While pondering, Su Yi suddenly remembered his agreement with the Martial Duke Chen Zheng.
Back in Yunhe County, Chen Zheng had mentioned that a month later, a beast tide would erupt in the depths of one of the Eight Demon Mountains, the Bloodthorn Demon Mountain.
At that time, astonishing phenomena would occur in the depths of the Bloodthorn Demon Mountain. Countless divine rainbows would pierce through the sky, interweaving with thunder and giving an impression of hiding great secrets.
"If that's the case, these Eight Demon Mountains within the Great Zhou Empire are indeed extraordinary..." Su Yi muttered to himself.
"When you're interested in the future, I can accompany you to visit these Eight Demon Mountains one by one," Ning Xianhu said with a smile on her lips.
Su Yi replied, "Let's talk about it later."
"By the way, there's something I want to tell you," Ning Xianhu said. "I've kept Wen Lingzhao with me for cultivation."
Su Yi was taken aback, unsure of what this woman meant.
After a moment, he said, "She has nothing to do with me anymore, so why mention it?"
Ning Xianhu considered and said, "This young girl has her own persistence and remarkable talent. I want to see how far she can go on the path of the Dao under my careful guidance."
"You want to see if she has a chance to surpass me in the future," Su Yi chuckled and shook his head.
Ning Xianhu also laughed softly and said, "No one can say for sure what will happen in the future. Don't you think that's interesting, my friend?"
Su Yi didn't say anything more.
He had no interest in such topics.
Just as they were talking, a slightly anxious voice came from outside the Shushi Residence. It was Zheng Muyao, who said, "Uncle Su, I've found some information."
Soon, Zheng Muyao arrived in the attic.
When she saw Ning Xianhu, the sexy and beautiful young girl seemed startled and hastily greeted, "Disciple Zheng Muyao pays respects to the Palace Lord."
Su Yi frowned and said, "Tell me the news."
Ning Xianhu blinked her eyes and asked, "Should I excuse myself?"
Su Yi shook his head and said, "No need. Actually, this matter is somewhat related to your Heavenly Origin Academy."
Ning Xianhu was taken aback.
Zheng Muyao had already started speaking, "Uncle Su, my father had previously sent people to investigate. The passenger ship you mentioned is under the control of the Qingyu Gang. On the evening of the second day after leaving Yunhe County, it encountered a rare torrential rainstorm when passing through the 'Qianxuan Ridge' and capsized in the whirlpool on the river."
Su Yi's pupils suddenly constricted as he asked, "Please continue."
"Yesterday, the Qingyu Gang sent people to investigate, but they only found fragments of the wrecked ship and more than a dozen corpses," Zheng Muyao quickly continued. "However, those corpses were all ordinary people. I checked their identities and none of them belonged to Elder Zhuguqing."
"Zhuguqing?" Ning Xianhu furrowed her eyebrows, as if realizing something. "You were investigating news related to Elder Zhuguqing."
Zheng Muyao nodded repeatedly and said, "Exactly."
"I've heard of the Qianxuan Ridge. It's a mountain range that borders the Great Cang River. The name is actually related to the Great Cang River. That section of the river is winding and turbulent, with treacherous waters. Whenever severe weather occurs, huge whirlpools emerge on the surface of the river."
"Even large ships are at risk of capsizing when passing through."
Ning Xianhu pondered and said, "Usually, when encountering severe weather, all passing ships will anchor outside that stretch of the river in advance because venturing into it is almost like a life-or-death situation."
After listening, Su Yi's gaze deepened as he said, "The Grandmaster can control water and move through it, lingering in the void for a short period of time. With Zhuguqing's cultivation, it shouldn't be a problem to escape that river with someone by using void travel. From what I see, the problem probably lies in the sudden torrential rain."
Zheng Muyao quickly added, "Uncle Su is right. When I was gathering information, the leader of the Qingyu Gang mentioned that the rainstorm that day came suddenly and was accompanied by terrifying hurricanes and thunderstorms, which were extremely horrifying."
"Moreover, according to the nearby mountain hunters and villagers, they thought the wrath of the Thunder God had descended. Numerous trees and rocks on the nearby mountains were destroyed by the hurricane."
"A torrential rain, hurricanes, and thunderstorms... It's so peculiar, there must be something unusual."
Su Yi stood up and said, "Where is the leader of the Qingyu Gang that you mentioned?"
He was somewhat worried about Wen Lingzhao's safety.
Zheng Muyao hesitated and said, "Um... I hurriedly came to report the news to Uncle Su and didn't bring that guy along. But he should still be at my home."
"Are you planning to go to the Qianxuan Ridge now?" Ning Xianhu keenly noticed that Su Yi's mood was a bit off.
This surprised her. Could it be that this guy had a fondness for Zhuguqing?
"Yes," Su Yi said. Just as he was about to ask Zheng Muyao to lead the way, a voice suddenly sounded outside the courtyard.
"Is Su Young Master here? Zheng is here with the leader of the Qingyu Gang, Jin Xiaochuan."
The person who arrived was Zheng Tianhe, the head of the Zheng family.
Beside him was a middle-aged man with dark skin and a tall, thin figure named Jin Xiaochuan, the leader of the Qingyu Gang.
In the vast city of Gunzhou, the Qingyu Gang was considered a third-rate power, and its leader, Jin Xiaochuan, only had a mid-stage Qi-gathering cultivation.
At this moment, he stood beside Zheng Tianhe, an influential figure with immense power, appearing extremely respectful and nervous, with his knees feeling weak.
"Did Chief Zheng know that I wanted to see him?" Su Yi was surprised.
"Since it is a matter of the young master's concern, it must be significant. I was worried that Little Yao might not be able to explain the situation clearly, so I personally brought Jin Xiaochuan here," Zheng Tianhe said with a smile.
"I appreciate the gesture," Su Yi nodded.
Look at this, that's what meticulous work is all about, with well-thought-out plans. It's far beyond the likes of Zheng Muyao, a restless young girl.
Su Yi looked at Jin Xiaochuan and asked directly, "Do you know about the Qianxuan Ridge?"
Jin Xiaochuan was startled and quickly fawned with a flattering smile, "Reporting to the distinguished sir, I make a living on the Great Cang River between Yunhe County and Gunzhou City. I consider myself familiar with the Qianxuan Ridge."
Even someone as respected as the head of the Zheng family, despite appearing as a young man, Jin Xiaochuan didn't dare to be disrespectful.
Su Yi continued, "How long will it take to reach the Qianxuan Ridge?"
Jin Xiaochuan hastily replied, "If we leave now riding fast horses without resting along the way, we can arrive before dawn tomorrow. However, there are many rugged mountain roads along the way. If the sir intends to go, the most comfortable option is to travel by boat, although it will be slower..."
Before he could finish, Su Yi interrupted, saying, "You will guide us later."
"I'll go with you as well," Ning Xianhu suddenly spoke up.
At this moment, Zheng Tianhe took the opportunity to ask, "May I ask who this is?"
Since entering Shuishi Residence, he had sensed that this young girl with a delicate appearance was extraordinary!
Especially when her clear, lake-like eyes swept over him, even a master like Zheng Tianhe couldn't help but feel a shiver and a cold chill running down his spine.
Zheng Muyao hurriedly said, "Father, this is the headmaster of the Tianyuan Academy."
What!
Zheng Tianhe sucked in a breath of cold air, his heart shaking, and quickly clasped his fists in a respectful gesture, saying, "Forgive Zheng for being ignorant earlier. I hope Lady Ning can forgive me!"
Ning Xianhu!
How could he not have heard of her?
Embarrassingly, Ning Xianhu rarely showed herself, being extremely mysterious. To the extent that in all these years, even someone like Zheng Tianhe, the head of the Zheng family, had never seen her true face.
"The headmaster of the Tianyuan Academy..."
Jin Xiaochuan swallowed hard, feeling his scalp go numb, stunned and dumbfounded.
To someone like him, Zheng Tianhe was already an unattainable giant, and the existence of Ning Xianhu was like a heavenly immortal in the legends, something he could only look up to.
And when he realized that both Zheng Tianhe and Ning Xianhu were accompanying this young man in the blue robe, Jin Xiaochuan was so shocked that he stood there with his eyes wide open.
Who on earth was this person!?
"Young master, I also want to go with you," Tea Jin said courageously.
Seeing this, Zheng Muyao's eyes quickly turned, and she said, "Uncle Su, I'm going too!"
How could Zheng Tianhe not see that this matter was of utmost importance to both Su Yi and Ning Xianhu?
If he could accompany them on this journey, perhaps it would not only bring him closer to Su Yi but also create some positive connections with Ning Xianhu!
He cleared his throat, preparing to say that he happened to be available tonight and would be willing to lend a helping hand.
To his surprise, before Su Yi could speak, Ning Xianhu shook her head and refused, "Only three people can go on this mission at most."
As she spoke, she suddenly looked up and let out a clear and melodious whistle.
Soon, a loud and clear cry resounded through the night sky's clouds.
A massive bird figure descended from the sky and gracefully landed in the courtyard.
It was an astonishingly majestic eagle with shining green wings, standing over ten feet tall, its sharp eyes intimidating.
Tea Jin, Zheng Muyao, and Jin Xiaochuan gasped in astonishment. The aura emanating from this fierce bird was no weaker than that of a grandmaster!
A ninth-rank beast, the Green Scale Eagle!
Zheng Tianhe narrowed his eyes, almost uttering his thoughts but holding them back, feeling disappointed and understanding Ning Xianhu's intentions.
Ning Xianhu spoke softly, "Friend, with Qing'er's speed, it will take less than an hour to reach the Qianxuan Ridge. However, only three people can ride."
Qing'er was the name she had given to the Green Scale Eagle.
Su Yi didn't hesitate and said, "Then it will be you, me, and Jin Xiaochuan going together."
Tea Jin's face instantly fell with disappointment.
Zheng Muyao pursed her lips, gazing at the Green Scale Eagle with envy, wondering what it would feel like to ride such a flying beast in the sky.
"In that case, I will stay here and take care of the mansion for the young master. Additionally, I wish the young master and Lady Ning success on their journey!" Zheng Tianhe clasped his hands together.
Su Yi nodded and said to Tea Jin, "If I can't return in a short time, take care of yourself."
Tea Jin was stunned, feeling as if a huge stone had fallen into her heart, causing warm waves to surge like ripples. She hadn't expected that at this moment, Su Yi would unexpectedly show concern for her.
If she remembered correctly, this was the first time Su Yi had expressed such care for her...
"You can rest assured, young master."
Tea Jin's beautiful and clear face bloomed with a dazzling smile.
Soon, a clear and loud cry echoed through the night, and under the watchful eyes of everyone, the Green Scale Eagle spread its wings, spanning a range of thirty feet, and soared into the sky, carrying Su Yi, Ning Xianhu, and Jin Xiaochuan, disappearing into the depths of the night sky's clouds.