Chapter 106: Chapter 105: The Bixia Yuan Family

A day later, Lu Zhao rode the wind out from the Bixia Sect Mountain Gate, the sleeves of his black Steward Robe whipping in the morning breeze. He sped thirty miles along the wide road, his Divine Sense spreading out like a net to capture every stir in his surroundings.

As he neared the Bixia Marketplace, his figure swerved, and he turned onto an inconspicuous forest path without hesitation.

After half a month of arduous travel, Lu Zhao was finally approaching his destination. Thanks to the resounding prestige of the Bixia Sect and his own Steward Black Robe, the journey had been surprisingly peaceful.

For the first thirty miles, Sect disciples patrolled the mountains, so Demon Beasts and Tribulation Cultivators were nowhere to be found. Although the latter half of the journey went deep into the county wilderness, Bixia County had long known peace and was well-developed, making even Low-Tier Demon Beasts a rare sight.

As for Tribulation Cultivators, Lu Zhao did notice a few malicious Divine Senses sweep over him. But before he could even act, the moment they touched upon the Token at his waist, they retreated in a panic as if bitten by a snake, not daring to show themselves again.

Following the directions on the Jade Scroll Map, Lu Zhao sped southwest, his target the edge of the territory under the jurisdiction of Cyan Ox Mountain’s Lower Courtyard. He suppressed his Escape Light and landed before a mountain pass, took out the map to verify his location, and after confirming he was on the right path, changed direction and flew northwest. Two hours later, the outline of a Marketplace built into the mountainside came into view—the Yuan Family Marketplace.

Lu Zhao arrived at the Marketplace entrance and saw a long line of Wanderers waiting to be inspected before entry. He paid them no mind, walking straight toward the main gate guarded by two Yuan Family Cultivators.

The two Cultivators wore dusty gray, close-fitting attire with Yuan Family Tokens at their waists. The older one caught a glimpse of the approaching, eye-catching black robe and the Token at its wearer’s waist. His expression changed drastically, and all his laziness and arrogance vanished in an instant. He hastily barked a low command to his companion while jogging forward to give Lu Zhao a deep bow.

"So it is a Steward from the Upper Sect! Forgive me for not giving you a proper welcome. I hope the Steward can overlook my offense!" The older Cultivator, reacting with extreme speed, apologized while shooting his companion a look. "You stay on guard. I’ll take the Steward inside and get him settled. Go report to the General Affairs Steward, quickly!"

The other man agreed profusely, then turned and sprinted into the Marketplace.

Lu Zhao gave a slight nod and followed the guiding Cultivator into the Marketplace. Along the way, Wanderers scrambled to get out of his path, their gazes a mixture of awe and curiosity.

The older Cultivator led Lu Zhao to a relatively quiet courtyard in the center of the Marketplace. He was ushered into an elegantly furnished Quiet Chamber, and he had just sat down when a serving girl presented him with Fragrant Tea shimmering with Spiritual Qi. Before he could take more than a few sips, a portly, middle-aged man in silk brocade hurried in, his brow beaded with sweat and his face fixed in a perfectly respectful smile.

"An honored guest graces our home with his presence, making this humble place shine! I am Yuan Feiyan, the General Affairs Steward of the Yuan Family, it is an honor to meet Steward Lu of the Upper Sect! I was unaware of your arrival and failed to welcome you properly. I beg your forgiveness!" Yuan Feiyan gave a deep bow, his posture extremely humble.

Lu Zhao stood to return the courtesy, his tone even. "Steward Yuan, you’re too kind. It is I who has come uninvited to trouble your family." He gestured for the other man to sit and got straight to the point. "To be frank, I’ve come here looking for someone."

Yuan Feiyan sat on the meditation cushion opposite Lu Zhao, his smile unchanging, though a flash of understanding crossed his eyes. "Oh? And who might the Steward be looking for? As long as they are within the Yuan Family’s territory, we will certainly do our utmost to help."

"Qian Yuan." Lu Zhao spoke the two words, his gaze calm as he watched Yuan Feiyan.

Upon hearing the name, Yuan Feiyan’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly before smoothing out again, though his smile was now tinged with helplessness. "So, it’s him. To be honest, Steward Lu, about half a year ago, another Outer Sect Steward from your esteemed Sect came to our Marketplace looking for this very same Qian Yuan. I was the one who received him then. In fact, I was the one who gave that Steward his portrait; they wouldn’t have found him otherwise."

A glint appeared in Lu Zhao’s eyes. "Oh? And how did my fellow Sect member find him?"

"By lying in wait," Yuan Feiyan said with a wry smile. "That Steward got a few leads and staked out several of Qian Yuan’s usual haunts in rotation. It took nearly two full months before he got lucky and stumbled upon the man himself."

’Lying in wait...’ Lu Zhao gently rubbed the rim of his teacup, his mind racing. ’That method is time-consuming, draining, and far too uncertain for my liking. If I’m going to do it, I have to wait on a path he’s guaranteed to take. I can’t just stake out a place blindly.’

Then, Lu Zhao thought of something else—the man’s Concealing Technique. He pressed on, "I’ve heard this person is an expert in techniques for concealing his aura and changing his appearance. How did your Marketplace originally confirm his identity and create a portrait? And how often does he usually appear?"

Yuan Feiyan sighed. "It was a coincidence, really, and also exposed a flaw in his Technique. His method for changing his face and concealing his aura is marvelous, but it seems there’s a long cooldown period after each use. During that time, he has trouble keeping his aura completely stable."

"He was in that cooldown period when he got into a conflict outside the Marketplace, causing his aura to leak. A sharp-eyed Steward from my Yuan Family noticed something was amiss and secretly memorized his true face. After extensive investigation, we confirmed his identity and created the portrait. We even managed to capture a trace of his aura. Without that, trying to track him would be as difficult as ascending to the heavens. As for how often he appears, word of him usually gets out every month or two. After all, you can change your appearance and aura, but you can’t change your style of Magical Combat."

He paused, his expression turning grave as he lowered his voice. "Steward Lu, forgive my bluntness, but this person... is no easy target. It’s not just the Upper Sect hunting him. My Yuan Family has also gone after him for robbing merchants around the Marketplace and ruining our reputation. We once sent a clan elder at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer to lead a team to hunt him. But the man is as slippery as an eel and knows the terrain like the back of his hand. We cornered him several times, but he always managed to get away with that bizarre Escape Technique of his. We couldn’t even touch a hair on his head. His talent for escaping is far beyond that of any ordinary Tribulation Cultivator."

Lu Zhao listened quietly, his expression unchanging, but inwardly he raised his assessment of Qian Yuan’s danger level. ’A team led by someone at the Qi Cultivation Ninth Layer returned empty-handed. That shows just how difficult this fiend is to deal with.’ After a moment of contemplation, he said, "Thank you for the warning, Steward Yuan. Could you provide a detailed map showing the specific locations where my fellow Steward lay in wait, as well as the areas Qian Yuan is likely to frequent?"

"Of course." Yuan Feiyan quickly retrieved a Cyan Jade Scroll from his Storage Bag and presented it with both hands. "Steward Lu, please take a look. This Jade Scroll marks the locations where Qian Yuan has appeared in the past, as well as several areas where we speculate he might hide or fence his stolen goods. The last Steward’s successful stakeout was at a place called Black Wind Ridge."

Lu Zhao accepted the Jade Scroll and sent his Divine Sense into it. A detailed map of the surrounding terrain unfolded in his Sea of Consciousness. Several locations were marked in vermilion, with the three words "Black Wind Ridge" standing out prominently. It was a treacherous pass wedged between two mountains, with a deep, dense forest and a faint miasma in the air—an excellent place to hide and bide one’s time.

Besides the map, the end of the Jade Scroll also recorded the characteristics of Qian Yuan’s aura from his last appearance: a very faint, earthy scent mixed with the smell of Yin Locust Wood and Bone Decay Grass.

"My thanks for your trouble, Steward Yuan." Lu Zhao put away the Jade Scroll and cupped his hands in thanks.

"You’re too kind, Steward Lu," Yuan Feiyan said, beaming. "You must be tired from your long journey. I’ve prepared a Quiet Chamber for you in Tingyu Pavilion. The Spiritual Qi there is quite good, so please get some rest. If you need anything at all, just order any of the Marketplace attendants or send me a message directly."

"That would be excellent. Thank you for the arrangements, Steward Yuan." Lu Zhao didn’t refuse. ’Capturing Qian Yuan won’t be a one-day affair. I need to think this through, and having a stable base of operations is essential.’

Led by an attendant, Lu Zhao arrived at a quiet, secluded courtyard shaded by clumps of green bamboo. While the Spiritual Qi couldn’t compare to the Bixia Sect, it was far superior to an ordinary Wanderer’s abode. He waved his hand to set up a few simple warning and Sound Insulation Restrictions, then sat cross-legged on the meditation cushion in the Quiet Chamber.

He immersed his Divine Sense in the Jade Scroll from Yuan Feiyan, and the map marking Qian Yuan’s movements reappeared. Lu Zhao’s gaze lingered on the red dots, including Black Wind Ridge, as his mind raced through various possibilities.

’Concealing Technique... a cooldown period... and an earthy scent of Yin Locust Wood and Bone Decay Grass.’ Lu Zhao unconsciously tapped his knee, a sharp glint in his eyes. ’This information from Yuan Feiyan is crucial. It’s a major breakthrough and the key to confirming if it’s really him.’

With a thought, an object slid out from Lu Zhao’s sleeve. It was the Flowing Cloud Sparrow Puppet that had been with him for many years. "Looks like I’ll be needing this again," Lu Zhao murmured to himself.

He channeled Spiritual Power from his fingertip into the puppet. The Flowing Cloud Sparrow’s wings trembled slightly, Spirit Light flowing through its compound eyes. It silently passed through the roof of the Quiet Chamber, becoming a nearly invisible gray shadow as it shot toward the clouds.

High in the sky, the Flowing Cloud Sparrow’s sharp "gaze" swept over the land, taking in the forests, Marketplace, and roads below.

Meanwhile, Lu Zhao immersed his Divine Sense back into the Jade Scroll Map, cross-referencing it with the information Yuan Feiyan had provided about the times and locations of Qian Yuan’s past crimes. He was trying to analyze the man’s patterns of movement, potential hiding spots, and routes for selling his loot.

Time slipped by quietly in the Quiet Chamber. Like a master hunter, Lu Zhao patiently wove an invisible net. He knew that when facing a seasoned opponent like Qian Yuan, impatience was a fatal flaw. He needed to wait—wait for an opening, or create one himself.

Several hours later, Lu Zhao’s eyes snapped open, a sharp glint flashing within them. By combining his map analysis with Yuan Feiyan’s information, he had locked onto a new key location: a small, underground trading post called Black Cloud Mountain Marketplace, located about nine miles northwest of Black Wind Ridge. The place catered to Wanderers and was a chaotic den of all sorts, notorious for fencing stolen goods. The Yuan Family had long suspected that Qian Yuan sold his loot there after his heists, but they had never been able to catch him.

’If I were Qian Yuan, after a robbery, I’d want to offload the materials and Magical Artifacts as quickly as possible,’ Lu Zhao thought. ’This place... it might be a path he has to take. Looks like I’ll need to ask the Yuan Family for another favor.’ The vague outline of a plan began to form in his mind.

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