This means that Dai Wusi, the city lord of Star Chasing City, is probably under pressure from the Spirit Hall at this moment.
Xiao Yan had limited knowledge of Dai Wusi, only knowing that he was a member of a collateral branch of the Star Luo Imperial Family, not a core prince, but still a legitimate member of the Imperial Family bloodline.
According to rumors Xiao Yan heard while running his pill business in Star Chasing City, Dai Wusi was quite diligent in governing the Star Chasing City, and commercial regulations were relatively relaxed, unlike other Imperial Family fiefdoms where exorbitant taxes and levies were imposed.
But he has an open secret: Dai Wusi's talent for cultivation is extremely poor.
It is said that he damaged his meridians and foundation due to a serious illness in his childhood, causing his cultivation speed to lag far behind his peers. Now that he is over thirty, his Soul Power Level is only around Soul Elder.
In the Star Luo Empire, a nation that reveres military might, a Imperial Family member who is only at the Soul Elder level is undoubtedly in an awkward position.
However, he had just caused such a commotion in Spirit City, splitting the dome of the Pope's Palace with a single sword strike, injuring three Titled Douluo, and successfully escaping from the pursuit of Yue Guan and Gui Mei.
Bibi Dong's vigilance towards him was at its peak.
She will definitely send more people and expand the search area, and may even personally take charge.
Xiao Yan secretly calculated in his heart that he must find the clues left by Zhu Zhuqing as soon as possible and then leave Star Chasing City. He must not stay here any longer.
Seeing that Xiao Yan didn't seem inclined to continue the conversation, the shopkeeper nodded tactfully, then turned and went downstairs, holding onto the handrail.
His footsteps, sometimes light, sometimes heavy, echoed in the corridor, gradually fading into the distance.
Upon entering the room on the third floor, Xiao Yan casually closed the door and locked it twice from the inside with copper locks.
He watched the shopkeeper's departing figure disappear around the corner of the stairs before turning around and carefully examining the room.
The room was small and simply furnished.
A wooden bed stood against the wall, its bedding neatly folded. Though old, it was very clean and emitted a faint scent of soap.
Beside the bed was a square table and a chair, on which sat an oil lamp and a pot of cold tea.
A washstand stood in the corner, with a copper basin on it, a few drops of water still remaining at the bottom.
Although the room was simple, it was spotless, and there was no dust on the window frames. It was clear that although the innkeeper complained about the poor business, he did not compromise on service.
But none of this was what Xiao Yan cared about most.
What he cared about most was the view from this room.
Xiao Yan walked to the window and pushed it open a crack.
The room has an excellent view from the window.
Because the inn is located at the end of the alley, with windows facing the main street, from this position one can clearly see the signs and facades of several shops across the street.
More importantly, from the diagonally opposite position, one can see the plaza in front of the Spirit Hall Main Hall.
A patrol of Soul Master was standing in the square, changing shifts.
Behind the square stands the main building of the Star Chasing City Spirit Hall Main Hall, its gray stone structure casting a deep shadow in the afternoon sun.
Xiao Yan's gaze lingered on the building for a moment, memorizing the main hall's front door, side doors, and the two exits at the rear.
Xiao Yan sat down by the window, hung his bamboo hat on the back of the chair, poured himself a cup of cold tea, and subtly surveyed the scene outside the street through the cracks in the window frame.
Its perception spread out like an invisible spider web, taking control of everything happening within a radius of hundreds of feet.
For the entire afternoon, Xiao Yan sat motionless by the window, thoroughly familiarizing himself with the patrol patterns in front of the Spirit Hall Main Hall.
He noticed that Soul Master dressed in the Spirit Hall uniforms frequently patrolled the main road.
Each team alternates with an interval of approximately half an hour.
Each team consisted of six people, with the leader being at least Soul Ancestor, whose Soul Power Badge reflected a faint light in the sunlight. The other five were all Soul Elder, and they followed behind him in a fan shape, clearly a well-trained patrol team.
Just as Xiao Yan was surveying the street scene below and organizing this information in his mind, a commotion suddenly arose from the distance.
The commotion was different from the clamor of the marketplace; it carried a sense of deliberately maintained order.
Some people were clearing the road, some were shouting, and there was the dull rumble of wheels rolling over the stone pavement.
Xiao Yan's gaze instantly locked onto the direction from which the sound came.
Then, under his gaze, a large convoy gradually approached from a distance.
The caravan was quite large, with six guards on tall horses leading the way, a magnificent carriage in the middle, and two cargo carts and a dozen or so attendants on foot following behind.
As the motorcade passed by, pedestrians stepped aside, some even bowing in respect. Such a spectacle in Star Chasing City is no ordinary affair.
"This is..."
Xiao Yan's gaze fell on the caravan, and when he noticed the Star Luo Imperial Family insignia carved on the carriage in the center of the caravan, he immediately understood the person's identity.
That symbol is the exclusive emblem of the Star Luo Imperial Family.
A soaring eagle grasps a scepter, surrounded by intricately carved thorn patterns that gleam faintly in the sunlight.
In Star Chasing City, only one person is authorized to use the Star Luo Imperial Family emblem.
If nothing unexpected happens, it will be the city lord of this place Dai Wusi.
The frame of the Dai Wusi was extremely impressive, the body was made of dark brown wood, the walls were carved with intricate patterns, and semi-transparent silk curtains hung from the windows.
A golden bell hangs from each of the four corners of the carriage roof, swaying gently as the carriage moves, producing a clear and melodious sound.
Xiao Yan's gaze first casually swept over the overall outline of the carriage, then followed the carvings on both sides of the carriage downwards, finally settling on an inconspicuous corner on the crossbeam of the carriage frame.
The location was right between the ornate carvings, and you wouldn't notice it unless you looked specifically for it.
A palm-sized, pitch-black ancient pagoda relief is deeply engraved on both sides of Dai Wusi's vehicle frame.
The ancient pagoda has an extremely simple design, with only seven stories. Its body is straight, and its spire points to the sky. There are no superfluous decorations, yet it exudes a calm and restrained aura.
Xiao Yan's pupils suddenly contracted.
In that instant, it was as if a bolt of lightning had struck his mind.
This palm-sized, pitch-black ancient tower is the exclusive symbol of the Dark Hall that Xiao Yan and Zhu Zhuqing established together back then.
And now, this symbol has appeared on the carriage of Dai Wusi, the lord of Star Chasing City.
Almost in the blink of an eye, Xiao Yan figured out the key to it.
Dai Wusi is a marginalized member of the Imperial Family. Despite having Imperial Family blood, he is unable to advance further due to his limited strength at the Soul Elder level.
Such a person is a useless pawn to the Star Luo Imperial Family, but for the Dark Hall, he is an excellent breakthrough point.
His identity is a natural cover.
He was a member of the Star Luo Empire's Imperial Family and the city lord of Star Chasing City. No matter how arrogant and domineering the people of the Spirit Hall were, they could not arbitrarily search a Imperial Family's carriage, even if that Imperial Family member was out of power.
His lack of natural talent became his weakness.
And this is probably exactly what Zhu Zhuqing valued.
It is highly likely that Zhu Zhuqing has somehow reached a cooperation agreement with Dai Wusi, or even turned him to his side.
The Dark Hall provided him with cultivation resources and methods to break through bottlenecks, while he used his identity to provide protection and cover for the Dark Hall.
If that's the case, then Zhu Zhuqing's move was even more brilliant than he had anticipated.
A seemingly useless city lord, overlooked by everyone, is precisely the Dark Hall's safest protection in Star Chasing City.
The Star Luo Imperial Family thought that assigning Dai Wusi to the Star Chasing City was giving him a sinecure, but they did not expect that this would put him in the position that the Dark Hall needed most.
Almost instantly, Xiao Yan confirmed several things.
First of all, even if Dai Wusi doesn't know Zhu Zhuqing's exact whereabouts, he must have some information about her.
The Dark Hall symbols on the chassis could not have appeared out of nowhere.
This must be the result of Zhu Zhuqing's personal authorization.
Secondly, the fact that the Dark Hall's symbol appeared on the carriage of a member of the Star Luo Imperial Family indicates that the relationship between the Dark Hall and Dai Wusi is quite deep and far from a simple exchange of interests.
Of course, this could very well be the clue that Zhu Zhuqing left for Xiao Yan.
Zhu Zhuqing was certain that if Xiao Yan returned to find her, he would definitely come to Star Chasing City, so she left the symbol of the Dark Hall in the most conspicuous and safest place in Star Chasing City.
In the entire Star Chasing City, what place could better avoid the Spirit Hall's attention than City Lord Dai Wusi's carriage?
Even if the people from the Spirit Hall saw the symbols on Dai Wusi's car, they wouldn't suspect anything.
Who would suspect that the Star Luo Imperial Family family's carriage was connected to Xiao Yan, a wanted criminal?
However, upon further reflection, Xiao Yan felt that the matter might not have been entirely Zhu Zhuqing's scheme.
If Dai Wusi were truly the lowly, incompetent good-for-nothing he is rumored to be, he wouldn't have been able to remain the city lord of Star Chasing City until now.
His ability to navigate the pressure from the Spirit Hall and to gain Zhu Zhuqing's trust to the point of having the Dark Hall's symbol engraved on his carriage demonstrates that he is far more complex than he appears on the surface.
A person who has been looked down upon for half their life is often more adept at patience and scheming than those geniuses who flaunt their talents.
He wasn't lacking in intelligence; what he lacked was an opportunity, and the Dark Hall provided him with just that opportunity.
Perhaps it was precisely because of his own lack of talent that he chose to join the Dark Hall's faction.
Although it's still unclear what specific role Dai Wusi plays in all of this, having a direction is much better than wandering around aimlessly looking for clues like a headless fly.
Watching Dai Wusi's convoy gradually disappear into the distance.
The magnificent carriage disappeared around the corner of the main street, until even the faint sound of the golden bells on its roof could no longer be heard.
Xiao Yan closed the doors and windows and drew the curtains.
The glow of the setting sun was blocked out by the curtains, and the room fell into a dim tranquility.
The faint glow of the oil lamp cast a warm yellow halo around the table.
Xiao Yan sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes, and began to regulate his breathing.
The Soul Power within his body circulated slowly under his guidance.