Chapter 111: The Man with the Blue Cloth Bundle

Two thousand li north of the Dongyue Kingdom lies a large town called Lake Village. It is a massive settlement where various ethnic groups live together, bordered by the Kelin Mountain Range to the north and an endless plain to the south. The town covers an area at least twice the size of the Dongyue Kingdom and has a permanent population of several million.

It was nearly noon, and the sun was shining warmly—a pleasant luxury on this cold winter day. At the entrance of Lake Village, a twenty-year-old man with ordinary features walked at a steady, unhurried pace. Clad in a light robe, he seemed impervious to the cold, with a blue cloth bundle strapped to his back. He looked up at the three golden characters "Lake Village" inscribed on the gate, bared his small canine teeth in a grin, and strode inside.

The traveler was Lei Xiang, who had left the Dongyue Kingdom. To rescue the kidnapped Dugu Yixiao, Lei Xiang had traveled north with Yang Jian, parting ways at a crossroads to search separately. He had, of course, given Yang Jian a communication conch from a Green Queen to ensure they could notify each other regardless of who found him first.

Lake Village was the eleventh major location Lei Xiang had visited, yet there was still no news. Had Dugu Yixiao and his captors simply evaporated? Lei Xiang did not think so. He believed that no matter how high one's cultivation level, even those capable of flight would eventually run low on spiritual energy. Unless they had reached the Nascent Soul stage, it was impossible to fly thousands of miles in one breath; they would certainly need to find a place to rest. That was why he and Yang Jian had been searching so tirelessly.

He knew that the best places to gather information were inns and restaurants, where people were plentiful and gossip was rampant. He entered a shop on the main street called the Hongqishun Restaurant. It was a mid-sized establishment in Lake Village, a three-story building occupying dozens of acres. Lei Xiang found a corner in the first-floor lobby and sat down, placing his blue cloth bundle on the edge of the table. He carried it intentionally to mimic Dugu Yixiao, who had always held his own blue bundle in high regard, never letting it leave his side. Lei Xiang surmised that the bundle must contain an astonishing secret; perhaps the kidnappers had targeted Dugu Yixiao precisely because of it. By carrying a similar bundle, Lei Xiang hoped to lure the kidnappers out.

If he could not find them, he would let them come to him.

He ordered a few dishes and a pot of shochu, sipping slowly. During the lunch rush, the Hongqishun was crowded, and the waiter was overwhelmed. Lei Xiang, however, was in no hurry. He released his Golden Core stage spiritual sense, slowly covering the entire restaurant.

After verifying the surroundings, he realized that among the two hundred patrons, the highest cultivation level was only mid-stage Foundation Establishment. They could never detect his spiritual sense, so he boldly began to eavesdrop.

Nothing.

Over an hour passed. Lei Xiang had heard no valuable conversations and found no suspicious individuals. Just as he was about to pay the bill and leave in frustration, he suddenly sensed someone watching him.

Lei Xiang suppressed his aura, appearing as if he were only at the eleventh or twelfth level of Qi Refining. The watcher, a man at the peak of the fourteenth level, had his spiritual sense lingering, intentionally or otherwise, on the blue bundle at the corner of the table. A cold, subtle smile played on Lei Xiang's lips; his prey had arrived.

Suddenly, a commotion erupted at the entrance. Several men in fine robes entered. They appeared to be local notables, as even the plump proprietor hurried down to welcome them and lead them to an upstairs private room. Lei Xiang’s focus remained entirely on the person behind him, but he was startled to find that the man was gone.

It was impossible for someone to vanish into thin air, yet the man was undeniably missing. He had disappeared in an instant. Even when Lei Xiang activated his Divine Thunder Slash and his eyes flashed with blue light, he could not find a trace of him. However, he could clearly feel a thread of spiritual sense still clinging to his blue bundle. Lei Xiang grinned, revealing his small canine teeth—this was exactly what he wanted.

Suddenly, a gust of wind blew, snatching the blue bundle from the table. Lei Xiang sneered inwardly, "The fox has finally shown its tail." Outwardly, however, he feigned shock, shouting, "Hey! My bundle! Who stole my bundle?"

The group heading upstairs noticed the commotion. The leader, a middle-aged man as thin as a rail, quickly moved his claw-like hands and formed several seals. The windows and doors of the Hongqishun were suddenly barred by white light, and a massive white barrier completely encased the restaurant. The middle-aged man clapped his hands triumphantly and barked in a grating voice, "What kind of rat dares to act here? Come out, you coward! It won't be that easy to escape!"

Lei Xiang frowned in annoyance. *This idiot is playing the hero,* he thought. *Catching the thief is easy enough; there's no need for these defenses.* He had wanted the thief to steal the bundle so he could follow him and uncover the mastermind. From the moment the man vanished to his transformation into a gust of wind, Lei Xiang had sensed a familiar aura—one that reminded him of the time he assassinated the eighteen blood killers of the Blood Fiend Alliance.

*The Heaven-Veiling Art!*

The movement technique the thief used was very similar to the Heaven-Veiling Art Lei Xiang had learned from Dugu Yixiao. He had intended to play the long game, but this skinny fool had blocked the exits. It was infuriating.

The patrons began to shower the middle-aged man with praise, calling his technique "unrivaled" and hailing "Elder Qiu" as a chivalrous hero. These accolades made Elder Qiu even more arrogant. He waved his hand dismissively and ordered, "The thief is trapped! Spread out and search every inch. Drag that scoundrel out! I will hold the fort here; go on." His companions scattered to search the area.

Lei Xiang was seething, but he stepped forward and bowed deeply to Elder Qiu. "Many thanks for your assistance, Elder Qiu. Your kindness is unforgettable." Elder Qiu waved his claw-like hands. "A mere trifle. You're from out of town, aren't you? If you need anything in the future, just come to the Immortal Ape Sect. I, Qiu, can handle it for you. Punishing evil is our duty..."

Lei Xiang ignored his spittle-flecked rambling, but the name "Immortal Ape Sect" caught his interest. Chen Zhi, whom he had saved from the Blood Fiend Alliance in the Dongyue Kingdom, had been the leader of the Immortal Ape Sect. Lei Xiang had obtained his Wind-Fire Boots and promised to return his remains. It seemed this task could be completed quite easily.

Just then, a disturbance occurred in the northwest corner. A subordinate of the Immortal Ape Sect forced a man in yellow to reveal himself. The man had Lei Xiang's blue bundle on his back. Seeing this, Elder Qiu reached out with his right hand, manifesting a massive, phantom palm that solidified the air around the thief. With a swift grab, he caught the man and tossed him in front of the stairs. The blue bundle flew toward Lei Xiang. The crowd erupted in thunderous applause and flattery at Elder Qiu’s display.

Lei Xiang retrieved his bundle and thanked Elder Qiu, privately transmitting, "Elder Qiu, as an elder of the Immortal Ape Sect, I have business with your sect leader. I would appreciate it if you could lead the way. Also, this man stole my package; I hope you will leave him to me to handle."

Elder Qiu looked at Lei Xiang anew and transmitted back, "Very well. You may take him, and you may come to the Immortal Ape Sect, but first tell me your intentions."

Lei Xiang was not surprised. He briefly explained that he was there to return the remains of Chen Zhi to the sect. Elder Qiu pondered for a moment and agreed to take Lei Xiang to the sect the next morning before heading upstairs with his men. Lei Xiang left the restaurant with the thief in tow.

Lei Xiang released his aura to the mid-stage of Foundation Establishment, a pressure sufficient to intimidate the patrons, and left the restaurant smoothly. He found an inn on the next street, ordered the waiter not to disturb him, and set up a sound-dampening barrier before beginning his interrogation.

The thief was stubborn, admitting only to the theft and refusing to say anything else. Frustrated, Lei Xiang used the Soul-Searching Hand, but the information he gained was of little value. The man was merely a member of a small thieving organization called "Tooth Eleven," responsible for scouting targets and splitting loot. As for the invisibility technique, it had been passed down by their leader, and the man didn't know its name.

Resigned, Lei Xiang dealt with the thief and searched his storage pouch, finding nothing but spiritual stones. He summoned a fireball and reduced all evidence to ashes. He decided to deliver Chen Zhi’s remains first, then hunt down the leader of the "Tooth Eleven" organization to investigate the invisibility technique and see if it held any clues regarding Dugu Yixiao.