Chapter 106: Chase

Translator: Tim Editor: Chrissy/Tehrn

Ye Mo suddenly understood. The explosion a few months ago at Tan Du was perpetrated by Wen Dong and him. He had heard Gong Huishan say that Wen Dong was from Bei Sha. While Ye Mo didn’t know what kind of organization it was, Li Hu’s mention of Feng Tian’s past in Bei Sha explained his familiarity with her—it was because of Wen Dong.

Ye Mo looked at Li Hu and smiled. “You wrongly accused Feng Tian. First, she doesn’t have what you’re looking for, and second, she hasn’t even tried to take it.” Ye Mo didn’t mention the explosion; he helped Feng Tian because she was innocent and hadn’t exposed Wen Dong.

Li Hu had said that if she had taken it and returned it, she wouldn’t be held responsible and would even be rewarded. The item was useless to Ye Mo.

“How do you know? Do you know what we’re looking for?” Li Hu, having regained some strength after drinking water, stood up, though he remained weak.

Ye Mo waved his hand. “You don’t need to know. Since you mentioned a reward, we can make a deal. I’ll sell it to you; my friend doesn’t need it.”

Li Hu exclaimed, “Of course! Name your price!”

He didn’t even haggle. This showed how important the item was to him. He likely knew that if Ye Mo could give water to strangers in the desert, he wasn’t malicious.

Before Ye Mo could respond, Feng Tian exclaimed, “Do you know where Sister Dong went?” Her hope was evident.

“I don’t know.” Ye Mo surmised that Feng Tian and Wen Dong were not only from the same organization but had also left together and were close.

Feng Tian’s eyes flashed with disappointment.

Ye Mo, approvingly eyeing Li Hu, thought his name didn’t suit his character. Seeing Li Hu’s desperation, Ye Mo smiled. “How much can you give?”

“500 thousand dollars,” Li Hu said.

Feng Tian retorted, “It could easily sell for millions internationally. How can you offer only 500 thousand?”

Guilt flashed in Li Hu’s eyes. 500 thousand was his limit; his department wasn’t as well-funded as foreign ones. He knew his offer was ridiculously low, perhaps less than 10% of its value.

Ye Mo saw that 500 thousand was Li Hu’s maximum. He didn’t need the item, and it annoyed him to carry it. Impressed with Li Hu, he wouldn’t haggle over something useless to him.

He wasn’t primarily focused on money, but it was always welcome. 500 thousand was a satisfactory windfall.

“It’s a bit low. How about another 200 thousand?” Li Hu said awkwardly.

Cheng Hongzhe interrupted, “Li Hu, where will you get another 200 thousand? Your own money?”

Before Li Hu could reply, Ye Mo said, “Okay, 500 thousand is fine.”

Ye Mo produced the item and information. “This is it, right?”

Li Hu was stunned. Feng Tian, unprepared, was also surprised.

Li Hu, finally understanding, took the item as if in a dream. Shining a torch on it, he said, “Yes, this is it…Thank you! I never expected to find this in the desert. However, I don’t have any money with me…” Even Li Hu felt embarrassed. He couldn’t make empty promises.

Ye Mo smiled. “Then you owe me. Give me your number; I’ll call you when I get back.”

“What!?”

Li Hu, Feng Tian, and Cheng Hongzhe were shocked by his trust.

Li Hu was speechless. He knew Ye Mo wasn’t ordinary, but he hadn’t expected such trust.

He didn’t inquire about Ye Mo’s acquisition of the item. Everyone had secrets. Since Ye Mo trusted him, he shouldn't be too curious.

Li Hu saluted. “Friend, I, Li Hu, won’t be polite. We’re friends. May I have your name?”

“I’m Ye Mo.” Ye Mo didn’t hide his name. Wen Dong already knew it, and the Song family likely did too.

“Ye Mo?” Li Hu repeated it, then said, “My number is 13817xxxx, Beijing…”

He stopped as he realized Ye Mo had vanished, leaving only a bottle and a compass.

A voice reverberated, “There are three pills in the bottle. Take one each; you will recover soon. Goodbye.”

Li Hu picked up the bottle and thought before saying, “Brother Ye is truly magical!” He looked at the three black pills.

“Can these be eaten?” Cheng Hongzhe frowned.

“If Brother Ye gave them, they’re edible.” Li Hu ate one without hesitation.

Feng Tian scoffed and took one. Cheng Hongzhe hesitated.

Feng Tian stood up, surprised. She joyfully exclaimed, “Magical pills! Give me the last one!” She tried to grab it.

Li Hu, also surprised by the pill’s effect, threw it to Cheng Hongzhe. “Eat it! Recover your strength, and let’s leave.”

He looked in Ye Mo’s direction. “Brother Ye is magical. He’s possibly from an Ancient Martial Arts family. Only they would have such pills and navigate the Taklamakan so casually…”

Ye Mo, sensing the black shadow again, wanted to know what it was and if it was tracking him for the Purple Heart Vine.

After about ten minutes, he spotted another obscure black shadow. It was fast, but Ye Mo was faster. The shadow looked like a tree root, and Ye Mo wondered if it had transformed from one.

Though Hu Yang trees lived for millennia, Ye Mo knew the idea was far-fetched.

Focused on the shadow, Ye Mo didn’t notice his path. He had his bag and didn’t fear the desert. He didn’t believe it could consume a cultivator with supplies.

A few hours later, as dawn broke, Ye Mo saw what was ahead. The black figure was indeed a Hu Yang tree root. The light meant he wouldn’t lose it.

But it vanished again. Had Ye Mo not left a spirit sense mark on the root, he would have lost it.

He understood. The shadow could travel through the sand. Without the mark, he couldn’t keep up.

This time, Ye Mo wouldn’t let it go. It was fast in the sand, but Ye Mo pursued it relentlessly; he wouldn't be outrun by a desert creature.

The shadow had incredible stamina. After a day of pursuit, it slowed. Ye Mo, tired, drank from a bottle.

He was dumbfounded. He had tracked it in the sand, but now, it seemed to understand him and went deeper, beyond his detection range.

His spirit sense extended to 50 meters. The shadow went more than 50 meters underground, and Ye Mo lost it again.

Ye Mo stood where the shadow had disappeared, annoyed. He considered digging, but it was dangerous to dig randomly in the desert. He remembered nearly sinking before.