"Is it only in the forbidden ground?"
Li Chonglou's brow furrowed tightly.
If the Lei Ku tree was only found inside, then to complete his mission, he would have to go in with them.
But according to the old village chief, this forbidden ground was not a good place. He wondered about the cultivation realms of the experts who had died within.
If it was just the sixth or seventh level, it would be fine. But if it was higher...
"Is there really no other way to get the root of the Lei Ku tree?"
The old village chief shook his head.
"Then, in this forbidden ground, what were the highest cultivation realms of those who failed their challenges?"
"How would I know? I'm not a cultivator."
Ever since he learned about the island being sealed, the old village chief had lost all motivation after his initial shock.
Supported by two men in animal hides, he sat down on the ground.
The situation on Lei Ci Island was now very clear: someone had meticulously planned and was targeting the Divine Thunder Source within the forbidden ground.
With one party in the open and the other in the shadows, no amount of foresight could stop the unfolding events. It was better to simply step aside and let it happen.
Seeing the old village chief's resigned attitude, Li Chonglou hesitated.
He still wanted to complete the mission, and the Divine Thunder Source had piqued his curiosity.
The old village chief saw this and said, "Brother Li, I was wrong about what happened before. How about this: you make the decision yourself. If you want to go in, I can help you, but I can't guarantee anything beyond that."
The two men in animal hides spoke softly, "Village Chief, how can you let an outsider enter our forbidden ground?"
The old village chief replied, "Are you stupid? There are already dozens of people waiting to enter from the outside, what's one or two more? Besides, Brother Li wouldn't have any designs on our Divine Thunder Source."
The old village chief, his face deeply creased, looked at Li Chonglou, who was still contemplating. Li Chonglou could only chuckle.
"I don't have that ability. I just want to find the root of the Lei Ku tree."
The old village chief nodded, seeming to agree.
But the man in animal hides added, "But he's different. Those outside..."
The old village chief interrupted him, "Enough, there's no need to say more. This is considered compensation for Brother Li. We Lei people never owe favors to outsiders."
Seeing the old village chief's firm stance, the man in animal hides finally fell silent.
However, Li Chonglou had picked up a crucial piece of information.
Enter? Outside?
Could it be that this place...
Just then, the old village chief turned to Li Chonglou again and asked, "Well, Brother Li, have you made your decision?"
Li Chonglou paused for a moment and then asked back, "Do you have other arrangements for me, Village Chief?"
"If you don't go in, I plan to have my people send all of you out first."
The old village chief nodded, but Li Chonglou found his words somewhat difficult to comprehend.
Wasn't he afraid that others who were let out would return because of the Divine Thunder Source? Moreover, hadn't he said the island was sealed? Where would they be sent out from?
As if sensing Li Chonglou's thoughts, the old village chief suddenly answered both questions at once.
"Sending you out actually has a selfish motive. We have a secret tunnel that leads directly outside the island. Those people cannot block that area. If anyone wants to come in, they would naturally have to deal with the people blocking the island first."
Li Chonglou suddenly understood.
The old village chief added calmly, "I don't have a good impression of the others from your General Bureau, so you should make your decision quickly."
The implication was clear: this time, he would only look out for Li Chonglou.
Li Chonglou pondered.
The branches of the Lei Ku tree were related to the Executive Department's mission. Without them, he would have to seek Old Tie's help upon his return.
Although he didn't want to owe anyone a favor, he then realized that the current situation was clearly targeting him.
If he entered, he would not only face the dangers of the forbidden ground but also the assassins who had accepted his mission.
This endeavor seemed like a bad deal no matter how he looked at it.
After much thought, Li Chonglou finally sighed.
"Never mind, it's just a mission, not worth risking my life for. You should send all of us out."
The old village chief nodded calmly and stood up again.
At this moment, Li Chonglou was surprised to see only calmness and composure on the old village chief's face, as his demeanor had undergone a complete transformation.
If the previous old village chief had a simple and approachable rustic charm, he was now filled with steady and seasoned maturity.
He suddenly gave off an unfathomable aura!
"It seems there are no simple people here."
Li Chonglou murmured inwardly. The old village chief's change only proved one thing.
This was his true self!
The previous demeanor was likely an act to appear low-key, a persona he deliberately put on. Otherwise, a simple and honest person wouldn't be able to become calm so readily. Who would believe it!
But it didn't matter. He had no intention of getting involved in this mess anyway.
If he were to return, he would avoid the General Bureau as much as possible, unless Old Tie could arrange for him to go directly to the General Bureau's main base.
If they could arrange things for others even in prestigious positions in Shangjing, who would honestly work their way up step by step?
Although the cave was not large, it was spacious enough for the few of them.
Li Chonglou stood facing the old village chief and the three men in animal hides, his hands and feet still bound by petrified ropes.
After standing up, the old village chief nodded to Li Chonglou and signaled for someone to come forward.
Li Chonglou was familiar with this process: blindfolded, lie down.
Then, just wait to be sent out.
This time, he was not the only one being sent out, but he was the only one whose consciousness was clear.
And unlike the others, he was lying on a stretcher, which was relatively comfortable.
"It seems I need to think about how to approach Old Tie."
Once he left, the mission would naturally be incomplete, and the situation with Old Tie would remain uncertain.
If it weren't for the circumstances, Li Chonglou would have liked to try the forbidden ground himself.
After an unknown amount of time, the sound of footsteps suddenly stopped.
"Damn it, even the secret tunnel is sealed!"
"This is impossible. Who else in this world knows about the secret tunnel besides us?"
The villagers' exclamations reached his ears, and Li Chonglou felt a sense of unease.
He couldn't help but remind them, "Are there no ambushes nearby?"
"No, that won't be the case. We are still in a safe place."
Hearing this, Li Chonglou felt slightly relieved.
Then came the return journey.
When the blindfold was removed, Li Chonglou found himself back in the small cave.
The old village chief was sitting beside him.
His face was filled with a grave expression.
"Old Village Chief, what's the situation? We can't get out?"
Li Chonglou sat up as well, his brow furrowed.
The old village chief said grimly, "We can't get out. The secret tunnel has a one-way stone door. If it's sealed from the other side, we can't open it from here."
Similarly, if sealed from this side, it couldn't be opened from the outside.
But that wasn't the main point.
Li Chonglou asked doubtfully, "Besides you, who else knows about this secret tunnel?"