With the two men finally nodding, Ye Fan breathed a long sigh of relief.
His objective for this trip had been achieved, and he had even won the respect of Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao. Ye Fan smiled with satisfaction.
“Since that is the case, I shall return to make preparations. To ensure good communication with everyone, I will be staying in the South Village tomorrow morning. I trust the two village chiefs will not refuse?”
Ye Fan said with a hint of triumph in his smile.
Kong Weiren grunted unhappily. He wanted to refuse, but with the chicken blood stone in Ye Fan’s possession, refusing would mean they wouldn’t be led to the tomb, and all their efforts would be in vain.
Resigned, he forced a smile. “What are you saying, Brother Ye? Since we are cooperating now, we are family. We would be honored to have Brother Ye stay with us.”
“Good, then it’s settled.”
Following this, Ye Fan returned to the Xu family’s old residence.
The next morning, Ye Fan and his group carried Shen Bao to the South Village.
Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao personally came to greet them.
This greatly surprised Shen Tianyin and Elder Lei.
They looked at Ye Fan with confusion, seeking an explanation.
But Ye Fan merely smiled. “Village Chief Kong and Village Chief Dong are warm and hospitable. We can only humbly accept.”
After settling Shen Bao, someone was sent to find a doctor to treat Shen Bao’s wounds.
Then, after ensuring everyone was settled, Ye Fan left with Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao.
The enforcers were once again ordered to remain hidden around the South Village. With their abilities, they could remain concealed so effectively that no matter how much the villagers searched, they would find nothing.
Therefore, the presence of these individuals was Ye Fan and his group’s guarantee of safety.
In the living room, Kong Weiren, Dong Dabiao, and Ye Fan took their seats.
“Brother Ye, can you tell us now where you obtained this chicken blood stone?”
They had spent considerable effort on this matter with no success, and yet Ye Fan had produced it so easily. This naturally made them curious.
Seeing the doubt in their eyes, Ye Fan gave a wry smile.
“This was originally my own secret, but since we are now on the same side, it’s not a problem to tell you.”
Ye Fan picked up his teacup and tapped it.
Kong Weiren immediately understood and quickly instructed someone to serve tea.
After taking a sip to moisten his throat, Ye Fan spoke again.
“Earlier, when we were staying in the East Village, we were ambushed by Xu Sanhu and almost lost our lives. We had no choice but to retaliate. It was in Xu Sanhu’s bedroom that we discovered this chicken blood stone. And this secret, naturally, was told to me by a member of the Xu family. As for who it was, I believe the two of you can guess.”
A member of the Xu family?
Besides Xu Sanhu, the only other person left in the Xu family was Xu Laoguo.
The two men’s eyes widened, and they looked at Ye Fan in disbelief.
“You’re saying that Xu Laoguo told you this secret?”
Ye Fan smiled and nodded. “Besides him, who else would know such a secret? Xu Sanhu is already dead, and others likely don’t have the authority to know such a significant secret. I believe you two certainly wouldn’t share this secret with anyone else, would you?”
Hearing Ye Fan’s words, Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao sighed simultaneously and then nodded.
Indeed, the treasures within the tomb were of great importance, and no one wanted to claim them all for themselves.
Moreover, as village chiefs, they naturally had to keep certain secrets to themselves.
“But why would Xu Laoguo tell you this?”
Kong Weiren asked, confused.
Ye Fan had severely injured Xu Sanhu, and with such deep animosity, how could Xu Laoguo tell Ye Fan these secrets?
The faint smile on Ye Fan’s face gradually faded, replaced by a chilling coldness.
“Because he died by my hand.”
His eyes narrowed, and two icy waves of killing intent surged forth.
At this moment, Ye Fan resembled a demon, his terrifying gaze making both Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao tremble in their hearts.
They both gasped, drawing in a breath of cold air. “Just who is this Ye Fan? How can he possess such intense killing intent?”
After a long while, Ye Fan’s killing intent gradually receded, and he turned to look at the two men.
“Once my companion’s injuries have recovered, we can set out to find the tomb. During this time, I hope the two village chiefs can select some strong, experienced villagers from your respective villages to accompany us.”
This expedition was fraught with danger, and without sufficient manpower, it would be impossible to find the tomb.
Moreover, even if the tomb were found, entering it would require a large number of people to contribute their labor.
This was Ye Fan’s plan. With only a few of them, even if they found the tomb, they might not be able to get inside.
Therefore, cooperating with Kong Weiren and the others was essential.
Besides, with these people around, they could scout ahead for him. As for their lives, Ye Fan had already paved their way…
Hearing Ye Fan’s words, Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao immediately stood up. “Alright, I will go make arrangements now.”
The two men left in a hurry, leaving Ye Fan alone in the living room.
Qiao Ping walked in slowly and looked at Ye Fan.
“You want to go with them to find the tomb?” Qiao Ping’s voice carried a hint of coldness.
Ye Fan nodded, picked up his teacup again, and took a few sips.
“If they find the tomb, do you know the consequences?”
His voice rose slightly, and Qiao Ping’s anger intensified.
Seeing Qiao Ping’s irritation, Ye Fan chuckled and looked towards the door. Seeing no one else around, he lowered his voice.
“So what if they discover it?”
“Ye Fan, are you deceiving me?”
Qiao Ping became furious, pointing at Ye Fan and questioning him angrily.
However, Ye Fan shook his head.
“The moment I decided to cooperate with them, I had already chosen their escape route, which is—death.”
Instantly, Ye Fan’s eyes narrowed, filled with icy coldness.
This sight made Qiao Ping tremble violently and involuntarily step back.
The oppressive chill was unbearable for him.
“But they are innocent. Why….”
Before he could finish speaking, Ye Fan stood up and interrupted him.
“In this world, who isn’t innocent? But since some people have chosen their side, their fate is already sealed. I am merely hastening their demise.”
Saying this, he slowly walked towards the door.
Watching Ye Fan’s retreating back, Qiao Ping’s heart remained deeply unsettled.
Ye Fan had changed, becoming more cold and terrifying.
Previously, when he met Ye Fan, although he knew he was deeply calculating, he didn’t feel fear.
But the Ye Fan he had just encountered was like a caged tiger, his heart filled only with killing intent.
However, this couldn’t be blamed on Ye Fan. The experience of being ambushed by Huzizi had caused a complete transformation in Ye Fan’s mindset.
Towards enemies, he had to strike with deadly force and could not show mercy.
Once he showed mercy, his own life and the lives of his loved ones could be threatened at any moment.
Therefore, Ye Fan would never allow the people of the South and North Villages to return to their respective villages alive.