Leo and the group left Luoyang City immediately after they noticed a strange movement. They used an optical illusion to stealthily leave by leaping out of the wall and running into the direction of the warehouse immediately.
"What happened?"
Zhen didn't understand why they had to leave Luoyang City so soon. The commotion in the city should be Wudang Sect's doing to find the person who humiliated them.
Unless...
'They were the ones who did it?'
His eyes opened wide in realization, realizing the situation by connecting the dot.
'I need to inform the Sect Leader about this. We apparently still underestimated their strength by too much.'
The fact that they were able to steal the epigraph was already impressive. However, the fact that they were also capable of massacring a group of martial artists from the Wudang Sect like they were ants.
Not that it was important.
As they moved closer to the Hao Sect's hidden warehouse, the trees became sparse and the land flattened. There were a few houses and farms here and there, but the place was far from crowded.
At that point, Leo deactivated his optical illusion and asked his group to stop running. He looked at Zhen and asked.
"Is this the place?"
"Yes." Zhen nodded in confirmation, "This is the fake village to hide our warehouse entrance. From here on, there will be many traps waiting for us. We can't deactivate some of them for countermeasures against intruders and betrayal. However, I know all of their locations, so please follow me closely."
"Okay, go ahead."
Leo and the group followed Zhen as he led them deeper into the village. Some of the villagers saw them and bowed.
Everyone here was a member of Hao Sect. They acted as normal villagers to turn away attention.
However, the atmosphere was strange when they approached a barn.
The usual lively and warm air was gone, replaced by a cold and somber one.
It felt like a funeral.
"Please, this way."
Without any shred of hesitation, Zhen entered and showed them the entrance to the underground.
Leo didn't think that everyone had to follow, so he commanded Shui and Jack to guard the entrance while he and Chiaki followed Zhen.
Just as Zhen had said before, there were many traps in this path. With a quick scan alone, Leo found more than 10 different kinds.
He didn't know if it was because he had a good memory or his Nanites made him sharper, but he memorized all of the traps and their function.
The tunnel was pretty straightforward, so there was no need for a map.
Before long, they arrived at a place with a rough wall surface.
"This is the hidden warehouse. It's a bit small compared to our headquarters, but it should be enough for the epigraph." Zhen explained.
Warehouse? This?
"It didn't seem like there was an item here."
"Yes, we had a fake entrance before. The real one is in the middle."
As he finished his sentence, Zhen pressed his palm on the wall and released his Qi.
The wall trembled slightly and began to shift. Sounds of rock scraping against each other could be heard, and the wall split into two.
Behind it was a spacious room filled with various items and treasures.
'This is quite a nice hiding place.' Leo thought as he saw the room.
It was well lit, and the ceiling was pretty high. The epigraph should be stored here.
But, there was still one question left.
"Is the person inside that room friendly or hostile?" Leo asked, pointing at the room behind the fake wall.
"Huh? Friendly, of course." Zhen replied, a bit surprised. "Come on out, Old Man Bao. They are my companions and here to deliver the epigraph."
His voice echoed throughout the room.
As he finished his sentence, a gray-haired man with a hunched back emerged from the room. He wore a tattered robe and his face was full of wrinkles.
People in the modern world might have thought this man was an old beggar, but people from Murim would think differently. The aura he emitted was stronger than any normal martial artist. He had a strong Qi, indicating his prowess and power.
Even when old, Leo could feel his power and how dangerous he could be.
'He is strong.'
That was a fact. Even Chiaki pulled his sleeve and narrowed her eyes. Predators could recognize each other.
"What a dangerous fellow." The one called Old Man Bao spoke as he opened his eyes.