"Just now, my people reported that a large number of unidentified individuals are gathering in this direction," Feng Manlun replied quickly. "They're armed."
He Yining instantly understood what Feng Manlun meant.
Bringing weapons to a place like this clearly meant someone was planning a double-cross.
As outsiders, it really wasn't their place to get involved.
Without another word, He Yining led Shen Qi and the others away swiftly.
The convoy hadn't gone far before they were stopped.
"Hey, handsome, our car's out of gas. Lend us some," someone shouted, pounding on the car door.
Shen Qi said quietly, "I vaguely remember there's a town not far from here. It's decent-sized and has a gas station. Stopping us like this—it's definitely not about gas."
He Yining had already located the gas station on the map, confirming Shen Qi's words.
Shen Wu, who had been holed up in his room, waved a piece of intelligence in his hand. "I've found out. There are several groups of grave robbers around here. One of them is foreign, heavily equipped. They seem to have found something big and are planning a major heist. These guys probably think we're here to grab a share too, so they're testing us."
Just as they suspected!
He Yining nodded at Xiao Chun.
Xiao Chun immediately went to negotiate with the man. "We don't have much gas left either. The town's just ahead—you can walk there. We're in a hurry to head back. Sorry, boss."
Hearing that the convoy was turning back, the man finally stepped aside. "The road ahead is rough. Be careful."
Xiao Chun thanked him, and the convoy continued on.
Sure enough, after about twenty minutes, they reached the town.
It was noon, so everyone got out to grab some food.
The arrival of He Yining's group naturally drew attention from the townsfolk.
While unfamiliar faces were common here, ones this outstanding were rare.
Needless to say, He Yining's looks were crushing—anyone standing next to him paled in comparison.
Feng Manlun wasn't bad-looking, but beside He Yining, he instantly became a background character.
Shen Qi, being a woman with delicate features, fared slightly better. But others, like Shen Wu and Xiao Chun, were completely overshadowed.
Though He Yining had brought few people, Feng Manlun had many—over fifty in total.
Feeding that many wasn't a small task, so most ate outside to save time and hassle.
The town was quite large, with about three bustling streets lined with inns and restaurants, clearly accustomed to outsiders.
The group split up among three or four eateries.
He Yining and his party, along with a few bodyguards, entered the largest restaurant.
As soon as they walked in, the owner greeted them with a smile. "Honored guests, would you like a private room or the main hall? Everything here is excellent value."
"The main hall," He Yining said. He wanted to gather information about the woman who had hired workers to repair a tomb. If it really was Shen Ziyao, then Shen Qi's trip wouldn't be in vain.
The owner quickly arranged a large table for twelve.
Once seated, someone handed Shen Qi a menu.
She glanced at Feng Manlun before taking it. "Thanks, Senior Brother."
Opening the menu, she saw only dish names, no prices.
A chill ran through her. Could this be a shady joint?
He Yining seemed to read her mind and said casually, "It's fine. Order whatever you want. No matter how expensive, I can afford it."
Shen Qi's lips curved slightly, and she stopped hesitating, quickly ordering a few local dishes. One of them brought back childhood memories.
After they finished ordering, the owner gave them a meaningful look.
The food came quickly, and the table was soon full.
They ate swiftly, confirming the food was safe before finishing up.
When it came time to pay, an astronomical bill was placed before Shen Qi: 378,600 yuan.
What the hell?
A table of mountain delicacies and wild greens, and they dared charge this much?
Fuming, Shen Qi was about to confront the owner when He Yining gave a sly smile, stopping her, and nodded at Xiao Chun.
Xiao Chun grinned, picked up a large suitcase from the floor, pushed aside the dishes, and opened it, pouring a mountain of coins onto the table.
Shen Qi was stunned!
Where did all these coins come from?
After Xiao Chun finished, two more bodyguards each brought in another huge suitcase and dumped more coins onto the table.
He Yining said lazily to the owner, "That's 380,000 total, boss. Count it."
Shen Qi nearly burst out laughing!
A whole table of one-cent coins!
The owner's face turned green instantly.
They weren't refusing to pay—they just weren't saying it was too expensive. But the owner could count it himself!
"Looking for trouble?" A man burst in from outside, brandishing a cleaver.
A shadow flashed, and the click of a gun's safety echoed clearly in the restaurant.
The other diners watched without panic, clearly used to such scenes.
"Let's see if your knife is faster than my gun," He Yining said lazily. "This old piece was once one of General Eisenhower's sidearms. Want to test if it still works? They say an old steed in the stable still dreams of a thousand miles—wonder if this weathered gun dreams of being here too?"
His arrogant, domineering words stunned everyone in the room.
Damn! General Eisenhower's gun! This guy was something else!
"I'm not refusing to pay. Why resort to knives and guns?" He Yining continued. "Boss, count the money. What are you waiting for?"
The owner finally realized he'd met his match.
He forced himself over. "Honored guest, don't misunderstand. That's not what I meant."
"Oh, really?" He Yining feigned indifference, raised the gun, and fired.
The bullet grazed the owner's hairline, embedding into the wall. "Ah, antiques will be antiques—prone to accidental discharge. So dangerous! Tsk tsk."
The owner's face went deathly pale.
He ran a shady joint, but he feared death too!
This batch of strangers was clearly hostile!
Damn! What was going on today? Why was everyone so tough?
What were they all here for?
"Please, let's talk this out." Cold sweat poured down the owner's forehead.
Shen Qi stood nearby, a faint smile on her face.
He Yining's money wasn't easy to take.
Back then, she'd paid a steep price herself...
Cough, cough.
"I think you'd love to have a chat with me now," He Yining said, leaning in with a sinister grin, the gun again aimed at the owner's temple. "Am I right?"
"Yes, yes, yes. I was blind not to recognize a true master. Please, follow me!" The owner waved frantically. "I swear, no more tricks!"
He Yining holstered the gun and nodded to the others.
A few bodyguards stayed put while the rest followed the owner into a large room, empty of diners, serving as a makeshift meeting space.
Once inside, the owner got straight to the point. "You folks came to our town for treasure hunting too, right? There've been a lot lately. I've lived here for decades, and treasure hunters have never stopped coming!"
Xiao Chun pulled out a chair for Shen Qi, then for He Yining.
He Yining gave him an approving look and sat down. "Oh? How many have come recently?"
"Quite a few—at least twenty groups," the owner said, wiping his sweat. "Big and small, new and old."
"Any recent rumors?" Feng Manlun added.
"I heard someone broke into a tomb, and it's full of treasures," the owner stammered.
"Who spread that news?" Feng Manlun pressed.
"No idea. It just popped up out of nowhere. People from home and abroad have been flocking here." the owner replied.
"Has there been a strikingly beautiful woman, around forty, very refined, with features a bit like hers?" He Yining cut in, pointing at Shen Qi.
Shen Qi's heart skipped a beat.
Was He Yining asking this to help her find her mother?
She looked at the owner with eager eyes.
The owner glanced at Shen Qi, hesitated, and said, "There was indeed a very beautiful middle-aged woman. She came with a foreign group, and they seemed to treat her with great respect."
She really existed! She was still in this town!
Shen Qi felt her heart race again.
Could it be her mother?
"What were they here for? Grave robbing?" Shen Qi pressed urgently.
"Yes. Isn't everyone here for that?" the owner replied bluntly. "There's a legend around here. Over two thousand years ago, several kingdoms rose and fell in this area. One emperor poured everything into building a massive underground palace. Not as insane as Qin Shi Huang's, but it's said to hold plenty of treasures. Later dynasties left their marks too."
Her mother, a grave robber?
No way. Her mother was a writer and painter. How could she do something like that?
Shen Qi was skeptical.
Seeing her expression dim, He Yining patted her shoulder. "Since she's in this town, go see her. Whether it's her or not, you'll find peace of mind."
Shen Qi nodded.