The secret passage was long and narrow. The black hounds could not run at full speed and had to slow down.
Fresh scuff marks on the walls showed that someone had fled through the passage not long ago. There was no question who it was.
Black Mountain moved quickly too, with the two black hounds panting hard ahead of him.
After more than half an hour, light appeared ahead. The two hounds burst out of the passage first, and Black Mountain followed close behind.
The exit opened onto a desolate grove with a few crooked locust trees.
Two horses had left hoofprints on the ground, along with footprints where two people had mounted them.
The hounds sniffed the ground, then raised their heads and growled toward White Stone City.
"Found you, you little brat." Black Mountain gave a cold laugh.
He rose into the air again. The two hounds raced across the ground, following the hoofprints.
As they drew closer, the scent grew clearer to the hounds. They broke into a full sprint, rapidly closing the gap.
At full speed, the hounds were several times faster than horses.
They skimmed over the ground, their paws barely touching the dirt, like two streaks of black wind.
Black Mountain flew overhead, considering how he would make that damned brat suffer.
Meanwhile, Lin Chen and Alia had managed to trade for packhorses at a farmhouse, but these were clearly no match for the warhorses they had ridden before.
They had no choice now. They urged the horses on as fast as they could.
The packhorses were much slower than warhorses. Unable to sprint flat out, they could only keep up a steady trot.
Fortunately, they had good endurance and could cover a fair distance over a long run.
As they rode, both prayed