As Zhao Yuansong and his companions hid in Cao Yan's home, Ji Yuan and his group, after several months, finally arrived in the central region of Fengming County.
They skirted around bustling areas like the county city, only seeking out remote towns to search for any trace of Zhao Yuansong and his disciples.
After several days of effort, the group finally unearthed some clues. Rumors circulated that imperial spies had infiltrated the northern part of Fengming County, causing considerable unrest.
It was said that these spies had alarmed rebel forces and even cultivators from the Wangsheng Tower within a radius of a thousand to two thousand li. They had launched large-scale searches for their whereabouts, but ultimately found nothing.
If Zhao Yuansong and his group had traveled from Liufeng County, they would indeed have appeared in the northern part of Fengming County.
"To be safe, you all stay here in the central region and continue searching. I will go to the north alone."
Ji Yuan pondered for a moment before making his decision.
With only himself, his speed would undoubtedly be much faster. Moreover, the news from the north was not yet confirmed to be about Zhao Yuansong and his group, so someone still needed to search in this area.
The others naturally had no objections. With Chen Rong, who hailed from Chongyuan Prefecture and was once a direct disciple of the Shenxuan Sect, present, there would be no issues of unfamiliarity with the region.
Thus, after some discussion, Ji Yuan parted ways with the group. He spared no effort in using his magic power to fly through the air.
However, despite his confidence in his own strength, he did not dare to be too ostentatious, consistently choosing the more secluded routes.
In this way, even if his luck was poor, any cultivators he encountered would not be too powerful. Even if his whereabouts were discovered, by the time they reported it, he would have already fled countless li away.
For a full seven days, Ji Yuan did nothing but push himself to the limit in his journey, only pausing to recover his magic power. He soon covered a distance of several thousand li.
If he hadn't prioritized maintaining at least seventy percent of his magic power, his speed could have been two to three times faster.
However, upon reaching the northern part of Fengming County, he couldn't help but start to worry.
The area described in the clues he obtained was already nearly two thousand li wide. Coupled with the passage of time, Zhao Yuansong and his group, who were suspected to be imperial spies, had likely already traveled countless li.
Even with a conservative estimate, the area he needed to investigate exceeded three to four thousand li!
Ji Yuan pondered for a long time before finally infiltrating a county town to quietly inquire about recent events.
Gathering intelligence might pose some difficulty for ordinary people.
However, for a cultivator in the Third Realm who had already awakened their divine sense, it was merely a matter of a thought.
He expanded his divine sense, easily covering the entire county magistrate's office, and focused most of his attention on key figures such as the county magistrate.
Through their conversations, Ji Yuan quickly obtained a considerable amount of information, but it was still not enough.
As night fell, he quietly entered the county magistrate's office and appeared in the magistrate's bedroom. A mere descent of his divine sense plunged the magistrate into an illusion.
After reaching the Third Realm, he had also invested some effort in cultivating other techniques. Although they were all minor arts and had little effect on cultivators above the Second Realm,
they could produce extraordinary results in certain specific situations.
Just like now, the magistrate, a mere mortal, despite being protected by his official aura, fell prey to Ji Yuan's illusion with a flick of his finger.
A short while later, Ji Yuan left the county magistrate's office with satisfaction. From the magistrate's words, he had already obtained sufficient information.
That very night, he hurriedly left the county town and went to a forest where a skirmish had occurred. He found traces there.
Although his own cultivation followed the Xuan Tian lineage, he was still familiar with and had a certain understanding of the cultivation techniques and arts of the Jiu Xuan Sect.
Despite the considerable time that had passed, he still found traces of techniques similar to those of the Jiu Xuan Sect in this area.
Furthermore, with his acute spiritual sense, he detected faint traces of the Jiu Xuan Sect's cultivation methods.
Upon this discovery, Ji Yuan's heart was greatly reassured. He had confirmed that the individuals mistaken for imperial spies were indeed Zhao Yuansong and other disciples of the Jiu Xuan Sect.
After all, within Chongyuan Prefecture, there were no other disciples of the Jiu Xuan Sect.
He immediately followed a direction and meticulously searched. Although he knew that the other party had likely fled far away, he was still unwilling to miss any possibility.
For several consecutive days, given Ji Yuan's cultivation level, he only managed to search a few hundred li. He wasn't simply walking in a straight line but thoroughly searching the surrounding areas.
No one could be certain whether Zhao Yuansong and his group had fled in a straight line or had taken a risky gamble and hidden nearby.
At the same time, in a small county town named Liucheng.
After a period of recuperation, coupled with the medicinal herbs and pills sought by Cao Yan, Zhao Yuansong and the other two were still not fully healed, but their injuries had finally been brought under control.
Their magic power had also finally recovered to about seventy to eighty percent.
However, compared to before, the magic power within their bodies now appeared rather impure, and the pure and turbid energies within their physical bodies were intertwined.
This was not surprising, as months of pursuit had left them utterly exhausted, not far from their last breath.
Furthermore, due to the harsh conditions, the food and medicinal pills they consumed were not pure, naturally leading to their deteriorating condition.
Given their current state, even if they returned to the Jiu Xuan Sect immediately, it would likely take at least half a year to a year to recuperate and return to their former state.
The thought that their cultivation might be delayed by one to two years brought a wry smile to their faces.
Although they had obtained significant fortuitous encounters previously, upon reflection now, they wondered whether the benefits outweighed the drawbacks, or vice versa.
"When will you be leaving?"
One night, Cao Yan couldn't help but come to the guest room, his gaze somber as he looked at the three people before him.
For about half a month, he had lived in constant anxiety. He cared not for his own safety; having been a镖师 (bodyguard) traveling extensively, he had long been mentally prepared.
But now, with his wife, children, and parents at home, even the slightest accident would lead to unending regret, even in the underworld.
"If all goes smoothly, it should be within these next few days."
Zhao Yuansong pondered for a while before replying.
As their whereabouts could not be located, the forces of the nearby rebels and the Wangsheng Tower were gradually weakening.
If nothing unexpected happened, in a few more days, the searching forces outside would be reduced to their minimum. At that point, with their cultivation levels, it couldn't be said to be without danger, but they could attempt to leave.
However, that very night, misfortune finally found them.