RPAGF Chapter 135 Searching for Clues
Chapter 135 Searching for Clues
They walked along the winding path, the fallen leaves rustling under their feet. The closer they got to their destination, the stronger the unease became. Ye Shuli was also a little nervous, but she tried to remain calm, while Jiang Ye kept a watchful eye on their surroundings and muttered to himself to bolster his courage.
A chilling wind howled, like the wailing of ghosts and wolves; the shadows of the trees swayed like menacing phantoms; and a damp, decaying odor filled the air, sending shivers down one's spine.
Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye stepped into this dangerous place marked on the map, both of them on high alert.
"This place is fucking hell." Jiang Ye couldn't help but complain. He rubbed his arms, trying to dispel the chill, and then unconsciously moved closer to Ye Shuli, like a little puppy afraid of ghosts. "Li'er, why do I feel so cold?"
Ye Shuli snorted coldly, rolled her eyes, and showed her disdain for Jiang Ye's cowardly behavior. "What a spineless guy, he's only just gotten this far." As she spoke, she looked around warily, observing the surrounding movements.
Her hand rested lightly on the hilt of the sword, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.
The two cautiously traversed the gloomy woods, their feet crunching on the thick layer of fallen leaves, a sound like the footsteps of death itself, each step pressing on their taut nerves.
Besides the sound of the wind, there were also some chirping of unknown insects in the air, which added to the restlessness in my heart.
Suddenly, a sharp laugh shattered the suffocating silence.
"Hehehe, where did this little brat come from, daring to trespass on my territory?" A short, stout man with a full beard jumped out from behind a tree, brandishing a curved knife whose blade gleamed coldly in the dim light.
The newcomer was none other than the Blackbeard thief. He sized up Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye.
"Pah!" Jiang Ye spat at the black-bearded thief. "You old codger, you look like a pig's head. Who gave you the courage to spout nonsense here?"
The fat on the black-bearded thief's face jiggled, seemingly quite angered by Jiang Ye's sharp tongue. He raised his scimitar, pointing it at Jiang Ye's nose, "Kid, you've successfully provoked me! Believe me or not, I'll chop you in half with one stroke!"
Jiang Ye didn't back down, rolling up his sleeves as if ready to fight. "Come on, who's afraid of who! Do you think I'm easily intimidated?"
Ye Shuli grabbed Jiang Ye's shoulder, stopping his impulsive act.
She narrowed her eyes and looked coldly at the black-bearded thief. "We're not here to fight. We're here to ask you some questions."
Upon hearing this, a sly glint flashed in the blackbearded thief's eyes. He sheathed his scimitar, crossed his arms, and said nonchalantly, "Inquiring about something? Sure, but..." He paused, rubbing his fingers together, "...as for the price..."
"How many do you want?" Ye Shuli asked directly, without wasting any words.
"Hehe, not much, not much, just this many." The blackbearded thief stretched out a short, fat hand and spread his five fingers.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Ye instantly flew into a rage, "Damn it, you're asking for the moon! Why don't you just rob me!"
"So what if I rob you?" The black-bearded thief smirked, looking utterly smug. "If you don't pay, get lost!" He then smiled smugly, seemingly confident that he had Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye completely under his control.
Ye Shuli ignored Jiang Ye's roar. She simply smiled and gave the black-bearded thief a meaningful look. "Are you sure... it's just us here?"
Ye Shuli's lips curled into a cold smile; she had long seen through the black-bearded thief's little tricks.
She slowly picked up a stone from the ground and casually tossed it towards a seemingly soft spot near his feet.
With a muffled thud, the ground collapsed instantly, revealing a dark pit filled with countless sharp wooden splinters.
"Tsk tsk, is that all? That's so low-class!" Ye Shuli curled her lip in disdain, her tone full of sarcasm. "I thought you had some brilliant tricks up your sleeve. You dare to show off such a childish trap?"
The black-bearded thief's fat body trembled, and his face instantly turned ashen. His eyes widened as he watched Ye Shuli so easily break through his carefully laid trap, his eyes almost popping out of their sockets.
The little monsters that had been lurking in the shadows couldn't help but chuckle and laugh at Blackbeard's humiliation, as if mocking his overestimation of his abilities.
"You... how did you know?" The blackbearded thief asked in a flustered tone, looking at Ye Shuli in disbelief as if he had seen a ghost.
Ye Shuli ignored the blackbearded thief's shock. She clapped her hands as if brushing off some dust and said in a relaxed tone, "These days, who hasn't read a few copies of 'The Complete Guide to Cracking 100 Types of Traps'? Your method is too outdated and has been eliminated long ago."
Seeing how easily Ye Shuli broke through the Blackbeard thief's trap, Jiang Ye's eyes were practically overflowing with admiration. He looked at Ye Shuli with sparkling eyes, like a little wolfhound that had spotted a bone.
"Li'er, you're amazing! That was incredible!"
Ye Shuli felt Jiang Ye's burning gaze, her heart skipped a beat, and her cheeks flushed.
She coughed lightly, feigning composure to hide her embarrassment, then turned to the blackbearded thief, her tone laced with a hint of threat, "Now, can we have a proper talk?"
Looking at Ye Shuli, the black-bearded thief no longer dared to underestimate her. He swallowed hard and said cautiously, "Talk...talk, of course we can talk. Let's talk things out."
“Very good.” Ye Shuli nodded in satisfaction. She took a step forward and continued, “Now, answer my previous question about that clue…”
Suddenly, a clear female voice interrupted Ye Shuli's words, "Blackbeard, what are you doing?!" A woman dressed in a purple dress swayed her slender waist as she walked gracefully from the depths of the woods.
Her skin was as white as snow, her features exquisite, and her large, bright eyes sparkled with life—she was a beauty who had stepped right out of a painting.
This is Zi Ling.
"Blackbeard, what are you doing?!" Zi Ling glared at the Blackbeard thief with a hint of reproach in her voice, yet also with a touch of allure that made one's bones melt.
Upon seeing Miss Ziling, the black-bearded thief immediately put on a fawning smile. "Oh, my Miss Ziling, what brings you here? I'm just... uh... chatting with these two young friends."
Zi Ling walked up to the black-bearded thief, affectionately took his arm, and then turned her gaze to Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye, her eyes filled with a hint of wariness and hostility.
"These two are..."
Before the Blackbeard thief could speak, Jiang Ye preemptively said, "We've come to ask Brother Blackbeard about something." As he spoke, he deliberately puffed out his chest, striking a dashing pose, trying to attract Zi Ling's attention.
As expected, Zi Ling was attracted to Jiang Ye. She covered her mouth and chuckled, her beautiful eyes lingering on Jiang Ye. "This young man is really handsome. May I ask your name?"
"My name is Jiang Ye." Jiang Ye felt a little flattered by Zi Ling's gaze, and his tone became much gentler.
Ye Shuli watched Jiang Ye's pathetic state from the side, and felt secretly anxious.
She knew that Zi Ling's appearance was no accident; this woman was clearly not a kind person and must have some kind of conspiracy.
Ye Shuli didn't get jealous or angry as usual, but calmly analyzed Zi Ling's purpose.
She observed Zi Ling's every move discreetly, trying to find her weakness.
Suddenly, Ye Shuli realized something. A cold smile appeared on her lips as she directly exposed Zi Ling's scheme. "Zi Ling, you don't need to act anymore. You're in cahoots with the Blackbeard thief. You're trying to stop us from finding clues, aren't you?"
Upon hearing Ye Shuli's words, Zi Ling's face turned deathly pale. She looked at Ye Shuli in panic, her eyes filled with disbelief, "You... how did you know?"
Ignoring Zi Ling's shock, Ye Shuli continued, "You think your little tricks can fool me? You're too naive."
Zi Ling tried to argue, but Ye Shuli interrupted her, "Stop wasting time. I know what you want. I can give it to you, but you must help me find clues."
Zi Ling was stunned; she hadn't expected Ye Shuli to be so direct.
She hesitated for a moment, then asked, "You...you can really give me what I want?"
Ye Shuli did not answer, but took out a delicate little box from her bosom. When she opened it, there was a bead that emitted a faint light inside.
When Zi Ling saw the bead, her eyes widened in amazement.
She greedily reached out to take it, but Ye Shuli stopped her.
"Don't rush," Ye Shuli said coldly, "Cash on delivery."
Zi Ling gritted her teeth and said, "Okay, I promise you."
"Very good." Ye Shuli nodded in satisfaction. "Now, tell me..."
Her voice stopped abruptly, and her gaze fell on a figure slowly approaching in the distance.
Blackbeard, the thief, was stunned by Ye Shuli's antics. In all his years, he had never seen such an "amazing" woman.
He originally thought Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye were just two immature kids, but he never expected to run into such a tough opponent.
He cursed himself inwardly for being blind and misjudging the situation.
"Grandma, you have such discerning eyes! I admire you so much!" The black-bearded thief immediately put on a fawning smile, bowing and scraping as he apologized. "I was blind and didn't recognize your greatness. I've offended you. Please forgive me this time." As he spoke, he secretly retracted two of his five outstretched fingers, making it three. "Um... the price, well, it's negotiable, very negotiable."
Jiang Ye watched as the Blackbeard thief changed his expression faster than flipping through a book, and couldn't help but roll his eyes, muttering, "Tsk tsk tsk, with that speed of changing his expression, it's a real shame he's not an opera singer."
Ye Shuli ignored Jiang Ye's complaints. She looked coldly at the black-bearded thief and said in an unquestionable tone, "Speak, what do you know?"
Blackbeard, no longer daring to play tricks, honestly confessed everything he knew.
It turned out that he had overheard a conversation between a mysterious organization, who seemed to be plotting something, and this plot seemed to be related to the hatred of Ye Shuli's family.
He also overheard some crucial clues that pointed to a mysterious place.
After listening to the Blackbeard thief's story, Ye Shuli had already grasped some of the details.
She obtained some clues, which greatly boosted her confidence and eased the tense atmosphere around her. However, the matter was far from over; this was only the first step in a long journey.
“Very good, the clues you provided are very valuable.” Ye Shuli nodded in satisfaction and tossed a bead that emitted a faint glow to the black-bearded thief. “This is your reward.”
The black-bearded thief took the bead and immediately beamed with joy, "Thank you, Grandma! Thank you, Grandma!"
Ye Shuli ignored the black-bearded thief and turned to Jiang Ye, "Let's go."
Jiang Ye quickly followed Ye Shuli's footsteps, and the two of them swiftly left the gloomy forest.
Night falls and the stars are shining.
Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye sat under a big tree, studying the clues they had just obtained by the faint starlight.
Although they have some clues, it is not enough to completely prove their innocence; they need more evidence.
"Li'er, what should we do next?" Jiang Ye asked Ye Shuli.
Ye Shuli raised her head, her gaze fixed firmly on the starry sky. "We must find more evidence to completely clear our family's name." She paused, her tone resolute. "Even if there are mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, I will brave them!"
Suddenly, a cold wind blew by, and the leaves rustled, as if someone was spying on them from the shadows.
Ye Shuli and Jiang Ye both became alert at the same time. They exchanged a glance and saw seriousness in each other's eyes.
"Who?!" Jiang Ye shouted sharply.
Deep within the woods, a dark figure slowly emerged, and a deep voice echoed: "Heh, I never expected you to have come this far. You've truly impressed me..."