By then, Li Chen had already vanished from sight and slipped into the crowd.
Keeping a firm lock on the pair's auras, he vaulted walls along the way and soon followed them to the city gate.
Suyang City remained bustling after nightfall. Pedestrians streamed through the streets without end, though far fewer merchants and travelers were passing through the gates.
Li Chen did not go through the gate with them. Instead, he leaped up onto the towering city wall and gazed into the distance.
The gray-black Imperial Road stretched like a mighty dragon, plunging into the vast wilderness and jungle.
Ahead lay an uninhabited stretch of the Wilds, draped in a gauzy veil beneath the moonlight.
Li Chen watched the two leave the city and travel some distance before leaping up and gliding toward the ground ahead.
Before long, he landed lightly and continued his swift, invisible advance, moving like a ghost.
Li Chen knew both were skilled cultivators at late Qi Refining, so he dared not draw too close. Instead, he quietly trailed them from twenty or thirty zhang away, ensuring he neither lost them nor came close enough to be detected.
With their cultivation, they could certainly find me if they practiced some Secret Art, or knew beforehand that someone was nearby and concentrated on searching.
But this isn't a battlefield with danger lurking on every side. Almost no one would be so idle as to stay tense and on guard for no reason.
Even the most vigilant person can't remain on high alert all day and night. Otherwise, the phrase "catch them off guard" would never have existed.
But once I reveal murderous intent or take action against them, everything will change immediately.
*Most cultivators have sharp reflexes. They can switch from unprepared to prepared in an