"This winter was bad," he said grimly. "Worse than before."
Another nodded.
"Beast attacks. Packs coming down from the mountains. The guards barely held them off."
"They had to call for reinforcements twice."
"And hunters…" the man hesitated. "Nearly eighty percent of those who went in near the end of autumn never came back."
A heavy silence followed.
Han Yu's grip on his cup tightened slightly.
"I also heard," someone added quietly, "that people have been disappearing. Even near the mountain entrance."
Han Yu lowered his gaze, hiding the cold flicker in his eyes.
'So it really had been Danqing Xun.'
As the conversation continued, someone else chimed in.
"Ah, right. There was also that herb."
"What herb?" another asked.
"The rare one. I think they called it the uh... Cold moon? Cold Ice? No.... Cold Silk Orchid. Yeah, that's it."
A murmur spread through the group.
"I heard a team went after it."
"Only one came back."
