Eagles and Hounds Appear Together

"No need! I'll send you to meet Wu Tong right now!" Shi Mu said expressionlessly. With a flick of his arm, the Sun and Moon Blades at his waist flashed out, and he cut off Wu Hua's head, killing him beyond any doubt.

The girl beside him paled slightly at the sight.

Shi Mu, however, simply walked over to the horses and picked out the two largest Green Maple Steeds, hitching them to the carriage once more.

An incense stick's time later, Shi Mu was once again racing down the main road in the gray carriage.

Although he had already killed Wu Tong, an early-stage Houtian martial artist, he dared not let his guard down for a moment with Fifth Master Jin still in pursuit.

After all, he had heard that Fifth Master Jin was a mid-stage Houtian martial artist, whose strength far surpassed that of an early-stage Houtian fighter like Wu Tong.

At the same time, more than thirty miles behind the carriage, the Jin Family's party was also galloping in hot pursuit. Three strange eagles, white all over with emerald-green heads, had appeared in the sky, wings spread as they flew several miles ahead.

As the sky began to grow faintly pale, the gray carriage finally reached the edge of a vast, unbroken mountain range that stretched beyond sight.

Without hesitation, Shi Mu abandoned the carriage and charged into the mountains with Zhong Xiu.

Two hours later, the Jin Family's party also caught up, driving their carriage to the spot.

Fifth Master Jin sat astride a scarlet horse. Looking at the gray carriage and the two Green Wind Colts abandoned nearby, he barked at the tall and short figures beside him:

"Have the Green-Headed Eagles fly lower. Release all the Blood Hounds and track them down!"

The tall Eagle Servant nodded, pulled a silver whistle from his robe, and raised it to his lips.

A piercing sequence of one long and three short whistles rang out. The three strange eagles high overhead immediately folded their wings and plunged down, then began circling widely over the area.

The sharp-eared, monkey-faced Hound Servant jumped down from his horse and went straight to the black carriage. He yanked open the door, and five enormous hounds, each as big as a calf, sprang out.

The giant hounds had bulging, emerald-green eyes and blood-red, hairless bodies. Their mouths opened and closed, revealing teeth that looked razor-sharp.

The Hound Servant then pulled a gray garment from the bundle on his back and tossed it onto the ground. After letting several Blood Hounds sniff it, he gave a low command that sounded like a dog's growl.

At once, several Blood Hounds sprang off toward the mountains.

"Follow them. The Blood Hounds have caught the lingering scent of whoever wore that garment," the Hound Servant said, delighted.

"Excellent. It was worth going all the way to that bastard's home to find the clothes he wore so often. Let's go!" Fifth Master Jin snarled.

As soon as he finished speaking, he too jumped down from his horse and raced after the Blood Hounds into the mountains, swift as the wind.

The Dog and Eagle Servants naturally followed close behind.

In the blink of an eye, only the carriage driver, who knew no martial arts, remained behind.

With Zhong Xiu, who could no longer walk, on his back, Shi Mu trudged through a patch of mountain forest. Suddenly, he heard a clear cry from above. He froze and immediately looked up.

A strange eagle, white all over, had appeared above the forest at some point. It circled over his position, crying without pause!

Shi Mu frowned at the sight, then ignored it and continued forward. Soon, he realized that the strange eagle was moving along with him overhead, its cries growing more and more urgent.

"Something's wrong. This eagle is acting strangely! Miss Zhong, get down for now." Shi Mu's heart tightened, and he spoke without hesitation.

"All right, Big Brother Shi. Be careful." Exhaustion had nearly lulled the girl to sleep on his back. At his words, she immediately woke, her voice full of worry.

Shi Mu nodded and carefully lowered her to the ground. Then he reached up, took the Purple Steel Bow from his shoulder, and looked skyward as he nocked an arrow.

With a whoosh, the strange eagle shrieked and plummeted from the sky like a shooting star.

"All right, let's get moving!" Shi Mu let out a long breath, lowered the purple greatbow, and said with a smile.

But the moment the words left his mouth, another cry sounded in the distance. Two more white strange eagles flew over, though this time they circled in the sky over a mile away, keeping well clear of him.

Shi Mu's expression changed dramatically. Without a word, he scooped Zhong Xiu into his arms and sprinted toward a nearby hill.

"Big Brother Shi, what's happening? Could those eagles have been trained by someone?" Zhong Xiu asked, puzzled, from his arms.

"Exactly. I once heard Steward Cheng mention that the Jin Family has Green-Headed Eagles skilled at tracking. They can fly a thousand miles in a day without landing. But these eagles usually work alongside another tracking beast, the Blood Hound." Shi Mu answered quickly, his face dark, the wind roaring in his ears.

His legs pumped, and he ran no slower than an ordinary swift horse.

"Blood Hounds? Could they be..."

"Awooo!"

Just as Zhong Xiu seemed to understand, a fierce chorus of barking came from behind them, not far away.

Several enormous, blood-red hounds suddenly burst from the brush a hundred or so yards behind them and charged after Shi Mu.

"Shi Mu, I've finally found you! You bastard, you dared to kill my only son! Even skinning you alive and tearing out your tendons wouldn't soothe the hatred in my heart!" A long-faced, short-bearded middle-aged man appeared behind the brush, holding a pair of golden short clubs. Two other men, one tall and one short, followed behind him, armed with a saber and a sword.

It was Fifth Master Jin and the Dog and Eagle Servants.

Though Shi Mu had left two hours before them, Zhong Xiu had slowed him down, while the Jin Family's party had the Green-Headed Eagles and Blood Hounds to help them. They had followed the trail almost without taking a single wrong turn, and now they had finally caught up.

Shi Mu's heart sank. He knew there was no way he could shake them off now.

He immediately set Zhong Xiu down and said in a low voice:

"Quick, keep running on your own. I'll hold them off."

"No. This time, I'm staying with Big Brother Shi. Without you, I wouldn't get far anyway. If we have to die, then we'll die together." Zhong Xiu stood still, speaking with remarkable calm.

Warmth welled up in Shi Mu's heart. He studied the girl for a few moments before finally saying:

"All right. If that's what you want, you can stay. But hide first, so I can give the enemy my full attention."

"Then I'll hide behind that boulder. Big Brother Shi, be careful!" Zhong Xiu nodded and ran toward a huge boulder not far away.

Shi Mu drew a deep breath and lifted his arm, taking the purple greatbow from his shoulder once more.

In the brief time this had taken, the Blood Hounds had already cleared several obstacles and closed to within fifty or sixty yards.