Chapter 148 of Volume Three: Golden Scale in Peril

Second Elder said in a deep voice, "Very well! I will certainly do my utmost to maximize the benefits of this achievement."

"Mhm~ Everyone, proceed with your respective tasks!"

"Understood~"

...

In Moon-Gazing City, at the teleportation array of the Shi family's branch, ripples of energy suddenly began to pulse. Immediately after, three figures materialized within it.

The guard of the teleportation array stepped forward instantly, bowing as he said, "Ah! It is Young Master Li. Greetings, Young Master Li!"

"Never mind that!" Shi Dali waved his hand dismissively. "Go fetch Yu Dabao. Do not alert anyone else, and do not mention that I have arrived."

"Understood, Young Master."

Before long, a short, plump middle-aged man hurried over.

The newcomer, who had initially worn a beaming smile, instantly changed his expression upon seeing Shi Dali. He quickly said, "Greetings, Young Master Li. Please forgive me for failing to welcome you upon your arrival."

Shi Dali said coldly, "We are all family here; there is no need for such formalities."

Between their words, they treated each other like strangers, showing only superficial courtesy with not the slightest hint of a reunion among peers. Moreover, vaguely speaking, this Yu Dabao seemed to harbor deep resentment toward Shi Dali.

No wonder Xiaomin said this fellow was unpopular within the family; looking at him now, his emotional intelligence was truly lackluster.

After signaling the guard to leave, Shi Dali cut straight to the point: "Yu Dabao, do you know of a place called Golden Scale Mountain?"

"Golden Scale Mountain?"

The moment Yu Mu saw the man's expression, his heart sank.

Shi Dali then described the general location, prompting Yu Dabao to snap out of it as if waking from a dream. "Are you talking about Toad Mountain?"

"Toad Mountain?" Yu Mu was startled upon hearing this.

"Indeed, there is such a mountain. In recent years, a gang of people occupied it and even established a sect called the Golden Scale Way. They are merely a bunch of reckless youths making a ruckus. Why do you ask about it?"

Shi Dali said coldly, "Do not ask what you should not. Go and draw a rough sketch of Golden Scale Mountain's location. Also, our whereabouts must not be leaked under any circumstances."

"Understood, Young Master."

After taking the sketch and confirming the location, the three of them did not linger for even a moment and hurried away.

At the Jiang family estate in Emerald City, Jiang Yidao sat imposingly in the main hall, head lowered in deep thought. Just then, Third Master Jiang hurried in, shouting anxiously, "Eldest Brother, I detected energy fluctuations from the Shi family's teleportation array. It seems those two took advantage of the night to escape. You must think of something quickly!"

Jiang Yidao's eyes flashed with a sharp light as he said, "Third Brother, do not panic. This is a good thing; I was actually worried they would stay hidden and refuse to come out. Does the Shi family possess five teleportation arrays?"

"That's right! Three short-range ones and two long-range ones. But what is the use of knowing this? Since they are escaping, they naturally want to keep it confidential. Can we possibly extract their whereabouts from the mouths of the Shi family?"

Jiang Yidao smiled faintly and said, "That is not difficult. Do you remember that the Shi family once had a cousin with a different surname who, due to falling out with Shi Dali, secretly defected to our Jiang family?"

"There is indeed such a person, but what does this matter have to do with him?" Third Master Jiang asked suspiciously.

"Heh heh~ This person has now been promoted to manager in Moon-Gazing City. That Moon-Gazing City happens to house one of the two long-range teleportation arrays. As long as we contact him, we will naturally know the direction of their escape."

"What about the other four locations?" Third Master Jiang was utterly baffled.

"Those three short-range ones are all small towns with sparse populations. Even if they flee there, their tracks will be exposed very quickly. As for the other location, if they did not appear in Moon-Gazing City, the remaining option is naturally where they went."

Third Master Jiang's eyes lit up. "Indeed, Eldest Brother's thinking is as meticulous as ever. I will go arrange for people to investigate right away."

With that, he turned and hurried off.

...

Golden Scale Mountain was about two hundred miles away from Moon-Gazing City, and Yu Mu's trio traveled through the night.

Taking advantage of the dark and deserted surroundings, Yu Mu employed his rolling movement technique, speeding rapidly along the official road. A dumbfounded Shi Dali closely followed him through the air, bringing An Shu along.

This was Shi Dali's first time witnessing Yu Mu's unique method of travel, and in his astonishment, he could hardly believe his eyes.

With this mode of progression, as long as it wasn't uphill, his speed on flat ground was already sufficient to rival a Primordial Infant stage expert like Shi Dali.

If he encountered a downhill slope and found something to leverage, his rolling speed at that moment would leave even Shi Dali far behind.

As dawn gradually broke, they were merely dozens of miles away from Golden Scale Mountain. There were already pedestrians on the road, so Yu Mu could no longer roll. He had no choice but to ascend into the air, where Shi Dali carried him aloft, flying toward Golden Scale Mountain.

Just as the three of them were about to arrive, Yu Mu suddenly spoke up, "Hey~ Look, someone is fighting below."

Hearing this, An Shu and the other looked down and indeed saw a group of people engaged in a bloody battle within the dense forest. To be precise, it was a group of people collectively assaulting a single individual.

The strength of the besieged person was clearly higher than anyone else present, but unfortunately, a hero is no match for a multitude. There were more than a dozen people attacking him, and after a prolonged battle, his situation had already become precarious.

Fortunately, this person possessed agile movement techniques and extreme speed, allowing him to hold on for the time being. However, it looked as though he could not last much longer.

Banditry was rampant in these parts, and various acts of murder and plundering were commonplace. The three of them originally had no intention of meddling in other people's business and were about to leave when Yu Mu vaguely caught the words "Golden Scale." A thought stirred in his heart, and he immediately came to a halt.

"What is it?" Shi Dali asked with curiosity.

"I heard these people mention the words 'Golden Scale.' Let's go down and take a look."

"Oh! Very well~ Then let us go and see."

The three descended midway into the air, and Shi Dali let out a thunderous roar, "Stop fighting, all of you!"

Upon seeing the imposing aura erupted by Shi Dali, the combatants all revealed expressions of shock. Unable to distinguish friend from foe for a moment, they obediently ceased their attacks.

Shi Dali looked down upon the crowd with arrogance and said coldly, "What kind of people are you all, and why are you fighting here?"

Just as Shi Dali finished speaking, a man stepped out from the larger group.

This man was at the early Golden Core stage, lower by one tier than the besieged person, yet he was the most threatening one among them toward him.

Bowing, the man replied, "We are people from Solitary Cliff, apprehending a wanted criminal here. May I ask what senior you are, and why you have come here..."

Shi Dali waved his large sleeve, cutting him off from speaking further. He then asked the lone person, "And what kind of person are you?"

Facing Shi Dali, this person showed not a trace of fear and said in a clear voice, "I am Chase Wind, the Chief of the Inspection Courtyard of the Golden Scale Way."

"Hahaha... The Inspection Courtyard, hahahaha... And a chief at that, you're killing me with laughter... Why don't you take a look in the mirror? The milk hasn't even dried from your lips yet, yet instead of learning something proper, you imitate others in founding a sect. Truly utterly ridiculous."

Chase Wind's words drew a burst of derisive laughter from the opposing group. Even Yu Mu and his companions could not help but smile inwardly upon seeing such a wet-nursed youth putting on the airs of a grandmaster.

Humiliated, Chase Wind instantly flew into a rage and moved to resume the fight. However, he heard Yu Mu speak up, "Since you are people of Golden Scale Mountain, do you know a man named Yang Yong?"

"You know Master Sect Leader?" Chase Wind was startled upon hearing this and immediately halted his steps.

Even within the mountain gates, the name Yang Yong was known only to the few brothers who had been together from the very beginning. Others either called him the Golden Scale Leopard or addressed him as Sect Leader Jin.

Ordinary people didn't even know his surname, so why would this stranger know his given name?

Yu Mu smiled faintly and said, "I do not know him, yet this time I have come specifically for him."

Observing the situation and seeing the other party establish a connection, the besieging group immediately realized things had taken a turn for the worse. Before their leader could give a signal, they scattered and fled in all directions.

Panic-stricken, Chase Wind cried out, "Do not let a single one escape, otherwise there will be endless future troubles!"

Hearing this, though the three of them did not understand why he wanted to exterminate these small fry, they saw the urgency and severity in his voice, realizing there must be a reason. Thus, showing no mercy, they immediately dispersed to give chase.

How could these people possibly be their match? In a short while, all of them had been executed.

"This is no place to talk. Follow me." After simply disposing of the corpses, Chase Wind led the three of them to a secluded spot.

"Who are these people? Why have they enmity with you?"

Unexpectedly, instead of answering Yu Mu's question, Chase Wind countered with a question of his own: "What is your business looking for my elder brother?"

Yu Mu had no choice but to answer truthfully, "Entrusted by the last will of Big Brother Earth Bear, I have come to visit him and have matters to convey to him."

"Ah~ A last will! Could it be that Big Brother Earth Bear has already..."

With a gloomy expression, Yu Mu nodded.

"Then we are in trouble." Chase Wind, whose face had been filled with sorrow, suddenly slapped his thigh fiercely, his expression shifting to one of intense anxiety.

"What is it?" Seeing his expression, Yu Mu already knew the situation was ominous.

Sure enough, Chase Wind said mournfully, "I fought my way out of the encirclement through untold hardships precisely on the orders of Sect Leader Big Brother, to go seek reinforcement from Big Brother Earth Bear. I never expected... Alas!"

Startled, Yu Mu asked, "Seek reinforcement? You mean your big brother is in danger right now? Could those people be the ones acting against you all?"

"Indeed! They are merely a small fraction of the enemies."

Greatly alarmed, Yu Mu hurriedly asked, "Quickly tell me, what on earth has happened at Golden Scale Mountain?"