"Agu!" the leader barked, his voice cutting through the hall.
"Here," a young man answered, stepping in timidly.
"How did today's task go?" the leader asked, his expression dark as storm clouds.
"Boss… I didn't see anyone with a blood beard," Agu said, gritting his teeth. "I waited all day on the agreed hill, but… nothing."
"Impossible!" the leader rose abruptly, glaring murderously. "You didn't see Bloodbeard on that hill? Are you lying to me?"
"Chief, I swear I am not," Agu stammered, his knees nearly buckling.
"Humph… perhaps it was just delayed." The leader restrained his fury and issued orders. "Go back tomorrow. Tell them the plan is advancing and the time is set for Houtian."
"Yes," Agu replied, bowing deeply before leaving.
"Boom!"
The leader slammed the table with a roar that rattled the room. "A bunch of damn bastards… they want to slip from my grasp!"
He spat out words hoarsely, "I still want to go to the Moon Lake Tribe… if you disobey, you die."
The underground well in the camp was nearly dry. Some in the hunting team suggested joining the Yuetan Tribe. The three men who dined with the leader tonight were captains of the hunting team—testing him, testing his obedience.
Originally, the leader had planned to hand them over to Bloodbeard. But seeing some of them willing to abandon the camp, he had to act.
Looking for water was just an excuse. According to his plan, he would wait for Bloodbeard's thieves to attack and kill outsiders. As camp leader, he would pretend to be coerced into joining Bloodbeard's ranks, using the hunting team as leverage.
With dozens of hunting team members under him, he gained influence within Bloodbeard's crew. Bloodbeard received reinforcements—and some women. The leader gained power, becoming one of the captains.
Mu Liang's black eyes flashed coldly. He resisted the urge to storm in and take the leader's head on the spot. Ironically, it was this very leader who had lured Bloodbeard toward the camp.
Thankfully, Mu Liang had intended only to warn the camp—but now, hearing the leader's schemes, his blood boiled.
Old men, women, and girls—anyone could be at the mercy of this ruthless camp leader.
Mu Liang shook off the thought, recalling Mino's dirty, mischievous smile.
He decided: this scum had to die.
Silently, he stepped from the shadows, a ghost gliding along the hall. Avoiding the firelight, he crept behind the leader.
"Damn b*****d… why aren't you obedient?" the leader muttered, frustration rising.
Mu Liang tilted his head indifferently, glancing at the woolen cloth on the chair. He snatched it, rolled it into a strip, and covered the leader's mouth.
"Uuuuu…" The leader panicked, struggling, but Mu Liang's grip was iron.
"Welcome to the Underworld," Mu Liang whispered.
"Uuuuu…" The man's eyes widened, his hands futilely tugging at the arm holding him. As a Strengthener, he had no chance against Mu Liang.
"Goodbye."
Crack!
The leader's neck snapped easily. His body slumped against the armrest, eyes wide, staring at the hall's entrance. Mu Liang removed the towel and casually tossed it over the corpse.
With the boss dealt with, he searched the hall, collecting iron knives scattered on the floor.
"Let's see… someone else want these?" he muttered, tossing them into his backpack. They could always be reforged later.
He unhooked long knives and swords hanging on the walls, wrapped them in cloth, and stashed them behind him. Then, he entered the leader's personal room.
"Oh… this scumbag enjoyed himself," Mu Liang muttered. The room was lavish, with three wolf-head trophies on the wall and a delicate long knife on the bedside table.
Opening a drawer, he found a wooden box. Inside were seven fierce beast spars of varying sizes.
"Found it," Mu Liang said, gathering the spars in his hand.
"Ding! If the energy body is detected, transform into an evolution point?"
"Transform," Mu Liang ordered. Finding the beast spars was one of his main objectives.
"Ding! Transformation successful. Evolution points gained: 340."
Mu Liang shook his head, chuckling. "People are never truly rich without a windfall."
Combined with his original 80 points, he now had 420 evolution points—enough to evolve three level 3 domesticated beasts.