The streets of the Outer City District, while not as bustling as those in the Inner City, were much wider.
There was no shortage of shops lining the streets, like the teahouse Zou Feng and his group were now slowly strolling past.
For just one copper coin, you could drink fresh-sprout tea with unlimited refills and listen to a storyteller spin yarns all afternoon with tales he might have just made up on the spot.
As Zou Feng pondered how to deal with the person tailing him, he waved for Zhao Tianhu and the others to sit down at the teahouse’s tables.
He made it seem as though he’d suddenly taken an interest in the storyteller’s current tale and was no longer in a hurry to get back to the Dragon Gate Boat.
In truth, it was all just a ruse to confuse his pursuer.
He was going fishing, but he couldn’t just inexplicably rush off and separate from Zhao Tianhu and the others when they were all walking together perfectly fine.
If that gave him away, the fish would certainly never take the bait.
Besides, fishing was one thing, but he also needed an insurance policy—a ’helmet,’ so to speak.
"Brother Hu, Chunzi, Datian, keep drinking your tea. Whatever you do, don’t look around."
Hearing this, Zhao Tianhu and the others knew something was wrong. But they all remained impassive, continuing to drink their tea and even occasionally smiling to comment on the storyteller’s tale.
"I’m being followed. But I’ll use their plot against them and find out what they’re really after."
"So in a moment, I’ll find an excuse to leave first. You all don’t need to hurry, just keep drinking."
"Finish your tea slowly, then head back to the Dragon Gate Boat at a normal pace. Notify the Miss, or Master Chen, and have them come to the teahouse to back me up. Just in case!"
Zou Feng wasn’t afraid, even if two Eighth Grade martial artists were trying to kidnap him.
He was even confident he could hold his own against a Seventh Grade expert, given his familiarity with every street and alley in Yuan Guang City.
But in a worst-case scenario, having the Miss come for backup was the safest bet.
As for whether Bian Yixia would come?
For one, Bian Yixia held his medical skills in exceptionally high regard ever since he’d cured Xiang Kang.
But even just the camaraderie they’d built from their recent sparring sessions in the Practice Room was enough to ensure Bian Yixia would rush over to help without a second thought.
After hearing Zou Feng’s instructions, Zhao Tianhu picked up his teacup, using the action of drinking to hide his lip movements. "Understood, Zou Incense Master. You must be careful!"
Zou Feng’s three subordinates knew better than to ask a lot of questions at a time like this.
Immediately carrying out his orders was the most practical way to show their concern.
"Brother Hu, are we out of Malachite Flowers in our pharmacy?"
Zou Feng said this aloud.
Zhao Tianhu caught on, slapping his own forehead. "Right, right! Silly me... Zou Incense Master, I’ll go buy some now."
Zou Feng waved his hand. "No need, I’ll go. I haven’t strolled around the city in a while anyway, and I can drop by the gambling den to see Brother Wang."
"You all head back first, and brew the medicine you didn’t get to this morning!"
With that, Zou Feng placed one mace of broken silver on the table, waved, and departed.
The remaining three, Zhao Tianhu and the others, seemed to want to hear the rest of the storyteller’s tale, so they didn’t get up and leave right away.
Separating from his subordinates this way appeared much more natural.
As Zou Feng seemingly wandered about, he kept a close watch on his surroundings. It wasn’t long before he once again spotted the furtive figure.
’Good, he followed.’
’But... why do I feel like there’s more than one?’
’Still, that makes sense. Capturing someone alive is much harder than a simple assassination.’
The reason they hadn’t made a move yet was obviously because the streets were too crowded with prying eyes; they were afraid of unexpected complications.
’But, of course, Zou Feng would give them their chance...’
As he ambled along, Zou Feng really did go to a pharmacy and buy a packet of the Malachite Flower he had mentioned.
Then, he ambled over to the bank of a small river.
This river flowed through the city, a tributary of the East River.
The riverbank was lush with shade trees and the scenery was pleasant. At this hour, only the occasional woman could be seen washing clothes by the water.
Before long, Zou Feng had followed the riverbank under a stone arch bridge and into a dark, narrow alley.
He wasn’t worried they would suspect a trap.
After all, the path from the riverbank up to the stone arch bridge naturally led through this very alley.
However, the moment he turned into the alley, he leaped up, propping his hands and feet against the walls on both sides and instantly entering the Spider Stance.
While doing so, he subtly shook his palms, Cultivating his Skill to release a poison.
Only a short while passed before a man in a long gray robe first poked his head in to observe, then darted into the alley.
But an Eighth Grade expert was an Eighth Grade expert, after all. After just a few steps, he frowned, a look of confusion on his face. He had clearly sensed something was off.
Although the poison Zou Feng had released with his Five Poison Skill was colorless and odorless, a Martial Dao master’s physical awareness is far beyond that of an ordinary person.
Thus, it didn’t take long after inhaling the toxin for them to sense that something was wrong.
Unfortunately, it was already too late.
The next moment, Zou Feng dropped down silently, headfirst, and thrust out both palms in a strike that seemed to fall from the sky.
He had been Gathering Strength for this palm strike for a long time; it carried the force of a blow intended to be fatal.
In fact, as soon as this person entered the alley, Zou Feng had confirmed his identity by a familiar smell.
’A Ten Directions Sect remnant!’
Having fought Ten Directions Cultists many times before and confiscated numerous Evil Pills, Zou Feng was intimately familiar with the scent that clung to them.
The smell wasn’t just from the Elixirs they carried; these guys had popped so many Evil Pills that their very bodies were "marinated" in the stench.
Of course, the Ten Directions Sect certainly had masters who could absorb the Evil Pills more thoroughly, leaving no such subtle odor.
But the one Zou Feng encountered this time clearly wasn’t one of them.
At the critical moment, the man’s reaction wasn’t slow. As his face paled with shock, he hastily thrust his palms upward, attempting to resist Zou Feng’s descending Palm Skill.
THUD—
The four palms met, erupting with a muffled impact that set one’s teeth on edge.
’Great Compassion Hand?’
’I can’t believe I finally ran into a Ten Directions Sect remnant who knows the Great Compassion Hand.’
’But he almost certainly isn’t carrying the Cultivation Technique Secret Manual for it. If I want to learn it, what the hell am I going to do?’
’Maybe... if I can’t interrogate him for it, I’ll just chop off his hands and see if I can try some Refinement on them back home?’
"Ah!"
Since he had resisted in a hurry, the Ten Directions Cultist was immediately at a disadvantage. After their palms met, he lost his footing and slammed to his knees with a THUD.
After landing, Zou Feng didn’t even bother to recover his breath before jabbing a finger toward the man’s back.
The man had no chance to dodge. He trembled violently and was instantly immobilized.
Zou Feng was quite experienced in fighting these Ten Directions Cultists.
His ability to take down this Eighth Grade Cultist so quickly was due to two important factors. First, Zou Feng’s own strength was already monstrous. Second, and more importantly, he hadn’t given his opponent a chance to pop a Divine Inviting Pill.
After subduing the Ten Directions Cultist, Zou Feng’s figure didn’t stop. He shot out of the alley.
He had already confirmed that more than one person was following him.
His darting out of the alley without any pause caught the second man, who was rushing over, completely off guard.
The other man had heard the strange sounds in the alley, and his first reaction was undoubtedly to rush in and check the situation.
But what greeted him was a pair of palms that seemed to emit an ominous aura.
Caught off guard, the man could only cross his arms to protect his chest.
BAM—
Somewhat to Zou Feng’s surprise, though this Ten Directions Sect remnant howled in pain as he was sent flying, he still managed to execute a break-fall in mid-air.
After landing steadily, the man turned and ran without hesitation.
His durability could only mean one thing: he must have sensed something was wrong, popped a Divine Inviting Pill, and only then rushed over.
’Cautious, I’ll give him that... A pity. Thinks he can escape?’
The next moment, with just a single step, Zou Feng instantly closed the distance between them again.
But it wasn’t close enough. The Ten Directions Sect remnant didn’t panic. Relying on the sustained effects of the Divine Inviting Pill, he suddenly accelerated once more.
Seeing the gap between them about to widen again, Zou Feng instantly unleashed a palm strike through the air.
’Inner Qi Release, Vacuum Poison Force!’
Now, although this person had realized from their brief exchange that Zou Feng was not a Ninth Grade but an Eighth Grade martial artist...
He could never have predicted, however, that Zou Feng could use Inner Qi Release to land a fatal blow from over ten feet away.
When the intense pain shot through his back, the Ten Directions Cultist was completely stunned.
Before his consciousness faded, his mind was flooded with questions.
’What’s going on?’
’Is this... Inner Qi Release?’
’What the hell? A Seventh Grade!?’
After briefly recovering his breath, Zou Feng quickly moved forward and delivered a finishing "War Trample" to the man’s head.
’One living captive is enough. The one who knows the Great Compassion Hand.’
After the final kick, and confirming no one else was passing by, Zou Feng quickly dragged the now "crook-necked" corpse back into the alley.
Next, with practiced motions, he looted the Evil Pills from both bodies.
Zou Feng then discovered that the two only carried a little broken silver, as well as a small amount of Evil Pills in a sachet.
As expected, he didn’t get the lucky loot drop of a Great Compassion Hand Cultivation Technique Secret Manual.
But that was only to be expected. Who in their right mind would carry a Cultivation Technique Secret Manual on them while out on a kidnapping job?
"Speak. What business did you have with me?"
Zou Feng patted the immobilized man’s shoulder, allowing him to recover a slight bit of mobility.
The man clearly realized he had been thoroughly defeated and didn’t intend to put up any futile struggles.
But answering Zou Feng’s question was clearly out of the question. He just stared fixedly at Zou Feng with a cold, sinister gaze.
It had to be admitted that these Cultists, with their brainwashed and unshakeable faith, possessed truly formidable willpower.
Ordinary torture would not pry open their mouths.
Besides, Zou Feng didn’t have time to slowly apply torture now. Although no one was passing by at the moment, there was no guarantee a few nearby residents wouldn’t suddenly swarm by, shouting "Murder!" from afar.
’Should I try to take him away?’
This was the Inner City in broad daylight. The chances of taking this person to a hidden place without being noticed were basically zero.
’So, my only choice is to test out my Chaos Finger. I wonder how much the ’Dementia’ effect has improved now that I’ve adjusted the poison.’