Chapter 60: Tracking Technique, Found the Shamans' Hideout

Early the next morning, Fang Xu woke up and saw that the two Gold Scale Guards were still standing in the courtyard like statues; it seemed that throughout the whole night, neither of them had moved an inch.

This made Fang Xu feel somewhat moved; the dynasty's elite truly are elite, their discipline is beyond reproach.

After washing up, Fang Xu went to the kitchen, cooked some rice and sent it to Chu Mu, ate a little himself, then went straight to the two guards and said, "Thank you for your trouble; let's go see the Young Master."

The two said nothing and followed him straight to the government office.

"You two go rest," Li Xun said, looking at the two Gold Scale Guards.

After the two returned a slight bow and withdrew, Li Xun turned to Fang Xu and asked, "About the shamans, what else do you know?"

Most of his leads had broken off; he now didn't know where to start, and could only hope that Fang Xu might recall something.

Fang Xu was also racking his brains to recall everything.

He needed to rely on Li Xun's influence to keep himself safe, but only for these few days; once the Yun family's news arrived, if Li Xun remained in Maple Forest Town, he would have to continue serving as a beast of burden at his beck and call.

It would be better to let him investigate these shamans thoroughly early on and leave Maple Forest Town sooner.

"A few days ago, those shamans launched a night raid on Maple Forest Town, killing many commoners in the town."

"This matter, the troops of Huangzhou Prefecture should have experienced it; the Young Master can ask them."

After pondering for a long time, Fang Xu clasped his hands and spoke.

Yun Wan and the prefecture's military commander Lu Yuan had once led people into the mountains to suppress bandits; that night they must have just come down from the mountain, and Fang Xu realized that the strange mist that had attacked Maple Forest Town seemed to have drifted from the direction of Tilan Mountain.

Those prefecture troops might know more than he does.

Upon hearing this, Li Xun's eyes lit up; he immediately summoned two Gold Scale Guards and ordered them to fetch the Huangzhou Prefecture troops for questioning.

From the troops' words, he indeed discovered some new clues.

"You mean that on the night Maple Forest Town was attacked, Yun Wan slew a shaman on the mountain?" Li Xun said, his eyes narrowing slightly.

The soldier hastily bowed and replied, "Yes, Miss, she indeed cut down a shaman with a single sword; afterward we found the strange mist had enveloped Maple Forest Town, so we hurried back to the town in a panic."

"Where is the shaman's corpse?!" Li Xun demanded again.

The troops were uncertain, saying, "It should still be where it fell, though we don't know if it hasn't been devoured by vicious beasts."

"Bring the Young Master over!" Li Xun sprang to his feet, then looked at the left and right Gold Scale Guards and said, "Go summon the Grand Diviner!"

Grand Diviner Xu Liang is a geomancer; when he previously tried to break the 'situation' on Li Xun, he suffered severe injuries, but after treatment with elixirs and Yun Jin's care, he has improved somewhat and has been recuperating in his room these past days.

"Young Master." Xu Liang arrived, glanced at Fang Xu beside him, and furrowed his brows slightly.

"Sir." Li Xun's words rang out; only then did Xu Liang shift his gaze from Fang Xu to Li Xun, bowing and saying, "Young Master, please speak."

Li Xun pondered for a moment and said, "Xun'er has heard that you possess a tracking technique that can trace a person's lingering aura using their essence blood or an object they have long worn."

Xu Liang nodded, bowed, and said, "I do have such a technique; whom does the Young Master wish to find?"

Upon hearing this, Li Xun smiled happily and then bowed directly, saying, "Then please, Master, accompany Xun'er on a trip."

"You, take the Young Master to the place where that shaman died."

Under the guidance of that soldier, the party quickly arrived at the spot where Yun Wan had slain the shaman that day.

Unfortunately, the shaman's corpse had been completely gnawed clean by wild beasts, leaving scattered bones and clothing strewn about.

Seeing this, Li Xun's face showed a hint of disappointment.

Having been gnawed down to mere bone fragments, the essence blood is surely gone.

"Young Master, what is that?" Fang Xu, sharp-eyed, noticed a strange bronze object beside the shattered boulder.

It looked like a bronze basket, exquisitely crafted.

A Gold Scale Guard hurried forward and picked up the bronze basket.

Xu Liang glanced at the basket, his expression brightening, and said, "This is the Murky Cloud State's Mist-Gathering Vessel?!"

Li Xun asked, puzzled, "Master, what is a Mist-Gathering Vessel?"

Xu Liang treasured the bronze basket, holding it in his hand and wiping off the dust, saying, "The Mist-Gathering Vessel is a shaman's magical implement; the Young Master can understand it as a special weapon."

By placing a pearl from a sea mirage beast inside the Mist-Gathering Vessel, one can generate a great deal of mist to disrupt the enemy's sight; back when our Great Yu's army attacked the Murky Cloud State, we suffered quite a loss because of these vessels.

Upon hearing this, Li Xun curiously examined the Mist-Gathering Vessel and then asked, "Master, can you use this Mist-Gathering Vessel to trace the shamans' movements?"

To him, this somewhat useless magical implement held no appeal; his main concern now was simply how to locate those shamans.

Having followed his father from Central State here, everyone in the court is watching him, especially the people of the Eldest Prince's faction.

If he couldn't even handle this small incident, the Eldest Prince's faction might seize the chance to paint him as rash and foolhardy, which would not bode well for his father's subsequent plans.

"Let this old subject give it a try."

Xu Liang fiddled with the Mist-Gathering Vessel in his hand, and a profoundly mysterious power slowly welled up from his body, enveloping the vessel; then, under the influence of that power, a black mist as fine as a silk thread began to seep out from the Mist-Gathering Vessel!

After the black mist appeared, it began to drift in the air, slowly floating toward the depths of Tilan Mountain.

"Follow!"

Seeing this, Li Xun hastily led the Gold Scale Guards and Fang Xu and the others in pursuit of that wisp of black mist toward the depths of Tilan Mountain.

The black mist drifts very slowly, and even the slightest breeze will change its direction; after spinning in place a few circles, it seems to reorient itself and continue forward.

"Young Master, we are about to enter the deep part of Tilan Mountain." Looking at the ever denser forest, Fang Xu couldn't help but remind him.

The outskirts of Tilan Mountain are relatively safe; anyone with strength above Martial Disciple Third Level can practically walk around here unchallenged, unless extremely unlucky and running into a high-level vicious beast that has fled from the depths.

But the depths are different; Tilan Mountain's interior harbors many high-level vicious beasts, among which there are not a few capable of killing Martial Master cultivators.

It is said that even deeper still dwell some demons—these are vicious beasts that have cultivated to maturity, possessing the power to easily slaughter Martial Masters.

"Never mind, keep pursuing!"

Li Xun didn't care about these at all; his party, he himself being a Martial Master Peak cultivator, and Xu Liang, though recently recovered from serious injury, is still a Martial Venerable Third Level cultivator—more than enough to deal with them.

Fang Xu, seeing this, could only grit his teeth and follow, though his body involuntarily leaned toward Xu Liang.

The group proceeded cautiously through the jungle, and after walking about two hours, the wisp of black mist ahead suddenly slowed.

Seeing this, Li Xun immediately gestured for everyone to slow their steps.

"Everyone be careful; this very likely is the shamans' hiding place."

The Gold Scale Guards, upon hearing, all drew their swords and looked around vigilantly.

"Roar!"

Just then, a low beast roar suddenly came from the nearby woods!

Immediately—

Huff!

Huff!

Heavy panting sounds came from all directions around them!

It was obvious that they had already been surrounded by ferocious beasts.

As the ferocious beasts drew closer, Fang Xu finally saw what they looked like.

Giant wolves, huge and as sturdy as calves, with fangs like steel blades; wild boars with bodies like tanks, bone spurs growing on their backs; imposing white‑foreheaded tigers…

At a glance, there were at least seven or eight different kinds of ferocious beasts, numbering over a hundred!

Please vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, and follow; thanks for your hard work, everyone!

(End of chapter)