In a dense thicket, Ying Ming Hao lay cautiously on the ground, peering through the gaps between the branches and leaves to watch for movement outside.
His movements were furtive, as though he feared attracting anyone's attention.
Not far behind him, Ye Hua crouched quietly, hiding there with a white steed.
After leaving that mysterious cave, Ying Ming Hao and Ye Hua had encountered a band of bandits coming to provide reinforcements.
There had only been three of them, and the two had joined forces to slaughter them all without any trouble.
Afterward, they had pushed through the rugged, thorn-covered terrain, exploring as they went, until they finally reached the edge of this vast thicket.
Now, as Ying Ming Hao looked closely, he could see four or five bandits gathered not far away, chatting and joking around.
Some sat while others stood. Some had cigarettes dangling from their mouths, while others ate and glanced idly around.
Farther away on either side, he could also make out two more similar groups of bandits, all stationed here to block his escape.
Yet after an entire month of protracted encirclement, these bandits had long since lost their vigilance and sense of tension.
Perhaps because Ying Ming Hao had failed to appear for so long, they had gradually grown lax, convinced he could never show up here again.
And so the bandits had relaxed, devoting more energy to enjoying themselves instead of concentrating on waiting by the stump for their rabbit to appear.
Ying Ming Hao watched silently for a while. After confirming the enemies' numbers and how their strength was distributed, he slipped soundlessly back to his original position and whispered to Ye Hua beside him:
"There are five bandits ahead. One is in the Tribulation Transcendence Realm, two are at the