Chapter 50: Biding Their Time

Lin Hao immediately apologized to Mo Ming, feeling deeply guilty in his heart. It was all his own foolishness that led him into the trap; his elder brother had warned him to be careful, but he failed to heed good advice. Worse yet, he had wrongly accused his brother.

"Enough, saying these things doesn't help now. The danger has passed; I've already dealt with those people. But when we meet others, do not mention this incident, or we'll invite unnecessary trouble," Lin Hao warned Mo Ming.

"Don't worry, brother. So what do we do now?" Mo Ming asked.

"What do we do? We keep moving. Those winged people we saw before—where did they go? We must find them; they're the key to Tianyu Mountain," Lin Hao replied, fixing his gaze on Mo Ming.

"You're right. Those shameless female cultivators confused us and made us forget such an important matter. Should we contact the elders and report this?" Mo Ming suddenly realized, annoyed with himself, and gave his head a frustrated knock.

"Contact them? Can you reach them? Let's just take it one step at a time," Lin Hao said.

The two of them returned to the spot where they'd previously fallen into the trap.

"Brother, why are we back here?" Mo Ming asked, puzzled as Lin Hao led them back.

"This was where we saw those people vanish. Though it was an illusion, I'm convinced there's something strange about this place," Lin Hao replied with certainty.

They stood and stared at the scene before them, both dumbfounded.

After a while, Mo Ming swallowed and finally spoke. "Brother, what is happening?"

Lin Hao had no answer. The illusion should have been broken, yet the tribe appeared before them once again, populated by a dozen people.

He quickly pulled Mo Ming into the nearby bushes to hide.

From their hiding place, Lin Hao and Mo Ming saw the two people they'd previously followed standing at the entrance of the tribe, as if on guard duty.

"Brother, what's going on? Are those the same two people we saw before?" Mo Ming whispered.

"I don't know what's happening, but I want to find out whether these people are real or just another illusion," Lin Hao said, rising and moving closer.

His junior followed, curiosity burning in his eyes.

As they drew nearer, the cover thinned, leaving fewer places to hide.

They found a tree and crouched behind it.

Lin Hao picked up a stone and threw it at the two people.

With a whoosh, the stone struck one of them on the clothes.

The stone fell, and the man shouted, "Who’s there?!"

Lin Hao and Mo Ming quickly hid, watching as the two winged guards, swords in hand, approached cautiously.

"Who is it? Come out! Stop playing games!" one shouted.

"He Yi, I think you're seeing things—there’s no one here," the other said.

When they reached Lin Hao and Mo Ming’s hiding spot, they glanced around, slashed at the grass, and stood by the tree, but saw no one.

One of the winged men said quickly, "He Er, the mark from the stone on me can't be my imagination. Someone's here. We must report this to our master," He Yi said, his face serious.

"Are you sure? Couldn't a spirit beast have brought the stone?" He Er still hesitated.

"A spirit beast? Why would it throw a stone at me for no reason? Someone’s here—quick, let’s report to the master," He Yi said, hurrying into the tribe.

After they left, Lin Hao and his junior leapt down from the tree—they had been hiding up there all along.

Seeing the two men enter the tribe, Lin Hao exchanged glances with his companion and said, "I think this time it’s real."

"Yes, brother. We actually hit that person. Let’s hurry in and see what’s going on!" Mo Ming said excitedly, pulling at Lin Hao.

Lin Hao hesitated, about to speak, but Mo Ming dragged him to the entrance.

As soon as they stood at the gate, the scene inside vanished. Lin Hao shouted, "This is bad! Get out, quick!"

But it was too late.

The moment they stepped inside, everything changed. When they regained their senses, they were surrounded by about ten people.

Standing opposite them were He Yi and He Er, both alert and wary.

Lin Hao drew his Cloud-Swallowing Sword. "What are you planning?"

"What are we planning? We should be asking you. This is our home, and you outsiders have intruded—what do you want?" He Yi said, his face murderous.

"Who proves this is your home? You're not cultivators from our realm. Where are you from, and why have you come to Tianyu Mountain?" Lin Hao demanded righteously.

His words drew sharp glares from the group; He Yi and He Er muttered to their subordinates in a language Lin Hao and Mo Ming could not understand.

After their exchange, the group rushed at Lin Hao and Mo Ming with killing intent.

Sensing danger, Lin Hao pulled Mo Ming behind him, swung his sword, and blocked the incoming blades.

A burst of strange fire engulfed one attacker, who screamed.

Seeing Lin Hao and Mo Ming resist, He Yi shouted, flapping his wings and flying overhead, scattering some powder.

"Hold your breath!" Lin Hao yelled to Mo Ming, seeing the powder.

But it was too late. Both felt their strength drain instantly as the powder seeped into their clothes and penetrated their skin. They collapsed, and six or seven people tied them up.

He Yi, seeing them captured, landed and walked to Lin Hao, squatting to pat his face. "Since you know things you shouldn’t, you have no reason to exist. Remember—trouble comes from careless words. Only the dead keep secrets."

He waved to his men, who dragged Lin Hao and Mo Ming inside.

The tribe, which had vanished, now appeared again before their eyes.

Led deep inside, they were taken to a house resembling an ancestral hall, and locked in.

Iron bars surrounded them.

Lin Hao and Mo Ming, hands and feet bound, were thrown in. Their captors muttered a long string of words, but Lin Hao and Mo Ming were utterly confused.

Perhaps realizing they couldn’t understand, the captors turned away, shut the door, and left.

After they departed, Mo Ming looked anxiously at Lin Hao. "Brother, what do we do now? Will they kill us?"

"I don't know!" Lin Hao replied curtly.

"It's all my fault. If only I hadn't been so impulsive." Mo Ming was ashamed, thinking of all the trouble he'd caused on their journey, always dragging his brother down. If he hadn't acted rashly, they wouldn't have been captured.

Lin Hao grew impatient with Mo Ming's self-pity, rolling his eyes. "Now's not the time for self-blame. We need to think of a way to save ourselves. Stop acting like a complaining woman."

With that, Lin Hao didn't even bother to get angry with his junior.

They lay silently in their cell.

After a while, Lin Hao felt some strength return and sat up first.

"Mo Ming, has your spiritual power returned?" he asked.

"No, brother, have you recovered yours?" Mo Ming replied.

Lin Hao frowned, immediately took out his Cloud-Swallowing Sword, and cut the ropes binding his hands and feet.

Mo Ming was delighted. "Brother, hurry and free me too!"

Lin Hao freed him as well.

Though free, Mo Ming still felt weak, his energy not restored, but with Lin Hao's support, he could stand and walk.

Yet, they had no idea how many natives surrounded them, so they decided to wait and not act rashly.

No one came to check on them.

"Brother, are they planning to starve us to death?" Mo Ming asked, feeling hungry in the empty cell.

Meanwhile, after Lin Hao and Mo Ming were captured, He Yi and He Er went to a cave behind the tribe on the mountain.

From the outside, it looked like a cave, but inside it was a vast palace, grander even than that of the Clear Wind Sect.

At the gate stood two guards, dressed more splendidly and with stern expressions.

As He Yi and He Er entered, the gatekeepers stopped them.

"Stop. What do you want?"

"He Yi and He Er have important matters to report to the master. Please, relay the message," they said, bowing respectfully.