Chapter 57

**The Liver of a Flea II**

After the beggars started following him, Moxiang tried to avoid large towns and cities as much as possible, and simply broke through mountain paths and open fields without roads. Although there was virtually no chance that the beggars could interfere with what he intended to do, he didn't want his movements to be discovered, as that would not be a pleasant situation. Using mountain and field paths, he was now near Emei Mountain, located in the central part of Sichuan Province.

Sichuan Province is home to many great prestigious families, so Moxiang had to be a bit more cautious. There was the Tang Family, famous for their poisons, who once caused chaos; the Emei Sect, known for their swords, located on Emei Mountain; the Qingcheng Sect, situated on Qingcheng Mountain; and the Zhanqiang Sect, renowned for their spear and sword techniques, located on Zhanqiang Mountain. These are among the nine major sects and one alliance, and four of them are based in Sichuan. Additionally, the Zhongli Family, a famous Daoist family, is located in Wushan and boasts its influence.

The nine major sects and one alliance were originally the top ten sects selected from the orthodox factions. However, once a sect's name was established, it couldn't be replaced by a new rising sect, so the ten sects have remained the same. Currently, the Qingcheng Sect and the Zhongnan Sect are not producing outstanding disciples, and the Kai Sect has split into the Southern Kai Sect and the Northern Kai Sect, leading to their decline. On the other hand, the Kunlun Sect, which was previously marginalized in the Qinghai Province mountains, is gaining momentum, creating subtle conflicts.

Moxiang started moving in the direction of Wushan, making a 90-degree turn from his current position. He wasn't a fool to reveal his movements honestly, especially since he now had a tail. What made him even more nervous recently was the feeling that some extremely skilled individuals were pursuing him, not just any ordinary riffraff. Despite his near-expert level martial arts, he still couldn't accurately identify who was tailing him.

'Hmm, should I invest time and effort to catch a few of them and beat them up, even if it's a hassle? Or should I just continue on my way? It's a tough decision.'

The movements of his pursuers were extremely quiet. If Moxiang had stayed in one place, he might not have noticed them. However, as he moved, the pursuers followed, and he detected subtle signs of their presence.

Even after making three leaps using his lightness technique, the tail didn't drop. This was a decisive piece of evidence that the pursuers were not just one or two but several highly skilled individuals.

He was confident that no one could keep up with his lightness technique, and he hadn't noticed anyone following him while he leaped. It seemed that the pursuers were forming a nearly circular formation around him, watching his every move. If he were to use his lightness technique to the fullest, the pursuers would eventually fall behind, but he thought it wasn't the right time yet.

'What sect could possibly have so many skilled individuals? I can't understand. Could it be the Evil Sect? Or the Martial World Alliance? Ugh, it's a headache! I'll figure it out later.'

While Moxiang was thinking, five raggedly dressed men suddenly appeared and blocked his path, brandishing their weapons and shouting, "Stop!"

"Hmm... who are these guys?"

"Hand over everything you have!"

Moxiang looked around and saw that they were likely third-rate bandits, given the poor quality of their weapons, which looked like they were roughly made in a blacksmith's shop.

"Look, I'm busy right now, so go find someone else to rob. I understand you need to make a living, so I'll let you off. Got it?"

The largest of the bandits then said, "You're not someone to be reasoned with. Attack!"

Four bandits charged at Moxiang, but before anyone could see what he did, there were only the sounds of sharp blows.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The four bandits fell flat on their backs, and their weapons were scattered around.

"You should have chosen a different target when I offered to let you off... You're just a bunch of useless scoundrels."

As Moxiang approached the large bandit who was still standing, the man's face turned pale, and he took a few steps back, pleading, "Sir... I didn't know who you were... Please spare my life."

"Hand it over."

"Excuse me?"

"Since you blocked my path and forced me to use my skills, you should pay me for my effort, you scoundrel."

"We don't have any money, sir. That's why we're bandits..."

"You need a lesson to come to your senses."

Thud!

"Ugh, please spare me, sir."

"Quickly, empty your pockets and hand over everything you have, you scoundrels."

After thoroughly robbing the bandits, Moxiang took seven taels and 32 coins and left calmly. As Moxiang's figure disappeared into the distance, the bandits, who were now facing a hungry night, began to curse in frustration.

"Enjoy your meal. You're so dirty..."

"Despicable scoundrel. Eat the liver of a flea."

Two figures watching from a distance were speechless at this unexpected turn of events. One of them finally regained his composure and sent a mental message to the other.

"Really, what a strange character."

"Indeed."

"Can you believe that such a person, who has made our best 80% of our sect's members break a sweat, is acting like a common thug?"

"True. He doesn't seem to have the demeanor of a high-level expert at all..."

"Let's hurry and follow him. If we delay any longer, it might be difficult."

"Agreed."

**Interlude**

A well-organized room. The luxurious furniture inside revealed the owner's status. The room was divided into two parts, with a screen in between. A figure, dressed in a light pink robe, was sitting behind the screen, and in front of it, a man and a beautiful young woman were kneeling. The man, who was slightly in front, spoke to the figure behind the screen.

"The tailing failed. We followed him to Sichuan Province, but once he entered Hubei Province, we couldn't keep up with him."

The sharp voice of the woman behind the screen replied, "Is it believable that you failed with 80% of our sect's elite members?"

"However, Master, his lightness technique was so fast that it was impossible to catch up."

"Didn't you place our sect's warriors at the expected locations?"

"We did. He used his lightness technique four times while being pursued by our sect. Each time, it was incredibly fast. We managed to track him three times, but on the fourth, he leaped a long distance in the middle of the night, and we lost him."

"So, he must have noticed our pursuit."

"I believe so. However, this is the first time we've pursued an expert at the Xianjing level..."

"How far did you observe him from?"

"At least 50 zhang (about 150 meters) away."

"Then, when you catch up to him next, instruct the pursuers to stay 100 zhang away."

"But if the distance is too far, there's a risk of losing him..."

"Losing him or not isn't that important. Find out how close you can get without being noticed. It might be very helpful in the future."

"Yes, Master!"

"Are there any notable sects in Hubei Province that we should be cautious about?"

"Hubei Province is the base of the Wudang Sect, so there aren't any notable sects to be cautious about. Most of the sects are based in Hunan Province. However, there is the Shamu, which, though not a famous sect, has been declining recently."

"Hmm, is there a possibility that he will move to Hunan Province?"

"There is a possibility. Once he entered Hubei Province, he moved eastward at a terrifying speed for about 30 li (about 12 kilometers) and then headed south. After that, we lost him, so we can't predict his actions. It could be a move to shake us off, or he might have moved to Hunan Province..."

"Truly a troublesome person. Let's think carefully from the beginning. Currently, the Black Dragon Sect has about 3,000 members. Our sect has also discovered that they have accepted Xue Wuzhi. The Kai Sect found his location in the north of Sichuan Province, in Hongyuan."

"Yes."

"Why did he go to Sichuan Province? Is there any group in the north of Sichuan Province that he knows?"

"Perhaps..."

"Perhaps?"

"Perhaps... he contacted the remaining forces of the Black Wind Gang. Our 32nd generation has been monitoring the Black Wind Gang. Their movements were cut off in the north of Sichuan Province, which coincides with the time Moxiang was detected in Hongyuan. Therefore, it's reasonable to assume they are connected. If we assume that Moxiang met them, it might be that they have been absorbed into Moxiang's forces."

"Good. If the remaining forces of the Black Wind Gang have been absorbed, what does Moxiang lack?"

"Excuse me?"

"The power of the Evil Sect, the remaining forces of the Black Wind Gang... all are combat groups. But with only combat groups, it's impossible to challenge for dominance in the martial world."

"So, he needs an information network?"

"Isn't that the most natural inference? A notable information network..."

"The largest information network among the sects is the Xiaomen, located in Henan Province. If he acquires them, he can also absorb their substantial financial resources. However, he will inevitably clash with the Yangtze River Waterway Alliance, the Dongting Eighteen Gangs, and the sects' alliance."

"But he has the power to win those conflicts. His base is in the south of Shaanxi Province, and it won't take much time to move his main forces to the north of Hunan Province. Gather all the subordinates who were pursuing Moxiang in Hunan Province and spread this information to the Martial World Alliance and the sects' alliance."

"Yes, Master!"