Chapter 414

Fang Yue had previously tasked people from his studio to search for Bai Xiaoya's whereabouts in Qingsi County.

But Jing Yan never gave any feedback, so Fang Yue gradually forgot about it, thinking there was no hope.

After all, Qingsi County was so large; finding one person was like searching for a needle in a haystack.

Unexpectedly, feedback came suddenly tonight.

"Did you find Bai Xiaoya?"

Fang Yue asked eagerly, but Jing Yan shook his head.

"Didn't find the person, but found some clues about her movements."

Fang Yue was initially disappointed, but quickly perked up.

Even just some movement clues were very useful—they'd greatly reduce the workload of searching in Qingsi County later.

"Tell me everything."

Jing Yan didn't drag it out—he told Fang Yue what little he knew of Bai Xiaoya's experiences in Qingsi County.

The reason only partial details were available was because no one paid attention to Bai Xiaoya.

Bai Xiaoya had no distinguishing features and never did anything out of the ordinary.

She simply lived quietly, taking on two low-level jobs in Qingsi County.

In the entire Qingsi County, such cases were so common no one would even glance at them.

Unlike villages like Gu Yue Cun, where every villager was recorded, and since the village was small and even similar shops were rare, people almost always saw each other daily.

So for villagers, things like a craftsman taking on extra apprentices became topics of lively gossip, spreading quickly and widely.

For example, even Zhanshu Huxi Hu, who had no distinguishing features, became recognizable to most villagers after spending one day with Hong Dafu.

After all, village populations were limited, newcomers were few, and mobility was low.

But Qingsi County was different.

It covered a vast area, had a large population, high commercial activity, significant population turnover, and astonishing vitality.

Many who entered the county today were dead outside its borders by tomorrow.

In such a fast-paced place, no one noticed when a low-level apprentice appeared in a low-level shop.

So finding Bai Xiaoya in Qingsi County was truly difficult.

Jing Yan still paid the outsourced personnel a large sum, promising extra bonuses upon success, which got them fired up—even digging up the ground three feet deep to find Bai Xiaoya.

Even so, the information gathered was limited.

The only clear clue was that Bai Xiaoya had suddenly disappeared from Qingsi County a few days ago.

After asking the Guard Team, one guard barely recalled that a girl known as Bai Daya had left Qingsi County with a trio: an old man and a pair of teenagers.

"Left? Bai Xiaoya isn't in Qingsi County anymore?"

Fang Yue's eyes widened, and he froze in shock.

Please don't let Bai Xiaoya do something stupid and get killed by a weirdness out in the wild.

Her real-world body was nearly frozen solid—if she died in the game, Fang Yue truly didn't know if she could come back.

And… if Bai Xiaoya left Qingsi County, Fang Yue had no target at all.

Qingsi County was a major transportation hub with connections everywhere; she could have gone anywhere, making her impossible to track.

"Don't panic—I had them ask about this too. They said the Guard Team recognized that trio: an old man plus a teenage boy and girl. They frequently visited Mo Cun, coming quite often. So as long as those three aren't human traffickers, your friend should be fine."

Fang Yue's heart dropped: "Then… do those three have any problems?"

"We don't know."

Jing Yan spread his hands: "The Guard Team knows very little about them. We've already sent my people to investigate further. Since those three frequently come to Qingsi County, there must be traces left—finding them shouldn't be hard. I'll tell you as soon as I get new info."

"Alright, thanks for your help."

Fang Yue patted Jing Yan on the shoulder.

Though Jing Yan's cultivation wasn't impressive, he really knew how to run the studio.

"No need, no need—Ye Ge's matters are my matters. By the way, Ye Ge, when can I do another character interview with you?"

"Sure, you arrange it."

Jing Yan had helped him so much—what was one interview? Besides, while Jing Yan made money, he was also boosting Fang Yue's own fame.

"Got it! I'll find a good time first. Right now, with us rushing on the road, it's not suitable."

"Mm, just let me know whenever you want to film."

"Alright!"

With Fang Yue's promise, Jing Yan left the room happily. Inside his room, Xiao Xuedou's anxious barking had already been going on for a while.

Jing Yan's expression froze, and he gave a bitter smile.

As the pup of the Weird Hunter Great-Headed Blood Dog, Xiao Xuedou's strength and future potential were unquestionable.

But taking care of it was truly troublesome—like caring for a baby, requiring constant supervision at every moment.

Thinking back to when Gu Yue Cun still existed, and the majestic, fearsome adult Great-Headed Blood Dog of the Blood Hunter, Jing Yan silently cheered himself on.

"Come on, I can do this! Once I get past Xiao Xuedou's puppy stage, I'll have a fearsome pet! Even without interviewing Ye Ge, just this pet alone would be enough to make videos and earn tons of money!"

Jing Yan, who treated this game as just a game, had nothing but profit on his mind.

After encouraging himself, he walked into the room to tend to Xiao Xuedou.

Outside Jing Yan's room, at the inn's entrance, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu was getting beaten up.

That's right—Fang Yue had finally issued a direct order: Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu had to train in real combat.

Facing a weirdness directly, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu would collapse in a second.

But facing Guard Team members, she could at least manage a little.

Unfortunately, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu had no combat talent—even against ordinary Guard Team members whose stats were over ten points lower than hers, she was beaten black and blue with no chance to fight back.

The wild, formless flailing of little fists—yaya yaya—was dodged one by one by the Guard Team members, who were well-trained, had undergone grueling drills, and built on a solid foundation; they found openings, struck with ease, and a single punch sent Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu stumbling and crashing to the ground.

"Wu Wu, in real combat you'd have been dead long ago fighting like that."

Lin Ling, who had just stepped out to see off the village Captain, came back and saw Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu in such a state, and couldn't help shaking his head.

"I don't want to either, but I'm scared!!"

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu shielded her face, curled up her body, and didn't dare to move recklessly.

"The more you fight, the more you'll adapt. You have the physical foundation—once you overcome the mental block, you'll definitely become a powerful martial artist!"

Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu was learning Lin Ling's Heart Method, but whether it was because Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu's theoretical knowledge was poor, or because Lin Ling was a terrible teacher, after a whole day of study, Tian Dan Zhi Yuan Wu hadn't produced even the slightest reaction.

But the people around all thought this was perfectly normal—didn't learning martial arts always start from a few years?

Internal Energy Heart Methods and the like were even more so.

(End of chapter)