Chapter 369 - 197: The Hidden Dragon Leaps from the Abyss, Scales and Claws in Flight

On the East Sea Coast, hundreds of ships moored in the bay, their masts and sails forming a dense curtain. It was a bustling scene.

A streak of fiery light shot across the sky, and Hou Shengyun materialized. His gaze fell downward as he muttered to himself, "So this is Yunbao Immortal City."

The Celestial Fire Sect's influence was far from sufficient to span the vastness of the Divine Continent and reach the East Sea Coast. Cultivators from his sect, who practiced fire-based techniques, rarely traveled to the East Sea, so this was Hou Shengyun's first time visiting the port market reputed to be the greatest on the eastern shore.

'Is Qin Dengxiao really here?' He narrowed his eyes slightly. Countless people came and went through Yunbao Immortal City, and many more resided there temporarily. Finding someone here was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Thankfully, he wasn't unprepared.

Hou Shengyun pulled an apricot-pit-shaped whistle from his pouch. With a flick of his finger, he sent a wisp of his aura into it, and a sharp, long note drifted away on the wind.

Before long, a black light suddenly shot through the clouds. It circled once in the air before revealing a strange old man with hair that fell to his heels and a tin staff in his hand. He cackled, "Who are you? And how did you get your hands on my token?"

'A Nascent Soul Venerable?' Hou Shengyun's brow furrowed slightly. He answered cautiously, "I am Hou Shengyun of the Celestial Fire Sect. I have come to Yunbao Immortal City on my sect's orders. Being a stranger in these parts, I specifically asked a friend for your token, Senior."

'A cultivator from the Celestial Fire Sect, on his sect's orders?'

The tin-staff-wielding cultivator's eyes flickered. He chuckled slyly, "So you're a high disciple of the Celestial Fire Sect. In that case, this old master can't put on airs. We can address each other as peers. I'm flattered that fellow Daoists call me Elder Wu Zhang."

Hou Shengyun nodded. "Greetings, Elder. I have come here to find someone..."

"Ah!" Elder Wu Zhang raised a hand to stop him. "I should let you know first, fellow Daoist, my services don't come free."

Hou Shengyun's fingers fiddled with the whistle. He cursed inwardly, then replied, "As long as you can find this person for me, Elder, payment won't be an issue."

"Good." Elder Wu Zhang chuckled slyly again. "You can tell me who you're looking for, fellow Daoist. A name and description would be even better."

Hou Shengyun swiped his hand through the air, and a wisp of Spiritual Power formed the image of a handsome Daoist. "His name is Qin Dengxiao. Do you have any leads, Elder?"

Elder Wu Zhang glanced at the image. Aside from skin fairer than snow and exceptionally bright eyes, the Daoist didn't seem particularly unusual. Yet, the elder narrowed his eyes and said, "Fellow Daoist, this man's background must be quite something."

"Oh?" Hou Shengyun's gaze shifted. "So you do know him, Elder?"

Elder Wu Zhang said impassively, "I once saw this man in Pengxuan Pavilion, chatting happily with a Steward from the Three Mountains Immortal Sect..."

"You're only supposed to be finding the man, Elder. Why concern yourself with his background?" Hou Shengyun said in a low voice. "As long as you can get me information on him, I guarantee the reward will not disappoint you."

Those were the words Elder Wu Zhang wanted to hear. He immediately let out a sly chuckle and replied, "Good. As long as he's still in Yunbao Immortal City, it won't be hard to find out."

Without further ado, he said, "Wait for my news, fellow Daoist." Then with a flicker of his body, he turned into a streak of black light and vanished.

Hou Shengyun glanced down below. Yunbao Immortal City covered a vast area, encompassing several mountain ranges and nearby islands. Aside from waiting for Elder Wu Zhang, it seemed he had no other way to find the man. So, he simply sat cross-legged in the air and began to quietly meditate while he waited.

...

Elder Wu Zhang was gone for half a day. It wasn't until the moon was high in the sky that the streak of black light suddenly reappeared on the horizon. In a flash, it was before Hou Shengyun, materializing to say, "This investigation took quite a bit of effort, but fortunately, I have not failed my mission..."

Hou Shengyun took a soft breath, pulled a silk pouch from his sleeve, and tossed it over, interrupting, "My thanks for your trouble, Elder."

Elder Wu Zhang wasn't annoyed. He weighed the pouch in his hand and grinned. "A disciple of a profound sect, straightforward indeed! The man you're looking for, fellow Daoist, is currently cultivating on Gem Island, six hundred li southeast of the Immortal Market."

"Logically speaking, Gem Island is also the property of the Immortal Market and should be under its protection. However, since it's so isolated, their response time is bound to be a bit slow. You just need to strike fast and finish it quickly..."

Although Hou Shengyun had never said why he was looking for the man, Elder Wu Zhang didn't even need to think to know. He chuckled slyly. "If you're not confident, fellow Daoist, I could act on your behalf. But as for the payment..."

Hou Shengyun gave Elder Wu Zhang a deep look and said coldly, "Fine. That man is a disciple of the Tai Su Orthodox Sect, a student of Venerable Dao Miao. If you don't find the job too hot to handle, Elder, I can afford any price."

"What?" Elder Wu Zhang's expression changed drastically. He cursed, "Damn it, Hou Shengyun, you dare try to set me up?"

Hou Shengyun snorted coldly, summoned a cloud of fire, and flew straight to the southeast. Elder Wu Zhang's withered hand tightened around his tin staff, but ultimately, he didn't make a move. His eyes, however, looked ready to spit fire as he cursed through clenched teeth, "You little mutt from the Celestial Fire Sect! You're dead!"

...

Hou Shengyun descended from his cloud, found his bearings, and headed straight southeast. After traveling for over three hundred li, he saw a large, continuous stretch of reefs. A thought stirred in his mind. 'I wonder how Qin Dengxiao's skills compare to Li Changfeng's? If he can also hold his own against me for a few exchanges, this could get tricky.'

After some careful consideration, his gaze sharpened. He pointed a finger, and a burst of fiery energy condensed into a single Red Pearl, which shot downwards and hid itself amongst the reefs.

Having done this, Hou Shengyun shot back into the air. His expression was now cold and solemn. He formed a hand seal to conceal his presence and sped forward. In just a few moments, he was above Gem Island. Suddenly, he heard a melodious and pleasant sound drifting on the wind and looked down.

There, sitting on the edge of a cliff, was a young Daoist whose topknot was casually wrapped in a blue scarf. He held a ceramic xun to his lips, and it was from this instrument that the music came.

"Qin Dengxiao!" Having found his target, Hou Shengyun's mind grew surprisingly calm. He muttered to himself, "How cultured. What a pity."