The village Li Mubai mentioned was very far, located deep in the mountains at the border between Hezhou and Mei Province. The mountain roads were difficult to navigate, and just the time spent on the road had already taken three days.
Three days later, the three of them finally arrived at a village situated deep in the mountains.
From a distance, the village appeared normal, with green smoke curling upward, peaceful and serene, and even the occasional sound of a dog's bark was heard in the village.
However, it wasn't lunchtime at the moment, yet smoke rose from the village. Moreover, the amount of smoke was quite large, and Li Qingmu detected a pungent smell in the smoke, not the usual scent of burning firewood.
Having grown up in a mountain village, Li Qingmu was familiar with the smell of kitchen smoke.
"Imperial Uncle, have you discovered anything?" Qi Jingyu asked curiously upon seeing Li Qingmu's troubled expression.
