Chapter 150: Departure

“Help me with something. In a while, someone from the Yang family will come to pick you up. Make sure General Yang Wu survives—wait for my return!”

As soon as the call connected, Tang Long wasted no time and went straight to the point.

On the other end came an exasperated voice, grumbling angrily, “That brat from the Yang family has lost his heart to someone else—how can I guarantee anything? Do you think I’m some kind of immortal?”

Clearly, he was already aware of General Yang Wu’s situation.

Tang Long sneered coldly, “Old man, don’t waste my time with nonsense. Whether you can save him or not, you will. You think I’m negotiating with you? If you’ve got anything up your sleeve, bring it out. If General Yang Wu dies before I return, you’ll have to answer for it yourself.”

With that, he hung up.

Looking up at Yang Wuchan, he said, “Send someone to fetch Jiang Huaijin. That old man may be a bit eccentric, but he’s talented enough. With him around, your brother, General Yang Wu, shouldn’t be in too much danger.”

Jiang Huaijin’s reputation as a ‘divine medical master’ was no empty title; his skills were genuine. He was also a man of principle, though somewhat indulgent toward his son, which tarnished his reputation somewhat. He and Tang Long shared a bond that transcended generations.

With Master Jiang’s medical expertise and the Yang family’s financial resources, General Yang Wu should be able to hold on for a while.

Yang Wuchan was a little stunned; she hadn’t expected Tang Long to call in such a favor to reach out to the revered Jiang Huaijin.

“Thank you!” she said, her eyes reddening as she expressed her gratitude.

Tang Long said nothing. Instead, he looked at Bao Hu, who was sitting in the front, and smiled. “You look unfamiliar. What kind of places have you been hanging around before?”

Bao Hu realized that this slovenly young man in the back seat was no ordinary person. Jiang Huaijin’s fame was widespread, but no one had heard of anyone calling him up just by pulling strings.

Since his retirement, Jiang Huaijin rarely treated patients, not to mention the exorbitant fees. People seldom had the chance to see him in person anymore.

“I’m a disciple of Mu Nanshan. I served as a mercenary in the Bay Area for seven years and joined the Yang family seven years ago. I’m currently captain of the Yang family’s security team. And you, sir, what’s your name?” Bao Hu asked respectfully.

“Trainee of Mu Nanshan?” Tang Long was momentarily taken aback, then laughed lazily. “Mu Nanshan’s senior brother is me… Well, that’s a long story. Since you’re Mu Nanshan’s disciple, if you like, you can call me ‘Junior Uncle.’ If not, just call me Tang Long—I’m the fifth-generation head of the Xingyiquan school.”

He paused briefly, then chuckled, “The world really isn’t that big after all.”

Junior Uncle?

After Yang Wuchan finished notifying the Yang family to send someone for the divine healer Jiang Huaijin and hung up, she was momentarily stunned by Tang Long’s words.

Was he bluffing—or was this really some kind of seniority in disguise?

Bao Hu stared at Tang Long for a few seconds before suddenly grinning broadly. “So you’re Junior Uncle Tang Long! Honored to meet you!”

“Haha!” Tang Long laughed heartily and casually remarked, “Well, seeing me means you’re lucky in this life.”

Yang Wuchan silently thought to herself: shameless as ever.

Tang Long was never one to mince words about seniority. Usually, he didn’t care much for such things, but if he had to, don’t let the smile fool you—he took it very seriously. Some old rules had been passed down through generations and were not to be broken.

Of course, if others didn’t mind such conventions, he wouldn’t either; seniority in the martial world was largely meaningless.

They exchanged a few casual words, but the mood wasn’t right for deeper conversation or relationship-building.

Tang Long changed the subject and asked, “Bao Hu, you said you entered the ‘Ancient God Temple.’ Can you tell me what it’s like inside?”

A flicker of fear crossed Bao Hu’s eyes. Though brief, Tang Long caught it immediately.

“Out of nine lives, I barely escaped with one. It’s hard to put into words.”

Bao Hu summarized simply with eight characters. Last time he ventured into the ‘Ancient God Temple,’ he nearly didn’t make it out, even though several years had passed.

If he could avoid it, he wouldn’t set foot in the Qinling Mountains again to search for that temple. That place was profoundly sinister. Last time, many went in, but only a few came back.

But a man didn’t live in this world for himself alone—he also lived for duty. That was a lesson taught by Mu Nanshan during their martial training.

The Yang family had treated him well; one must never forget their roots. Now, with General Yang Wu’s life hanging by a thread, he couldn’t turn a blind eye.

Even if he died, he would die in the Ancient God Temple, fighting for a bright future for his wife and children.

As they journeyed on, the sun was about to set when the convoy entered the Qinling Mountains.

With the intelligence controlled by the Yang family, they roughly knew the location of the Ancient God Temple’s entrance but couldn’t confirm if the place they had been to before was truly the temple.

Yang Lingjiao had disappeared, and with him went the ‘Ancient God Temple’ map obtained abroad.

Without that map, the Yang family could only rely on the faint clues left behind by Yang Lingjiao. After all these years, they had made some progress, but not much.

“There’s a village ahead. We set up a base there. We’ll rest there tonight and head up the mountain again tomorrow morning,” Yang Wuchan said.

Tang Long shook his head calmly. “No need to rest. Let’s enter the mountain tonight.”

This expedition was made up of the Yang family’s elites. Whether they entered by day or night didn’t make much difference. Besides, General Yang Wu’s life was hanging by a thread—he could die at any moment. Since Tang Long promised to help, he wouldn’t go back on his word.

Yang Wuchan was even more anxious inside. Hearing Tang Long’s words, she breathed a sigh of relief and immediately agreed.

The convoy stopped in the small mountain village for a brief rest. Bao Hu gathered his team to introduce them to Tang Long. There were thirteen people in total, including four women.

The woman who left the strongest impression on Tang Long was the one with a prominent centipede-shaped scar on her face. Her name was “Leopard Print,” likely a nickname. Judging by instinct, her abilities were even stronger than Bao Hu’s.

Including Tang Long and Yang Wuchan, sixteen people would enter the mountain.

Everyone, including Tang Long, carried huge backpacks filled with ample supplies—water, food, and so on—since no one knew how long the expedition would last.

“Are you all ready?” Bao Hu asked sternly.

After receiving affirmative responses, he turned to Yang Wuchan. “Miss, we can depart now.”

Yang Wuchan said nothing but scratched her head and looked at Tang Long. It was clear that this expedition into the Qinling Mountains to search for the Ancient God Temple was led by Tang Long.

“Let’s go,” Tang Long nodded calmly.

“Departure!”

The group left the mountain village and disappeared into the night.

Traveling at night was difficult, but for this team, it was no problem. In fact, they worried most about Tang Long—whether this ‘stranger’ with delicate skin and soft hands could keep up and not fall behind.

But Tang Long moved as if walking on solid ground, maintaining a steady pace no matter how fast the team advanced.