This was a special morning. It seemed like they had never had so many people move at the same time. Xie Zhe and the four of them followed Mao Yuejun and Long Miao and walked for several miles. The surrounding houses became sparse, and most of them were low-rise bungalows. , there are no longer the towering teahouses and restaurants in the busy city. With sharp eyes, Ye Linghua pointed in one direction from a long distance away and asked Miyin in a low voice:
"Hey, look there, something dark...is that the place we are looking for?"
"I didn't see anything." Xue Miyin followed her hand and pointed towards it, only seeing dusty houses. "But looking at the direction, it's probably over there, right?"
Their voices were very low, but Uoyuki-kun turned around and smiled silently at them.
"Yes, that is the former Yin Family Dyeing Shop." Long Miao slowed down and explained to them, "You already know that it is independent of Wuyong's Escort Agency and seems to have nothing to do with it, but in fact they have frequent contacts in private. . Even if on the surface it is just a dyeing workshop doing serious business, we may be able to find some clues here."
"I hope there is some useful information left. The fire was really big, and it burned this place to this horrible state."
Han Zhang raised his head, his nose moved, and then he raised his hand to rub the itchy tip of his nose. The wood, stone, and bricks were all burned, as if the residual heat of the fire more than ten or twenty years ago was still deeply embedded in them.
Apparently, they were close. After walking a few dozen steps, more distant scenes were revealed on the rows of rooftops, and what Ye Linghua said became particularly eye-catching. The blue sky is lined with several skewed charcoal-black streaks, some of which are precariously placed together. It can be seen that they are the remaining beams and columns after the fire. Only a small part of the wall still retains its original appearance. It has not completely collapsed, but it is also blackened by smoke. Lord Uoyue said as he walked:
"Originally, this was just an errand for us. I thought I could just go there myself. But since you insist on following me, it doesn't matter... Well, it's in front."
After turning the last corner, a desolate and charred darkness suddenly spread before their eyes. The scale of the ruins showed the former grandeur of the dyeing workshop. Looking far into the distance, they could only vaguely see complete houses scattered far away. The sight is covered with dilapidated wreckage. The houses on the edge still retain some of their original colors, but only broken walls and ruins are left, smeared with dust.
The further inward you go, the heavier the smoky black marks on the ground and remaining walls become. The wind has blown away most of the ashes, but the smell of burning still lingers in the coke. The dyeing workshop was in the center of the ruins, and was probably the most severely burned place. Originally, there should be a towering courtyard wall here, but now only the dark frame is left, barely outlining the location of the main entrance for them.
Ye Linghua followed her companions and walked in. Her toes accidentally caught a section of the door frame that was crooked. The charcoal immediately dropped black slag, which stained her shirt and almost covered her. When she lowered her head and patted the corner of her clothes, she raised her head again and followed everyone to the center of the courtyard unknowingly. Lord Uoyue stopped and looked at something, probably looking at the layout and path here.
This should be the place where cloth is bleached and dried in the dyehouse. Ling Huan glanced around briefly and could see a cracked dye vat and a collapsed and charred clothes drying rack. There were also many indistinguishable utensils, all covered in thick black ash. The surrounding area is filled with broken bricks and tiles that have been completely blackened by smoke. Half of the black charcoal-like low wall is supported by pillars, which are dark and shriveled, fearing that they will break if touched. The feet were also burnt to scorched earth, and upon closer inspection, one could see a few broken stone slabs, while the rest were all charcoal-colored dregs, and the original appearance could not be seen.
In this vast expanse of lifeless ruins, there are sporadic glimpses of spring. There are clumps of grass growing under the base of the wall, and young vines climb up the wooden frame. The tips of the new green are still yellow, quivering in the spring breeze. Half of the broken vat was sunk in ashes, and a large cluster of small white flowers bloomed on the ground directly opposite the vat mouth, extremely bright on the gray-black background. The embers after the fire become excellent nutrients, nourishing new life.
There was just no trace of human life.
——Are there really no traces of humans?
Xie Zhe suddenly saw that Amiao, who had originally jumped onto the broken shelf, twisted her waist and landed lightly on the ground. She stretched her neck towards the roof beside them, looking a little hesitant. Long Miao turned his head almost at the same time as it, staring straight at one of the houses with remaining walls.
"It seems we... aren't the only visitors."
He took two steps in and then stopped. The person who turned out from behind the broken wall also stopped and raised his half-drooped head. Long Miao saw that his eyes widened slightly, and before his gaze even came into contact with him, he moved around and circled around the group of people behind him.
"Who is coming?" He asked before they could speak.
Everyone was silent, still looking at the stranger with suspicion. Only Lord Uoyue took a step forward, nodded at him, and smiled politely:
"Qinghe Canhua and Maoyuejun are here on official business."
"The six paths of impermanence...can be seen."
His voice was flat and not much emotion could be heard. After finishing his words, Yin Guihong's eyes shifted away from Mao Yuejun's eyes holding San Riyue in his mouth. He inexplicably read something meaningful from it, as if those too clear eyes could see through everything. This made him feel great discomfort and accompanying irritability, as if he was being looked down upon nakedly, like a sparrow exposed to the eyes of the sky, and Lord Uoyue was obviously not someone he was willing to expose himself to. Yes, he felt unhappy...and uneasy. His arm subconsciously rubbed against the location of the weapon, and Jin Mieya was as close to him as ever, making him unable to tell whether the strange throbbing in his heart came from it, or whether his own emotions were pushed onto it by him.
Even so, Yin Guihong didn't show much expression on his face. Apart from the flash of his eyes, he couldn't even see any hint of surprise. The deep shadows under his eyes could not be concealed. Long Miao keenly caught a glimpse of the green stubble on his chin, his facial muscles were slightly sagging, and all signs showed traces of fatigue. He was holding a candlestick in his hand, with only a short piece of irregularly shaped wax left on it, as if he had been lighting the candle all night.
Why would someone visit the ruined Yin family dyeing workshop in the middle of the night? After staying there for such a long time, what did they do?
Long Miao glanced at him suspiciously, and his eyes passed over his other hand that was close to his waist and was half-clenched into a fist.
"Who are you and why are you here?"
"Of course it's the Yin family." He replied lightly, "I was ordered to recover the data - if you can find this place, you should know that this is the territory of the Yin family."
Xie Zhe and Han Zhang looked at each other. They all remembered that the fire here was said to have been going on for some time. No one from the Yin family came earlier, no one came later, but someone came when Lord Mao Yue came here to investigate. It's really...
"What a coincidence," Xue Miyin crossed her arms in front of her chest and opened her mouth to speak out everyone's thoughts, "As soon as we came here, we met the Yin family. We can believe it once you touch your lips. You? We need some evidence to prove our identity."
Yin Guihong frowned slightly and looked at her up and down, as if he was looking at something strange.
"I have been born with the surname Yin for so many years, but I have never thought about how to prove this to anyone."
His demeanor and tone clearly said that you are really a baffled person. Ye Lingquan hurriedly pulled the corner of Miyin's clothes, fearing that she would be angry and have some conflict with this unknown person.
Ling Huan herself was worried. She looked at the strange man who suddenly appeared in front of her, and the corners of her mouth twitched, not knowing what to say. If he really searched here and took away important items, wouldn't they find nothing and make this trip in vain? Besides, since this is an errand carried out by the Six Paths of Impermanence, it must be very important. Wouldn't it be a big mistake if nothing is gained?
Maybe she could try to ask the other party carefully if she could tell them the news he had learned first. However, she asked herself, if the Ye family wanted to take back anything from the closed stores, she would think that outsiders should not get involved. Thinking about it this way, she felt unjust and felt that she had no right to intervene. Besides, he didn't look like he was involved. Although he pressed his hands on the hem of his clothes, there were no traces under his clothes. He could have just refused. Even if he insisted that he had nothing on him, there was no reason for them to search him forcefully.
"Even if you are really a member of the Yin family, you showed up at the wrong time." Long Miao said as calmly as possible, but his tense posture revealed a strong sense of defensiveness.
"It is indeed the right time." Yin Guihong raised his eyebrows, "I am here on the front foot, and you are here on the back foot. I am also very curious about what kind of fate this is."
Long Miao shut her mouth. He intuitively cannot trust this person, but at the same time, he cannot deny the fact: objectively speaking, the coincidence at the moment, in the eyes of the other party, can also shape himself into a suspicious appearance - just in case this person is really not evil. words of action.
They faced each other silently for a short while. Yin Guihong changed his stance and raised his chin towards the courtyard door behind them.
"If there are no more questions, please give me some concessions."
Long Miao looked at Uoyue-kun. She smiled softly, looked at Yin Guihong, and spoke in a gentle tone:
"This is natural. Now that you have got what you want, go back and resume your life. Or...are you interested in taking us laymen around for a tour?"
Yin Guihong twitched the corners of his mouth, his eyebrows were still calm, and he was smiling.
"See you later."
He crossed the path vacated by several people and walked towards the empty door without looking back. When passing by Xie Zhe, his fingers suddenly moved slightly and then calmed down. Xie Zhe didn't see it, but at the same time he touched his waist in confusion. He felt a slight tremor, which seemed to come from Feng Yunzhan, but the feeling was fleeting, like an illusion.
They watched Yin Guihong step out of the courtyard, and his back quickly disappeared among the ruins. After a while, until he was sure that he had left, Uoyuki-kun spoke again:
"I don't think there are many valuable clues left here."
"Why are you so sure?" Xie Zhe asked cautiously.
"The important things have been taken away by him."
"Tsk."
Long Miao looked at the door unhappily. The street seemed empty.
