Chapter 39: Natural Enemy
"..." Chen Mave jolted, her pupils dilating as she stared at the Tracer Bee. It took her a moment to process what this meant. Her voice cracked as she shouted, "Senior Sister Sil! Didn't you swear Lordi Payne couldn't possibly escape your maze array?! Why's he not in the canyon anymore?!"
Chen Haunt, who had been soothing Sil Deshah, snapped his head up. "What did you say?!"
"Brother, look at the Tracer Bee!" Chen Mave hurriedly cast a spell to halt the bee, her voice rising in panic. "The canyon's paths are covered by the maze array—I'd get lost down there. I meant to let the bee lead, but it's flying south! That means Lordi Payne's not in the canyon!"
"How's that possible?!" Before Chen Haunt could reply, Sil Deshah gasped, her face pale. "The child formation alone is beyond his cultivation strength and experience—never mind the maze array outside! He's from a low clan. Didn't we all see how clueless that clan heir, Hugo Payne, was when he joined the outer sect? His clan brother Hugo Payne, that clan's heir, got played by a nobody like Sun Elaine! How could Lordi Payne break my arrays?"
She eyed the bee skeptically, her voice tinged with doubt. "Maybe your Tracer Bee's gone out of control?"
"Don't talk nonsense if you don't get it," Chen Mave snapped, her face darkening. Her cultivation strength wasn't high, but she had invested heavily in that bee. "This bee's cost my clan a fortune, and it's never failed us!"
Sil Deshah opened her mouth to retort, but Chen Haunt pressed her shoulder, silencing her. His face was dark, his expression grim as he barked, "Enough! Junior Brother Hwong, take Mave and check what's going on down there."
"The bee's never failed us, and we've seen the power of Junior Sister Sil's array skills. This could mean Lordi Payne didn't escape—maybe he chucked his robe out in despair, and some beast carried it south."
"Better go there to check."