After resolving the matters on Sakura Island, Ye Bufan returned to the Chu family. Chu He's condition had significantly improved, and his complexion was much better.
Huangfu Yujia stood beside Chu Mengyao. Upon seeing Ye Bufan, she respectfully cupped her fists in a salute. Ye Bufan then called her aside.
"Is Huangfu Yun your brother?" Ye Bufan asked.
Huangfu Yujia nodded and looked at Ye Bufan with a puzzled expression. "What is your relationship with him?"
"I call him brother, so our relationship is naturally good. However, my brother has been rather lax about his cultivation. The family members don't pay him much attention. He was the one who helped cover for me when I fled back then," Huangfu Yujia replied.
"That's good," Ye Bufan said. "I saw Huangfu Yun in the capital this time and even had a fight. When I returned, I had already entered the early stage of Foundation Establishment."
Hearing this, Huangfu Yujia's eyes flickered. "Indeed, Grandpa said that my brother just didn't focus on cultivation, but he still has talent. How is my brother now?"
"He's constantly harassing Ye Qingcheng at the Kyoto Underground City. What do you think?" Ye Bufan said.
"Still not giving up," Huangfu Yujia chuckled. "My brother met Miss Ye Qingcheng by chance a long time ago and became infatuated with her. He's been thinking about marrying her every day."
Ye Bufan looked at Huangfu Yujia and said, "I have a message for you."
Hearing that Huangfu Yun had asked Ye Bufan to relay a message, Huangfu Yujia became slightly emotional, her eyes instantly reddening.
"What did my brother say?" Huangfu Yujia asked.
"Your brother said that your grandfather has resolved the family matters. You can return anytime you wish; no one will force you to do anything against your will."
Upon hearing this, Huangfu Yujia's tears flowed uncontrollably, and she remained silent for a long time.
"If you want to go back, I can give you a few days off to go visit," Ye Bufan said.
Huangfu Yujia looked up at Ye Bufan and asked, "You trust me that much? Aren't you afraid that once I go back, I'll stay with the Huangfu family and never return?"
"If I don't trust someone, I won't use them. I trust my own judgment," Ye Bufan replied.
Huangfu Yujia nodded. "Thank you for your trust. Give me a week. I will return in a week to protect Miss Chu's safety."
With that, Huangfu Yujia left the Chu residence.
"Where is Yujia?" Chu Mengyao emerged from her room.
"She went home for a visit and will return in a week," Ye Bufan said. "During my trip to the capital, I happened to meet her family and helped relay a message."
"Isn't it a bit of an overqualification for her to protect me all the time?" Chu Mengyao asked.
Ye Bufan smiled slightly. "No, it's never enough. We don't know when danger will strike."
Chu Mengyao fell silent. She now understood that the time for Blue Star to break through its limitations was fast approaching, and Ye Bufan was doing everything he could to ensure her safety then.
In the following days, Song Mingqin personally arrived in Jinhe and contacted other cultivation sects, asking them to help investigate the matter of the Eight-Headed Serpent in different cities.
Song Mingqin stayed at Ye Bufan's Xiangshan villa but spent most of his time outside searching for the whereabouts of the Onmyoji and the blood snake.
Ye Bufan had hoped to find some clues from Ryuu, but to his surprise, when he visited the Ryuu family again, they were already gone. He learned that the Ryuu family had gone to Nansha.
"I didn't expect Ryuu Ruoyan to have also entered the path of cultivation," Ye Bufan said at the entrance of the Ryuu family villa.
"Excuse me, are you Mr. Ye Bufan?" Just then, a young nun approached Ye Bufan from behind, pulling him back to reality.
Ye Bufan turned and looked at her. "Do you need something from me?"
The nun nodded. "When Qiongying Shenni left, she entrusted this to my master to give to you, saying you would find it useful."
With that, the young nun took out a brocade pouch from her pocket. Ye Bufan took the pouch and then hurried away from the Ryuu family villa.
Ye Bufan opened the brocade pouch, and a paper ball fell out. He unfolded it. It read: "Mr. Ye, this humble nun knows you will visit the Ryuu residence again to investigate the matters concerning the people from Sakura Island. This nun had already discovered their abnormalities, but there are matters in Nansha that require this nun to return to the sect. Therefore, I have entrusted this brocade pouch to a friend to deliver to you."
On the paper ball, Qiongying Shenni had listed several locations related to the people from Sakura Island that she had investigated, including the bar Ye Bufan had shut down a few days prior.
Qiongying Shenni had discovered a total of three locations: one bar, which Ye Bufan had dealt with; another was a factory on the outskirts; and the third was surprisingly near Jinfang.
Ye Bufan made a call to Song Mingqin. Upon hearing that Ye Bufan had a lead, Song Mingqin agreed to a meeting point with Ye Bufan and headed to meet him.
Near Jinfang, there were many buildings from recent times. Ye Bufan obtained some information from Ji Feiyang.
It was said that in the alleys near Jinfang, tunnels had been dug, and there were large underground spaces with foundations.
According to the clues from Qiongying Shenni, the location was a bar near Jinfang.
"Another bar."
Song Mingqin and Ye Bufan stood in front of the bar. Song Mingqin couldn't help but roll his eyes.
Ye Bufan chuckled. Such places were crowded and full of eyes, making it easy to conceal any activities. With music playing and dancing, in such a noisy environment, any disturbance would go unnoticed.
"That makes sense. I'm getting old and don't understand your young people's ways," Song Mingqin remarked.
"Let's go in and take a look. If it's not here, then there's only one place left."
Ye Bufan and Song Mingqin entered the bar. As soon as they stepped inside, several burly men immediately became vigilant and stared at them.
"All of them are at the Martial Venerable level," Song Mingqin said. "With such low combat power, they're probably not involved here."
"We'll know if they're here or not once we go in," Ye Bufan said, bringing his palm down. The burly men immediately collapsed to the floor, motionless and unconscious.
"Who are you? Do you know who the boss behind our bar is?" At this moment, a middle-aged man in a suit emerged from an office at the back, speaking very broken Chinese.
"Huh?" As the man appeared, Ye Bufan discovered that he was actually a Martial Saint. He exchanged a glance with Song Mingqin. It was highly unusual for a bar manager to be a Martial Saint.