Chapter 1117: I'll Lead the Way

"Jinhua? Why are you joining in the fun? Go back quickly; it's not safe outside right now." The village chief was startled and hurriedly shook his head in denial.

"Village Chief, I can do it. Although I haven't been to that place, I know where it is," the girl said. "Let me lead the way for the gentleman and the others; they aren't familiar with the path."

"That won't do either. That's Yeren Gou! Your grandfather doesn't allow you to go to that place. If he finds out I let you go, he'll surely beat me to a pulp," the village chief shook his head repeatedly.

"Village Chief, please just agree to it, I beg you." The girl wore a pleading expression.

"No..." the village chief denied.

"Little girl, why do you want to go there?" Chen Yu asked.

"I... I want to lead the way for you all." Jinhua's gaze was somewhat evasive, and she spoke in a stammer.

This girl was simple and honest; she didn't know how to lie. From her evasive eyes, it was clear she had other motives, but what exactly those motives were, Chen Yu didn't know for the moment. He just felt that the little girl had other business going there.

"Could it be..." The village chief finally noticed the girl's odd behavior. He sighed and said, "Mr. Chen, you don't know, this girl has had no parents since she was small."

"Her parents went missing in the area of Yeren Gou, so she has always wanted to go there to take a look. She wants to figure out where her parents actually went."

"Is that so?" Chen Yu asked.

Jinhua gripped her hem tightly, lowered her head, and said somewhat timidly, "Yes, I want to know where my parents went."

"My grandfather is afraid that something will happen to me, so he has never let me go. Sir, I beg you, take me with you. I will point the way for you." The little girl raised her head and said pleadingly.

"I can't make that decision. What if your grandfather finds out?" Chen Yu said with a chuckle. "But don't worry, when I go there, I can help you take a look."

"I still want to go myself," Jinhua said, wiping away tears. "I was only 8 years old when my parents left. Now I can barely remember what they looked like. I miss them."

The village chief sighed slightly. "Mr. Chen, Jinhua's background is truly pitiful. She just wants to go and see. Why don't you... just take her along? She can also point the way for you and so on."

"Can the village chief represent her grandfather?" Chen Yu looked at the village chief. Truth be told, if her family didn't agree, he wouldn't take the girl.

"It's fine, Mr. Chen. I'll tell the old man later. Jinhua's background is quite pitiful," the village chief sighed. "She has an obsession regarding her parents. Even if she can't find their remains, it would be good to let her go there and see."

"Alright then, I'll take her with me," Chen Yu nodded slightly. "Rest assured, I will definitely bring her back safely."

"Thank you, Brother." Only then did Jinhua reveal a smile. She wiped away her tears and shouldered a bamboo basket that was almost taller than she was. "When are we leaving?"

"Wait a moment, I'll set a few things straight before we depart," Chen Yu smiled.

After everyone finished eating and was ready to set off, Liu Ying found Chen Yu. "Chen Yu, I want to go to Yeren Gou with you all."

"You don't need to go," Chen Yu responded indifferently. "The path there is difficult to walk. Your physical fitness isn't up to it; you won't be able to handle it."

"Su Qingcheng can go, why can't I?" Liu Ying was angry. Chen Yu was clearly using a double standard.

"Because her physical fitness is better than yours. She can walk mountain paths; can you?" Chen Yu glanced at her, only to see she was still wearing high heels.

This woman, coming to a place like this wearing high heels—did she want to break her own bones?

"I'll change my shoes immediately, but you must take me," Liu Ying said.

"I won't take you. I am the person in charge, and I have assigned tasks to you. If you don't comply, I will ask you to go back," Chen Yu said indifferently. "This medical team can function normally without anyone."

"Chen Yu, are you abusing your power for personal vendettas?" Liu Ying's face turned very ugly. She felt that Chen Yu was intentionally making things difficult for her.

"I really am not," Chen Yu glanced at her and said indifferently, "You aren't suited for that place. I am doing this for your own good. If things don't get done, you will only become a burden to us."

"Don't worry, I won't become a burden to you. Wait for me, I'm going to change my shoes right now." After saying this, Liu Ying didn't wait for Chen Yu's agreement and turned to enter the tent.

"Let's go, we're leaving now," Chen Yu sneered. This woman was used to being arrogant in the organization; even after arriving here, she couldn't change her bad habits. However, Chen Yu didn't intend to indulge her.

"Master, wouldn't that be a bit bad?" Su Qingyan hesitated and said, "She is the microbiology expert for this trip. Is it okay not to take her?"

"We can still get things done without her. Traditional Chinese Medicine naturally has methods to identify microorganisms; there is no need for her to follow," Chen Yu smiled slightly. "Let's go."

"Alright then, let's go." Su Qingyan nodded and stopped hesitating.

Jinhua led Chen Yu and Su Qingyan toward the direction of Yeren Gou. This place was five or six kilometers from the village. One had to cross a hillside and walk through a dense forest before reaching the location.

The reason this place was called Yeren Gou was entirely because the terrain was complex, and previously, there had been bear sightings. Some villagers were injured by bears and mistakenly thought they were wild men, so the reputation of Yeren Gou originated from that.

Along the way, Chen Yu chatted with the little girl, and he gained some understanding of her situation.

It turned out that the little girl's grandfather was the only person in the nearby villages who knew a bit of medicine; his ancestors were practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine before migrating here.

The little girl's parents had both gone missing five years ago when they accidentally entered Yeren Gou to gather herbs. Some said they had offended the Mountain God and were taken there to serve as the Mountain God's servants.

She had grown up with her grandparents, and because they were terrified that something would happen to the little girl, they never let her go to Yeren Gou.

But Jinhua missed her parents deeply. She had always wanted to go to Yeren Gou to take a look. Although her parents had been gone for five or six years, if she were lucky, she might be able to find their remains.

Even if it were worse, she still wanted to wander around there so that she would at least be closer to her parents.

"After your parents went missing in Yeren Gou, did no one in the village go to look for them?" Chen Yu asked.

"No, because generally no one goes to Yeren Gou. Legend says it is the Mountain God's territory. If you enter without permission, you will offend the Mountain God, so no one dares to go," Jinhua shook her head and said. "The few people who were infected recently only went to Yeren Gou because they accidentally entered while hunting."

"They got sick after they came back, so now everyone believes even more that there is a Mountain God in that place. If anyone enters without permission, something will definitely happen," Jinhua said.