Chapter Forty-Three: Unusual

"Spill it slowly, what happened to them?"

Xianyu's calm and powerful voice gradually stabilized Zhang Lingmei's emotions, though she still choked up a bit.

"I... I don't know. All I know is that a few days ago, a group of people in black suddenly stormed into our home. Grandpa and my sister tried to protect me and got taken away."

As soon as she finished, she burst into tears again with a "wow," and Xianyu could vividly feel her helplessness.

But when it came to Little Raspberry's words, Xianyu still didn't quite grasp the situation or understand her well.

"This sudden abduction, logically, shouldn't happen. And Zhang Feng's family doesn't have much money, so it shouldn't be for ransom."

"Is it purely for abducting people?"

If it's just about abducting people, then Zhang Feng and Zhang Yujiao wouldn't be the only ones taken; there should be others.

"Little Raspberry, stop crying for a moment. Besides your grandpa and sister, were there others taken as well?"

Zhang Lingmei, being asked, sobbed as she replied, "Yes, not just my sister and grandpa. Many uncles, aunts, and little friends were taken too."

Xianyu, after hearing this, thought to himself, "As expected!"

For this straightforward abduction, Xianyu's initial suspicion leaned towards the Fool's Crowds, especially because one of them goes by the code name "Doctor" and enjoys conducting experiments, which could include human experimentation.

But in Liyue, they shouldn't do something like this, and that guy shouldn't be in Liyue at this time, so Xian Yu ruled him out.

At this point, thinking about these things is unnecessary. To find out the reason, we just need to locate the other party.

However, this is somewhat challenging. The Qianyan Army must be aware of this abduction, and until now, they haven't found anything. It means that those abductors are hiding very well, or, in other words, the abducted individuals have already been "dealt with."

If the Qianyan Army doesn't know, it means that Xian Yu won't get any useful information by asking now. He can only search for it himself, but that's also difficult.

"Little Raspberry, don't cry for now. Do you know the direction they went?"

After hearing this, Zhang Ling Mei pointed in a direction, and upon a quick look, it seemed somewhat like the direction of Wunao Slope.

But nothing can be certain. In Xian Yu's perception, that area is indeed eerie, and it's just a relatively larger possibility that they went there.

However, in this vicinity, that area is the most concealed. Of course, there's still the possibility of estimating wrong.

"Alright, got it. Let's go, we'll check it out."

Regarding Zhang Feng's group, Xian Yu doesn't have high hopes. They've been captured for a while, and unless there are special reasons, the chances of a positive outcome are slim.

He doesn't share this thought with Zhang Ling Mei, fearing it might be too disheartening.

On the way, Xian Yu carries her and moves swiftly. If they're going to rescue people, there's no time to dawdle.

"What's this... clothing?"

As they neared the location, Xian Yu happened to spot a piece of tattered fabric.

Whether this fragment was from the abducted person's clothing, he wasn't sure. In a place like this, finding scraps of clothes and worn-out shoes is just too normal.

Looking up, the environment ahead was dimly lit, a completely different atmosphere from where he stood.

"This place remains the same, eerie and creepy, exuding an ominous vibe everywhere."

"But as a base for certain people, it's indeed an excellent spot."

Tightening his hold on the little girl, without hesitation, they stepped inside.

Surprisingly, Zhang Ling Mei on his back remained silent at this moment. However, feeling her trembling body, Xian Yu knew she was still somewhat scared.

As for not bringing her inside? In a place like this, if one person is rescued and another one goes missing, it becomes a problem.

Searching for uncertain clues in this environment is like trying to find a mouse in the dark - unless there's a significant disturbance, it's like looking for it with your eyes closed.

But even though it affects him, for Xian Yu, it's not a big deal.

"Since they've abducted so many people, there's no way there won't be any traces. It might be easier outside, but in here, there will definitely be remnants."

For an ordinary person, staying calm in a place like this, let alone searching for clues, is uncertain. Xian Yu doesn't feel much about it; this place is sure to have traces, no doubt about it.

"Don't ask, just know that farming the 'Pyro Witch Set' was so difficult, there was a time I felt nauseous just seeing dungeons."

Setting aside those painful memories, Xian Yu quickly noticed some traces – blood on the cliff. Even though it had congealed and turned black, Xian Yu could still recognize it clearly.

This discovery strengthened his certainty; his guess was likely correct.

Wuwang Slope, a place where strangers seldom tread. Except for the occasional visit from the Hu, the master of Shengtang, hardly anyone comes here.

So, the possibility that these bloodstains were left by the abducted individuals increased significantly.

Speaking of this, the mountain covered by this place, it's not too big or too small, just quite dangerous.

Following the traces, Xian Yu soon spotted a faint flicker of fire.

"It's actually here..."

Looking at the spot not far away, Xian Yu's eyes flickered. He didn't expect this place to have a 'domain.'

Any artifact grinder knows this place, and Xian Yu, until now, had never seen such a 'domain.'

Even in the Dragonspine Mountain back then, he didn't see it. Seeing it now, indeed, surprised him.

The entrance to the domain was wide open, and there were only two guards. Xian Yu didn't recognize the clothes they were wearing, so he wasn't sure which faction they belonged to.

"Are the guards so lax because they're sure no one comes here?"

He didn't bother about the reasons; since there were only two people, and they were ordinary, there was no need to worry.

Before the two guards could react, two ice arrows pierced their throats, not even allowing them to make a sound.

Entering the 'domain,' surprisingly, it was quite clean inside.

Using the old method, Xian Yu dealt with several waves of guards, then turned a corner and arrived at a hall.

However, the scene here puzzled Xian Yu.

Three people in strange outfits were chanting words he couldn't understand, surrounded by others tied to wooden stakes.

A rough count revealed about seventy-two individuals, among whom Xian Yu spotted Zhang Feng and Zhang Yujiao.

Fortunately, the space was dim, and Zhang Ling Mei hadn't noticed; otherwise, it would have been exposed.

If Xian Yu were alone, he wouldn't be afraid, even if all three of them had the Visions.

But with an "extra burden," he had to consider her safety.

As time passed, the three people's chanting grew louder, and Xian Yu sensed an unusual atmosphere in the air.

"This feeling... not good!"

Without caring about anything else, Xian Yu released Zhang Ling Mei and charged towards the three people.

At the same time, three sword energies also attacked.

The sudden attack surprised the three performing the ritual, forcing them to hastily counterattack.

However, Xian Yu's sword energies were not easy to block, and the hands of the three were pierced.