Chapter 50: The Conspiracy Behind the Pursuer

The squad members crouched low, hugging the walls, moving forward as silently as a pack of leopards.

The air was thick with tension, everyone's nerves strung taut, even their breathing cautious and controlled.

The surrounding buildings were in ruins, broken walls casting mottled shadows that added an even more eerie and terrifying atmosphere.

"Boss, let me go catch him!" Sun Yue lowered his voice, eager to try. "I used to be an expert at scaling walls; I guarantee I'll drag him back!"

Wu Xia immediately stopped him. "No! Too risky! We don't know how many people the enemy has, and acting rashly might alert the prey."

"What's there to be afraid of?" Sun Yue protested, unconvinced. "With so many of us, are we scared of just one guy?"

"Better safe than sorry," Wu Xia countered. "Whoever is tracking us definitely has ill intentions. What if this is a trap?"

As the two of them argued back and forth, Chu Feng stepped in to put a stop to it. "Stop arguing, both of you! The most important thing right now is to figure out their objective."

He glanced around at the group, his gaze resolute. "Sun Yue, you're the fastest. Take charge of scouting the tracker's movements, but remember, don't make any rash moves. Wu Xia, you're responsible for observing the surrounding environment and checking for any potential ambushes. The rest of you, move out with me."

Receiving their orders, the group sprang into action.

Sun Yue moved through the ruins like an agile monkey, quickly spotting the tracker's trail.

He followed quietly from behind, maintaining a safe distance and not daring to get too close.

Meanwhile, Wu Xia climbed up a dilapidated building to observe the surroundings from a vantage point.

Her gaze was as sharp as an eagle's, missing not a single suspicious corner.

Chu Feng led Pan Yue, Liu Yong, and Chen Qiang forward along the route provided by Sun Yue.

Every step they took was exceptionally careful, for fear of making the slightest sound.

"He's getting closer..." Sun Yue's voice came through the communicator, tinged with a hint of tension. "It looks like they've spotted us!"

Chu Feng's heart sank abruptly, and an ominous premonition welled up inside him.

"Prepare for combat!" he growled in a low voice, the blade in his hand reflecting a cold, piercing light.

At that exact moment, a dark figure suddenly darted out from around a corner, charging straight at them.

"Who goes there?!" Chen Qiang shouted, lifting his shield to block the path in front of the group.

The dark figure did not reply, instead throwing a fierce punch that slammed hard against Chen Qiang's shield.

"Bang!"

With a deafening crash, Chen Qiang was forced back several steps, the web of his hand stinging and numb.

"Such immense strength!" Chen Qiang thought in shock, realizing the tracker's strength far exceeded his imagination.

"Watch out!" Pan Yue gasped in alarm.

Before their eyes, the dark figure launched another attack with astonishing speed, arriving right in front of Chu Feng in the blink of an eye.

Chu Feng hastily raised his blade to parry, but felt a massive wave of force transmit through the metal, numbing his entire arm.

"Boss!" Pan Yue called out anxiously.

"I'm fine," Chu Feng gritted his teeth and counterattacked with his sword.

Swords flashed and blades crossed as the two became entangled in close combat, neither able to gain the upper hand for the moment.

"There are others!" Wu Xia's voice came through the communicator, hurried and urgent. "They've surrounded us!"

Chu Feng's heart turned cold; the situation was even worse than he had anticipated.

"Damn it!" he cursed inwardly, trapped by the tracker and completely unable to break away.

Right then, a chilling laughter echoed from all directions.

"Heh heh heh... I didn't expect you to find us so quickly."

The laughter drew closer and grew clearer, sounding as though it came from the depths of hell.

"Who on earth are you?" Chu Feng demanded sternly.

"Want to know? Then go down to hell and ask the King of Hell!"

An eerie voice sounded, and immediately afterward, countless dark figures emerged from the ruins, surrounding them in a tight circle.

"Looks like we're in for a brutal fight today..." Chu Feng took a deep breath.

Deep within the ruins, shadows spread like spilled ink, silently swallowing the shattered structures.

The footsteps of the trackers, resembling the sighs of the grim reaper, hammered one by one against the tense nerves of the squad members.

The air was filled with a scent of decay, mixed with a faint, nauseating smell of blood.

Everyone's heart was in their throat, as if some terrifying entity might burst forth from the earth at any second.

Pan Yue gripped her short blade tightly, her knuckles turning white from the force, yet she maintained a steady breathing pattern. Her clear eyes were filled with vigilance against the unknown danger.

Liu Yong silently checked his mechanical arm; the meshing of every gear was distinctly audible, as if making final preparations for the impending battle.

A subtle, imperceptible sneer curved the corner of Chu Feng's mouth, his gaze as sharp as a leopard's as he swept it across the surrounding terrain.

Suddenly, he raised a hand to signal the team to halt.

Though puzzled, years of tacit understanding made them trust Chu Feng's judgment unconditionally.

He slowly moved his feet, finally coming to a stop before a dead end.

This alley was narrow and deep, flanked by towering broken walls that resembled the gaping maw of a giant beast, waiting for prey to walk right into its trap.

"Go in!" Chu Feng commanded in a low voice, his tone carrying an unquestionable firmness.

"Boss, this..." Sun Yue hesitated, feeling that this was hardly a good place to be.

"Don't talk nonsense! Do as I say!" Chu Feng glared at him and stepped into the alley first.

The team members exchanged glances. Puzzled as they were, they followed closely behind Chu Feng.

They knew Chu Feng never made decisions without a reason.

Once everyone had entered the alley, Chu Feng's lips curled upward into a slight, cunning smile, much like a leopard lurking in winter revealing its fangs.

He made a quick hand gesture, and Chen Qiang understood instantly. His massive frame blocked the alley entrance like an iron wall, sealing off the path of advance for the trackers completely.

Sure enough, the trackers failed to notice the trap. They quickened their pace, rushing into the alley in a chaotic scramble.

When they realized they had been surrounded, astonishment washed over their faces, and the smugness in their eyes was instantly replaced by panic.

"Heh heh heh, do you really think you can trap us like this?" A hoarse voice rang out from the crowd, reeking of reluctance and threat.

"Is that so?" Chu Feng let out a cold laugh, slowly drawing the long saber at his waist. The blade reflected a chilling gleam in the dim light.

"Why don't you give it a try!"

At that moment, Pan Yue's gentle voice chimed in through the chaos, soothing the anxious moods of everyone present like a cool breeze.

"Everyone, calm down..." Pan Yue's voice flowed like a clear spring through the tense air as she spoke softly, "Let's calm down. We're a team, and arguing won't solve anything." Her words acted like a refreshing breeze, smoothing out the restless emotions of the team members.

Sun Yue scratched the back of his head, casting an apologetic look at Wu Xia.

Wu Xia also softened her tone. "I was just too anxious. Everyone, safety first." This brief friction only served to cement the bonds between the squad members even more firmly; in a life-or-death situation, they cherished each other's trust and support all the more.

Seeing that his teammates had regained their composure, Chu Feng issued new orders: "Chen Qiang, cover! Sun Yue, disrupt! Liu Yong, prepare for crowd control! The rest of you, with me!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Chen Qiang rushed into the enemy formation like a fierce tiger, swinging his giant shield with tremendous momentum to beat back the surrounding foes.

Sun Yue darted and leaped through the ruins like an agile monkey, occasionally tossing small stones to disrupt the enemy's line of sight and attack rhythm.

Liu Yong silently activated his mechanical arm, ready to lock down key targets at a moment's notice.

Chu Feng and Pan Yue acted like a pair of sharp blades piercing straight into the enemy's heart.

Chu Feng's shadow mantra was utilized to its absolute limit now, his figure flickering like an elusive ghost, every attack precise and lethal.

Meanwhile, Pan Yue's healing mantra continuously supplied the team with recovery, guaranteeing their combat effectiveness.

The battle grew intensely fierce. Flashing blades and the clashing powers of mantras wove together, letting out deafening roars.

Despite outnumbering them, the trackers gradually lost ground under the seamless coordination of the squad members.

"Bang!" With a dull thud, Chen Qiang knocked the final tracker to the ground with a single punch.

The battle was over. The ruins were saturated with a thick scent of blood, yet the squad members emerged completely unharmed, thanks entirely to Pan Yue's healing mantra.

Liu Yong walked up to the subdued trackers, skillfully searching them to unearth several items, among them a few crumpled notes and a special badge.

"Boss, take a look at this!" Liu Yong handed the notes and the badge over to Chu Feng.

Taking the notes, Chu Feng examined them closely, his expression instantly turning gloomy.

The notes contained coded phrases; though he couldn't decipher them, he recognized that badge—it was the insignia of the Black Three Gang!

"Black Three..." Chu Feng gnashed his teeth. "It really was him!"

A surge of fury burned within Chu Feng's chest. Black Three was a name etched indelibly into his memory.

Back then, it was Black Three's betrayal that had led to the total annihilation of his entire squad, while he himself had narrowly escaped with his life.

"Boss, what do we do now?" Chen Qiang asked.

A cold gleam flashed in Chu Feng's eyes as he said coldly, "Since he dares to send people to track us, we won't be polite either! Let's go meet him!"

Just as the team members were preparing to leave, Liu Yong suddenly pointed toward the distant shadows. "Boss, look..."

In the shadows of the ruins, an uneasy restlessness spread.

The squad members formed a tight circle, the atmosphere as heavy as the calm before a storm.

The securely bound tracker cowered on the ground like a lamb waiting for slaughter, staring at the surrounding people with eyes full of terror.

"Just kill him!" Sun Yue spat out viciously, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. "Creepy bastards like this are nothing but trouble if we keep them alive!"

"Hold on!" Pan Yue's soft yet firm voice rang out. "Killing him is easy, but how will we find out who the mastermind is?"

"Indeed," Wu Xia agreed. "Keeping him alive might let us follow the vine to the melon and root out the real enemy."

"Hmph, womanly benevolence!" Sun Yue curled his lip in disdain. "What if he refuses to talk? Won't that just be a waste of time?"

"We could..." Liu Yong started to say, but was roughly interrupted by Chen Qiang.

"Stop dilly-dallying!" Chen Qiang bellowed roughly. "He who hesitates is lost! Just kill him to make an example of him!"

Divided into two factions, the team members argued endlessly.

Chu Feng furrowed his brow deeply, his inner self caught in a difficult dilemma.

He knew that whichever choice he made, he would have to shoulder immense risks.

At that moment, Wu Xia's communicator suddenly chimed. After answering it, her complexion changed drastically.

"Boss, news!" Wu Xia said hurriedly. "There's a hidden black market auction tonight, and rumor has it that advancement items for intermediate mantra users will appear!"

Everyone's eyes immediately locked onto Wu Xia, the air thick with tension and anticipation.

"What are the conditions to enter the auction?" Chu Feng asked in a deep voice.

Wu Xia took a deep breath and spoke slowly, "It requires... a token of the Black Three Gang."

Chu Feng's gaze shifted down to the trembling tracker cowering on the ground, a meaningful smile curling the corner of his mouth...