The old man raised his head at the sound but did not answer. Instead, he sharply questioned Ye Haoyang and the others, "Who are you people? How did you end up here?"
"Hey, you old man are amusing," Ye Rongqing remarked, "We were the ones who asked first."
"Donāt you know to respect the elderly and love the young? Seeing as Iām so old, you should answer me first." The old man lifted his head, then lowered it again, looking around.
"Old man, what are you looking at?" Ye Haoyang noticed he seemed to be searching for something and recalled that the authorities would come today. Looking at the clothes he wore, they were not official attire but also not ordinary, probably indicating he was with those people.
Could it be theyāre still searching for the gold mine?
That place should be in trouble by now; these people should know by now that White Stripe Mountain doesnāt have a gold mine. Yet, this old man came here. Could there be a new discovery?
The old man glanced at him briefly, remained silent, then lowered his head again.
"Old man, thereās a bear ahead. Donāt go any further." The bear was naturally not real, but for now, it was crucial he didnāt discover the gold within the mountainās bulge.
He hadnāt figured out yet how to deal with those things.
"A bear?" The old man was obviously skeptical. "Youāre kidding me, arenāt you? Then how did you return?"
"Old man, my second brother is a master who can take on a hundred people. Youāre alone." Ye Rongqing stepped forward to assist him, saying, "Old man, let us take you back, alright!"
Then he made a signal to one of the guards.
So, the old man was escorted back by two people.
"Hey... hey... let me go," the old man shouted, "I can walk by myself. Thereās no bear, and even if there were, this old man wouldnāt be afraid. I tell you, donāt interrupt my work."
"Old man, it doesnāt matter if you donāt believe it, but we cannot watch you risk danger." Ye Rongqing said with a smile, "Besides, this mountain road twists and turns, itās not easy to walk, your old arms and legs are not what they used to be. Weāll support you."
No matter how the old man argued, Ye Rongqing did not let go of him.
They did not stop until they nearly escorted him to the collapsed area. "Old man, this mountain is quite peculiar. Itās better not to wander recklessly, otherwise, if something happens, thereās no one to save you."
Having reached here, even if the old man wanted to return, it was impossible. He cast a doubtful glance at Ye Rongqing, wondering about these peopleās background.
"How is it?"
"Sir, thereās no one below."
"Thatās impossible! So many of us saw people being buried inside, how come thereās no one?"
"..."
At the collapsed site, Prefect of Yunāan Prefectureās shouts could be heard. After excavating below the loose soil, they hadnāt found Situ Er or his guards.
"Keep searching, continue searching for me!"
"Yes..."
The Ye Haoyang brothers glanced at those people from afar, knowing their elder brother had succeeded. They did not linger; upon reaching the mountain top, they learned Ye Haoxuan had already returned to the city and departed with Ye Rongqing.
At the Liu Residence, Ye Haoxuan was leisurely brewing tea.
"Hey, brother, whereās the future sister-in-law?"
"Sheās sleeping." Ye Haoxuan already acknowledged the term āfuture sister-in-law.ā In his view, this matter was set in stone.
Even though Li Luru might feel awkward, he was confident he could smooth over any discrepancies.
"How are things going, whereās everyone?"
Ye Haoxuan waved to them, "Have some tea!"
After they sat down, Ye Haoxuan said, "We havenāt caught Miss Bai yet. Those who went after her havenāt returned. The others are in custody. Howās it going on your side?"