755: For treasure

The Squad quickly circled the area near the entrance of the Ancient Ruins a few times.

However, they did not discover any suspicious individuals.

"Is there not a single person who feels off to you?" Li Rui was somewhat surprised.

Lin Yang nodded, "Indeed, there isn't."

"That really is strange," Li Rui muttered, then added, "Perhaps they haven't arrived yet; let's just wait here and see."

Their Squad's primary task now was to guard and patrol the entrance of the Ancient Ruins.

Within Baichi City, the higher-ups were keeping a close watch.

However, a long time passed, and Lin Yang still had not detected any potential lurkers from the Ancient Night Clan in the entrance area of the Ancient Ruins.

This couldn't help but make him feel a bit puzzled.

Could it be that the people from the Ancient Night Clan weren't coming for the Ancient Ruins?

He shared this thought with Li Rui and the others.

Li Rui frowned, "If they aren't coming for the Ancient Ruins, then what else could they be coming for?"

"In this place, Baichi City, apart from the Ancient Ruins, isn't there nothing else that could entice the Ancient Night Clan to lurk here time and again?"

"That is unknown," Lin Yang said.

Cheng Fu suddenly interjected, "Is there a possibility that the Ancient Night Clan's goal isn't actually the Ancient Ruins, but still that so-called treasure?"

Upon hearing this, both Lin Yang and Li Rui were slightly taken aback.

A flash of sharpness crossed Li Rui's eyes, "Cheng Fu, do you mean that the members of the Ancient Night Clan are lurking here again, still searching for treasure?"

Cheng Fu nodded, "Personally, I feel that this possibility cannot be ruled out."

He analyzed seriously:

"Last time, the Ancient Night Clan members said they came to search for treasure, and then the Ancient Ruins were excavated. We all subconsciously assumed that they were coming for the Ancient Ruins, but we cannot completely rule out that the appearance of the Ancient Ruins was just an accident."

"Therefore, the true goal of the Ancient Night Clan members is very likely still that treasure for which there hasn't been a single clue so far."

"All of our attention is now focused on the Ancient Ruins; the Ancient Night Clan members are very likely taking advantage of this opportunity to act."

"At a time when we all thought the Ancient Ruins had already appeared and the Ancient Night Clan members wouldn't come back, they quietly sent people to lurk here again."

These words made everyone in the Squad knit their brows.

Because Cheng Fu's words indeed held some truth.

Everyone now believes that the treasure hunt mentioned by the Ancient Night Clan members back then was just an excuse, but what if it really was a treasure hunt, and not aimed at the Ancient Ruins?

"If the appearance of the Ancient Ruins was an accident, and the Ancient Night Clan members didn't know beforehand that the Ancient Ruins existed in Baichi City, then could there really be another incredible treasure hidden in Baichi City?"

Li Rui said, a look of disbelief flashing in his eyes.

Lin Yang thought for a moment and said, "Whether it is or isn't, we'll know once the higher-ups catch those few suspicious guys."

"And what if there really is another treasure?" one team member couldn't help but say, "Could it be that we're going to have another treasure hunting craze?"

The situation during the last treasure hunting craze was truly unforgettable.

There were people everywhere.

People packed with people.

The Squad members looked at each other, speechless.

"If there really is another treasure, then I can only say that Baichi City is too awesome."

After a moment of silence, Cheng Fu sighed leisurely:

"A city that was originally unknown, now has both Ancient Ruins and an even more formidable treasure; the name of Baichi City will be able to resound throughout the Primal Ancient Continent."

"Alright, stop guessing for now, continue patrolling and wait for the results," Li Rui waved his hand, cutting off the idle chatter.

Lin Yang began to ponder.

If there really was another undiscovered treasure here, their Squad would likely have no peace at all.

He was now just a tiny bit away from reaching the Late Dao Fire Realm.

If another treasure hunting craze came, he really wouldn't have time to cultivate.

He wanted to ask for leave, but the current situation likely wouldn't permit him to do so.

For some reason, he was currently the only one who could detect the suspected Ancient Night Clan members lurking here.

He definitely couldn't ask for leave.

"I hope Lord Zheng Ge can catch those few guys as soon as possible."

Lin Yang could only secretly pray that Zheng Ge's side would be faster.

The conflict between the Moon Shadow Sect and the Tiankun Sect was becoming increasingly intense.

But he really couldn't get away right now, so Lin Yang was also a little anxious.

He hoped to finish dealing with the suspected Ancient Night Clan lurkers as soon as possible.

Otherwise, he might very well miss the golden opportunity to deal with that old geezer Pan Yuan.

It's just that some things are harder to achieve the more anxious you are.

A long time passed, and Baichi City remained as calm as before.

Their Squad had not received any instructions for further action either.

It was obvious that those few suspected Ancient Night Clan lurkers had not yet been caught.

This made Lin Yang feel a bit puzzled.

Because regardless of whether those few suspected Ancient Night Clan lurkers came for another treasure hunt or for the Ancient Ruins, they were all within the Baichi City area.

It shouldn't take the higher-ups this long to lock onto and capture a few people within the Baichi City area, right?

"Could it be that there was some accident?"

Lin Yang thought and said to Li Rui, "Captain, could you inquire about what the situation is in the city right now? Has Lord Zheng Ge not taken action against those few guys yet?"

Li Rui glanced at him, seemingly aware of Lin Yang's thoughts, and immediately said:

"I'll ask for you, but I cannot guarantee whether I will be able to find out any useful information; after all, the decisions of the higher-ups are not easily probed."

"I understand, thank you, Captain," Lin Yang thanked him.

Li Rui then began to help Lin Yang inquire about the news.

After more than half a day, Li Rui finally said, "I found out a little something. It seems that the higher-ups discovered some other clues and are still setting up surveillance. Those three guys have already been monitored, and it is estimated that there will be results very soon."

"This time, the higher-ups seem not to want to make as big a scene as last time; they want to resolve the matter with as minimal impact as possible, so it seems they have been preparing something."

Lin Yang breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good. I thought something unexpected had happened and let those three guys get away."

Li Rui immediately laughed, "How is that possible? Since the news has already been reported, how could the higher-ups not be able to find them? It's even less likely they would let them get away."

Lin Yang nodded.

That was true.

When it concerns the Ancient Night Clan, the Prefecture Army must definitely attach extreme importance to it.

They absolutely would not let people get away easily.

So he continued to wait patiently.

After another period of time.

"Those few suspected Ancient Night Clan guys have already been captured. After verification, they are indeed people from the Ancient Night Clan."

That day, Li Rui told the Squad members the latest news.

The Squad members were not too surprised, as they had already guessed beforehand that the other party might be people from the Ancient Night Clan.

However, the fact that this operation did not cause any large-scale waves made everyone a bit curious.

"Is that it? There doesn't seem to be any commotion over in Baichi City," Cheng Fu asked curiously.

Li Rui chuckled, "As I said, the higher-ups have been preparing this operation for a long time precisely because they didn't want to expand the scope of the impact, so they took them down without giving those guys any room to resist."

"Then they should have asked something out of them, right? What were those few guys lurking here for?"

Cheng Fu asked again:

"Were they searching for treasure, or were they coming for the Ancient Ruins?"

Li Rui said in a low voice, "You were indeed right before; they came for treasure hunting, not for the Ancient Ruins, which is why we've been lying in wait at the Ancient Ruins for so long, and Lin Yang hasn't discovered a single suspicious person."

"As I thought!" A sharp light flared in Cheng Fu's eyes, "This Baichi City is truly incredible; there really is another heaven-defying treasure hidden here."

Lin Yang was also extremely astonished.

To think it really was still for treasure hunting.

This was very interesting.

"Captain, what are we going to do next? Do we still need to continue patrolling here?" Lin Yang followed up with a question.

Li Rui looked at him, "Lord Zheng Ge said that since only you can discover those hidden Ancient Night Clan members, we should continue patrolling in Baichi City. They aren't here for the Ancient Ruins, so we can return to the city."

"..." Lin Yang was speechless for a moment, then added, "Haven't the higher-ups learned from those three guys whether there are any other lurkers in the city? Haven't they rounded them all up?"

"No."

Li Rui shook his head:

"Lord Zheng Ge said that this time, the Ancient Night Clan sent people to lurk here with more thorough preparations. Even they themselves didn't know of each other's existence, so they also don't know whether there are any other lurkers."

"Ah, this... Does the Ancient Night Clan play so fancy?" Lin Yang couldn't help but be stunned.

"This is also a method to prevent other similar lurkers from being uprooted once one lurker is exposed."

Li Rui continued:

"I can only say that the Ancient Night Clan has taken great pains and spared no expense for that so-called treasure."

"Then can I ask for leave?" Lin Yang was really at his wit's end.

"This... it's probably a bit difficult," Li Rui looked hesitant.

Lin Yang knew this, so he immediately didn't say anything more and turned to ask, "Captain, didn't you say before that once it was verified that they were Ancient Night Clan members, I and our Squad would receive additional rewards? Have the rewards come down yet?"

Since he couldn't ask for leave, if he had enough resources, it wasn't impossible to improve his cultivation without going into seclusion.

Li Rui nodded, "There will definitely be rewards, rest assured. Wait a few more days, and they should be issued."

Lin Yang gave an "en" sound.

Regarding the credibility of Jidong Prefecture when it comes to issuing remuneration and rewards, he was not worried at all.

Since it was confirmed, it would definitely be issued as soon as possible.

On the way back to Baichi City, a team member said, "Captain, do the higher-ups plan to keep the news that those few Ancient Night Clan members were still coming for treasure hunting a secret?"

"I don't know about that," Li Rui shook his head, indicating he wasn't clear, and then stated his own guess:

"But I think since the news has already been told, in all likelihood it will be difficult to completely seal it, and it will probably spread eventually."

"Then it seems Baichi City is going to be lively again."

"..."

The Squad members returned to Baichi City.

Just after returning to the stronghold, Li Rui suddenly said to Lin Yang, "Lin Yang, Lord Zheng Ge wants to see you again."

"Hmm? Wants to see me? Is there something up?" Lin Yang asked, puzzled.

"I'm not clear, but I guess it should be to ask you how you are able to detect the anomalies of the lurking Ancient Night Clan members, right?" Li Rui said, "Just answer cautiously."

"Understood, thank you for the tip, Captain." Lin Yang knew what to do.

Soon, he saw Zheng Ge again.

Sure enough, just as Li Rui said, this Lord Zheng Ge didn't say any superfluous words; he came straight to the point and asked how he was able to discover that something was off with those lurkers.

To this, Lin Yang directly replied, "Lord Zheng Ge, I don't know either. Anyway, I just noticed something upon close contact, but I can't explain the specific reason."

He was telling the truth.

During this time, he had also been trying to figure out this reason.

Others found it difficult to discover that kind of anomaly, but only he, as long as he was in contact within a certain range, could detect that something was wrong.

But even he himself hadn't figured out why he was like this.

So, facing Zheng Ge's inquiry, he told the truth and appeared very calm.

Zheng Ge's gaze lingered on him for a long time.

To be honest, it was quite oppressive.

But because Lin Yang wasn't faking or lying, he didn't feel guilty at all and met his gaze calmly.

Before long, Zheng Ge withdrew his gaze and said slowly:

"Some cultivators possess some unique talents themselves; this is not rare. Since that is the case, you may go. Your contribution this time will be recorded for you."

Lin Yang acknowledged, originally preparing to leave, but hesitated for a moment and still said:

"My Lord, since the Ancient Night Clan lurkers are not here for the Ancient Ruins, may I temporarily not need to patrol Baichi City all day?"

Zheng Ge's gaze narrowed slightly, his eyes passing over him, and he said indifferently, "You want to cultivate and break through to the Late Dao Fire Realm?"

"Yes." Lin Yang nodded.

He was currently only one step away from the Late Dao Fire Realm.

This state could be seen.

Zheng Ge pondered slightly, nodded, and said, "Since that is the case, there is no need to rush the patrol. You may go ahead and break through."

"Thank you, My Lord," Lin Yang thanked him and immediately walked out.

Zheng Ge watched his retreating figure, his brows slightly furrowed.

Outside the door.

Li Rui was waiting.

Seeing Lin Yang come out, he hurriedly stepped forward and asked, "Are you okay?"

Lin Yang shook his head, "Thank you for your concern, Captain. Lord Zheng Ge just asked how I was able to discover that something was off with those lurkers. I told the truth, and the Lord let me come back."

"As I thought, then it's fine." Li Rui seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, then asked, "Did the Lord say what reward he would give?"

"He didn't mention a specific reward, just that it would be recorded. It will probably be rewarded according to the normal standards," Lin Yang replied.

"That's good too." Li Rui nodded.

Subsequently, the two returned to the stronghold.

They did not continue patrolling in the city.

Lin Yang received special approval from Zheng Ge and could focus on breaking through first.

Along with him, the Squad also obtained some rest time.

Lin Yang didn't immediately go into seclusion.

He was waiting for this extra reward to arrive.

Sharpening the axe will not delay the work of chopping wood; once the reward is in hand, with more resources, breaking through will be faster. He didn't mind waiting these few days.

A few days later.

The rewards were issued.

It was just the standard yuan sand and cultivation resources.

However, the quantity was very large.

It was quite a bit more than what Lin Yang had estimated.

It was said that it was given extra by Zheng Ge. (End of chapter)