Chapter 1773: Tracking

The man on the wanted poster had sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, clearly handsome, yet a faint, almost imperceptible smile always played on his lips, making him both annoying and endearing. Who else could it be but Zu An?

Chu Chuyan never expected to find news of Zu An in this secret realm. At first, she thought it was merely a coincidence, perhaps someone here just happened to resemble A'Zu. But she immediately dismissed that idea; the image was so lifelike, how could she not recognize her own man?

She figured that since her group hadn't exited the secret realm as planned, the elders of various sects on Purple Mountain must have been worried and organized an expedition to investigate. As A'Zu was a member of the referee team, and both she and Manman were in the realm, it was highly probable he had come looking for them, unable to rest easy.

She wondered what method they had used to enter this secret realm, and why A'Zu was wanted.

She had been in the secret realm for some time and recognized the poster as the Adventurer's Guild's highest-level wanted order, one that hadn't been issued for many years. Historically, every target of such an order, whether a prince, general, top martial artist, or even a king, had always been apprehended.

The reward offered on the wanted poster was so tempting that even she was stirred, let alone the cruel and bloodthirsty cultivators of this world.

She looked in the direction the knights had departed, then glanced at the great tomb on the other side. Without a moment's hesitation, she changed direction with a light step, pursuing the group of knights.

A'Zu was more important than whatever lay at the great tomb.

However, she did not act recklessly. Instead, she quietly followed from a distance. Several of the knights had cultivation levels comparable to hers, and if a fight broke out, they had a numerical advantage. Not only would she be in danger, but even A'Zu, if ambushed by this group while unprepared, would likely be in great peril.

Fortunately, she seemed to have overheard them mentioning that they had tracked A'Zu's whereabouts. She only needed to follow them to reunite with him; then, working together, they should be able to handle this group.

Further away, Prince Lieyang was startled by this sight. "Why did she change direction?" he exclaimed.

His attendant, Little Sha, replied, "She must be annoyed by the rudeness of that group and wants to teach them a lesson."

Prince Lieyang looked around. "Does anyone know their background?" he asked.

At this point, attendant Little Zhu replied, "Judging by their attire and appearance, they seem to be the local power of Zhichuan, the Gray Wolf Mercenary Group."

"Gray Wolf? Such a generic name; they can't be very powerful," Prince Lieyang said, letting out a sigh of relief.

At this point, another middle-aged cultivator warned, "Your Highness, do not be misled by the name. They are actually quite powerful. They have rampaged within ten thousand li of Zhichuan, committing murder, robbery, and all sorts of evil deeds. It's not that no one has tried to annihilate them; several nearby small nations and factions have allied multiple times, gathering many experts to deal with them. But each time, they were completely wiped out. Later, their members even infiltrated various factions and assassinated the rulers of small nations. Since then, no one dares to provoke them easily."

He was Prince Lieyang's protector; last time, he had been tricked into leaving the prince's side, which led to the prince's perilous situation. Fortunately, Chu Chuyan had thwarted that assassination attempt.

Prince Lieyang's expression changed. "That powerful?" he murmured.

Although his country was not small, its strength might not surpass the combined power of those minor nations. For a moment, a look of hesitation appeared on his face, but then he thought of Chu Chuyan's ethereal beauty and couldn't bear to leave her.

Attendant Little Zhu, skilled at discerning intentions, immediately understood the prince's thoughts upon seeing his expression. He hastily said, "Your Highness, haven't you been frustrated all along that Miss Chu is too powerful, denying you the chance to play the hero and rescue the beauty?"

Along the way, Chu Chuyan's beauty had often led to disputes, but her own formidable strength and extensive experience in the martial world meant she usually resolved problems with little effort. This left Prince Lieyang frustrated, as several times he had wanted to intervene and save her, but never got the chance, making him pound his chest and stamp his feet in anger.

"This Gray Wolf Mercenary Group is powerful, far superior to those petty thieves we've encountered before. Although Miss Chu is capable, she is likely no match for them. When she falls into a desperate situation, and Your Highness descends like a divine warrior, wouldn't that instantly capture her heart?"

Prince Lieyang's eyes lit up. "That's right! An opportunity I've always yearned for has finally presented itself. How could I leave now?"

Just imagining Chu Chuyan fighting valiantly but being overwhelmed, about to be defiled by those villains, her heart would surely be filled with utter despair. Then, he would descend from the heavens on a five-colored auspicious cloud, ideally scooping her up and spinning her around a few times, followed by a tender, profound gaze. Wouldn't she then secretly pledge her heart to him?

Various scenes appeared in his mind, and Prince Lieyang felt a surge of fiery passion in his heart.

The middle-aged protector frowned. "The Gray Wolf Mercenary Group is too powerful; we might not be able to save Miss Chu, and we might even put ourselves in danger," he said. "In my opinion, we should go immediately and warn Miss Chu not to provoke them. She might not know the background of this Gray Wolf Mercenary Group."

Prince Lieyang quickly waved his hand. "No, no. What good would it do to warn her now?" he retorted.

If he warned Chu Chuyan now, she would at most offer a polite thank you and not really pay him much mind. On the contrary, if he waited until she was in a desperate situation, his appearance would very likely win him both her body and heart. Anyone would know which choice to make.

"But..."

The middle-aged protector wanted to persuade him further, but Little Zhu interrupted, "Mr. Sun, you are worrying too much. This time, His Highness specifically brought a group of experts with him. Furthermore, His Highness's Blazing Sun Divine Art has reached the eighth level; he fears no one. Besides, Miss Chu's cultivation is very high. In a desperate situation, she will certainly unleash even greater combat power. Even if that Gray Wolf Mercenary Group can defeat her, they will surely suffer heavy losses. How much fighting power will they have left then? With so many experts on our side, well-rested and waiting, we can easily crush them in one blow. These mercenary groups in the martial world value their lives greatly; once their losses reach a certain point, they will naturally flee for their lives."

"Even if we assume the worst, and they are truly formidable, it would still be easy for so many experts to protect His Highness and ensure his escape."

Prince Lieyang burst into laughter. "Little Zhu is right. It's decided then," he said. "Everyone follow closely, and whatever you do, don't alert Miss Chu."

Seeing that his mind was made up, the middle-aged protector found it difficult to say anything more. He could only signal his subordinates to remain vigilant and follow from a distance.

Meanwhile, at the front of the procession, the leader of the Gray Wolf Mercenary Group asked a man with particularly bulging eyes beside him, "Have you really found the target?"

A knife scar ran across the leader's face, passing his eye, and as he spoke, a fierce, menacing aura emanated from him.

"Boss, are you still not confident in my abilities?" the man with bulging eyes chuckled, looking towards the distant mountains. "If he hadn't come to Zhichuan, that would be one thing, but as soon as he appears here, he cannot escape my sight. This person is also very cautious; he hasn't taken any main roads, choosing remote, unfrequented paths instead. He's probably worried about being hunted down."

The leader's expression immediately relaxed. This subordinate possessed a special ability: his eyes could perceive events happening throughout the entire Zhichuan region, provided he knew the target's specific appearance and information, which had all been clearly marked on the wanted poster. It was precisely because their team possessed this ability that their operations had been unfailingly successful over the years.

The leader laughed heartily. "If this succeeds, you will certainly be credited with the greatest merit."

One must know that the Adventurer's Guild's highest-level wanted order hadn't appeared for decades. Now that it had been issued, the generous reward offered had driven everyone in the world mad. The wealth obtained from completing the mission would be enough to last three lifetimes. Therefore, all major factions were searching for the target, but the fellow was extremely cunning, and no one had been able to find him. Fortunately, as soon as the wanted order was issued, he came to Zhichuan and was then discovered by their mercenary group.

It was truly a case of "the early bird catches the worm." In other places, they might not have been confident enough to outperform other factions, but Zhichuan was their territory, and with their clairvoyant ability, they held a greater advantage over all other forces. So they decided to first encircle and kill the target on the wanted poster, and then return to the great tomb to try their luck.

The entire mercenary group was immersed in a joyous atmosphere, each person eagerly imagining how they would celebrate after completing the mission.

At this moment, the man with bulging eyes glanced behind him, then lowered his voice. "Boss, that woman is following us," he said.

The leader glanced behind him but didn't see Chu Chuyan's figure. However, he knew very well that Bulging-Eyes would not be mistaken; the woman was clearly following from a distance, afraid of being discovered.

"We already let her go; why is she still following?" the leader said, somewhat puzzled.

At this moment, another yellow-faced man next to him chuckled. "Perhaps that little girl saw how mighty and formidable we are, and her heart stirred with desire for us."

As soon as these words were uttered, everyone burst into laughter, whistling and saying, "Since she came looking for us herself, let's take her down first."