Gu Zikai was filled with gratitude, but felt that simply saying so was too superficial and couldn’t fully express his current feelings.

Wang Yongzhu, however, didn’t glance at that nugget gold even once, but instead, held the map of the mysterious valley in her hand. "Since we are almost certain, keep an eye on the timing. Once your preparations are mostly complete, report it to the Imperial Court. As for these matters, you should have a calculation in your mind. I won’t meddle in things I don’t understand."

"I’ll take these back, they’re quite interesting. I’ll take a look when I’m free." As she spoke, she rolled up the maps and waved them at Gu Zikai.

Gu Zikai was a person who knew when to speak and act with discretion. Although he didn’t know why Wang Yongzhu was so interested in that valley, he knew to avoid certain topics. So he didn’t even glance at the map and said generously, "Take whatever you like of these inconsequential items, cousin."

Having discussed the main matters, Gu Zikai didn’t linger. Moreover, with such good news, he was restless and needed to make careful arrangements.

In the past year, he had established a foothold in Yunzhong County, gathering some personnel and trusted aides. When it came to such important matters, caution was never too much.

Wang Yongzhu also knew that Gu Zikai was likely to get busy, so she didn’t want to cause him trouble. Meanwhile, she had a lot of questions herself.

Both were straightforward people, so they didn’t say much more. Gu Zikai took his leave decisively.

Meanwhile, Wang Yongzhu kept the person who had swum over to investigate the cave, questioned them thoroughly, and extracted some more details.

Based on the person’s description of the topographical features, no matter how she thought about it, Wang Yongzhu found the valley very strange, seemingly not naturally formed but created by some external force.

Could it be a meteorite? This was Wang Yongzhu’s first thought.

However, she couldn’t be certain yet and wanted to investigate personally. But it was now cold, and with Old Granny Zhang by her side, she would likely never allow her to enter the water.

Now that the upper reaches of the Yunzhong River were frozen, navigating upstream wasn’t easy. She might as well wait until it warmed up a bit to have a good look.

Having gathered this information, Wang Yongzhu was about to dismiss the person, but noticed they seemed hesitant to speak, as if they had something to say.

She immediately pursued another question.

The person hesitated and then said that some days ago, a person named Ma Erbao was sent over by Song Chongjin’s group to join their investigation. Initially, everything was fine, but near the mysterious valley, Ma Erbao started showing signs of madness.

Fortunately, there were many people around, and they managed to subdue Ma Erbao. But once he woke up, he was crazed, couldn’t remember anything, and frequently attempted to cut his throat with a knife.

They had no choice but to knock him out and have someone take him far away.

Inadvertently, Ma Erbao ran randomly, and those following him accidentally found the gold mine valley while chasing him.

Previously, in front of Gu Zikai, he naturally said nothing. But now in front of Wang Yongzhu, he confessed everything truthfully.

Listening to this, Wang Yongzhu suddenly thought of Qi Le.

Recalling that the Soul Capturing Technique used on Ma Erbao was performed by Qi Le herself, she understood why he was so easily brought back. It turned out that Qi Le not only erased Ma Erbao’s memory of the valley but also left instructions for self-harm upon approaching it, to prevent exposure.

However, ironically, this only made Wang Yongzhu realize that this strange valley held extraordinary significance for Qi Le.

This just got interesting!

It seemed that once spring came and the flowers bloomed, she would definitely have to drag Song Chongjin over to check it out.

With her mind made up, Wang Yongzhu stored the maps carefully, instructing the person to keep this matter secret and not breathe a word to anyone.

She also told them to inform others that no word about the valley should be mentioned outside.

Then she asked where Ma Erbao was currently.

The person replied that since that incident, Ma Erbao had been in a stupor, like a walking corpse—eating when given food, drinking when given water, falling asleep when overwhelmed with exhaustion, appearing both pitiful and frightening.

A living person suddenly became like this, and it scared even the investigating men.

Wang Yongzhu thought for a moment and instructed them to take care of him for a few days, then take Ma Erbao with her back to Chicheng County.

Everything was arranged on this side.

As for Master Yi, eager to return home, he couldn’t wait any longer and packed up his bags that very day. Being single, he only had a Chief Attendant serving him, so he didn’t have much to pack.

Gu Zikai, seeing this, very readily organized a farewell feast for Master Yi, stating that Master Yi had family matters at home, so he requested leave to attend to them. Though reluctant, he couldn’t hinder Master Yi’s family obligations, so he had to agree.

He also publicly presented a box to Master Yi, saying it was a little traveling expense.

Master Yi initially intended to decline, but considering that the situation in Capital City was uncertain and many places might require money, and knowing Gu Zikai wouldn’t be stingy, he didn’t argue much, just modestly refused a couple of times before accepting it. The box felt light in his hand, causing him to smile inside.

Light meant it contained silver notes.

The others present, all sharp-eyed, were quick to praise the harmonious relationship between Gu Zikai and Master Yi.

Within a few phrases, Master Yi was hoisted up to a high place, leaving him no room to back out.

By the third round of drinks, worried about drinking too much and missing the carriage the next day, Master Yi had just a few cups and claimed he couldn’t handle more, requesting to rest early.

No one stopped him, and he was supported back, after which everyone dispersed.

The next morning, Gu Zikai prepared many local gifts, filling a cart to give Master Yi a grand send-off.

Because travel by water was still impossible, much of the journey home had to be by land. Master Yi, in his year over here, had made some familiar connections. Arrangements were made the previous day to join a caravan, leaving just as they were departing.

Before departure, Master Yi gave a long bow to Gu Zikai, then boarded the carriage without looking back.

Watching Master Yi’s carriage slowly fade into the distance, even Gu Zikai felt a weight lift off his chest. Old Granny Zhang also had someone follow it closely. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

They watched until Master Yi joined the caravan, leaving Yunzhong County on a leisurely note. Only then did they return to report back.

Only then did Old Granny Zhang feel completely at ease. With Master Yi gone, she finally had the mind to check on her free-ranging wild boars.

With a greeting, she gathered her people to head into the hills.

Though the weather remained cold, the settlement had housed the same family, plus two more households, mainly out of concern for the care of the young wild boars.

Though free-range, the caretakers would periodically check the mountains to know the range of activity of the pigs.

Seeing Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu arrive, they weren’t flustered, calmly answering all questions.

They even led them to the usual haunts of the wild boars in the mountains. Their luck held as they spotted several boars foraging.

In just a few months, these wild boars hadn’t grown much larger, just slightly bigger than when first captured. Rolling in the earthy mountains and rubbing against pine resin, their coats had darkened and gleamed, resembling armor in appearance.

They were especially alert. Despite the frigid weather, with the ground frozen solid, these remarkable pigs managed to sniff out medicinal herbs underground, rooting them out to eat.

Upon the slightest sound, they would bolt, dashing into the brush and disappearing in no time.

With such agility, not only would regular hunters struggle to catch them, but even predators like wolves and tigers in the mountains would likely not be able to deal with them.

No wonder people felt at ease!

Having surveyed the area, Old Granny Zhang and Wang Yongzhu were reassured, rewarding the families tending the pigs before heading down satisfied.

Before leaving, Old Granny Zhang gazed at the mountains, imagining her wild boars running over them. This filled her with a sense of delight and pride, feeling as if she owned every peak in sight.