"I still have no clues about Brother Ye's whereabouts. They might have encountered something," the fatty said, his expression dimming as he mentioned Ye Tiancheng.
However, following Nie Chongyang's hint, the fatty also saw the large black snake charging straight towards them. He knew the situation was urgent and said to Nie Chongyang, "It's fine. I have cultivation too, and I can help you. Even though Brother Ye isn't here, I'm not useless!"
"After we deal with that guy, I'll look for Brother Ye and the others!"
The fatty knew that dwelling on his own would not help Ye Tiancheng much and would only waste time. Moreover, with Ye Tiancheng gone, he felt even more obligated to help Nie Chongyang and his team.
Furthermore, after helping Nie Chongyang and his team, if he had free time, and with their help, he might be able to find Ye Tiancheng and the others.
He wasn't smart enough to figure out many things on his own, but with Nie Chongyang and his team helping, they were at least much smarter than him. Finding clues was something they were good at, at least much better than he was.
Upon hearing that Ye Tiancheng and the others were missing, Nie Chongyang also felt worried.
Although their relationship with Ye Tiancheng and the others was based on mutual benefit and cooperation, they had known each other for quite some time. Nie Chongyang and Ye Tiancheng had developed a considerable friendship. Moreover, the talismans and props used by their special operations team were all provided by Little Fox, with Ye Tiancheng's support behind the scenes. These two must not have anything happen to them.
However, the current situation was indeed more urgent, and it was a good thing that the fatty could come to help.
Fortunately, Nie Chongyang also remembered that Ye Tiancheng had said before that this large black snake was not that difficult to deal with and had a very obvious weakness. With the fatty's help, Nie Chongyang and his team didn't have to worry too much.
Only by solving the current problem, after the large black snake was dealt with, would Nie Chongyang and his team have the time to help the fatty find Ye Tiancheng and the others.
Otherwise, if they couldn't manage both, they would be annihilated.
It had to be said that while the fatty might not be strong in terms of intellect, he was skilled in combat.
The fatty had followed Ye Tiancheng all over the country and experienced many events and dangerous situations. His skills were only getting stronger. He felt he wasn't strong enough because he was comparing himself to Ye Tiancheng. Outside, the fatty was also a very powerful expert.
Therefore, helping Nie Chongyang and his team deal with the large black snake was not a difficult task for the fatty.
Especially since this large black snake was not that powerful.
Considering that Nie Chongyang and his team needed practice and to cherish this rare opportunity for large-scale practical combat, the fatty, while helping Nie Chongyang and his team, first let Nie Chongyang and his team make their moves. When Nie Chongyang and his team were unable to cope, or encountered any danger, the fatty would then assist them from the side, helping them escape from peril.
The reason for choosing to do this was that only in this way could Nie Chongyang and his team receive true tempering.
The battle proceeded without major accidents. The large black snake's weakness was too obvious. Therefore, dealing with it directly might indeed be difficult for Nie Chongyang and his team. However, after the large black snake was weakened by realgar, Nie Chongyang and his team, relying on their props and talismans, managed to hold on.
It was when they attempted to slay the large black snake that they attacked the area resembling a dragon's scale, which was indeed a fatal spot for the large black snake. However, touching it would also enrage the large black snake to a certain extent, causing it to become furious and its combat power to suddenly surge.
Therefore, an accident still occurred. The fatty was not paying attention, and one of Nie Chongyang's team members was injured by the large black snake. The injury was quite serious, but fortunately, his life was saved. After the battle ended, Nie Chongyang arranged for someone to immediately send this team member to the hospital.
After the problem was resolved here, the fatty and Nie Chongyang and his team finally had time to search for Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox.
After the battle ended, the fatty told Nie Chongyang, "Your special operations team was just established not long ago, and you are lacking in all aspects, with weak resources. This was a good opportunity, and you all put in a lot of effort. You were the main ones taking action. This large black snake, you can take it back and deal with it yourselves."
"The items on a creature like this are treasures, and this large black snake is probably quite old, making it even more precious. Take it back and deal with it. If you don't know how to use it, you can ask my Brother Ye and Little Fox after we find them."
Nie Chongyang heard the fatty's words and said to the fatty, "Actually, the matter went so smoothly, and the battle ended with such minimal casualties, thanks to your hard work and help. You did so much preparatory work, which led to this outcome. Since this large black snake is so precious, we definitely cannot keep it all to ourselves!"
The fatty shook his head at Nie Chongyang and said to him, "There's no need. You can keep it. It will be more useful to you."
However, Nie Chongyang was very insistent. The fatty then said that if Nie Chongyang really didn't want to accept all the spoils of war, then after dealing with it, they could just give them a small portion.
However, almost as the battle ended, the fatty received a communication from Hou Mingzhu.
At this time, the fatty became extremely nervous and guilty whenever anything related to Ye Tiancheng was involved. He didn't know how to tell Hou Mingzhu that Ye Tiancheng was in trouble.
He thought about it and didn't dare to tell Hou Mingzhu, but he also couldn't not answer the call. Therefore, he had to temporarily stop his conversation with Nie Chongyang and answer Hou Mingzhu's call.
Hou Mingzhu asked the fatty on the phone, "Fatty, how are things on your end? I felt a tremor here earlier, and I was worried it was an earthquake. Everyone was quite panicked. Fortunately, the tremor stopped quickly. Later, I vaguely saw some abnormal shadows in your direction, which only disappeared not long ago."
The fatty told Hou Mingzhu, "Oh, Sister-in-law, don't worry. It wasn't an earthquake. It was just the shadow you saw earlier, the thing we were dealing with, and the tremor it caused. We've defeated it now, so there's nothing to worry about."
Hou Mingzhu then said, "That's good... But, Fatty, I tried calling Tiancheng just now, and his phone wouldn't connect. What's going on? Did something happen to Tiancheng?"
As soon as Hou Mingzhu mentioned Ye Tiancheng, the fatty was momentarily speechless. However, he was afraid that a long pause would arouse Hou Mingzhu's suspicion, so he quickly continued to say to Hou Mingzhu, "Sister-in-law, don't worry. The reason you can't get through might be that Brother Ye's phone got broken when they were fighting earlier. After all, the commotion was quite significant, wasn't it?"
"Brother Ye is fine over there. He's dealing with the guy we just defeated with Captain Nie. I'm not with Brother Ye right now, but Little Fox is with him. Don't worry, once we're done here, we'll definitely have Brother Ye report his safety to you!"
Hou Mingzhu felt worried in her heart. She felt an indescribable unease, but she didn't detect anything unusual in the fatty's tone, nor did she think the fatty would lie to her. Therefore, she thought she might be overthinking.
So, she could only say, "Alright, I won't disturb you then. Fatty, remember to remind Tiancheng to report his safety to me when you're free."
The fatty repeatedly agreed and said, "Okay, Sister-in-law, I'll remember!"
After Hou Mingzhu hung up the phone, the fatty let out a sigh of relief, but soon, worry and sadness crept back onto his face.
Nie Chongyang had not left and had heard the conversation between the fatty and Hou Mingzhu. He knew that the fatty had a difficult time and was trying to reassure Hou Mingzhu and the others, so he didn't reveal the truth. Therefore, the most pressing matter now was to figure out where Ye Tiancheng and the others had gone.
After the fatty put away his phone, he scratched his head in frustration, "I don't know how I'm going to find Brother Ye. I'm so afraid something has happened to Brother Ye... If anything were to happen, how would I explain it to Sister-in-law?"
Nie Chongyang patted the fatty on the shoulder and comforted him, "Ye Tiancheng and Little Fox are both extraordinary people, and they are very powerful. So, they should not be in any mortal danger right now, they are just temporarily missing. We just need to find them as soon as possible."
"I believe that such powerful people, who have also done many good deeds, will surely have good fortune on their side."
Although the fatty was still a bit dejected, he felt a little better. He said to Nie Chongyang, "I hope your words come true."
Nie Chongyang then asked the fatty, "Although we may not be very skilled in this area since we've only recently started dealing with such matters, perhaps we can help in other ways. Can you tell me what exactly happened and how Ye Tiancheng and the others disappeared?"
The fatty felt there was no need to hide it from Nie Chongyang, so he told him directly.
He said to Nie Chongyang, "Actually, I didn't realize that Brother Ye and the others were missing before. They are more powerful, as you know. It's me who is more prone to causing worry, and I also have to protect Xiao Miaomiao. So, many times, I didn't act with Brother Ye and the others, and I don't know about some things. I also don't know when they disappeared."
"It wasn't until a while ago, when you told me that you couldn't contact Brother Ye and Little Fox, that I realized this."
"I went to the room they were staying in earlier, and their room is empty. Their belongings have been packed and even taken away. It looks like they left the room, but their whereabouts are unknown."
Nie Chongyang listened to the fatty speak and thought, then asked, "So, Ye Tiancheng and the others' disappearance, and when we discovered they were missing, should not be too far apart?"
After all, the interval between their last contact was limited. Coupled with the clues of packed luggage and belongings being taken away, it further narrowed down the timeframe of their incident.
"Fatty, where do you think Ye Tiancheng and the others disappeared from?"
Nie Chongyang wanted to know more, as he knew very little. With insufficient information, he could only deduce a timeframe, but not much else. He still had to ask the fatty.
The fatty said, "I actually lean more towards them disappearing from that guesthouse."
He said this to Nie Chongyang with a very serious and affirmative expression.
Seeing his demeanor, Nie Chongyang knew that the fatty likely had some basis for his statement, so he asked the fatty, "What makes you say that?"
The fatty explained to Nie Chongyang, "Actually, when we first checked into this guesthouse, we encountered some things. However, at that time, for various reasons, and because those things did not pose a threat to Brother Ye and the others, we did not move out."
"After all, at that time, in this village, there was no other place to stay except for this guesthouse."