The Martial Artist Turned Movie Mogul
Chapter 998 - 997. Sure enough, it’s you guys (first update)

Chapter 998: 997. Sure enough, it’s you guys (first update)

They were practically driven out by the village chief wielding a stick.

Awkwardly, the group followed the two men who had monitored them last night on their way out of the village. Even from far away, they could still see the old man standing by the stream, his face full of disdain.

"So, is this village chief really herding ducks?"

"He only has two ducks. Why would he need a five-meter-long stick to herd them? They’d jump into the river on their own."

"I genuinely thought for a moment that the village chief was going to throw the stick right at our faces. Terrifying."

Shang Xiaoyan shuddered suddenly, unsure whether it was the morning chill freezing her or the death glare from the village chief that unnerved her.

"Let’s go, let’s go. We’ve got to get back to school this afternoon. This has been awful—only gathering two wild ginsengs on this trip."

Wen Nuan patted the part of her backpack where the herbs were stored. The group adjusted their clothes tightly against their bodies, perfectly portraying college students inexperienced with societal hardships. Among the five, the only professional... Tang Shu concluded there was no space for her expertise here and chose to remain a quiet observer like a transparent figure.

She’d never imagined even in National Security, acting could become so fiercely competitive!

Thank goodness she was still skilled and had decent medical knowledge.

"Oh? Are you leaving already? Why not stay a few more days?"

At the village entrance, they encountered Miss Ah Cui again from the previous day. Wearing a dark red locally-embroidered outfit today, the silver accessories on her head still shone brightly under the sunlight.

Shang Xiaoyan enthusiastically waved to greet her, "It’s Ah Cui! Good morning! We need to rush back to school; today’s the last day of our break."

"So, you’re not searching for wild ginseng anymore?"

"Our luck’s terrible..."

Shang Xiaoyan scratched her nose awkwardly as the boys flushed red in embarrassment. "But this trip wasn’t entirely fruitless; our practical research paper is totally sorted now."

"I see... Well, then, safe travels! The mountain roads here aren’t easy to navigate, so be careful along the way."

"We will! Oh, Miss Ah Cui, we’ll have to pass through the toxic mist outside the village. Can you give us some detoxifying herbs to put in our tea water?"

"You know this herb is detoxifying?"

Ah Cui seemed pleasantly surprised, casually plucking a handful from the ground and handing it over, "Here, this is the sharp grass. Don’t be fooled by its unimpressive appearance; just drop one into water, and it’ll counteract the toxicity of the mist!"

Shang Xiaoyan stared blankly at the herb she took, scrutinizing it for a while before looking awkwardly at the surrounding area, which was filled with identical sharp grass, threatening to cause an ecological overload. She started questioning life itself.

Her expression clearly delighted Miss Ah Cui, whose laughter echoed through the village.

"We’ve never seen this... sharp grass? Are you sure it’s detoxifying?"

It was everywhere—especially around Miss Ah Cui’s house, growing so densely it was nearly invasive.

"Of course, you haven’t. It only exists in Collar Village and thrives near toxic mist. Poisonous plants are often accompanied by their antidotes—that’s what Ah Da taught me."

"I see, thank you very much, Miss Ah Cui."

The woman waved dismissively, quickly hopping back to her house, while the handful of sharp grass naturally ended up in Tang Shu’s hands.

The two men leading the way finally broke their silence, their faces darkened as they glanced sharply and impatiently at the group.

"Let’s go."

Wen Nuan and Tang Shu redirected their gaze from the men, exchanged a look, and followed the group onward. Twisting through winding mountain trails, they eventually arrived at the village edge, where the dense fog of toxic mist became clearly visible in the distance.

"This is it. We won’t go any further. Just follow this path straight ahead," one of the men said.

"Thank you, brothers. We’re off now," Shang Xiaoyan replied politely, paying no heed to the men’s impatience. The two men turned without another word, walking back the way they came, eager to rid themselves of what they surely saw as a burden.

About a kilometer wide, the thick mist severely reduced visibility in the mountains. With each step, one false move could mean losing someone without noticing. Two small teams were formed to supervise each other, trudging cautiously in the same direction.

After walking for approximately five minutes, they began to feel the tension in the air. Wen Nuan subtly raised her hand, signaling everyone to stay alert and slow their pace.

The patience of their hidden adversaries quickly waned, and movement began soon after. In no time, they heard the unmistakable sound of something piercing through the air.

The sound was all too familiar—everyone instantly identified what it was.

"Crossbows!"

The five felt a chill, urgently dodging the incoming arrows and using the mountain’s trees as cover. Within seconds, seven or eight arrows scattered across the ground.

As Wen Nuan raised her right hand, she simultaneously pressed a button, launching her concealed sleeve arrow. In an instant, a muffled grunt echoed from the other side. Tang Shu coordinated seamlessly, casually picking up an arrow lodged in the ground and using her inner strength to hurl it back in one fluid motion, eliciting another pained grunt from the mountainside.

Shang Xiaoyan and the others moved swiftly ahead, locating their hidden enemies in short order. A dagger appeared in Shang Xiaoyan’s hand, the blade pressed against one opponent’s throat as she flashed a wide, toothy grin—one that was far from friendly.

"Hi, fancy meeting you here, big brother."

Wen Nuan and Tang Shu followed close behind, discovering one of the ambushers who’d been felled by Tang Shu. He was unconscious, sprawled awkwardly against the rocks.

"Even without the sleeve arrow, your aim is impressive. Did you learn directly from General Tang?"

"..."

Tang Shu’s face darkened instantly. Ever since participating in "One Day Idol," countless people had mentioned that name near her ears.

"Perhaps. The Tang family seems to have an innate obsession with hidden weapons."

Though she still didn’t know the connection between this Tang family and Damo’s Tang family, she was certain they shared many similarities in some respect.

The two stepped around the unconscious guide while Shang Xiaoyan faced another opponent who clutched his bleeding chest, now glaring at them maliciously and in shock.

"Who... exactly are you?!"

No one answered his question; they merely looked at him to confirm their suspicions.

"So it really is you all."

The two men turned out to be the guides sent by the village chief. After leading them out, they should have returned to the village. However, Shang Xiaoyan had already been informed by Captain Song about the village’s situation.

They hadn’t gone back but instead retraced their steps together and followed the group into the mountains.