When Wu Heyun had gathered all the scattered personnel together, without any lingering attachment, the group rushed to the village, climbed onto prepared mounts, and galloped away in a rumbling flash.
It was rare to see such a scene. The villagers working in the fields straightened up one after another to look.
They did not know what these cultivators from the manor were going to do. In any case, after seeing them off, they continued to bury their heads in their own work.
Similarly, the other cultivators besides the three villa masters also did not know where they were going or what they were going to do. No one had told them.
The people hiding inside the mountain caves were quietly watching this scene. They personally witnessed the departure of those people. They were all confused by the behavior of Rift Valley Villa.
Gone? Was it a real departure or a fake one? Or did they want to lure them out?
The more bizarre the opponent’s behavior became, the more vigilant Yu Qing, Ning Chaoyi, and the others, who were now united as a group, became.
They maintained high alert, suspecting that Rift Valley Villa was playing some kind of feint, suspecting that they wanted to numb them and then launch a sneak attack.
It was obvious that this was the old nest of Rift Valley Villa. Just relying on the few of them, how could they make a large group of people from Rift Valley Villa abandon their nest? Moreover, there were so many ordinary Wu clan members. As fellow clansmen, they could not simply ignore the lives of their clansmen, could they?
A group of outsiders worried that there was an ambush outside and dared not go out easily.
They also worried that people from Rift Valley Villa would drill in through secret tunnels. This was very possible. Rift Valley Villa had been established here for many years. They had dug so many caves. Digging a secret tunnel was nothing unusual. It was perfectly normal.
To guard against this, Yu Qing specially chose the best position, which was also a downwind spot. He also had Mu Aotie go to the ruined temple hall to get several bundles of incense. He lit the incense and stuck it in the downwind spot, then kept watch there to observe. Once someone approached, he could detect it in time.
Ning Chaoyi and the others naturally came to look. They saw him sitting cross-legged in meditation, with incense stuck in front of him. They did not know what trick he was up to. Since they could not get a clear answer, they did not ask further. They seemed quite reassured about Yu Qing and the others.
The group kept watch inside the mountain caves, quietly observing and quietly waiting. They waited from noon until afternoon, from afternoon until evening, until the working villagers returned home, until smoke rose from every household, and then until night fell.
Tonight there was no moon, only stars filling the sky. Inside the mountain caves it was pitch black, without any light visible. The nine people who had united into a group sat in silence in the darkness.
On the contrary, on the village side, the lights of every household made this desolate area float with warm vitality.
In the Gobi region at night, the temperature dropped sharply. Ning Chaoyi, leaning against a cave entrance, turned his head and saw Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie walking away. He reached into the small carry pouch at his side and fished out a fluorescent stone. He placed it before him and toyed with it in his hand.
After a good while, a point of light also appeared in the vineyard opposite. It flickered for a moment and then disappeared.
At the village entrance, the flag on the flagpole fluttered beneath the night curtain. On the stacked steps below, a dirty old man sat there, sitting in the darkness and puffing on his pipe.
The dirty old man tilted his head slightly and saw the light appearing at a cave entrance in the mountain body. Then he slowly tilted his head to look at the vineyard. The pipe in his mouth continued to puff. Wisps of smoke drifted away beneath the stars. The tobacco in the pipe bowl flickered red from time to time in the darkness, reflected in his turbid eyes.
Nan Zhu and Mu Aotie, who had gone to mutter with Yu Qing for a while, returned. The two felt that waiting like this all the time was not a solution. They went to find Yu Qing to discuss. Yu Qing’s meaning was that even if they were going to do something, they had to wait for daylight. In this dark night, if someone ambushed them, they would not even know.
The two thought that was true and had no choice but to return. The two of them were responsible for keeping watch on Ning Chaoyi’s side just like everyone else, to avoid any suspicion of slacking off on their side.
Seeing them return, Ning Chaoyi also turned around and walked back to the outlaw couple. “Would you two dare to come with me to investigate in the dark?”
The husband and wife stood up one after another. Nie Pinlan said, “Go then go. What is there to not dare?”
Lu Xingyun and her daughter, who were staring outside from the window next door, glanced this way.
Nan Zhu immediately spoke up, “Running out to investigate at this time, could it be a bit dangerous?”
Ning Chaoyi said, “Waiting like this all the time is not a solution either. The danger is ours to bear. Figuring out the situation is also beneficial to you. What do you have to fear? You continue watching. We will go take a look around.” Without letting others decide, he turned and left.
When the outlaw couple caught up, Zhu Kuanzhen and Mu Aotie brushed past each other. The two simultaneously turned their heads to look at each other. The light was poor, so they could only vaguely make out each other’s expressions.
Nan Zhu noticed this and found it somewhat amusing. He discovered that both of these two were people who did not like to talk. Especially Zhu Kuanzhen, who up to now seemed to have never spoken a single proper sentence.
The three did not jump directly down from the opening. That would easily expose everyone’s hiding position. They all left through the inner passage.
Once the few people left, Nan Zhu nudged Mu Aotie with his elbow.
No explanation was needed. The two had been martial brothers for many years. One look or one movement was enough to know. Mu Aotie immediately turned and left.
He directly went to the other side to find Yu Qing. He squatted half-crouched beside Yu Qing, who was sitting cross-legged in meditation. He glanced at Qiao Qieer, who was keeping him company at his side, and quietly told him about the three people leaving, Ning Chaoyi and the others.
“Running out to investigate in the dark in the middle of the night? Are they bold because of high skill…” Yu Qing muttered to himself for a while. After brief consideration, he replied, “Be careful yourselves. Tell me immediately when the people return.”
Mu Aotie gave an “mm” sound, then quickly got up and left.
Three human figures darted out from the mountain body. They then slipped into the vineyard opposite like a wisp of smoke hugging the ground. Then they bent over and quietly advanced among the grape plants.
The three were precisely Ning Chaoyi and the outlaw couple.
After shuttling about for a good while, the three reached the position where the light point had flickered earlier. They found a pit and jumped down.
Once they entered the underground tunnel, they stopped one after another. Above was the starry sky. In the darkness before their eyes stood a hazy figure. Even the outline could not be seen clearly. Naturally, the face could not be seen clearly either.
“There is not even a single lamp left inside the mountain caves. What is going on?”
A steady man’s voice came from the darkness.
“Rift Valley Villa removed all guards targeting us from yesterday…”
Seeing Ning Chaoyi standing there with arms crossed and not saying a word, Nie Pinlan had no choice but to narrate the course of events.
After the matter was stated, Ning Chaoyi only then said indifferently, “We currently cannot figure out what trick Rift Valley Villa is playing. We worry they are setting an ambush in secret. The situation has developed to this point. Relying solely on the few of us will not work. We cannot even figure out the real situation. You should think of a way to help.”
The man in the darkness said, “If that is the case, do not worry about any ambush. The Rift Valley Villa personnel are currently resting three hundred li away. Their every move is under my surveillance. They cannot return in a short time. If they do return, I will give you a signal in advance. I have also secretly placed people watching all around here. The ambush personnel from Rift Valley Villa have all withdrawn. So far, there is no ambush anywhere around. With me watching for you, you can rest assured.”
Ning Chaoyi and Nie Pinlan subconsciously looked at each other. Both were muttering the same thought in their hearts. The other party could grasp the movements several hundred li away at any time.
After calming slightly, Ning Chaoyi said again, “This matter is very abnormal. Just us few people, how could so many people from Rift Valley Villa be scared away?”
The man in the darkness said, “This should be the question I am asking you. You need to find the answer and tell me.”
Ning Chaoyi said, “What secret is that halberd hiding? If it really was just about getting rich, why does Rift Valley Villa not sit back and enjoy the gains? If even Rift Valley Villa, the owner of this secret, cannot unravel the secret, what use is it for us to find it?”
What was said to Yu Qing about doing it for wealth was purely some rhetoric taught by this side to deal with the situation. He did not know the true situation at all.
Various signs now showed that the matter was simply not that simple. From the words and actions of Lin Erqing and those few people, to the reaction of Rift Valley Villa, to the actions of the person before their eyes, it seemed that all people who knew the secret were desperately trying to hide the truth of that secret. It seemed they would not release the hawk without seeing the rabbit.
What kind of secret could make all the people surrounding it so secretive and behave so strangely?
The man in the darkness said, “This is also what I want to know. Find the secret. Unravel the secret. Tell me the answer.”
Ning Chaoyi gave a cold laugh. As expected, he had asked in vain again.
Dawn was approaching. Older people always woke up earlier. The dirty old man who rose early came to sit beneath the flagpole again, puffing on his pipe, while directing several villagers to work.
A pile of firewood was lit at the village entrance. A large iron pot was placed over it. Several villagers worked together to cook food.
The three who went out investigated for a long time. They only quietly returned when dawn was approaching.
Yu Qing, who received the news, immediately showed himself. Seeing the three, he asked, “Why did you take so long?”
Ning Chaoyi said, “Could it not be long? We searched through the large surrounding area. We did not discover any ambush. That group from Rift Valley Villa also does not know where they ran off to.”
Yu Qing said, “Over such a large area, if they truly wanted to hide, just the few of you searching, I am afraid you might not necessarily find them.”
Ning Chaoyi smiled, “Then you tell me, if they are still nearby, what is the point of hiding like that? Are they afraid of us, or afraid of us finding them?”
These words hit the crucial point, making Yu Qing frown deeply.
Neither side had yet fought properly. They had not even tested each other. Who would win or lose was still uncertain. Moreover, the other side had superior numbers, and this was on their territory. They had no reason to hide from them. Could it be… they had really run away?
If they had truly run away, anyone who knew the secret would not find it hard to understand. Because once that secret was leaked, Rift Valley Villa basically had no chance of winning. Running away, and then trying to hide in places where people could not find them, could also be considered a reasonable reaction for Rift Valley Villa.
This could also explain why Rift Valley Villa abandoned so many villagers and ran. Because taking too many people was not realistic. The more people there were, the harder it was to escape. Moreover, they were a group of ordinary people. Carrying such a large burden made it impossible to run.
The logic was simple. Just like when he found that person in black. At first, the person in black did not cooperate at all. There was no need to even talk. After he revealed that secret and told the other party that the secret had already been leaked, the attitude of the person in black immediately softened. He had no choice but to face reality.