Moonlight filtered weakly through the towering trees, casting long, jagged shadows across the forest floor.
"Stop."
Nie Li's voice cut through the quiet.
He crouched near a patch of disturbed ground—broken branches, scattered twigs, clawed bark.
Karma stepped lightly beside him, hands still tucked lazily into his pockets, though his eyes were sharp.
Shisui appeared silently from the treeline, his presence almost blending with the darkness. His eyes scanned the surroundings once before settling on the broken nest ahead.
Nie Li lowered his head slightly, inhaling.
"…It's the smell of a beast's urine."
Shisui's eyes narrowed.
"It's from a Fox Bear."
"There's someone here," Nie Li said quietly.
"Four," Shisui corrected calmly. "Approaching from the west."
A moment later—
Chen Linjian stepped into view, followed by Shen Yue and two others.
Chen Linjian's gaze swept across the clearing before landing on Nie Li.
"Nie Li? Why are you here?"
Nie Li stood upright.
"I smelled something strange while training. I thought it might be a demon beast, so I followed the scent."
Chen Linjian gave a small smile, though his eyes were calculating.
"I see. Two of our men discovered these nests earlier while foraging, and shisui's men alerted us so I came with Shen Yue to take a look."
Shen Yue's gaze flicked toward Karma briefly—then away.
Karma noticed.
He gave Shen Yue a lazy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes.
"Judging by the scattered branches," Shen Yue said, crouching to examine the ground, "this nest should have been deserted for quite some time."
Shisui stepped closer to the clawed bark of a nearby tree.
"From the fur left on the bark," he began calmly, "and the arrangement of the tree branches, I believe this was a demon beast known as the Fox Bear."
Chen Linjian glanced at him.
"Oh?"
"An adult Fox Bear stands around four feet tall," Nie Li said. "Judging from the size of this clearing, a whole tribe used to live here."
Shen Yue frowned.
"There are hundreds of demon beasts in the St. Ancestral Mountains. With just a few clues, you can deduce that it's a Fox Bear? Isn't that a bit far-fetched?"
Karma finally spoke up.
"It's not far-fetched," he said lightly, strolling forward. "Fox Bears mark territory aggressively. They tear bark low and wide—see?" He gestured lazily toward the trunk. "Too short for most other mid-tier beasts."
The others blinked.
Shen Yue frowned.
"…You know about demon beasts too?"
Karma shrugged.
"I read sometimes."
Nie Li shot him a look.
"You were asleep in the library half the time."
Karma grinned.
"Resting my eyes."
The forest was still.
Nie Li crouched beside the abandoned nest, brushing his fingers lightly over the broken twigs.
"A Fox Bear is a Silver-ranked demon beast," he said calmly. "Every year, it spends more than half its time hibernating inside its cave."
He lifted his head slightly.
"They only come out in early summer to begin hunting."
Chen Linjian's brows furrowed.
"…And that isn't now."
Nie Li nodded.
"Fox Bears are extremely territorial. They mark their domain with urine. The stench we smelled must've been left when they moved deeper into the forest."
One of Chen Linjian's men glanced around uneasily.
"I think they might appear soon…"
"Then what should we do?" another asked.
Nie Li's expression sharpened.
"We leave during the night," he said decisively. "Their sense of smell is excellent. If we're discovered, there'll be a big fight. Our goal is the ruins of the Ancient Orchid City. It's best if we avoid unnecessary battles."
Silence.
Then—
"Young Master Chen, don't listen to his nonsense!" Shen Yue protested. "This place is empty. How can there be Fox Bears? If we travel at night, it'll be even more dangerous. Why not wait for daybreak?"
Chen Linjian closed his eyes briefly. Then looks at Shisui.
"…Go back and gather the rest," Shisui ordered calmly. "We leave during the night."
"Roger!"
The group dispersed to prepare.
Karma leaned slightly toward Shisui, lowering his voice just enough for him to hear.
"Smart call," Karma murmured. "They're circling already."
Shisui's gaze flickered toward the deeper forest.
"I counted 2 moving through the canopy," he replied quietly. "They're herding."
Karma's lips curved faintly.
"Fun."
Shisui gave him a brief look.
"…Please don't."
Karma grinned.
A few minutes later—
Chen Linjian raised his hand.
"Don't ask questions. Just follow my lead!"
The group began moving through the forest in tight formation.
Leaves rustled softly.
Branches creaked.
"look at your hair" Karma muttered lazily as he glanced at a sleepy Ziyun.
Ziyun glared at him. "This is not the time!"
Karma shrugged. "There's never a wrong time."
Shisui walked silently behind them, eyes constantly shifting, scanning treetops, ground, shadows.
One hour later.
Step.
Step.
The air felt heavier.
Then—
RUMBLE.
RUMBLE.
RUMBLE.
The ground trembled faintly.
Chen Linjian's eyes snapped open.
"!"
"Demon beast!" someone shouted.
A thunderous roar ripped through the forest.
ROAR!! ROAR!!
Several students froze in fear.
"Luckily Young Master Chen brought us away," one man whispered urgently. "If not, we would've been ambushed!"
"Nie Li… I must admit his knowledge far surpasses mine," Chen Linjian muttered under his breath.
In the deep forest, between the trees—
Massive shapes moved.
A dead Fox Bear its fur bristling, eyes glowing under the moonlight. Another shadow moved behind it.
"Avoid the rear group!" someone shouted. "Catch up!"
The formation tightened.
Karma slowed slightly, eyes flicking toward the roaring beasts.
"…They're agitated," he said softly.
"Provoked," Shisui corrected. "Something drove them out."
Karma's gaze drifted deeper into the forest. Into the darker part of the woods.
His smile faded.
"…Yeah," he murmured.
"Something did."
The roar echoed again—
And the night pressed closer around them.
After marching through the night, the forest slowly brightened.
Sunrise filtered through the trees. Mist drifted low across the ground. The team's pace eased slightly, exhaustion visible on several faces—but no one dared complain.
Up ahead, Karma walked with Ye Ziyun, hands behind his head, looking far too relaxed for someone who had barely slept.
"So," Karma was saying lightly, "if we survive this trip, I'm demanding proper food next time. Not dried ration bricks."
Ziyun rolled her eyes. "You didn't even eat yours."
"I was emotionally offended," he replied seriously. "That counts."
Behind them, Nie Li's expression was far less relaxed.
His senses were stretched thin.
Three presences.
Steady. Maintaining distance. Not demon beasts.
Silver Rank.
He didn't turn his head. Didn't change his pace. But his eyes sharpened slightly.
They're following us.
He subtly shifted his position and moved toward Chen Linjian.
But before he could speak—
He saw Shisui already walking beside Chen.
Shisui's posture was calm, expression gentle as always—but his eyes were completely serious.
"Lin," Shisui said quietly, voice low enough that only Chen could hear, "three Silver-ranked Demon Spiritualists are tailing the team."
Chen Linjian's steps slowed by a fraction.
"…You're certain?" he asked evenly.
"Yes."
At that exact moment, Chen's gaze instinctively moved sideways—
And Nie Li stepped into view.
"Don't look around," Nie Li said calmly, voice barely above a whisper.
Shisui nodded once. "He's right."
Chen adjusted immediately, eyes forward again.
The formation continued walking as if nothing had happened.
"…You sensed them too?" Chen asked quietly.
"Yes," Nie Li replied. "They've kept distance since before dawn."
Chen's expression darkened. "Any guess which faction?"
Nie Li hesitated briefly.
"…Dark Guild," he said.
Shisui and Chen exchanged a quick glance.
No surprise. Just confirmation.
It made sense.
The Dark Guild had been increasingly active. Sending Silver ranks this deep into the forest meant one thing—they weren't here by accident.
Shisui's gaze flickered toward the treeline for just a heartbeat.
"They're disciplined," he said. "Maintaining spacing. No reckless movement."
Chen nodded slowly.
Then he reached out and tapped Nie Li once on the shoulder.
"Leave this matter to us," Chen said quietly.
His tone was firm.
Shisui's presence beside him felt steady.
Calculated.
Controlled.
Behind them, Karma laughed at something Ziyun said.
Completely unaware.
The morning light grew brighter.
And somewhere beyond the trees—
Three shadows continued to follow.
The morning sun hung high above the mountains, bright and warm.
The group had paused to rest along the rocky slope. Some students drank water. Others chatted quietly.
A short distance away, Nie Li lay back casually against a rock, hands behind his head.
Ye Ziyun approached him, brushing a strand of hair from her face.
"Nie Li, I have some questions about inscription battle techniques to ask you…"
Nie Li sat up slightly.
"Oh? Okay."
Ziyun glanced around once before sitting beside him.
"…By the way," she asked, "where did Karma go?"
Nie Li followed her gaze briefly toward the forest.
"He went to check the surrounding area," he said calmly. "With Shisui and Chen Linjian."
Ziyun nodded softly. "I see…"
Not far away, a few men whispered among themselves.
"That guy and the goddess Ziyun are chatting happily…"
"Hm… I heard she's of noble status. I wouldn't even dare approach her."
"Yeah…"
Back under the tree, Ziyun tucked her hands into her sleeves shyly.
"I… have something nice for you," he said gently. "Close your eyes."
Ziyun blinked.
"Oh? Okay."
Without suspicion, she obediently closed his eyes.
Nie li smiled sweetly.
"And count to three."
"Alright…"
"One."
"Two."
"Three—"
BOOM!
A faint tremor rippled through the air.
Nie Li's expression changed instantly.
"Ah—!"
Ziyun looked at him in surprise.
"It's a soul power shock!" she exclaimed. "There's a fight in the forest behind us!"
Nie Li stood up immediately.
"You stay here. I'll go take a look."
Without waiting for a reply, he dashed toward the forest.