The sound of hoofbeats faded away.
Tang Wen grew alert: Had he been discovered?
He gently pinched a pebble between his fingers, slowed his breathing, and prepared himself behind a large tree.
If anyone approached, he would unleash a rapid burst of attacks and then seize the opportunity to escape.
The direction of his retreat certainly couldn't be straight toward the camp.
The enemy would likely anticipate that.
Facing imminent danger, Tang Wen's thoughts were clear.
But after waiting left and right, no one appeared.
He cautiously peeked out from behind the tree and observed: the surroundings were still pitch black, with no one in sight.
He then looked up at the sky.
There was no sign of the Blood Raven either.
Phew, a false alarm.
Tang Wen's tense heart relaxed, and he continued his pursuit.
In the forest, a faint yellow light source flickered.
Hah!
How bold.
Daring to light a lamp in the darkness.
After repeatedly confirming that there were no traps on the ground—no tripwires connected to bells or other warning devices—Tang Wen crept closer and saw the scene illuminated by the light.
Dozens of short-legged horses stood quietly in place, occasionally snorting.
Beside the horses, there were only two people.
No wonder the hoofbeats had disappeared; it seemed they had split their forces.
This place wasn't too far from the Scavenger Camp, and getting closer risked being discovered.
These people were probably trying to coerce or lure the scavengers here first, then bind them and take them away on horseback.
At that moment, fragments of conversation drifted over.
The distance was too great, so Tang Wen circled around to get closer and finally heard the two men talking.
Two voices: one young, the other steady.
The young voice said, "...What Flame Camp, what Flame Queen, they're just being played for fools by us!"
"Shh! Keep it down."
"Hey, you're such a coward. Old Crow has already sent the Blood Raven to scout this area several times. It's completely clean, not a soul in sight." The young voice grew louder.
"Better safe than sorry! The Flame Camp isn't to be trifled with, so let's keep it quiet."
"Tch!" After a pause, the young voice carried a hint of envy: "If only I could raise Blood Ravens too! With them, I could go anywhere in the world. Tell me, what would it take for Old Crow to accept me as his disciple and teach me how to raise them?"
"How should I know..."
"..."
Old Crow, Blood Ravens, raising Blood Ravens.
Wait, this ability to control Blood Ravens...
Wasn't it supposed to be the power of an Awakened?
But could it actually be a skill that anyone could learn?
Tang Wen's mind began to race.
What man could resist having a pet that could scout the environment?
Especially a flying one.
He carefully observed the two men guarding the horses.
One minute passed, then five.
The two were still chatting, completely unaware.
Tang Wen tentatively concluded that their Martial Arts level was definitely not that of a Martial Master.
A Martial Master would be highly sensitive to such scrutinizing and hostile gazes.
But he worried that these two might be putting on an act.
He couldn't completely rule out that possibility.
After some thought, he picked up a dry branch and skillfully tossed it near the group of short horses.
Clip-clop, clip-clop.
The horses sensed something and stomped their hooves, causing a commotion.
"What's going on?" one of the men asked warily.
After a few seconds, seeing nothing unusual, the young voice spoke up irritably: "It's nothing, stop scaring yourself. This forest is just too dark!"
"Yeah, yeah."
They really were a pair of fools.
Tang Wen took out his pocket watch and checked the time.
At this moment, seventeen minutes had passed since Zhou Bing left.
No need to rush then.
Wait for the rest of the team to move further away.
In the blink of an eye, another ten minutes passed.
Tang Wen tucked the stones he was holding into his pocket and silently approached the two men.
When he got within a few dozen steps, their conversation became clear:
"You know, our Fourth Leader is clearly stronger than the Third Leader, so why is he the Fourth Leader?"
"I heard that the Third Leader gave the Fourth Leader some women. You know, the Fourth Leader has eighteen women at home. Eighteen!"
"That many?"
Tang Wen had the same question in his mind.
Eighteen? How does he manage that?
What kind of person could have such talent?
Tang Wen smiled silently, then pushed off the ground and launched his attack!
The two men were about to continue their discussion when they suddenly felt a chill down their spines. They turned around to see a shadowy figure, ghost-like, charging at them.
Both were instantly terrified. One reached into his pocket, while the other grabbed the spear in front of him, trying to block Tang Wen.
But they were too slow.
In an instant, Tang Wen was upon them. In his mind, a fireball with scorching heat surged toward a mountain peak and exploded.
He punched the spear.
The wooden shaft shattered instantly.
Thud!
The broken spear, driven by immense force, pierced the man's chest.
He was sent flying sideways.
Tang Wen retracted his fist and, like lightning, struck upward at the other man's chin.
The chin shattered, and the face deformed.
Tang Wen shook his hand, feeling as if he had crushed a small, dry bird's nest made of twigs.
Effortless.
Both men fell unconscious.
The short-legged horse stirred for a few minutes before finally calming down.
Tang Wen tied them up and took them deep into the forest.
He first woke the man who had been sent flying.
"Mmmph!"
The man's mouth was gagged, and he could only groan in pain.
Tang Wen struck the wound on his chest with the back of his knife.
"Mmmph!"
The pain made his whole body convulse. He passed out twice but was immediately jolted awake by the pain.
After a ruthless round of interrogation, Tang Wen removed the cloth from his mouth.
The man stammered, "Sir, I'll talk, I'll tell you everything. What do you want to know?"
The repeated bouts of excruciating pain had broken his spirit.
"How many people came?"
"T-ten."
"What are you here for?"
"To capture Scavengers."
"Go on!" Tang Wen said impatiently.
"Y-yes, we're from the Slave Hunter Gang. We've set up camp in the mountains to capture Scavengers and sell them in Mountain Chasing City."
Tang Wen compared what he said with what he already knew.
After some thought, he asked, "Who's leading the team?"
"The Third Leader and the Fourth Leader."
"Who owns the Blood Raven in the sky?"
"You even know about that? It's Old Crow! He's in the camp, the one who looks really old."
Tang Wen scattered the questions and asked them again.
The answers remained consistent.
"What are the strengths of your leaders?"
"The Chief is an Awakened, and the other four leaders are all Martial Masters."
The man squinted, trying to make out Tang Wen's expression.
Once the questioning was done.
Thud!
Tang Wen struck the man's neck with a hand chop.
Crack! A crisp sound.
Did I just kill him?
Tang Wen looked embarrassed; his hand chop technique wasn't very refined.
Having clarified the enemy's strength, Tang Wen felt a bit more at ease.
After all the commotion, the enemies turned out to be just two Martial Masters.
A hint of amusement flashed in Tang Wen's eyes.
At the hitching post, the flickering yellow light of the kerosene lamp revealed that the horses were still there, and the members of the Slave Hunter Gang had not yet returned.
But Tang Wen had no intention of continuing to lie in wait here.
When the others returned, they would immediately notice that the two who had stayed behind were missing.
Even if they were f
oolish, they would become cautious.
Move forward!
Without hesitation, he ran along the lakeside path toward the direction of the Scavenger Camp.
As he ran, he glanced back repeatedly, only stopping when the light of the kerosene lamp became faint and intermittent.
He searched nearby for a suitable spot to lie in ambush, ready to strike.
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