Morning brought clarity—and caution. The stranger from earlier paced near their camp, tense. "They're coming," they said softly.
Wu looked across the horizon. Sect scouts approached, energy sharp and disciplined. He recognized their level: mid-tier cultivators sent to investigate disturbances.
He and the stranger set traps, exploiting terrain and chaotic energy. The scouts fell one by one, yet subtle traces betrayed a larger force—a plan Wu could sense but not yet see fully.
Later, Wu observed the stranger's subtle energy shifts. Something was hidden—a secret agenda. Cooperation was fragile, a precarious balance between necessity and suspicion. Wu grinned faintly, gray and unreadable.
"Interesting. Let's see how far this game goes," he thought.