Encountering the Hunter Team

On this endless plain, there were almost no obstacles. However, a moment later, a team of twelve people came clearly into their view, obviously heading straight for the four of them.

It was easy to see from their attire that this was an exceptionally well-equipped team. Leading them was a tall man in ornate full-body armor; with the thick plating, he looked even more burly than Po Kong.

“Halt! State your identity! Or my arrows won’t be so forgiving!” Xia Duo shouted a sharp warning as the group drew closer.

At the same time, she flicked her bowstring. An arrow whistled through the air, precisely striking the ground in the path of the approaching group and leaving a small pit as a warning shot.

Faced with this sudden and ominous warning, the opposing team only hesitated for a fraction of a second before quickly regaining their composure.

Instead of falling into a panic, they moved with disciplined order, forming a defensive formation centered around their leader.

As the members in the rear of the group quickly drew their ranged weapons, looking ready to fight at a moment's notice, the atmosphere grew incredibly tense.

In a desolate wilderness like this, friction between two groups of strangers was not uncommon. Although neither side knew the other's background yet, both had to maintain high alert out of caution.

Just as Starlight began quietly condensing a spell in his palm, the lead warrior suddenly made a gesture to his teammates. He then raised his hands high and strode forward alone.

“Don’t be nervous, we mean no harm. You... adventurers, have you misunderstood something?” A rough yet steady male voice came through the slits of his helmet.

He seemed to have noticed the prominent badge on Po Kong’s shoulder and the weapon shimmering with golden light in his hand, causing his tone to soften considerably.

“We are merely maintaining a necessary guard for safety. Since you mean no harm, why don't you start by introducing yourselves?” Po Kong replied in a booming voice, his eyes narrowing slightly as he slowly lowered his gripped scythe.

“My name is Sima Red, from the Crimson City-State. I am a ‘Hunter.’ My companions and I are tracking a prey we have been searching for over ten days. May I ask if any of you have seen any suspicious creatures lately?” the man said truthfully, his tone quite sincere.

“Red... You’re from the House of Red? As for the prey you mentioned, could you tell us more about the specifics?” Po Kong asked, his expression remaining calm despite hearing the name.

“Of course! Since you are familiar with my family name, that makes things much easier! We are hunting a rare golden... or rather, a dazzling golden bird. Have any of you had the fortune of seeing it?” Sima continued to inquire politely.

“A golden bird?” Upon hearing this, the same question mark appeared in everyone’s minds.

Over the past few days, under Xia Duo and Moen’s guidance, they had barely encountered a few living creatures, let alone a brilliant golden bird. If such a creature had appeared on the plains, it should have been extremely conspicuous.

“I’m afraid we’ll have to disappoint you. we haven't had the chance to see any golden bird. Perhaps your tracking is off,” Xia Duo said with a decisive shake of her head, her tone brook no doubt.

“Oh? Since the beautiful... elf lady says so, I shall believe it for now. We need to continue the hunt, so we won't disturb you any longer. Farewell, everyone.” Sima gave the four a slight nod of respect before turning around and leading his team away quickly.

The hunter team came and went swiftly, soon disappearing from their line of sight.

Once the group had completely departed, Xia Duo finally let out a long sigh of relief and slowly stowed her longbow. Po Kong, however, kept his sharp gaze fixed on the direction they had vanished, remaining silent for a long time before finally relaxing his tense nerves.

Seeing Po Kong finally relax, Xia Duo gently nudged the small of his back with her elbow. “What’s with you? They’ve been gone for a while now! Even I can't sense them anymore.”

“Was it just my imagination? Regardless, it's better to be careful with those guys,” Po Kong replied thoughtfully, casually brushing back his blond hair. “Well, since they’re gone and it’s getting late, let’s find a place to rest for the night!”

Seeing that Po Kong had nothing more to say, Xia Duo didn't press him further. She turned to study the map with her sister; although there was still some time before nightfall, it was indeed time to find a place to camp.

Soon, guided by the map, the four found a small hill and set up camp on the leeward side of the slope.

Xia Duo and Moen went off together to gather dry wood and planned to set up some simple warning traps around the camp. The two men stayed behind to build the shelter and light the campfire.

As Starlight used earth magic to construct the shelter, he occasionally looked at the two sisters walking away, then glanced at Po Kong, who was absent-mindedly stacking wood for the fire. He gave a subtle nod to himself.

Only then did Starlight lower his voice and ask tentatively, “Was there something wrong with those people we just met? I rarely see you act like that.”

Po Kong was startled by the question. He quickly gathered his thoughts and replied, “Tsk, was I that obvious?”

“Of course. In fact, ever since we set off for the Crimson City-State, I’ve felt you’ve been acting a bit strange,” Starlight nodded and continued. “Is there some difficulty? Or...”

“So you specifically waited until they were away to ask me? Sigh... How should I put it? I really don't want to bring this up.” Po Kong sighed, tossing a small stick aside.

Seeing his dejected look, Starlight frowned slightly, put down his work, and walked over to him.

“Why don't you tell me about it? But are you sure you don't want to tell Xia Duo and her sister?”

“Whatever. But let’s get this straight—it’s not like I’m intentionally hiding it from you guys. It’s just... I don’t know how to talk about this kind of thing. Thankfully Little Shadow and the other aren't here...” Po Kong rubbed his temples in distress and groaned.

“Oh? So what secret exactly are you hiding from me?”

“Ugh, it’s a tale of nothing but bitter tears! You wouldn't understand... Huh?!!! Little Shadow!!! When did you two get back?!” Before Po Kong could finish, he realized something was wrong. He turned around to find Xia Duo and Moen standing not far away, having returned at some unknown point.

Xia Duo stood with her hands on her hips, a faint, knowing smile on her face as she said leisurely, “It seems having sharp ears isn't always a good thing, is it?”

“You... you... can you stop appearing silently behind people?! You’re going to scare me to death! Besides, weren't you supposed to be gathering firewood?” Po Kong looked at the two sisters in terror, his speech becoming somewhat stammered.

“Are you talking about these?” Xia Duo gave a light wave of her hand, and a bundle of neatly packed wood dropped between the two men. It was a substantial amount, more than enough to last the entire night.