Hao Nhien turned to look at the prisoner bound near the door.
The man immediately stiffened. Two of his companions had died within only a few breaths, while most of his own spiritual power had been sealed by Lanh Hoa. His communication token and everything else that could be used to call for reinforcements had already been taken away. After everything he had just heard inside the council hall, he understood even more clearly that the young man before him was not merely someone who had happened to pass through the Fire Qilin Tribe.
Hao Nhien pulled an old wooden chair closer and sat down. Lanh Hoa stepped forward and stood directly behind him.
"I ask, you answer. Tell the truth and you still have a chance to live."
The prisoner swallowed hard, looked at Hao Nhien, then glanced toward Lanh Hoa. In the end, he lowered his head.
"My name is Nham Binh."
Hao Nhien did not rush him.
Nham Binh steadied his breathing before continuing.
"The five of us were originally wandering cultivators traveling together. We planned to go to Heavenly Eye Forward City to look for opportunities. On the way, we encountered Han Minh's group. They said that if we went with them and helped complete this mission, we would receive better treatment once we returned to the Forward City."
"Ly Vinh was the one leading the five of us. He agreed."
Hao Nhien asked,
"Han Minh commands the entire group?"
"Yes."
Nham Binh nodded quickly.
Hao Nhien glanced toward Luu Tan. Luu Tan stood near the door without speaking.
Nham Binh continued,
"After that, Han Minh sent the three of us into the settlement to investigate. Our task was to confirm whether any strangers or former tribesmen had returned, then report back immediately."
"How many people are still outside?"
"Nine."
Hao Nhien narrowed his eyes slightly.
The number matched what Luu Tan had told him earlier.
"Their strength?"
Nham Binh hesitated only briefly before answering.
"Han Minh is at late Foundation Establishment. Ly Vinh has also reached the late stage. The remaining seven are mostly mid-stage Foundation Establishment."
The council hall immediately became quieter.
The Fire Qilin tribesmen might not fully understand the difference between every layer of Foundation Establishment, but the words late stage alone were enough to change several expressions.
Hao Nhien remained calm.
"How long before Han Minh acts if the three of you fail to return?"
Nham Binh fell silent.
Hao Nhien looked directly at him.
"That is the important question."
Nham Binh pressed his lips together before finally exhaling.
"There is no fixed time. But the mission was only to enter, look around, and return. It should not have taken long. If too much time passes without word from us, Han Minh will definitely send someone to investigate."
Hao Nhien gave a slight nod.
"Do you have any other way to communicate besides the tokens you carried?"
"No. At least our group does not."
Hao Nhien watched him for another moment before standing.
"I will believe you for now. Cooperate until this is over. If what you told me is true, I will not kill you."
Nham Binh immediately lowered his head.
"I understand."
Hao Nhien turned toward the old man with the walking stick.
"I need two people to watch him. Their cultivation does not need to be high, but they must remain calm and know how to use weapons."
A middle-aged woman standing near several children stepped forward. She was not particularly tall, but her shoulders were sturdy, and an old short blade hung at her waist.
"My name is Luu Nhan. I once followed the tribe's hunting team."
Beside her, a middle-aged man with a long scar across his arm also stepped forward.
"I will guard him with her."
Hao Nhien nodded.
"Most of his spiritual power has already been sealed, but bind his hands and feet separately as well. The two of you take turns watching him. If he makes any suspicious move, report it immediately. Do not approach him unnecessarily."
Luu Nhan looked at Nham Binh before answering,
"I understand."
The two escorted the prisoner to a small stone house beside the council hall. Only after the door had been locked from the outside did Hao Nhien turn back toward those still inside.
"Until the enemy begins to suspect something, everyone must continue living as usual. Light your fires, cook, repair the tents, and move around the central area just as you normally would. Do not gather together and keep looking toward Dragonmist Thorn Forest. Do not let the children run around or talk about what just happened."
An elderly woman asked anxiously,
"What if they come inside again?"
"If they only send people to investigate, do not resist on your own. The people assigned to watch the approaches will warn us. If a fight truly breaks out, the children and anyone unable to defend themselves must immediately withdraw to the place we prepare. Do not stay to watch, and do not join the fighting on your own."
Hao Nhien looked around the room.
"Right now, we need them to believe the Fire Qilin Tribe is still exactly as it was. The more normal everything appears, the harder it will be for them to guess what happened inside."
The old man with the walking stick nodded.
"I will tell everyone."
Hao Nhien gave a few more instructions before allowing most of the people in the council hall to leave in small groups.
Before long, the central area gradually returned to its previous stillness.
Some people lit cooking fires. Several women brought children back to their homes. Others climbed onto tent roofs to repair loose beast hides. From a distance, the Fire Qilin Tribe still looked like nothing more than a declining settlement, with no sign that three cultivators from outside had entered and then disappeared.
Hao Nhien stood by the doorway for a while before turning back.
Only the old man, Luu Tan, and a few others who were still needed remained inside.
"Luu Tan."
Luu Tan immediately stepped forward.
Hao Nhien looked at him.
"You chose to stand with the Fire Qilin Tribe. Now I need you to do one more thing."
"Please give the order, Clan Head."
"This is very dangerous."
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Luu Tan remained silent for a breath.
"I understand."
"But we have to do it if we want a chance to survive."
Luu Tan raised his head and looked at Hao Nhien.
"Yes."
Hao Nhien said nothing more about loyalty or redemption. The sword strike from earlier had already been enough for him to give Luu Tan a second chance. How much that chance was worth would have to be proven through Luu Tan's own actions.
He turned toward Lanh Hoa.
"Before he leaves, give him a few injuries. They must look convincing enough that anyone who sees him will believe he has just escaped from a fight, but they cannot interfere with his ability to run a long distance."
Lanh Hoa nodded.
"Understood."
Hao Nhien looked back at Luu Tan.
"Return by the rear route, not the main road. Find Han Minh and tell him a story as close to the truth as possible."
Luu Tan listened carefully, his eyes shifting as he thought.
Hao Nhien continued,
"Tell him that your group of five encountered a group of strangers along the rear route. They are trying to open a path to lead some Fire Qilin tribesmen out of the settlement."
"The other four are still trying to hold that route, but they are under considerable pressure. You managed to break away from the fighting because you know the terrain, then circled around to call for reinforcements."
"Do not say the enemy is too strong. Just say they are not weak, but that with additional men, your side should still be able to hold them there."
Luu Tan understood quickly.
"Then Han Minh will believe the rear route has not been lost, only that it needs reinforcements."
"Exactly."
Hao Nhien looked directly at him.
"The important thing is not to make him believe your group is about to be destroyed. If he thinks the enemy is too strong, he may withdraw everyone or change his entire plan."
"You need to make him believe that if he moves quickly enough, he can still stop the Fire Qilin tribesmen trying to escape through the rear route."
Luu Tan gradually understood the full intention.
"But he cannot abandon the main road either."
"Correct."
Hao Nhien nodded.
"He does not know how many people remain inside the settlement, nor whether anyone is waiting beyond the main road. If he pulls everyone out of Dragonmist Thorn Forest to reinforce the rear route, he could lose the other passage entirely."
"I do not need Han Minh to completely believe you."
Hao Nhien paused.
"I only need him to be unwilling to gamble that the information you bring back is false."
Luu Tan remained silent for several breaths before saying,
"I understand how I should tell it."
Hao Nhien nodded and added one more reminder.
"Remember, you never met the three people Han Minh sent into the Fire Qilin settlement to investigate. You were at the rear route the entire time."
Luu Tan thought for a moment before nodding.
The story remained close to the truth in all the most important ways. He really had been stationed at the rear route, truly knew the terrain, and had genuinely been with the other four men.
Only the result of the battle and the purpose of Hao Nhien's group had been changed.
The less he had to fabricate, the fewer flaws there would be.
Hao Nhien turned toward Lanh Hoa.
"Go."
About a quarter of an hour later, Lanh Hoa returned alone. There was no blood left on the ancient sword, though a little more dust now stained his sleeve.
"He has left."
"How are the injuries?"
"Two shallow wounds and one deeper cut on the shoulder, but nothing reached the tendons or bone. I also disturbed his spiritual power for a short while. Anyone looking at him will think he has just escaped from a fight."
Hao Nhien nodded.
"Good."
The old man with the walking stick had not yet left. He looked toward the doorway through which Luu Tan had disappeared.
"Clan Head, do you trust him?"
Hao Nhien looked outside as well.
"I believe he wants to return to the Fire Qilin Tribe."
The old man remained silent.
Hao Nhien continued,
"But I will not place everyone's lives on a single belief."
Lanh Hoa gave a slight nod.
Hao Nhien turned back.
"While Luu Tan is making his way to Han Minh, everything inside the settlement remains unchanged. After that, we begin moving the weakest people out first."
The old man asked,
"Where will they go?"
Lanh Hoa answered in Hao Nhien's place.
"North of the settlement is an old storm shelter crevice deep beneath the foot of the mountain. The entrance is narrow, but there is enough room inside for the elderly and children to hide for several days. Anyone unfamiliar with the terrain will have difficulty finding it."
Hao Nhien nodded.
"Move the children, the elderly, and anyone unable to protect themselves there first. Take enough water, food, and medicinal supplies for several days."
"But do not empty the central area all at once. At first, there must still be people moving around, keeping the fires lit and making the settlement look unchanged. Once enough time has passed for Luu Tan to reach Han Minh, the rest can withdraw gradually in small groups."
The old man understood.
"If everyone leaves at the same time, anyone looking from outside will immediately know something is wrong."
"Exactly."
From that point on, the Fire Qilin Tribe began to move in a way that would have been almost impossible to notice from outside.
Those who remained continued to light cooking fires.
One woman kept repairing a piece of beast hide outside her door.
A middle-aged man pulled out an old water trough and began fixing it.
Even as evening approached, smoke still rose from the settlement as it did every day.
Only when Hao Nhien judged that Luu Tan had been gone long enough to reach Han Minh did the remaining people in the central area begin withdrawing.
There were no loud voices and no one called out to one another. No one carried anything unnecessary.
The northern shelter gradually filled with people, while the central houses became emptier little by little without any single moment of obvious change.
Only after most of the civilians had left the dangerous area did Hao Nhien and Lanh Hoa leave the settlement.
Hao Nhien looked toward Lanh Hoa.
"I need two people who know the terrain around the rear route, have good eyes, move quickly, and can remain still in one place for a long time. One will take a high position near the entrance to the rear route, while the other watches from the far end. They do not need to fight."
Lanh Hoa thought for a moment before nodding.
"I know two suitable people."
Before long, he returned with two middle-aged women. Both had sun-darkened skin from years of moving through the desert, compact builds, steady steps, and calm eyes.
Lanh Hoa indicated the woman on the right.
"Kim Linh."
Then he looked toward the other.
"Kim Loan. Both of them used to travel with the tribe's herb-gathering teams and know the rock formations and small trails around Dragonmist Thorn Forest very well."
The two women stepped forward.
Hao Nhien took two small bronze mirrors from his storage ring and placed them before them.
"Kim Linh will hold the high point near the entrance to the rear route. Kim Loan will watch the section connected to the exit on this side. You only have one task: observe carefully."
Both women listened closely.
He pointed toward the mirrors.
"If you see a group entering, first determine their number. While there is still enough daylight, use reflected light from the mirror to signal this position. If there are five people, flash the light five times, with one breath between each flash. If there are too many people to count accurately, use three long flashes in succession to indicate that the force is larger than expected."
Kim Linh nodded slightly.
Hao Nhien continued,
"After sending the signal, do not change position immediately. Keep watching to see whether anyone else follows behind."
Kim Loan asked,
"What if it becomes dark before they appear?"
"Then use fire."
Hao Nhien answered.
"Keep only a tiny flame concealed inside a rock hollow. When you need to signal, uncover it for a single beat and cover it again. Use the same pattern as the mirrors."
He looked at both women.
"The most important thing is not to let the enemy realize someone is watching them. You are our eyes, not fighters."
Kim Linh asked,
"What if we are discovered?"
"Leave the position immediately. Do not try to hold it."
Hao Nhien paused.
"You do not need to return here. As long as the signal is accurate, that is enough."
Only then did Lanh Hoa speak.
"I will take them to the two observation points, then return."
Hao Nhien nodded.
"Choose positions high enough to see the route, but do not place them on exposed peaks. There must be rocks or thorn bushes behind them for cover. The mirror light must be directed only toward us."
Both women nodded.
The three figures quickly disappeared beyond the low rock formations, heading toward the two observation points selected in advance.
When Lanh Hoa returned, he led Hao Nhien along a low rocky route between the rear passage and the northern foot of the mountain, where desert thorn bushes and natural stone crevices provided enough cover to conceal them.
From a moderately elevated rock formation, Hao Nhien could observe part of the road leading into the rear route.
He sat down behind a large stone.
Lanh Hoa checked the surroundings. Hao Nhien saw him tie one end of a rope to a clump of brush taller than a man, then return to their hiding place with the other end in his hand.
Noticing Hao Nhien watching him, Lanh Hoa explained,
"Sometimes making the enemy misjudge the location of an ambush is enough. I only need them to make that mistake for a single beat."
Hao Nhien nodded in understanding.
"The tribesmen have already entered the storm shelter. I left two stronger people near the entrance to watch over them. If we fail here, they will not return to the settlement immediately."
Lanh Hoa added the report before looking once more toward the entrance.
"If Luu Tan succeeds, Han Minh will divide his forces."
"There is a strong chance he will."
Hao Nhien said,
"But we cannot treat that as certain. Han Minh may come to the rear route himself, he may send Ly Vinh, or he may decide that the disappearance of the three scouts means something has gone wrong and bring everyone into the settlement."
Lanh Hoa spoke in a low voice.
"Whatever he chooses, this fight will be harder."
"He has two late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivators and seven at the mid stage."
Hao Nhien looked toward the narrow road ahead.
"That is why I want him to divide them."
If all nine enemies came together, Hao Nhien and Lanh Hoa alone had almost no chance of confronting them directly.
But if Luu Tan convinced Han Minh that a group of Fire Qilin tribesmen was preparing to escape through the rear route, he would have to make a decision quickly. Holding the main road meant he could not send everyone to the rear, while abandoning the rear route risked allowing his targets to escape.
Hao Nhien did not need the enemy to choose exactly as he predicted.
He only needed to force Han Minh to choose.
Time passed slowly.
The wind moved through the low thorn bushes, carrying dry sand and the bitter scent of plant resin. Hao Nhien kept his spiritual awareness within a reasonable distance around their hiding place and made no attempt to probe too far.
He did not know whether Luu Tan had already reached Han Minh.
Nor did he know how Han Minh would react when he saw a badly wounded man return from the rear route.
From the moment Luu Tan left the settlement, part of the plan had passed beyond Hao Nhien's control.
But that did not mean he could only wait for luck.
If Han Minh divided his forces, they would strike the separated group.
If he did not, Hao Nhien would not force a direct confrontation. He would continue buying time, keep the civilians safe, and look for another opportunity.
If Luu Tan's story was exposed, at least the remaining Fire Qilin tribesmen were no longer concentrated in the settlement where they could be taken hostage.
Every possibility had been considered.
Lanh Hoa sat several steps away with the ancient sword resting across his knees.
Neither man spoke.
Hao Nhien remained still, his gaze fixed on a distant high point half-hidden among rocks and thorn bushes.
The evening light had already fallen low.
At that moment, a point of light suddenly flashed on the distant slope.
Once.
After one breath, it appeared again.
Two.
Three.
Hao Nhien immediately straightened.
The light continued.
Four.
Five.
Then it vanished completely.
Lanh Hoa had seen it as well. His hand slowly settled on the hilt of the ancient sword.
Hao Nhien looked toward the rear route, his gaze turning cold and focused.
"Five people."
He paused for a beat.
"They're coming."