In the wind-sheltered valley, halfway up the slope there is a cliff face, and beneath the cliff, a natural crevice forms a triangular cave.

There is not much snow accumulated near the cave entrance. Someone has cleared it, built a simple earthen stove with stones, and collected pine needles and dry branches to start a campfire.

Above the campfire, a rack made of branches is set up, with two freshly cleaned Flying Dragons hanging on it.

Flying Dragon is a northeastern term, scientifically known as hazel grouse.

It is a delicacy, occasionally available in past markets, but later listed as a protected species, prohibiting hunting.

But here in Maoluo Country, for emergency survival purposes, hunting two Flying Dragons to fill the stomach should be fine, right?

Zeng Hongye and Xiaosi followed the direction of the rising smoke, crossing two hills, through a valley, and climbing halfway up the slope to witness this scene.

They thought to themselves, Wu Yanjun is really good at escaping, nearly maxing out his survival skills, finding such a campsite with a cave for wind protection and warmth, even hunting in the forest.

The snow on the slope was filled with scattered footprints, and there were feathers all over near the cave entrance.

Actually, starting a fire here would quickly disperse the smoke into the valley, making it hard to notice from afar. If Zeng Hongye hadn't especially paid attention and had excellent eyesight, he wouldn't have spotted it today.

The cave was formed by a fault in the rock, unlike southern limestone caves, so it's not deep, ending after a five-meter walk inside. The interior space is about two meters wide and three meters high, filled with the scent of pine smoke.

Obviously, Wu Yanjun had previously been using the cave for warmth, with dry pine needles as the best kindling.

At the end of the cave, there's a pile of dry grass and a randomly skinned roe deer pelt. This must be where Wu Yanjun slept, and surprisingly, a pair of single-board soft ski boots were left there, perhaps worn for days and needing to air out.

Xiaosi: "Where is he?"

Zeng Hongye: "That kid is very alert. He was sitting by the entrance by the fire, where the view is great. He might have noticed us coming and quickly fled... He just left, didn't even wear shoes, so he can't have gone far!"

Zeng Hongye walked out of the cave confidently, spreading his Divine Sense to scan the surroundings; if there were any fresh footprints, they couldn't escape his perception—yet he found none!

There were plenty of footprints around, but none led afar or were recently made! Bear in mind, Wu Yanjun didn't even have time to put on shoes and was just here baking something. Could he have flown away?

Rumor has it that the kid is a Tier Two Broker of the Micro Realm Sect. A few days ago, during the pursuit, his remarkable skills were witnessed, but there wasn't talk of the Micro Realm Sect having such stealth techniques. Could he be relying on some special tool?

Even if the kid possessed a stealth-related Magical Treasure, it wouldn't be something usable with mere Tier Two Cultivation. Could it be that the previous information was wrong, and he has broken through to Tier Three, allowing partial use of a Magical Treasure?

No wonder chasing him was such trouble!

Thinking of this, Zeng Hongye even felt a tinge of excitement in his heart, wondering what kind of treasure it could be. If he captured him, it would be an unexpected gain.

Wu Yanjun fled in haste, unprepared. Now that his hiding spot was discovered, and without shoes, regardless of any Magical Treasure, in this icy landscape he couldn't escape Zeng Hongye's pursuit.

At this moment, Xiaosi shouted: "Two roasted Flying Dragons, he didn't even have time to eat them!"

With that, Xiaosi squatted beside the earthen stove, turning the branch with Flying Dragons carefully to prevent burning. The two Flying Dragons emitted an alluring fragrance, making one's mouth water.

Zeng Hongye: "He didn't even have salt, just roasting them plainly, what's the taste in that?"

Xiaosi: "Flying Dragons themselves smell delicious... Salt, we have some, sprinkle a bit!"

These two were evidently prepared, bringing ample provisions, even carrying salt. Other things were left at the camp, but salt appeared crucial, so Xiaosi carried it along, with a vitamin medicine bottle in his pocket.

Zeng Hongye: "Aren't you afraid that kid poisoned them?"

Xiaosi: "He would need poisons first to do that! He came snowboarding and unexpectedly ran into us, how could he have been prepared beforehand? Here, even if he wanted to find a poisonous mushroom, where would he go?"

He swallowed his saliva again, looking up: "Master, with your vast Divine Techniques, see if there's any problem with these Flying Dragons. I perceive with Divine Sense they are good to eat!"

He was craving it, having had tough days recently, and the ready-roasted Flying Dragon was tempting.

Zeng Hongye chuckled: "Then you eat first, leave me one. If you do get poisoned, I can still save you."

Actually, Zeng Hongye had already scrutinized the two roasted Flying Dragons with Divine Sense, finding no issue. But as a high-tier sorcerer, he inexplicably sensed a faint aura of danger around... Out of caution, he let Xiaosi try first.

Xiaosi took out a plastic bottle from his pocket, filled with salt, and used a knife to cut a few slits on the Flying Dragon, carefully sprinkling salt. After roasting a bit longer, he savored a bite, his eyes lighting up, quickly finishing off one Flying Dragon.

He then handed the stick to Zeng Hongye: "You see, I'm fine after eating it, this one's for you, roasted just right."

Zeng Hongye took the stick but didn't eat, watching Xiaosi with an scrutinizing gaze.

Xiaosi puzzled: "What's wrong?"

Zeng Hongye: "Do you feel anything unusual?"

Xiaosi: "No... Wait, wait, why do I feel a bit dizzy?"

Zeng Hongye grabbed his wrist: "Have you been poisoned?"

Xiaosi was startled: "Is there something wrong with the Flying Dragon?"

Zeng Hongye: "It's not the Flying Dragon... Come in and let me take a closer look."

He stuck a branch into the ground and led Xiaosi into the cave. Xiaosi's steps were already unsteady, and he collapsed into a pile of grass at the end of the cave, his body going limp.

Although Zeng Hongye wasn't a sorcerer from the Observing Body Sect, he had Tier Four cultivation and could still check a person's blood flow... It wasn't food poisoning; the smoke they inhaled was toxic!

Realizing this, Zeng Hongye quickly got up, feeling his body weaken and his consciousness blur. He immediately waved his hand, sending a gust to topple the earthen stove at the cave entrance.

The moment the fire was smothered, a thick smoke rapidly rose, filling the cave and becoming very choking.

He realized the smoke was problematic but made a mistake by toppling the stove and extinguishing the flame, which caused the smoke to surge... Zeng Hongye held his breath and charged out of the cave, only to be struck on the back of the head by something, causing him to fall to the ground.

He collapsed in the area where the smoke was thickest. It's unclear how much time passed before the fire was fully out, and the smoke cleared, when He Kao finally walked down the slope, holding an assault rifle.

He hadn't fired it but knocked out Zeng Hongye as Elder Li wanted him captured alive for questioning. However, the gun was loaded, and he could fire if the situation got out of control.

Hidden Moth excels at tracking, stealth, and assassination, known for being elusive and indefensible, rarely engaging in battles with someone for hundreds of rounds.

Proficient in Poison Detection Skill and at the entry level in Medicine Identification Skill, today He Kao applied his knowledge.

A campfire lit with pine needles and dry branches would certainly produce smoke. He Kao added an almost undetectable colorless, odorless volatile drug to it, which would gradually vaporize over time as the "ingredient" was placed in the fire.

Burying the toxic smoke-inducing substance in the scorching fire also had the effect of shielding it from divine sense detection.

When Zeng Hongye and Xiaosi arrived at the cave entrance, the smoke wasn't yet toxic. Even if Zeng Hongye was cautious, he wouldn't have detected it then, and neither of them thought of this, as their focus wasn't there.

Using toxic smoke to knock out a high-tier sorcerer isn't easy, and it's even harder in an open area. If it were a Tier Four Gardener from the Alchemy Sect, they might quickly sense the anomaly, use their magic to resist the toxin, and escape the smoke.

But sorcerers from the Qi Observation Sect or Xingshen Sect are better at dealing with people.

As for He Kao leaving the grilled Flying Dragon, it was mainly to show that "Xiaowu" had left in a hurry and also to divert the opponent's attention, unexpectedly leading to Xiaosi eating it!

This guy, how could he be so greedy?

Xiaosi, being a Tier Three Sorcerer, could use his divine sense to sense the nature of things and thought the grilled Flying Dragon was fine, as did Zeng Hongye. But Xiaosi sitting by the fire for so long was enough for the poison to take effect.

Zeng Hongye, on the other hand, was shrewder, quickly noticing Xiaosi's condition and realizing the smoke was toxic, yet by then, he too had stayed in the increasingly potent toxic mist for too long.

Being under the effects of the toxic mist inevitably led to some mistakes; snuffing out the flame made the smoke thicker. Despite his skill in rushing out of the cave, he was ambushed and knocked out by He Kao.

It was He Kao's first time tricking a high-tier sorcerer, so he hit a bit hard. After carefully checking, he confirmed he hadn't killed Zeng Hongye or turned him into an idiot, which finally put his mind at ease...

Otherwise, the task Elder Li had given him would be ruined.

Although ordinary ropes are challenging to restrain a Tier Three sorcerer or higher, tying them up is still better. He took a length of climbing rope and tightly bound the two, then dragged Zeng Hongye into the cave to prevent him from freezing outside.

After considering, he felt uneasy, so he abandoned the previous campfire, took out a portable camping stove, and brewed some potions, forcing a mouthful into the unconscious pair, hindering their divine qi circulation, making it difficult for them to employ techniques even if they woke.

If Zeng Hongye were awake, he'd likely be enraged. This guy was too mean and cautious, first using toxic smoke to knock him out, then striking the back of his head, and finally forcing a mouthful of potion into him!

After finishing everything, He Kao rebuilt an earthen stove, this time stacking the stones high, with pine needles and leaves at the base, dry branches, and kindling above. The flames roared soon after lighting.

As the fire raged, He Kao turned around, not sure from where, and came back with a bag of stuff, dumping it into the fire. A column of smoke gradually rose skyward, growing taller and denser.

What he dumped into the fire were collected dried droppings of various wild animals from nearby, including wolf dung.

It's said that when wolf dung is added to the fire, it sends up wolf smoke, dense and straight, as used in ancient beacons. Historians still debate the interpretation of "wolf smoke."

But this didn't impede He Kao's practical use, as this smoke was indeed dense and rose upward quickly, and it was quite choking!

**

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