Chen Fan remained silent.
He had no idea what Xu Daming was thinking at this moment. Did this guy know where they were?
Impossible, of course.
Before the operation, they had made thorough plans to conceal themselves effectively, ensuring no one could find them.
How could Xu Daming, standing before him, possibly know their location?
Moreover, the incident happened so suddenly, without any warning, making it even harder to anticipate.
Therefore, considering the interference of multiple factors, it was not difficult to discern the whole story.
Xu Daming was staging a play.
Claiming to know what was happening was merely a tactic to stall for time and lure these people away.
As for what would happen next, only Xu Daming himself could possibly know.
"Chen Fan, what do we do?"
"These bandits came so quickly, as if they already knew our every move," Chen Fan said in a low voice, looking at the approaching figures.
Encountering bandits under normal circumstances wouldn't be much of a problem.
But on closer inspection.
They had only been in the desert for a day. Even if someone had been tracking them, they would have to consider their value. They would likely choose to act on the second day at the earliest, not this soon.
The risk was too great.
Especially in an area close to the border, where they could easily encounter others, leading to mission failure.
Genuine bandits would never make such a mistake.
Yet, the people before them showed no regard for the potential consequences and acted directly.
They had even, as if planned, found their weakness.
"Who are you? Is there a spy in our team?"
"How is that possible? These are just ordinary tourists; they merely want to cross the Libyan desert and complete a challenge!" Shalu exclaimed in disbelief.
Chen Fan, however, remained resolute. "This is all too strange. We can't afford to be complacent. Although I have no evidence, I am certain that these people have planted a spy among us, which is how they found us so quickly. These damned individuals think they can capture us like this!"
He snorted dismissively.
It was still unclear whether these bandits belonged to the Knights of the Undead or if Sector 13 had discovered them.
"Who is it? Yao Hui?"
"It's highly probable. This woman has seemed to approach us with ulterior motives from the very beginning. She likely wants to assess our combat strength to better coordinate with her companions and complete the mission!"
As they were analyzing the situation, the bandits also began to achieve results.
The group split into two.
About a dozen people remained, armed, and rounded up everyone in the main group.
The rest of the bandits, along with Xu Daming, went in pursuit of Chen Fan and his companions.
Their group had separated. Bai Zhannian urgently asked, "What do we do? They've split up."
Initially, there were only three of them, and with Shalu, who knew no martial arts, he was clearly a burden at this point.
However, they had their own principles; in this situation, they certainly couldn't abandon their teammates.
Chen Fan smiled. "Bai Zhannian, you and Shalu rescue these people here. Your strength should be more than enough, right?"
"Yes!" Bai Zhannian nodded.
Shalu also nodded. "Mr. Chen, you can rest assured. I... I also know a little bit of combat technique."
Chen Fan smiled but said nothing.
What was "a little bit of combat technique" worth?
He and Bai Zhannian were both cultivators, and Bai Zhannian was a rare disciple of the Old Ancestor of Kunlun.
He was reportedly the last disciple accepted by the Old Ancestor in many years, possessing formidable strength and undoubtedly capable of showcasing his extraordinary abilities when facing the current predicament.
If that were the case, there was no need to worry.
"Very well. Remember this, be cautious of Yao Hui, but... she might not be an enemy."
Chen Fan possessed a keen intuition and had already sensed something. Bai Zhannian, standing beside him, was well aware of this man's prowess. Things that seemed illogical always became clear and orderly in this man's eyes; this was his ability and his method.
No matter what kind of situation, it could be easily resolved like this.
At this moment, he looked at Chen Fan with no other thoughts, simply acting according to the man's instructions.
Subsequently, the group began to split into two.
Chen Fan followed the group with Xu Daming, while Bai Zhannian would look for an opportunity to rescue all the captured adventurers.
After a few minutes, Chen Fan had traveled a considerable distance with the horse troop.
Of course, the speed along the way was not very fast.
Chen Fan could only watch from a distance, not daring to approach carelessly, lest he be discovered by them. Since they were professional bandits, being found out prematurely would not be easy to handle.
At this point, it was still impossible to confirm the identity of the enemy or their strength.
He only knew that they were definitely not simple bandits as they appeared, and therefore, extreme caution was necessary to avoid falling into the enemy's trap.
However, Chen Fan had largely confirmed his previous suspicions.
The spy within the entire travel group was now slowly revealing themselves.
Who had exposed their whereabouts?
And who had lured these bandits to this location?
It was all becoming clear now.
Thus, Chen Fan followed the slowly moving horse troop for nearly half an hour.
Just as he was about to continue following, several men in black suddenly appeared beside him. They held black scimitars tightly, their eyes, hidden by veils, were cold and merciless.
Looking at these figures before him, Chen Fan frowned.
It seemed he had been exposed after all.
He had thought his movements were sufficiently careful and cautious, yet to these people, it was still not enough, and they had discovered him so quickly.
Interesting.
"Don't move now, or the consequences will be dire!" a man in the group said coldly to Chen Fan, his voice low. "Chen Fan, is it? We know you, and we understand you're a formidable individual. So, raise your hands, to avoid us having to take action and potentially cause death!"
Hearing the threat, Chen Fan did not move.
He smiled.
"You knew I was following you all along?"
"Heh heh, Mr. Chen, isn't it easy to discover you in a place like this?"