Chapter 468: Chapter 468

Ding Fan left the Qian Family residence, and by that time, the sky had already turned completely dark.

However, Ding Fan did not delay at all; he headed straight for the western suburbs.

Through his earlier findings, Ding Fan knew that in the western suburbs, Qian Shiwang had prepared tens of thousands of migratory birds carrying viruses. If these birds weren't dealt with promptly, the consequences were unimaginable.

Since it was already late, Ding Fan resorted to Sword Control, which, although it consumed a lot of True Qi, was something he could not afford to worry about at the moment.

Upon reaching the western suburbs, Ding Fan landed his flying sword.

There weren't many residents in the western suburbs because it was close to the funeral home; thus, only a small village was present.

Upon entering the village, Ding Fan began to search meticulously.

Since raising tens of thousands of migratory birds would certainly require a vast area, Ding Fan mainly looked for factory-like buildings within the village.

However, what puzzled Ding Fan was that he couldn't find a single sign of the large number of birds inside these buildings.

With no other options, Ding Fan had to resort to the crudest method, fully opening his Divine Sense and conducting a carpet-style search of the entire village.

As he searched, Ding Fan indeed came across some peculiarities. In the northeastern corner of the village, there was a dilapidated brick kiln that somehow shielded Divine Sense.

This brick kiln had clearly been out of operation for a very long time. The path leading to it was almost entirely obscured by wild grass at the roadside.

Ding Fan immediately used an Invisibility Pearl to conceal his form before heading toward the brick kiln.

The brick kiln was a traditional manual one, three stories high, with kiln caves on the lower level for stacking bricks.

Clearly, no smelting had been done here for a long time, so the kiln caves were empty.

After walking around the kiln caves with his Divine Sense fully opened, Ding Fan finally detected some irregularities in the southwest corner of the kiln caves.

In that corner, there was an old, out-of-use lathe. The lathe was quite ancient.

What Ding Fan found unusual was that the lathe was completely dust-free, which suggested it should have been covered in dust if it hadn't been touched for a long time.

Since there was an Array blocking Divine Sense here, Ding Fan couldn't use it to sense his surroundings and had to observe the conditions of the kiln caves surrounding the lathe.

After careful observation, Ding Fan noticed something off. Some bricks on the kiln cave wall appeared to have been tampered with.

While Ding Fan was still hesitating, the wall suddenly emitted a creaking noise.

Afterward, the wall opened like a wooden door, revealing a hidden passage from which two people emerged.

With the opening of this wooden door, Ding Fan's Divine Sense could now probe the situation below.

Under the scrutiny of Ding Fan's Divine Sense, he discovered an underground space at least as large as two basketball courts beneath the kiln cave.

In this underground space, to Ding Fan's surprise, numerous square birdhouses were densely arranged.

These birdhouses were housing migratory birds.

Indeed! They really were here.

While Ding Fan was lost in his thoughts, the two individuals who had emerged from the secret passage closed the entrance and leaned against the kiln cave wall, casually chatting.

"Damn it, we got the lousy job of watching these birds. Day in, day out, and we're not allowed to leave our post. I'm going stir-crazy," complained the tall man, resting against the wall with a look of displeasure.

The burly man beside him let out a sigh, "Thought we'd get to live it up once we left the Sect, but who knew we'd end up as security guards."

"Ah, just hold on for a few more days. Once these migratory birds are released, our job will be done," said the tall man beside him.

"Our Myriad Demon Sect is a Great Gate Sect, and yet we're helping ordinary folks release migratory birds..."

"Brother, our Sect Leader cares deeply about this migratory bird operation in Dancheng. Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent us here to assist Qian Shiwang."

After hearing the tall man's words, the burly man nodded. "But when you think about it, that Qian Shiwang is really ruthless, planning to spread a plague..."

"Would our Sect Leader have helped Qian Shiwang if it wasn't for the opportunity this time? Do you think the Sect Leader is motivated by the money Qian Shiwang offered?"

The burly man looked at the tall man.

The tall man continued, "In times of chaos, a hero emerges... When the plague ravages the land, that's when our Myriad Demon Sect will rise to power. Then, we'll stake claim to our own territory and carve out a domain..."

The burly man seemed to have an epiphany. "So that's it. I knew our Sect Leader wouldn't assist Qian Shiwang just for the money."

"How could our Sect Leader be so shortsighted?" said the tall man as he stretched his arms. "Alright, let's make a round in the area to check for anything suspicious... We're going to release the migratory birds in a few days, and we can't afford any problems at this critical moment."

"Got it..." The brawny man immediately responded in agreement.

The two men walked together towards the direction of the village.

Since Ding Fan had the Invisibility Pearl on him, those two men didn't discover Ding Fan the entire time. After the two men walked away, Ding Fan didn't act rashly, he was just quietly observing from the side.

About fifteen minutes later, the two returned from the village, this time carrying a roast chicken and some alcoholic beverages. Then, the two men entered the secret passage again.

Ding Fan lay hidden beside the kiln cave all night.

That night, aside from the time earlier when those two men opened it, the secret passage was opened once more, around six in the morning. It was those same disciples from the Myriad Demon Sect who were patrolling.

Having roughly figured out the situation with the kiln cave, Ding Fan then returned to the hotel.

By then, daylight had already broken.

"Brother Fan, where did you go last night?" Ye Ningqing caught Ding Fan as soon as he returned.

After Ding Fan had cured Mu Qiangsheng's illness, both Ye Ningqing and her aunt wanted to properly thank him. However, by the time they went to find Ding Fan, he had already left.

After making sure Mu Qiangsheng and her aunt were settled, Ye Ningqing returned to the hotel early, thinking she would see Ding Fan upon her return.

But Ye Ningqing waited the entire night, only for Ding Fan to return then.

"I handled some other matters last night," Ding Fan said and glanced at Ye Ningqing. "Why? Did you need something from me?"

Ye Ningqing nodded. "My aunt wants to invite you to a meal. After all, you saved my cousin. She wants to express her gratitude."

Ding Fan pondered for a moment. "I think I'll pass on the meal…"

"Brother Fan, I waited almost the whole night for you…" Ye Ningqing said, then looked at Ding Fan with a smile on her face.

Ye Ningqing was definitely an exceptional beauty.

Tall and slender, with straight, delicate legs, an erect posture, fair skin, and a smile that could topple cities.

At that moment, with the beauty smiling, the effect was not to be underestimated. Even Ding Fan couldn't help but be moved by Ye Ningqing's smile.

"Alright then…" Left with no other choice, Ding Fan nodded in agreement.

"Then I'll wait for you downstairs," Ye Ningqing said, seemingly victorious and very pleased.

Ding Fan smiled faintly. "Let's go down together; I don't have anything to pack anyway."

It was just a casual meal, so dressing casually would suffice.

So, Ye Ningqing and Ding Fan went downstairs together.

Ye Ningqing immediately called her aunt, who, upon hearing that they managed to invite Ding Fan, hurried over.

After a brief discussion, Ye Ningqing thought it would be best to go to Phoenix Building.

In Dancheng, Phoenix Building was the only place where the food and drinks were truly special, and the class of the place was also notable.

Ding Fan didn't have any objections. As for the meal, Ding Fan wasn't particularly concerned about it. If it weren't for Ye Ningqing's personal invitation, he probably wouldn't have come.

When Ye Ningqing and Ding Fan arrived at Phoenix Building, Ye Ningqing's aunt had not yet arrived. Ye Ningqing decided to reserve a private room for them.

"Young Master Ding…" Just then, someone approached with great respect and addressed Ding Fan.

Ding Fan looked at the newcomer, taken aback. The person in front of him was very unfamiliar; Ding Fan didn't recall ever meeting him.

"Young Master Ding might not remember due to his high status; we've met once before at Old Master Qin's house. My name is Tian Li. I happened to visit Old Master Qin just when Young Master Ding was there. It was a brief encounter," the newcomer explained, introducing himself proactively upon seeing Ding Fan's confused face.

Even after hearing the newcomer's words, Ding Fan still couldn't recall who he was. However, one doesn't hit a smiling face, so Ding Fan simply nodded to him and then turned away.

Tian Li watched as Ding Fan walked away.

"Director Tian? Who is that man?" Right then, a subordinate-looking man approached Tian Li and inquired. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ 𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙡•𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚⚫𝙣𝙚𝙩

"That man has Great Divine Power," Tian Li sighed softly.

Tian Li still remembered when he first visited Old Master Qin. As the helmsman of one of the Four Great Families, Qin family, Old Master Qin was very polite to Ding Fan.

How could someone treated with such respect by Old Master Qin be simple?

"That man?" The speaker looked towards Ding Fan's departing figure…