The ancient forest awakened in a near-absolute silence. The morning sunlight threaded through the canopy of the ancient trees, painting frail streaks of light upon the carpet of rotting leaves.
Tran Kien moved as soundlessly as a panther. His gaunt frame glided forward without a single sound, each footstep landing with pinpoint precision upon moss-covered stones to negate any noise. His breathing merged seamlessly with the very rhythm of the forest.
He could sense them—a cold, methodical killing intent slowly spreading from behind, tightening like an invisible net. Concealing himself atop a high branch, he looked back. Before long, three Black-veined Hounds appeared. They were the size of calves, their pitch-black fur marked with streaks of silver-gray. Their heads were disproportionately large, their maws lined with jagged fangs, and their snouts twitched incessantly as they sniffed the air. These were a breed of demonic hounds trained by the Black Dragon Stronghold, infamous for their terrifyingly acute sense of smell and sheer ruthlessness. Tailing closely behind them were the forces of Xich Vu, advancing in a triangular formation—silent and deadly.
Tran Kien knew he could not run forever. Attempting to outrun the olfactory prowess of the Black-veined Hounds was tantamount to suicide. He had to eliminate the enemy's "eyes" first. Dropping down from the tree, he quietly pushed forward toward a preselected location: a small, narrow, and steeply sloping valley. Flanked by sheer cliffs on both sides, with a dried-up, rocky streambed running through the middle, it was a natural death trap.
Upon arriving, Tran Kien did not waste a single second. First, he sought out patches of Blackblood thornbushes, which were as tough as steel. Wielding his longblade, he severed the longest thorny branches and sharpened their bases. Next, he located an incredibly resilient type of creeper known as the 'Hidden Horse Vine' and strung them in multiple layers across the dry riverbed. After that, he dug shallow pits along both banks of the stream, planting the Blackblood thorns firmly into the ground to create hidden spike traps, before using dry grass and dead leaves to camouflage everything flawlessly.
But that was not all. His gaze shifted upward toward the cliff face. Carefully scaling the rock wall, he found a massive boulder teetering on the edge of the precipice. He wedged smaller stones at its base, creating a precarious state of equilibrium. He adroitly threaded a Hidden Horse Vine through the crevices of the rock, running it all the way down to the end of the valley, and tied the other end to a rotting tree stump. In less than the time it takes an incense stick to burn, a chain-reaction trap—born of a perilous terrain and meticulous calculation—was complete.
His work finished, Tran Kien took a deep breath. Extracting a vial of Luring Powder from his holding pouch, he sprinkled it over himself, then doubled back a short distance, deliberately leaving a scent trail leading straight into the valley. He himself was the bait. Returning swiftly, he scaled the high cliff and concealed himself within a hidden rock fissure. Holding his breath, he let his entire being merge with the cold stone.
Low, guttural barks echoed as the three Black-veined Hounds appeared. Catching the scent of the Luring Powder, their bloodshot eyes flared with ravenous hunger, and they darted straight into the valley like three black arrows. Right behind them were Xich Vu and his Black Panther Guards.
Noting the treacherous terrain, Xich Vu slightly raised his hand, bringing the entire squad to a halt. "The topography here is very strange," he muttered, his inherent paranoia warning him that something was amiss.
But the three Black-veined Hounds were no longer listening to commands. The scent had fully stimulated their wild instincts.
"Roooar!"
The lead Black-veined Hound tripped over the first layer of Hidden Horse Vine, tumbling head over heels and crashing heavily into a bed of Blackblood spikes.
"Yelp! Yelp!" Its miserable, agonizing howls reverberated throughout the valley. Dozens of razor-sharp thorns pierced deeply into its flesh, and fresh blood immediately began to spout forth. Seeing their kin in peril, the remaining two hounds did not stop; instead, they grew even more frenzied. However, they were instantly ensnared by the dense matrix of Hidden Horse Vines. The more they struggled, the tighter they were bound.
"Careful! It's a trap!" Xich Vu roared. "Everyone, halt!"
But Tran Kien gave them no time to react. From high up on the cliff, he hurled a small stone with absolute precision, striking the rotting tree stump at the end of the valley. The rotten stump snapped. The Hidden Horse Vine connected to the massive boulder above was violently jerked tight.
RUMBLE! RUMBLE! RUMBLE!
The colossal boulder, having lost its fulcrum, began to plummet from the high cliff, emitting a heaven-shaking, earth-shattering boom. It dragged down countless rocks, dirt, and trees with it, triggering a miniature landslide that completely sealed off the only entrance to the valley. Dust and dirt billowed into the air, obscuring the sky.
Xich Vu and his Black Panther Guards were completely blocked on the outside. The two remaining Black-veined Hounds were trapped inside, along with the corpse of the first.
From within the rock fissure, Tran Kien silently drew his longblade. His gaze was as cold as ice.
"The net is cast, and the hounds are in the trap. Now," he murmured, "it is time for the hunter to strike."