718: Tracking Down the Perpetrators

Tracking Down the Perpetrators

Steward Qu just stood there on the lift, watching as Ming Yue stepped off. Followed by Xiao Yin and Hei Yue, her body suddenly vanished from the lift, leaving the Chamber of Gold in a covert manner. 0

"Haha, I guess I'll just wait for some good news then."

He chuckled though he seemed more tired than amused. Looking back at the lift, he activated it, returning to the upper floors. 

Outside of the vast city of riches, a group of masked figures gathered in the dense forest. Each one of them was armed and carried the air of an expert. Within this group, one of them stepped forward to speak. 

"Has everyone done what they need to do?"

It was the firm voice of a man that spoke, asking his comrades this question. Everyone nodded silently, uttering not a single sound. 

"Good, we'll be reconvening at the meadows west of the city. Our client will be waiting for us there along with our payment. Do not be late for it and make sure to get rid of any traces of your presence. They've already sent out a search party for us so stay alert. Everyone knows where the ring is right?" 

They nodded once more. 

"Good, the only thing that matters is the ring, the completion of the request is of utmost priority. I don't believe that I need to tell you all of what to do should you get caught?" 

There was only silence and he took it as confirmation.

"Alright, split up and take posts near the ring. Once it is time, I will take it and deliver it there. If you survive then meet me there as well. That's it."

His figure suddenly disappeared with his voice lingering for just another moment. The other masked members of this strange group glanced at each other before leaving as well, going off to do what they were told.

Whoever these people were, they were well-trained. Things weren't going to be easy. 

But there were plenty of people on their tail, one of them being the Fairy of the Moon. Flying out of the city, Ming Yue had the talisman out, looking at it like a compass, 

"From the looks of it, the ring is in the south, away from the Resplendent Road. What is in that area? Should be forests for logging and hunting according to the guide from Steward Qu."

With the giant city-kingdom out of sight, she slowed her flying speed and descended, entering the deep brush and landing on the soft grass. Stopping here, she took a quick look around as Xiao Yin and Hei Yue caught up to her. 

"Hmm, looking at the talisman, it seems like we're getting pretty close to it. The ones responsible for taking it must be close by so I should be careful."

Looking at the talisman, it seemed to glow brighter than before, proof that she was getting close to the ring. 

Anticipating an encounter, the young cultivator took out both Blood Moon and the Black Blade. 

"Xiao Yin, go up and tell me if you notice anything strange. The same goes for you, Hei Yue, let me know if you see anything strange."

Both the owl and fox yelped, heading off to scout ahead. 

Ming Yue continued forward, making herself undetectable as she sneaked through the shadows of the trees. Seeing that she had no more need for the talisman, she put it away.

By the time she had come to this point, the day was nearing its end and it grew darker and darker. It was quiet except for the noise of those living in the forest. She kept her eyes and ears open, watching for any strange happenings. 

Late into the night, she suddenly froze and looked ahead, finding a gentle glow just a short distance away. 

"Is that..?" 

Making her way there, she saw a gentle fire in the darkness of the forest and several silhouettes, surrounding it. She hid immediately, peeking just enough to get a better look at these strangers. 

"They must be the group of experts sent by the Chamber of Gold", she thought to herself. 

Ming Yue took a good look at each of them, sizing them all up. 

"Three Sky Realm Experts and six Earth Realm Experts... The Sky Realm cultivators seem to be in the early stages while the Earth Realm cultivators are close to reaching the next realm. Some of them use swords but one of them seems to use a harp and another uses a pair of chain whips. Interesting."

Without making herself known, she listened in on their conversation. 

The one using a harp, an old man who had cloth wrapped around in eyes, talked to the others. 

"According to the Talisman, we should be getting close to the ring. The fact that we haven't had any encounters with the criminals despite coming all this way means that they're staying close to it", he said.

Then the whip expert followed up. 

"Mm, according to what we found at the scene of the fight, this is a skilled group of people. The setup for attacking the Splendid Goose was elaborate, there were multiple flag formations to trap him. On top of that, they weren't looking to kill him but to take his ring. And according to what he said, they all wore masks and a hood to cover their faces. The masks themselves were theatre masks that resembled monkeys."

One of the others experts spoke up.

"If it's who I think it is, they're the Muhou Troupe."

Everyone had apprehensive looks on their faces whilst Ming Yue listened with interest. 

"The Muhou Troupe? Who are they?" she wondered.

The harp expert scratched his chin. 

"It hasn't been confirmed yet, not until we've seen them in person. But if it is the Muhou Troupe, things would be difficult. Every single one of them is troublesome to deal with and they're quite loyal to their organization. If not then. we'll get rid of them nonetheless."

The others nodded, hardening their expressions while staring at the fire.

"Right, we'll rest for just a bit longer then move out. The quicker we find them the better. If there's one advantage that we have it's that they don't know that we have a way to track the ring down."

All of them began their preparations, checking their weapons and making sure that they were in top shape. Meanwhile, Ming Yue was long gone, moving ahead of the group.

"The Muhou Troup was it? If what they say is right, this won't be easy but I don't have to take them on all at once. I just need to get rid of them one by one", she thought. 

Going straight for the ring was incredibly risky and she wasn't confident in escaping without injury. But if it was hunting this so-called troupe, doing so was much simpler for her. 

Sneaking under the cover of the night, she kept both swords sheathed but ready to take out. There was nothing but trees and whatnot after encountering the search party. There were a few dirt roads laid out through the forests. 

She saw some lights coming from little carts trying to do business, most likely traveling merchants and cooks at the side of those roads. 

Ming Yue gave them nothing more than a quick glance, continuing on undetected. 

However, she suddenly stopped, looking back at these small businesses. A few were busy tending to their wares, making sure the food they sold was hot and fresh, and tidying up their storefront. Among them was this noodle cart, where the owner just stood there in silence, staring off into the distance. 

She narrowed her eyes, staring back at the cart owner. Raising a hand, a wind needle formed over her index finger and she aimed at the head. 

Suddenly, the owner's eyes darted, staring back at her. 

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