The chief of the Silver Wolf Clan lowered his head and glanced at the young silver wolf in his arms, saying, "Speaking of which, this matter is related to Xueyun being severely injured in the mother's womb. You and the person you're seeking, Feng Yinhua, are blood relatives, right? Your physiques should be similar. However, the person I remember was a human cultivator called Yin Hua. But I heard another masked individual say, 'Whether you're Yin Hua or Feng Yinhua, hand over the item obediently.' At that time, I didn't pay much attention to it, so when I first heard the name Feng Yinhua, it felt somewhat familiar, but I couldn't recall where."
Gu Yao became excited. He had a strong feeling that the Yin Hua mentioned by the chief of the Silver Wolf Clan was his uncle whom he was seeking. But he couldn't help but worry, who was this cultivator named Yin Hua who came later? Who wanted to harm him?
The chief of the Silver Wolf Clan used spiritual power to outline a figure, and Gu Yao nodded eagerly, saying, "Yes, that's him. Chief of the Silver Wolf Clan guessed it correctly. He is my true uncle. But my uncle left before I was born, so I have only seen his image and have never met him in person."
Chi Changye quickly dispersed the aerial images, and Yin Xi and Hu Meng didn't expect that the Wind Sound Hua that Gu Yao was looking for was this person, Yin Hua. However, it would be troublesome to find the person.
Late into the night, Chi Changye withdrew his gaze and looked towards Yin Zuzhang (Yin Clan Leader), saying, "Yin Zuzhang, could it be that it was a group of people who caused injuries to the cultivator who made Little Shao Zhu hand over the item?"
"Yes." Yin Zuzhang affirmed Chi Changye's speculation, causing Gu Yao and Chi Changye to exchange a glance. This was troublesome. To dare to target the Silver Wolf Clan meant that the strength of this group was undoubtedly at the pinnacle of the Qianhao continent. They and Gu Yao definitely did not have the power to face them.
Tian Feirong and the little chubby guy also looked at each other with worry. This matter was very troublesome.
Yin Zuzhang explained the whole incident to Gu Yao and Chi Changye. Yin Zuzhang was the strongest member of the Silver Wolf Clan, with strength at the late stage of Yuanying realm. When he unleashed his bloodline power, he could even contend against human cultivators at the late stage of the Yuanying realm. Therefore, he stood at the top of the pyramid on the Qianhao continent.
However, even such a Silver Wolf Clan was still being targeted by a group of anonymous individuals. More accurately, they were targeting the treasure passed down in the Silver Wolf Clan, which could greatly enhance the awakening of the Howling Moon Sky Wolf bloodline.
With Yin Zuzhang present, it was difficult for the other side to take away the treasure. Just at this time, a concubine of Yin Zuzhang, who had never had any offspring, became pregnant. It's difficult for someone of his strength to have descendants, so Yin Zuzhang attached great importance to this unborn little Silver Wolf and sent skilled clan members to protect it. Unfortunately, this weakness was discovered by someone in secret.
The person in secret used the tactic of luring the tiger out of the mountain and sent experts to deal with the pregnant concubine. When Yin Zuzhang saw the distress signal and hurriedly rushed over, not to mention that most of the guards who stayed by the concubine's side were either dead or injured, the concubine herself was lying in a pool of blood clutching her stomach. In his anger, Yin Zuzhang instructed his clan members to treat the concubine while he personally pursued and killed the group of assailants. After killing most of them, he received a message from the clan that the clan treasure had been stolen. At this moment, Yin Zuzhang was well aware that he had fallen into the enemy's trap as the clan leader, he had to return to the clan to appease his people and, at the same time, dispatch more personnel to investigate the whereabouts of the clan treasure and the enemy. The Silver Wolf Clan could not possibly let this humiliation go unpunished, especially considering the importance of the clan treasure. Regardless, as the clan leader, he had to personally find it back.
At the same time, he had to protect the life of the child. The concubine was seriously injured and sacrificed her last bit of life force for the unborn child before passing away. The little Silver Wolf was born, but it had poor growth. It managed to survive all these years thanks to the spiritual objects within the Silver Wolf Clan and the Silver Zuzhang personally providing spiritual energy to nurture its body.
After the birth of the little Silver Wolf, Yin Zuzhang continuously went out to investigate the true culprit and the thief of the treasure. Although the Silver Wolf Clan's most precious treasure was sealed by the other party, Yin Zuzhang still had a faint sense of connection, sometimes stronger, sometimes weaker. But based on this weak connection, he managed to really catch the tail of the person who appeared. It was during one of these investigations that he encountered Gu Yao's uncle, Yin Hua.
Yin Zuzhang looked at Gu Yao and said, "Your uncle should also have a treasure similar to our clan treasure. During that incident, he should have escaped because I arrived. However, it would be difficult for the person targeted by those creatures, who are like swamp rats, to truly escape."
Gu Yao furrowed his eyebrows. After hearing this information, he knew that things were much more complex than he had initially thought. If even the Silver Wolf Clan was powerless against these individuals, his uncle would have an even harder time fighting against them. However, his uncle should be safe on the Tianlin Continent, so why did he come back?
"What are these hidden forces planning to do with these treasures?" asked Yin Zuzhang with a cold smirk. As a clan leader, he was infuriated by being manipulated by these creatures that lurked in the shadows. "Over the years, I have made some progress in my investigations. Fortunately, I have learned some information. You might have heard that in the ancient era, our cultivation world experienced a massive battle among the various races. It is said that it shattered the heavens and the earth. Now, it is fragmented, and the Qianhao continent is just a small piece of it. However, it has been so long that very few people know about it. On our continent, there is a special place - externally, it is sealed with layers of barriers, but internally, it is a battlefield from ancient times. It is said that the powerful cultivators who died in this battlefield were from the ancient era."
Chi Changye spoke in a deep voice, "Are they trying to break the seal's barriers and enter to obtain the power of these ancient cultivators?"
Madness! Gu Yao also guessed this idea, but he believed that only madness could lead to such thinking. If it was truly so good inside, why would the powerful cultivators of the past seal that place? Once the seal is broken, it is likely that demons would be unleashed upon the continent. "Yes, a group of delusional fools, attempting to gain power through shortcuts. However, among these hidden individuals, some of them indeed possess exceptional strength, and their powers are peculiar and diverse. It seems like they are utilizing dark arts to absorb the powers of others. This force consists of people who cultivate and even... demonic cultivators who have been swayed."
Otherwise, how could that group of thieves infiltrate the secret territory of the Silver Wolf Clan and steal the clan treasure? Moreover, the news of the pregnant concubine was leaked. It was all due to the collusion of internal traitors and external enemies.
Gu Yao furrowed his brows. "How does the Clan Leader view the Longevity Sect?"
"Yao Dan suspects that the Longevity Sect is the force behind this?" Yin Zuzhang asked.
Gu Yao looked at Chi Changye and the others. Seeing no reaction from them, he mentioned some information about their situation on the Tianlin Continent. In fact, all of these incidents had a common goal: to obtain more powerful strength. It seemed like the work of the same group of people.
Yin Zuzhang pondered for a moment and said, "It is not surprising if members of the Longevity Sect are involved, but I suspect that it is not only the Longevity Sect."
This posed a bigger problem now. Gu Yao and Chi Changye did not doubt Yin Zuzhang's words. After all, he had been investigating for a long time and had clashed with the opposing party several times.
Gu Yao and Chi Changye asked Yin Zuzhang for more information before respectfully seeing him off. As he left, Yin Zuzhang gave them a token that would allow them to enter and exit the territory of the Silver Wolf Clan. Gu Yao and the others expressed their gratitude.
A few days later, Yin Xi personally came and brought not only a large amount of spiritual stones and materials but also information about Yin Hua. Gu Yao also went to the Qianshi Shop in person to have the shopkeeper send a message to their sect leader, requesting to stop investigating Feng Yinhua and instead focus on investigating Yin Hua, but they needed to be more cautious.
When Zhang Qianfeng received the message, he was surprised but naturally wanted to find a way to obtain the information that Gu Yao wanted to know. It was difficult to find any leads on Feng Yinhua, but they had a direction when it came to Yin Hua. It was because of his surname, Yin. The Yin family used to be a hidden family on the Qianhao continent. However, they were said to have been wiped out by their enemies. Zhang Qianfeng didn't expect Gu Yao to be connected to the Yin family.
Gu Yao held two sets of documents, his face looking extremely grim. Tian Feirong was also present, and at this moment, he could understand Gu Yao's emotions. It was similar to when he himself had learned about his Yan lineage, and how the Yan family had nearly been wiped out.
Looking at the information on the documents, Gu Yao could roughly understand why his uncle had left the original lady of the house in Yuanyang Town. At least in that place, nobody knew their identities, and they could live out their lives in peace. His uncle had also left behind some protective measures. But life is unpredictable. Who would have thought that the original lady of the house would sacrifice herself to protect a scoundrel?
Chi Changye embraced Gu Yao's shoulder, but Gu Yao shook his head, indicating that he was okay. "It's useless to dwell on past regrets. Let's talk about what to do next. I'm worried that we might not be able to stay here for long."
"Yeah, we must leave!" Chi Changye insisted. "Yin Zuzhang also mentioned that there are cultivators within the demonic cultivation who are colluding with external thieves. So, it won't take long for the situation of the young master of the Silver Wolf Clan to be exposed. It's easy for people to deduce that he has taken the Extending Limb Pill and guess that we might be here."
"If you say we should leave, then let's go. But if we leave, where should we go next?" Little Fatty didn't hesitate to choose between staying or leaving. It was more dangerous to stay here. They couldn't rely on the protection of the Silver Wolf Clan by running to their territory. Then they would never grow stronger.
Chi Changye pointed at the map and said, "Let's go to the territory of the Longevity Sect. We'll find a way to infiltrate the sect. The Longevity Sect has always been the most suspicious party, so it's best to start from there."
The four of them discussed the details but realized that it wouldn't be appropriate for them to act together anymore. Their targets were becoming too obvious.
There was another point to consider. The cultivation world was filled with talented individuals, and there were too many cultivators who could see through their true nature. There were people like Hu Mei and the Silver Wolf Clan's patriarch. Going to the territory of the Longevity Sect would be even more dangerous than other places.
Gu Yao found Silver Moon Trading Company and met with Yin Xi. He made his intentions clear, requesting the assistance of Yin Zuzhang to create four concealment jade talismans. Yin Xi didn't refuse and quickly handed over the jade talismans personally crafted by Yin Zuzhang to Gu Yao.
"You're leaving? It's dangerous outside," Yin Xi advised.
Gu Yao smiled and replied, "Everywhere is dangerous. Even if we stay in the Silver Wolf Clan's territory, there's no guarantee that we won't encounter danger. It's better to go out and take risks. Even if we fail, we'll have no regrets."
Yin Xi certainly admired someone like Gu Yao. His only role was to convey the clan leader's message, but Gu Yao's alchemy skills were astonishing. He didn't want Gu Yao to venture out and risk his life, but if Gu Yao wanted to leave, they wouldn't force him to stay. After all, Gu Yao had saved the young master and was considered a benefactor of the Silver Wolf Clan.
"Wishing you smooth sailing."
"Thank you."
Without further ado, when the shopkeeper of Qianshi Shop finally found the cave where Gu Yao and the others were located, they discovered that they had already left. Only a message was left behind, stating that they had gone out for cultivation. They requested the shopkeeper to convey the message to the sect leader. The shopkeeper was disappointed and puzzled. The departure was too abrupt, without even a proper farewell. Upon returning, the shopkeeper honestly reported the situation to the sect headquarters.
Hu Mei was furious. She had sold a portion of her top-quality pills within the clan and received quite a good return. Many people had flattered her and requested more pills. Some had even tried to inquire about the whereabouts of Master Yao Dan, hoping to directly ask for pills. But Hu Mei wouldn't let this opportunity slip away.
However, when she happily arrived at Gu Yao's cave with her spiritual herbs, she nearly burst into tears upon seeing the empty place. Where were the people? Where were her top-quality pills?
If Hu Mei had known that Gu Yao would leave so soon, she wouldn't have traded any of her top-quality pills.
Surely it was her eldest brother who had ruined her good fortune. Hu Mei went to Hu Meng and made a fuss. It must have been her eldest brother who did something to scare them away. Her eldest brother was nothing but a cunning businessman.
It was truly too much of a disturbance. Hu Meng had to promise some benefits to finally obtain peace and quiet.
After Hu Mei left, Yin Xi appeared. Although Hu Mei was afraid of his stern face, he was also annoyed by Hu Mei's fuss, so he had refrained from showing himself while she was there.
Hu Meng sighed and said, "This girl, she traded most of her top-quality pills for spiritual herbs and stones. Now that Yao Dan has left, she has come to me to settle accounts. It's as if I'm specifically responsible for her affairs. Chief Steward, where do you think they might have gone?"
Yin Xi shook his head and replied, "I don't know, but recently, there have been people secretly gathering information in the Silver Wolf Clan's territory and Fengyan City. Even the cave they were staying in was intruded upon multiple times. Despite their caution, they left traces behind. So it's good that Yao Dan and the others left at this time."
Yin Xi now felt that what Gu Yao said made sense. There was danger everywhere. Even if he agreed to seek refuge with the Silver Wolf Clan, there were people infiltrating their territory. There were also some hidden individuals becoming active in secret. Gu Yao would also be in danger.
Hu Meng lamented, "It's a pity. We didn't ask Yao Dan to refine more pills. I wonder when Yao Dan will show up again."
Little did they expect that Gu Yao and the others would be so decisive and leave just like that. But they chose the right timing. If they had waited any longer, they might have been intercepted.
While the two of them discussed Yao Dan, news about Yao Dan began to spread both inside and outside Fengyan City. The previous cave received more visits from cultivators. At this point, it wasn't necessarily for the purpose of seeing Yao Dan, as rumors had it that he had already left Fengyan City. More cultivators were hoping to catch a trace of his presence, especially alchemists, as if it could enhance their own alchemy skills.
The most regretful person was the City Lord of Fengyan City. He was beating himself up, filled with regret. With the conclusion of the Commercial Alliance Auction, Yao Dan's reputation continued to grow. Just the thought of having such a talented alchemist right under his nose, and yet being completely unaware and letting him slip away, made him the subject of ridicule in secret. It goes without saying how frustrated he was.