Ye Fan's expression gradually darkened. He suddenly realized why Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao were so eager to attack Dongcun; it was all for the chicken blood stone.
However, if what they said was true, then this chicken blood stone had to be obtained!
Only by doing so could they find the tomb burial site at the fastest pace.
After listening for a while longer and seeing that the two men were only chatting about trivial matters, Ye Fan quietly withdrew.
He sped along the way without alerting anyone.
Upon returning to the basement of the Xu family courtyard, Shen Tianyin quickly greeted him.
"How was it? Did you encounter any danger?"
After last night's events, Shen Tianyin was like a startled bird, fearing that Ye Fan would be in danger.
He smiled and shook his head.
"It will be difficult to rescue those few people. Although they are still locked in the basement, the guards have quadrupled, and more hidden sentries have been added. It's hard to sneak in, let alone bring people out."
Before eavesdropping on Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao's conversation, Ye Fan had already scouted the detention area. As he said, after last night's incident, Kong Weiren had become more vigilant. Trying to rescue the people now would be as difficult as reaching the heavens.
"We can only use strategy, not brute force," Elder Ji said helplessly. If their actions were discovered again, the lives of those few people might be in danger.
The initiative was still in Kong Weiren's hands. Rescuing the people would require a long-term plan.
Qiao Ping walked over, her face filled with worry.
"If they found nothing today, they will likely intensify their search tomorrow. This place will be discovered sooner or later, and then none of us will be able to escape. Therefore, we must find a solution quickly."
The Xu family courtyard was already a focus of their attention. Although the basement was hidden, as long as they searched diligently, they would eventually find the entrance.
Ye Fan was not in a hurry. "I'm waiting for them to find us. Then, everything will be easier to handle."
As he spoke, he glanced at Shen Bao.
Shen Bao had already woken up and, seeing Ye Fan's gaze, nodded heavily.
At the same time, he felt even more admiration for Ye Fan in his heart.
It seemed Ye Fan had thought of everything and prepared in advance. Shen Bao couldn't match such foresight.
"You already have a plan?" Shen Tianyin asked in surprise, looking at Ye Fan's confident demeanor.
Ye Fan smiled and remained silent. Some things were better known by fewer people to avoid leaks.
"Sister Qiao, I overheard Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao talking last night. They said Xu Sanhu has a stone that can locate burial sites. Do you know about it?"
Qiao Ping was slightly taken aback, frowned, and thought for a moment. Suddenly, she looked up at Ye Fan, her face filled with surprise. "Are you talking about the chicken blood stone?"
Ye Fan nodded. "That's right. Do you know where it is?"
He felt a surge of excitement. If Qiao Ping knew a lead, everything would be easier.
But ideals are often full, while reality is often lean.
Qiao Ping shook her head and sighed helplessly.
"I once saw Xu Sanhu fiddling with that stone in his study. He said at the time that it was a magical chicken blood stone. He seemed to cherish it greatly and kept it personally. Besides him, no one knew where the stone was hidden, or if it was still in this courtyard."
It turned out to be as Kong Weiren and the others suspected. Perhaps that chicken blood stone had already been taken away by Old Man Xu.
He shook his head in frustration, and Ye Fan sighed.
He hadn't expected the lead to be interrupted again.
However, as long as it was confirmed that the stone existed, there was still hope.
"The most pressing matter now is to find Old Man Xu. Only by finding him can we determine where the chicken blood stone is. But how do we find Old Man Xu?" Shen Tianyin frowned and analyzed in a low voice.
Ye Fan also shook his head continuously. Finding Old Man Xu was even more difficult than finding the chicken blood stone.
This old man was elusive. If they hadn't coincidentally met him while entering the mountains, they wouldn't even know if the old man was alive or dead.
Upon hearing this, Qiao Ping frowned.
"Sister Qiao, do you know something?" Ye Fan asked keenly, noticing Qiao Ping's unusual expression.
If anyone among them could provide more clues, it would undoubtedly be Qiao Ping.
As expected, Qiao Ping said uncertainly, "I once overheard Xu Sanhu and Old Man Xu talking. It seemed that in a cave on Qianfo Mountain, Old Man Xu built a factory, and their secret activities were all carried out in that factory. However, when they mentioned the factory's location, they always used a code language, and I didn't dare to be sure."
"Sister Qiao, what is the code language?" Shen Tianyin asked eagerly.
Qiao Ping fell into thought. After a moment, drawing on her memory, she slowly said, "Beside the water, the treasure top covers itself; with heart aimed upwards, the field is inherent."
This ambiguous code language plunged everyone into thought again.
The code language offered no hints, and no one knew what it referred to. Without clear guidance, relying solely on speculation, they might never decipher it.
Ye Fan also frowned. After thinking for a while, he smiled.
"When my second brother Shen recovers, the two of us will go into the mountains to take a look. Perhaps we can find clues there."
Whether it was to find the tomb burial site or Old Man Xu, they had to personally enter Qianfo Mountain.
After all, to find the answers to those code words, one had to experience it firsthand.
"Let's go tomorrow. We can't delay any longer here; it's too dangerous," Shen Bao said seriously, struggling to get out of bed and looking at Ye Fan.
"Can your body handle it?" Ye Fan asked sternly, knowing Shen Bao's anxiety.
Shen Bao nodded heavily. "My external injuries are fine, and my internal injuries will be fine after two days of rest. It's not safe here. We must find the treasure as soon as possible so that we can finally be unrestrained and fight Kong Weiren and them to the death."
A strong fighting spirit flickered in his eyes.
At this moment, Shen Bao exuded a powerful aura that even Ye Fan felt a tremor in his heart.
Perhaps it was this very tenacity that earned him Ye Fan's approval!
Ye Fan finally nodded. "Alright, we'll set off tomorrow morning."
That night, Ye Fan used the supplies stored in the basement to make some defensive weapons.
After all, they had to face unforeseen dangers. Without preparation, they might be in mortal peril at any time.
The next morning, Ye Fan and Shen Bao quietly left the basement, avoided the searching individuals, and entered Qianfo Mountain.
Qianfo Mountain was densely forested, with continuous cliffs, appearing as nature's masterpiece.
And on these numerous cliffs, many Buddha statues were carved.
Hence, it was called Qianfo Mountain.
"Qianfo Mountain stretches for more than ten li, like a giant dragon lying across Jiangcheng, separating it from the outside world. Moreover, due to its special terrain, it is very difficult to develop. Therefore, even after so many years, it still retains much of its original appearance," Shen Bao said in a low voice, looking at the continuous peaks before him.