In the dark of night, several voices could be heard.
"Damn bastards… they won't die in the mouth of the beast, right?"
"I'd rather die in the beast's mouth than face the boss. He'll make it hell for us if we survive."
"You think those four bastards will really be killed by that tiny camp?"
"Who dares? Nobody dares offend our boss and live."
"Yeah, makes sense."
The three spies from Bloodbeard's gang hurried along the road, cursing under their breath. Being a spy for Bloodbeard was risky, and moving in the night increased the chances of encountering fierce beasts—about 90%. But they had special techniques to avoid some of the dangers.
The weak in the gang were treated like slaves, enduring pain that could be worse than death.
"How far is it?" one asked.
"Dawn. We should arrive by then."
"Why does the boss bother cooperating with that tiny camp? Why not just kill everyone and take the loot?"
"Don't forget the Moon Wolves we encountered before. Many died, and the boss wants manpower replenished."
"Unlucky… all the spies last time seemed to have been killed."
"Keep your voice down and hurry."
The three calmed themselves and pressed forward, occasionally hiding behind rocks to avoid beasts. As dawn's orange-red glow appeared on the horizon, they reached a hill and looked down at the fist-sized camp below.
"Look! Isn't that the camp?" one shouted.
"Yeah, that's it," another confirmed.
The lead spy arranged them: "Sneak in from three directions, then meet here. No mistakes."
They entered the camp silently, moving cautiously. The place was eerily quiet, giving the impression it was deserted.
Boom!
One spy suddenly fell.
"What?" he muttered, checking for what had tripped him. There was nothing visible.
"Strange…" He grew more alert.
All three spies stumbled at different points, but could see nothing. When they reconvened on the hill, they shared their findings.
"The doors aren't closed, but all important items are gone—they left in a hurry."
"The charcoal fire hasn't burned out. They left before dawn."
"My side's the same."
The three exchanged grim looks.
"Damn it, they ran away!" one shouted.
"Should we chase them? Find their trail?" another asked.
The lead spy gave instructions: "One of you goes back to report to the boss."
"Did the old man catch up?" someone asked.
"Idiot question. The guy in that camp isn't stupid. If the boss comes after him, he'd definitely know. If they left yesterday, the boss might send a few people at most. Now… they're as good as dead."
"Enough talk about the boss. Let's take a short break and report."
They ate, rested briefly, then split into two teams and left.
As soon as the spies departed, a two-meter-long tricolor lizard appeared on the rock wall nearby. Initially stationary, it watched the departing spies carefully, receiving instructions from Mu Liang. After a while, it descended and followed the two spies.
Meanwhile, several kilometers from the camp, the rock tortoise dozed on its stomach. Its massive form blended with the rocks around it. Since Rock Tortoises could consume evolution points instead of food, there was no worry about hunting. It preferred to move only when necessary.
Mu Liang smiled quietly to himself. "The plan is going well… half-successful already. Time to continue." He rose leisurely from the firepit. Earlier, just past three in the morning, he had checked all the camp's firewood piles to prepare taming points.
After a short nap, the Red Ghost Spider signaled him: someone had touched its silk. Mu Liang tracked the three spies' movements and analyzed their behavior. As expected, the thieves fell right into his plan. He dispatched the tricolor lizard to follow two of them to locate Bloodbeard's base, while the Red Ghost Spider handled the third spy. This ensured no one discovered the setup prematurely.
"Well, I overslept," Mino said, hair messy, rabbit ears standing, clutching her wolf skin. She rushed into the lobby. "Mu Liang, let's go to the camp and light the firewood!"
"No need," Mu Liang replied calmly.
Seeing her disappointed expression, he softened. "I already lit the firewood last night."
"Really? You didn't miss the timing?" Mino clutched her wolf skin and looked relieved.
"The timing is perfect. The thief spies already believe our setup," he said, smiling faintly.
As he stepped forward, she flushed, letting out a small squeal and ran back to her room.
Later, her voice rang out in mild dissatisfaction: "Mu Liang, why didn't you wake me up when you lit the firewood? I wanted to help!"
"I forgot," Mu Liang said, unable to disturb her peaceful sleep after a long, exhausting day of building and stacking firewood. Mino's body wasn't as enhanced as his, and fatigue could overwhelm her quickly.
"Humph!" she snorted, slightly annoyed but understanding.
Mu Liang called from the doorway, "I left today's breakfast for you, is that okay?"
"No problem at all," she replied, appearing at the door. "You can rest assured—it's all taken care of."
Mu Liang's lips curled slightly. She was so easy to understand.