We split into three groups. Xie Yi was quite capable, directly arranging three military aircraft for us.
Xie Yi came to see me off in person. He probably had something he wanted to tell me.
He called me into an office.
I handed him a cigarette. He took it, lit it, and said, "Little Gray and Xiao Qing aren't after the same thing. Xiao Qing said they would land in a mountain hollow sixty kilometers from that village. I didn't ask her why. I just told the pilot to follow her instructions."
I nodded. "There may be one of the Earth Core Snake people's contact points there, or perhaps a barrier connected to the Earth's core."
Xie Yi smiled. "That was my thought as well. The higher-ups have now agreed to let the Earth Core Snake people guard the barrier themselves. Even if they have a contact point there, it won't count as breaking the rules. I checked. There really is a small observatory base there, so your guess is probably right."
Then his smile faded. "Who do you think did it?"
I pursed my lips. "Anyone capable of making a move against Duan Hongbin and the others should be an old acquaintance. And not many people know about Ghost Valley. It should be someone with ties to the Ghost Valley lineage."
Xie Yi nodded. "Old Shu thinks so too. But he asked me to remind you to be careful. None of us wants anything to happen to you."
Warmth welled up in my heart.
Xie Yi turned serious again. "There's another piece of bad news. You need to watch out for the Administration Bureau. I heard they also sent people to Southern Tibet. I don't know whether it has anything to do with this matter. They're from the Liu