Chapter 296: The Hunter and the Prey

Moments later, the Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat cut through the sea of fire, coming to an abrupt halt before him.

Qin Sang spun around, thrusting his ebony sword, while Wandering Man activated his artifacts to engage in battle. The two clashed fiercely, spiritual power howling as they exchanged blows. Though the confrontation appeared intense and perilous, it was all under control—a mere facade.

As they pretended to fight, they swiftly communicated through spiritual consciousness.

After their exchange, Qin Sang finally understood the situation.

When Qin Sang had used the One Heart Pendant to send a message, Sheng Yuanzi and Luo Xingnan had already received earlier intelligence from an informant. By chance, their respective groups had encountered each other.

At this moment, it was impossible for Wandering Man and Ge Yuan to withdraw from their teams. However, upon learning from Qin Sang that Yu Kong had laid a trap, they quickly devised an escape strategy.

Unexpectedly, when the real upheaval occurred, Luo Xingnan had already prepared. He had a talisman astra ready, using it to cripple a Hook Snake King. Realizing there was more to the situation, Wandering Man abandoned his plan to escape alone and continued to lie low beside Luo Xingnan.

Before escaping, Luo Xingnan had also taken the opportunity to sabotage Sheng Yuanzi, hastening his demise.

In the end, due to the overwhelming strength of the Hook Snakes, most of the group perished. Only five people managed to escape alive.

Luo Xingnan feigned death, deceiving everyone.

The roles were instantly reversed—Yu Kong became the prey, while Luo Xingnan turned into the hunter.

"I took advantage of the chaos to help Ge Yuan escape. He’s currently outside the barrier. The One Heart Pendant is still with him. Now, we’ll have Luo Xingnan scout the way. Once you regroup, wait for my signal..." Wandering Man explained.

Qin Sang calculated quickly, his brows furrowing deeply.

Their side consisted of only three people.

Luo Xingnan was the only middle-stage Foundation Building expert among them. With three additional individuals, including an elder surnamed Gong, their strength was already several times that of Qin Sang’s group. Moreover, they had received reinforcements. Shangguan Lifeng was also aligned with Luo Xingnan, Wu Chen had been captured alive, and Yan Wu’s fate remained uncertain.

The disparity between the two sides was immense, far beyond mere numbers. Even with the advantage of being in the shadows, achieving anything substantial within the mountains would be exceedingly difficult.

"Brother Qin, have you noticed something odd about the aura of these spiritual herbs? I suspect that there aren't that many spiritual herbs and may not be enough for all of us," Wandering Man suddenly asked, sharing another piece of unsettling news.

"What have you discovered, Senior?" Qin Sang inquired gravely. If the spiritual herbs were insufficient, conflict would be inevitable.

Wandering Man shook his head. "I can’t be certain yet. Most of the auras seem too faint and murky, unlike what one would expect from thousand-year-old herbs. However, there may be unknown barriers in the mountains obscuring their true nature. Still, we must prepare for the worst."

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

Wandering Man, being from the Taiyi Core Sect and highly skilled in alchemy, was likely about seventy percent confident in his judgment.

Qin Sang abandoned any wishful thinking and began considering their next steps.

The enemy was overwhelmingly powerful. To seize victory from the jaws of such a formidable opponent, they would need meticulous planning.

Even if their chances were slim, they had to give it their all.

"From what I’ve observed, those three might not fully align with Luo Xingnan," Wandering Man remarked.

"That white-robed scholar seems unrelated to Luo Xingnan, likely a rogue cultivator inadvertently caught in the conflict."

"When surrounded by Hook Snakes, Luo Xingnan showed no intention of protecting him. Thanks to his exceptional evasion techniques and agile movement art, the scholar managed to stay unharmed and keep pace with the group."

"The hooked-nose man, surnamed Yin, used to serve Sheng Yuanzi. He is ruthless, betraying Sheng Yuanzi on the spot to ensure his survival. After his treachery, he defected to Luo Xingnan’s side."

"As for the elder surnamed Gong, Luo Xingnan had placed him as a mole under Sheng Yuanzi. Their relationship is undoubtedly close, and Luo Xingnan trusts him deeply. He was the only one Luo Xingnan took with him during their retreat."

Wandering Man succinctly summarized Luo Xingnan’s allies.

Hearing this, Qin Sang felt somewhat relieved.

The opposing side was not a unified front. Apart from the elder surnamed Gong, the other two could easily be swayed. With enough benefit at stake, they might betray Luo Xingnan at any moment.

Neither Qin Sang nor Wandering Man was greedy. They only sought the spiritual herbs they needed and were even willing to negotiate under certain circumstances if absolutely necessary.

However, if the spiritual herbs on the mountain could not satisfy Luo Xingnan’s appetite, would he be willing to share the spoils?

Luo Xingnan was the strongest among them and had allies by his side. By allocating a portion of the resources to appease his loyal followers, he could forcibly seize the others’ shares without much resistance.

The remaining individuals were a scattered and disorganized group, utterly incapable of challenging Luo Xingnan.

With a little manipulation, the situation could easily be turned into chaos.

"How much does Junior Brother Qin know about Yu Kong’s people?" Wandering Man asked, deliberately adding, "Shangguan Lifeng and Fellow Daoist Ge Yuan weren’t even aware that Shao Chunhui had a disciple. What do you make of his character?"

Qin Sang understood the implication behind Wandering Man’s words.

If Shangguan Lifeng was the type to repay kindness, then after Luo Xingnan avenged his master, Shangguan Lifeng would undoubtedly remain loyal to him, making it impossible for them to sway him.

Flashes of recent memories ran through Qin Sang’s mind. He realized that his impression of Shangguan Lifeng was rather vague. The man was taciturn, spending his days meditating on saber will with his treasured saber, rarely interacting with others.

If this was not a facade, someone with such a personality was unlikely to act treacherously.

Qin Sang shared his assessment with Wandering Man, and the two quickly categorized Shangguan Lifeng as part of Luo Xingnan’s faction.

"We can confirm that Wu Chen is a rogue cultivator," Qin Sang added after a brief pause, "As for Yan Wu, who escaped into the mountains with me, he’s one of Yu Kong’s trusted subordinates."

"Luo Xingnan, the elder surnamed Gong, Shangguan Lifeng; you, me, Daoist Ge Yuan; plus the hooked-nose man, the scholar, and Wu Chen..."

Wandering Man’s tone grew increasingly confident. "If you can find an opportunity to steal the spiritual herbs, that would be ideal. Even in a direct confrontation, six against three, we might still prevail. During the process of breaking through the barriers, there will likely be injuries or even deaths. Luo Xingnan would certainly not send his trusted aides to scout ahead. So long as we seize the right opportunity, our strength won’t fall too far behind Luo Xingnan’s. This plan is entirely feasible! Every additional ally adds strength. If we can rescue Yan Wu, even better."

Their exchange through spiritual consciousness was rapid. Despite the amount they discussed, only a few breaths of time had passed, leaving enough time to rescue Yan Wu.

Qin Sang frowned slightly but eventually nodded in agreement.

His conflict with Yan Wu was neither trivial nor significant. The real grievance had been on Yan Wu’s side, as Qin Sang hadn’t suffered any real losses. It wasn’t worth dwelling on.

Previously, Qin Sang had been wary of Yan Wu due to Yu Kong’s influence. Now that Yu Kong was dead and Yan Wu had lost his backing, Qin Sang didn’t regard him as a threat.

Wandering Man was right—seizing the spiritual herbs was the top priority, and the larger picture mattered most.

Of course, this didn’t mean Qin Sang trusted Yan Wu. He intended to use Yan Wu to counterbalance Luo Xingnan while keeping a close eye on his actions.

The two decided swiftly, stowing their respective artifacts before boarding Wandering Man’s Spiritual Bamboo Flying Boat.