Chapter 1245: Seeking Huangfu Ziyu
"Wanyan Hong?" Ye Qing frowned. The Wanyan Family also came to inquire about this matter, which made him a bit worried.
If this woman is truly Huangfu Ziyu, the Wanyan Family coming to inquire about this matter is certainly scheming for Huangfu Ziyu. If that's the case, doesn't Huangfu Ziyu face impending danger?
"What did he ask you?" Ye Qing asked gravely.
"The same questions as you just asked, about whether I've seen that woman and then asked about her appearance, who was accompanying her, and how she behaved." Wu Dade looked at Ye Qing and said, "Are these the questions you want to ask too?"
Ye Qing nodded, as Wanyan Hong asked precisely what he intended to inquire.
"How did you answer him?" Ye Qing inquired.
"I answered honestly, of course. They're from the Wanyan Family; how would I dare lie to them?" Wu Dade replied, "That woman is truly beautiful. I've never seen a girl as beautiful as her in my life. To be honest, I've never seen anyone as beautiful as her in movies or TV. You haven't seen her yet; I bet once you do, you'll realize you've been living a wasted half-life, and all those so-called beauties you've seen before are nothing but trash compared to her."
Wu Dade's depiction of the girl's appearance was so intense that it was almost dramatic, indicating the powerful impression her beauty left on him. This also made Ye Qing reaffirm that the girl was most likely Huangfu Ziyu, for Huangfu Ziyu was indeed that beautiful!
"Who was with her?" Ye Qing asked.
"She was accompanied by two men. One looked quite handsome, but he had a long scar across his face, which made him look strange. The other one had a kind of vibe that was hard to describe, but it felt creepy and unpleasant." Wu Dade paused. "I thought there'd be a conflict with those two men, but damn, the woman started beating me up first. Oh, you wouldn't believe it; she was incredibly ruthless, snapping my hands instantly. It's hard to describe how helpless I felt, and my two brothers didn't fare any better; she beat them until they bled. I've never encountered such a savage woman before, laughing merrily one second and snapping my hands the next. It's just too brutal!"
Wu Dade's description of this temperament matched Huangfu Ziyu perfectly, making Ye Qing even more excited. Could this woman truly be Huangfu Ziyu?
"Do you know where she went?" Ye Qing asked quickly.
Wu Dade replied, "I don't know specifically, but from what the man said when he stopped her, it seemed they were heading to a village outside North Suburb of Dongyuan City."
"A village?" Ye Qing was surprised. If it was truly Huangfu Ziyu, what would she want in a rural area like that?
Wu Dade glanced at Ye Qing and said, "Brother, that's all I know. I told the same to Wanyan Family's young master; I really don't know anything else. Brother, I've answered all your questions. Can you let me go now? I need to get back to the hospital soon for an IV drip; it's... it's hurting quite a bit..."
Ye Qing didn't say anything. He frowned deeply, pondering for a moment, then looked at Wu Dade and suddenly said, "You're lying to me!"
"Huh?" Wu Dade was taken aback, glaring, "Who's lying to you? I'm telling the truth. If you don't believe me, don't listen. Why cause trouble?"
Ye Qing didn't know if Wu Dade was speaking truthfully, so he attempted to bluff him to gauge his reaction. Judging from Wu Dade's reaction, he indeed wasn't lying. Thus, it's very likely that the woman was Huangfu Ziyu!
"The village outside North Suburb." Ye Qing looked at Wu Dade, "How do you know they're heading to a village outside North Suburb?"
Wu Dade replied, "When I saw them, they were inquiring about the village situation, so they definitely planned to go there!"
Ye Qing asked gravely, "What's the name of this village, and where exactly is it located?"
Wu Dade said, "Thirteen Li Fortress, thirty kilometers north of Dongyuan City, fairly remote, and beyond it is the Great Snow Mountain; not many people usually venture there."
Ye Qing glanced at Li Qiang. Li Qiang nodded, "There's indeed such a village."
Ye Qing remained silent for a while and suddenly stood up, saying, "Li, could you keep an eye on him? I need to head over to Thirteen Li Fortress myself."
"Do you want me to come with you?" Li Qiang asked.
"No!" Ye Qing shook his head decisively, "I can manage better alone. The main goal is to gather some information. Li, you just ensure he doesn't leave to warn anyone."
"Very well!" Li Qiang nodded. He understood his own limitations. Ye Qing's prowess meant he'd only be a hindrance if he accompanied, better to stay and watch over Wu Dade.
Ye Qing walked to the door and suddenly turned to Wu Dade, asking, "When did Wanyan Hong arrive?"
Wu Dade replied, "He arrived the day before yesterday, but I was still unconscious. I regained consciousness yesterday afternoon, and he questioned me about this matter afterward."
Ye Qing nodded, not asking further, and left the residential area directly. Based on Wu Dade's information, Wanyan Hong should have hurried to Thirteen Li Fortress last night. By now, nearly twelve hours have passed, and Ye Qing is uncertain whether he can still catch up.
He hailed a car and headed straight to Thirteen Li Fortress. The snowy road was slippery. Though only thirty kilometers away, it took over an hour to finally arrive.
This area around Thirteen Li Fortress is indeed desolate and remote, surrounded by high mountains, and further north lies Great Snow Mountain, stretching endlessly into the horizon. If the girl is truly Huangfu Ziyu, what would she want here? Is there something significant in Thirteen Li Fortress?
Ye Qing didn't enter Thirteen Li Fortress directly; instead, he climbed to the mountainside adjacent to it to carefully observe the situation.
In the harsh winter, with the icy cold, one usually prefers staying indoors in rural areas. Thirteen Li Fortress is likely the kind of village that relies on hunting for livelihood. During winter and the snow mountain blockage, people generally prefer staying home for warmth, avoiding going out. In such weather, there are also not many prey outside, better to stay home and rest.
The village really has few people outside, suggesting most have holed up inside. After observing for a while, Ye Qing still didn't see anyone from Wanyan Hong, surprising him. Logically, Wanyan Hong's group should have arrived here already, so why haven't they been seen? Could it be they're hiding indoors to stay warm?
After waiting a bit longer, finally, someone emerged from a house to relieve themselves at the toilet before heading back inside.
Ye Qing realized that waiting here would likely yield no results. Besides, in this cold, if he continues, he'd probably get buried under the snow first. Thus, he stealthily descended the mountain and went straight to the yard of that house.
As soon as he entered, the hunting dogs in the yard barked. These mountain hunting dogs are far more alert than regular dogs and even perceived Ye Qing's presence.
The dog's barking startled the people inside the house, and the door opened with the same person coming out, curious upon seeing Ye Qing in the yard, "Who are you?"
Ye Qing smiled slightly, saying, "Fellow villager, I'm just passing by and got lost. I've gone quite a long time without eating, so I wondered if I could buy some food here. I have money!"
"Ah, forget about money!" The man waved his hand dismissively, "Come on, come in, it's so cold outside, don't stand there."
Villagers are hospitable; he directly escorted Ye Qing inside, bringing out a lot of food to treat him, mostly dried meats.
As Ye Qing entered, he surveyed the interior carefully. The man appeared to live alone; the absence of others reassured Ye Qing somewhat. After casually having some jerky, Ye Qing started probing the man with questions.
"Fellow villager, what's this place?" Ye Qing asked.
"Thirteen Li Fortress." The man smiled, "You've never been here before, have you?"
"Right, first time here, so this is Thirteen Li Fortress?" Ye Qing said, "Oh, I finally found it!"
The man was surprised, "So, are you looking for Thirteen Li Fortress?"
"Yes!" Ye Qing replied, "Someone told me about this area, and I've been searching, wandering for quite a while, unexpectedly found my way here!"
"Quite a coincidence." The man laughed, "By the way, what brings you to Thirteen Li Fortress? Have friends or relatives living here? Which family?"
"No!" Ye Qing quickly waved his hand, "To be precise, I have a few friends who came here, and I'm looking for them."
"Your friends?" The man was surprised, "Aren't they locals?"
"No." Ye Qing replied, "They're here for business, arriving just a couple of days ago, two men and a girl. The girl is quite beautiful; not sure if you remember?"
"Oh, the three people you mentioned, I've seen them." The man nodded, "The girl is indeed pretty, came with two men. But they went into the back of Great Snow Mountain, not sure what they're up to."
Hearing this, Ye Qing felt an instant rush of excitement, unbelievably having gathered information on those people. Could Huangfu Ziyu be somewhere nearby?
"Where are they now?" Ye Qing asked eagerly.
(Today, four chapters have been updated, clearing previously owed chapters.)