"Boss Xiao, we brothers didn't rob or bully anyone. This is money we earned honestly!" Hou Wu explained repeatedly, afraid Boss Xiao would misunderstand them.
"I'll ask you, do you know where the Lie Yang Sect's outpost is?"
"You're not going to deal with us?" Hou Wu asked, surprised.
"Answer me satisfactorily, and I won't deal with you."
"The Lie Yang Sect's outpost is at Thirteen South Street, the Cang Lang Sect's outpost is at Twenty-Seven South Street, the Xian He Sect's outpost is at Seven North Street, the Qian Ji Sect's outpost is at Ten North Street, the Wu Du Sect's stronghold is at Four West Street, the Bai Yao Hall's stronghold is at Nine West Street, and the Ling She Sect's outpost is at Eleven East Street."
Hou Wu knew the distribution of powers in Wuji City like the back of his hand. After all, he used to bully the weak, so he was particularly aware of the city's power structures and the appearance and methods of various sects.
"Boss Xiao, are you going to the Lie Yang Sect?"
"How many Golden Core stage powerhouses are there in the city?" Xiao Man asked tentatively.
"Including Old City Lord Yan, there are ten Golden Core stage powerhouses in the city. The Cang Lang Sect and the Wu Du Sect each sent two Golden Core stage powerhouses, while the other sects sent one each."
"The Cang Lang Sect and the Wu Du Sect sent two elders in the Golden Core stage?" Xiao Man was a little surprised. "Do the Seven Great Sects always send Golden Core stage cultivators for enrollment each time?"
"Not usually. In the past, they sent cultivators in the Foundation Establishment stage. For some reason, this year they sent Golden Core stage cultivators, nine of them arriving at once." Hou Wu was also very surprised. "We brothers guess that the Seven Great Sects must have some big plans, which is why they sent Golden Core stage powerhouses to Wuji City."
"Have you seen my people in the last few days?" Xiao Man asked after a moment of thought.
"Were they the ones who entered from the Land of Nothingness?"
"Yes."
"We have," Hou Liu interjected eagerly. "We saw the person we robbed in the Luolan Mountain Range, his name was... Brother, what was his name again?"
"Xiang Jian."
"Right, Xiang Jian," Hou Liu said excitedly. "He's with people from the Ling She Sect."
"Ling She Sect..." Xiao Man was surprised. She had originally thought Xiang Jian would have been captured by the Cang Lang Sect. Now it seemed that was not the case.
"Did you see anyone else?" Xiao Man pressed. "Three more people have gone missing from my side."
"Boss Xiao, were you attacked?" Hou Wu asked cautiously. Xiao Qin was extremely vindictive and had a terrible temper. Anyone who offended her would be stripped bare even if they didn't die. Therefore, the mercenaries in Wuji City tacitly avoided those who entered from the Land of Nothingness, especially those who were with Xiao Man.
"It wasn't me who was attacked, but my people were attacked in my absence," Xiao Man said faintly. "You are the know-it-alls of this city, and there's no news you can't get. So, I'm asking you to help me find their whereabouts."
Xiao Man threw a bag of coins at Hou Wu. Hou Wu took it and found it filled with silver coins, at least a hundred of them. His eyes widened. Those who had just entered from the Land of Nothingness could only exchange for items using contribution points. Once they possessed a bronze token, they could use universal currency.
"Thank you, Boss Xiao. We will find their whereabouts as soon as possible."
"Good. Once you find them, go to the City Lord's Mansion to find me," Xiao Man calmly instructed. "Don't alert them once you've found them."
"Boss Xiao, don't worry. Once we find them, we'll notify you immediately."
"Be careful," Xiao Man instructed before disappearing into the night.
The Hou brothers watched the person vanish in the blink of an eye, their hearts pounding. "Boss Xiao is still so monstrous, appearing and disappearing like a ghost, it's quite scary."
"Brother, everyone in the city knows Xiao Qin is not to be trifled with. Whoever captured Xiao Qin's companions must be from the Seven Great Sects," Hou Liu said, his eyes gleaming at the money bag in Hou Wu's hand. A bag of gold coins would last them a long time.
Hou Wu put away the money bag. "Whether it's Xiao Qin or the Seven Great Sects, neither is easy to deal with. However, since we've taken Xiao Qin's money, we have to help her gather information."
"Brother, if we offend the Seven Great Sects, will we die miserably?"
"Which do you think is a more miserable death: dying at Xiao Qin's hands or dying at the hands of the Seven Great Sects?" Hou Wu asked faintly.
Hou Liu thought about the consequences of offending the Seven Great Sects and offending Xiao Man. "Brother, dying at the hands of the Seven Great Sects would be more miserable. But doing things for Xiao Qin brings benefits. Doing things for the Seven Great Sects, we could be discarded at any moment. I'd rather help Xiao Qin."
"That's right. How many things have we done for the Seven Great Sects, and what benefits have we received?" Hou Wu said slowly. "We were even ruthlessly abandoned when we encountered danger. If we brothers weren't shrewd, we would have died countless times already."
"Brother, shall we go gather information then?"
"Idiot!" Hou Wu glared at his younger brother. "Wandering around at night, are you afraid people won't know your intentions are impure? Let's go for a drink. Since Xiao Qin gave us quite a bit of money, let's go to the Silver Moon Tower for a drink. People from the Seven Great Sects all go there to drink."
"Brother, you're so clever." Hou Liu quickly followed Hou Wu. "Brother, I heard that the Three Lives Brew at the Silver Moon Tower is mellow and fragrant, and it costs one gold coin a jar. Can we have a jar tonight?"
"Drink up. We can spend all the money if we want."
"I also want to eat the Eight Treasures Duck and Lingzhi Chicken at the Silver Moon Tower, and..."
"One hundred gold coins are enough for us to eat until we're stuffed. What's the hurry? Order whatever you want when we get there," Hou Wu said with a smile. "I never thought my brother and I would have a day where we could go to the Silver Moon Tower."
"Brother, if we work for Xiao Qin from now on, can we eat at the Silver Moon Tower every day?" Hou Liu's mouth watered. If following Xiao Qin meant they could live a life of luxury, they would be very happy to do so!
"If you want to live a life of luxury with Boss Xiao, you first need to do a good job of what Boss Xiao has instructed," Hou Wu said calmly. Xiao Man was not a bloodthirsty person, otherwise, the Hou brothers would have lost their lives long ago. However, Xiao Man was also not a soft-hearted person. If they were of no use, Xiao Man would absolutely not keep them.
"Brother, don't worry, I understand. I will definitely find out the whereabouts of the others."
After parting ways with the Hou brothers, Xiao Man continued to wander the streets. As she turned the corner, a group of people approached her.
"Sect Master!" a voice interrupted Xiao Man's thoughts. Xiao Man looked up at the speaker. After a moment, she remembered that this was Li Kun, who had entered Wuji City with them. However, after entering the city, Li Kun had attached himself to a punk named Tian.
Calling him a punk was not entirely accurate; he should be called a mercenary. Because they relied on the Luolan Mountain Range, lone cultivators in Wuji City formed teams and entered the Luolan Mountain Range together to kill demonic beasts and find herbs for money.