Shen Tianyin almost uncontrollably turned her head. When she saw Qiao Ping’s sinister, terrifying, pale, and eerie face, she was instantly scared and exclaimed.
“Don’t look, just run for your lives!”
Tightly pulling Shen Tianyin, Ye Fan roared and desperately sprinted towards the cave entrance.
As long as they escaped the stone cave, there was still hope. Blood corpses feared sunlight the most; once exposed, they would turn into blood.
This was their only chance to survive.
The group exerted almost all their strength and, just as Qiao Ping was about to grab them, they leaped out of the cave entrance.
As the warm sunlight shone upon them, the long-lost warmth made them all laugh, feeling as if they had narrowly escaped death.
“We’re… saved?”
Shen Tianyin still felt a sense of unreality, having been so fiercely pursued by Qiao Ping and the others in the stone cave.
Shen Bao laughed heartily, “One must have good fortune after surviving a great disaster. I never expected that we would miraculously survive the pursuit of blood corpses; our luck is off the charts.”
In comparison, Elder Lei and Elder Ji were much calmer, merely gasping for breath.
Being older and running so frantically, it was already commendable that they could persevere.
Only Ye Fan’s expression remained grim as he turned to look back at the cave entrance.
Qiao Ping stepped half a foot out of the stone cave. The sunlight shone on him, and smoke immediately rose from the parts it illuminated.
He let out a scream and then retreated back into the cave.
From the cave entrance, he bared his teeth and claws at Ye Fan and the others, continuously roaring.
“As expected, we can’t get out. What do we do now? It looks like treasure hunting is impossible. With Qiao Ping and Kong Weiren guarding inside, we can’t get in at all.”
Shen Tianyin was deeply disappointed. The treasure hunting trip she had envisioned had turned into an escape, and in the end, they gained nothing.
“Being able to escape with our lives is already a great feat. You’re still thinking about treasure hunting?”
Looking at his sister in surprise, Shen Bao said irritably.
“Ye Fan, what are you thinking about?”
Seeing that Ye Fan had not spoken, Shen Tianyin frowned and asked.
Since they had escaped to safety, they should be happy. Yet, Ye Fan’s face showed no joy. In fact, his face was grim, his eyes narrowed, and his expression was solemn.
“Come out. Since you’re already here, why hide?”
Suddenly, Ye Fan shouted loudly towards the stone cave.
This shout made Shen Tianyin and the others exchange bewildered glances, all of them looking puzzled.
“Ye Fan, who are you talking to?”
Shen Tianyin shrank her neck, hid behind Ye Fan, and tugged at his sleeve.
Her gaze swept around, trying to find the object of Ye Fan’s address.
But besides Qiao Ping and Kong Weiren struggling and roaring at the cave entrance, there was no one else in sight.
The scene became somewhat eerie for a moment.
“Could I be wrong?”
Ye Fan frowned, thinking to himself, but then he shouted again, “What? You dare to do it but not admit it? Or do you have no face to see us? Hiding like a scared turtle?”
These words were not directed at anyone in particular, but were purely probing remarks.
“Ye Fan, what’s wrong with you? You’re not scared silly, are you?”
Shen Bao also became confused, looking at Ye Fan and saying.
But at that moment, a figure slowly walked out from behind a large rock outside the stone cave.
“How did you know I was here?”
The figure was dressed in a black long gown and wore a wide-brimmed hat that covered their face, making them appear entirely shrouded in black.
Their steps were light, showing no sign of tension.
“It really is you.”
Seeing the person emerge, Ye Fan snorted coldly.
“So, you were the one pulling the strings behind all this. No wonder Qiao Ping knew so much; it was all deliberately leaked by you. Your heart is truly ruthless, Village Chief Xu, Xu Sanhu!”
“What? He’s Xu Sanhu?”
Shen Tianyin was shocked.
“Ye Fan, you can’t be mistaken, right? Wasn’t Xu Sanhu captured?”
Shen Bao asked with deep doubt.
“Cough, cough, Brother Ye, how could this be Xu Sanhu? I saw him on the verge of death with my own eyes.”
Elder Ji also did not believe it.
But Ye Fan’s eyes burned with intensity as he stared fixedly at the person, his entire being filled with high fighting spirit.
“Heh, as expected, you are indeed clever, Ye Fan. I must say, I am impressed.”
The man in black slowly removed his face-covering hat, and indeed, a face they were all too familiar with was revealed.
“Xu Sanhu? Is it really you? But you…”
Shen Tianyin was flustered, pointing a finger at Xu Sanhu, feeling her mind could no longer keep up.
Before she could finish, Xu Sanhu smiled at Ye Fan and said, “Yes, wasn’t I dying? How could I be here?”
It was clear he also wanted to know how Ye Fan had found him.
Everyone’s gaze fell on Ye Fan, awaiting his explanation.
But Ye Fan’s gaze did not waver, still fixed on Xu Sanhu.
“Your downfall was too rapid.”
“Since you could contend with Kong Weiren and Dong Dabiao for so long, it indicates you have a deep stratagem and are by no means thoughtless. Yet, when you dealt with us, you were full of loopholes and were easily defeated by us. This does not align with your style. From that moment, I began to suspect you.”
Ye Fan’s expression was calm, the reflection of Xu Sanhu in his pupils.
“I see. However, you are indeed the most difficult opponents I have ever encountered. Originally, my plan was to eliminate all of you, but I discovered that you had backup plans. I could only go with the flow and use your plans to my advantage.”
Xu Sanhu stood with his hands behind his back, a faint smile on his face, his expression indescribably relaxed.
“And then, Qiao Ping appeared by my side. Whenever our train of thought was about to break, he would offer reminders, allowing us to continue thinking. And she is your wife. With your cautious nature, if you didn’t want her to know, there would be countless ways. Yet, she knows many of your secrets. This is your second loophole.”
Xu Sanhu was momentarily surprised, but then nodded, “Indeed. She came to monitor you upon my instructions, and it turned out she successfully brought you here. She completed the task excellently.”
This did not sound like a husband speaking of his wife at all.
It was clearly the attitude of someone speaking to a subordinate.
Ye Fan could not help but frown, “Xu Sanhu, why have you done all this? What is your objective?”
Ye Fan could not understand why Xu Sanhu had gone to such lengths.
They were mere acquaintances, yet Xu Sanhu used them as pawns. What was his intention?
It wasn’t just Ye Fan; Shen Bao, Shen Tianyin, and Elder Lei also looked at Xu Sanhu.
This hidden puppet master, who even resorted to self-inflicted harm, what did he want?