Meng Qi remained unmoved, not dazzled by those coming and going. Although each person might carry messages for the Wolf King, he did not hastily choose the most timid and suspicious-looking individual to follow.
He was certain of one thing: the Wolf King had provoked public outrage across the grasslands. Even if the high-ranking noble shamans might not care too much, victims like Agula, neither high nor low in status, and the young martial artists thrown into panic by the Wolf King, if united, would be sufficient to tear apart Narisu. Therefore, if Narisu wished to avoid becoming the target of everyone’s wrath, he must have entrusted the communication to his most trusted aide or even handled it personally, ensuring absolutely no chance of any information leaking!
Of course, all of this assumed that Narisu was indeed the one gathering intelligence for the Wolf King.
Meng Qi patiently waited, like an experienced hunter, his mind utterly free of impatience. Those entering the tent, those rushing out, clearly appeared in his mind, only to vanish without a trace. They were all ordinary subordinates of Narisu, none worthy of being called a confidant.
The winter sky was gloomy, without sunlight. About half an hour had passed, and the flow of people began to dwindle. Snow accumulated atop the tents, making Meng Qi feel cold all over.
Suddenly, a figure leapt into Meng Qi’s sight. Wrapped in a wolf-hide cloak, the figure kept his head lowered, seemingly stepping out casually. He exhaled a puff of cold air and headed toward the tent of Old Wu’en, as if intending to have a drink.
According to the information from Agula and Temur, this was Narisu’s trusted aide, nicknamed “Missing Ear,” who had lost both ears in a fight with a martial expert in his early years.
Meng Qi glanced at the top of a nearby tent, where his eyes met Temur’s. He gave a slight nod, signaling Temur to follow the figure, while he himself remained in wait.
Most grassland martial artists had once been hunters. Silently, Temur slid down and trailed “Missing Ear” from a distance.
After a while, Meng Qi’s gaze hardened. Narisu had quietly left from behind the tent. If not for the distinctive little braid that failed to fully conceal his identity, Meng Qi might have hesitated to recognize him.
Meng Qi circulated his internal energy, melting the icy snow beneath him. Like a normal falling snow block, he slid from the top of the tent, following Narisu’s trail.
Narisu first turned to the area where small tribes gathered, selected a horse, and then went to the most chaotic and disorderly tent district, where people who had lost their livestock lived—either selling themselves into servitude or surviving through prostitution.
Such abnormal behavior after receiving news detrimental to the Wolf King likely meant he was indeed connected to the Wolf King… Meng Qi followed from afar, frequently altering his appearance and disguise, carefully observing everyone who came into contact with Narisu.
As he walked, Narisu returned to his own tent!
He had deliberately led us on a wild goose chase. Was the messenger “Missing Ear”? Or was it another trusted aide who left the tent during the time I was following him? How could I possibly find him now?
Meng Qi was shocked. Just as he was about to find Temur and regroup, a sudden thought struck him, and he quickly concealed himself in a hidden spot again.
Narisu couldn’t possibly know how many people were watching him. Such a tactic of luring pursuers away in waves was easily foiled.
Instead, his sudden return to the tent would make people think the mission had failed, that the messenger had already left, thus lowering their guard and scattering to search elsewhere.
After about half a teacup’s time, someone else emerged from the tent where only Narisu seemed to be inside.
He wore a wolf-hide cap and a thick padded coat, appearing like an ordinary herdsman, but one feature on his face could not be hidden—his left eye, which lacked luster.
“Single Eye,” another of Narisu’s trusted aides!
Meng Qi remained calm and silently followed “Single Eye,” trailing him through twists and turns.
After ensuring he had shaken off possible pursuers, “Single Eye” suddenly quickened his pace toward the outskirts of Gegen Gao Le.
The white snow pressed heavily on the grasslands, making every step sink unevenly. Despite his best efforts, “Single Eye” inevitably left faint traces.
Meng Qi followed from a distance, needing only to pass before the falling snow erased all traces.
Moreover, each time Meng Qi touched the ground, his toes landed precisely on “Single Eye’s” faint footprints. Even if “Single Eye” looked back or other pursuers followed, they would overlook Meng Qi due to the apparent lack of tracks.
Pursuing someone like the Wolf King, who excelled at ambushes and escape, allowed no room for carelessness. Perhaps every informant delivering intelligence to him was quietly followed for a while?
“He actually left Gegen Gao Le. I thought the message would be passed through layers, maybe even using a hawk…” Meng Qi frowned slightly. “Could it be the Wolf King is nearby?”
This made him even more vigilant, not missing the slightest clue along the way.
Suddenly, Meng Qi sniffed, detecting a very faint scent of blood!
He immediately quickened his pace, rushing forward like a gust of wind, following a gentle slope upward.
At the top, everything was still blanketed in white. A wide lake stretched out, its thick ice reflecting the vast sky, creating a sense of boundless wilderness and evoking profound reverence for the heavens.
Beside the lake lay a person, unmistakably “Single Eye” from his attire. The snow around him was stained crimson, not yet frozen.
Meng Qi cautiously approached, flicked his foot, and flipped “Single Eye” over.
His face and right eye bore an expression of disbelief. His throat had been crushed, leaving it a bloody mess.
Besides this, there were no other wounds on his body.
“Wolf King!” This familiar sensation filled Meng Qi with alertness. His right hand tightly gripped the hilt of his sword, each pattern on it clearly etched in his mind.
The Wolf King was truly nearby!
But why had he killed “Single Eye”? Had he sensed approaching danger? Meng Qi tightened his grip on the hilt, feeling a slight tremor. Filled with fighting spirit, he was also deeply puzzled.
According to the distance Meng Qi had followed, the Wolf King should not have detected him!
Could it be that his danger-sensing ability had reached such a level?
At that moment, Meng Qi caught a faint fragrance, reminiscent of musk and orchid, lingering without fading.
He drew his long sword with a metallic ring, gently lifting a sachet from “Single Eye’s” chest with the tip of the blade. The sachet was finely crafted, exuding a strong fragrance.
“Looks like specially made incense? A gift from ‘Single Eye’s’ lover?” Meng Qi was first startled, then suddenly realized he himself had been stained by this fragrance, which had not faded for a long time!
If Meng Qi had not already reached the realm of “untouched by a single speck of dust,” he might not have noticed the strangeness of this fragrance.
He immediately understood why the Wolf King had killed “Single Eye”—for someone skilled at concealing his presence like the Wolf King, being stained by this fragrance was equivalent to exposing his location!
In the Wolf King’s mind, he probably thought “Single Eye” had betrayed him, using this fragrance to sabotage him!
But was “Single Eye” intentional or unintentional?
The fragrance was specially made. Regardless of “Single Eye’s” intent, whoever gave him the sachet must have had sinister intentions!
This was an unexpected gain for Meng Qi. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and began distinguishing the fragrance from the wind.
The fragrance threads passed through his nostrils, clearly separated. Meng Qi suddenly opened his eyes and leapt westward, where a faint trace of the fragrance lingered.
He no longer cared about leaving traces, fully unleashing his martial skills, following the fragrance with all his might!
Although “Riding the Wind” was characterized by a mid-air turn, it did not mean it was unsuitable for long-distance pursuit. Thus, Meng Qi’s figure floated like a deity, swift and graceful—had this been a weakness, how could Xuan Bei have escaped all the way into Central China back then?
The fragrance grew fainter, as if the Wolf King was desperately trying to eliminate it. Yet Meng Qi’s sense of connection with him became increasingly clear. It was as if, with his eyes closed, a fleeing figure would appear in his “vision.”
He had to catch up before the fragrance vanished completely!
Snowflakes continued to fall, covering many traces. The Wolf King, like a ghost, left no trail Meng Qi could hastily detect, as if he were chasing thin air. Without the faint fragrance and the lingering sense of connection, Meng Qi might have doubted his direction.
A cold wind blew, carrying away the last trace of fragrance. Meng Qi could only continue his pursuit based on a vague intuition.
Footprints marked the snowy ground, eerily only Meng Qi’s!
In Meng Qi’s mind, the tall, thin figure kept moving, exuding a faint killing intent. If not for concerns of another ambush, the Wolf King might have already turned around to attack.
Tempering his mind, overcoming impatience, Meng Qi seemed more composed and steady with each step, like the most seasoned hunter.
Snowflakes blurred his vision, but the feeling of closeness grew stronger. Meng Qi slightly relaxed his grip on the sword, aligning with the rhythm of the wind, preparing to strike along the trail of energy.
Suddenly, as if night had fallen, the energy connection was severed. In Meng Qi’s intuition, the Wolf King had vanished completely!
“Another trick? Why not use it earlier?” Meng Qi remained fully alert, ready for a sudden attack.
He examined the traces, slowing his pursuit. Without careful discernment, he could not find the Wolf King’s slightest clue.
After chasing a while longer, at this speed, the trail ahead had already vanished entirely.
Meng Qi exhaled, reluctantly admitting he had lost the trail.
In this aspect, the Wolf King indeed possessed unique talents and abilities.
“That energy-severing technique probably comes at a certain cost. Otherwise, the Wolf King should have used it immediately after eliminating the fragrance.” Meng Qi checked his position, searching for the path back to Gegen Gao Le.
The sky was vast and blue, the grasslands endless and white with snow. The surroundings looked nearly identical. Meng Qi almost lost his sense of direction. Fortunately, his strong sense of orientation, combined with various knowledge, allowed him to gradually outline the general route he had taken after leaving Gegen Gao Le—first northward, then slightly southwest…
“Strange, if I just head directly east, I’ll reach Gegen Gao Le!” Meng Qi was startled. Had he chased the Wolf King in a big circle?
“No,” he suddenly narrowed his eyes. “It was the Wolf King leading me halfway around. Could it be that deep in his mind, he didn’t want to leave Gegen Gao Le?”
If that were not the Wolf King’s intention, heading northwest and deeper into the grasslands would have been the best choice. Why make a detour?
“He wants revenge… He thinks Narisu betrayed him?” Meng Qi’s pupils constricted. Without hesitation, he gripped his sword and headed eastward.
As he approached the tent area of Gegen Gao Le, Meng Qi saw Temur.
Upon seeing Meng Qi, Temur hurriedly came forward: “Any discoveries?”
“He was nearby, but I lost him.” Meng Qi admitted honestly.
Temur sighed: “Cunning prey always escapes, but the hunter must not lose heart. With enough patience and calmness, we will surely catch it.”
“Indeed.” Meng Qi nodded slightly.
This was a test of his martial will and spiritual cultivation.
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