Tracking

"I got him!" Zuo Gaofeng shouted.

Wei Hongqing rushed forward a few steps, kicked the net bag, and struck Lu Zi'an inside. He reached out to feel his wrist. "He's dead!"

Zuo Gaofeng asked, "Dead? Is dead no good? Do you want him alive?"

Wei Hongqing confirmed Lu Zi'an's death and shook his head. "Tianmu Mountain didn't specify dead or alive..."

Zuo Gaofeng said nervously, "They won't deduct the reward, right?"

Wei Hongqing replied, "I'll try. I'll try my best." He reached into Lu Zi'an's corpse and fumbled for a moment. Besides the short sword and five spirit stones, there was nothing else.

Zuo Gaofeng asked, "No Foundation Establishment Pill?"

Tan Bazhang said uneasily, "Could this guy have already taken it?"

Wei Hongqing shook his head. "I checked his meridians. His Sea of Qi isn't formed, not even a trace. He wouldn't be like this if he'd taken a Foundation Establishment Pill. Besides, it's only been a few days; he couldn't have reached perfection so quickly. He wouldn't have been able to take it... It might still be in the cave. If not, we'll have to rely on that woman. Where's the Hermit? Where did he go?"

Liu Xiaolou, who was at the back, had seen everything clearly. He replied, "The Hermit is guarding that woman. She can't run away."

Tan Bazhang picked up the net bag, along with Lu Zi'an's corpse, and slung it over his shoulder. The group immediately hurried back to the cave.

The bonfire in the cave was still burning, but the Western Mountain Hermit was gone, and so was the woman named Ping Gu. The cave wasn't large, and it was immediately obvious that the end was a mess: broken wine jars, overturned iron pots and wooden bowls, and a felt mat torn to shreds.

The few men exchanged glances, all feeling uneasy.

"The Hermit... something happened to him?" Tan Bazhang asked, his voice trembling.

Wei Hongqing frowned. "Search!"

The men split up to search. Soon, Zuo Gaofeng found a few drops of blood outside the cave. Then, he found the same bloodstains further away. He said hatefully, "What a scoundrel! We worked so hard, and some thief came to snatch the prize!"

Wei Hongqing's face turned ashen, and he took the lead in pursuing.

The bloodstains were intermittent but unbroken, clearly indicating the direction the thief had fled. The thief re-entered the tunnel, returned to the courtyard from the tunnel, then climbed over the wall and fled eastward.

Tan Bazhang, carrying Lu Zi'an's corpse, found it cumbersome, but Wei Hongqing disagreed with putting it down. They had already lost the Foundation Establishment Pill. If they lost Lu Zi'an as well, all their efforts would have been in vain.

Moreover, they hadn't found the Western Mountain Hermit's body, nor even Ping Gu's body. This suggested that both of them were likely still alive, and perhaps even being forced to flee with the other party, who also seemed to be moving with difficulty.

So, the men took turns carrying the net bag with Lu Zi'an's corpse, following the bloodstains and various footprints eastward.

After crossing the Yangliu River, the bloodstains disappeared. However, on the stone beach of the river bend, they found a woman's sock. Zuo Gaofeng immediately recognized it as Ping Gu's sock.

Continuing in this direction, they found a tattered piece of cloth hanging on a tree, and more dripping bloodstains.

Wei Hongqing judged that the other party was clearly in a panic and had very few people, lacking in strength, otherwise they wouldn't have left so many traces.

They pursued like this for a whole night, covering nearly a hundred miles. Even Tan Bazhang was starting to get a headache. "How much blood did the Hermit leave? If it were with that woman Ping Gu, it would be better, but if not..."

A peach orchard appeared ahead. Zuo Gaofeng, who was in the lead, suddenly made a gesture, indicating that there was something ahead.

The men were greatly invigorated and fanned out to surround the area.

Liu Xiaolou was already carrying the corpse for the second rotation, falling behind. By the time he arrived, Wei Hongqing, Zuo Gaofeng, and Tan Bazhang were all gathered around another corpse, each in silent contemplation.

It was Ping Gu's body, discarded in the wilderness. The other party hadn't even bothered to bury her.

Wei Hongqing let out a long sigh of relief. "It's not the Hermit's..."

Zuo Gaofeng asked, "What about this woman's body? Is it useful?"

Wei Hongqing shook his head. "It's not useful."

The men dispersed to continue searching for tracks. While they were doing so, Liu Xiaolou hastily dug a hole and buried Ping Gu.

After the night's pursuit, Zuo Gaofeng's tracking skills were fully displayed. For the initial clues from the previous night, everyone could find them together. After crossing the Yangliu River, he found eighty percent of the clues. He was adept at finding clues from the slightest traces and determining directions. This time was no exception. Based on a broken half-section of a peach branch, he deduced that the other party had changed direction and turned southeast.

Tan Bazhang came over to help and took over the corpse of Lu Zi'an. Liu Xiaolou felt significantly relieved. Carrying over a hundred pounds and running for dozens of miles would make even someone at the Qi Refining third layer feel tired.

The two of them, trailing behind, couldn't help but whisper to each other.

"Chieftain Zuo's skill in tracking enemies is truly remarkable. How did he learn it? Does Younger Brother Liu know?"

"To be honest, I only knew him casually before. I just heard that he came from a family of hunters in the south and I don't remember when he moved to our Wulong Mountain."

"A hunter? He's much more than a hunter."

"Indeed. A hunter at the Qi Refining Level 7 is naturally more capable."

"Those who can establish themselves in Wulong Mountain must have some real skills. Chieftain Zuo's skills are extraordinary. By the way, Younger Brother Liu's skills are also extraordinary!"

"Brother Tan is too kind. What skills do I have? They're not worth mentioning."

"Why should Younger Brother be so modest? Shall I call you Xiaolou from now on?"

"Yes, Brother Tan."

"Xiaolou, what are the Western Mountain Hermit's skills?"

"I really don't know about that. He's far from us. You know, Wulong Mountain isn't small..."

As they were talking, Wei Hongqing looked back and interrupted them. His expression was grave. "The Hermit is skilled in magic arrays, but he doesn't have the money to buy good array discs. I've always thought that if I ever get my chance, I'll definitely find him some good array discs... Alas..."

Liu Xiaolou comforted him, "Don't worry, Brother Wei. The Hermit will get through this. We brothers will definitely save him."

Wei Hongqing sighed deeply. "I hope so..."

As they were speaking, Zuo Gaofeng, who was ahead, stopped again and muttered, "This isn't right..."

Several of them were very nervous. "What? Did you lose them?"

Zuo Gaofeng said, "We're already two li away, and there are no new clues. Either the other party flew away, or..."

Wei Hongqing immediately became alert. "Let's go back!"

The four quickly returned the way they came. Zuo Gaofeng leaped back to the spot where the branch had broken and examined it carefully. "The thief climbed this tree, then leaped to that tree, and then this one. No problem..."

Wei Hongqing said, "Spread out and search again!"

Liu Xiaolou looked around and saw the dirt pit where Ping Gu's body had been buried earlier. The slightly raised mound of earth seemed a bit higher?

He didn't remember filling in so much dirt.

With that thought, he hurried over. As he got closer, he saw that the mound was the same as before, with no difference. He must have imagined it.

When he turned around to look for Wei Hongqing and the others, he found that the three of them had suddenly disappeared. He froze and called out, "Brother Wei... Brother Tan... Chieftain Zuo?"

But no one answered. The forest was deathly silent.