The Ambush Net

The information they had just received from the Sand Merchant Tribe caravan was enough to give both of them pause.

If the group of cultivators the merchants had seen truly came from Heavenly Eye Forward City, then Duong Quang had probably never given up on tracking them. He had simply chosen not to send people directly after them and instead dispatched another group to move ahead.

But why go ahead?

If the only goal was to kill Hao Nhien somewhere along the road, the simplest method would still have been to follow their trail and wait for a suitable moment to strike. The fact that a group had hurried southwest before them made Hao Nhien increasingly suspect that their real objective lay somewhere near Fire Qilin territory.

They might have gone ahead to observe.

They might be trying to intercept Fire Qilin tribesmen who had not yet submitted to Duong Long and Duong Quang.

And the most dangerous possibility was that they had chosen a suitable place to wait for those returning home.

Hao Nhien looked past Lanh Hoa's shoulder. Ever since the merchant had mentioned the group moving ahead, Lanh Hoa's hand had never fully relaxed from the hilt of his sword.

"Lanh Hoa."

The man in front tilted his head slightly.

"Clan Head."

"You're worried about the people in the tribe?"

Lanh Hoa remained silent for a while before answering.

"This subordinate is only afraid we may arrive too late. There are still elderly people, children, and tribesmen who cannot protect themselves. If that group truly reached the tribe before us..."

He did not finish the sentence.

Hao Nhien understood the rest.

"The chances of them immediately massacring the tribe are not high."

Lanh Hoa turned his head slightly.

Hao Nhien kept his gaze fixed ahead.

"If Duong Quang already knows that Fire Qilin tribesmen were among those who left the Forward City, then he should also understand that the greatest threat to him is not the elderly or the children who remain behind. It is the people capable of gathering them."

Hao Nhien paused before continuing.

"As long as we return to Fire Qilin territory and begin finding the tribesmen who have not followed Duong Long, the authority Duong Quang is trying to build will immediately be affected. If he truly sent people ahead, then a more reasonable objective would be to observe who returns, determine where their loyalties lie, and only then choose the right moment to act."

Lanh Hoa's gaze gradually steadied.

"Clan Head means they may be waiting for us?"

"Possibly. But for now, it is still only speculation."

Hao Nhien had no intention of turning a possibility into a certainty simply because it fit the situation.

"If we want a clearer answer, we have to start from the terrain."

He looked at Lanh Hoa.

"If you were one of Duong Quang's men and wanted to watch everyone returning to the Fire Qilin Tribe without exposing yourself, where would you choose?"

Lanh Hoa did not answer immediately.

The ancient Fire-aligned sword continued to skim low over the desert, but he deliberately reduced its speed. Hao Nhien also narrowed his Spirit Wings, maintaining only enough support to keep the sword stable in the hot wind.

After some time, Lanh Hoa finally spoke.

"At our current pace, we should reach Dragonmist Thorn Forest in about two nights. It lies at the gateway to Fire Qilin territory. From there, the main settlement is only about an hour away on foot."

Hao Nhien waited for him to continue.

"The thorn forest there is very dense, with many narrow rock fissures and old paths between them. Visibility from the road below is poor, but anyone occupying the upper slope can observe almost the entire main route leading into Fire Qilin territory."

Lanh Hoa narrowed his eyes slightly.

"If someone wanted to watch people entering and leaving without being discovered, that would be the most suitable place."

"You know the area well?"

"Very well. I passed through it countless times in the past. Besides the main road, there are several older paths that most outsiders would not know how to use."

Hao Nhien gave a slight nod.

"Preserve your strength. We need to reach Dragonmist Thorn Forest in our best condition."

Lanh Hoa nodded.

"I understand."

The ancient sword continued southwest, but its speed remained more stable. Lanh Hoa controlled the sword while Hao Nhien used his Spirit Wings to assist whenever they encountered strong headwinds or difficult terrain. In this way, they could still maintain high speed without continuously driving their spiritual power to the limit.

Two days later, just as the eastern sky began to pale before dawn, a low mountain range finally appeared on the horizon.

The southern slope was almost completely covered by Dragonmist Thorn, a poisonous plant unique to the borderlands of Fire Qilin territory. Its dry, hardened trunks were gray like dead stone, while long, sharp thorns grew densely along every branch. A thin layer of silver mist clung to the tip of each thorn, reflecting the last traces of moonlight and making the entire mountainside resemble a cold net spread across the darkness.

Lanh Hoa brought the ancient Fire-aligned sword down behind a dune sheltered from the wind.

Love this novel? Read it on NovelPhoenix to ensure the author gets credit.

Neither of them moved forward immediately.

Hao Nhien stood there for a long time, studying the mountainside. He extended his spiritual awareness only through a moderate range, careful not to alert anyone who might be hiding ahead.

Lanh Hoa stepped beside him and pointed toward a narrow mountain pass.

"Beyond that pass, the old road continues for about another hour before reaching the entrance to Fire Qilin territory. At night, the mist here becomes thick, and Dragonmist Thorn carries a mild poison. If someone with weak cultivation is pierced by it, their meridians can become numb for a time."

His gaze shifted toward the northwestern slope.

"That is also why very few people leave the main road. If someone wanted to set an ambush, this place would be the natural choice."

Hao Nhien nodded.

"Then we confirm it first."

He turned toward Lanh Hoa.

"I'll remain behind and recover my spiritual power. Circle the slope once. Do not approach too closely. We only need to know whether anyone is there, roughly how many there are, and which positions they occupy."

Hao Nhien paused before adding:

"If you detect a powerful cultivator or any sign that they have noticed you, retreat immediately. There is no need to force yourself to identify every person."

Lanh Hoa cupped his hands.

"Understood."

His figure quickly disappeared into the last shadows before dawn.

Hao Nhien waited a little longer before moving deeper behind the dune. With a wave of his hand, the familiar Cave Dwelling form appeared silently in an area concealed by rock and sand.

After entering, Hao Nhien took out a Qi Replenishing Pill.

He usually did not like relying too heavily on pills to recover, but this was not the time to conserve resources. If there truly was an ambush ahead, he needed to keep himself as close to peak condition as possible.

The pill dissolved into warm medicinal power the moment it entered his stomach. Hao Nhien circulated spiritual power through his meridians, guiding the medicinal effect throughout his body. The Wood spiritual qi inside the Cave Dwelling also helped soothe the strain that had accumulated in his meridians after days of continuous high-speed travel.

About half an hour later, a faint fluctuation appeared outside.

A familiar aura.

Hao Nhien opened his eyes.

He stood, left the Cave Dwelling, and waved his hand to withdraw its manifested form.

The cold wind before dawn immediately struck his face, carrying the dry scent of sand and the faint, bitter smell of Dragonmist Thorn.

Lanh Hoa was already waiting behind the rocks.

As soon as he saw Hao Nhien, he stepped closer and lowered his voice.

"Clan Head, there are people ahead."

Hao Nhien showed no surprise.

"How many?"

"I cannot determine the exact number, but based on footprints, compressed patches of sand, and residual auras, there should be more than ten."

Lanh Hoa looked toward the thorn forest.

"There are multiple Foundation Establishment auras. A few are clearly stronger than what I would expect from ordinary early-stage cultivators, but I did not approach closely enough to determine more. I also cannot rule out the possibility that someone stronger is deliberately concealing their aura."

Hao Nhien's gaze darkened slightly.

"Where are they?"

"On the northwestern slope, directly above the main road. From there they can observe the entire pass below."

"The traces are very fresh. They most likely arrived yesterday afternoon."

Hao Nhien looked toward the slope covered in Dragonmist Thorn. At least part of their earlier suspicion had been correct.

Someone had arrived before them.

And they were waiting at the gateway to Fire Qilin territory.

Even so, Hao Nhien did not rush to conclude that all of them were there specifically for him.

He asked:

"What happens if we take the main road?"

"We will definitely enter their field of observation."

Lanh Hoa remained silent for a moment.

"They have more than ten people, and several of the auras are strong. If we are surrounded, the situation will be extremely dangerous."

Hao Nhien nodded.

He understood his own strength clearly.

At the second layer of Foundation Establishment, his combat power was stronger than that of ordinary cultivators at the same level, and he possessed several unexpected methods. But that did not mean he could ignore more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators. Lanh Hoa had reached the sixth layer and could hold off several opponents for a short time, but if the two of them were truly surrounded, they would still be at an overwhelming disadvantage.

Hao Nhien rested lightly against the rock wall, his gaze still fixed on Dragonmist Thorn Forest.

"What concerns me more is why they are there."

Lanh Hoa looked toward him.

"If their goal was to attack the Fire Qilin tribesmen still living inside the settlement, they would not need to remain hidden at the entrance. With the number of people you just found, they could have gone farther in."

Hao Nhien spoke slowly.

"But they haven't."

Lanh Hoa's expression shifted slightly.

"They're waiting."

"Yes. The question is, for whom?"

Hao Nhien thought for a while longer.

"Duong Quang knows that most of the people who left the Forward City are heading toward Tam Thành. But he may not know how many Fire Qilin tribesmen came back this way, and he almost certainly does not know our exact numbers."

Lanh Hoa immediately understood.

"Clan Head thinks this is not a force meant for a decisive battle?"

"Most likely not."

Hao Nhien looked toward the thorn forest.

"If Duong Quang believed a large Fire Qilin force was returning, a little more than ten Foundation Establishment cultivators might not be enough to seal the entire entrance. But if their task is only to watch the gateway, capture small groups, or confirm who returns, then this number makes far more sense."

He paused.

"If they encounter a few isolated tribesmen, they can capture or kill them. If a stronger force appears, they only need to stay hidden and send word back."

Lanh Hoa slowly nodded.

"So they are waiting for information more than they are waiting for a battle."

"That is the possibility I currently consider most likely."

Hao Nhien did not state it as certainty.

"And if that is true, then they still do not know that the two of us are already here."

That was the important part.

The enemy held the better terrain, had superior numbers, and might even have stronger cultivators who had not yet revealed themselves.

But they did not know that their prey had already seen the net.

Hao Nhien turned toward Lanh Hoa.

"Is there another route into Fire Qilin territory besides the main road?"

Lanh Hoa thought for a while before nodding.

"There is an old path that circles around to the rear of the settlement. In the past, it was used as an escape route if the main entrance was surrounded. The terrain is difficult, it takes a longer detour, and there are several sections that are extremely hard to cross, so almost no one uses it under normal circumstances."

"Does Duong Quang know about it?"

Lanh Hoa remained silent briefly.

"Most likely. Duong Long was once an elder, and Duong Quang grew up in the tribe. It would be difficult to keep routes like that completely hidden from them."

Hao Nhien nodded slightly.

"I think so too."

If that path had truly been an absolute secret unknown to Duong Quang, that would have been the stranger possibility.

Lanh Hoa looked at him.

Hao Nhien continued:

"If Duong Quang thought of the rear path, he may have stationed people there, but there is no reason to assume he placed a large force on it. The terrain is difficult, few people use it, and it is not an easy route to observe. He cannot divide more than ten people here and still deploy equal forces to every other path."

Lanh Hoa's eyes gradually brightened.

"We go around."

"Yes, but we do not treat it as a safe route."

Hao Nhien answered immediately.

"You lead the way. Before approaching, we scout everything again from the beginning. If only a small group is guarding it, then we consider dealing with them. If there is another large force there, we withdraw immediately and find another way."

Lanh Hoa nodded.

"We do not fight until we know the situation."

"Exactly."

Hao Nhien looked toward Dragonmist Thorn Forest one final time.

The enemy had the advantage in numbers. The two of them had no reason to choose a direct confrontation.

If they wanted to reverse the situation, they first had to strip the enemy formation of that advantage.

"If they are divided into smaller groups, then we may have a chance to deal with them piece by piece. But we will not throw ourselves into another encirclement simply for the sake of killing a few people."

"This subordinate understands."

Lanh Hoa cupped his hands and looked southwest, toward the old road that circled behind Fire Qilin territory.

Hao Nhien straightened as well.

"From now on, speed is no longer the priority. We need secrecy."

"Understood."

"Lead the way."

Lanh Hoa said nothing more. He immediately turned and left the rocky dune, with Hao Nhien following behind. Both deliberately concealed their auras and abandoned the main road in the distance.

Ahead, Dragonmist Thorn Forest remained covered in a layer of silver mist beneath the pale light before dawn. On the road leading directly into Fire Qilin territory, the trap was still waiting for someone to walk into it.

But Hao Nhien no longer had any intention of entering through the door his enemy had prepared for him.