After sensing the changes within him, Xu Yang stepped out of his room and headed straight for the main gate. When he reached the entrance to the residence, he saw that the Shunfeng Escort Agency's people had already gathered there. A quick glance showed him Zhao Long, Zhao Hu, Lei Yue, and Zhao Qian, along with around twenty elite fighters from the headquarters and the Mountain City branch.
He immediately joined the crowd and stood off by himself, waiting for Lei Dong and the others. A short while later, Lei Dong arrived with Zhao Qiankun and Zhang Yi. Xu Yang noticed an old man in a yellow robe following behind Lei Dong. The old man's face was waxen, and he gave off no trace of his presence at all. He was clearly a peerless expert.
Lei Dong said nothing more. He swept his gaze over the crowd, then waved his hand and barked, "Move out!" The group mounted up at once and galloped away.
Xu Yang rode hard with the others. Before long, they had left Mountain City and were heading south. Everyone kept their heads down and pressed on, moving like the wind. They did not stop to set up camp until the sun was nearly down.
Xu Yang leaped from his horse and looked around. They were already at the foot of Cangwu Mountain. Thick vegetation surrounded them, and the chirping of insects and birds rang out now and then.
Once the group had pitched their tents, they lit bonfires and cleaned the game they had hunted, roasting it over the flames. Before long, the savory scent of grilled meat drifted through the camp.
Xu Yang had just finished his chores when he saw Zhao Qiankun beckoning to him. He hurried over and asked, "What can I do for you, Senior Zhao?"
"Ah, my boy! You know this mission is extremely dangerous. I didn't want Qian'er to come, but she insisted. And I couldn't bear to leave her in Mountain City, either. The Yin Moon Hall is still lurking in the shadows, after all."
Zhao Qiankun looked helpless as he spoke. Then he continued, "Qian'er's martial arts are too weak. I'm worried she'll run into danger, so I'd like to ask you to keep an eye on her. Would you?"
Xu Yang smiled faintly. "Since you've asked, Senior, I'll naturally do as you say. But I'm afraid Young Escort Chief Lei won't be pleased." "Hmph, he doesn't get a say in this. With his skills, he'd be lucky to protect himself." Zhao Qiankun snorted.
"In that case, I'll do everything I can to keep Miss Zhao safe. Please rest assured, Senior." Xu Yang clasped his fists.
"Good. Then I'll be counting on you, my boy. Haha!" Zhao Qiankun clapped Xu Yang on the shoulder and turned away with a laugh. Watching him leave, Xu Yang grimaced. This wasn't going to be an easy task!
With the Yin Moon Hall lurking in the shadows, the group arranged their guards after dinner, then returned to their tents to rest and recover. Back in his tent, Xu Yang couldn't settle down. He had a feeling something was going to happen that night.
To prepare for danger, he didn't go to sleep. Instead, he sat cross-legged and circulated his energy, ready to spring into action at any moment. Before long, the night passed. The sky outside was just beginning to brighten, and nothing had happened. Xu Yang was puzzled. Had his instincts been wrong? That couldn't be. They had never failed him before.
Just as Xu Yang was feeling disappointed, a scream suddenly rang out. His spirits lifted, and he hurried out of his tent. At the same time, one black-clad figure after another appeared, surrounding the camp.
"Haha! Chief Escort Master Lei, please come out and meet me. I am Yin Shihong, and I come bearing respects!" the burly leader called with a laugh.
Lei Dong and the others reacted just as quickly. The instant the black-clad figures appeared, they gathered together. Hearing Yin Shihong, Lei Dong's brows twitched. He said in a low voice, "So the master of the Yin Moon Hall, the Heaven-Yin Hand Yin Shihong, has come in person. What brings you here?"
"Chief Escort Master Lei, let's not beat around the bush. You know why I'm here. I'm not asking for much. Whoever finds it gets a share. How about we split it between our two sides?" Yin Shihong said with a smile.
Lei Dong and the others' expressions darkened. Seeing this, Zhao Qiankun's eyes shifted. He stepped forward and whispered something to Lei Dong. Lei Dong's expression changed. After a moment's thought, he said, "At present, only our two sides know about the treasure in the martial world. To avoid complications, I suggest we find it first. After that, we'll each rely on our own abilities."
Yin Shihong considered this briefly, then nodded. "We'll do as you say, Chief Escort Master. Until we find the treasure, neither side will make a move against the other." The two sides then kept each other under guard as they gathered together.
Once both sides were ready, they hurried up Cangwu Mountain. Xu Yang stayed close to Zhao Qian and the others, following along with the group. They were all experts and moved with incredible speed. Before long, they had reached the mountainside.
As Xu Yang made his way along, he saw that the mountain held nothing unusual. It was no different from any other mountain, and he couldn't understand why Old Man Tianjue had hidden his treasure here.
Just then, Lei Dong and the others at the front stopped. Xu Yang looked up and saw Lei Dong take a piece of animal hide from inside his robe and slowly unfold it. It was the treasure map.
Yin Shihong immediately leaned over to look, staring at the map with burning greed, as if he wanted to snatch it away at once. Zhang Yi and Zhao Qiankun stood watchfully beside Lei Dong, guarding against a surprise attack from Yin Shihong.
Lei Dong compared the map with the surrounding terrain and quickly spotted something. He hurried to the foot of a steep cliff and said with delight, "This should be the place. There may be a mechanism here. Everyone, search the area carefully."
At that, the group scattered and began searching cautiously. Before long, a disciple of the Yin Moon Hall found a clue and shouted, "I found it! There's an iron ring here."
Everyone hurried over. Xu Yang glanced at the spot and saw an iron ring embedded in a crack in the rock. Yin Shihong was overjoyed and quickly asked Lei Dong, "Chief Escort Master, what do we do next? Are there any traps?"
"According to the map, we just need to turn the iron ring to open the entrance to the treasure. It doesn't say whether there are any traps," Lei Dong replied, looking troubled.
Yin Shihong plainly didn't believe him, but there was nothing he could do. They still hadn't found the treasure, and it was too soon to fall out. With no other choice, he sent one of his men to turn the ring.
The man stepped forward and reached for the iron ring with his right hand. He gripped it and pulled. A grinding squeal rang out, and the cliff beside them rumbled. A stone door slowly rose, revealing a pitch-black entrance.
Lei Dong and the others hurried to the entrance. Suddenly, a scream rang out. Xu Yang turned and saw that the man who had pulled the iron ring had already died. His face was pitch-black. He had clearly been poisoned.
At the sight, Xu Yang's heart sank. The treasure must be surrounded by danger and riddled with traps. The road ahead would not be easy. Yin Shihong's expression darkened as he saw his subordinate's death, and a murderous glint flashed in his eyes. He said to Lei Dong, "Chief Escort Master, this time my man took the first risk. Next time it should be one of yours, right?"
Lei Dong replied helplessly, "I didn't expect the iron ring to be poisoned. Old Man Tianjue was truly devious. Don't worry, Hall Master Yin. My people will go first next time."
The group then leaped into the cave. Once inside, Xu Yang saw that it was enormous, at least three meters high and wide enough for five people to walk abreast. He couldn't imagine how Old Man Tianjue had built it.
They proceeded cautiously for a short while before reaching an even more spacious hall. More than a dozen Night Pearls were set into the ceiling, illuminating the entire chamber.
Caves lined every side of the hall, each one identical to the next. The chamber itself was empty. Xu Yang and the others looked around, but found nothing.
Yin Shihong said impatiently, "Chief Escort Master Lei, hurry up and take out the treasure map. Let's see which cave is the right way. There's nothing here, except that the Night Pearls are worth a bit of money."
Lei Dong nodded and took out the map to look for the route. A moment later, he pointed to an entrance. "According to the map, this should be it. Zhang Yi, send someone in to scout ahead."
Zhang Yi promptly agreed. He selected two capable men and sent them into the cave to investigate. But they had barely entered when a scream rang out, followed by a buzzing sound. A bloodied figure staggered out of the cave and collapsed at Lei Dong's feet.
Lei Dong was horrified. He hurried forward and helped the man up. "What happened? What did you run into?" "Chief Escort Master, don't go in! It's a dead end—there's no way through. And there are giant venomous bees at the end of the cave. The fourth brother was stung to death, and I'm done for too. The poison is too strong." As he spoke, the man spat out a mouthful of black blood and died.
Lei Dong's expression turned grim. He gently laid the body on the ground, then took out the map again. The longer he studied it, the darker his expression became.
Seeing this, Yin Shihong sensed that something was wrong. He asked directly, "Chief Escort Master Lei, what's the matter? Is something wrong?"
Lei Dong glanced at him. "We're in trouble. This map is fake. I don't know which path we should take now." As he spoke, he tossed the map to Yin Shihong.
Yin Shihong caught it and compared it with the surroundings. His expression changed dramatically. After thinking for a moment, he said to Lei Dong, "Why don't we retreat for now and think of another way?"
Lei Dong agreed, and everyone turned to leave. Just then, Xu Yang, who had been standing to one side, spoke up. "We can't go back. I just discovered that the passage we came through has disappeared." His words sent an uproar through the crowd.
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