Under Ye Fan's coercion and enticement, the villagers all submitted and were collectively confined to Xu Sanhu's residence, with a dozen law enforcers left to guard them, ensuring no mishaps.
At this moment, Ye Fan and the others were seated in the living room of Xu Sanhu's residence.
"Second Brother, thankfully you arrived in time for rescue. Otherwise, I fear we would have all been trapped to death."
Looking at Shen Bao, whose face was serious, Ye Fan said with a wry smile.
It turned out that the previous evening, as Ye Fan and his group were discussing strategies, Xu Sanhu's wife, Qiao Ping, whom the entire East Village regarded as mad, had found them.
She informed them that there was a secret tunnel in the ancestral hall leading outside the village, which was their only escape route.
However, even if they managed to escape the village, if Xu Sanhu and his men discovered them and pursued relentlessly, they might not get far.
Coincidentally, Shen Bao arrived with his men at this time and contacted Shen Tianyin, which led Ye Fan to devise this plan.
To catch them off guard and apprehend them all.
"Sister Qiao, since you are the tomb keeper, why did you marry Xu Sanhu and live in this Thousand Buddha Mountain?"
Ye Fan asked Qiao Ping, puzzled.
Tomb keeper, an ancient title, but that's how he referred to her when he first saw her.
However, the situation was too critical then, and Ye Fan couldn't ask further.
Now that all the danger was resolved, Ye Fan was naturally curious.
Qiao Ping replied with a bitter smile, "A prominent figure is buried in Thousand Buddha Mountain. After his interment, my great-grandfather was appointed as the tomb keeper to guard the tomb. The role of tomb keeper is passed down through generations. After my great-grandfather passed away, my grandfather became the tomb keeper, and it continued until me. Twenty years ago, my father passed away and designated me as the current tomb keeper to guard the past glory of this place. Furthermore, he arranged a marriage for me, which was with Xu Sanhu."
Lost in thought, Qiao Ping's expression remained calm, though her voice carried a slight tremor.
"The Xu family did not originally reside in Thousand Buddha Mountain. Compared to the people of the other two villages, they were considered outsiders. Moreover, the people of the other two villages were very exclusive towards outsiders. Over time, they became sworn enemies with the East Village. The South and North villages formed an alliance, creating a united front to jointly oppose the East Village and Xu Sanhu."
"However, the cunning and ruthless Xu Laogun, through several vicious schemes, quickly secured a foothold for himself. But three years ago, several strangers came to the East Village. They sought out Xu Laogun and conversed amiably with him. After that, people in the village began to die mysteriously. This caught the attention of the villagers, who conducted house-to-house investigations. But when they found nothing, oddly enough, no one in the village died anymore. However, anyone who came to Thousand Buddha Mountain to burn incense, worship Buddha, or seek various opportunities and entered the East Village, none of them ever left alive."
"Three years ago?"
Ye Fan frowned slightly. So, the counterfeit business had already begun three years ago.
Then, how many people had died tragically at Xu Sanhu's hands during these three years?
No wonder Xu Sanhu had said such things to Hu Liu.
Indeed, given the heinous crimes they had committed, a thousand cuts would not be enough to quell the public's outrage!
"It is only regrettable that the mastermind behind this, for the sake of exorbitant profits, would commit such heinous deeds. If he is caught, he must be brought to justice and accept the punishment of the law."
Elder Lei gritted his teeth. On this trip to Thousand Buddha Mountain, two people had already died before they even reached their destination.
Moreover, upon learning the cause of their deaths, Elder Lei became even more furious.
As a titan of the antique industry, Elder Lei possessed a special sentiment for antiques.
This sentiment could only be understood, not described.
Therefore, when he learned that someone was creating fakes for profit, Elder Lei's anger erupted uncontrollably.
"The law?"
Ye Fan sneered, "The law is merely a set of rules for a select few. Those in power, who has ever abided by the law? Moreover, those who set the law, who will hold them accountable?"
As Ye Fan spoke these words, he looked at Shen Bao, intentionally or unintentionally.
After days of contemplation, he believed Shen Bao should have some answers.
A man must experience setbacks to grow, especially Shen Bao. If he were to take over the family in the future, he would have to endure many hardships.
To empty oneself, to temper the mind, to strengthen the sinews, to starve the body, one can then become superior to others!
Sensing Ye Fan's gaze, Shen Bao slowly raised his head and met Ye Fan's eyes.
Although he still felt uncomfortable, he cast a reassuring glance at Ye Fan.
Seeing this, Ye Fan smiled with satisfaction. Shen Bao's understanding of this matter made him happier than finding any treasure in Thousand Buddha Mountain.
"What do we do next? The clues have only appeared in the back mountain, but Thousand Buddha Mountain is too vast. With just our current group, finding Xu Laogun is like climbing to heaven."
Ye Fan's lips curved into a faint smile.
"This matter is not as complicated as you think, nor is it too difficult to find Xu Laogun."
Elder Lei was immediately taken aback and looked at Ye Fan, awaiting his explanation.
"Elder Lei might as well consider this: although Xu Laogun is extremely well-hidden, he is still a normal person. Doesn't he need to eat, drink, and relieve himself? As long as he comes to the East Village to find food, we can set up an inescapable net and capture him in one fell swoop."
This was the plan Ye Fan had devised the previous night.
After a moment of serious consideration, Elder Lei nodded firmly in agreement, "That is excellent. This time, Xu Laogun is bound to die."
The thought of finally being able to avenge his disciple made Elder Lei's excitement irrepressible.
Following this, the group further refined the plan before leaving the living room.
As for Ye Fan, he returned to the room where he had been staying.
The battle that morning had consumed a considerable amount of his physical strength and energy. Even though Ye Fan was robust, he couldn't help but feel a little fatigued.
His desire was there, but his strength was lacking.
After taking a shower, Ye Fan lay down on the bed to rest.
However, after just a short while, his door was urgently knocked upon.
Ye Fan quickly opened the door and saw Shen Tianyin standing at the doorway with swollen eyes.
"Ye Fan."
With a cry, she lunged into Ye Fan's embrace like a swallow returning to its nest.
This left Ye Fan stunned. In both his past and present lives, this seemed to be his first time being so close to a woman.
"You, what is it? Can we sit down and talk?"
Although being held felt quite good, seeing Shen Tianyin's state, a major event must have occurred. For now, business came first.
Seemingly realizing her lapse in composure, Shen Tianyin quickly stood up and looked at Ye Fan, weeping, "My grandfather's life is hanging by a thread."