Chapter 111: The Mist

Lu Ming turned toward the sound and saw Wang Shao and his group not far away, watching him as they approached.

Lu Ming sighed softly. "What a nuisance."

With that, he vanished in a flash, slipping into the dense forest beside him. He still had matters to attend to and was reluctant to waste time entangling with these people.

Wang Shao ground his teeth in frustration. "Damn it, he thinks he can run? Zhao Bing, go after him."

Zhao Bing nodded and darted into the thicket with remarkable agility.

Wang Shao chuckled darkly. "Damn, let's see how far he can run. We'll follow at a steady pace. By the time Zhao Bing has him half-dead, we should catch up."

With that, Wang Shao and his companions laughed lightly, as if on a leisurely outing, and plunged into the forest.

Zhao Bing pursued Lu Ming’s trail through the dense woods. As a retired special forces soldier, he was highly skilled in tracking. He left marks along the way to guide Wang Shao’s group while following Lu Ming’s path.

But as he pressed on, Zhao Bing’s heart grew uneasy.

The once-clear traces before his eyes gradually vanished until not a single clue remained.

He searched the vicinity in disbelief for a long while, finding no sign of Lu Ming. It was then he realized he was facing a formidable opponent.

Under such circumstances, as a bodyguard, he could no longer continue the pursuit. His duty now was to persuade Wang Shao and the others to turn back, warning them against taking unnecessary risks—this adversary was likely dangerous.

With that thought, Zhao Bing began to retreat. Suddenly, thick fog began to rise within the forest, and panic seized him.

This was a dire situation. Losing sight of direction in a forest was perilous; once lost, survival was uncertain.

He quickened his pace, racing back along the path he had come.

Before long, the mist thickened, visibility dropping below ten meters. Anxiety gnawed at Zhao Bing’s heart.

Then he heard Wang Shao’s voice.

“Zhao Bing, where the hell are you? I can’t see a damn thing.”

Relieved, Zhao Bing hurried toward the sound, calling out, “Wang Shao, I’m here. Stay put, I’m coming.”

“You scared me to death, hurry up!” Wang Shao barked.

Zhao Bing reached him quickly. “I’m here, Wang Shao.”

Only then did their expressions lighten somewhat. As they walked, the fog had descended unexpectedly, obscuring their vision.

Zhao Bing’s marks were lost in the haze, causing alarm. Seeing Zhao Bing calmed their nerves.

“What’s going on?” Wang Shao demanded.

Zhao Bing replied, “Wang Shao, fog in the forest is common. Once it lifts, we’ll be fine. But I think we should turn back for now.”

“Why turn back?” Wang Shao challenged.

Zhao Bing frowned. “That man seems to be a master. The forest’s terrain is complex. I’m worried for your safety.”

“You call yourself a retired special forces soldier, a martial arts master who can take on dozens at once, and now you’re scared of one guy?” Wang Shao shouted furiously.

Wang Shao’s anger boiled over. He had been humiliated by Lu Ming at the restaurant, feeling his pride deeply wounded. If Lu Ming escaped again, he would lose face irreparably—how could he explain this to the two women?

Those two models had cost Wang Shao and Liu Yuntian a great deal of effort and money. They hadn’t secured them yet. If they failed to catch Lu Ming today, Wang Shao doubted he could even muster the strength to face the night—this was simply unacceptable.

Zhao Bing endured Wang Shao’s tirade, his face flushing with embarrassment.

In truth, he was not afraid of Lu Ming. As a special forces veteran and internal martial arts expert, he was confident few could match him.

But the environment was treacherous. He feared that if he let his guard down and Wang Shao met with misfortune, he alone would bear the blame.

Wang Shao snarled again, “Get after him! I refuse to believe he can fly away!”

“Wang Shao, this environment isn’t suitable for chasing. Let’s wait for the fog to clear before continuing,” Zhao Bing advised.

“Forget the fog! If we wait, he’ll be long gone. Keep chasing in whichever direction he fled!” Wang Shao roared with rage.

“Understood.”

Zhao Bing sighed and reluctantly set off, carefully following the trail where Lu Ming had disappeared.

He kept a steady pace, maintaining a safe distance to keep Wang Shao’s group within sight.

At this moment, Lele complained, “Maybe we should just give up. My feet hurt.”

“Yeah, me too. I can barely walk,” another girl added.

Hearing this, Wang Shao said, “What’s there to be afraid of? We’re just on a trip. If it gets worse, we can have Zhao Bing go back for our gear and find a good spot to camp outdoors. Sounds fun, right?”

The two girls smiled and silently agreed.

Wang Shao and Liu Shao had already invested heavily in these women; it was time to compromise, a tacit understanding to avoid unpleasantness.

Thus, the group trekked on for over half an hour, but the fog only thickened.

Zhao Bing sensed something was wrong and stopped.

“Wang Shao, we really can’t go any further. Visibility is less than three meters. If we keep going, we risk getting separated.”

Wang Shao, inwardly fearful as well, hesitated. It was nearly dark, and the forest, shrouded in thick fog, was treacherous. He dared not press on.

When Zhao Bing spoke up, Wang Shao deliberately frowned and sighed.

“Damn it, that kid’s lucky. Let’s rest here for now. When the fog clears, Zhao Bing can go back for our gear. We’ll find a good place nearby and have a proper night.”

The others stopped as well, secretly relieved.

They had no desire to continue anyway, and Wang Shao’s suggestion suited everyone perfectly.

They gathered on a small clearing Zhao Bing cleared, sitting down to chat casually.

Zhao Bing frowned, eyes wary of the thick fog surrounding them.

...

Meanwhile, deeper in the forest, Lu Ming leaned against the trunk of a towering ancient tree, eyes closed in meditation.

He had followed the spiritual imprint to this spot and noticed Urla running back and forth within a ten-mile radius. Unsure of what the creature was doing, Lu Ming decided to rest and wait until Urla settled before searching for him again to conserve his energy.

More than three hours passed before Urla finally stopped within a few dozen meters.

Lu Ming knew this was likely the location of the Witchcraft Sect.

Opening his eyes, he leapt down from the tree and headed toward Urla.

After a few steps, Lu Ming suddenly stopped and glanced behind him.

Several figures were approaching, and he froze.

When they drew near and saw him, their faces twisted in disbelief.

Then one snarled fiercely, “Damn it, let’s see where you can run now.”

Lu Ming sighed. “If you can find me this easily, I’m impressed.”

They were Wang Shao and his gang.

Lu Ming had thought he’d long since shaken them off, never to meet again—but here they were, unexpectedly reunited so soon.

He had no idea that Wang Shao’s group had waited over an hour for the fog to lift.

However, Zhao Bing discovered they had gotten lost.

Getting lost in a forest was terrifying.

Fortunately, Zhao Bing, the retired special forces soldier, led them, searching for signs of human presence, guessing and feeling their way until they reached this spot.

Unexpectedly, as soon as they emerged from the woods, they ran into Lu Ming.

Wang Shao sneered viciously, “There’s no one I can’t find. You’re going to pay.”

Seeing Wang Shao and his group’s tattered clothes and branches scraped across their bodies, Lu Ming almost laughed.

They had simply gotten lost and stumbled upon him by chance, yet they acted as if they had been hunting him all along.

“You guys,” Lu Ming sighed. “You’d better leave quickly. This isn’t a good place.”

“Cut the bullshit! Zhao Bing, break his legs. I’ll take my time with him,” Wang Shao growled.

Zhao Bing, filled with anger, shouted and charged forward.

Lu Ming shook his head silently but remained still.

Suddenly, rustling sounds came from the surrounding underbrush, and several oddly dressed figures appeared before them.

One demanded, “Who are you?”