Undercurrents Stirring, a Mole Within the Caravan

The sound of hoofbeats drew closer and closer. Huo Yuhao remained calm on the surface, but within the [Thought Palace], his mind was rapidly analyzing the situation.

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Captain Lei Ming shouted, drawing his saber.

Taking advantage of the chaos, Huo Yuhao quietly activated his Spirit Eye Martial Soul. His spiritual power spread out in an instant, piercing through the night and locking onto the distant group.

[Detection Result: Thirty-seven people, fully armed, with no low-level soul masters among them.]

But what shocked him even more was that among the figures at the front of the group, he actually saw Mo Sen!

No, that was not Mo Sen himself, but a man who looked extremely similar to him.

[Thought Palace, Deep Analysis]

[Inference: Mo Sen most likely has a brother or accomplice. This approach is absolutely no coincidence.]

"Captain!" A guard pointed into the distance. "They've stopped!"

Sure enough, that group stopped five hundred meters away from the caravan, seemingly waiting for some signal.

Huo Yuhao's heart sank as he secretly observed Mo Sen's reaction.

The man appeared nervous as well, but his tension was clearly an act.

"Could they be bandits?" a guard asked worriedly.

"Doesn't look like it." Lei Ming frowned. "What bandits are this organized?"

At that moment, Mo Sen stepped forward on his own initiative. "Captain, let me go negotiate with them."

"That's too dangerous." Lei Ming shook his head.

"It's fine. Maybe it's just a misunderstanding." Mo Sen insisted. "I'm decent with words. I'll see if we can settle this peacefully."

Huo Yuhao sneered inwardly. The guy was in such a hurry to deliver the message.

"Fine, then. Be careful." Lei Ming finally agreed.

Mo Sen rode off, while Huo Yuhao quietly activated his Spirit Eye to track him.

Five minutes later, Mo Sen met the other side's leader in the open ground between them.

The two exchanged a few words. Although Huo Yuhao could not hear them, he could make out some of it from their lip movements.

"Proceed according to plan... cargo secure... tomorrow at dusk..."

[Thought Palace, Intelligence Integration]

[Conclusion: Mo Sen is indeed the mole. The caravan is heading into a trap.]

Mo Sen returned quickly, wearing an expression of great relief.

"How did it go?" Lei Ming hurriedly asked.

"False alarm." Mo Sen wiped the sweat from his forehead. "They're a merchant caravan escort that took the wrong road. They've already turned around and left."

Huo Yuhao secretly curled his lip. What terrible acting.

Sure enough, the distant group did leave, but Huo Yuhao knew it was only a temporary retreat.

That night, the caravan set up camp in an open area.

After everyone had fallen asleep, Huo Yuhao began his own operation.

First step: inspect the cargo.

He had long suspected that there was something wrong with the heavily guarded crates. Tonight was the perfect chance to verify it.

Under the moonlight, Huo Yuhao arrived at the cargo area.

Several guards on night watch were patrolling nearby. Huo Yuhao avoided them and quietly approached the target crates.

These crates looked completely ordinary on the outside, but their weight was obviously wrong.

Huo Yuhao lightly tapped the side of one crate. The sound was dull and heavy.

[Thought Palace, Material Analysis]

[Estimate: The crates contain high-density metal and are highly likely to hold rare alloys.]

He took out his tools and carefully pried open one corner of a crate.

What was revealed inside made him suck in a sharp breath.

Star Silver Alloy!

This material was worth a fortune in soul tool crafting. A small piece alone could be exchanged for a house!

And this crate contained at least dozens of kilograms!

Huo Yuhao quickly inspected several other crates and found that they were all filled with similar rare materials.

Thunder Pattern Gold, soul power crystals, Purple Demon Crystals... every one of them was a core material for crafting top-tier soul tools.

[Thought Palace, Calculating Total Value]

[Estimated Result: Over one million gold soul coins, enough to equip an elite legion.]

Huo Yuhao was deeply shaken. This was no ordinary merchant caravan—it was clearly smuggling military supplies!

Just as he was about to leave, footsteps sounded behind him.

"Anyone there?"

It was the voice of a night watch guard!

Huo Yuhao hurriedly hid behind the carriage and held his breath.

The guard walked over and inspected the area carefully. Finding nothing unusual, he finally left.

Huo Yuhao let out a breath, but the doubts in his heart only deepened.

Where was the real destination of this batch of materials? Did Captain Lei Ming know about it?

After returning to his tent, Huo Yuhao began considering his options.

[Thought Palace, formulate a response plan]

[Option One: Immediately report Mo Sen to Lei Ming, but there is no direct evidence.]

[Option Two: Prepare in secret and wait for an opportunity to expose the truth.]

[Option Three: Pretend not to know and look for a chance to profit from it.]

[Overall assessment: Option Two carries the least risk and offers the greatest reward.]

Early the next morning, the caravan continued onward.

On the surface, Huo Yuhao worked as usual, but secretly, he observed everyone's reactions.

Captain Lei Ming truly seemed unaware. His concern for the cargo stemmed only from professional responsibility.

The other guards also seemed perfectly normal. Only Mo Sen behaved strangely.

"Lin Mu, come here for a moment." Mo Sen beckoned.

Huo Yuhao walked over. "What is it, Vice Captain?"

"The test we agreed on yesterday can begin now." Mo Sen pulled an exquisite little box from his clothes. "There are several special soul tools inside. See if you can modify them."

Huo Yuhao took the box and opened it. His heart immediately tightened with alarm.

There were indeed several soul tools inside, but every one of them bore the Sun Moon Empire military's exclusive markings!

[Thought Palace, identify models]

[Analysis result: Level Four detector 'Eagle Eye,' Level Three defensive device 'Iron Wall,' Level Five offensive device 'Thunderclap.']

[Conclusion: All are active military equipment. Their origins are highly suspicious.]

"These..." Huo Yuhao deliberately paused.

"What is it? Is there a problem?" Mo Sen asked nervously.

"No problem. It's just that the craftsmanship is too exquisite." Huo Yuhao smiled. "To get soul tools of this grade, Vice Captain Mo's friend must be quite formidable."

Mo Sen visibly relaxed. "So, can you modify them?"

"Of course." Huo Yuhao nodded. "But I'll need time."

"No problem. There's no rush."

Over the next several hours, Huo Yuhao modified the soul tools while secretly observing Mo Sen.

Every so often, the man would take out a communication soul tool and secretly send messages.

He was clearly keeping in contact with someone outside.

[Thought Palace, deduce timeline]

[Prediction: At their current pace, the caravan will reach the designated location by tomorrow evening.]

[Assessment: That location is very likely where the trap has been set.]

Huo Yuhao sped up the modifications while also beginning to make some "special" items.

If he was going to face danger, he had to be fully prepared.

He recombined several discarded soul tool components and made several small explosive devices.

They looked like ordinary soul tool parts, but they packed considerable power.

They could prove extremely useful at a critical moment.

That afternoon, the caravan stopped at a small town to rest.

Huo Yuhao took the opportunity to gather information in town.

"Boss, has anything strange happened around here lately?" he asked casually.

The tavern owner thought for a moment. "There is one strange thing. A few days ago, a group of people came through and said they were setting up a temporary camp outside town."

"What kind of people?"

"I don't know, but they didn't look like the sort to mess with." The owner lowered his voice. "They were all armed, and they spent money freely."

Huo Yuhao's heart tightened. It seemed the trap truly existed.

When he returned to the caravan, he found Mo Sen discussing the route with Captain Lei Ming.

"Captain, I suggest we take the eastern trail." Mo Sen pointed at the map. "It's a little farther, but safer."

"Why change the route all of a sudden?" Lei Ming asked doubtfully.

"I just received word that bandits have been appearing on the main road ahead." Mo Sen spoke with a straight face. "For safety's sake, it'd be best to take a detour."

Huo Yuhao listened from the side, sneering inwardly.

This guy wanted to lure the caravan somewhere even more secluded so it would be easier for his accomplices to make their move.

"Then we'll do as you say." Lei Ming finally agreed.

That night, the caravan camped in a valley.

Huo Yuhao deliberately walked over to Mo Sen. "Vice Captain, we'll reach the Sun Moon Empire's border tomorrow, right?"

"That's right. Soon." Mo Sen nodded. "What, nervous?"

"A little." Huo Yuhao put on an uneasy expression. "After all, it's my first time traveling so far from home."

"Don't worry. As long as I'm here, nothing will happen." Mo Sen patted him on the shoulder.

Huo Yuhao almost burst out laughing.

This guy really was putting on quite the act.

Late at night, Huo Yuhao lay in his tent. On the surface, he was resting, but his Spirit Eyes had been monitoring the surroundings the entire time.

Sure enough, in the middle of the night, a large number of torches appeared in the distance.

There were even more people than yesterday—at least fifty!

[Thought Palace, Combat Analysis]

[Enemy: Fifty people, well-equipped, with at least ten Soul Masters.]

[Our side: Twenty-three people, mostly ordinary guards. No more than five are truly capable of fighting.]

[Conclusion: A direct clash will end in certain defeat. We need to outwit them.]

Huo Yuhao quietly rose and began his final preparations.

Tomorrow would most likely be the day they laid their cards on the table.

And he was already prepared to give everyone a very big "surprise."

More and more torches appeared in the distance, and the encirclement was tightening.

A fierce conflict was about to erupt.