A moment later, the Bai Family Patriarch withdrew her gaze from the map and reluctantly gave up her efforts.
White Bone Mountain was vast. Although the scope had already been narrowed to the rear mountain, the distance from pinpointing the exact location was still considerable.
"That brat from the Guye Clan, wary of our Bai Family, definitely won't ask about the location directly. It seems I'll have to push harder to calculate the position of the Origin Spring!" The Bai Family Patriarch gritted her teeth, deep in thought.
Once the location of the Origin Spring was obtained, the Bai Family would conduct a thorough reconnaissance.
"If the beast packs surrounding the Origin Spring aren't too numerous and the cost of eliminating them isn't too steep, I'll make my move directly. Strike first and seize the advantage! But if there are too many fierce beasts and Gu Insects nearby, then I'll provide logistical support and back up the Guye Clan. Let them take the vanguard. Once the timing is right, I'll swoop in and reap the rewards. If things go well, I might even be able to absorb these remnants of the Guye Clan. Heh heh heh…"
At this pleasant thought, the Bai Family Patriarch let out a soft chuckle.
She still didn't know that the so-called Guye remnants were nothing more than a complete fabrication.
In fact, it was Fang Yuan who had obtained a great deal of valuable intelligence from Bai Lian.
The Righteous Path inheritance was located in the rear mountain of White Bone Mountain — this much Fang Yuan had not concealed.
However, the rear mountain was teeming with bone beasts, and numerous Gu Insects had claimed territory there, posing all manner of dangers.
He knew there was an element of exaggeration in Bai Lian's account. Drawing on his five hundred years of experience from his previous life, he stripped away the embellishments and arrived at a single fact: if he and Bai Ningbing relied solely on their own strength, reaching the inheritance site would take at least half a year.
The situation on White Bone Mountain was different from a regular forest. Large-scale beast packs roamed the area, with fierce beasts and dangerous Gu Insects occupying the terrain. Many places required detours, and some could only be avoided entirely.
After returning to the stockade, things played out exactly as Bai Sheng Jing had said — their haul had edged out Bai Zhan Lie's by a narrow margin.
After a full day of circulation, the outcome of the contest had become widely known.
As the five of them walked through the camp, they drew considerable attention.
"Senior Bai Lian won today."
"That was just Lord Bai Zhan Lie having bad luck. You have to understand, hunting depends on luck too. Even if you have the strength, it means nothing if you don't encounter rare prey."
"Are those two over there from the Guye Clan?"
"Who is that woman? So beautiful… She's every bit as stunning as Bai Lian!"
"I heard this young master of the Guye Clan has taken a fancy to Lady Bai Lian. Hmph, like a toad lusting after a swan."
"In my opinion, this man has no principles. He already has one woman at his side and still wants another. No wonder Lord Bai Zhan Lie was furious."
"Everyone can see how Lord Bai Lian feels about Senior Bai Lian. They say they grew up together, you know."
"Alas, unrequited love is a sad thing…"
Many people whispered among themselves, heads bowed in gossip.
Fang Yuan, however, appeared weighed down with worry. Despite the victory, there was no trace of joy on his face.
That evening, in the central command tent, another bonfire banquet was held.
Bai Sheng and Bai Hua, the twin siblings, offered Fang Yuan a toast before being led away. A few new faces appeared in the tent.
The contest between Bai Lian and Bai Zhan Lie had pulled both of them out of the regular hunting competition. The rankings they had previously occupied were now vacant, inviting two other promising young members of the Bai Family to step forward.
These two young men were clearly aligned with Bai Zhan Lie. During the feast, one glared at Fang Yuan with open hostility while the other simply ignored him.
"Young nephew, several days have already passed. Why haven't we seen any of your clansmen yet?" the Bai Family Patriarch asked during the banquet.
Fang Yuan displayed a trace of worry: "According to my estimation, they should be arriving within the next few days. Alas, perhaps they've encountered some unexpected trouble. But I believe that with their strength, there shouldn't be any serious problems."
The Bai Family matriarch nodded. Her primary concern still centered on Fang Yuan himself.
She had gone to tremendous effort to set up this entire stage. With progress moving so swiftly and success within sight, the last thing she wanted was the appearance of Guye remnants disrupting this excellent situation.
The Bai Family Patriarch didn't know that her worry was entirely unnecessary. In this world, only these two brothers — Fang Yuan and Fang Zheng — remained of the Guye Clan.
"Young nephew, don't worry. I've already dispatched scouts in all directions. I'm certain news of your clansmen will come soon enough." The Bai Family Patriarch offered Fang Yuan reassurance in turn.
Fang Yuan hastily expressed his gratitude, while Bai Ningbing beside him furrowed her brow slightly.
The situation was growing increasingly dire. The longer time dragged on, the worse things would become for the two of them.
For now, they could still make excuses. After all, traveling through the wilderness and encountering unexpected complications was perfectly normal. But if too much time passed, the Bai Family would grow suspicious — they might even see through the truth of their deception entirely.
Yet despite these days of constant hunting in the mountain forests, Bai Ningbing hadn't dared to make a single rash move. She knew that Bai Family Gu Masters must be watching from hidden positions all around them.
The two of them lacked any powerful mobility Gu, and the complex terrain of the forest severely hampered their speed.
In Bai Ningbing's eyes, the situation was deteriorating with each passing day. They were like people sinking into a swamp — the more they struggled, the deeper they went. If this continued, they would eventually be swallowed whole.
"So what exactly is your plan?" Bai Ningbing looked toward Fang Yuan, who sat beside her.
She knew Fang Yuan well enough to understand that he was not the type to sit and wait for death. But limited by her life experience, she couldn't think of any good way to break free of this predicament.
In this environment, she couldn't very well discuss their strategy with Fang Yuan openly.
The pressure in Bai Ningbing's heart grew heavier with each passing moment.
Another day passed in this manner.