"Senior Hong Qiang, who exactly is this Yin Gongfu?" Chu Feng asked. He wanted to know who Hong Qiang's savior was.
"Yin Gongfu was originally a member of the Ximen Imperial Clan. Back then, the position of Ximen Imperial Clan Leader was meant to be passed down to him."
"But for some unknown reason, not only did he decline the position of Clan Leader, he severed all ties with the Ximen Imperial Clan and changed his name. That was how the name Yin Gongfu came to be."
"Yin Gongfu is extremely powerful — likely no weaker than the leaders of the four great clans. When I was young, he saved my life, and I've always wanted to thank him in person."
"But he vanished years ago, and no news of him has surfaced since."
"Some said he had been secretly assassinated by the Ximen Imperial Clan. I thought it was a great pity at the time — after all, rumor had it that Yin Gongfu was a man of grand passion and fierce loyalty. I never expected that he wasn't dead at all, but had come here?" Hong Qiang was visibly emotional.
"Of course he's not dead. He disappeared all those years ago because he came to the World Hidden Valley and pledged himself to that old man, working for him and managing the World Hidden Valley," Yaojiao Guang said.
"That's how it is? Then what exactly is the World Hidden Valley?" Hong Qiang asked.
"Inside the World Hidden Valley, there is a mine. Though in our eyes, it's a worthless, depleted mine."
"And yet that old man gathered a group of people to dig for ores there day after day."
"Oh right, Young Friend Chu Feng — what business do you have there?" Yaojiao Guang asked.
"I have a good friend who is currently cultivating there, so I'd like to go see him," Chu Feng said.
"So that's it. The World Hidden Valley was seized from us, and it is a source of shame for our clan. However, that old man has simply occupied the valley without causing any real trouble. On top of that, every time we launched campaigns against him, he never actually harmed a single soldier of our Yaojiao Royal Clan. And since Yin Gongfu also pledged himself to him and interceded on our behalf multiple times, over time, our Yaojiao Royal Clan essentially tacitly accepted the arrangement. We are no longer hostile to the World Hidden Valley."
"If Young Friend Chu Feng wishes to go there, I can escort you. Although Yin Gongfu has refused to tell me anything about that old man, he is still an old friend of mine. If you arrive with my recommendation, he should receive you as an honored guest," Yaojiao Guang said.
"I'll trouble you, then, Senior." Having heard all this, Chu Feng had already realized that the World Hidden Valley was no ordinary place.
If he went alone and merely mentioned Zhang Tianyi's father's name without any proof, they might not believe him. But if Yaojiao Guang personally recommended him, there would be no such problems.
Afterward, having said their farewells, Chu Feng departed publicly amid a grand send-off by the Yaojiao Royal Beasts.
The reason he left openly was that he wanted every Yaojiao Royal Beast to know — Chu Feng was gone, he had left the Yaojiao Royal Clan. That way, anyone who might have been thinking of tipping someone off would abandon the idea entirely.
After departing, the three of them, led by Yaojiao Guang, set off toward the World Hidden Valley.
Whoosh—
But suddenly, a streak of light came flying in at incredible speed. In the blink of an eye, the glow had crossed from the distant horizon to the area right in front of Baili Xuankong.
Looking closely, it was a small bird — a golden-yellow bird, no larger than half a palm. Its entire body was a brilliant gold, stunningly beautiful. Most striking was the special light radiating from its forehead, within which characters actually flowed. Though the characters were impossible to make out clearly, they unmistakably conveyed some form of special message.
"A Golden Flash Bird — is it looking for you?" Yaojiao Guang looked at Baili Xuankong with considerable surprise.
Chu Feng was equally taken aback. The Golden Flash Bird was something he had heard of before — a divine bird used to deliver messages, so fast that even a Martial Emperor couldn't keep up with its speed.
The Golden Flash Bird could only record a single person's aura. Once it had recorded that aura, it could find that person no matter where they were in the world.
But after finding them, the Golden Flash Bird would forget that person's aura forever and could never record anyone else's for the rest of its life.
In other words, the Golden Flash Bird could deliver only a single message. Once delivered, it was set free.