During the day, Qi Ziang and Tie Chunsheng, the two little guys, take a nap.
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze got up after only a short sleep and prepared to go to the village to look for information.
They changed into ordinary clothes and walked down the village streets. The villagers greeted them warmly when they saw them.
Xu Yuehua responded with a smile, while carefully observing everything around her.
They arrived at the village market and saw stalls filled with all kinds of agricultural products and handicrafts.
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze pretended to be interested in these items, chatting with the stall owner as they selected them.
"Brother, I've heard that the strange celestial phenomena have been making headlines lately. Do you have any information about them?" Xu Yuehuai asked tentatively.
The stall owner shook his head: "How would we know anything big in a small place like this?"
Qi Guze then asked, "Have you noticed anything unusual? For example, has anyone suddenly disappeared or have any strange phenomena occurred?"
The stall owner thought for a moment, then said, "Nothing strange has happened. However, a group of outsiders came here recently. They were acting suspiciously, and I don't know what they were up to."
Xu Yuehuai and Qi Guze exchanged a glance, both understanding the situation. They continued chatting with the stall owner, gleaning some useful information from the conversation.
After leaving the market, they came to a secluded corner.
Qi Guze said in a deep voice, "It seems our guess was right. The government officials have indeed blocked the news. And that group of outsiders is very likely the people we are looking for."
Xu Yuehua nodded in agreement: "That's right, we need to secretly investigate their whereabouts."
So they decided to split up. Xu Yuehuai was responsible for continuing to gather information in the village, while Qi Guze took Qi Ziang and Tie Chunsheng to the back mountain to continue searching for clues.
As night fell, Xu Yuehuai quietly arrived at the other end of the village. She hid in the shadows, observing the surrounding movements. Before long, she saw a group of people sneaking into a dilapidated hut in the village.
Xu Yuehuai's heart stirred, and she decided to follow them to see what was going on. She cautiously approached the small house and peered inside through the crack in the window. She saw that the house was brightly lit, and several people were sitting together, seemingly discussing something.
Xu Yuehuai listened intently, and heard one of them say, "We must make good use of this red star that fell from the sky. As long as we find that treasure, we'll be rich!"
Another person chimed in, "That's right. Although the government has blocked the news, as long as we act carefully, we will definitely be able to find clues."
Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened; so these people really had come for the treasure. She decided to go back immediately and tell Qi Guze and the others.
However, just as she was about to leave, someone suddenly grabbed her arm from behind. Xu Yuehuai was startled and tried to break free, but found herself already restrained.
"Who are you? What are you doing here?" A cold voice rang in her ears. Xu Yuehuai looked up and saw a tall, stern-faced man standing in front of her.
Xu Yuehuai's heart sank; she knew she had been discovered. She took a deep breath and tried to remain calm: "I'm just a villager passing by. I heard some noise and came to check it out."
The man sneered, "Just passing by? Do you think I'd believe your nonsense? Tell me, are you a spy sent by the government?"
Xu Yuehuai's heart tightened, but she didn't reveal any flaws. She looked firmly at the man: "I'm not an official, I'm just an ordinary villager. If you don't believe me, you can search me."
The man stared at her for a moment, then released her. He turned to the others and said, "It seems to be a misunderstanding. Let her go."
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Xu Yuehuai broke free from her restraints and fled the small house at lightning speed. She ran all the way back to the courtyard house and told Qi Guze and the others what had just happened.
After listening, Qi Guze frowned: "It seems we need to be careful. Since these people are here for the treasure, they will likely stop at nothing to find clues."
Xu Yuehua nodded in agreement: "That's right, we need to strengthen our vigilance, and at the same time continue to investigate their whereabouts."
So, in the days that followed, they acted with even greater caution. They continued to gather information in the village while secretly observing the movements of the group of outsiders.
Finally, one day, they discovered the group's secret. It turned out they had been searching for something in a cave in the back mountains. Qi Guze decided to investigate himself.
As night fell, he led Qi Ziang and Tie Chunsheng quietly to the vicinity of the cave. They cautiously approached the cave entrance, only to find it pitch black and bottomless inside.
Qi Guze gestured for the two men to stay outside and wait, while he lit a torch and entered the cave alone. He proceeded along the narrow passage, his heart filled with vigilance.
The cave was cold and damp, filled with an eerie atmosphere. Qi Guze gripped the torch tightly, afraid of losing its light. He walked along, observing the surrounding stone walls and ground, searching for any possible clues.
Suddenly, he heard a slight noise. He immediately stopped, held his breath, and listened intently. He saw a figure emerge from around the corner ahead—one of the group of strangers.
Qi Guze's heart tightened, but he didn't panic. He quietly followed behind the man, wanting to see what they were looking for.
The man continued forward, the darkness deep within the cave gradually dispelled by the light emanating from the stone platform. Qi Guze cautiously approached, his heart filled with doubt and anticipation. He glimpsed a strange light swirling around the treasure box, seemingly concealing endless mysteries.
Just then, the man suddenly stopped, turned around abruptly, and his eyes flashed with wariness. His knife was instantly drawn, pointed directly at Qi Guze: "Who are you? How dare you spy on our treasure!"
Qi Guze felt a chill run down his spine, but he quickly composed himself and sneered, "You're the thieves! This treasure doesn't belong to you!"
The man's expression changed, and he roared, "Nonsense! This treasure is something we found with great difficulty. How dare you try to take it away with just empty words!"
Qi Guze raised an eyebrow, about to retort, when he saw the man already swinging his sword. He moved nimbly, dodging the attack and simultaneously counterattacking. The two figures clashed in the cave, a lively scene of flashing blades.
"Father, be careful!"
"Grandpa, be careful!"
Qi Zi'ang and Tie Chunsheng's voices suddenly rang out; they had heard the sounds of fighting and immediately rushed into the cave. Seeing Qi Guze being surrounded and attacked, they joined the battle without hesitation.
The battle intensified, with the sounds of clashing metal and shouts echoing through the cave.
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