Chapter 347: Chapter 232: Private Gain, Public Guise

The Vice Sect Leader of the Ten Directions Sect was Yuchi Jue.

Although he was the Vice Sect Leader, given the current situation, he was the true manager of the Ten Directions Sect.

As for the Licking Dog Sect Leader, he had long ago become a mere figurehead.

Regarding the Sect Leader’s constant simping for Su Qingyu, Yuchi Jue had gone from initially being furious but not daring to speak out, to finally reaching a breaking point with him.

However, if Yuchi Jue were to fall, the Ten Directions Sect would be completely finished, ceasing to exist.

Therefore, in Zou Feng’s opinion, Su Qingyu wanted Yuchi Jue dead for the sole purpose of utterly destroying the Ten Directions Sect.

But as for what benefits Su Qingyu would gain from destroying the Ten Directions Sect, Zou Feng had no way of knowing for the time being.

Even with reliable intelligence on Yuchi Jue’s general whereabouts, actually finding the man was still no easy task…

「Five days later. Zhao Hua City, a border city where the Southern Border and the Central Plains met.」

After the Southern Prince’s rebellion, Zhao Hua City fell under the control of the Southern Border. The Court-appointed official who once governed the city had long since been beheaded.

Zhao Hua City was every bit as prosperous as Qingchuan City, and in some respects, even more so.

It was most famous for its highly developed waterways and the brothel trade that flourished as a result.

It was worth noting that the Jiayue River, which flowed through Yuan Guang County, also ran through Zhao Hua City. And since this was the downstream portion, the river was several times wider here than it was in Yuan Guang County.

Ever since arriving in Zhao Hua City five days ago, Zou Feng had been reveling night after night, posing as a wealthy young master in various brothels and spending money like it was water.

After another night of wild partying, a drunken Zou Feng stumbled onto a small boat docked by the riverbank.

“Old timer, the usual. Cook up a few fresh fish.”

This had become his routine; he came here every day for fish soup to sober up.

“You got it!”

The boatman was clearly a martial artist. With just a flick of his bamboo pole in the water, two fresh fish were jolted out onto the surface.

As the fish fell toward the bow, the boatman’s cleaver flashed, gutting and scaling them in mid-air.

They landed in the pot, ready to be cooked.

With skill like that, he obviously wasn’t just a simple boatman who made a living from fishing.

His true identity was that of a Rakshasa Sect Outer Disciple.

This boat was one of the regular contact points for the True Qi Realm masters who were searching for Yuchi Jue.

The search for Yuchi Jue in Zhao Hua City couldn’t be a grand, public affair.

If they spooked him and he escaped, locating him again would be exponentially more difficult.

Just as the fish soup came to a boil, three figures wearing conical hats and straw rain capes boarded the boat one after another.

“Tsk. I’ve searched all the prison cells. It seems our fiend isn’t disguised as an inmate.” As the man spoke, he removed his conical hat, revealing Zeng Xiuyuan’s androgynous face.

No matter where this guy went, he never forgot to first bestow his “gifts” upon the local inmates. It was hard to tell if it was a requirement for his Evil Skill or if he just had frighteningly perverse tastes.

“I’ve checked the gangs in Zhao Hua City. Nothing unusual to report!” That was Leng Jing.

He had genuinely infiltrated the local gangs and had a strange fondness for brawling without using his True Qi or any Cultivation Skills.

He’d even lose on purpose, enjoying being pinned to the ground and pummeled by a mob of burly men.

“I’ve covered most of the streets and alleys in the eastern district. I found a few remnants of the Ten Directions Sect, but I’m certain these small-timers don’t know Yuchi Jue’s specific hiding place.” The last to speak was, of course, Zhong Zhe.

For the past few days, he had been disguised as an ordinary old man, leisurely strolling through the city’s streets and alleys.

With their reports concluded, the three of them looked toward Zou Feng with anticipation.

Zou Feng shrugged. “There are too many brothels in Zhao Hua City. I’ve only been to five so far, and I haven’t found anything yet.”

Still empty-handed. A sense of helplessness washed over the group.

Leng Jing scratched his scalp in frustration. “Is that bastard Yuchi Jue even still hiding in this city?”

Zhong Zhe immediately cut in, “He has to be. Yuchi Jue specializes in the Formless Divine Skill, his ability to disguise himself is superb. It’s only natural that we haven’t found him yet. Be patient!”

“Besides, he’s seriously injured right now, so his Formless Divine Skill can’t be at its full effect. That means his current disguise must have significant flaws. We’ll root him out sooner or later!”

Hearing this, Zou Feng mused, “Speaking of which, why would Yuchi Jue choose to hide in Zhao Hua City of all places?”

“I know the best place to hide is in a crowd, but there must be plenty of other big cities he could have chosen.”

Zhong Zhe frowned. “Perhaps there’s something here that could help him recover from his injuries?”

“If that’s the case,” Zou Feng said, “then he’s almost certainly going to appear in a brothel. Or, to be more precise, he’s probably hiding in a brothel or a similar establishment as we speak.”

“What makes you say that?” The others looked at Zou Feng, wanting to hear his brilliant idea.

From the confused looks in their eyes, Zou Feng knew they hadn’t practiced any related Cultivation Skills and were therefore unaware of the underlying principles.

After all, Zou Feng’s Great Universal Hand was derived from the Ten Directions Sect’s Great Compassion Hand.

And the Cultivation method for both the Great Compassion Hand and the Great Universal Hand placed a heavy emphasis on “Visualization.”

For example, visualizing the portrait of the Ten Directions Divine King was a daily requirement for any Ten Directions Cultist practicing the Great Compassion Hand.

When Zou Feng modified the Great Compassion Hand, the subjects of his Visualization became even more bizarre and varied.

Back in his early days as a barefoot doctor in Qingchuan City, he had even used the performances of Demon Beasts in the city’s crudest brothels as subjects for his Visualization.

So, even though Yuchi Jue specialized in the Formless Divine Skill, since it was a Cultivation Skill of the Ten Directions Sect, it was more than likely related to Visualization.

And Zhao Hua City, renowned for its bustling trade routes, had given rise to dozens of brothels, large and small.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep