Chapter 58: Taking The Piss
"I think this clue has the greatest merit. Rogue cultivators are usually never united enough to run such a huge operation without leaving a clue behind.
"The cultivators that the merchant hired were not easy opponents by any means. Kidnapping them all without leaving a big trace is quite the feat. And this further solidifies the theory of demonic cultivator criminals," Shen Kai said with a troubled expression.
"But even if it is true, there is no way to track them. We can only hope that the representatives from the sect can do it."
Han Xuhan, meanwhile, was contemplating a rather complicated question.
Should he tell Shen Kai about Mu Ran’s hunch so that he could run before things go south Or should they stick together and have a face-off, if the situation really came to that?
"Representative Xuhan and Representative Ran, we are very close to the hub of disappearances now. So far, seven disappearances have happened in the area right ahead. If there is anything you need to prepare, please do so."
Han Xuhan’s chain of thoughts was broken by Shen Kai’s sudden announcement.
Scanning the densely packed trees submerged in darkness, he felt intimidated. The forest looked especially creepy under the dying light of the sun.
There was a thin line between caution and cowardice, and he felt like they were about to cross that line now. So, without further ado, he silently opened his backpack.
He had collected some useful items during his one month of stay in the sect. First came the armor parts he had won during the recruitment ceremony—a flat backplate that would protect him from sudden ambush from behind, and a waist armor to guard little Xuhan and his two family jewels.
After he put these on in secret, he replaced his shoes with a mismatched new pair. These, he had gotten from a fellow disciple later, in exchange for the gauntlet won in that wager. These shoes had one unique attribute; a small burst of gravitational force that could be triggered by refined qi.