Hidden Figure in the Crowd

In Azure Water city, it has been nearly three days since Liu Zhan Lie disappeared.

It was late afternoon but the temperature was already low and people could be seen moving around in warm clothes announcing the arrival of winter.

On the roof of a building near one of the gates of the tiger martial institute, Liu Zhan Lie's original team was joined by another after this incident was notified.

"Knowing him, he's probably hiding somewhere enjoying girls and slacking around" The girl he used to quarrel with stated unconcerned.

She despised Liu Zhan Lie due to his lack of seriousness and worry-free behavior thus she always had a bad relationship with him.

"Sister Yujia, do you really think its possible? Liu Zhan Lie was born and raised in the Liu clan, he holds our Liu bloodline no matter how low is your esteem of him, he wouldn't betray us just to play with girls. Moreover he knows well the consequences in doing so and he lacks the means to escape without leaving any traces." Liu Guan Tao rebutted easily, being clear of the possibility of such a thing happening.

As an experienced leader of the team he knew well the inner workings of the clans. The loyalty of their members wasn't to be proven anymore.

The clan was their home, the home of their parents and their grandparents, they take pride in their name and its rise was the source of joy and gratification while its fall would be the cause of intense depression.

Betrayal of one of their members were very rare occurrences and although Liu Zhan Lie was prompt to complain he would never go as far as abandoning everyone.

"You're right brother Tao, obviously something happened to him. It might be the work of the Jian or the Hui clan. These bastards have been harrasing us for some time now. We will relay each other for scouting and investigating Zhan Lie disappearance. I will leave Shanhe with you guys, he's got a particular battle skill that increase his sight. He can see anything clearly up to three hundred paces. He will be of great help for scouting."

Liu Hong, the leader of the arriving team said so as a small boy with auburn hair and gentle eyes timidly left his group and joined Liu Guan Tao's side.

When Liu Zhan Lie disappearance was notified, the higher-ups of the Liu clan immediately dispatched them to help Liu Guan Tao.

Since then they have been trying to find what happened but the research progressed slowly. Not only they weren't clear on the details that caused him to vanish but they couldn't even pinpoint the exact location where it took place.

"If it continues like this, we will have to ask the elders to use a blood tracking fly but i can only do it as a last resort. We don't have many of them left and more importantly, it will be seen as a failure on my part in this case and i will be labeled as incompetent." Liu Hong thought anxious as he left the building to scour the area.

The Liu clan was a small clan in the city and its ressources were limited, it was especially true at these times where they faced many dangers. To profit from them and increase your cultivation you had to prove your worth and make yourself useful to the clan.

Liu Hong was directly sent here by the board of elders, he couldn't bear to return empty-handed.

The blood tracking fly was a small bug looking like a fly except it had a mouth filled with small sharp fangs and his food was blood. When it swallowed just one drop of yours it could track you down in a radius of ten thousand meters and even if you left further, in case you have been injured and lost some blood in the surroundings it would sense it and go back to the scene to eat everything.

The Liu clan had a room where they safeguarded a drop of their members blood in case it was needed.

It was a very efficient method to research someone but blood tracking flies were dangerous and very hard to catch.

Liu Hong didn't even know where to start and was like a blind man taking a direction and hoping he would find something.

Ye Mo's doing was also suspected in this affair but was quickly dismissed and the main suspects remained the enemy clans.

There were two reasons for this.

One they didn't know Ye Mo learned a concealment battle skill. With shadow walk in hand, he could leave the tiger martial institute without too much trouble.

Adding it was currently the half-year assessment of the institute so in their mind he was definitely participating. How could anyone pass on the occasion to show their prowess and build a respectable reputation for themselves? With this, they would garner more ressources as well and with a bit of luck they could obtain the backing of an instructor in the future.

Ye Mo hasn't been seen once for a whole six months so he wouldn't leave at this time, he was either fighting or watching the competition unfold.

Secondly, they didn't know Ye Mo had the nine revolutions fiend body refining technique and could reduce his victims to nothing.

Liu Zhan Lie disappearance happened extremely fast and there were no traces left. Such a meticulous and foolproof development was obviously done by experts with clear intentions. Who else could it be beside the other clans?

It wouldn't be the first time they scheme against the Liu clan and every method was good to destroy the opposition.

Although there were two reasons, truthfully it could be reduced to only one.

Information, or rather the lack of information.

Ye Mo was wary and lived in secrecy, he only revealed the superficial and concealed the rest deeply. Not much was known about him and when you would learn something, he was hiding much more instead.

However, clans were in the limelight and lived in Azure water city for a long time. Any minor action would attract others attention and although they had their own foundation and trump cards, a lot was known or could be found easily on the outside.

"Hello, my name is Liu Yujia, how old are you?"

"I am Liu Jiali, don't worry big sister here will protect you!"

When Liu Hong and the members of his team departed, Liu Shanhe was immediately assaulted from both sides by the girls present.

Liu Shanhe was easily the youngest here being 11 years old and his cheeks still held some baby fat. The girls couldn't help but grow fond of him.

"Its not such a bad thing that this trash Zhan Lie disappeared finally." Seeing this cute little brother joining them, Liu Yujia thought unrestrainedly.

Liu Guan Tao instead wasn't happy, because it became evident how serious was the Liu clan's situation.

In normal times this kid would have stayed at home studying and developing himself for a few more years before joining a team but in these critical times no one had the choice and even barely qualified youngsters were sent contributing themselves to the clan.

The Liu clan was hard pressed and the teams sent to watch over for Ye Mo's potential appearance was already the limits of their capacity.

It was with a heavy heart that Liu Hao sent Liu Hong and his comrades there and they could only carry this assignment for a limited time.

The experts of the clan had to defend the territory against their ennemies and none of them could leave their post if it wasn't an urgency.

The remaining boy of the group was still scouting diligently when suddenly his eyes expanded fiercely.

"Here!" He exclaimed loudly as he pointed his finger towards the end of a street dozens of meters further.

Liu Guan Tao and the others looked ahead and immediately recognized this hooded figure wearing a dark cloak.

This person could only be seen for a second before he took an intersection behind a building as they lost sight of him.

Same size, same attire, it couldn't be a coincidence!

"We're capturing him, you go back and alert the elders!" Liu Guan Tao gave his orders.

The boy spotting nodded and left for the headquarters while the rest went on the chase.

Liu Guan Tao would have prefered sending Liu Shanhe since he was only a 2nd layer Qi Gathering cultivator while all of them were at the 6th or 7th layer but it just happened his improved sight would help him discern the cloaked man.

The group went ahead and stopped behind the building.

"Little Shanhe, do you see him?" Liu Guan Tao asked.

Liu Shanhe looked around for a few seconds then discerned the cloaked man moving among people in the distance.

"This way!" he shouted as they started running in the direction indicated, pushing the passersby out of their way.

A little girl with braided hair joyously played in the middle of the street with a wooden spinning top.

Her father was just a few steps away buying some fruits from a merchant and didn't pay attention.

When Liu Guan Tao's team passed by, the little girl was taken in Liu Jiali's run and was sent tumbling away knocking three of her teeths out.

The father heard her scream and quickly ran out, washing the blood in his crying daughter's mouth with a handkerchief under panick and repressed rage.

He was just a mortal, in front of cultivators he couldn't do anything but bow his head and being more careful.

They were seen as nothing more than slaves, their life and death held no importance.

Liu Guan Tao's team kept chasing but once again, their target vanished among a crowd of people.

"Shanhe, where is he?" Liu Guan Tao uttered hurriedly.

"There is too much people around, they block my vision." Liu Shanhe said anxious.

"I will help out." Liu Guan Tao grabbed him by the back of his shirt and Liu Shanhe was lifted above people's head.

With his vision cleared up Liu Shanhe found the hooded figure near the city southern gate engaging himself towards the exterior.

"Quick, he's gonna leave the city!" Liu Shanhe yelled out as they picked up the pace.

Some people purposefully didn't move out of the way and the group could feel the powerful qi fluctuations emanating from them thus they were sensibly avoided.

When they arrived at the gate however the hidden person couldn't be found anywhere. Only clear traces of foots remained on the ground.

"He's going towards the mountainous area." Liu Yujia reported looking at the steps orientation.

"Liu Zhanlie disappeared after i sent him over this person. He undoubtedly has something to do with this, if i capture him and bring him back to the clan, we will be able to get some answers through torture. I will be seen as a hero and the clan will greatly nurture me, at this time breaking through the Foundation Establishment realm and becoming an elder won't be just a dream!" Liu Guan Tao thought fervently.

This is with determination that he led the march towards the south.