Fu Fangsheng''s wanted poster was sketched by a master; it was so lifelike that it hardly differed from a photograph.


    A reward of three taels of gold was offered by Jinmen''srgest foreign firm—the Frandi "Mississippi Company".


    Gold was the key material for advancing to the Indestructible Golden Body, so its value need not be overstated.


    Under this temptation, a multitude of martial artists crazily flocked into Yunzhou. And the local martial artists of Yunzhou who could still move were all mobilized, vowing to dig three feet into the ground to find Fu Fangsheng.


    But these people could never imagine that Fu Fangsheng was capable of hiding in the White Cloud Observatory, being tended to by an ordained Taoist as he healed.


    They could only search in vain in clinics, inns, and private homes, moring and fussing to no avail.


    ~~~~~~~~


    Lu Yao continued to keep his door shut and live his cozy little life, but watching this hubbub, he gained a deeper understanding of the value of gold.


    Liao Ya counted on her fingers and said, "People from Bagua Gate, Xingyi Gate, and Five Tigers Gate have all arrived, and even some from Fengsha Gate in Ganzhou. These groups all have grudges between them and could start fighting among themselves. Luckily, the Commandery Princess is there to suppress them, or the streets would have already descended into chaos."


    Liao Qe stroked the downy feathers on "Ru Yi''s" neck and whispered softly, "Just three taels have caused such amotion... The amount we''ve hidden... tsk tsk..."


    Liao Ya looked half anxiously and half expectantly towards her own room, where half a ton of gold buried by her junior brothery!


    Lu Yao was busy feeding small pellets of the Wisdom Spirit Pill to three juvenile sparrowhawks. The little ones were growing quickly; in just half a month, they no longer wobbled when they walked but ran around like little chicks.


    Now they preferred to eat Inner Breath and the Wisdom Spirit Pill over meat.


    ording to the old Taoist''s records in the scriptures, they would enter a rapid growth phase after a month if they were well-nourished.


    The three juvenile sparrowhawks would thenpletely outpace their wild counterparts and transform from ordinary birds into Monster Beasts.


    Just as he was amusing the little ones, he suddenly felt he was being watched.


    Frowning, he looked over to see a man with a center-parted hairstyle standing on a vast Wutong Tree over twenty meters tall. The man was shading his eyes with his hand, scouting around with his senses heightened from being in a meditative state.


    This behavior was very rude, akin to using binocrs to tantly spy on a neighbor.


    "This has to be one of the martial artists from outside Yunzhou searching for Fu Fangsheng, an expert in the state of Spirit Refinement who has found his way here."


    Lu Yao was a bit displeased; these people were getting bolder, now visibly spying into other people''s homes.


    And this man, upon seeing the three juvenile sparrowhawks in the yard, had his pupils constrict suddenly, revealing a surge of malicious intent! Even without being in a Spirit Refining State, the greed on his face was unmistakably clear.


    Lu Yao took out his Grenade Sniper and said to Liao Qe, "Come help me out."


    ~~~~~~~~~


    The martial artists searching for Fu Fangsheng, for the most part, were just trying their luck and would give up if they found nothing.


    However, many martial artists who had eagerly followed the hunt from Jinmen were burning with impatience.


    Currently, they were gathered in a courtyard provided by a local gang, discussing their next move.


    "Fu Fangsheng is seriously injured and has fled over two thousand li; he should be at hisst gasp. We''ve mobilized all manner of people from all walks of life in Yunzhou City to search for him; there can''t be absolutely no trace of him!"


    "He must have entered Yunzhou City! But where could he be hiding?"


    "If we let him escape, given his radical temperament, none of us will have a moment''s peace!"


    Many martial artists who had joined the manhunt out of greed were beginning to regret their decision...


    The martial artists present were divided into three groups, precisely the "Bagua Gate, Xingyi Gate, and Five Tigers Gate" mentioned by Liao Ya.


    The three leaders were all Blood-Exchange Warriors, not merely d in silk and satin but also wearing clothes embroidered with silver threads in various designs, the height of luxury.


    At that moment, the man with the center-parted hairstyle who had been spying from the tree leaped down directly from it, creating a significant impact from the more than twenty-meter fall and smashing a small crater in the ground below, scattering dirt and stones.


    ```


    Brushing off the dust from his body nonchntly, he noticed everyone looking at him. The manughed and said:


    "Yunzhou is bustling with prosperity, and the rich are especially abundant here, damn it, even those at the Organ Refining stage dare to keep a Spiritual Sparrowhawk. And hey, why isn''t there a single smoking house around here? I''m thinking of taking this ce as a foundation for business..."


    "Zuantian Jiao! Who''s asking you about that!"


    "Exactly, just tell us if you found that Fu fellow or not!"


    The crowd urged the man to get to the point with a mor of voices.


    The man known as Zuantian Jiao said indifferently, "Fu Fangsheng risked his life to run here, obviously he has a backup n, it won''t be that easy to find him. It''s better to think ahead like I did."


    The eldest disciple of "Xingyi Gate" fiddled with two copper spheres, gravely reminding him:


    "Zuantian Jiao, you are brazenly using the technique of entering stillness to spy on others, which is highly taboo! Be careful you don''t invite disaster!"


    Zuantian Jiao let out a heartyugh and said, "The Frandi ministers have already submitted a strongly worded statement, we are working for the foreigners, even the Imperial Court doesn''t dare to interfere! I have my eye on a wealthy family, with only one Organ Refining and one Blood-Exchange stage member, but there''s the potential for hundreds of silver. Who wants to join me on this one?"


    Some were tempted, others sneered, and yet others could only smile bitterly and helplessly.


    Zuantian Jiao was nothing but awless Blood-Exchange Realm bandit, but they still counted on his Spirit Refinement stillness technique to find people.


    As the leaders exchanged nces, about to persuade him again, they suddenly saw a look of terror on Zuantian Jiao''s face!


    He powered his legs to shatter the ground beneath, his whole body instantly transitioning from stillness to motion, covering nearly 10 meters in the blink of an eye as if evading an attack.


    ~~~~~~~


    Lu Yao drove with Liao Qe, arriving at a deserted courtyardughing and chatting. This ce was none other than the site of Pang''s Martial Arts School.


    It hadn''t been a year since Master Pang''s entire family was murdered, and for now, no one dared to live here. The walls inside the courtyard were full ofrge holes made by Barrett rifle shots from Lu Yao and his friends.


    "Liao Qe, use all your strength to push me up into the sky," said Lu Yao.


    "Alrighty~"


    The girl ced her hands at her lower abdomen, signaling for Lu Yao to step on them.


    Lu Yao took a deep breath, entering the state of forgetting, and suddenly exerted force with his feet on Liao Qe''s hands, as she too put in all her effort and pushed!


    Lu Yao soared 30 meters into the air, raising the Grenade Sniper to aim at "Zuantian Jiao" in mid-flight!


    With super quick reflexes in the state of forgetting,bined with 0.3x slow-motion, his opponent''s movements were sluggish, allowing for anticipation of all his actions.


    Lu Yao pulled the trigger, firing a 40MM armor-piercing grenade!


    ~~~~~~~


    The crowd on the ground watched "Zuantian Jiao" perform a set of fierce operations...and then precisely catch a 40MM armor-piercing grenade with his head!


    An armor-piercing grenade could prate 80mm of steel, and although Blood-Exchange Warriors were capable of blocking rifle bullets, they were evidently powerless against such a weapon.


    Amidst the pungent smell of charred metal, the high-temperature jet stream created by the armor-piercing grenade simultaneously burned and drilled through "Zuantian Jiao''s" head, leaving a fist-sized hole in his forehead.


    Zuantian Jiao died on the spot without uttering a sound, his eyes bereft of life and hanging lifelessly without the support of facial muscles.


    Someone eximed, "A firearm attack by a Spirit Refining Expert!"


    "Quick, hide!"


    Everyone immediatelyy t against the walls, and the eldest disciple of "Xingyi Gate" shouted:


    "I am Zhao Jin of Xingyi Gate, we''re not with this person! Friend, please don''t misunderstand!"


    ```