Chapter 2533 - 2533: Farewell, Fool

Ye Qing and the other three were thrown onto a vehicle, which drove along the desert behind the Gobi for about an hour, finally arriving near an oasis.

This oasis wasn't large, with a lake in the middle. Possibly due to prolonged drought, the lake was almost dry. The surrounding plants also showed signs of wilting. If it didn't rain soon, a lot of these plants might die. Many oases appear in the desert, but some disappear each year due to this reason.

The temperature inside the oasis was a bit more tolerable, with the oasis resting against a low mountain. There were several caves on the mountain; it wasn't clear if they were wolf dens or not. But now, these caves were occupied, and many people stood guard at the entrances.

Ye Qing and his companions were carried toward the caves. On the way, Ye Qing kept his eyes open. It was quite dark, and no one noticed his eyes were open, so he was able to get a fairly good sense of the surroundings.

The cave was spacious, seemingly expanded by human effort. The decoration inside suggested someone had been living there for quite a while. There was plenty of furniture, and likely a generator, as the lighting inside was decent.

Ye Qing and the three others were carried into the cave and unceremoniously thrown to the ground. Several people emerged from within the cave, led by a short man. The man's face was ugly, his eyes gleaming sharply, and when he saw Ye Qing, the gleam in his eyes intensified. Judging by the way he walked, this man was likely a martial arts expert, at least a top-level master, possibly even a peak master.

Honestly, Ye Qing never expected to encounter such a master in the desert. He originally chose to bring only the three members of the Yelu Family, thinking there wouldn't be any masters around. But the current situation stunned him a bit. What could such a master hope to achieve by hiding in the desert?

The short man walked up to Ye Qing and the others, nudged them with his foot to confirm they were unconscious, then sneered coldly.

"Keep an eye on them, and search them for a map!" the short man ordered gruffly before turning and walking into the cave, for reasons unknown.

Several people immediately bent down and began searching, starting with Ye Qing, finding the map quickly. This map was the layout of the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb.

As they took the map away, Ye Qing's mind stirred. The fact that the short man had them search specifically for the map proved he knew they had it beforehand. This meant these people were after the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb. Such people couldn't be the original bandits of the desert, and ordinary bandits wouldn't know about the Yelu Family Ancestral Tomb. Just who were these people? The short man wasn't known to Ye Qing at all; what was their origin?

Despite all these doubts, Ye Qing didn't dare make a move. There were too many of them, and the short man was strong—far beyond what they could fight against. If they discovered they were not unconscious, it would spell more trouble. So they had to hide and wait for another opportunity.

After retrieving the map, one person went to find the short man with it, while Ye Qing and the other three were taken from the cave and into another one.

This second cave was much less comfortable, more like a prison with iron bars confining them inside.

Ye Qing and the others were thrown into this cell, and after locking the bars, their captors left. Once they were gone, Ye Qing quietly sat up, took Mu Ling from his possession, and held it under Yelu Ying's nose.

After a short while, Yelu Ying's eyes moved slightly. It was because the mesmerizing medicine in her body had been absorbed by Mu Ling. Ye Qing quickly and quietly pressed her mouth to prevent any noise when she awoke.

Yelu Ying finally awoke and, seeing Ye Qing pressing her mouth, was visibly surprised. Ye Qing softly explained the situation, and Yelu Ying became dumbfounded, unable to comprehend who might have ambushed them on their journey.

Ye Qing also revived the two Elders, explaining the current situation to them, leaving them stunned too. These Elders weren't particularly strong; although they were Tomb Guarding Elders, their duty relied on the mechanisms outside the Ancestral Tomb, and their abilities weren't impressive, not even reaching top-level mastery. In such circumstances, even awake, they were of little use.

"What do we do now?" Watching the guards outside, the two Elders asked Ye Qing in a low, uncertain voice.

Ye Qing took a deep breath and whispered, "The enemies are strong, and we lack any experts now, so we can't confront them head-on. Our only advantage is that we're awake, and they don't know it. So, I suggest we avoid alarming them and find a way to quietly escape from here!"

"But how can we do that?" Yelu Ying shrugged helplessly. In such circumstances, with an overpowering enemy, escaping seemed impossible.

Ye Qing remained silent, for he indeed had no plan. If he had known they'd face such circumstances in the desert, he would've brought some experts along for help. The situation surprised them, trapping them in a dilemma.

"Rock-a-bye, rock-a-bye, to Granny's bridge, Granny calls me a good baby..."

At this moment, a voice both innocent and naive drifted in from outside. Though it was a nursery rhyme, the voice clearly belonged to an adult. An adult playfully singing such a song sent chills down the spine.

Everyone turned towards the direction of the voice, seeing a middle-aged man hopping towards them. The man seemed in his thirties, expressing a childlike demeanor, evidently of a simple-minded type.

The man roamed around the cave's surroundings, and none of the guards stopped him, as if accustomed to his presence. Some guards even treated this man with respect, suggesting he held some status.

Seeing the man, Ye Qing's expression changed slightly because he recognized him. This man was Li Qiang's brother, and Li Qiang was the notorious Northwest Bandit who annihilated the Lu Family back in Ye Qing's homeland. Ye Qing had captured Li Qiang then but later had let him escape. They were on good terms. Later, while being chased by the Wanyan Family in the Northern Desert, it was Li Qiang who helped him flee to the Meng District. All things considered, Ye Qing and Li Qiang had a good relationship. But with Ye Qing's increasing responsibilities, their contact dwindled. How did Li Qiang's brother end up here?

Looking at the fool and observing the respectful attitude of those around him towards the fool, Ye Qing had a sudden thought. These people showing such respect might have ties to Li Qiang. Could Li Qiang be here as well? Could it be that Li Qiang was involved in this capture?

With this thought, Ye Qing felt a chill inside; after all, he had considered Li Qiang a friend. But honestly, Ye Qing didn't believe Li Qiang would do such a thing. Li Qiang was known for his loyalty; maybe he didn't even know about this situation?

Filled with doubts, Ye Qing didn't have time to think it over. They were trapped here, and without outside assistance, escaping was unlikely. Hence, Ye Qing could only pin his hopes on Li Qiang.

"Psst, psst..." Ye Qing leaned close to the bars, whispering to the fool outside.

The fool happened to be passing this cave and curiously looked over upon hearing Ye Qing's voice. Seeing Ye Qing, he curiously examined him up and down, then suddenly pointed at him and chuckled.

Seeing the fool's action, Ye Qing felt warm at heart. Despite everything, the fool clearly recognized him. Even though the fool wasn't very bright, he remembered and trusted those who had been kind to him.

"Where's Li Qiang? Your brother?" Ye Qing asked quietly, unsure if Li Qiang was aiding these people or was also captured by them. But he had no choice but to attempt communication.

The fool continued to chuckle, seemingly not understanding Ye Qing's words.

"You know him?" Yelu Ying asked curiously from the side.

Ye Qing nodded, asking the fool again, "Can you go find your brother, Li Qiang, and tell him I'm trapped here?"

The fool kept laughing, leaving Ye Qing a bit helpless. The fool seemed unable to comprehend, making communication impossible. Was their only hope lost too?

Just then, the guards noticed the fool's behavior.

"What are you doing here?" one guard shouted, approaching them. Seeing the guard coming over, Ye Qing quickly gestured for the others, and they all lay back down, pretending to be unconscious.

The cave's darkness hid the fact that Ye Qing and the others were awake, as the guard was initially far away. His attention was fixed on the fool. Seeing the fool standing at the cave entrance chuckling, the guard walked over and kicked the fool's rear, cursing, "Who told you to stand here, get lost!"