Just under an hour later, out in the wilderness, the hook-nosed Spirit Tamer led his men along a shortcut to outflank the Azure Cloud Sect Warriors, getting ahead of them.
When he and his subordinates abruptly appeared on a hill before them, even the elite spies of the Warrior Hall could not help turning pale with shock, their alarm impossible to conceal.
"You people from the Azure Cloud Sect think you can just leave after coming to the Northern Desert? It won't be that easy!"
"I know you've been unusually active around here lately. Those above have specifically ordered us to capture you and force you to reveal what you've been investigating. If you don't want to suffer, surrender quietly and wait for a quick death!"
"As for Lin Lai and Lin Hong, they dared to pull the wool over our eyes, using their trading firm and its dealings to exchange furtive glances with you Southern Wilds forces, selling out our sect's secrets time and again. Sooner or later, this will bring them down too!"
Seeing their expressions, the hook-nosed Spirit Tamer finally broke into a heartfelt smile, his face having remained gloomy all day.
He had already sent men to notify the many subordinates lying in ambush nearby. Elite troops and fierce fighters from the various divisions and halls were swiftly converging from every direction. Once the encirclement was complete, he could bring this mission to capture spies to a successful conclusion. Promotion and a position of greater trust would be just around the corner.
Considering how much importance his superiors attached to this affair, how could he fail to guess that these people carried vital secret intelligence?
This was an enormous opportunity to earn merit!
"We've been played! Did something go wrong on Lin Lai's end, or were