At this moment, Yun Huizhou felt a sudden sense of relief that he hadn’t moved to kill that group of people immediately after eavesdropping on their conversation.
At the time, he had felt that because they were so vigilant, he hadn’t been able to overhear much useful information. Since there was still some time before reaching the Border City, he figured he would track them for a while longer to see if he could uncover exactly what Monk Suixin intended to do here.
Thinking back now, if he had struck at them then—regardless of whether he succeeded in killing them—the clues would have been severed. Moreover, it might have startled the snake.
The South Island Master saw his two disciples looking at him, waiting for him to make a decision. He paused for a moment before saying, “We will follow them first.”
He took out the slip of paper tucked into the small wooden tube. After adding the details Yun Huizhou had reported, he looked at the two again and asked, “Do either of you have anything else to add? If not, I will have Sharp Blade take the message back.”
Yun Huizhou had already said everything he wanted to say, so he turned to look at Lian Li to see if he had any additions.
Lian Li thought for a moment and said, “We need to maintain a fast method of communication with that side. Does Master have any other birds?”
“Master still has three gyrfalcons, and Xi Yu also keeps eagles and wild geese—about five or six in total—all of which can deliver messages,” the South Island Master replied. “Let them release two to follow us.”
As he spoke, he added another line of text to the note, rolled it up, tucked it back into the small wooden tube, and tied it back onto the gyrfalcon’s leg.
By now, the gyrfalcon had finished eating the mutton. The South Island Master stroked its back, then picked it up and placed it on his forearm, raising his arm above his head.
The gyrfalcon tilted its head, then spread its wings and soared into the sky.
Knowing that the South Island Master had made his decision, neither Yun Huizhou nor Lian Li raised any objections.
After Yun Huizhou ate a quick bite, he left the residence.
Although Monk Suixin and his group said they would depart tomorrow, who knew exactly when they would set out? Who knew if they might suddenly leave early?
Someone had to keep watch.
Among the three of them, he was the most suitable person for the task.
Just as he was about to head out, the South Island Master reached into his robes and pulled out two small porcelain vials.
He handed one to Yun Huizhou, along with a small paper packet.
[Take these. Sprinkle the powder in this paper packet onto them. Once they set out, open the vial, and we will receive the signal.]
Yun Huizhou took the vial and the packet. He looked down at the vial and gave it a gentle shake, a hint of confusion on his face; he clearly didn’t know what was inside.
Lian Li was also extremely curious. He didn’t hold back and asked directly, “Master, what’s in there?”
The South Island Master met Lian Li’s gaze.
[They are Gu insects that Xi Yu snatched from the Hall Masters of the Spirit Sect. After being raised for this period of time, the methods the Spirit Sect left inside the insects have been cleared by him. They have completely become his Gu. Once the powder is sprinkled on them, the Gu will guide us in the direction they are traveling.]
Lian Li marveled, “Impressive, my Junior Uncle Xi.”
Yun Huizhou asked, “Why didn’t he snatch them from the Sect Leader of the Spirit Sect or their Great Elder?”
Hearing this, Lian Li turned to look at Yun Huizhou. I didn’t realize you were such a ruthless person.
The South Island Master, however, wasn’t surprised at all that Yun Huizhou would say such a thing. After all, this was the disciple he had raised since childhood; he understood Yun Huizhou’s temperament all too well.
It was only after Lian Li arrived that Yun Huizhou had become much “milder.”
[He snatched those too, but Xi Yu hasn’t been able to completely convert the Gu insects of those two into his own in such a short time.]
Lian Li: “Badass, my Junior Uncle Xi.”
Yun Huizhou: “That is more his style of doing things. I almost thought he hadn’t made a move.”
Tucking the small porcelain vial securely into his robes, Yun Huizhou turned and left the residence.
The South Island Master did not go inside. Instead, he turned to look at Lian Li.
[Stay in the courtyard and practice your whip techniques. Let me see.]
Lian Li didn’t dare refuse. He hurried to the center of the courtyard, drew his whip, and began practicing his martial arts.
In the evening, people from the brokerage came over to clean. Lian Li informed them that they would be leaving the next day.
At dawn the following morning, the South Island Master opened his eyes. He looked at the other small porcelain vial he had placed by his bedside.
A slight rustling sound came from inside the vial. Had he not been a martial artist with high-level cultivation, he likely wouldn’t have heard it even if the vial were held to his ear.
He reached out to pick up the vial, then flickered into the courtyard and called out, “Lian Li, we’re leaving.”
Lian Li had been awake for a while. Upon hearing the South Island Master call him, he was out the door in an instant.
Outside, the South Island Master had already opened the vial in his hand. An insect the size of a fingernail crawled out.
It crawled onto the South Island Master’s hand, its antennae waving incessantly, before finally pointing in a specific direction.
Without needing a word, Lian Li knew that direction led toward Yun Huizhou, which was the direction Monk Suixin and the others had taken.
The two immediately led their horses out and gave chase in that direction.
With the Gu insect guiding them along the way, Yun Huizhou didn’t need to leave any markers at all for them to successfully find the path.
Barely fifteen minutes after leaving the city, they spotted Yun Huizhou.
Yun Huizhou obviously couldn’t ride a horse while scouting, so he had been pursuing them using Qinggong the entire way.
Now that Lian Li and the South Island Master had brought the horses, he could finally take a brief rest in the saddle.
Lian Li took the small insect responsible for tracking Monk Suixin from him and carefully placed it on the back of his hand.
They were already very close to the Border City, and Monk Suixin’s group wasn’t traveling particularly fast.
By noon, they could already see the tall city walls of the Border City.
Lian Li calculated the distance between them and Monk Suixin’s group; by this time, that group would have already entered the city.
The city was crowded, so it wouldn’t be easy to be spotted.
The three of them quickened their pace and followed them inside.
With the Gu insect’s guidance, they didn’t lose Monk Suixin’s trail even after entering the city.
After seeing them enter an inn, the three waited outside for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before following them in to book two upper-floor rooms.
Since they didn’t know how long the targets would stay in the Border City, Lian Li didn’t plan on letting Yun Huizhou be the only one monitoring them.
Although he didn’t dare get too close to eavesdrop for fear of being discovered, he could still manage to watch from a distance to see if they were departing or if they were leading their horses away.
Furthermore, the South Island Master was even more thorough; he had booked the room directly adjacent to theirs.
Not a single movement from that side could escape his ears.
Monk Suixin and his group stayed in the Border City for three days before setting out. Midway through, Yun Huizhou found an opportunity to sprinkle more of the Gu tracking powder on them.
As soon as they departed, the three followed closely.
After Monk Suixin and his group left the Border City, they first traveled north for most of the day, then suddenly turned and headed west.
