Chapter 50: Chapter 50: Cleverness Backfires

Seeing the junior who barged in, Wu Guangxiao looked displeased.

As they entered, he had instructed that under no circumstances should they disturb his banquet with Zhou Buqi.

“Zudi, didn’t I instruct you!” Glancing at Zhou Buqi beside him, Wu Guangxiao feigned anger.

“Grand Elder, please quell your anger, I have urgent news to report!” Wu Zudi knelt on one knee, pleading guilty.

“Brother Wu is a bit too harsh, they are just our own family members, speak up if there’s something!” Zhou Buqi said with a smile, trying to persuade.

“Humph, since Brother Zhou pleads for you, I will forgive you this time. If you repeat the mistake, we’ll settle the score together. Speak, what is it!” Wu Guangxiao snorted coldly and spoke.

“This…” Wu Zudi hesitated, glancing at Zhou Buqi, seeming a bit uneasy to speak.

Seeing this, Wu Guangxiao was somewhat annoyed at his nephew’s lack of vision, and spoke:

“Brother Zhou is not an outsider, speak quickly if you have something to say!”

“Ninth Brother discovered Lin Xueying today!” Wu Zudi spoke.

“Who?” Wu Guangxiao heard the name and couldn’t recall who it was for a moment.

“The eldest Miss of the Lin Family!” Wu Zudi added.

“What!” Upon hearing these words, Wu Guangxiao immediately stood up.

After breaking through the Lin Family that day, they searched the entire Lin Family, but did not find the Nascent Ganoderma.

Afterward, even among the belongings of the slain Lin Family Patriarch, it was not found.

Finally, when they captured the Lin Family’s Second Elder and performed a Soul Search, they learned that the Nascent Ganoderma was transferred in advance.

However, the specific person who had it was unknown.

The most likely place was in the hands of Lin Family Grand Elder Lin Yuanru.

Other possibilities included Lin Anshuo’s younger brother Lin Anshu, as well as Lin Family’s eldest Miss Lin Xueying.

The Wu Family attacked the Lin Family precisely for this Nascent Ganoderma, now that the Lin Family has fallen and Wu Andao exposed, but the Nascent Ganoderma remained unfound.

They then searched everywhere for Lin Yuanru, Lin Anshu, and Lin Xueying.

Unfortunately, they found nothing.

Now hearing news of Lin Xueying, how could they not be excited.

Thus, disregarding Zhou Buqi’s surprise, he immediately apologized:

“Brother Zhou, there’s truly an urgent matter today. Next time I’ll apologize by getting drunk with you for three days and nights!”

Zhou Buqi, seeing this, also nodded and said with a smile:

“Since Brother Wu has matters to attend to, go deal with them quickly. Next time you’ll have to make it up to me with three banquets, hahaha!”

“Certainly!”

Wu Guangxiao cupped his fists, then turned and walked out of the private room swiftly heading outside.

As he walked, he inquired about the particulars of the young man’s discovery of Lin Xueying.

It was then he learned, that not only Lin Xueying came here, but also Zhou Xun and Wang Erniu.

Lin Xue’e stayed behind to take care of her daughter and did not accompany them.

Soon, Wu Guangxiao led a group of Wu Family descendants to Guest Inn.

There was also a Wu Family descendant assigned to watch over them.

“Seventeen, are those people still inside?” The watcher was also a Wu Family descendant, ranked seventeenth in the Zudi generation, a handsome young man.

“Reporting to Grand Uncle, I have been watching here and they haven’t left!” The young man confidently reported.

“Moreover, I placed a tracking mark on their clothes, indicating that they are still inside the inn!”

“Well done!” Wu Guangxiao nodded with satisfaction, patting the young man on the shoulder.

Then he strode into the inn.

The innkeeper, seeing so many people coming in, beamed with joy, but upon seeing the leading figure, was taken aback.

“Foundation Establishment Cultivator!”

So he quickly stepped forward and bowed:

“Greetings, Senior, is Senior here to stay at our inn? We have Heaven-ranked, Earth-ranked, and Human-ranked rooms, Heaven-ranked…” Before he could finish introducing, Wu Guangxiao interrupted.

“Shopkeeper, Wu Mou is not here to stay, but to find someone!” Wu Guangxiao said kindly.

Guest Inn is the property of White Cloud Immortal City.

“Finding someone here might be inappropriate, our Guest Inn specializes in providing accommodation and highly values our guests’ privacy!” The middle-aged shopkeeper unabashedly refused.

Not worried at all about offending the Foundation Establishment senior before him.

“You are so rude, do you know who we are!” The Wu Family ninth son saw this, became furious, and grabbed the middle-aged shopkeeper by the collar.

“What… what do you want to do?” The middle-aged shopkeeper angrily rebuked.

“This is White Cloud Immortal City, not a place for anyone to act recklessly!”

“Xiaojiu, let go!” Seeing this, Wu Guangxiao frowned slightly.

The young man reluctantly let go, still full of indignation.

“Our juniors were reckless and offended the shopkeeper!” Wu Guangxiao cupped his hands.

Seeing a Foundation Establishment Cultivator personally apologize, the middle-aged shopkeeper couldn’t say much.

“We’ll wait here!” Seeing this, Wu Guangxiao found a chair on the first floor and sat down.

Each room in the inn was equipped with a solitary array; otherwise, Wu Guangxiao would have used his Divine Sense to spy.

But waiting was not a solution, so he took out a Communication Talisman, murmured a few words softly, then tossed it into the air. The talisman transformed into a flash of fire and flew away.

A moment later, Zhou Buqi walked in.

Seeing this, Wu Guangxiao quickly stepped forward and briefly explained the situation.

“This matter needs to trouble Brother Zhou!”

“Alright, if it weren’t for Brother Wu, I wouldn’t have broken this rule!”

He then approached the middle-aged shopkeeper and asked a few questions. The middle-aged shopkeeper answered respectfully and then took out a book to check.

Then he walked to Wu Guangxiao, gave a salute:

“Senior, please come with me. Elder Zhou has already instructed me that you can look anywhere you want!”

“I trouble the shopkeeper!” Wu Guangxiao was not haughty.

He then followed the middle-aged shopkeeper inside.

Zhou Xun and his group had rented a courtyard.

Upon arriving at the courtyard, the middle-aged shopkeeper called inside:

“Fellow Daoists, I am the shopkeeper of the Guest Inn. I have important matters to discuss. Please open the door for a conversation!”

After several calls, no one came out.

The middle-aged shopkeeper sighed and took out a blue-black token, then cast a spell.

The token emitted a beam of white light, which struck the courtyard gate.

Subsequently, the middle-aged shopkeeper pushed the gate open.

Wu Guangxiao was the first to step in. Once inside the courtyard, he immediately expanded his Divine Sense to scan around.

Nothing was found!

Wu Guangxiao, incredulous, scanned back and forth again, but still couldn’t find any trace of Zhou Xun and his group, his expression changed.

He summoned the delicate-featured youth:

“Didn’t you place a tracking mark on them? Where’s the mark?”

“It’s inside!” The youth was puzzled, then walked into a room following the direction of the mark, only to see a set of clothes scattered on the table.

“They… they’ve changed clothes, perhaps they left!” The youth stammered.

Seeing this, Wu Guangxiao sighed and instructed:

“Keep watching outside. If there’s any discovery, notify me immediately with the Communication Talisman.” Saying this, he handed a talisman to the youth.

This Communication Talisman requires the aura of the one sending the message to be infused before it can be tracked.

Then he led the remaining people and hurriedly headed towards the city gate.

He had a strong premonition that Lin Xueying and her group had indeed escaped.

…

After Zhou Xun and his companions disguised themselves and left through the back door, they headed straight for the city gate.

White Cloud Immortal City has eight city gates; the closest to Guest Inn is the East Gate, and the furthest is the West Gate.

This time, for exiting the city, Zhou Xun deliberately chose the North Gate, which was neither near nor far.

“Ordinary fugitives would flee from the nearest path, while those who consider themselves clever might go the farthest. I’ll choose the North Gate, which is neither near nor far!” Zhou Xun mused to himself.

At the North Gate, the guards didn’t even check the token and let them pass.

In this Immortal City, it’s easier to exit than to enter.

“Big brother, we’ve escaped! It seems they haven’t reacted yet!” As soon as they left the city gate, Wang Erniu breathed a sigh of relief.

“Don’t relax. Someone like the Wu Family Grand Elder, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator who’s lived for over a hundred years, can’t be judged by ordinary standards,” Zhou Xun cautioned.

Subsequently, the four used the Light Body Technique and hurried away.

Meanwhile, Wu Guangxiao and his men arrived at the West Gate. To be safe, he also sent people to inquire at the other city gates.

Lin Xueying’s cleverness was known by everyone in Red Leaf Square. In his view, she certainly wouldn’t choose the nearest East Gate and would definitely go against common sense to choose the West Gate.

Wu Guangxiao took out Zhou Buqi’s token and inquired with the guards; this was something he specially requested before leaving to prevent encountering another middle-aged shopkeeper.

“Have you seen two men and a woman leaving the city?” As he spoke, Wu Guangxiao showed them Lin Xueying’s portrait.

“Two men and a woman, not seen?” The guard’s eyes lit up as he looked at the beauty in the portrait.

After confirming that Lin Xueying hadn’t left from there, he hurried back.

Later, the Wu family disciples who were sent to the other gates also returned and reported one after another.

“The other gates haven’t seen any three young cultivators, two men and a woman, leaving recently, though the North City Gate had two men and two women go, and they brought an infant!”

“Two men and two women? That’s them!” Wu Guangxiao’s eyes narrowed and he immediately led the Wu family’s disciples to chase after them.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep