Ye Tiancheng and the little胖 searched for the source of the sound, then quietly peeked through the window from behind. They saw Cui Cui kneeling in the center of the house. There were quite a few people inside, and the one sitting at the front was likely a person of authority. Judging by Cui Cui's address, he was probably the clan elder.
"Please spare me. I don't know where those two people went. I didn't know they were here to abduct someone. I thought they were just ordinary tourists or lost, which is why they came here."
Ye Tiancheng and Fatty immediately understood. They had come to the right place. This village was indeed strange, and now that they knew Ye Tiancheng and Fatty were here to snatch the bride, they wouldn't let it go. They would likely be on guard against the two of them.
Now that the person they were supposed to watch had escaped from under Cui Cui's nose, Cui Cui had become the sinner and was being surrounded and interrogated by these people. They were all speaking in their local dialect, which Ye Tiancheng and Fatty couldn't understand. However, from their tone, they could tell these people were very angry.
Now that the person they wanted to keep an eye on was gone, a major incident had occurred, and they wanted Cui Cui to take responsibility.
"Brother Ye, this is bad. They seem to be about to torture Cui Cui. How can these people be so shameless? They're all men bullying a little girl. Cui Cui isn't even twenty yet. If she's tortured, it'll hurt, and it'll probably scare the poor girl to death."
Fatty said with regret. Ye Tiancheng was also moved. Any man couldn't bear to see a young girl being bullied like this, especially by a group of people. The feeling of helplessness made Ye Tiancheng instantly think of himself. When he was in trouble, no one had come to help him.
"Fatty, go over there and wait for me behind the trees. I'll bring the person over immediately, and then we'll run together."
Ye Tiancheng had used time-stopping technology before, but it consumed a lot of his true qi. Fatty instantly understood what Ye Tiancheng was going to do, and he fully supported Ye Tiancheng.
"Brother Ye, let's cooperate well. We'll definitely be able to rescue Cui Cui. Come on, we absolutely won't admit defeat. Don't be scared by these unreasonable villagers."
After speaking, Fatty hid behind the trees. Ye Tiancheng used his true qi to activate time-stopping and then ran over to embrace Cui Cui.
When time resumed, Cui Cui found herself beside Ye Tiancheng.
"How did this happen?"
"It was Fatty and I who saved you. We were afraid you'd be bullied by those men. We want to go up the mountain to find our friends. If you want to repay us, be our guide. Besides, you can't go back now. Those people consider you an eyesore and a thorn in their side. You won't get anything good if you go back."
"Thank you for saving my life. Those people in the village seem to have drugged you and asked me to watch you. This drug would normally make you sleep for several more hours. I didn't expect your physique to be special, and you woke up before they predicted and ran away. That's why they came looking for me."
Cui Cui told Ye Tiancheng that everyone in the village already knew Ye Tiancheng was going to take Liu Lanying away, so they would definitely be on guard against Ye Tiancheng. She warned Ye Tiancheng to be extremely careful, as those people, having hunted for years, all had guns and were not ordinary villagers to be trifled with.
"I understand. You probably know where my good friend is being held, right, Cui Cui? Take me there. It's also a good opportunity for you to hide on the mountain."
"It's easy to get lost in here. Let me take you. Otherwise, you and this Fatty brother won't be able to find the place."
Cui Cui was a local, and she seemed quite clever. For now, they could only rely on her. Ye Tiancheng had consumed a lot of true qi earlier, and his true qi was now severely depleted. Without her, he and Fatty would be like headless flies, rushing around aimlessly. This wouldn't do; they needed a goal.
"Then I'll trouble you, Miss Cui Cui."
Since they were asking for a favor, Ye Tiancheng had to be polite. Miss Cui Cui seemed like a good person, and Ye Tiancheng didn't want to offend her.
"You're welcome, Brother Ye. I've known for a long time that you're no ordinary person. It's my honor to know a master like you. You've gone through a lot to save me, so it's only right that I help you. You don't need to thank me; it would be too formal."
Cui Cui smiled, revealing her small canine teeth. Although her skin was a bit dark, her teeth were very white, making Cui Cui appear very wild and lively, giving a very good impression.
"Brother Ye, let's not talk anymore. Let's set off quickly. If we don't leave now, it'll be too late."
Fatty urged from the side. Ye Tiancheng then realized that he had indeed wasted too much time and couldn't continue to be so casual. He quickly gave Cui Cui a few more instructions, and then the three of them set off together.
Not long after they started walking, it began to rain again. The weather conditions were not optimistic. This newly formed three-person team...
Everyone held their breath, no one dared to chat. They all had things on their minds and were a bit nervous, which led them to think about this and that.
"Once we get out of this dense forest, it will open up. Outsiders often get lost in this 'ghost wall' and can't find their way, but for us locals, it's relatively easy. We can easily find our way around."
Before she could finish speaking, they actually walked out. Outside the forest was a calm lake. The rain had stopped, and now there was only a fine drizzle. The lake outside gave off a very tranquil feeling, unlike the oppressive atmosphere inside the forest. It felt like they had finally returned to the human world. The place they were just in was truly eerie.
"We're finally out. It seems we still need to find a local. No matter how hard we try, it's useless. We still haven't found it. We have to thank Miss Cui Cui for her great help."
Little Fatty was very happy and started talking more. Cui Cui didn't say much but went to a corner and disappeared into the woods. Ye Tiancheng and Fatty were stunned, worried that Cui Cui was playing a trick on them and wanted to escape, so they quickly followed. Upon following, they discovered that she had pulled out a bamboo raft from a cave.
"We need to paddle across. Everything here is very hidden except for what the locals know."
"Okay, we'll listen to you, Miss Cui Cui. Thank you for your hard work and trouble."
Having someone to guide them was great. The three of them quickly got onto the bamboo raft. The shimmering lake reflected the light, and the flowing water made a gurgling sound, carrying a fresh scent, as if showing them the joy of life.
Cui Cui personally paddled the bamboo raft, moving slowly on the rippling lake. The bamboo raft was very rudimentary. If they weren't careful, it could capsize, and the three of them might fall into the lake.
Although the lake wasn't deep, being swept downstream would be quite unfortunate. It was best to be steady and avoid taking risks whenever possible.
As they were paddling along, they saw a few black dots on the shore and realized there might be people.
"This is bad, Brother Ye. The situation is not optimistic. The natural enemies of our village are those outsiders. They often attack our village, causing casualties. It seems we've trespassed on their territory this time. These people look fierce and are watching us."
Even if they changed direction now, it would be too late. They couldn't land anywhere else. To leave this lake, they either had to go back the way they came or fall into the hands of those outsiders.
"It's okay, they might not be able to defeat us. Don't worry too much. Let's just keep going normally. Don't mind what they think."
Even with his true qi damaged, Ye Tiancheng wasn't afraid of some savages holding pitchforks. They weren't people armed with cannons and rockets, so there was no need to put so much pressure on himself.
"Brother Ye, you have to protect me. Cui Cui and I are counting on you."
Although Fatty didn't object, he still appeared very timid, not daring to speak much, and seemed listless.
"Don't worry. We'll help Cui Cui paddle together. A young girl will quickly run out of strength. We must help her share the burden."
One person prepared to confront those people head-on, but before he could, those people suddenly rushed over in a speedboat. It was clearly modern equipment. Their small bamboo raft looked particularly crude and was not worth mentioning. They would likely be overturned in an instant.
"No, we can't keep going down this path. Let's change direction quickly and try to escape. These people don't just have simple weapons; I even suspect they might have guns. Let's be careful. If we're ambushed, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Ye Tiancheng quickly changed the direction of the bamboo raft with Fatty and Cui Cui. As a result, they slid rapidly and, under the relentless pursuit of the modern vessels, suddenly slid into a cave.
The bamboo raft ran aground at the entrance of the cave. The three of them, along with Cui Cui, were not very convenient. At this moment, they shouldn't resist but quickly rush into the cave. This was their only retreat.
There was still water on the ground in the cave, but it only reached their ankles. The bamboo raft was directly abandoned outside, and the three of them walked forward on foot.
"You two, walk slower. The water looks shallow now, but we can't see how deep it is ahead. If you accidentally fall in, it will be very dangerous, and it will be difficult to rescue you."
On the surface, the water was quite shallow, but if they walked ahead and suddenly fell into an abyss, even with the cushioning effect of the water, they would surely die.
They walked very slowly. To be safe, Ye Tiancheng took the stick from the bamboo raft and used it to probe the way as he walked, ensuring they wouldn't fall into any unknown holes.
They only moved forward in places that had been tested. Otherwise, they wouldn't wander around randomly. It was very dark inside, with only a little light filtering in. The situation was very dangerous. A single mistake could lead to a dangerous incident, so caution was very important for them.
"We can speed up a bit. I can hear the sound of pursuers behind us. They're getting closer and closer. If we delay any longer, we might be caught. Since there's no other way, we might as well take a risk. Perhaps there's a glimmer of hope."