The silver fox had stumbled upon the Medicine Elder’s hiding place by pure chance. The location was incredibly concealed; even the silver fox hadn’t suspected such a spot existed. If he hadn’t been tailing the Godfather, he never would have found it. The setup was almost identical to how Zhu Xinyao had been trapped years ago.
However, the Medicine Elder was confined alone in a small courtyard. While there was air, the surrounding environment was entirely desert. Even if released, the Elder could not escape on his own. His water and food rations were strictly limited, and the Godfather visited only through a specially dug tunnel. This was why the Godfather never worried about the Elder fleeing. He certainly hadn’t expected the silver fox to track him and discover the secret.
The silver fox knew the Godfather would soon notice signs of an intruder in the tunnel. If that happened, the Elder would likely be moved. Forced to act, the silver fox decided to strike first and carried the Elder out.
She was deeply relieved she had acted quickly. The Medicine Elder’s health was clearly declining. This wasn’t due to torture, but rather the natural drop in immunity that comes with age. The Elder was showing signs of this weakened immune system.
Although the Tibetan region had valuable herbs like cordyceps, the Elder’s body could no longer withstand their potency. Years ago, Zhu Yanyi had given the Elder pills, anticipating that her aging body might one day suffer from low immunity. She had provided them with Spirit Spring water as a precaution. She never imagined the Elder would give it away.
Zhu Yanyi could not have predicted this. It wasn’t that she hadn’t considered the possibility; when the Elder first gave the water away, she had thought of it. She had assumed regular checks on the Elder’s supply would suffice. She simply hadn’t expected the Godfather to take her away.
Zhu Yanyi had been worried about the Elder, but the ten-year promise she had left behind had reassured her. This led to a misunderstanding: she assumed the Elder had hidden the Spirit Spring water safely. Who could have guessed she would give it to someone else a second time?
Zhu Yanyi did not possess the ability to foresee the future.
Hearing that the Elder had given away his life-saving medicine, the silver fox was speechless. He looked at the Elder, wondering if he should say he was asking for trouble, but it was too late for such words. Now, the silver fox could only pray that Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan would arrive soon.
At that moment, the Godfather discovered the Medicine Elder was missing.
The Godfather rarely saw the Elder these days. Perhaps she feared seeing the Elder would remind her of the past, or perhaps it was guilt. Yes, guilt. She knew the Elder’s health was deteriorating, but she refused to release her. She feared that if freed, the Elder would expose her secrets. So, she could only watch the Elder grow thinner. She knew Zhu Yanyi had given the Elder life-saving Spirit Spring water and believed that as long as the Elder took it, she would be fine. Since the Elder wasn’t taking it, the Godfather assumed she didn’t need it yet. She never imagined the Elder had already given the medicine away.
Because of this, aside from daily water and food, the Godfather no longer visited the Elder.
However, he accidentally noticed unfamiliar footprints in his tunnel.
The tunnel was covered in dust. Normally, only the Godfather’s own footprints would appear. He was shocked to find prints that did not belong to him.
She rushed to the Elder’s room and confirmed the Elder was gone.
The Godfather’s face turned grim. Did the Elder’s disappearance mean Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan had arrived in the Tibetan region? Only they had the capability to take the Elder. Yet, he didn’t believe they were responsible. If they were, they would already know his true identity and would surely come to settle scores. But they hadn’t appeared.
If it wasn’t Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan, then who had the ability to take the Elder away?
The Godfather quickly calmed down. The Elder’s disappearance was bad news. He sensed that even if Zhu Yanyi and Yan Aohan weren’t behind it, they would likely come to the Tibetan region soon. Regardless, he needed to delay them as long as possible.
Another thought struck the Godfather: he must find the Elder as quickly as possible.
With this in mind, he issued orders to search for the Elder’s trail.
Simultaneously, he began to ponder who had taken the Elder.
First, whoever entered the Holy Church must be a member. This meant there was a high probability of an internal traitor. The Godfather was certain a traitor existed, but who was it? Who had the ability to operate here without his knowledge?
Someone familiar with this place was not a simple person. Who could it be?
The Godfather mentally reviewed the people currently in the Tibetan region. He thought and thought but found no match.
The silver fox? The name popped into his mind.
She shook her head slightly. She didn’t believe the silver fox was in the Tibetan region. If she were, the Godfather would know. Moreover, she didn’t think the silver fox would abandon everything in Kyoto for the Tibetan region. It was too dangerous. With Zhonglou gone, if the silver fox appeared, the Godfather would hold her accountable.
But if it wasn’t the silver fox, who had wisdom comparable to his?
The Godfather frowned slightly. He had many talents, but few could match the silver fox.
Sighing softly, he decided to set the silver fox aside for now. The most important thing was to determine which direction the Elder had gone.
Which direction had the Elder taken? The roads were now open. If he had taken a normal route, there would be traces. Clearly, he hadn’t taken an obvious path. So, which route was it?
The Godfather pulled out a map. There were only two highways to Kyoto. The third option was by air. He had people monitoring all these routes, so finding traces should have been easy. But there were no traces.
No traces meant the Elder likely hadn’t left the Tibetan region yet.
If he hadn’t left, where could he be hiding?
The Godfather looked at the map. Mountains. The Tibetan Mountains. The most representative mountains in the region. If someone hid in the Tibetan Mountains, finding them would be difficult.