elder Ye, you've lived in the mountains your whole life; you must know a great deal about the deep forest."

"Those red foxes are extremely alert and cunning. I'm afraid the people of Chen Family Village alone would find it hard to succeed, but if our two villages join forces, with you guiding the path and the manpower from both sides, we can surely catch the whole den in one go! When that time comes, we'll split the pelts and the prey equally. What do you think?"

As Zhang Youqiang spoke, he observed Ye Jing's reaction, having already made his calculations in his heart.

In these past few days, Liu Village's ability to capture prey must have been with Ye Jing's help. This old man Ye seemed to know the deep mountains quite well and even had a way to prevent the forest miasma.

As long as Ye Jing agreed to help, the people of Chen Family Village could sit back and enjoy the benefits. They could repay the favor of being saved from the miasma while also gaining real advantages.

As for the sentiment of joining forces, once the foxes were in hand, how they would be divided would be up to Zhang Youqiang anyway.

The people from Chen Family Village nearby also chimed in, speaking all at once, "Elder Ye has plenty of experience; with you there, it will surely be a success."

"Yeah, splitting the benefits equally, neither side loses out!"

Wang Laosan was also lightheaded at the thought of the fox den and followed up with advice, "Uncle Ye, this is a huge opportunity! Foxes are very precious. If we can catch them, we'll be able to raise enough for our tax silver!"

The other people from Liu Village also nodded frequently, their eyes full of expectation.

Ye Jing stroked the beard on his chin, his brow furrowing slightly as he looked at Zhang Youqiang with a deep gaze.

Ye Jing knew exactly what Zhang Youqiang was calculating; he simply saw that both their parties had suffered losses and, seeing that Ye Jing knew much about the deep mountains and could break the toxic miasma, wanted to talk cooperation.

But Zhang Youqiang wasn't wrong; the chances of success for the two villages joining forces were indeed much higher. Moreover, Liu Village's tax silver wouldn't be enough relying solely on their current prey. If they could catch a few foxes, it might solve their urgent problem.

Ye Jing remained silent for a moment before slowly speaking, "Since it's a den of foxes living in a mountain stream cave, they are indeed hard to catch. If there are any Essence Spirits there, it will be dangerous."

"No need to fear!" Zhang Youqiang immediately took over, patting his chest in a guarantee. "With your guidance, we'll just avoid the risks. Elder Ye, rest assured, when the time comes, we people from Chen Family Village will charge at the front and never let the brothers from Liu Village suffer!"

Seeing Zhang Youqiang's eager appearance, a meaningful smile appeared on Ye Jing's face. "Since Hunter Zhang is so sincere, and joining forces is a mutually beneficial matter, then we people of Liu Village agree."

Seeing Ye Jing agree, Zhang Youqiang was overjoyed and quickly cupped his fists. "Naturally! Elder Ye is rich in experience; with you joining, the prey will be as easy as reaching out and taking it!"

Thereupon, the two villages agreed to rest for one night and set out for the valley early the next morning.

The people of Chen Family Village were busy taking care of their unconscious companions, while the people of Liu Village packed their hunting tools and the herbs for breaking the miasma in the mountains.

The next day, as the sky was just beginning to brighten, the people of both villages set out, treading through the dew.

To prevent wild beasts from attacking the injured and unconscious, Ye Jing had Hei Feng stay behind to guard the camp.

The people of Chen Family Village led the way in front, with the people of Liu Village following closely behind. The group walked along the winding mountain path deep into the valley.

The further they walked into the valley, the more profound and secluded the surrounding scenery became.

The mountain walls on both sides were as steep as if carved by knives and axes, with dense ancient vines hanging from the cliffs. The valley floor was somewhat dark, with a thick layer of humus. Towering trees blocked out the sunlight, and the dead branches and fallen leaves on the ground shimmered with a dark green luster.

After the group had walked for about half an hour, the fog ahead grew thicker. It was no longer the morning mist, but a pale green miasma, drifting through the forest like flowing gauze.

The miasma looked soft, but it carried a pungent, rotten stench. Smelling too much of it would make one dizzy; it was exactly the toxic miasma that the Chen Family Village people had fallen victim to yesterday.

"Everyone, stop!" Ye Jing immediately raised his hand and shouted. "The miasma is getting heavier. If we go further, I'm afraid more people will be poisoned!"

Everyone quickly came to a halt. Zhang Youqiang looked up at the green miasma drifting continuously ahead, feeling very wary. "Elder Ye, what should we do?"

Ye Jing turned to the Liu Village people and said, "Take out the herbs I had you pick and distribute them to the Chen brothers. Everyone, burn them on the spot!"

The Liu Village people took out the bundled herbs and lit them. Wisps of blue smoke rose, dispersing the toxic miasma drifting around them a bit.

The Chen Family Village people saw it was indeed effective and immediately lit theirs. Dozens of plumes of blue smoke rose in the forest, gradually forming a faint curtain of smoke.

Strangely, when the green miasma met the smoke from the herbs, it was as if it had met its nemesis, slowly receding and opening a path through the forest.

Seeing this, Zhang Youqiang's eyes were full of praise. It was indeed right to let old man Ye follow along!

The group walked slowly through the blue smoke. The valley was dark and unpredictable, with the miasma blocked by the smoke at their sides. The pungent, rotten smell was gone, replaced by the fresh scent of herbs, which refreshed everyone's spirits.

Ye Jing walked in the middle of the group, his sharp gaze scanning the surroundings.

Ye Yi and Ye Xuan cautiously cleared the way in front. Wang Laosan couldn't help but mutter, "This valley is really eerie. If Uncle Ye didn't have a way, we wouldn't even have been able to take the first step in!"

The people of Chen Family Village naturally chimed in, their words full of relief.

Suddenly, Zhang Youqiang raised his hand, and the group stopped instantly.

At that moment, everyone saw a red-furred fox dart out from the grass. Not far ahead was a towering mountain wall. Zhang Youqiang subconsciously moved to raise his bow and shoot.

Ye Jing stopped him at once. "Hunter Zhang, don't startle the fox!"

Zhang Youqiang's bow was drawn full when he was stopped by Ye Jing's shout. A flash of displeasure crossed his face. "Elder Ye, this fox delivered itself to us; wouldn't it be a pity not to shoot it?"

"This fox is likely testing us for hostility. If you catch it and it cries out, the whole den of foxes will run away!"

Just as he finished speaking, the fox actually stopped, turning its head to observe the group before finally fleeing.

Seeing this, Ye Jing whispered, "Everyone, lighten your steps and follow where that fox fled."

Hearing this, Zhang Youqiang cooperated. Everyone crouched down and moved into the bushes.

When they arrived at the mountain walls where the foxes resided, Ye Jing saw a conspicuous flash of red in the cave ahead through the mist.

Several foxes with fiery red fur were huddling at the cave entrance, carrying prey in their mouths as they entered the den.

The people of Liu Village all widened their eyes in disbelief. They had never even seen a single fox before, let alone so many!