"In summary, this matter remains unconfirmed. Regarding the clues about the Dragon God's territory, please continue your investigation. If you discover anything, notify me."
Ye Tiancheng said to Nie Chongyang, "Because I have a premonition that to achieve my goal for this trip, I might have to visit that water area again to meet the so-called Dragon God. Whether dragons truly exist in this world will be revealed then."
Although the issue with the "Mountain God" was largely resolved, Nie Chongyang and his team were still very attentive to Ye Tiancheng's request for assistance from their special operations unit. After all, they had a cooperative relationship with Ye Tiancheng, mutually beneficial, especially since Nie Chongyang's team often needed to consult Ye Tiancheng.
Furthermore, Nie Chongyang's team was also very interested in this matter. How many Chinese people could remain indifferent to dragons? Therefore, even though the task was considered complete, Nie Chongyang's team was still willing to help.
Nie Chongyang replied to Ye Tiancheng, "Rest assured, we are still monitoring this matter. If we make any significant discoveries, we will contact you immediately."
"Thank you for that," Ye Tiancheng thanked Nie Chongyang politely. After a moment of thought, he added, "By the way, when dealing with the 'Mountain God,' we don't know how much of a stir it will cause. With all the commotion here and so many innocent tourists, you might need to make more preparations. Find a reasonable excuse and carry out evacuation work."
Nie Chongyang promised, "Understood. This matter is a bit tricky, but we will handle it." For incidents that could cause widespread panic, they would definitely be prepared and try to mitigate any aftermath, as it was their duty. Even without Ye Tiancheng's reminder, Nie Chongyang's team would pay close attention to this aspect when they took action.
Next, it was Ye Tiancheng's turn. Regarding the "Mountain God" black snake, there were no major issues. The main concern was to prevent the "Mountain God" from causing further trouble and serious consequences. Finally, Ye Tiancheng and his team's primary focus was the whereabouts of the Fuxi Qin fragments.
Ye Tiancheng planned to try and explore the Dragon God's water territory to ascertain its location. They couldn't rely solely on Nie Chongyang's team. After all, even if Nie Chongyang's team found something, Ye Tiancheng would still have to go there in person.
Fatty asked Ye Tiancheng, "Brother Ye, do you and Little Fox still want to go and see the 'Mountain God' parade?"
Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox exchanged glances. Ye Tiancheng showed a hint of hesitation, unsure whether he should go. In fact, Ye Tiancheng was somewhat interested in seeing the "Mountain God" matter firsthand. If anything needed to be stopped on-site, Ye Tiancheng could act in time.
However, after they had previously trespassed into the village chief's house and discovered the secret compartment in the village chief's bedroom, which contained the "Mountain God's" shrine and statue. Given the relationship between the village chief and the "Mountain God," the "Mountain God" statue in the village chief's house was likely the most sensitive one. Although a "Mountain God" parade was currently underway outside, who knew if the "Mountain God" might leave a trace of its divine consciousness on the statue in the village chief's house. If Ye Tiancheng and his group had already alerted them, going directly to the scene might trigger unforeseen consequences.
After careful consideration, he finally stood up and said to Fatty, "I feel uneasy, so even though I think perhaps I shouldn't go, I still plan to make the trip."
"Fatty, I'm leaving this to you. You need to protect Miaomiao, be prepared for any situation. If there's any unusual activity, don't worry about Little Fox and me; just transfer immediately and send us a message. Don't worry about anything else, just take care of yourself."
The reason he didn't ask Fatty to find Hou Mingzhu was that their presence would also bring trouble. For safety reasons, Hou Mingzhu's place had been sealed off. Generally, danger would not reach that area. Moreover, due to the sealed-off nature, Fatty wouldn't be able to enter the villa even if he went there. It was better to let Fatty act flexibly based on the situation.
Fatty agreed, "Okay, then Brother Ye and Little Fox, please be careful and return safely soon."
Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox both responded. Before leaving, Little Miaomiao waved to Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox and bid them farewell, "Big brother... no, two big brothers, goodbye!"
Seeing the adorable child, Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox couldn't help but smile. They waved goodbye to him and finally left Fatty's room together to find out where the "Mountain God's" parade procession had gone.
Ye Tiancheng and his group followed the path of the "Mountain God's" parade. The procession had already gone far, and Ye Tiancheng and his group couldn't catch up immediately. The streets were very quiet. Perhaps it was because those who were not participating in the parade were basically at home or in their rooms, while others were following the procession, making other areas unusually quiet.
On such a dark and windy night, in a small mountain village, knowing that the village was not peaceful, and walking on such a silent street, it was truly chilling and eerie. For safety reasons, Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox re-equipped themselves with talismans, concealing their tracks, which was also like adding an insurance policy for themselves.
As they walked on such a street, they suddenly heard faint human voices accompanied by footsteps. Since Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox had concealed their figures, they were invisible to others, so the approaching people walked directly towards them.
Why would someone appear here at this time? Ye Tiancheng thought for a moment and signaled to Little Fox, intending to listen to what the approaching people were saying. Since the approaching people couldn't see Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox, and the place was so quiet with no one around, they were less guarded and vigilant, talking without reservation. Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox could easily hear what they were saying.
From a distance, it was clear that the approaching people were a man and a woman, appearing to be adults based on their build. As they got closer, Ye Tiancheng saw clearly and realized who these two people were. It was the middle-aged couple who had adopted Little Miaomiao and brought her here, suspected of having ill intentions.
Ye Tiancheng's expression darkened, and he walked towards the couple, wanting to see what they were doing. Little Fox followed closely behind Ye Tiancheng, but since he had never met this middle-aged couple, Little Fox didn't know their identities. However, Little Fox naturally obeyed Ye Tiancheng's actions and instructions. Moreover, these two people appearing on the street at this time were clearly suspicious, and Little Fox felt it was very normal for Ye Tiancheng to investigate.
As they got closer, Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox could clearly hear what the middle-aged couple was saying. "Where did that little brat hide herself? Ungrateful wretch! We raised her for so long, she ate our food, wore our clothes, lived in our house, and she just ran away without a word! We don't know where to find her!" the wife of the middle-aged couple grumbled.
The husband of the middle-aged couple looked impatient and extremely anxious. "Enough! Stop talking nonsense. If you hadn't been careless and watched her properly, how could she have run away?!"
Hearing this, the wife became displeased and immediately put her hands on her hips, angrily saying to her husband, "Hmph! At this point, you're blaming it all on me? Was I the only one watching her? You just let go with both hands, doing nothing, and have no responsibility whatsoever?"
"Didn't you also fail to watch her properly and not know she ran away?"
"We're both equally at fault, neither of us can escape responsibility. You still want to shift all the blame onto me? Dream on!"
Both of them were clearly very agitated at this moment and started arguing. The husband roared at his wife, "That's because your responsibility is greater! Taking care of children is something you should do well. You're more attentive. Now that the child is lost, it's naturally more of your problem!"
The wife was completely enraged. "Ding, say that again! Have you no shame?"
Little Fox's eyebrows twitched, and he raised them slightly, suddenly thinking of something and realizing why Ye Tiancheng was so concerned about this middle-aged couple. At this particular time, a middle-aged couple who had lost a child appearing here could only be linked to Little Miaomiao, whom Ye Tiancheng had brought back. After all, there weren't that many coincidences in this world. Not to mention, this small mountain village was so small, and there were so few people. Even with the addition of many tourists now, such a coincidence could only mean that this middle-aged couple was most likely Little Miaomiao's adoptive father and mother.
The middle-aged couple argued back and forth for several sentences. Finally, it was the husband who ended the argument. "Are you done? What are you arguing about!" he said angrily to his wife. "Is this the time to argue? The important thing now is to find that little brat! If we don't find her soon, time will run out!"
"Did I want to argue? Didn't you start it?" The wife was very unconvinced, but she probably understood the urgency of the matter and finally quieted down. "I really don't know where this little brat has hidden herself. We've looked everywhere and can't find her..."
The husband was somewhat provoked by the first half of his wife's sentence, but he was also more rational, knowing that they couldn't afford to delay. He temporarily stopped his anger towards his wife and began to ponder the problem. He said to his wife, "Didn't we ask about that candy stall earlier? The owner said that little brat went in front of his stall and spoke to a customer, and that customer gave her candy?"
"You say, could it be that the customer took a liking to that little brat and abducted her?"
The wife thought for a moment and finally shook her head. She analyzed to her husband, "I don't think so?"
"Think about the situation back then. We didn't just ask the candy stall owner; we also asked others around. That little brat lied, saying she saw her parents, and then ran away. That customer was buying candy for his family and left much later. It shouldn't be him."
"Besides, think about it, that little brat is quite cunning. Perhaps because someone spoke to her, she was afraid of being forcibly sent back and ran away."