Early next morning Tao Su reported to Liu Ying's tent , " Master , I heard you were looking for me ?"
" Tao Su , go get ready , we're going out to gather some peat," Liu Ying instructed him.
Tao Su immediately bowed and rushed off to make preparations.
Liu Ying exited the tent , she looked around to find where Yang Changtian was, she finally spotted him over by the river bank , chatting with Li Cheng and Mo Ling.
She slowly made her way over . Li Cheng noticed her approaching and he waved , Liu Ying nodded back in greeting.
" Ms. Liu, what brings you here ? " Yang Changtian asked, turning to face her.
Liu Ying noticed something off about his tone but she decided to just brush it off , " Mr. Yang I'm here to inform you that I , Dr. Lv , Tao Su, Jin Wei and Da Xiong will head out for a while. "
Yang Changtian raised an eyebrow , " Where are you going ? "
" We need some peat , so we're going to find some," Liu Ying answered matter-of-factly.
" Okay sure , you mind me coming along ? " Yang Changtian asked.
Liu Ying shrugged , " I don't mind, in fact I would love to take you along , but are you free ? "
Yang Changtian nodded , in reality, he was not free at all, he still had a tonne of work left. But Liu Ying , Jin Wei, Da Xiong and even Dr. Lv were all acting weird. So he wanted to keep an eye on them.
Hearing Yang Changtian, Li Cheng almost wanted to contradict him and remind him that they were , in fact, not free at all , but sensing what he was about to do , Yang Changtian quickly shot him a look to shut him up.
" Great , we depart in an hour , please join us over by the southern gate," Liu Ying said while excusing herself.
" Brother Yang , what was that all about ? You know well , that we're busy today , you yourself ordered us to interview all the Survivors, yet you're running off to 'help' Ms.Liu who's got plenty of people going with her , " Li Cheng scowled at Yang Changtian.
Yang Changtian just shook his head , " I need to know what they're hiding."
" There you go again , " Li Cheng rolled his eyes.
Yang Changtian turned to Li Cheng with a serious expression , " Look Li Cheng , I'm not being suspicious of them , but I really want to know what they're hiding . "
" But why ? " Li Cheng asked.
Yes , why ? Why did it bother him so much ? Yang Changtian didn't know the answer to that question , all he knew was that he wanted to know what Liu Ying was hiding from him.
He shook his head at Li Cheng before standing up , " I'm going to go get ready."
Li Cheng watched with a complicated expression as Yang Changtian made his way to his tent.
" Senior Brother , what was that about ? " Mo Ling finally spoke up.
" Who knows , but he is acting strange , " Li Cheng replied , " Come on let's get started , we lost one person so now each of us have a larger work load."
True to her word , Liu Ying and the others were waiting for Yang Changtian over by the Southern gate. Yang Changtian sped up to catch up with them . Liu Ying had already asked someone to bring Yang Changtian's horse over. Yang Changtian thanked her and then he mounted his horse.
Liu Ying nodded back , before mounting Wu Ye. Wu Ye's eyes were practically sparkling , he was excited to have his master back.
Liu Ying signaled Lv Ling to come closer. When she got close , she extended her hand and helped her climb Wu Ye. Lv Ling sat down behind Liu Ying , she shifted a little making herself comfortable.
Then Jin Wei did the same with Tao Su. Yang Changtian looked at this confused .
Seeing his confusion Liu Ying explained , " Tao Su can't ride."
Yang Changtian nodded and Tao Su buried his face in Jin Wei's back feeling somewhat embarrassed. Jin Wei just smiled helplessly , " Our Tao Su will surely ride a big horse next time , he just needs time, right Da Xiong ? "
Da Xiong agreed happily. Liu Ying looked at them with an indulgent smile.
Yang Changtian saw this scene and he felt somewhat empty. He couldn't act like this with anyone , Jingyou was the only one for him , but she isn't here. He slowly looked up towards the sky , ' Where are you Jingyou? ' he whispered softly.
Liu Ying's hearing was good , she actually heard what Yang Changtian said and for a minute , she tensed up . Noticing her change , Lv Ling patted her back. The soft pats reverberated her whole being , calming Liu Ying down. She swiftly nodded back at Lv Ling , ' Thank you ' she mouthed. Turning back , " Let's depart then ," she loudly announced.
Tao Su closed his eyes and pointed in a direction , Liu Ying nodded at Jin Wei who immediately began to lead the group in the direction Tao Su was pointing at .
After riding for a while they arrived next to a lake. Tao Su helped his hand up so Jin Wei stopped , Liu Ying and the others also stopped behind them.
Tao Su climbed down and looked around , he then began to walk over to a small bog , stopping in front of it , he waved to the others.
Liu Ying leapt down her horse quickly and helped Lv Ling down before rushing towards the peat bog. She crouched down and picked some mud-like stuff , " Yes , this is peat . Jin Wei , Da Xiong , Tao Su come, let's collect the peat.
The group quickly pulled out bags and they began to fill the bags with the muddy substance . The stench was bad , but this was necessary. Peat is made with decomposed plant materials so while Tao Su could sense it , he can't control it.
Yang Changtian also joined them , and Lv Ling handed him a bag.
Each of them filled a bag each , they tied the bag to their saddles and the group rushed back.
Once they got back, Liu Ying , Lv Ling and Da Xiong rushed off to get started on extracting the Humic acid; they had already instructed their juniors to set up a large stove for the extraction.
After getting the fire going Liu Ying added the peat into the pot of water letting it boil, " This will take longer, maybe even overnight," She explained, turning to Yang Changtian and Lv Ling. " I'll ask some juniors to keep an eye on this. Thank you for helping us today Mr. Yang , you can go back to your work now."
Yang Changtian was staring at Liu Ying with his eyes narrowed.
Liu Ying looked at him puzzled , neither of them moved or talked for a while. Lv Ling felt somewhat uncomfortable so she cleared her throat , " Ms. Liu we ought to go back too."
Liu Ying turned to her and nodded, " Then please excuse us Mr. Yang."
She was just about to pass Yang Changtian when he reached out and grabbed her wrist , " You're hiding something Liu Ying. Why are you being so proactive now Liu Ying ? "
Liu Ying sighed and turned around , " I don't know what you mean Mr. Yang , I'm not hiding anything besides I'm always proactive." Yeah, even Liu Ying herself cringed at this.
Yang Changtian looked at her with his eyebrow raised but Liu Ying ignored it , she used her other hand to free her wrist from Yang Changtian's grip , " You are overthinking things Mr. Yang , I just want to finish this and go home soon. Now please excuse us," she said while tapping his hand.
Yang Changtian watched as Liu Ying walked away with Lv Ling.
He sighed before going off to find Li Cheng.
He found Li Cheng and Mo Ling in a tent over by the riverbank , and they were interviewing all the survivors.
Yang Changtian entered the tent and sat down next to Li Cheng , " Back so soon Brother Yang ? How did it go ? "
" We just went and brought back peat , they are boiling it right now to extract the acid. "
" So did you find anything out ? "
Yang Changtian shook his head , " They're so tight lipped ."
" Maybe they aren't hiding anything at all and it's just you being paranoid."
Yang Changtian shrugged , " Anyways how's it going ? "
" It's going well , but we have a lot to cover. It's good for your back."
Yang Changtian nodded, then he waved a disciple outside the tent , " Tell another one to come in ."
With that Yang Changtian began to help out with the interviews . Time flew by and it was almost sunset.
Lv Ling and Liu Ying exited the tent together. They walked over to Jin Wei and Da Xiong who were waiting to have dinner with them.
" Jin Wei how is it ? "
" Most of the water has evaporated already ,but it needs to be boiled for a bit longer."
" Okay . And Da Xiong, were you able to find a tub ? "
" No Senior , so we resorted to plan B. I had them dig a small pond , and Tao Su coated the walls with clay , it should be dried by now."
" Okay , tomorrow morning have them fill the pond up."
The group reached the dining area , they sat down on a table. Jin Wei and Da Xiong went to get them food .
Liu Ying turned to Lv Ling, her face was serious.
" Dr. Lv , what are you planning to do after this is over ? "
'Lv Ling sighed , " Honestly I don't want to stay here any longer so Ms. Liu I have a small request. Can you take me back to the capital? I'm willing to follow you."
Liu Ying's expression looked somewhat conflicted .
" Of course you can say no Ms. Liu, " Lv Ling hurried to explain.
Liu Ying her head , " No no no Dr. Lv , I'll be grateful if you decide to follow me , but I'm also worried about your safety . You have to understand , these people were able to attack me and my Master, mortally wounding us both ,just imagine what they could do to you. "
" I understand the risks Ms. Liu , and I'm willing to fight with you."
Liu Ying nodded her head , " Actually now that I think about it , it would be safer for you to stay with me."
Lv Ling's eyes lit up , she grabbed Liu Ying's hands tight , " Thank you Ms. Liu "
" No , if you're going to follow me, call me Sister Liu or Senior like Jin Wei and Da Xiong ."
" Okay Senior Liu, " Lv Ling squeaked.
Liu Ying smiled and patted her head. Jin Wie and Da Xiong came back with their food. " Here Senior ," Jin Wei said ,passing her bowl over.
" Thank you Jin Wei . By the way you two , if this works , you'll have to start packing up , we'll depart immediately when we finish the Crazies off."
Jin Wei and Da Xiong nodded.
" Also Dr. Lv will be coming back with us , she wished to join my unit."
Jin Wie and Da Xiong turned to her bewildered , " Is this true Dr. Lv ? " Jin Wei asked.
Lv Ling smiled and nodded , " I don't want to stay here and I have nowhere to go , so I'd like to come with you all."
Jin Wei and Da Xiong nodded, smiling.
" Jin Wei write a letter to Brother Lu informing him about our new recruit."
" Okay Senior ! "
The group soon fell silent , they were completely focused on their food.
Yang Changtian and Li Cheng directly headed to their tents after they finished the interviews , they quickly freshened up before heading over to the dining area.
They spotted Liu Ying and her group who were jets about to leave , so Li Cheng waved at them.
" Ms. Liu ! Done with dinner ? "
Liu Ying nodded , " Yes Mr. Li we were just prepared to head back."
" Actually Ms. Liu, do you mind staying back for a while? I have to discuss something with you."
Liu Ying nodded , she turned around and told the others to go on without her , " Go and get some sleep you three , tomorrow is going to be a long day. Jin Wei check up on the peat solution before you sleep ."
After they left , Liu Ying sat down across Yang Changtian and Li Cheng.
" Now Mr. Li , what did you want to discuss ? "
" Liu Ying , as you know we conducted interviews with the survivors today , and we found something interesting," Yang Changtian began , " Shaman Hu appeared in the village 30 years ago , so only the older ladies remembered her arrival , as for the other 4 , Sister Mu came there over 10 years ago , she was with her husband and young son, who both died when the plague broke out. Then the other three , Mianmian , Jing and Ming all came to the village more recently , Mianmian and Ming are sisters while Jing is their cousin," Yang Changtian explained.
Liu Ying listened carefully , " Do we have any other information about them ? I doubt those are their real names."
Yang Changtian also shook his head , " That's my exact worry. So I want to transport them back to Jingxi."
" That would be dangerous , the people that are behind them will likely have a bounty on their heads. But it is also the only plausible way."
Li Cheng and Yang Changtian nodded .
" Unfortunately hypnosis might not be possible either , " Liu Ying added.
Li Cheng and Yang Changtian glanced at each other , " Ms. Liu , why isn't it possible ? " Li Cheng asked confused.
" Hypnosis works best when the participant is in a relaxed state ," Liu Ying explained, " And they aren't relaxed so it might not work , but we can try."
" You know hypnosis ? " Yang Changtian asked.
Liu Ying nodded , " Yes but Dr. Lv is more proficient in it , so it'll be better if she does it."
Yang Changtian and Li Cheng looked at each other before nodding , " We'll ask Dr. Lv to help us out tomorrow ."
" Okay , but she has some work in the morning with me , so I can give her to you gentleman at noon or so."
" Okay."
" Gentlemen , if that's all , please do excuse me , " Liu Ying said standing up.
" Thank you Liu Ying , " Yang Changtian thanked her.
Liu Ying smiled at him and nodded before walking towards her tent.
" Why hadn't I thought of that ? " Li Cheng said, scratching his head , " I'm supposed to be smart."
Yang Changtian shot him a look and rolled his eyes, " Come on let's go get some rest . My back hurts from all that sitting."
The peat solution was done close to midnight , the junior who was watching it quickly informed Jin Wei , who in turn informed Liu Ying.
Liu Ying quickly asked them to carry the pot over to her tent , when they placed it on the ground , she thanked them and quickly sent them off to get some rest. Liu Ying set up a makeshift filter and she filtered the remaining liquid through it. When she was done , she still had some time left till sunrise , but she couldn't sleep in here due to the strong smell , and she felt somewhat stuffy so Liu Ying headed outside , she climbed onto a tree and stared at the sky. Tonight's moon was somewhat bright , occasionally the faint ghost of a cloud would pass through the bright moon , shrouding it by their soft body. The soft humming of the wind and the occasional buzzing of an insect soon made Liu Ying's eyes heavy , she moved to a branch that was wider and sturdier , she then leaned against the tree trunk and soon she fell asleep.
Lv Ling woke up early the next day , she quickly walked over to Liu Ying's tent , " Ms. Liu may I come in ? "
But no answer came , thinking that she was asleep , she asked again louder. Seeing no response she quickly rushed into the tent . Liu Ying wasn't here !
'Maybe she woke up and went for a walk , I'll wait here,' she thought to herself.
But when everyone else began to wake up , she only got worried , finally after waiting for over an hour Lv Ling decided to go look for her.
She first went over to Jin Wei and Da Xiong.
" Jin Wei ! Da Xiong ! Have you seen Ms. Liu ? "
" Senior ? She should be at her tent. "
Lv Ling shook her head , " She's not there and I waited for over an hour but she didn't come back."
" She wasn't around the camp either , I just finished patrolling, " Da Xiong added.
" Oh no ," Jin Wei exploded , " Senior ! " he began to wail while running around.
His yells soon caught the other's attention.
Yang Changtian burst out , " What happened ? " he yelled.
Li Cheng also rushed out to see what the ruckus was about.
Jin Wei was still shrieking and running around , but Lv Ling and Da Xiong quickly approached Yang Changtian , " Mr. Yang , we can't find Ms. Liu ! "
" What ?!? Tell me what happened ."
" Mr. Yang when I went to look for her in the morning she wasn't in her tent so I assumed that she might've gone on a walk , but an hour passed without her returning, so I came to ask Jin Wei and Da Xiong."
" Mr. Yang , I patrolled the whole village today and I didn't see Senior around."
" That's impossible ! Where did she go ?!? " Li Cheng asked, panicked
" Everyone ! Did any of you see Ms. Liu ? " Yang Changtain asked everyone present .
They all shook their heads.
" This is bad , did someone kidnap her ?! " Jin Wei shrieked , " Senior ! "
" Everyone fan out , try to find Ms. Liu," Yang Changtian ordered.
They combed through the whole village , but they couldn't find Liu Ying.
Everyone was freaking out now. Jin Wei felt dizzy so Da Xiong helped him to their tent.
" Where could she be ? " Yang Changtian asked Li Cheng and Lv Ling , the both of them could only shrug their shoulders.
Yang Changtian was panicking so he decided to activate his skill to see where she was. He scoured the surrounding area , but there were no signs of her. Just as he retracted his skill , he caught a flash of blue on a tree nearby , he immediately focused on the tree and he sighed deeply before breaking out in a small smile. " Found her ."