I approached the bird but didn't grab it yet. I first checked if it was really dead by seeing if it's chest was moving or not and.....it wasn't.

Seeing that the bird that wasn't breathing anymore I was relieved but I still didn't pick it up.

The bird had certainly been controlled by someone smart enough to fool me into following it thinking I would catch it only to let it slip through my fingers in the last moment. This showed that the person behind this was shrewd enough and these types of opponents were the most difficult to deal with.

Fear not the scorpions pincers but it's poisonous stringer.

'This matter is becoming more complicated by the second so I need to figure it out right now.'

Taking into consideration the opponents craftiness and thinking what I would do if I was in his shoes,I came into a conclusion.

Even if I was confident of my abilities  in the scenario I would be found out and if the bird was captured I would still have a last card in my sleeve. If I was in my opponents shoe's I would definitely leave a nasty surprise for whoever captured the bird.

The first method that came to my mind was poison because poison was the most possible way and the most easy way to damage or kill the opponent without him suspecting anything especially if the target was already dead.

The second one was some kind of self-destructive measure which the controller would initiate remotely without any damage.

There were other possibilities but I couldn't think of anything else right now. I was also constrained by my low knowledge of this world so there could be numerous other possibilities.

*Whirl*

I surrounded the dead bird in a sphere of water and then brought it with me before heading towards the Hunter mansion. I moved in a straight line towards the mansions direction which I had previously memorised . During the way I encountered some predators but their strength was low and just by releasing my killing intent they ran away. The trip lasted around 20 minutes and during the way I met up with Munnji.

.... 

"So this is the creature spying on us? I doesn't seem different from any other regular bird."

"Yes,in first glance it doesn't but during my persuit of it the evasive manoeuvre it did in the last moment before it was caught showed it had decent intelligence or something/someone with intelligence was controlling it."

"I don't know what to say. The first one is not that possible seeing that we have no enemies with *glance* whatever this bird is. The other one...

"The faction that Faley warned us about! They haven't made any moves since when they sent those two persuers after us the first time.

Hmmm.....

' I really don't like this. This whole situation reeks of trouble.'

During the way to the mansion I wrecked my brain trying to figure out anything but I didn't come to any epiphany.

I looked towards Munnji who was walking in front of me slowly when he suddenly stopped and turned towards me.

"Is something the problem, because you were starting at me for a long time and it's making me feel uncomfortable."

"No, nothing is the problem I was just thinking......

' Wait, when Munnji first sensed the bird spying on us he said that he felt a cold chilling feeling from probing it with his spiritual energy. Out of all the times that Munnji has described someone who he probed  with his spiritual energy, this was the first time he said he felt a chill.

For most normal people the only feeling he gets is a slight warmth and if the person is an elementalist the result differs .

If the person is trying to not show his strength and completely suppress his elemental aura Munnji will not feel anything. In the contrary if the elementlists is not surprising his aura he will get different responses depending on what type of elemental energy they are using.

For ex, if the person cultivates using a fire element meditation technique the feeling that Munnji would get is like he was putting his hand above a flame, if the person cultivates using a lightning element meditation technique the feeling that Munnji will get is tingling feeling all over his body.

So knowing this we could narrow the list of suspects down.

.....

We arrived at the mansion finally and waiting for us was Girg.

"Have you found what you were looking for?"

"Of course."

I said to him smugly while showing him the dead bird which was encapsuled in a ball of water.

"Girg I'm firstly going to need a wooden chest to place this thing and to add some ice to it so the carcass doesn't rot.

Secondly, you have to inform Faley that I have to meet him imediately and this can't wait.

Ah ,one last thing .No one besides us is to know of this matter. Is that understood?"

*Squint.*

"Yes."