Chief Escort Lei Dong, First Meeting with Yaoyao

"Excellent! Nephew Xu's martial arts are sharp and fierce; you have truly inherited the essence of Brother Li's teachings. Brother Li can finally rest in peace in the afterlife." Hearing these words, Xu Yang immediately halted his movements and turned his head to look at the person who had spoken.

He saw Zhao Qiankun standing not far away with an elderly man, both of them looking at him with smiles on their faces. Xu Yang felt a chill in his heart; the two were so close to him, yet he hadn't sensed them at all. If they had been enemies, he would have been in grave danger.

It seemed his vigilance was still insufficient. Of course, this also had to do with his cultivation level; both of these men were stronger than him, especially the old man standing in front of Zhao Qiankun. The depth of his cultivation was so profound that Xu Yang couldn't discern a single flaw.

Summarizing his own shortcomings in his mind, Xu Yang quickly stepped forward and bowed, saying, "I did not know the senior had arrived; please forgive my lack of manners. May I ask who this senior is..." As he spoke, Xu Yang looked toward Zhao Qiankun to inquire.

"Haha, Qiankun, this kid is not bad. Brother Li has indeed found a good successor; he can finally close his eyes in peace." The old man smiled at Zhao Qiankun, shaking his head with a look of regret when he mentioned Li Yuan.

Zhao Qiankun smiled and said to Xu Yang, "Nephew, this is Lei Dong, the Chief Escort of our Shunfeng Escort Agency. He arrived not long ago today, and upon hearing about Brother Li's situation, he came to see you."

Xu Yang was stunned and quickly took a closer look at the old man. He saw a man in his fifties with a ruddy complexion, eyes flashing with sharp light, a sturdy build, and an incredibly imposing aura. He immediately cupped his hands and said, "I did not know Senior Lei had arrived. Junior Xu Yang pays his respects."

Lei Dong nodded and said, "You are quite good, but if you want to inherit Brother Li's status, you must work much harder. Your current strength is not enough. Let's talk again once you reach the Peak Realm!" After saying this, Lei Dong took out a token and returned it to Xu Yang.

Xu Yang blankly accepted the token, unsure of Lei Dong's intention, and quickly looked at Zhao Qiankun. Zhao Qiankun smiled and said, "Nephew, don't be surprised. The Chief Escort thinks highly of you and is simply issuing you a token in advance; it is not the one that belonged to Brother Li."

Xu Yang suddenly realized and quickly looked down at the token in his hand. Sure enough, he discovered that the token had changed; in the lower right corner of the character for "Secret," it had been replaced with the character "Xu."

At this moment, Lei Dong said to Zhao Qiankun, "Since he is Brother Li's successor, we should naturally look after this kid. The matter with the Yin Moon Hall must be handled properly. As a test for joining the organization, let him participate in this operation as well!"

Zhao Qiankun nodded upon hearing this and said, "Yes, I understand, Chief Escort. However, I fear the Yin Moon Hall will not let this go easily, and they will certainly try to interfere in this operation."

"I have long been prepared for this. The mole has been found; it was that traitor Wang Dayou, and I have already dealt with him." Speaking of this, Lei Dong continued with a look of anger, "The Yin Moon Hall is truly courting death. A mere pugilistic organization dares to oppose us? Do they not know that we have the imperial court backing us?"

Hearing this, Xu Yang stepped forward and said, "The two seniors, there is something suspicious about this matter. The Yin Moon Hall surely knows who our backers are; after all, they are a first-rate power in the pugilistic world. If they have found a new backer, they would naturally no longer fear us."

Upon hearing this, the two men's expressions shifted as if they had thought of something. They looked at each other with heavy expressions, and Zhao Qiankun said, "The arrow is already on the string and must be fired. Besides, it is not yet known if the Yin Moon Hall has a backer, and even if they do, the Shunfeng Escort Agency is not necessarily afraid of them."

Lei Dong nodded and said, "Qiankun is right, but we cannot be careless. I suddenly remembered some matters that need arranging, so I will take my leave first. Qiankun, explain the situation to young Xu so he has some background."

After speaking, Lei Dong turned and walked away quickly. Zhao Qiankun and Xu Yang walked to a pavilion, and after they were seated, he immediately informed Xu Yang of the situation before also rising to leave. Left alone, Xu Yang frowned and began to think rapidly.

A month ago, news came from the Haicheng Prefecture branch of the Shunfeng Escort Agency that a treasure map of Old Man Tianjue had been discovered. The upper management of the agency was overjoyed and immediately dispatched elite personnel to bring the map back to headquarters.

After some comparison, Lei Dong and the others determined the location of the treasure. As it happened, the treasure was buried in Cangwu Mountain within the territory of Mountain City Prefecture, not too far from the city. One could reach the vicinity of the treasure in a day by fast horse, which was why Lei Dong and the others had come to search for it.

However, because there was a mole within the agency who leaked the news, the Yin Moon Hall found out. Fortunately, they did not obtain the treasure map, which was why Old Ghost Yin had intercepted Zhao Qiankun and the others outside the city—to obtain the exact location of the treasure.

The experts accompanying Lei Dong this time were all elites of the agency. Zhao Qiankun and the others were merely the advance party, and with the addition of the forces from the Mountain City branch, it should have been foolproof. Now, the sudden interference of the Yin Moon Hall had caused complications in the operation.

It would likely be too late to mobilize more men from the main headquarters now. Who knew if the news of the treasure had already spread? To avoid further complications, Lei Dong and the others naturally had to accelerate the operation. Competing with just the Yin Moon Hall was better than competing with a multitude of forces!

It just so happened that Xu Yang had stepped into this whirlpool. He had ties to the Shunfeng Escort Agency, had a grudge against the Yin Moon Hall, and possessed a clean background and decent strength. He was naturally an excellent fighter, and they could test him in the process. If he passed, they could recruit talent for the imperial court—it was truly killing many birds with one stone.

Thinking of this, Xu Yang sighed in his heart. They were indeed old veterans of the pugilistic world, each one as cunning as a fox. Looking back, he realized Zhao Qiankun probably wasn't as kind as he appeared. It seemed he would have to be careful during this treasure hunt.

The treasure hunt would begin this afternoon. Lei Dong and the others still needed to prepare horses and dry rations. With nothing to do for the moment, Xu Yang greeted the servants and left the residence to tour Mountain City.

It was truly worthy of being the capital of a prefecture; it was far more prosperous and bustling than the small county town he lived in. There were many pedestrians on the street, vendors on both sides of the road were shouting loudly, and there was a wide variety of goods. Xu Yang wandered through the streets, feeling dazzled and overwhelmed.

Suddenly, the crowd ahead became chaotic. Curious, Xu Yang quickly walked forward. It turned out to be a six or seven-year-old girl who was crying loudly. The little girl was exquisitely beautiful, like a porcelain doll.

She was dressed very elegantly, clearly not a child from an ordinary family. She was crying very sadly, and people had gathered around, asking her what was wrong. Seeing this, Xu Yang immediately walked up, parted the crowd, and came before the little girl. He squatted down and asked with a smile, "Little girl, what's wrong? Do you need help?"

Strangely, the little girl had ignored everyone else's questions, but when Xu Yang asked, she paused and immediately stopped crying. With a pair of large, pitiful eyes, she looked at Xu Yang and said, "Big brother, I got separated from my father and can't find him."

Xu Yang laughed and said, "Is that all? Big brother will help you find him. Where did you get separated from your father? Shall we start from there?"

The little girl thought for a moment, raised her hand to point behind her, and said, "I came from here. How are we going to find him?" Xu Yang looked in the direction she pointed; the road led straight to the east of the city. The west side of Mountain City was the commercial district, the east was the administrative district, the north was the wealthy district, and the south was the slum district.

It seemed the little girl must have come from the east district. He took the little girl's hand, led her out of the crowd, and headed toward the east district. The two soon left the west district and arrived in the east district. Under the little girl's guidance, Xu Yang brought her to a residence that occupied a vast area.

Xu Yang looked down and asked, "Little sister, is it here?"

The little girl nodded and said blankly, "It seems to be here, but it doesn't quite look like it!" As she spoke, she poked her head in frustration. Xu Yang was speechless and had no choice but to take her forward and knock on the door knocker.

With a creak, the gate opened from the inside. An old man of about sixty walked out. Xu Yang felt a chill in his heart; the old man moved without a sound, and his spirit and energy were extremely full, clearly indicating profound martial arts. He immediately became guarded.

The old man seemed completely unaware of Xu Yang's caution. He saw the little girl standing to the side, and his expression changed instantly. He flashed forward and arrived in front of the two, reaching out to grab the little girl.

Xu Yang quickly moved to block the girl. A cold light flashed in the old man's eyes, and his left hand accelerated, striking directly at Xu Yang's right shoulder. Xu Yang reached out his right hand and collided head-on with the old man's left. With a soft pop, Xu Yang immediately felt a massive force surge into him, causing him to lose his footing and fly backward.

At the same time, a sharp internal energy surged along his meridians into his body. Xu Yang's injuries had not yet fully healed, and this blow added injury to injury, causing him to immediately spit out a mouthful of blood.