Chapter 109: Ran into an Acquaintance

“The Underground World is becoming harder to navigate. Too many tribes. If my camouflage fails, running into an enemy would be a nightmare.” Yang Bo carefully moved through the underground passage, choosing paths no one else would take. He saw a few small animals along the way but didn’t pay them much attention.

Of course, the camouflage granted by the lizard had already reached the Grandmaster level. Yang Bo no longer needed to deal with the lizard, as killing one would just expose his position.

Suddenly, Yang Bo heard faint sounds like someone was crying. He quickly approached to see what was going on. As the sound grew nearer, he became increasingly cautious. Although he had invisibility, there was no telling if the enemy had a power that could counter him. When he looked toward the ground, he saw someone he recognized. “An old acquaintance?” There were over 300 people, with about 200 belonging to a tribe. One of their leaders was a man with tiger-like facial features, someone Yang Bo had crossed paths with before. Apparently, he was a tribe king who had once spared Yang Bo.

“That scumbag! He’s robbing his own comrades? While his tribe is busy attacking the Alliance outpost, he’s looting others. What an absolute disgrace!” Yang Bo quickly assessed the situation. Many of the group were carrying large sacks and bags, and some younger women, visibly mutant women, were crying. It was clear they hadn’t come willingly.

“Why did this guy spare me last time?” Yang Bo pondered for a moment, still confused as to why the Tiger-Faced King had let his mech go.

“Well, this works out. By tailing them, I’ll find their tribe. That way, I’ll know how to get to Outpost 16 and can at least check on Iron Bull before looking for that invisible rat.” Yang Bo decided to trail the group. Wandering around aimlessly in the Underground World was too dangerous.

Who knew what kind of strong mutant beasts or mutant humans might appear at any moment? Judging by the strength of this group, especially the Tiger-Faced King, very few would dare cross them.

The group soon rested, eating what appeared to be food. Some of the women cried and refused to eat at first, only to be slapped by the Tiger-Faced King’s subordinates. The women eventually cried while eating, though Yang Bo found them unsettling. Most of them had animalistic features.

Their attire was somewhat revealing. Yang Bo might not have minded if they resembled cat-girls, but their bodies had scales and other odd traits, making them look quite eerie.

After they had rested, the Tiger-Faced King ordered them to move on. Clear scouting parties were dispatched ahead and behind to ensure their path was safe.

Yang Bo carefully followed the sounds made by the Tiger-Faced King’s group. For more than an hour, he quietly observed them without any significant danger.

“Boss, someone’s tailing us!” A scout suddenly reported to the Tiger-Faced King.

“Keep leading the group ahead, but have my personal guards stay back.” The Tiger-Faced King wasn’t the least bit rattled, calmly issuing orders.

Yang Bo heard this exchange clearly, though he couldn’t understand their tribal language. Last time, however, the Tiger-Faced King had spoken words he could understand. Watching closely, he saw the group split in two, with the main group, including the women and loot, moving ahead while the Tiger-Faced King and his guards waited behind.

Upon seeing the person chasing them, Yang Bo almost burst into laughter. It was that poor fool from earlier, the one who had been after him! This unfortunate soul’s forge had been raided by Yang Bo, and now his home had likely been looted by the Tiger-Faced King.

“Old Third Huang, are you itching for death?” General Black Blade shouted as he caught up with the group, angrily berating his neighbor.

“Black Dog, watch your mouth, or I’ll make sure you regret it!” The Tiger-Faced King eyed the other side’s numbers, feeling even more relieved.

Yang Bo’s curiosity was piqued. Both were speaking in the Alliance’s common tongue. It seemed that although the tribes had their own distinct dialects, the Alliance language was still widely spoken underground.

“Old Third Huang, you’re nothing but scum! We left to attack the Alliance outpost, and you sneaked in behind us to loot my home! Return what you stole and apologize. Otherwise, we’re not done here!” General Black Blade pointed angrily at the Tiger-Faced King.

The Tiger-Faced King glanced at his subordinates and asked, “Have any of you visited Black Dog’s place recently?”

His subordinates quickly answered, “Boss, we’ve been too busy patrolling with you. No time for that!”

“Boss, do you think they’re just here to stir up trouble? Maybe they didn’t get much from the Alliance and want to extort you now.”

“Yeah, Boss, this scumbag would do anything. Let’s stay cautious.”

The Tiger-Faced King sneered, “See, Black Dog? We don’t even know what you’re talking about. If you keep slandering us, don’t be surprised if I destroy you, too.”

General Black Blade, enraged, shouted, “If you’re so tough, step aside and let me through!”

The Tiger-Faced King stepped aside as promised, smirking as he said, “Go ahead, Black Dog. We don’t see anything. But remember, always have proof before talking big. If you keep spouting nonsense, don’t blame us for what happens next. Looks like you didn’t get much from the Alliance attack, huh? What’s left of your group, anyway?”

General Black Blade fell silent. There was no way he could proceed. Pushing forward would get him trapped in a pincer by the Tiger-Faced King’s forces.

He had only brought around a dozen men with him. He needed others to stay behind and guard his tribal forge. Another group was already escorting his crafters back to his camp.

“Old Third Huang, I won’t forget this! Keep your people off my land, or I’ll kill every last one of them!” General Black Blade fumed before turning to leave. He swore revenge, determined to strike back at a later time.

Yang Bo was surprised. The man actually retreated! “This tribe king is clever. General Black Blade suffered heavy losses. If they fought now, victory would be uncertain. If he lost, his entire tribe might be wiped out!”

“Boss, should we be cautious of him?” One subordinate asked as they watched General Black Blade retreat.

“What’s there to fear? We have the numbers, and he’s lost a lot. Plus, his neighbors all hate him anyway. I’ll send word to them later.” The Tiger-Faced King grinned.

“This guy is ruthless!” Yang Bo thought, stunned by the intensity of power struggles between mutants. “It’s practically a kill-or-be-killed world down here.”