After putting some distance between them and the inn, Zhao Yunxiao began to draw up a simple array on the ground.
With the long hair from the horse’s mane placed in the centre, he planted several array flags in an intentional order, forming a circle with the flags before chanting a simple mantra.
Weng-!
The flags fluttered wildly as the array slowly buzzed into life.
From the base of each array flag, a strand of silver light slowly reached out, crossing the ground in between to come into contact with the horsehair.
The horsehair eventually started to emit silver light itself, as though it had absorbed the light from the array flags and made it its own.
Just like that, the now-glowing horsehair slowly started floating up from the ground.
“Perfect execution of the Star Tracer Array,” Chu Han praised.
“Please don’t tease me, Senior Martial Brother Chu. It would be my honour to be able to reach just a tenth of your level in array mastery one day,” Zhao Yunxiao scratched his cheek in embarrassment.
“Don’t even try that with me,” Chu Han chuckled, understanding that Zhao Yunxiao was just buttering up to him.
“It’s nothing but the truth,” Zhao Yunxiao shrugged. “Well then, let’s see where our Young Noble Hui has been!”
He clapped his hands together, and the glowing horsehair started to float in a particular direction.
“Let’s go,” Mo Mian said.
After picking up the array flags on the ground, the party left by following the movement of the glowing horsehair.
The mountains sometimes comprised areas that could prove to be a little treacherous for some, but the party was not too concerned.
As cultivators, they were naturally more than capable of traversing difficult terrains.
Since it was a location that the bandits could access, it made no sense that they would not be able to do so easily.
On top of that, if it was a place that Hui Shajing could visit on his horse carriage, then their spirit horses would surely be more than capable of taking them there.
Indeed, it did not take long before the party arrived at their destination.
The fact that this was the only other location, apart from the mountain inn, where the horse had been also helped make things simpler for them.
They might be bandits, but one had to admit that they made a rather wise choice in choosing the spot to build their hideout.
It was well hidden in the depths of the mountain, in an area where no one would pass through for no good reason.
And even if someone were to accidentally wander into the area, the dense vegetation and maze-like terrain meant that they would not be able to catch a single glimpse of the hideout until they were literally at the doorstep.
By then, it would be too late for them to leave even if they wanted to.
Had it not been for the Star Tracer Array, even the party members would probably have to spend a considerable amount of time combing through the mountain if they wanted to locate this place.
Perhaps that was also why Hui Shajing had been so willing to just let them go. He probably never expected them to really be able to find the hideout.
“Do we knock?” Pu Feixiang asked.
“Do you think anyone will be home?” Gui Longcan rolled his eyes.
“Let me break it down then!” Pu Feixiang brought out his spear.
Seeing that Mo Mian and Chu Han were giving their implicit consent by remaining silent, Pu Feixiang proceeded to do exactly that.
The huge bamboo gate was around three metres tall, but that meant little to the cultivator.
Remaining atop his spirit horse, he made a casual swing of his spear, which fired an arc of essence energy towards the gate.
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Bang-!
The energy projectile easily tore a hole through the centre of the gate, blowing it wide open.
There were three long wooden pikes that came into view right upon entering. The tip of each pike impaled a man’s corpse, raising them high into the air and leaving them to rot there.
Dried blood stained the pikes themselves, having flowed down from the men’s bodies.
“Those are...” Pu Feixiang’s words trailed off without completing his sentence.
He had wanted to ask a question, but saw no point in doing so in the end.
After all, the answer was obvious.
Perhaps it was because these men had not died for long, or perhaps the cold temperature had helped preserve the corpses. But in any case, their features were still clear for all to see.
Without a doubt, these were the corpses of three of the five bandits who had surrendered to Hui Shajing back at the inn.
“I guess this Young Noble Hui isn’t too trustworthy after all,” Chu Han said with a wry smile.
Hui Shajing had promised that he would spare the lives of the bandits after they revealed the location of the hideout.
In that case, these men’s deaths here at the hideout was proof that Hui Shajing had failed to keep his promise, unless a third party had somehow gotten involved.
But judging from Hui Shajing’s demeanour back at the inn, the latter was highly unlikely.
“Let’s look around some more,” Mo Mian’s expression was solemn as he spoke. He did little to hide his unhappiness.
As opposed to the impressive-looking gate, the individual houses inside the hideout were rather sloppily constructed.
They were nothing more than huts made out of sticks and straw, just enough to keep out the weather.
The insides of the huts were simple as well, furnished with just the bare necessities.
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</a> To his credit, this bandit leader was quite an impressive martial artist himself. Unfortunately, that alone was not enough to save him from falling to Hui Shajing’s entourage back at the inn.
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