The Spirited Daughter-in-law and the Mountain Man
Chapter 1622 Swamp

The morning air in the forest was exceptionally good, dew drops fell drip by drip from the tree bark into the soil.

Su Qingyue and Fu Chou each got up, the nearby fire pit gradually extinguished as no more firewood was added.

The two ate some dry food, letting the horses graze on the nearby grass. Ghost Forest had no paths, making horseback riding inconvenient, so it was better to walk into the grove.

The forest was filled with weeds, dead branches, and decaying leaves. The deeper they went, the more towering the ancient trees seemed, with the morning sunlight barely penetrating the grove.

The mountain wind blew, chilling them to the bone.

It was a peculiar coldness.

Indeed, this truly seemed like a forest that could claim lives at any moment.

A thumb-sized star anise insect appeared on a piece of rotting wood ahead. It resembled a beetle, yet it wasn’t, densely packed, making one’s scalp crawl just looking at it.

"Master, what kind of insects are those?" Fu Chou’s eyes were vigilant.

"They should be mutated poisonous insects cultivated by Poison King Valley." Su Qingyue bypassed the dense cluster of black poisonous insects, never stopping her steps as she walked deeper into the grove.

The further they went, the more they saw snakes, insects, rats, and ants that weren’t seen before.

Suddenly, a dense mass of pinky-sized ants appeared ahead.

The ants covered a vast area on the ground, like grass growing in the grove, seemingly endless.

If an ordinary person saw this, they would certainly turn and run in fright.

Even someone as calm as Fu Chou felt a chill in his heart.

"Master, there’s no path ahead, what should we do?" He asked, bracing himself, "So many ants, if anyone goes over, they will surely be covered in ants."

A dark carcass of an unknown animal was completely covered by the black giant ants on the ground.

"These ants are also artificially bred. Any kind of meat, human or animal, will be cleanly devoured by these ants. A few bites, and a person will die." Su Qingyue showed no expression, "However, these giant ants are treasures, excellent for making poison."

As she spoke, she walked ahead, and surprisingly, the dense mass of ants voluntarily made way for her.

Fu Chou was astonished but soon understood.

With the master’s medical skill, she had plenty of insect-repellent medicine.

Following her, the ants also kept away from him, indicating that the master had unknowingly applied insect-repellent medicine powder to him as well.

But after only a few steps, Fu Chou’s body suddenly started sinking, "Not good, I’m stuck in the swamp!"

The more he moved, the quicker he sank into the mud.

Su Qingyue walked to a spot under the tree. Where there were trees, there were roots, which provided footing. A strip of white silk shot out from her sleeve pocket, Fu Chou grabbed one end of the white silk and exerted force, flying up and using Qinggong to land beside her, "Thank you, Master, for saving me."

"Be careful." Despite her concern, her tone was very indifferent.

"Thank you for your concern, Master." Fu Chou didn’t understand, "We were walking the same path. Why did I sink into the mud while Master did not?"

"Your weight is heavier than mine, and when I walk, I’m using Water Shallowing Steps with Qinggong, my feet don’t touch the ground. Naturally, I won’t sink into the swamp."

"I’m ashamed, I caused trouble for Master."

Su Qingyue said no more, walking to the deepest part of the grove, finding three paths ahead: straight, left, or right.

The two stopped at the crossroad.