Youyin extinguished its engines.
The hundreds of armed personnel surrounding the camp all closed in.
They stood within ten meters of the mecha, aiming their guns at it.
Most of them wore dirty camouflage cloaks, loose black or brown combat pants,
and carried weapons that were over a decade old. They had no anti-mecha weapons or heavy ordnance.
The idea of confronting a mecha with such weaponry was pure fantasy.
Gu Ya surveyed the camp,
a simple yet tall wooden wall encircling it, each wooden post sharpened to a point.
What confused Gu Ya was the absence of any mechas; the vast camp was empty.
This place looked like a primitive tribe.
"This shouldn't be. This camp is huge; it could easily accommodate twenty mechas taking off and landing simultaneously. Are the mechas all outside?"
No one spoke, still staring tensely at the mecha, ready to open fire at any moment.
But Gu Ya needed to exit the mecha, and with those people holding guns, it wasn't friendly.
Through the translator and public address system, Gu Ya said loudly, "Trading with guns drawn?"
Still, no one spoke.
The atmosphere was quiet and oppressive, as if everyone was on edge.
"Then there's no room for negotiation!" Gu Ya stated calmly and loudly.
"There aren't many opportunities to get rich just by talking, but unfortunately, you missed them."
As Gu Ya spoke, he restarted Youyin's engines, preparing to ascend.
At this moment, not far outside the camp, the sound of mecha engines starting up could also be heard. The red light of their afterburners pierced the darkness,
followed by more and more mechas igniting their red tail flames.
A ring around the outer perimeter of the camp, about 25 mechas.
The roar of the engines and the explosion of exhaust echoed above the camp.
They were like twenty-five blood-red wolf eyes in the darkness, fixed on Youyin.
Gu Ya shook his head helplessly, slammed the control stick and thrust lever,
Youyin, with its powerful thrust, kicked up clouds of dust and air, lifted off the ground, and hovered stably above the camp.
The surrounding 25 mechas also ascended simultaneously with Youyin.
Inside the camp, the air currents whipped up a gale, and everyone's cloaks billowed in the wind.
The mechas slowly approached Youyin, and Gu Ya could now clearly discern their outlines.
They were covered in rust and in disrepair; some mechas were missing limbs.
The weapons in their hands were all broken guns and swords, none of them intact.
They were like a group of weather-beaten old men leaning on canes.
Facing the robust Youyin, destroying them would be as simple as blowing away a fallen leaf, utterly vulnerable.
Gu Ya sighed and said, "You want to stop me with this scrap metal? Ridiculous!"
"If you want to make money, show some sincerity."
"Of course, if you want to die, that's also very simple."
The 25 mechas did not stop advancing, continuing to approach Youyin slowly, tightening their encirclement, and finally stopping at a distance of 100 meters from Youyin.
At this distance, Gu Ya only needed one circling maneuver, coupled with the [Blue Whirlwind], to turn them all into scrap metal.
"I spent a night traveling thousands of kilometers, not to play games with you."
"If you have no sincerity, then don't blame me for being ruthless."
As soon as Gu Ya finished speaking, the 25 mechas gradually began to retreat, eventually returning to their original positions.
"That's more like it."
Gu Ya said softly, maneuvering Youyin to land in the camp again and shutting down the engines.
The 25 mechas descended with Youyin, also extinguishing their afterburners.
The hundreds of people in the camp had all retreated to a safe distance of three hundred meters.
Gu Ya slowly opened the cockpit door.
He was not wearing an exoskeleton; if they intended to harm him, he could always counter-kill with [Active Mind].
With a "whoosh," Gu Ya grabbed the ascent handle and descended into the camp.
From a nearby camp structure, a ragged child ran out, stopped a distance away, and shouted loudly, "Inside!"
Gu Ya scanned the camp; the hundreds of people had all lowered their guns and were standing far away, watching him.
"Quick! Come with me!" the child yelled.
Gu Ya took steps towards the camp structure.
Inside the camp structure, old incandescent bulbs with a yellow glow illuminated the entire interior.
All the furniture and decorations were clean but very old, looking like they had some history.
Gu Ya followed the child into a narrow corridor. The walls on either side were worn and blackened but free of dust.
The floor was brick-paved, its edges worn smooth, also spotless. It seemed people moved and cleaned it frequently.
Undoubtedly, this was the cleanest camp structure Gu Ya had ever seen.
Passing through the dim corridor, he entered a spacious inner room.
In the center of the ceiling of the inner room hung a white holographic light, illuminating the room.
The walls and floor were hardened concrete. The furniture and decorations were more complete, with a slightly modern feel compared to the outside.
However, compared to Xianxia, even a not-so-wealthy commoner's home, this place was still dilapidated.
Six people stood in the inner room, lined up on both sides, all holding guns, their expressions stern as they stared at Gu Ya.
Between the six people sat a man wearing a worn but clean black woolen trench coat.
He was not particularly tall or stout, with dark skin and shiny hair. The stubble on his cheeks stood straight up, making him look like Zhang Fei.
But he was a typical Yadayah region inhabitant.
His large eyes were set in deep sockets, his nose bridge high, and his nostrils wide.
His lips, red and somewhat dark, were cracked, as if he hadn't drunk water in a long time.
Gu Ya entered the inner room and asked coldly, "Who took the bounty?"
The man sitting in the center said in a low voice, "I did."
"Good!" Gu Ya nodded and said, "Let's get straight to the point. You answer my questions, and the ten thousand bounty won't be shortchanged. You set the additional information fee."
The man nodded silently.
"When did you go to Yetang Village?" Gu Ya asked.
"200 Bai Xing Coins," the man responded in a low voice.
Gu Ya nodded in agreement.
"Nine years ago, after Yetang Village was wiped out, I left there."
"Were you a villager there?" Gu Ya asked.
"500 Bai Xing Coins."
Gu Ya nodded.
"Yes! I was a villager there; my family had lived in Yetang Village for generations."
A smile appeared on Gu Ya's face; buying information with money didn't require a big fuss.
"Do you know Anai?" Gu Ya asked.
A hint of displeasure flickered across the man's face. He wiped his mouth and said, "1000 Bai Xing Coins."
Gu Ya nodded without hesitation.
The man said, "Yes, she was my fiancée."
"Good heavens," Gu Ya chuckled, "I've finally found the right person."
The man said, "How did you know her?"
Gu Ya smiled and said, "1000 Bai Xing Coins."
The man was taken aback. He lowered his head and pondered for a long while but did not agree.
Gu Ya continued, "This way of chatting is too troublesome. How about I give you 50,000 Bai Xing Coins directly, and I can ask whatever I want?"
The man's eyes lit up.
The faces of the six men showed immense surprise. Unable to contain their joy, they all looked at the man excitedly.
The man's expression also changed from stern to relaxed, but he still regarded Gu Ya with suspicion and apprehension.
Gu Ya smiled faintly and said, "Give me your account number, and I'll transfer 30,000 now. After we finish talking, I'll give you the remaining 20,000, not a cent less."
Upon hearing this, everyone became even more excited, saying enthusiastically, "Camp Master, it's fine. This person is very generous!"
"This person seems sincere, and he's alone. We have more people, so we don't need to be afraid of him."
"He didn't bring any weapons, nor is he piloting a mecha, so he can't do anything to us."
"Camp Master, 50,000 Bai Xing Coins is enough for us to spend a year!"
The man thought calmly for a moment and nodded in agreement.
A few minutes later, the money arrived, and the man finally laughed heartily.
He immediately beckoned to the six men, who brought Gu Ya a chair and refreshments.
He himself stood up and quickly walked to Gu Ya, leading him to sit next to his own seat.
"Ask whatever you want directly!"
Gu Ya nodded and said, "Okay!"
Staring into the man's deep eyes, he asked, "How did Anai die?"
A trace of sadness flashed across the man's eyes, which Gu Ya did not miss. It seemed he had indeed found the right person.
The man said, "Ten years ago, five bandits came to the beach and captured her. By the time I and other villagers arrived, she was already dead."
Gu Ya nodded, his expression calm, but he was overjoyed inwardly.
This man's account was the same as Ye Ying's. This news was simply fantastic!
"So, you saw those five people?"
The man narrowed his eyes, a murderous aura emanating from them, and said in a low voice, "I will never forget them in this life!"
Gu Ya quickly opened his wristband. The holographic screen displayed the portraits of five people.
"Are they them?" Gu Ya asked.
The man looked carefully for a long time, sat up straight, and said, "The general features are similar."
"That's right, that must be it. Then you must have seen her!"