CHAPTER 229: CHAPTER 229: THE CLUE OF THE GOLDEN THREAD WORM

"Yes. But this was just a small ruse I employed," Wang Yong said. "I feared that those who wish to harm our Young Miss were still watching her, so I used a Blinding Spell and deliberately purchased an evening plane ticket."

He continued, "But since you are the Young Miss’s friend, Emperor Mo, I’ll tell you the truth. Our Young Miss left on a private jet. The flight path was specially applied for by our Ninth Master."

The flight path Li Tianyao applied for meant Mo Shiyan couldn’t trace it at all.

"Can Butler Wang get in touch with Miss An Yan’s people?" Mo Shiyan asked. "It would be best to have them return because the godly doctor I’ve found is already on his way to Yuncheng."

Wang Yong nodded. "I will contact them. However, Emperor Mo, I would also appreciate it if you could do us a favor. If our Young Miss cannot return to Yuncheng, could you ask the godly doctor to go directly to Luocheng?"

Mo Shiyan nodded. "I will communicate with the godly doctor."

Li Qingqing wanted An Yan to stay in Yuncheng. If she found out An Yan had left, would she still come to treat Grandpa?

After much deliberation, Mo Shiyan instructed the butler in the passenger seat, "Seal off the news of An Yan leaving for now!"

"Alright."

Mo Shiyan planned to wait until Li Qingqing arrived in Yuncheng to discuss it. If it really came to that, he would make another trip to Luocheng. No matter what, he had to bring An Yan back to Yuncheng. If Li Tianyao also wanted An Yan to wake up, then he would have no reason to stop him!

Ten o’clock at night arrived as scheduled.

An Yan made her usual call to Li Tianyao on time.

This time, he was at sea. The night sky was dark, and a gentle sea breeze tousled his hair, making his already handsome face look even more striking due to the slight disarray.

An Yan’s lips curved into a smile, and she chuckled, "Little brother, you’re really handsome."

Li Tianyao hadn’t expected the girl to be so bold today, coming on so strong right from the start.

"It’s a shame this little brother can’t stay with you for too long today," he said.

"Why?"

"There are still people on the boat waiting to discuss matters."

"Then don’t keep them waiting too long."

"No rush. Tell me, where are you now?"

"Heishui Village," An Yan replied. "The people you sent to look for the Golden Thread Worm passed through Heishui Village, so I thought I’d wait for them here."

"Little girl, you were thinking of taking advantage of my absence to go looking for the Golden Thread Worm yourself, weren’t you?"

"Oh dear, you guessed it! Haha."

An Yan rarely showed such a lively side in front of Li Tianyao, except for that period when she was being playfully mischievous. Her sudden return to this demeanor surprised Li Tianyao quite a bit.

He felt the girl was becoming more and more relaxed around him. However, he wasn’t sure if this relaxation was genuine or a deliberate act to achieve her own goals.

"Don’t go!" Li Tianyao said firmly.

The information about the Golden Thread Worm had come from Gu Shifang, and its authenticity was uncertain. Under these circumstances, he didn’t want the girl to take any risks.

"Little brother, please just let me go!" An Yan pleaded.

Watching the young lady act coquettishly, Li Tianyao wondered how he could stop her. Luolie and the others could, of course, carry out his commands. The problem was that the girl’s martial arts skills surpassed those of Luolie and his men. If she set her mind to something, no one could stop her. Rather than let her venture out alone, it would be better to have Luolie and a few others accompany her.

"Be careful!" he finally said.

An Yan had been wondering what to do if Li Tianyao continued to object. To her surprise, he not only agreed but also told her to be careful.

She was suddenly overwhelmed with joy. "That’s great! Thank you, my dear!"

After ending the video call, An Yan calmed her excited heart and turned back to her room.

They were staying in a small, two-story wooden house. The first floor was used by the owner to store miscellaneous items, while their rooms were on the second floor.

A fire burned in the middle of the living room, and everyone sat around the brazier. Wen Ya had given more than enough money, so the owner was very pleased. They provided not only meals but also a variety of fruits and dried fruits, filling an entire table.

When An Yan approached, the eyes of the young girl bringing fruit lit up for a moment. Then, she shyly lowered her head and quickly left.

Wen Ya patted the dust off a chair and gestured for An Yan to sit.

Wen Ge reported the news she had just heard from the young girl, "The residents in this village are all Miao people. He Peng and his group stayed here before, in this very building."

"When they left, they temporarily stored the luggage they couldn’t carry in the room on the east side. I went and checked; the items were neatly arranged, definitely their style."

"Before they left, they met with the Golden Crow Great Witch of this village."

"According to the owner’s daughter, the Golden Crow Great Witch is the village’s most skilled practitioner of witchcraft and knows about all sorts of Poisonous Insects. Therefore, he must have been the one who told He Peng’s group about the Golden Thread Worm."

"Where is the Golden Crow Great Witch now?" An Yan asked.

"He lives in the woods behind the village," Wen Ge replied. "And as soon as it gets dark, he stops receiving visitors, so we’ll have to wait until tomorrow to meet him."

An Yan nodded. "Alright. Everyone should rest well tonight. First thing tomorrow morning, we’ll go see this Great Witch."

There were five rooms upstairs. An Yan, Wen Ya, and Wen Ge stayed in the middle one, while Mu Enyu and Officer Xiaohe were in the room to their left. The three rooms at the end were for Liang Chen, Luolie, and the bodyguards.

When An Yan turned off the lights and lay down, she sensed something peeping at her in the darkness.

She got up, turned on the lights, and surveyed the room carefully but found nothing unusual.

Hearing the movement in her room, Wen Ya came over. "Young Miss, please rest easy. Wen Ge and I will take turns keeping watch tonight."

Only then did An Yan feel relieved.

The night passed without incident, and soon it was morning.

After having breakfast at the owner’s house, they set off for the home of the Golden Crow Great Witch.

It was a small, square courtyard. In the center, wherever sunlight could reach, layers of large winnowing baskets, each about two meters in diameter, were arranged. Two boys, about ten years old, who looked about eighty percent alike and were equally plump, were busy placing various herbs into these baskets.

Upon seeing An Yan and her group, both boys came over. "May I ask what the guests are here for?"

"We wish to meet the Golden Crow Great Witch!" An Yan said.

"Master went up the mountain to gather herbs early this morning," one of the boys replied. "However, before leaving, he left a message for you all."

Everyone was surprised. "How did your master know we would come?" one of them asked.

"There’s nothing in this world that my master cannot foresee if he wishes to," the boy stated with an air of profound mystery, though his chubby face made the expression somewhat comical.

"May I ask what message your master left?" An Yan inquired.

"Master said that if you’ve come for the Golden Thread Worm, you only need to find an unexcavated Ancient Tomb that hasn’t been damaged by natural forces. Golden Thread Worms might be found there."

"Has your master told this to anyone else?" An Yan asked.

"He has," the boy confirmed. "They should be your companions—seven men in total. They were all very strong, with bulging muscles on their arms."

That must be He Peng’s team, An Yan thought.

She thanked the two boys, left all the gifts intended for the Golden Crow, and also gave the two little fellows two boxes of chocolates.

The boys were instantly overjoyed but tried to maintain a sage-like composure, doing their best not to smile. However, their voices were noticeably brighter than before as one said, "If you keep heading east, you’ll reach the mountain. However, you probably won’t be able to drive much farther, as there’s no road there."