"Didn't my mom say you were protecting her and Yu Xiaoxue's safety?" I frowned, unable to suppress my worry. I got dressed while listening to the call.
"No! I came back yesterday to help my eldest cousin make plans. I was also with Uncle Zhao, and we were getting ready to go into the city to discuss several important deals. I hadn't planned to go, but Auntie said that everything had been peaceful for so long, so one or two days shouldn't matter. But right after I left, the shop was closed! It still hasn't opened today. The neighbor next door got worried and knocked, but there wasn't any response!" Miao Xiaoli explained.
"All right, I'll go back and take a look right now!"
This wasn't Miao Xiaoli's fault. She already had several things to handle at once, and the business had expanded into the city. She had become a capable assistant in my business.
"I'm going too! It's all because I neglected my duty. Brother Tian, where are you?" Miao Xiaoli said guiltily, almost crying.
"Don't come. Just take care of this business. My mom isn't an ordinary person. Maybe she'll be back soon. I'll go ask the City God about it." After comforting her a few times, I hung up.
I started up the off-road vehicle and sped toward Lin County. My thoughts were in a tangled mess along the way. Was it the Purple Emperor Sect, the Empty Profound Sect, or something else?
But judging from Miao Xiaoli's description, my mother had personally locked up the shop herself. That meant she had left willingly. What was going on?
When I reached Lin County, I opened the door with the spare key. The moment I stepped inside, the pungent smell of oil from agricultural machinery assaulted my nose.