Chapter 158: The Invitation to Dragon Gate
"Got time? Su Bai, wanna grab a bite? I just opened a hotpot restaurant, and it's pretty good."
Looking at Joker Xue's incoming call, Su Bai couldn't whether to laugh or cry.
Eating hotpot in this scorching weather?
Su Bai knew this was just an excuse; Joker Xue was simply too impatient to get new songs from him.
However, having spent a fair amount of time getting to know him, handing over a song now felt entirely appropriate.
As Su Bai walked down the street, he suddenly had a vague feeling that something was amiss and stopped in his tracks.
Feeling a cold draft creeping up his spine, he looked back several times.
He didn't spot anything unusual!
"Explore! Scan for hazard sources simultaneously!"
[Exploration function activated! Initiating hazard source scan!]
This was a newly added feature unlocked after upgrading the exploration system to its maximum tier, capable of scanning for hazards within a specific radius!
[Scanning in progress...]
[Beep! Beep! Beep! Hazard source detected! Threat level: B!]
[Danger! Danger! Danger! Beyond your ability to contend with!]
[Would you like to activate lock-on mode?]
Three consecutive danger warnings?
Without rushing to activate the lock-on, Su Bai feigned calmness and spoke aloud, "You've been following me for long enough, come on out!"
His words fell like stones sinking into the ocean, stirring not a single ripple!
The street remained empty and desolate, with no human figure in sight!
Su Bai offered a cold smile and roared inwardly: "Lock on!"
[Beep! Lock-on successful!]
Su Bai whipped around instantly. A pebble beneath his foot shot out like a sharp arrow piercing the air, hurtling directly toward the locked position.
Bang!
A muffled impact rang out.
The pebble shattered instantly.
Su Bai's brows furrowed deeply as he looked at the middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared before him.
From this man, he sensed an overwhelming wave of oppressive pressure!
This was the first time he had experienced such intense pressure since the system bestowed martial arts upon him.
"Young man, your perception is quite good!"
"You're one of the very few who managed to spot me."
Tense from head to toe, Su Bai calculated his odds of victory if the middle-aged man were to make a move against him.
"Why are you following me?"
"Why? Heh, heheh..."
The middle-aged man laughed upon hearing this, starting with a loud chuckle before his tone slowly turned frigid.
"You've held onto something belonging to the Jin family for quite some time now!"
"Isn't it about time you handed it over?"
Hearing this, Su Bai felt his heart flood with anger. The Jin family, it was always the Jin family!
"How many times do I have to tell you people from the Jin family? We've never even laid eyes on whatever you're talking about! It's you lot who keep insisting that I took it!"
"And you attacked me and my sister without asking any questions!"
"Forget it, there's no reasoning with you people!"
"If you want to fight, then bring it on!"
"Consider it settling the score from a year ago!"
Channeling an enraged lion, Su Bai lunged straight at the middle-aged man.
Gathering every ounce of his strength, he unleashed a punch directly at the man!
Bang!
A powerful shockwave struck him, forcing Su Bai to stumble back several paces before he finally managed to steady himself!
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man stood firmly in his spot, completely unmoved!
Dangling his trembling arm, Su Bai looked up at the man, his face a mask of utter shock: How could anyone be this strong?
Could his own all-out strike fail to inflict even the slightest scratch on his opponent?
Watching the middle-aged man stride toward him, Su Bai tried to force himself back up, but no matter how hard he pushed, his body refused to cooperate!
"Heh, stop struggling. Below the realm of martial artists, all men are mere ants!"
With that, the man pressed his foot heavily down onto Su Bai's leg.
"Tell me where the item is! Otherwise, you can kiss that leg goodbye."
Su Bai felt an immense wave of pressure radiating from his leg.
Veins bulged across his face as he tried desperately to struggle, yet he could muster no strength at all!
"Where is it?"
Su Bai felt as though his leg was about to snap.
A wave of excruciating pain surged upward from his limb.
Right now, Su Bai simply had no way to produce what the man was demanding!
He didn't even know what this elusive item actually was!
Su Bai had questioned Yang Mengke about it before.
Yang Mengke had mentioned possessing a disc-like object once.
However, ever since the fire broke out, that item had vanished.
They had no idea whether someone had taken it or if it had been consumed by the flames!
Because of this, Su Bai and Yang Mengke had made a pact: whoever asked about it, they would both claim they had never seen the so-called object!
"Since you refuse to hand it over, you can take this secret with you to the grave!"
Su Bai's expression shifted drastically. Was the man planning to silence him permanently?
His entire body fought back fiercely, but under the heavy suppression of his opponent, it was completely useless!
A deep sense of despair welled up inside Su Bai.
Was he really going to throw his life away right here?
He and Yang Mengke had only just started living a peaceful life!
Before he even had the chance to truly enjoy the world, his journey was going to end here?
"Jin Long, you've overstepped!"
An aged voice echoed from afar, reverberating through the surrounding space!
The middle-aged man, who had been pressing down on Su Bai, turned deathly pale at the sound. He whipped his head around, and upon finding no one in sight, instantly vanished from the spot!
It took a full three minutes before an elderly man with a head of silver hair finally appeared before Su Bai!
"You must be Su Bai?"
Su Bai was momentarily dazed. How did this person know his name?
Just as confusion clouded Su Bai's mind, the elderly man smiled warmly, looked him up and down, and remarked, "Mhm, material of great potential!"
"Thank you, elder, for saving my life!"
The old man waved his hand dismissively.
"I saved you because I want something from you."
Want something? Was he also here for that so-called item?
At this thought, Su Bai's expression turned grim once more.
Had he just escaped the wolf's den only to enter the tiger's lair?
"Let me introduce myself. I am Long Zhentin! A member of the Great Xia Dragon Gate!"
"As the name implies, the Dragon Gate is tasked with safeguarding the peace of Great Xia and repelling foreign invaders!"
"There are no ordinary mortals within the Dragon Gate; everyone qualified to join is the cream of the crop among humans!"
"I've come to see you today because I wish to invite you to join the Dragon Gate!"
The Dragon Gate?
It was a name he had never heard of before!
What could a mere singer possibly contribute?
Were they planning to turn him into some sort of special operative?
Seeming to read the doubts lingering in Su Bai's mind, Long Zhentin explained, "The Dragon Gate is split into two branches: the Martial Gate and the Cultural Gate!"
"Waging battles on the battlefield falls to the Martial Gate. My invitation is for you to join the Cultural Gate!"
"Your mission will be to resist foreign cultural invasions, using your music to defend the dignity of Great Xia's culture!"
"At the same time, you must shoulder the responsibility of cultural exportation!"
"For instance, right now, the entire music industry of Great Xia is coming to you for songs—this presents a magnificent opportunity for cultural output!"
Hearing this, sudden enlightenment dawned on Su Bai.
So they had set their sights on his identity as a "music producer."
Most likely because his status as a "music producer" differed greatly from ordinary producers.
After all, the heavyweights of the Mandopop scene currently begging him for songs online possessed immense influence.
If he could subtly weave the promotion of Great Xia's culture into his songwriting, this would indeed be a rare and invaluable opportunity for cultural export!
Noticing that Su Bai was still hesitating, Long Zhentin dropped a heavy bombshell that made it impossible for Su Bai to refuse.
"Join the Dragon Gate, and the Dragon Gate will guarantee the safety of both you and Yang Mengke!"
"Oppressive martial forces like the one you faced today will never be able to threaten you again!"
Hearing this, Su Bai felt a surge of fervent excitement!
As long as Yang Mengke could be kept safe, Su Bai was willing to do whatever it took!