12dz Chapter 66 Hot Potato
Chapter 66 Hot Potato
"That should be about right. Go ahead and search in this vast sea of people!"
As soon as it was light, Shen Che rode his horse out of the city and galloped all the way until the sun was high in the sky. He stopped when he came across a roadside tea stall near noon.
It wasn't that he couldn't stand it, it was just that the horse was a bit too slow to run.
Since the box containing the secret manual has already been opened, there's no way to explain it now. Anyway, it's come to this, might as well take advantage of it.
After obtaining the manual and memorizing its contents, Shen Che gave the box and the manual to Jiang Shaoju, and also removed the poison from the box.
He dismounted, tied the horse to the side, found a seat at the tea stall, ordered a pot of tea and some food, and then his gaze swept over the side.
The people sitting next to him all looked like martial arts practitioners, holding swords and knives, and they looked rather fierce.
Even the old man selling tea didn't dare to approach, but when he saw Shen Che arrive, he was very enthusiastic and wished he could stay there a little longer.
According to Shen Che's perception, although these people had sharp eyes, their auras weren't particularly strong. They weren't exactly at the very bottom of the martial arts world, but their status probably wasn't much higher either.
There was a man, about thirty years old, with a tall and straight figure like a mountain, a square and broad face, and a face that gave people a sense of security. He was sitting alone to one side.
Judging from his attire, he seems to be a江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the martial arts world) figure, but his aura is extremely restrained.
For someone to be completely undetectable to him, they must either be utterly without any skill, or they must have mastered a technique for concealing their aura, and their internal concealment skills must have reached a high level of proficiency. Their entire aura must be completely concealed, not a single trace leaking out.
If that's the case, it's rather difficult to predict.
When he arrived, the other martial arts figures only glanced at him and then paid him no further attention.
In their eyes, Shen Che, riding a horse and carrying a sword, without even a guard, was probably just a hot-blooded rich young master who posed no threat.
The world of martial arts will eventually leave you battered and bruised, kid!
The person remained silent, his brow furrowed as if he were troubled by something.
"Have you heard? About the Illusionary Heart Sect? I heard their junior sister eloped with someone!"
"I know that too." Upon hearing this, the people at the next table seemed to be immediately intrigued, and the others quickly gathered around.
"I heard that these junior sisters not only ran away with someone, but also took away the Illusion Heart Sect's secret manual for hidden weapons."
"The Illusionary Heart Sect is currently offering bounties in the martial world for the locations of these two individuals. You're all here for this reason, aren't you?"
Although none of them spoke, they all understood that they had most likely come for this reason.
This time, the Illusionary Heart Sect has gone all out. As long as they find the two people's whereabouts, they won't need to take any action at all. Just report the general location of the two people, and they will not only be rewarded with money but also given cultivation techniques.
For these low-level江湖人 (jianghu people) who live in the underworld, this is an absolute chance to turn their lives around.
The cultivation techniques given by the Illusionary Heart Sect are far superior to what they are currently practicing; they are treasures that can be passed down through generations.
"Hmm?" Shen Che, who had been secretly watching the drama unfold, immediately perked up his ears upon hearing this.
Is the secret manual of the Illusionary Heart Sect the one he obtained last night?
The Illusionary Heart Sect isn't stupid; they would never announce the loss of their secret manual to the world, otherwise, it would surely attract the attention of those with ulterior motives.
The only people who would know that the manual was stolen, besides the Illusion Heart Sect itself, are the two junior sisters of the Illusion Heart Sect. How could they make a fuss about stealing the manual?
It's already difficult to escape if the Illusionary Heart Sect members are looking for you. If those greedy people join in, where will you go in this vast martial world?
It's unreasonable for the Illusionary Heart Sect to spread this news themselves, and it's also unreasonable for the junior sister of the Illusionary Heart Sect to spread it. So who spread this news?
His hand, which had picked up the teacup, paused. This matter seemed more complicated than he had imagined. This secret manual was also more difficult to handle than he had thought!
"Yes, yes, I've heard about that too. I didn't expect it to spread so widely."
"At first, we only knew that the junior sister of the Illusion Heart Sect had eloped with someone, but later we found out that she had even stolen the secret manual. No wonder the Illusion Heart Sect reacted so strongly."
The person next to him immediately chimed in, then whispered, "I heard that this junior sister of the Illusion Heart Sect was picked up by the roadside by the sect leader back then."
"That little girl was abandoned by her parents not long after she was born, and she almost froze to death on the roadside in the dead of winter."
"Not only did Sect Leader Luo of the Illusionary Heart Sect save her, but he also took her as his disciple. That's the status of a disciple of the sect leader of the Illusionary Heart Sect, a position that countless people would fight tooth and nail for."
"And then, after she grew up, she ran off with a man. I heard that even the sect leader of the Illusion Heart Sect was so angry that he fell ill."
"I've heard about this too. It's all over the martial arts world. The Illusionary Heart Sect has really lost face this time. I wonder how many people are watching the show!"
Those around them also sighed. The Illusion Heart Sect was a first-class sect in Fengzhou, but because of this incident, not only was its reputation ruined, but it also lost its own secret manual.
If someone else gets hold of the foundation of our business, then there will be a big problem, and it's no wonder that they reacted so strongly.
"A large number of disciples from the Illusionary Heart Sect have been mobilized and scattered across various regions. They're being hunted down throughout Fengzhou. It's said that those two have somehow escaped to our area!"
"I know that!" The other person, who had been wanting to chime in, finally had a chance to speak and couldn't wait to share.
"Just last night, in Jingcheng, those disciples of the Illusionary Heart Sect caused quite a commotion. Not only did they fail to catch the perpetrators, they also injured several innocent passersby. It's said that two of them were young masters who had just returned from drinking at a brothel, and they died on the spot."
"The imperial court's arrest division and the Black-Clad Guards had to be mobilized, and the two sides almost clashed."
"What's this? Do you guys know the latest news? I heard that Sect Leader Luo of the Illusion Heart Sect is going to be dismissed."
Upon hearing this, the people around gathered around curiously. "You even know about the inner workings of the Illusionary Heart Sect! Brother, you're truly an expert!"
Feeling somewhat smug under those gazes, the person who spoke up didn't waste any words and went straight to the point: "The secret manual for establishing a sect has been lost. Just think about how big of a deal that is! How could you not react?"
"I heard that several elders of the Illusionary Heart Sect are currently suing Sect Leader Luo, trying to use this as a pretext to remove him from his position as sect leader."
"Wasn't Sect Leader Luo supposed to be sick from anger? Why are they still doing this?"
"Nonsense! Sect Leader Luo's skill is profound, and he is renowned throughout the martial world. If we don't take advantage of his current weakness, are we supposed to wait until he recovers?"
"Then these major martial arts sects are just like us!" Another person next to him couldn't help but sigh. This gossip was so juicy that it made one feel sorry for Sect Leader Luo.
Seeing such a large sect with so many troubles made me feel much better instantly.
"Right now, the Illusionary Heart Sect is in complete chaos because of a junior sister. Tell me, how could the dignified sect leader of the Illusionary Heart Sect raise such an ungrateful wretch?"
"He misjudged people and even raised this thing himself. If you ask me, Sect Leader Luo should just resign from his position!"
"Brother, you can't say things like that!" Hearing this, the others paused, thinking, "You really dare to say that."
"Hmph!" The middle-aged man who had been sitting alone to the side without saying a word also let out a heavy snort after hearing this.
He placed the teacup on the table, glanced at the group of people, tossed down a few copper coins, and rode away at breakneck speed under the scorching sun.
"A master!" The aura that was unintentionally released in that instant startled Shen Che. He hadn't expected that this person, who had remained silent and hadn't revealed any aura before, was actually a master.
The others were clearly unaware of the aura emanating from the other party and continued their heated discussion.
Shen Che drank the tea in the teacup in one gulp, then poured himself another bowl.
In a small tea stall, several江湖人士 (jianghu figures) were discussing the affairs of the Huanxin Sect, which shows how far things have escalated.
This is bad, Junior Sister of the Illusionary Heart Sect, you must hold on!