Meanwhile...
After hearing Liu Yuan's words...
Vina and Mu Xue shook their heads, looking somewhat helpless.
Vina was the first to step forward and speak:
"No..."
"We asked around, but didn't find out anything useful."
"Great Rock Town is so close to the Great Rock Forest, after all. There are plenty of travelers passing through, but not many local residents."
"So after asking around, I didn't find out anything particularly useful."
Mu Xue, standing to the side, also spoke up:
"Same here."
"Although I did hear some things about Evil Soul Masters, the information came from some mercenaries..."
"I observed them. I got the feeling they were spreading rumors about 'Evil Soul Masters' or 'powerful Soul Beasts' in the area mainly to drive up their own value, so they could trick passing merchants into hiring them."
"So I don't think they're very trustworthy either."
After Mu Xue and Vina finished speaking, they both let out a sigh.
After all...
They'd spent a long time trying to gather information.
But in the end, they found they still had nothing to show for it...
That was certainly discouraging.
However...
At that very moment,
Both Mu Xue and Vina noticed something.
Although they'd said they had come up empty...
Ning Feng, on the other hand, showed no disappointment at all after hearing what they had to say.
Instead, a knowing smile appeared on his face.
Mu Xue and Vina couldn't help but pause in surprise.
Wait...
Judging by Junior Brother's reaction...
Could it be?
The two of them couldn't help asking Ning Feng, "Junior Brother, what are you smiling about?"
Ning Feng said, "Take a guess."
Vina pretended to get angry. "Hurry up and tell us, or Senior Sister's going to get mad!"
Only then did Ning Feng burst out laughing. He turned to Vina and said, "Actually... Senior Sister, I really did find out a few things."
Vina and Mu Xue immediately looked as if to say, "Just as we thought."
Ning Feng continued, "I heard that there have indeed been four strange murders in the Great Rock Forest recently."
"In all four cases, everyone involved died mysteriously, and not a single body was left behind."
Mu Xue's eyes lit up. "Evil Soul Masters!"
Vina continued questioning Ning Feng. "Junior Brother, apart from that... is there any other important information?"
Ning Feng smiled. "There is!"
"I also found out that the groups involved in all four cases were fairly large."
"So I suspect these Evil Soul Masters are cultivating some kind of large-scale dark art that requires a lot of sacrifices. That's why they specifically target large groups."
Vina said with a look of approval, "Mm, that's a reasonable guess. Otherwise, it couldn't be such a coincidence."
Mu Xue asked Ning Feng again, "So, Junior Brother, you already have an idea of what to do, right?"
Ning Feng nodded. "Mm."
"Since the Evil Soul Masters are targeting large groups..."
"We could wait here in Great Rock Town a little longer. There are plenty of merchants passing through the area. Once we spot a large caravan, we can find a way to join it, then wait for the Evil Soul Masters to come to us."
Vina and Mu Xue's eyes lit up. "That's a great plan, Junior Brother! Let's do it!"
They immediately began to flesh out the plan.
Then they headed outside to watch for caravans.
While they were waiting for one, Mu Xue finally got a chance to ask the question that had been puzzling her most. "Junior Brother... how did you find out about this?"
Vina was also a little puzzled. She'd carefully asked around the town earlier, so how had she failed to find such important information?
Ning Feng smiled mysteriously.
"You two Senior Sisters don't understand, do you?"
Vina and Mu Xue looked even more confused.
Ning Feng continued, "Here on the Douluo Continent, especially in places close to wilderness and forests, there's a kind of person called a corpse scavenger."
"These people might not be very strong, and they might not have a proper job. They might even be lazy and spend their days just getting by."
"But because of their work and temperament, they end up doing things like scavenging corpses in dangerous places."
"And people like that are the best informed in a place like Great Rock Town."
"I got my information from them."
Vina and Mu Xue immediately understood.
After all, they were both members of the royal family, accustomed to living above everyone else. Whenever they needed information, they sent their servants to gather it. They had no idea there was so much to it.
After hearing Ning Feng's explanation, both Vina and Mu Xue felt a surge of admiration for him.
Junior Brother was pretty impressive...
Vina and Mu Xue really did think Ning Feng was impressive.
He wasn't just extraordinarily talented and strong...
He also knew more than they did about things like this.
That was only natural to make Vina and Mu Xue feel more at ease on their first sect mission.
So as they looked at Ning Feng, their gazes couldn't help but grow gentler.
They continued waiting where they were.
Finally, after a little while...
They found a suitable target.
It was a large merchant caravan.
Since it was transporting a lot of goods, the caravan had a lot of people as well.
Ning Feng and the others quickly put their plan into action.
Then they found an opportunity to join the caravan.
They entered the Great Rock Forest alongside the caravan, hiding their cultivation the entire way and not letting anything slip.
Another three days passed.
Ning Feng and the others had traveled through the Great Rock Forest for three days. They were getting closer and closer to the forest's exit, but they still hadn't found the Evil Soul Masters they were looking for.
This inevitably made Ning Feng and the others start to have doubts.
Mu Xue: "Could it be... that Junior Brother's guess was wrong? These Evil Soul Masters aren't targeting large merchant caravans?"
Vina: "That doesn't seem right, does it?"
Ning Feng was also starting to feel puzzled.
But just then, a pungent, bloody stench drifted through the air.
"What a strong stench!"
Ning Feng couldn't help frowning.
But in the next moment, he quickly spotted seven or eight shadows summoning one evil Martial Soul after another.
Then they suddenly appeared from all directions and charged at them with terrifying speed.
Ning Feng immediately broke into a cold smile.
"You finally showed up, Evil Soul Masters!"
Before you continue