The following days were filled with shouts from both South Village and North Village, the sounds of selection trials.
Only villagers who had undergone the trials could be chosen.
Ye Fan, meanwhile, spent his days studying the chicken blood stone, continuously dripping his blood onto it, nurturing it.
As Ye Fan nurtured it, the surface of the chicken blood stone began to show streaks.
The originally pure blood-red color now turned a vibrant red.
And those lines gradually turned a dark red.
Simultaneously extending towards the north.
This change brought a smile to Ye Fan's face. It seemed the chicken blood stone indeed had the effect of finding the ancient tomb.
Once the general location of the tomb was found using the chicken blood stone, with the numerous villagers searching, the chances of finding the ancient tomb would greatly increase.
Using the days Shen Bao was recuperating, Ye Fan persuaded Kong Wei Ren to release the people from the Jiangnan antique dealers.
Furthermore, led by Elder Lei and Elder Ji, these individuals began preparing objects for the tomb search.
Seven days later, Shen Bao had recovered from his injuries, and everything was prepared. The group finally left South Village, heading into the depths of Qianfo Mountain to search for the tomb.
In this expedition, Ye Fan, as the leader, held absolute authority.
Kong Wei Ren and Dong Da Biao served as deputy leaders, managing their respective villagers.
Elder Lei and the others, with their experience in excavating ancient tombs, were undeniably important.
Along the way, Shen Tian Yin was the most at ease, admiring the scenery and traveling leisurely.
Ye Fan dripped his blood onto the chicken blood stone, and instantly, over a dozen blood lines rapidly moved, pointing north.
"The tomb should be over there."
Pointing towards the highest peak of Qianfo Mountain, Ye Fan said in a deep voice.
As a result, Kong Wei Ren and Dong Da Biao both frowned, a flicker of panic flashing in their eyes.
"Village Chiefs, is there something amiss with the main peak of Qianfo Mountain?"
Seeing their expressions, Ye Fan asked in a deep voice.
Kong Wei Ren's face was grave, his eyes full of hesitation.
His thoughts seemed to be struggling.
"What? Could it be that, even now, Village Chief Kong has something to conceal?"
Ye Fan prompted.
They were now all in the same boat, sharing fortune and peril.
Seeing this, Dong Da Biao sighed, "Let me explain."
Pointing at the distant peak, Dong Da Biao's eyes also held apprehension.
"That peak is called Goddess Peak. Legend has it that a goddess descended to earth, lingered in the mortal realm, and finally transformed into the mountain. There are many dangers there, and it is called a forbidden area by the people of our three villages. Outsiders don't know, but we are very clear. Once, dozens of people from the three villages joined forces to investigate, but in the end, only one person came out alive, and that person had gone mad, constantly muttering about ghosts. A few days later, he died. Since then, our three villages have forbidden villagers from entering the mountain."
Upon hearing Dong Da Biao's words, Ye Fan could not help but frown.
"I didn't expect there to be such a dangerous place here. I am quite eager to experience it."
It was said that dangerous places since ancient times had their special reasons, and such places often hid great treasures.
Seeing Ye Fan not only unafraid but even showing a look of joy, they could only sigh and shake their heads.
He had not personally experienced despair. Once he truly entered, when faced with despair, he would likely not be so optimistic.
"Let's go, move out."
Ignoring their grim expressions, Ye Fan waved his hand, leading the group towards Goddess Peak.
The majestic mountain path was narrow and difficult. Holding Shen Tian Yin's arm, Ye Fan carefully protected her by his side.
If before coming to Qianfo Mountain, there were only nascent feelings between the two, then after enduring these hardships, those feelings had broken free from their cocoons and gradually revealed themselves.
Now, even a fool could see the relationship between them.
Elder Lei and Elder Ji followed behind. Due to their age, they were panting, their walking sticks tapping out a rhythmic sound.
Shen Bao brought up the rear, his gaze constantly scanning the surroundings, guarding against any potential danger.
Following them were over a dozen villagers from South Village and North Village.
And clearing the path ahead were also these villagers.
Their value in coming here was to detect danger and alert those behind them.
This was also Ye Fan's intention. If there was danger, they would go first, giving him ample time to consider countermeasures.
The mountain became steeper, gradually transitioning from a gentle slope to a sheer climb.
When they were halfway up, a chasm suddenly appeared before them.
"There's only a rope bridge, and it's in disrepair. I tested it just now; the ropes are rotten and can't support a person's weight."
Shen Bao reported to Ye Fan with a grim expression after inspecting it.
"Then what do we do? This ravine is so long, we can't possibly go around it. Are we just going to turn back?"
Shen Tian Yin frowned, speaking dejectedly, her beautiful eyes filled with disappointment.
Kong Wei Ren and Dong Da Biao crowded forward, "Brother Ye, this gorge is over ten meters deep. Apart from this rope bridge, there's no other way to cross."
"Brother Shen Er, get the ropes and build a bridge."
Ye Fan squinted, a hint of coldness flashing in the depths of his eyes.
Besides building a bridge, there was no other option.
Looking at his cold gaze, Shen Bao nodded and then instructed the villagers to retrieve over a dozen ropes, each several zhang long.
"Village Chief Kong, Village Chief Dong, order your men to build the bridge."
Ye Fan looked at the two and commanded coldly.
Kong Wei Ren and Dong Da Biao exchanged glances, seeing the difficulty in each other's eyes.
This was no game. A slight slip could mean certain death.
As village chiefs, if they issued a death order for their villagers, they might as well cease being village chiefs.
Seeing their hesitation, Ye Fan smirked.
"Gentlemen, you have lived in the mountains all year round. Crossing forests and streams is common for you, and your movements are agile. Therefore, this technical task can only be done by you."
At these words, Kong Wei Ren and Dong Da Biao's expressions gradually improved.
"Brother Ye, this is dangerous work. To make these villagers risk their lives, if we don't give them some benefits, it might not work."
The two smiled obsequiously, their faces showing a sly cunning.
Ye Fan understood that these two were merely trying to secure the greatest benefits.
However, their fate was already sealed. Even if he agreed to their terms, what difference would it make?
He nodded with a smile, "This is naturally not a problem. You can tell the villagers that after entering the tomb, each villager who builds the bridge can choose one treasure."
"Brother Ye is indeed straightforward. I will arrange for men to build the bridge now."
Kong Wei Ren said with a smile, then he and Dong Da Biao scurried off to mobilize the villagers.
Under heavy reward, there are always brave men. Soon, over a dozen villagers stepped forward, tiptoeing onto the rope bridge.
To build a sturdy rope bridge, every rope and every crossbeam must be secured.
These dozen villagers were indeed skilled mountain dwellers, their movements exceptionally agile.
Each crossbeam needed to be refixed, which meant they had to operate on the rope bridge.
"Ah."
A scream echoed, and one villager, distracted for a moment, lost his footing and fell.
This scream tightened everyone's hearts, and they closed their eyes involuntarily.
Only Ye Fan's expression remained indifferent, showing no concern.
He was accustomed to death!