Chapter 922: Chapter 922

This group of men held flashlights and slowly searched through the valley. Their manner clearly stated they wouldn't rest until they found either someone alive or a corpse. After combing the ground meticulously without any success, they started shining their flashlights upwards, refusing to miss a single nook or cranny of the valley. After all, Ding San had fallen from the cliff above. Given his injuries, he couldn't have escaped; he must be hiding somewhere within this valley.

These men were acting under Wu Tiande's strict orders. No matter what, Ding San had to be brought back, which explained their painstaking search.

Even though Ding San was hiding in the crook of a tree, it was only a matter of time before he was found if the search continued at this intensity.

As the men neared the large tree where Ding San was concealed, one of them suddenly let out a startled cry, and the flashlight in his hand went dark.

The others immediately turned to look. The leader asked curiously, "What happened?"

"I…I don't know. Something hit my flashlight," the man stammered, clearly shaken.

"What hit it?" Everyone began looking around but found nothing unusual. One man noticed the flashlight in his hand and gasped, "Oh my god, your flashlight is shattered!"

"Shattered?" The man looked down in shock. The glass covering the front of his flashlight was indeed broken, and the bulb inside was damaged. No wonder it had gone out.

Seeing this, the group exchanged bewildered glances. Someone suggested, "Did you hit it against a rock or something?"

Shaking his head, the man replied, "No, there are no rocks nearby. How could I have hit it?"

"Then what happened?" Faces filled with confusion, the men began to scan their surroundings, trying to figure out what was out of place.

As they were searching, another man suddenly screamed. Just like the first, his flashlight shattered in his hands.

This second incident sent the group into an uproar. One incident might have been a coincidence, but two identical occurrences suggested something far stranger was at play.

The most chilling part was that neither man had come into contact with anything. How, then, were their flashlights breaking?

The group stood frozen, faces pale with fear. In the dead silence of the valley, this bizarre phenomenon quickly stirred thoughts of the supernatural. Someone muttered about Ding San, who might have died in the valley. Could his ghost now be haunting them?

As the men hesitated in growing unease, a third flashlight suddenly shattered, completing the trio of eerie occurrences. Panic spread rapidly among the group.

"What's going on? What is happening? What the hell is this?"

"Could it be… a ghost?"

"Don't talk nonsense! There's no such thing as ghosts!"

"If not a ghost, then explain this!"

"Maybe… maybe we should leave? Losing our lives here isn't worth the money!"

They debated heatedly, and once someone suggested retreating, the group, as if in silent agreement, began scrambling to escape. None of them wished to be the last one left behind, and what had begun as a retreat turned into a frenzied race for their lives. Within ten minutes, every last one of them had fled the valley, too terrified to linger a moment longer.

High in one of the trees within the valley, the Bloody Monk watched them flee, a cold smile tugging at the corners of his lips.

"I'll let you live for now. Tomorrow, when that boy returns, I'll have him deal with you!" The Bloody Monk glanced toward the sleeping Ding San nearby and sneered, "Boy, don't you dare disappoint me!"

Over in Shenchuan City, Ye Qing had just received a report from Black Bear: Ding San had fallen off the cliff, and they had been unable to rescue him.

The news stirred a deep sorrow within Ye Qing. Ding San wasn't a bad man; he was merely someone forced into desperation. For him to end up this way…it was truly a heartbreaking conclusion.

Given the complexities of the situation, Ye Qing instructed Black Bear to return first. Though Ye Qing held power across much of Eastern Province, Shenchuan City's current circumstances were especially delicate, and he had no time to address the matters in Tianhui City. Still, he made a mental note: for Ding San's sake, he would ensure vengeance was served!

Ye Qing also contacted the orphanage, instructing them to care for Ding San's son, who was now an orphan. From this moment on, the child's wellbeing became Ye Qing's responsibility.

By the time Ye Qing finished arranging everything, it was already 4:30 in the morning. Knowing it was too late to sleep properly, he opted to rest in his office for a short while. When he awoke, daylight had fully broken, and Black Bear had just returned from Tianhui City.

This trip cost Black Bear one comrade while leaving three more seriously injured. Considering they had gone with fewer than ten people against over a hundred adversaries, it was no surprise they had been at a disadvantage.

Ye Qing personally visited the hospital to check on the injured brothers, then instructed Mad Dog to oversee a proper funeral for the fallen one. To Ye Qing, every comrade represented a grave responsibility, and seeing his men suffering left him deeply unsettled.

After checking on the injured, Ye Qing headed to the upstairs ward, where Ou Keren was still recovering.

After a couple of days' rest, Ou Keren had fully recovered. The doctors had found no remaining traces of poison in her blood. Though confused by this, they concluded she was fit to be discharged.

When Ye Qing arrived, Ou Keren was delighted. "Ye, what brings you here? I was just about to be discharged and come find you!"

"I heard you were being discharged, so I came to pick you up," Ye Qing said with a gentle smile. "How have you been? I bet you didn't enjoy being cooped up in the hospital?"

"The conditions were fine, but lying in bed all day was unbearable!" Ou Keren pouted. "I was going stir-crazy staying in one place. By the way, what about those mercenaries? I heard the Eastern Province police captured two of them alive. Is it true? Have they gotten anything out of them?"

Ye Qing shook his head. "Those mercenaries are highly trained, and the police haven't been able to extract any information from the two captives. But I suspect that group will lay low for a while and stop acting so recklessly within Huaxia."

"Laying low is useless!" Ou Keren exclaimed. "The key is to track them down and catch them! They still have the remote control for the intercontinental missile. If they manage to deliver it to the buyer, it'll be catastrophic!"

"Don't worry," Ye Qing said with a faint smile. "I don't think they'll stay hidden for long. Right now, they see me as their primary target. I'm sure they'll make a move on me soon enough. When they do, we'll set a trap and catch them."

"A trap?" Ou Keren looked at Ye Qing in alarm. "Ye, are you planning to use yourself as bait? That's too dangerous! These mercenaries are armed—if anything goes wrong…"

"Don't worry. Nothing will happen," Ye Qing reassured her calmly. "I know their tactics and will take precautions against them."

"Alright then," Ou Keren finally relented with a smile. "Still, be careful no matter what."

Her concern warmed Ye Qing's heart. For him, being around Ou Keren always brought a rare sense of relaxation and comfort, as if all his burdens melted away when he was with her.

He helped Ou Keren pack her belongings, and as they were about to leave, the Xiangjiang Police officers assigned to her showed up, ready to escort her out. Unfortunately for them, they arrived just in time to see Ye Qing carrying her things downstairs.

Watching Ye Qing claim the honor of escorting her, the officers couldn't hide their irritation. Still, none dared to challenge him anymore. They knew Ye Qing had taken down several mercenaries and even helped capture two alive. His abilities far exceeded their expectations.

The officers followed quietly beside Ou Keren, who didn't bother asking what they had been doing. Given that they had spent most of their time at the hospital watching over her, they had neither investigated nor made any progress on the case.

Unable to hold back, one officer said, "Captain, we've uncovered lots of clues about those mercenaries. Now that you're out, we can follow these leads and track them down."

"Really?" Ou Keren asked skeptically. "These mercenaries are so cunning, leaving no traces of their actions. Where did you find so many clues?"

"No matter how cunning they are, they're still human. They need food and water," the officer replied confidently. "We guessed they wouldn't dare buy food openly and are likely relying on delivery services. So, we've been investigating Shenchuan City's food delivery records and identified several likely locations where they might be hiding. If we follow up thoroughly, we can definitely find them!"

Ou Keren didn't respond immediately. Instead, she turned to Ye Qing, curious about his thoughts.