Five people in front sprinted wildly, while three from behind flew through the air. It happened that a Spirit Clearing Guard on patrol noticed them from afar; his Divine Sense sweeping over. The leading man's waist had a jade pendant that immediately emitted a hazy blue glow. As the Divine Sense swept over the pendant, it receded and did not pursue further.
So, the five people ran all the way to South City, only to find the dock bustling with lights. Numerous boats were moored, with porters moving goods on and off the boats. Many merchant ships entered the dock, and of course, even more were leaving. Seeing the bustle and activity, the five froze for a moment,
"So many boats?"
The leader looked down and saw that the small white spot on the mirror had already moved far away from the vicinity of the dock, saying urgently,
"We're already two li away from Li City, let's go!"
Then they rushed to the dock, found a small boat moored there, handed the boatman who was resting at the bow a silver ingot, and shouted loudly,
"Quick, out of the city!"
The boatman, seeing the shiny silver ingot, wasted no time in chatting. As soon as the five people were on board, he pushed the small boat away from the dock and started rowing toward the direction specified. Lao Wu, thinking the boatman was rowing too slowly, simply stretched a hand into the water, activated a Magical Incantation, and the boatman saw in the darkness, under the light of the lamp at the stern, white waves churning as if something was propelling the boat. The little vessel carrying six people sped away like an arrow loosed from a bow.
The boatman, both shocked and amazed, quietly observed the five people on the boat. Each had a fierce look, clearly not good people. After just seeing the most vicious-looking man showing such a skill, he knew he had encountered Great Cultivation warriors. His face turned pale with fright, shrinking back at the stern, not daring to make a sound, for fear that he might be carelessly killed after the event. He even dropped the oar into the water without noticing.
The five people were too busy to bother with him, standing at the bow, looking ahead. The leader was holding a compass, threading through many boats, dodging left and right, and after chasing for another two li, they could see Xuancheng City's largest flower boat and a hundred or so men and women on it.
"It's that boat..."
The five's joy then turned to a frown,
"Such a crowd of mortals!"
The Old Taoist Priest and the woman were most likely hiding up there, but with so many people, how were they to search?
Within ten li of Li City was the patrolling range of the Spirit Clearing Guards; if they caused too much commotion, it would be easy to be discovered!
Speaking of which, the Yin Evil Sect in Yue Country was a sect of moderate size; however, Great Sects coveted the treasure handed down from the Immortal Realm. When news of Tongxuan Sect losing its sect's treasure spread, the entire Great Cultivation World of Great City State was stirred. Many sects sent people to search for the treasure, but in the end, all returned empty-handed!
Even now, it was said that the Heavenly Unity Sect, the largest of the Great Sects, still had people seeking this treasure. Although the Yin Evil Sect had many experts, compared to Heavenly Unity Sect, there was still a significant gap. If they caused a big disturbance, even if they acquired the treasure, they might end up being destroyed by the Heavenly Unity Sect, losing both their lives and the treasure!
The leader examined the compass closely, his brow furrowed,
"Damn!"
This flower boat was a place for men and women to seek pleasure; the filthy energy was so heavy that it concealed the Spiritual Energy of the treasure, the white spot on the mirror beginning to fade, in a little while it might disappear completely. After thinking, he stored the compass,
"Go, let's board first!"
The five men brought the small boat alongside the flower boat. Realizing their presence, someone onboard mistook them for pleasure-seeking guests. A man clad in shorts came forward to greet,
"Gentlemen, please come inside!"
The five kept their faces stern as they jumped onto the boat, while the boatman at the side, seeing this as if granted a new lease on life, no longer cared for the boat. He tucked the silver into his chest and leaped into the river, diving a good two zhang before surfacing; he didn't look back as he swam toward the opposite shore. These river dwellers were all good swimmers; with silver, what couldn't he buy? It was best to leave this place of trouble quickly!
As for the five men who had boarded the boat, the three who had been following them hid at the shore, watching.
"Lord Baiwei, shall we also follow them in?"
The man at the front shook his head,
"No need, just wait here!"
His Divine Sense had already locked onto the five men. Any sign of movement from them, and he could act immediately without alarming the mortals on the boat.
The three stood quietly in place, watching. Once the five men boarded the ship, Lao Wu caught hold of one man and asked,
"Has a Taoist Priest boarded?"