Chapter 4080: The Beast’s Stalk Taegong

High Elder Shatter Peak’s eyes brightened after hearing Zhenyu’s words. "Oh?"

He knew that expression, because whenever Senior Zhenyu smiled like that, something interesting usually followed.

"Understood, Senior!" The High Elder stepped back, looking considerably more excited than before.

The Vault Division High Elder noticed the exchange and his unease deepened. ’What is he planning?’

He glanced toward the administrative buildings behind him. The arrangements concerning Taegong should already have been completed. If everything had proceeded according to instructions, the elder would have been moved away from the main branch by now.

The High Elder had been informed that Taegong’s departure would be handled discreetly. He had deliberately kept Mengli Zhenyu occupied with explanations to ensure that there was enough time.

Yet the ancient body cultivator’s growing confidence was unsettling.

’Perhaps he simply believes that he can force us to surrender Taegong eventually,’ the High Elder thought.

That seemed the most reasonable explanation. After all, there was no way Zhenyu could know what was happening inside the restricted facilities.

Or so the High Elder believed.

Far away from the main Vault Division compound, a magnificent liger was moving through the wilderness at extraordinary speed. Little Shrubby’s powerful limbs carried him across the forest floor with barely a sound.

His body occasionally blurred as he accelerated, crossing enormous distances between the trees in the blink of an eye. Despite his size, he moved with remarkable stealth.

The dense canopy concealed him from anyone flying overhead, while his refined control over his energy prevented his passage from producing obvious disturbances. He had been following the scent traces associated with the masked cultivators.

At first, the task had been somewhat difficult.

The two groups were separated by a considerable distance, and the individuals within them had concealed their auras. However, Little Shrubby relied on something entirely different. He remembered Taegong’s scent.

Even though the elder had changed his clothing and concealed his cultivation, certain traces remained. Little Shrubby lowered his head and inhaled.

His whiskers twitched. ’There!’

A faint scent had reached him and it was familiar enough that the liger immediately recognized it.

’Found you!’ He accelerated, moving through the forest like a streak of lightning.

A short while later, he contacted Lin Mu. ’Master! I found him!’

Lin Mu’s attention sharpened. ’Which group?’

’He’s where Xiao Yin is!’ Little Shrubby informed quickly.

Lin Mu smiled inwardly. ’Good. Are you certain?’

’Absolutely! I remember his scent!’

’Then proceed.’

Little Shrubby immediately contacted the twins. ’Xiao Yin, Taegong is in your group!’

The black serpent’s eyes brightened. ’I knew something was strange about them!’

’Keep watching them,’ Little Shrubby instructed. ’Make sure they don’t disappear. I’ll get Xiao Yang.’

’On it!’

Little Shrubby changed direction as he needed to collect Xiao Yang before joining Xiao Yin. Although he was confident that he could capture the masked cultivators himself, Lin Mu had specifically instructed the beasts to work together.

And Little Shrubby intended to follow those instructions.

Meanwhile, Xiao Yin was already moving through the forest behind the six masked individuals. Her slender black body slipped between branches and undergrowth with extraordinary ease.

She remained concealed within the vegetation, carefully maintaining enough distance to avoid detection. The masked cultivators were traveling quickly.

They had abandoned the ordinary paths and were moving through a dense region of forest, occasionally changing direction to avoid areas where other cultivators might be present. Their movements suggested that they had been instructed to remain discreet.

Xiao Yin watched them with growing interest. ’So one of you is Taegong.’

She examined each figure carefully.

Their masks concealed their faces, while their robes and aura-suppressing treasures made them appear remarkably similar. However, one of them seemed particularly nervous as his movements were slightly stiff, and he repeatedly glanced toward the surrounding forest.

That man was indeed Taegong.

Beneath his mask, the Vault Division elder’s expression was filled with anxiety. He had been in the middle of his assigned activities when he suddenly received an urgent message ordering him to leave the main branch.

The instructions had been unusually brief.

He was to conceal his identity, use a teleportation talisman, and proceed to another Vault Division facility under escort. No detailed explanation had been provided. When Taegong attempted to ask why the transfer was necessary, he was simply told that someone had arrived at the main branch looking for him.

That information had been enough to make his heart sink.

’Someone is looking for me?’ He could think of several possibilities.

The matter involving Little Bull had already become troublesome, especially after reports emerged that the information about the disciple being sent there had somehow spread. Then there were the rumors concerning the return of an ancient Wild Peak elder.

Taegong had initially dismissed those reports as they sounded too ridiculous to be true. Yet the urgency of his transfer suggested that something serious had happened.

’Could it really be the Wild Peak?’ His palms became damp beneath his sleeves.

He had believed that the situation was under control.

Little Bull had been removed, and the arrangements made by his backer should have ensured that the matter remained buried. Even if someone investigated the incident, Taegong had expected the Vault Division’s authority to protect him from direct questioning.

Now he was being hurried through the wilderness like a fugitive and the thought was deeply humiliating. More importantly, it was frightening.

’Why haven’t they told me what’s happening?’ Taegong glanced toward the masked cultivator leading the group.

"How much farther?" he asked through a private transmission.

"Continue following us," the cultivator replied.

"Where exactly are we going?"

"You will be informed when we arrive."

Taegong’s expression darkened beneath his mask. "I am an elder of the Vault Division. I have the right to know where I’m being taken."

"Our instructions are clear, Elder Taegong. Please cooperate."

Taegong clenched his fists.

He wanted to demand answers, but the circumstances made him hesitant. Whoever had ordered the transfer clearly possessed enough authority to mobilize personnel from multiple facilities.

That meant the matter had already reached a level beyond his control.

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