An Encounter with Spies in the Night

Walking through the pitch-black forest, Han Li kept his senses on high alert, his eyes scanning the surroundings. The mountain path, which would have been blurry and indistinct to an ordinary person, was as clear to him as if it were broad daylight.

This extreme caution wasn't born of a fear of wild beasts in the mountains. It was an instinct he had deliberately cultivated.

Ever since the Seven Mysteries Sect had moved to the Cai Xia Mountain Range, the area's already sparse wildlife had been systematically hunted clean. There were no ferocious beasts left, and even the various poisonous snakes had mostly ended up in the disciples' stomachs.

This habit of being constantly vigilant, of keeping his ears and eyes sharp in unfamiliar environments, wasn't something he was born with. It was a trait he had deliberately developed after careful thought, ever since he had escaped from Doctor Mo's clutches. This good habit would help him avoid many unexpected incidents in his future actions and reduce the risk of danger to the absolute minimum.

The mountain wind seemed to be picking up, howling in gusts that sent a shiver down one's spine.

From a distance, Han Li could sense that he was nearing the edge of the woods.

He let out a soft breath. Walking alone through this pitch-black forest had been a heavy, oppressive experience.

He quickened his pace, taking longer strides, as if eager to leave the woods behind.

Suddenly, a fierce gust of wind blew directly into his face.

As the wind passed, Han Li abruptly stopped in his tracks. He seemed to have noticed something unusual. Frowning, he tilted his head and listened intently.

After a moment, his expression grew serious. Faint, indistinct sounds of footsteps reached his ears. Though the walkers' steps were light and they were still far away, he was certain—there were two people walking toward him, getting closer with each passing moment.

With a flicker of movement, Han Li slipped into the dense forest beside the path, as agile and silent as a cat. Behind a large tree more than ten zhang from the path, he stopped, curling his body into a tight ball and concealing himself completely behind the trunk. From the front, not a trace of him was visible.

Having found a hiding spot, Han Li felt a slight sense of relief.

He wasn't being overly paranoid. But in a place as remote as this, at this dark and windy hour, two people coming here was simply too unusual. Nine times out of ten, they were up to something unsavory. He certainly didn't want to stumble upon someone else's secret and end up being silenced.

Of course, if he could listen in on some secrets without any risk to himself, he was more than happy to oblige. He wasn't a rigid, inflexible puritan. An opportunity like this, falling right into his lap, was not something he would turn away.

“…down the mountain… arranged… time… person… chieftain…”

Fragments of hushed voices, muffled by the wind, drifted over from a distance. The wind was strong on the mountain, tearing most of the words to shreds, leaving only a few to reach his ears.

Han Li was stunned. He hadn't expected to stumble upon such a secret. Within the hundreds of miles surrounding this area, the only person who could be called "chieftain" was Jia Tianlong, the "Golden Wolf" leader of the Wild Wolf Gang. To hear mention of this man, a major enemy of the sect, was indeed intriguing.

In the minds of the Seven Mysteries Sect disciples, Jia Tianlong was an absolute, bloodthirsty demon. Rumors said he was a hulking brute with a green face and fangs, a violent temper, and a taste for raw human flesh and blood for all three meals of the day—a truly inhuman existence. These tales had scared many of the sect's younger disciples.

However, according to Li Feiyu, the reality was quite different. Jia Tianlong was not large or intimidating at all. He was actually slender, handsome, and not that old—just over thirty. He was the exact opposite of the rumors. His only resemblance to the legend was his iron-hard, merciless personality, which was just as terrifying as the stories suggested. Otherwise, with his refined appearance, how could he possibly control the other gang members, all of whom were former bandits?

Han Li recalled what he knew of Jia Tianlong and drew in a cold breath of air. He curled himself up even tighter, slowing his breathing.

“…this time… steal… list… to… strike…”

Another wave of low murmurs drifted over, clearer than before. The two people must be getting closer.

Han Li didn't dare to breathe loudly. He knew that if he were discovered, he would be dead. These two were definitely spies sent by the Wild Wolf Gang. They would never let a third person live to know their secrets.

“…the plan… to… not… hurry…”

Gradually, their voices grew lower, as if they had reached the core of the matter.

A moment later, their voices rose again, but then they faded into the howling wind, becoming completely unintelligible. They had passed the section of the path where Han Li was hiding, their figures gradually disappearing into the distance.

For a long time, Han Li remained crouched behind the tree, not daring to move. Only after using the Eternal Spring Art to confirm that there was no second person within several dozen zhang did he slowly straighten up.

He had narrowly escaped with his life this time. If he hadn't detected the two spies' movements in advance, he would have run straight into them. Given their identities, he would have undoubtedly been silenced. Even more tragic, given his current skills, he wouldn't have had even the slightest chance of escaping.

Han Li didn't move from his spot. He rubbed his chin with his finger, staring in the direction the two men had disappeared, a thoughtful expression on his face.

From their fragmented conversation, it seemed they were planning some kind of action against the Seven Mysteries Sect in the near future, and this action was closely related to some sort of "list."

What surprised him even more was that, even without seeing their forms or faces, he recognized one of their voices.

Even though he had only dealt with them once or twice, his extraordinary memory—far sharper than an ordinary person's—allowed him to connect one of the speakers to an unremarkable steward from the sect's main kitchen.

A man who had sold him rabbits, who in his memory was a petty, profit-grubbing guy with a handlebar mustache and a completely mercenary demeanor… that this man was a spy for the Wild Wolf Gang was a real shock to Han Li's sensibilities.

But after thinking about it, it wasn't that surprising. Only someone in that kind of position could travel up and down the mountain regularly, passing on messages without attracting any attention.