Chapter 165: Chapter 165: Mo Yan’s Whereabouts

By the time they set up their stall on the second day, the residents of Su City had already formed a long line.

A few people in uniform were maintaining order, pulling out anyone who cut in line and dragging them to the back.

Yu An was surprised. "They are..."

"They’re guards from the City Lord Mansion," said Tu Yan, popping up from the side with a smile. "Boss, there are so many people here, I was worried there might be trouble. So, I brought some guards to keep order."

"Well, thank you so much."

It was only from listening to the people in line yesterday that Yu An learned Tu Yan was the City Lord’s daughter.

Tu Yan smiled sheepishly. "You’re welcome. It’s just... Boss, can I buy a little more today?"

She had only found out after arriving today that Yu An had set a new rule shortly after she left yesterday. Because so many people were trying to buy dumplings, each person was now limited to two servings.

Yu An thought for a moment. "I can’t really change a rule I just set yesterday. It’s two servings per person. Why not just have a few more people get in line?"

’The City Lord Mansion can be short on anything but people.’

Tu Yan’s eyes lit up. "Why didn’t I think of that!" 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

"Thanks, Boss! I’ll go get them right now!"

This time, with people from the City Lord Mansion around, there was no need to send Ao Wu to maintain order. The three of them were busy behind the food cart. Above the cart, three photos were posted.

From time to time, Yu An would ask customers if they had seen the three people in the photos, but unfortunately, there had been no news so far.

This continued until a female black panther reached the front of the line. She studied Mo Yan’s photo intently.

"Boss, I think I’ve seen this person."

Yu An froze and quickly looked up at her. "You’ve seen him? Where?"

The female black panther thought for a moment. "Near the Death Abyss, outside the city."

"I went hunting outside the city a while ago and saw him heading in that direction. I was going to warn him not to go over there, but he was moving too fast."

The female black panther said with a helpless sigh, "Everyone who lives nearby knows you can’t go to the Death Abyss. I just assumed he knew too, so I didn’t think much of it."

’Death Abyss... Just from the name alone, you could tell it wasn’t a good place.’

Yu An pressed, "So what is this Death Abyss? It sounds terrifying."

The female black panther explained, "It’s a bottomless pit. No one knows how deep it is, and sometimes fierce winds will blow through. Anyone who gets swept in never comes back out."

Yu An clenched her fists, thinking, ’Mo Yan could have been swept in there.’

Sensing her tense up, Han Li took her hand and said comfortingly, "An’an, don’t worry. As long as there’s no problem with the contract, it means Mo Yan is all right. I’ll go ask about the Death Abyss later, and we’ll look for him together."

Yu An nodded, her expression relaxing slightly as she turned to the next customer.

Over the next few days, they divided the labor. Yu An and two others continued running the stall, while Ao Wu and Han Li split up to gather information on the Death Abyss.

The more they learned, the more hopeless the situation seemed. People had tried to rescue loved ones who had fallen into the Death Abyss, but every attempt had ended in failure. Even the rescuers had fallen in, never to be seen again.

Over time, the residents of Su City learned to give the Death Abyss a wide berth, preferring to take a long detour rather than approach it at all.

When outsiders passed through, the locals would warn them of the danger. Some listened and took a detour. Others didn’t, and... they lost their lives.

Mo Yan had been on his way into Su City to find Yu An and their Zaizai when he heard a cry for help. Thinking someone was in danger, he rushed to help, only to be swept into the abyss along with the person crying out.

The Beastman who had cried for help died during the fall into the abyss, but Mo Yan was lucky enough to land in a tree, which cushioned his impact.

Meanwhile, inside the Death Abyss, Mo Yan had already led the other Beastmen in preparing food for the journey ahead.

To his pleasant surprise, he had discovered sweet potatoes in the abyss. Meat didn’t keep for long, but sweet potatoes did.

They could gather some dry wood along the way to roast them, or they could simply be eaten raw.

With plenty of food, they were much more confident about their chances of escaping the abyss.

Once Ao Yi’s injuries had fully healed, they prepared to set off.

"It’s not all steep cliffs on the way up, as you might imagine. There are some level spots where we can rest..."

Ao Yi carefully recounted his previous experience, sharing some useful tips with the group.

When he was done, Mo Yan took out the hemp ropes he had twisted over the past few days and tied the Beastmen together, one after another.

"Don’t untie these. If someone slips, everyone else needs to hold their ground. That way, we can pull them back up."

He instructed them solemnly, "Since we’re setting out together, we’re all going to make it out of this abyss together. Everyone is going home safe and sound."

The Beastmen’s eyes welled with tears as they all vowed to persevere to the end.

"Alright," Mo Yan said, taking a deep breath. "Let’s move out!"

The first part of the climb went well. The Beastmen had plenty of stamina and kept up with Mo Yan and Ao Yi easily.

But the higher they climbed, the faster their stamina drained. Gradually, some of them started to struggle.

The hemp ropes around their waists felt cumbersome, and the thought of untying it crossed someone’s mind.

"AHH! Help me!"

A scream erupted from the back of the line. Before Mo Yan and the others in front could even see who it was, they scrambled to brace themselves.

A powerful force tugged at them from behind. Fortunately, they held their ground. The Beastman who had slipped was caught by the rope and didn’t plummet to the bottom of the abyss.

The Beastman who had slipped was scared out of his wits, and the one who had just been thinking of untying the rope was now too terrified to move.

’Oh my Beast God, so this rope is actually a lifesaver! I can’t untie it. I absolutely must not untie it!’

Once Mo Yan felt the tension on the rope decrease, he shouted back a few times to confirm there were no casualties. He waited for the Beastman who had slipped to recover his composure, and then they resumed their climb.

"Hang in there," Ao Yi panted. "I remember a gentle slope up ahead where we can rest for a while."

At these words, the spirits of the exhausted Beastmen lifted. Their pace quickened slightly, but their focus remained on staying steady.

The rope might catch them if they slipped, but what if it snapped?

Soon, they made it to the gentle slope. Only when the very last Beastman was safely on it did Mo Yan finally let out a sigh of relief and sit down to rest.

The beast meat, which usually tasted bland, now seemed incredibly delicious. The Beastmen wolfed it down, replenishing their lost stamina.

They didn’t have much water and had to ration it. Fortunately, the raw sweet potatoes were full of moisture. Crisp and faintly sweet, they did an excellent job of rehydrating them.

While they ate, someone started talking about their family back home.

"I didn’t have a Female Master when I fell in here," one said, "but there’s a female I’ve liked for a long time. I wonder if she has a Beast Husband by now."

"I have a Female Master," another said. "She’s even carrying my Zaizai. If I’d known I was going to fall into this damn place, I never would have gone out that day."

As the conversation went on, someone turned to Mo Yan. "Brother Mo, I don’t think we’ve ever heard you talk about your family."

Mo Yan paused, then a faint smile touched his lips. "My Female Master is the best female in the world. I have a Zaizai, too. The little one is adorable."

"But they were taken. I’ve been searching for them."