Old Ba wasn't the least bit excited to hear this.
What was so good about knowing they had returned to the surface? For Old Ba, it was practically bad news.
If they hadn't returned to the surface, that would mean Master Duo had been wrong. If those three Mushroom People really did escape, Old Ba wouldn't have to take the blame. It would simply mean Master Duo had misjudged the situation and been too arrogant, letting the three Mushroom People get away without catching up to them.
But if the Mushroom People had really escaped back to the surface, then the responsibility would fall on Old Ba. If they failed to catch up, he'd have a hard time shrugging off the blame.
What, last night, when you were tracking Cen Qi, you could make excuses and say maybe Cen Qi was still inside the castle and hadn't escaped. But what about now?
You were tracking three lowly, weak Mushroom People, and you had dozens, even a hundred, elite men with you, yet you still couldn't catch up. What was that if not uselessness?
But Master Hu had given an order: no matter what, they had to bring those fellows back. They wanted them alive or dead, but they had to see them.
With the responsibility weighing on him, Old Ba was groaning inwardly, but he still had to brace himself and get on with it.
He had always acted decisively. He quickly split his team into several groups and sent them out in different directions to search. At least he wasn't dragging his feet.
Meanwhile, Jiang Yue and his two companions, the ones being so laboriously pursued, were relaxing in a secluded spot. Sheltered by the dense woods and cut off from the outside world, they were perfectly at ease.