Bai Ziyue slowly withdrew his gaze and stopped staring deliberately.
He knew that martial artists had heightened senses and were extremely sensitive to others' gazes.
Even he himself, perhaps due to his strong spirit attribute, could quickly sense when someone was staring at him, whether with malice or goodwill.
He wasn't certain if anyone among the people of the Wuwei Escort Agency had such keen senses, but he didn't want to take the risk.
The group of five gradually approached and quickly arrived at the crossroads of the main road and the side path.
Bai Ziyue lowered his body slightly and evened out his breathing.
Without any hesitation, the five directly walked off the main road and headed towards the side path.
"It seems, compared to the potential danger of the Water Immortal and the water bandits, the deterrent power of the Ghost Head Stronghold is still stronger."
Bai Ziyue thought to himself as he watched them quickly delve deeper, heading towards Bullhead Mountain.
"Hm?"
After confirming they had gone far, just as Bai Ziyue was about to move, he suddenly squatted down again.
A short, gaunt man with a build similar to that of Liu the Sixth among the five quickly walked over without any hesitation and entered the side path.
"This person... looks so much like Liu the Sixth, could it be..."
Bai Ziyue's heart stirred.
Golden Cicada Shedding Its Shell!
Bai Ziyue quickly guessed the truth of the matter.
The previous five were likely people from the Wuwei Escort Agency, with one of them disguised as Wu the Sixth leading in front. If an ambush really occurred, the real Wu the Sixth following behind could respond calmly.
If the journey went smoothly, he could naturally pass through the crisis safely.
To let the Wuwei Escort Agency use himself as bait, Wu the Sixth must have paid a high price. But Bai Ziyue had to admit, this strategy was extremely clever.
If he hadn't been waiting here earlier and hadn't decided to move after a while, he might have been noticed.
After Liu the Sixth had delved deep into the side path, Bai Ziyue waited for a while longer. Seeing that no one else was approaching, he jumped out of the bushes.
Following the side path, Bai Ziyue cautiously approached, always keeping more than a hundred meters away from Wu the Sixth, ensuring the other party couldn't see him before getting closer.
Careful and cautious along the way, after walking three to five miles, suddenly a sharp shout rang out from afar, "Be careful!"
Immediately after, the sound of martial artists fighting fiercely rang out.
"The Water Immortal really set up an ambush in advance."
Almost instantly, Bai Ziyue judged the situation.
This sharp shout clearly warned Liu the Sixth. At this moment, Liu the Sixth turned around without hesitation and quickly ran back towards the way he came.
"He's coming."
With a tense heart, Bai Ziyue immediately drew out the Slaughter Saber.
This was the only sharp weapon he could find for now.
Although the blade had some rust, it was still sharp enough to kill.
The look on his face became resolute, ready to fight to the death.
Suddenly,
From just ten meters away or so, three robust men suddenly leaped out, blocking Liu the Sixth's inevitable path.
Because of Bai Ziyue's position, right at a corner on the side path, and his cautious silent approach, those few didn't notice his presence.
With his face changing, Bai Ziyue quickly hid at the corner, his heart pounding.
Almost, just almost.
If the people from the Wuwei Escort Agency hadn't warned, if these three hadn't jumped out in advance, he would have been exposed.
Trying to catch a cicada without knowing there's a sparrow behind?
"Brothers..."
Liu the Sixth was startled, his face showing a look of fear.
"Liu the Sixth, hand over the External Forging Technique Fifth Rank Golden Body, and we'll let you go. Otherwise, whether you can live or not depends on my blade."
A sharp shout came from one of the three.
"You knew I would come through here?"
Liu the Sixth's face changed. He could clearly judge that these people were not the Water Immortal's water bandits.
But the other party directly called out his identity, immediately making him alert.
He initially thought that besides being tracked by the Water Immortal, no one else would notice his presence, but now he realized that someone else knew about his movements besides the Water Immortal.
His first suspicion was that someone from the Wuwei Escort Agency leaked his information, but this was not the time to consider that question.
Because at this moment, one person could no longer hold back and made his move directly.
The three naturally knew that on the other side of the mountain, the Wuwei Escort Agency people and the Water Immortal's water bandits were fighting fiercely, so they didn't have much time. They wanted to end it quickly.
A long saber quickly slashed towards Liu the Sixth.
At the opponent's first move, the originally tense Liu the Sixth relaxed.
Though the three in front looked strong and seemed to possess some strength, they weren't true martial artists, at most trained in some Pile Skill, cultivating some power.
His body suddenly lowered and dashed forward, his hand clawing like an eagle's talon, piercing into one of the men's hand.
Eagle Claw Skill!
Achieving Great Success in Pile Skill, his power exploded. In an instant, he made a deep wound on the man's arm.
"Ah..."
A miserable cry came from the man's mouth. In intense pain, he couldn't hold onto his long saber, which fell to the ground.
Liu the Sixth quickly bent down, intending to pick it up.
"Old Wu!"
The other two were shocked and rushed forward, their long sabers waving quickly, forcing Liu the Sixth to retreat repeatedly.
The two used their sword techniques without much semblance of order, but the chaotic slashing, with blades flashing, made Liu the Sixth somewhat flustered.
"Hmph!"
After all, Liu the Sixth was a water bandit by birth, trained in martial arts, with abundant combat experience. He gritted his teeth, his hand tightened, and suddenly turned gray, looking incredibly tough.
Clang!
His claw struck the saber, causing it to pause slightly.
Taking advantage of this pause, Liu the Sixth seized the opportunity, gripping and pulling hard, "Let go!"
With great strength, the man's hand slipped from the sword hilt involuntarily.
Clang!
Taking this chance, Liu the Sixth immediately swung his saber, blocking another man's attack.
Just as he was feeling triumphant, another saber light quickly slashed down.
It was the previously wounded man who had picked up his saber again and was slashing down hard.
Liu the Sixth's face changed dramatically. Blocking again, since he held the blade itself, he couldn't grip it stably, and finally the saber fell. At this moment, another blade came down again.
As the saying goes, two fists can't defeat four hands. At this moment, he fell into a precarious situation once more.
"Fight to the death!"
Liu the Sixth's face changed as power surged within him. He charged forward into the incoming blade, his claw suddenly striking out again.
Eagle Claw Skill!
His hand claw directly pierced into one man's neck, crushing his throat with a squeeze.
At the same time, another man's long saber ferociously slashed at his back.
Slash!
The sound was like a saber cutting into cowhide.
While Liu the Sixth's skin was torn open, the wound was shallow, with only a trickle of blood.
"His skin is tough as an old ox's. It looks like Liu the Sixth has indeed started External Forging, now likely at the early-stage External Forged Skin level."
Watching everything unfold from behind the corner, Bai Ziyue's heart stirred, his eyes flashing with intensity.