The wooden barricades were already collapsing.
White-hair zombies pressed forward like a pale tide. Black-hair zombies jumped through the broken gaps, forcing the Gu Masters to retreat deeper into the camp. Firelight shook across frightened faces, while the sound of Gu attacks mixed with the dull thuds of zombies landing on the ground. The camp that had barely been held together after the white feather flying elephant disaster was now being torn apart by another disaster.
Fang Yuan stood near the center of the camp and watched.
The zombie army was not natural. White-hair zombies wasted primeval essence. Black-hair zombies attacked only after the defenses weakened. When one side of the camp held firm, the pressure shifted elsewhere. When a gap appeared, stronger zombies moved towards it. This was not how wild zombies acted. There was command behind this.
Ding Hao.
Fang Yuan's eyes were calm. He remembered this person. The inheritor of the Zombie King inheritance on Mu Bei Mountain. Later, Ding Hao would become the Second Zombie King's eldest disciple and die on Yi Tian Mountain. Fang Yuan had planned to find him, but he had not expected Ding Hao to deliver himself to the door first.
This was better.
The beast-attracting powder had already weakened the caravan, but beast groups were difficult to control. Too many beasts could also endanger Fang Yuan himself, and he still needed Zhang Xin Ci alive. Ding Hao was different. A zombie army could destroy the caravan more cleanly. If used well, it could erase many troublesome people in one night.
But first, Fang Yuan had to find him.
He looked around the battlefield. The controller had to see the camp, or at least grasp the battlefield clearly. He would not hide too close, otherwise he would be dragged into danger. He would not hide too far, otherwise his control would become slow. High ground, good vision, and a route to escape. Fang Yuan's gaze moved across the dark slopes beyond the camp.
Not far away, Fang Ming was still fighting near Zhang Xin Ci's side. His face was pale, and blood stained the corner of his mouth. He looked injured, but his attacks remained steady. Moon blades cut down zombies that came too close, while Thunderwings Gu let him shift around the edge of the defense. To outsiders, Fang Ming was still protecting Zhang Xin Ci.
But Fang Yuan did not believe appearances.
He glanced at Bai Ning Bing.
Bai Ning Bing understood and stayed inside the camp. Her position was not far from Zhang Xin Ci's group, but her eyes would occasionally pass over Fang Ming. This was enough.
Fang Yuan stepped forward.
"Stop arguing!"
His voice cut through the camp.
Several Gu Masters were shouting over whether to defend until dawn or break through immediately. Chen Shou's face was dark, but even his words were no longer enough to silence everyone. Now Fang Yuan spoke, and the noise dropped. It was not because people trusted him. It was because they feared him.
He had torn apart a black-hair zombie with his bare hands. At this moment, strength was authority.
Fang Yuan swept his gaze over them and said coldly: "Those who want to defend are fools. Those who want to break through blindly are also fools."
A few Gu Masters' faces turned ugly, but no one retorted.
Fang Yuan continued: "We do not know how many zombies are outside. If we defend blindly, we wait for death. If we rush out blindly, we walk into a trap. First, we scout."
Chen Shou looked at him. Fang Yuan did not avoid his gaze. "Send small groups in different directions. Test the pressure. Return if they cannot continue."
The suggestion was reasonable. More importantly, no one had a better one. Chen Shou was silent for a breath, then nodded.
"Do it."
Soon, the first group rushed out. They fought through the white-hair zombies and returned quickly, faces pale.
"Too many on that side!"
The second group went another direction. They came back with one person missing.
"Black-hair zombies. We cannot break through there."
The third group was sent out, then the fourth. Each time, Fang Yuan listened to the report calmly. On the surface, he was finding an escape route for the caravan. In truth, he was removing wrong answers.
Fang Ming watched from the side. His eyes were calm, but his thoughts sharpened. Fang Yuan was not only scouting the zombie encirclement. He was searching for Ding Hao.
This was the difference between them.
Fang Ming knew Ding Hao existed. He knew there was a zombie inheritance on Mu Bei Mountain. He also knew that Fang Yuan would try to use him. But his knowledge was shallow. He did not understand zombie path. He did not understand how Ding Hao commanded the army. He could only tell that the zombies were controlled, but he could not locate the controller with certainty.
Fang Yuan could.
That man had five hundred years of experience. His knowledge of paths, methods, and battlefield judgment was far above Fang Ming's. If Fang Ming tried to find Ding Hao alone, he might waste time or fall into danger. So he would not search.
He would follow.
If he could not obtain Ding Hao, then he would destroy him. A chess piece that might fall into Fang Yuan's hands was better broken.
Another scouting group returned. Fang Yuan's gaze finally stopped on one direction.
A dark slope beyond the southeast side.
Fang Ming noticed this.
So that was where Ding Hao was.
Fang Yuan raised his voice. "I will lead the next group."
Several Gu Masters looked relieved and frightened at the same time. They were relieved because Fang Yuan was strong, but frightened because anyone following him might die first. Fang Yuan pointed at two Gu Masters.
"You two, come with me."
The two men hesitated, but under the eyes of the camp, they did not dare refuse. Bai Ning Bing remained inside the camp.
Fang Ming lowered his gaze.
As expected.
Fang Yuan had left Bai Ning Bing behind to watch him.
Good.
Then he would remove the watcher first.
Fang Yuan led the two Gu Masters towards the southeast. His body smashed through the weaker zombies at the front, opening a path by force. The two Gu Masters followed closely behind him, afraid of being left behind. Soon, their figures became smaller under the firelight, and then the zombie tide and darkness swallowed them.
Fang Ming waited a few breaths more.
The camp was still chaotic. Black-hair zombies were attacking from two sides. Chen Shou was occupied. Zhang Zhu stood near Zhang Xin Ci, protecting her with a grim face. Xiao Die hid behind them, trembling. Bai Ning Bing's gaze moved towards Fang Ming again.
At that instant, Fang Ming acted.
There was no warning.
Rank four Eclipse Moonlight Gu.
A faint, almost invisible arc cut through the air. It was too fast, too well hidden. Bai Ning Bing sensed the danger instinctively, shifting as she activated her defensive Gu—but it was still futile. The attack tore through her defenses, slicing past flesh and bone. Blood sprayed out as her body was flung backward, crashing into a broken cart.
The surrounding Gu Masters froze.
For a brief moment, even the zombie battle seemed to fall silent around them.
Bai Ning Bing coughed blood and forced herself up on one knee. Her face was pale, and killing intent flashed in her blue eyes. But she could not stand properly. The wound was too heavy. A Rank four sneak attack Gu aimed at a Rank three Gu Master was not something she could receive safely.
"Bai Yun!" someone shouted.
Zhang Xin Ci stared at Fang Ming in shock. "Young Master Fang Ming…?"
Zhang Zhu's expression changed greatly. He had not even seen clearly how Fang Ming attacked.
Fang Ming did not answer. He did not explain. He did not even look at Zhang Xin Ci.
Rank four Thousand Mile Smoke Gu.
Grey smoke rose around his feet and swallowed his figure. In the next breath, the smoke stretched into a thin trail and vanished into the darkness beyond the camp.
Fang Ming disappeared.
Only the injured Bai Ning Bing remained beside the broken cart, blood dripping from her wound.
The camp erupted.
"What happened?"
"Lord Fang Ming attacked Bai Yun?"
"That was Rank four strength!"
Zhang Xin Ci stood frozen.
Zhang Zhu pulled her back. "Miss, stay behind me!"
His voice was tense. He did not understand what Fang Ming was doing. No one did.
Fang Ming no longer cared.
Smoke wrapped around his body as he moved through the darkness. The camp noise faded behind him. The zombies around him sensed movement, but the smoke blurred his presence and path. He did not fight them. He slipped past them.
Fast.
Quiet.
He had revealed two Rank four Gu in one breath.
Eclipse Moonlight Gu.
Thousand Mile Smoke Gu.
The camp had seen it. Zhang Xin Ci had seen it. But Fang Yuan had not.
That was enough.
Ahead, Fang Yuan and the two Gu Masters had already broken past the thinner part of the zombie encirclement. A green-haired figure leapt from the darkness. Its body was larger than the black-hair zombies. Green hair covered its corpse-like skin, and its speed was much faster. It struck towards Fang Yuan with the force of a thousand beast king.
Fang Yuan met it head-on.
Bang!
The impact forced him back several steps. His white light armor flickered, but he remained steady. The two Gu Masters behind him were less fortunate. Another green-hair zombie appeared from the side and rushed towards them. Their faces changed as they hurriedly used their Gu.
Fang Ming arrived silently at a distance, hidden behind the smoke and trees. He did not interfere.
He watched.
Fang Yuan suddenly leapt towards the two Gu Masters. They thought he had come to help.
Two spiral bone spears shot out.
Psh.
Psh.
The two Gu Masters stiffened. One was pierced through the throat. The other was pierced through the chest. Their eyes widened in disbelief before they fell into the mud.
Ding Hao, hidden farther up the slope, was stunned.
The green-hair zombies also slowed for a breath.
Fang Yuan landed calmly and looked towards the dark bushes above. His voice was not loud, but it carried clearly through the night.
"Ding Hao, come out."
In the shadows behind him, Fang Ming's eyes narrowed.
Fang Yuan had called the name directly.
There was no probing.
No guessing.
No mistake.
He already knew.
The smoke around Fang Ming slowly coiled around his sleeve.
Good.
Then there was no need to hesitate.