Chapter 148: Fiercely Protective of One's Own

The first stop was the rooftop helipad of a major hotel in the city.

After getting off the helicopter, following the host's lead, Tang Long accompanied the Yang family into a luxurious and spacious suite inside the hotel.

"We just bought this hotel to serve as our temporary liaison office in this city. If you need anything, you can come here at any time," Yang Zetian said calmly.

Tang Long's brows twitched slightly, followed by an inward rolling of his eyes. He knew the Yang family was wealthy, but there was no need to show off in front of him.

Of course, perhaps the Yang family wasn't showing off; they were simply informing him.

"Eldest sister, the person demanding the ransom has called again!"

A petite woman hurried into the room and reported to Yang Zetian.

Yang Zetian stopped in her tracks, looked at her, and asked, "What did they say?"

With a pale face, Yang Wuqiao said, "The other party demands that we hand over the operational control of the North American All-In-One Shopping Network Company."

Operational control of the North American All-In-One Shopping Network Company?

Yang Zetian frowned, as if trying to guess what the mastermind behind all this wanted with the control of that company.

"Can you tell me a bit about this online shopping company?" Tang Long interjected.

Yang Wuqiao turned around, stared at Tang Long, and asked, "Are you that Tang Long? Hmph, if anything happens to my little brother... this young lady will haunt you for the rest of your life, and make sure you never have another peaceful day!"

Huh? Tang Long shrugged. He could barely accept this kind of "threat." At least it wasn't as overbearing as Yang Wuchan's, who always wanted to drag someone down to be buried with her at the drop of a hat.

"Explain the situation of the North American All-In-One Shopping Network Company to him!" Yang Zetian interrupted Yang Wuqiao and commanded.

Knowing the gravity of the current situation, Yang Wuqiao put on a stern face and said, "The North American All-In-One Shopping Network Company is similar to domestic platforms like Taobao. It's a large online shopping chain company that can deliver the goods users purchase from major supermarkets, stores, and its own warehouses right to their doorstep in a very short time!"

"Are there any domestic branches?" Tang Long frowned and asked.

Yang Wuqiao shook her head and said, "No, not yet. There are no domestic branches for now. The company's main operations are all in North America."

Tang Long remarked, "The other party might have taken a fancy to their transportation and logistics network system." Since it wasn't domestic, it wasn't a major problem. If something happened overseas, then let it happen—it had nothing to do with him.

Yang Zetian looked at Tang Long and asked, "Do you mean we should hand over the control of the North American All-In-One Shopping Network Company to them?"

Tang Long spread his hands and said, "This is the Yang family's business, it has nothing to do with me!" The unspoken implication was that he was not going to get involved in this matter. Whether or not to hand over the control of the company was entirely up to the Yang family, and he had no intention of poking his nose into the matter of Yang Wujiang's missing heart either.

He was not a deity and could not be in two places at once. He had only agreed to help the Yang family find the legendary 'Sun-Returning Herb,' and Tang Long was not responsible for anything else.

Yang Zetian thought for a moment and said, "Then give it to them, and also ask what other demands they have, and how long it will take before they are willing to return Wujiang's heart!"

"Alright!" Yang Wuqiao nodded and turned to leave. In the Yang family, Yang Zetian's words were law.

Tang Long said, "It seems time is running short, so let's cut to the chase and drop the beating around the bush. How much do you know about the 'Ancient God Temple' in the Qinling Mountains?"

If the Yang family knew nothing at all, the organization behind the scenes would not have orchestrated such a scheme to get the Yang family fully involved—unless the Yang family held some crucial information regarding the 'Ancient God Temple' in the Qinling Mountains. It must be noted that Tang Long only knew some legends about the Qinling Ancient God Temple; he had never actually been inside, nor had he ever shown any interest in it.

Yang Wuchan looked over at Yang Zetian. Matters concerning the Qinling Ancient God Temple were classified as top-level secrets within the Yang family.

Yang Zetian said calmly, "We've reached this point, there's nothing left to hide. Tell him!"

Yang Wuchan then turned back, her face gloomy, and said to Tang Long, "Our Yang family has been gathering intelligence on the Qinling Ancient God Temple for a very long time, and we've even organized personnel to enter the Ancient God Temple..."

"Hold on!"

Tang Long raised a hand to interrupt Yang Wuchan, frowning as he asked, "Did you just say the Yang family has known about the Qinling Ancient God Temple for a long time?"

"Yes!" Yang Wuchan nodded.

Tang Long stared at her and asked, "How long?"

Yang Wuchan deeply disliked this feeling; she felt like a criminal being interrogated. Secretly grinding her teeth, she felt not even a shred—not even half a shred—of favorable feeling toward this fellow Tang Long.

"We've known about the Qinling Ancient God Temple for about thirty years or so," Yang Wuchan said.

Tang Long said with a gloomy face, "Thirty years ago, from whose mouth did you get the news about the 'Qinling Ancient God Temple'? Was it someone named Xiaotian?"

Yang Wuchan was stunned, then turned to look at Yang Zetian. She knew when the Yang family began investigating the Qinling Ancient God Temple, but as for the source of the intelligence, she honestly hadn't paid much attention to it. The affair of the Qinling Ancient God Temple was a secret that the previous generation of the Yang family had been exploring.

How old was she anyway? When the Yang family obtained the news about the 'Qinling Ancient God Temple,' Yang Wuchan hadn't even been born yet. She had only taken over the exploration of the Qinling Ancient God Temple a decade or so ago. She knew that the older members of the Yang family had tried exploring the Qinling Ancient God Temple a few times, and she knew the general location of the Ancient God Temple, but she truly had no idea through what channels the Yang family had acquired the intelligence about the 'Qinling Ancient God Temple.'

"Thirty years ago, my third uncle obtained a treasure map regarding the 'Ancient God Temple' from overseas. Legend has it that supreme secret treasures are hidden within the 'Ancient God Temple.' My third uncle was called Yang Lingjiao. Where he obtained that treasure map, how he got the news about the 'Qinling Ancient God Temple,' and whether it has anything to do with this 'Xiaotian' you mentioned, we have no idea!" Yang Zetian shook her head and said.

The search and exploration work of the Qinling Ancient God Temple had spanned two generations of the Yang family!

"Where is Yang Lingjiao?" Tang Long asked with a frown, showing not a shred of respect as he used his full name. Because behind this lay a story concerning him. The last time he tracked that batch of national treasures, several comrades-in-arms had sacrificed their lives, and those national treasures had originated from the Qinling Mountains.

Tang Long had originally thought the lead was broken because too much time had passed. When the investigation reached the end, people claimed that this man named 'Xiaotian' had gone missing deep within the Qinling Mountains more than thirty years ago, his life or death unknown, and their leader was merely a subordinate of 'Xiaotian' from back then.

Tang Long could not guarantee that that incident had zero connection to the Yang family!

"Unknown!" Yang Zetian shook her head.

Tang Long's brow twitched, and he said coldly, "Unknown? Dead or alive, you should at least know that much!"

Yang Zetian still shook her head and said, "We don't even know that!" Pausing for a moment, she explained with a deadpan expression, "My third uncle, Yang Lingjiao, went missing, and his life or death is uncertain!"

Tang Long frowned and asked, "Did he also go missing deep in the Qinling Mountains?"

Yang Zetian nodded. "Yes. To be precise, he went missing inside the Ancient God Temple of the Qinling Mountains. No one knows his exact status regarding life or death!"

Tang Long's mind raced, integrating the known information. The vast majority of things in this world do not happen by chance; many events have causes and effects. The mastermind behind the scenes attacking Yang Wujiang, taking his heart, and luring Tang Long out of seclusion to head toward the Qinling Ancient God Temple was no accident either.

"Has your Yang family already found the entrance to the 'Ancient God Temple'?" Tang Long asked.

Yang Zetian instructed Yang Wuchan, "Disclose everything about the 'Qinling Ancient God Temple' to Chief Tang. Furthermore, from now on, he may borrow the Yang family's intelligence network to investigate anything. As for entering the Qinling Ancient God Temple, you will be in charge from now on and accompany and assist him throughout the entire journey."

Turning back, she said to Tang Long, "If you have any questions, communicate directly with Wuchan. I need to return to Modu first and find a way to get Wujiang's heart back."

Her intention was very clear: divide forces into two paths, each performing their own duties. Since Tang Long had said he would help go to the Qinling Ancient God Temple to find the 'Sun-Returning Herb,' this matter would be entirely entrusted to him.

Zhen Nantian had already made it clear: if Tang Long couldn't retrieve that item, the probability of anyone else succeeding would drop to a mere fifty percent. He was the only one with a sixty percent chance of accomplishing the task.

Based on this evaluation, Yang Zetian had no reason to doubt Tang Long's capabilities.

"Alright!"

Tang Long didn't waste any breath either. After a brief pause, he turned to Peacock and said, "You should go back first as well. You don't need to come along for this trip into the Qinling Mountains to find the Sun-Returning Herb!"

The danger coefficient was too high, and Tang Long didn't want Peacock to get dragged into it. Having himself was enough; if she followed him inside, he would still have to take care of her.

Peacock shook her head and said, "I must go!"

Tang Long raised his head, looked coldly at Yang Zetian, and asked in a deep voice, "Did you people... threaten my sister?"

"..." Yang Zetian was speechless. This fellow was truly protective of his own. She said to Peacock, "Since your brother doesn't want you to enter the Qinling Mountains, then you can just follow me back to Modu. Who knows, there might still be things that require your help."

Peacock bit her lip, looked up at Tang Long, and said, "I... still want to follow you into the Qinling Mountains."

"It's dangerous!" Tang Long uttered two calm words. In his estimation, the danger coefficient for Peacock entering the Qinling Mountains was far greater than her staying outside. Intuition told Tang Long that this trip to the Qinling Mountains would likely be a narrow escape with nine deaths and one life!

There was no help for it; having gone through life and death so many times for years, Tang Long's intuition was always accurate!

Peacock bit her lip. At this moment, she no longer looked like a captain, but rather like a young, helpless little girl.

Without waiting for her to speak, Tang Long reached out, patted her head, and smiled. "Be a good girl. There is nothing in this world that your brother cannot handle. Wait obediently for me to return!"

"...Alright!"

Peacock took the initiative to step forward and hug Tang Long. "Brother, thank you!" Her voice was very soft, audible only to the two of them.

Close as biological siblings!

Watching Peacock leave behind Yang Zetian, for some reason, Tang Long felt a slight ache in his chest. He froze for a moment, but the feeling quickly dissipated, so he didn't take it to heart.

Turning back, he looked at Yang Wuchan and said, "Gather your men, we leave immediately. We can talk about the details on the road as we go."

The Yang family had been researching and exploring the 'Qinling Ancient God Temple' for over thirty years, and with the treasure map of the 'Ancient God Temple' in their hands, they should have long since tracked down the location of the temple's entrance. As for why they hadn't figured out the internal situation of the Ancient God Temple after all these years, the possibilities were simply too numerous.

At the very least, Tang Long had never heard any major rumors or intelligence regarding the Ancient God Temple. Of course, this might also be related to the fact that he had always been executing missions overseas and rarely paid attention to domestic news.

Since ancient times, there had been too many legends about the Qinling Mountains, and the birthplace of Chinese civilization was also embedded within them. The 'Ancient God Temple' could only be said to be one of the many secret tales and legends.

Aside from the 'Ancient God Temple,' the Qinling Mountains undoubtedly harbored numerous treasures accumulated over thousands of years, waiting for people to unearth them one by one.

On the helicopter, Yang Wuchan was contacting the personnel for this trip. Everyone would rendezvous at the entrance of the Qinling Mountains!

Tang Long was in no rush to question her. Looking at the scenery flashing past outside the window, his brows furrowed slightly. He wasn't particularly resistant to entering the Qinling Mountains, but for some reason, something felt slightly off. He felt a vague sense of discomfort, as if something was about to happen, yet he couldn't figure out where the problem might lie.

Fish Head Village?

This time should be an accident, and it shouldn't have anything to do with Fish Head Village. After the incident with Yang Wujiang, even without Tang Long saying anything, the relevant domestic authorities would tighten security while maintaining a relaxed outward appearance, with people keeping a close eye on many places.

Therefore, Taoyuan County was safe now, and Tang Long didn't need to worry about the safety of people like Zhang Xiuzao, Zhao Xiaoyue, and Gou Yuniang.