Setting Off to Treasure Hunt, Yin Shihong Attacks

Sensing the changes within his body, Xu Yang stepped out of his room and headed straight for the main gate. Upon arriving outside the manor, he saw that the personnel from the Shunfeng Escort Agency were already waiting. A quick glance allowed him to spot the brothers Zhao Long and Zhao Hu, as well as Lei Yue and Zhao Qian. Aside from them, there were about twenty elite experts from the headquarters and the Mountain City branch.

He immediately walked into the crowd and stood alone, waiting for Lei Dong and the others to arrive. A short while later, Lei Dong, Zhao Qiankun, and Zhang Yi appeared. Xu Yang noticed that following behind Lei Dong was an elderly man in yellow robes. The old man's face was sallow, and he kept his aura completely concealed—he was clearly a top-tier expert.

Lei Dong didn't say much; he scanned the crowd, waved his hand, and shouted, "Move out!" The group immediately mounted their horses and rode off at high speed.

Xu Yang followed the group as they galloped, leaving Mountain City behind and heading south. They rode with their heads down, moving like a whirlwind, and did not stop to set up camp until the sun was about to set.

Xu Yang leaped off his horse and looked around. He realized they were already at the foot of Cangwu Mountain, where the surrounding vegetation was dense and the sounds of insects and birds echoed incessantly.

Once the tents were pitched and campfires were lit, the group cleaned the game they had hunted and roasted it over the flames. In no time, the aroma of grilled meat began to drift through the air.

Just as Xu Yang finished his chores, he saw Zhao Qiankun beckoning to him. He hurried over and asked, "Is there something you need, Senior Zhao?"

"Yes, nephew! You know this mission is extremely dangerous. I originally didn't want Qian'er to come, but she insisted, and I couldn't rest easy leaving her in Mountain City, especially with the Yin Moon Hall still lurking in the shadows."

Having said this, Zhao Qiankun looked somewhat helpless before continuing, "Qian'er's martial arts are too weak, and I'm worried she might encounter danger. I would like to ask you, nephew, to look after her for me. Would that be possible?"

Xu Yang smiled slightly and replied, "Since you have given the order, Senior, I will naturally comply. However, I fear the Young Escort Leader might not be pleased." Zhao Qiankun let out a cold snort at these words and said, "Hmph, that is not up to him. If he can protect himself with his current martial arts, that would be good enough."

"In that case, I will certainly do my utmost to take good care of Miss Zhao. Please rest assured, Senior!" Xu Yang said, cupping his hands.

"Good, then I'll leave it to you, nephew. Haha!" Zhao Qiankun patted Xu Yang on the shoulder and walked away with a laugh. Watching Zhao Qiankun depart, Xu Yang's expression turned bitter; this was going to be a difficult task!

Because the Yin Moon Hall was lurking in the dark, the group arranged guards after dinner and returned to their tents to rest and recharge. Back in his tent, Xu Yang felt restless, sensing that something was bound to happen tonight.

To prepare for danger, he did not sleep but instead sat cross-legged to circulate his energy, ready to strike at any moment. Soon, the night passed, and the first light of dawn appeared in the sky. Nothing had happened, leaving Xu Yang puzzled. Could his intuition have been wrong? That was impossible; his instincts had never failed him before.

Just as Xu Yang was feeling a sense of disappointment, a sudden, shrill scream pierced the air. He immediately perked up and stepped out of his tent. At the same time, figures in black appeared one after another, surrounding the campsite.

"Haha! Chief Escort Lei, please show yourself. I, Yin Shihong, offer my greetings." The burly man leading them said with a laugh.

Lei Dong and his men were quick to react, gathering together the moment the black-clad figures appeared. Hearing Yin Shihong's words, Lei Dong's brows twitched as he said in a deep voice, "So it is the Hall Master of the Yin Moon Hall, the Heavenly Yin Hand Yin Shihong himself. May I ask what brings you here?"

"Chief Escort Lei, let's not beat around the bush. You know exactly why I'm here. My request is simple: since we've both seen it, we should share it. How about we split it equally?" Yin Shihong said with a smile.

Lei Dong and his men looked grim. Seeing this, Zhao Qiankun's eyes darted around; he stepped forward and whispered something into Lei Dong's ear. Lei Dong's expression shifted, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "Currently, only our two factions know the news of the treasure. To avoid further complications, I propose we find the treasure first, and then we shall see who has the skill to claim it. How does that sound?"

Yin Shihong pondered for a moment before nodding. "I agree to the Chief Escort's terms. Until the treasure is found, neither side shall resort to violence." With that, both sides kept their guards up while moving together.

Once both parties were ready, they marched quickly toward Cangwu Mountain. Xu Yang stayed near Zhao Qian and the others, following the group. These people were all experts, moving with incredible speed, and before long, they reached the mountainside of Cangwu Mountain.

As Xu Yang walked, he noticed that the mountain seemed completely ordinary, no different from any other. He was deeply confused as to why Old Man Tianjue would hide a treasure here.

At this moment, Lei Dong and the others in front stopped. Xu Yang looked up and saw Lei Dong pull a piece of animal hide from his robes and slowly unfold it. It was the treasure map.

Yin Shihong looked over immediately, his eyes fixed on the map with such intensity that he looked as if he wanted to snatch it away. Zhang Yi and Zhao Qiankun stood guard beside Lei Dong, vigilant against a surprise attack from Yin Shihong.

Lei Dong compared the map to the surrounding terrain and quickly made a discovery. He strode toward a steep cliff face and said with a joyful expression, "This must be the place. There might be a mechanism here; everyone, search the area carefully."

Hearing this, the people scattered to search the surroundings. Soon, a disciple of the Yin Moon Hall discovered a clue and shouted, "Found it! There's an iron ring here."

The group rushed over. Xu Yang took a look and saw an iron ring embedded in a crevice of the rock. Yin Shihong was overjoyed and hurriedly asked Lei Dong, "Chief Escort, what now? Are there any traps?"

"According to the map, we simply need to turn the iron ring to open the gate to the treasure. Whether there are traps or not is not recorded," Lei Dong said, looking troubled.

Yin Shihong looked skeptical, but he couldn't do anything to Lei Dong; the treasure hadn't been found yet, so it wasn't the time to turn hostile. Helpless, he ordered one of his subordinates to turn the ring.

The man stepped forward and grabbed the iron ring with his right hand. As he pulled, a creaking, grinding sound echoed. A massive roar erupted from the cliff wall, and a stone door slowly rose, revealing a pitch-black opening.

Lei Dong and the others immediately flew toward the entrance, but suddenly, a scream rang out. Xu Yang turned to look and saw that the man who had pulled the ring had already collapsed, dead. His face was pitch black, clearly poisoned.

Seeing this, Xu Yang's heart sank. It seemed the treasure was riddled with danger and traps; the road ahead would not be easy. Seeing his subordinate die, Yin Shihong's face darkened, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He said to Lei Dong, "Chief Escort, my man was the one to test the waters this time. Next time, it should be one of yours, right?"

Lei Dong said helplessly, "I didn't expect the ring to be coated in deadly poison. Old Man Tianjue is truly insidious. Don't worry, Hall Master Yin, my men will take the lead next time."

The group then flew into the cave. Once inside, Xu Yang discovered that the interior space was vast, standing three meters high and wide enough for five people to walk abreast. He wondered how Old Man Tianjue had managed to build it.

After walking cautiously for a while, they reached an even more spacious hall. Dozens of night-luminescent pearls were embedded in the ceiling, illuminating the surroundings.

The hall was surrounded by various cave entrances, all identical in appearance. The hall itself was empty, and as Xu Yang and the others looked around, they found nothing.

Yin Shihong said impatiently, "Chief Escort Lei, hurry up and take out the map to see which tunnel is the correct path. There's nothing here except for these pearls, which are worth a bit of money."

Lei Dong nodded, took out the map, and searched for the path. A moment later, he pointed to a tunnel and said, "According to the map, it should be this one. Zhang Yi, send some men in to scout the situation."

Sub-hall Master Zhang Yi agreed and selected two capable men to enter the tunnel. However, not long after they entered, a scream rang out, followed by a buzzing sound. A blood-soaked figure stumbled out of the tunnel and collapsed in front of Lei Dong.

Lei Dong was shocked and hurriedly helped the man up, asking, "What happened? What did you encounter?" "Chief Escort, don't go in! It's a dead end, there's no path at all. And at the end of the tunnel, there are giant poisonous bees. Old Four was stung to death by them, and I... I'm done for, the toxin is too strong." With that, the man vomited a mouthful of black blood and died.

Lei Dong's expression turned ugly. He gently laid the body on the ground and looked at the map again. The more he looked, the darker his face became.

Seeing this, Yin Shihong also felt that something was wrong and asked, "Chief Escort Lei, what is it? Is something wrong?"

Lei Dong looked at him and said, "We're in trouble. This map is fake. Now, I don't know which path to take either." As he spoke, he tossed the map to Yin Shihong.

Yin Shihong caught the map and compared it to the situation before them; his expression changed drastically as well. After a moment of thought, he said to Lei Dong, "Perhaps we should temporarily retreat and think of another way."

Lei Dong nodded in agreement. The group turned around, intending to leave, but just then, Xu Yang, who had been standing to the side, spoke up: "We can't go back. I just discovered that the passage we came through has disappeared." As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd erupted in an uproar.