Night of Dark Skies and High Winds

Within the dense forest, three figures moved swiftly. The man in front was in his forties, dark-skinned and weathered, with only his eyes remaining sharp as an eagle's. He was Old Hound, one of the River-Sweeping Bandits' six chief lieutenants.

Following behind him were two thirty-year-old men, broad-shouldered and nimble as twin leopards. They were Feng Da and Feng Er, the two minor leaders under Old Hound's command. Their standing was similar to Skinny Monkey under Jiang Chen: both were experts at hunting and killing.

Though he considered himself stronger than Jiang Wang and was confident he could hunt him down in these mountains, Old Hound had still brought his two trusted men along, just in case. Both had trained in martial arts and were no weaklings. Moreover, they were brothers who worked together seamlessly. With their help, hunting Jiang Wang would be much easier.

In truth, if this matter had not been somewhat taboo and unsuitable for public display, Old Hound would have brought more than just these two brothers. He would have brought every man under his command and surrounded Jiang Wang together, leaving him not the slightest chance of survival.

The wind howled mournfully, like ghosts crying in the night. The three advanced in silence, with only a cold, murderous air spreading around them.

At that very moment, a shrill eagle cry rang out, bringing all three to a stop.

In the next instant, a Gray-Feather Eagle swooped down from the sky and landed on Old Hound's outstretched arm.

Looking at the Gray-Feather Eagle, a trace of affection appeared on the old hunter's weathered face. He fed it strips of meat he had prepared beforehand.

"Old friend, you've worked hard this time."

As he stroked the Gray-Feather Eagle busily swallowing the meat, the old hunter's gaze gradually sharpened. The instant he turned around, his weathered face was already filled with killing intent.

"The Gray-Feather Eagle has found Jiang Wang. Next, you will strike with me. We must leave him in Rooster-Cry Mountain."

His gaze fell upon the Feng brothers as Old Hound gave the order.

Hearing this, Feng Da and Feng Er exchanged a glance, then both lowered their heads in acknowledgment. They began wiping down their weapons, applying poison, and making their final preparations.

A moment later, after eating and drinking its fill, the Gray-Feather Eagle soared into the sky once more.

Seeing this, Old Hound and the other two immediately followed.

The position of Fourth Chief will definitely be mine. Only by becoming the Fourth Chief can I receive profound martial arts from the First Chief, be granted precious secret medicines, ascend another step to become a first-rate martial artist, and perhaps even gain the chance to learn the immortal arts and glimpse the secrets of the Immortal Dao.

Jiang Wang, don't blame me. If you must blame someone, blame yourself for blocking my path.

As the river valley came into view, the killing intent in Old Hound's heart grew ever fiercer.

Not long ago, the River-Sweeping Bandits had discovered gold dust in a river valley along White River, a tributary of the Clear Source River. They intended to build a mining site there and pan for gold, but the problem was that the place lay at the edge of Qinghe County, bordering Qingshan County. Once large-scale gold panning began, it could very likely stir up trouble.

For that very reason, the mine needed a powerful figure to oversee it and ensure all was well. The River-Sweeping Bandits' three chiefs each had important matters to handle and could not split themselves in two, so Ironman Tu, the First Chief, had conceived the idea of grooming a Fourth Chief.

The River-Sweeping Bandits' six chief lieutenants could hardly remain unmoved by this. The Second and Third Chiefs were the finest examples: both had been promoted by the First Chief. Yet the most promising candidates remained Old Hound and Jiang Wang, for they were the strongest, both standing at the pinnacle of the second-rate.

In terms of connections and management, Old Hound far surpassed Jiang Wang. Yet there was one thing Jiang Wang possessed that he could never match: youth. That was precisely why he regarded Jiang Wang as a thorn in his eye and a splinter in his flesh, wishing to remove him as quickly as possible.

Meanwhile, within that river valley, Jiang Chen seemed to sense something. He glanced toward the pitch-black forest. By then, the sun had fully set, leaving only a lingering smear of afterglow at the horizon. As darkness was about to descend, every predator was beginning to stir.

"Night is falling, and this place is open. It's not a bad spot."

Murmuring softly, Jiang Chen turned and slipped into the shadows.

Not long afterward, the eagle circled overhead as Old Hound and his two men appeared in the river valley.

With his sharp gaze, the old hunter immediately caught the traces Jiang Chen had left behind, overlooking not a single detail. At that moment, scene after scene naturally surfaced in his mind. It was as if he had witnessed the entire process of Jiang Chen hunting the White Deer and dragging away its corpse.

"What sharp archery. It seems I underestimated him before."

Old Hound narrowed his eyes, and a sharp glint quietly flashed through them.

Though he had gone to great lengths to find a White Deer and drive it here for Skinny Monkey to discover, he had not believed Jiang Wang truly possessed the ability to hunt one down, at least not so easily.

Dragging a White Deer, and with night already falling, he can't have gone far...

With that thought, Old Hound immediately led the Feng brothers along the traces Jiang Chen had left behind.

Yet after walking for some distance, Old Hound sensed that something was wrong.

"No. He didn't leave. He's right here. These traces are all an illusion he left behind..."

Realizing something, Old Hound's scalp went numb. But before he could issue a warning, three arrows flew out from the darkness in succession, their killing intent laid bare.

In that instant, without time to think, Old Hound rolled away on instinct to dodge the incoming arrows. Then he drew his bow and loosed an arrow toward the direction from which the three arrows had come. The moment Jiang Chen struck, he had also pinpointed Jiang Chen's position.

Yet that hastily fired arrow achieved nothing and was easily deflected by Jiang Chen.

At the same time, the sound of heavy bodies hitting the ground rang out behind Old Hound. The Feng brothers were dead. Not only did they lack Old Hound's strength, they had also failed to notice the danger beforehand. Caught completely off guard, one had his throat pierced by Jiang Chen's arrow, while the other had his heart pierced. Both died on the spot.

Sensing this change, Old Hound's heart twitched, but his movements did not pause in the slightest. He threw away his bow, drew his hunting knife, activated his movement technique, and charged toward Jiang Chen's hiding place like a leopard.

After that brief exchange, he had already clearly realized that Jiang Chen's archery surpassed his own. If this continued, he would likely follow in the Feng brothers' footsteps.

In the darkness, Jiang Chen watched Old Hound charge at him like a mad dog and lowered his bow as well. The man's movement technique was impressive, and now that he was prepared, archery alone could do nothing to him.

Dark night, high winds. It truly is a fine time for killing.

Expression indifferent, Jiang Chen stood in the darkness and silently waited for Old Hound to pounce.