Xichuan Province, Lijia Village.
Lijia Village is located in the central-western part of Xichuan Province. More than ten years ago, this was still a remote mountainous area, extremely backward.
Within a ten-mile radius of Lijia Village, there was only one impoverished county town, Li County, which was already considered the most prosperous place within a radius of tens of miles.
More than ten years ago, before Lijia Village had a road, villagers had to walk nearly ten miles of mountain paths to the county town to purchase daily necessities and food for nearly a month.
Later, the country undertook massive construction projects and built a road to Lijia Village at any cost. The government expected Lijia Village to develop rapidly along with Li County and shed its poverty.
In fact, Lijia Village did develop rapidly. Several famous wealthy individuals emerged from the village, making quite a name for themselves in Li County.
Unfortunately, later, one accident after another occurred in Lijia Village, resulting in the death or injury of everyone in the village. Eventually, everyone believed the village was unlucky and moved out, settling in various parts of the country.
Even after the people of Lijia Village moved out, those with the Lijia bloodline could not escape their misfortune. They continued to suffer accidents, and all of them perished.
The people of Li County believed Lijia Village was too sinister, and Lijia Village became known as a ghost village.
To this day, no one in the county dares to go to Lijia Village. The road that was built at great expense has since fallen into disrepair, becoming a paradise for beasts.
Ye Ling brought Yang Qi to Li County and, looking at the prosperous surroundings, exclaimed repeatedly, "Every time I come here, it's hard to imagine that this vast and prosperous town was a poor mountainous county over ten years ago."
The last time he came to investigate Li Xiaomei's hometown, he had collected all the development data for Li County over the past decade.
At that time, seeing the earth-shattering changes in the county town, Ye Ling couldn't help but marvel at the power of humans.
Yang Qi had also not been here for over ten years. Seeing the immense changes in the county town, he felt somewhat dazed, thinking he had arrived at the wrong place.
Ye Ling patted Yang Qi, who was staring blankly, on the shoulder and said, "Don't just stand there in a daze. I can only take you to Li County. The next step is up to you to lead the way."
Ye Ling had investigated Lijia Village and knew there was nothing for Yang Qi to hide there. If Yang Qi truly intended to hide Li Xiaomei's device, he would most likely have hidden it in Li County or its vicinity.
Yang Qi swallowed slightly and said with a solemn expression, "I-I'm not sure anymore. This county town has developed too quickly. Perhaps the place I hid it has..."
Thinking of this, Yang Qi dared not hesitate and immediately followed his memory towards the place where he had hidden it.
Ye Ling followed closely.
The changes in Li County over the years were too great, and Yang Qi's memory was now somewhat blurry. Although he was anxious, he walked as slowly as a turtle.
He had to stop after every three steps.
Seeing Yang Qi's faltering steps, Ye Ling sighed slightly, worrying if Yang Qi might lose the device...
Although he didn't particularly need what Li Xiaomei had invented, he wanted to lure out the mastermind. Li Xiaomei's invention was crucial. If that thing were lost... he would only be able to fabricate the appearance of the device based on Yang Qi's memory.
While this would still allow Yang Qi to act as bait to draw out Yun Gong, luring out the mastermind with a fake would be nearly impossible.
Yang Qi walked in silence, his forehead covered in sweat, his heart filled with extreme tension.
He had finally made up his mind to risk everything to confront Yun Gong. Now that the arrow was nocked, if he faltered and something went wrong here...
He would probably never forgive himself!
Yang Qi stopped at the entrance of Li County Private High School. Looking at the fierce-looking gatekeeper, he swallowed slightly and said to Ye Ling with some uncertainty, "Sir, we're here..."
Ye Ling glanced at the school ahead and asked Yang Qi in surprise, "Are you sure it's here?"
He scanned the school with his divine sense. There were about seven thousand teachers and students, and classes were ongoing. It seemed unrealistic for Yang Qi to hide something in such a place.
Yang Qi now wished he could die. He said to Ye Ling, "This used to be a cemetery. I buried Xiaomei's device in my friend's grave. How did it become a school?"
Ye Ling said exasperatedly, "If your friend hadn't reincarnated and knew you buried that thing in their grave, they would probably be so angry they'd crawl out of their coffin."
Yang Qi couldn't explain much and said anxiously, "Sir, now is not the time to talk about this. The grave can't be found now. Could Xiaomei's device..."
Ye Ling was not too worried about this and said, "Don't rush, there might still be a turn of events."
He had just scanned the ground beneath the school with his divine sense, and there were no coffins left.
It was clear that all the graves had been moved before the school was built.
Whether Li Xiaomei's invented device had been taken was unknown.
However, since the graves had been moved, there must be traces left behind. Finding the former graves was not difficult.
After comforting Yang Qi, Ye Ling walked directly to the school's gatekeeper and asked him, "Excuse me, do you know where the graves here were moved to before this school was built?"
The fierce-looking gatekeeper, seeing Ye Ling approach, gave him a sideways glance and said impatiently, "I don't know what you're talking about. If you have nothing else, get lost. Don't you see I'm working!"
Ye Ling was not angered by the gatekeeper's reprimand. He just smiled and asked, "Excuse me, where were the cemetery graves of this school moved to?"
The gatekeeper became even more impatient, glared at Ye Ling, and cursed, "Are you deaf..."
However, before he could finish his sentence, he saw Ye Ling's eyes, as deep as the starry sky. He froze completely and then became dazed.
He said blankly, "I-I'm a new temporary worker. I don't know anything. You, you can ask the principal... This is a private school he built. He moved the new cemetery sites. He might know."
Hearing the gatekeeper's answer, Ye Ling sighed slightly, "So, a useless person who knows nothing... What a waste of my effort."
Ye Ling waved his hand gently, and the gatekeeper was sent flying into the guardhouse, smashing into the monitor screen and breaking the surveillance. He also fell unconscious.
Without paying any further attention to the gatekeeper, Ye Ling strode into the school.
Yang Qi, still in a daze, quickly came to his senses as Ye Ling entered the school and hurried to follow.
Li County Private High School, Principal's Office.
Laughter from a man and a woman could be heard from inside, along with lewd remarks and occasional moans.
People working here knew that at this time in the afternoon, it was the principal's time for entertainment with his secretary. There was usually no one in the office building, for fear of disturbing the principal's "work" and thus losing their jobs.
Ye Ling, with Yang Qi, swaggered into the office building and found their way unimpeded to the principal's office on the top floor.
Yang Qi's face turned red and he became somewhat flustered upon hearing the moans coming from the principal's office.
Ye Ling looked at Yang Qi in surprise, finding his boyish expression quite unexpected.
Yang Qi said sheepishly, "I-I haven't been with a woman in over ten years... so..."
"You really are..."
Ye Ling shook his head and smiled, then kicked open the door to the principal's office!
In the office, a balding fat man and a beautiful woman with perfect figures were startled by the door kicked open by Ye Ling.
"Ahhh!"
The beauty screamed and quickly hid behind the desk. The balding fat man also looked panicked, quickly grabbed his clothes from the floor to cover himself, and then angrily looked at Ye Ling, "Who are you?"
Ye Ling walked into the room with a smile, then unleashed a wind blade, cutting the desk behind the balding fat man in half, causing the beauty to scream loudly again.
Ye Ling looked at the pale-faced balding fat man and smiled, "Sir, I have an urgent matter and would like to disturb you."