Because of the angle, only the last two words on the plaque - Baodian - can be seen.
Indeed, it's a "treasure shop," Xiao Yunjie thought with a slight smile.
Xiao Tong stood at the top of the stairs, stunned for a long while.
He hadn't seen his mother smile in a long time.
Since her father disappeared... she had never smiled so genuinely again.
Xiao Yunjie turned to her young son. "Have you taken care of the guards?"
Xiao Tong: "Mother, don't worry, I've already made arrangements. Er Ying others will take turns guarding the shop in three shifts."
Xiao Yunjie nodded, then said, "Arrange for a reconnaissance team to guard the village entrance."
Xiao Tong's expression hardened. "Is Mother worried that Old Madam Hu might launch a full-scale attack on the village?"
Xiao Yunjie shook her head. She knew Hu Yuan well and knew that she was cunning and would definitely try to win back what she had lost.
A direct assault on the village is a poor strategy; Hu Yuan will likely send Chen San to sow discord.
Xiao Yunjie would never allow Chen San to set foot in the village.
"Keep a close eye on them. If anyone from the community comes over, notify me immediately."
"Clear!"
Xiao Tong came to talk to Xiao Yunjie. He first went to give instructions to the reconnaissance team, then ran up to her and said, "Mother, I talked to Miss Song today. She can now make not only iron tools, but also iron bows and arrows."
Xiao Tong continued, "There are two types of bows and arrows. The ones made of stone have very low lethality, but they are surprisingly effective when combined with hemostatic powder. You know, Cui Jiao and the others were deterred by these."
Xiao Yunjie asked, "What about the iron bow and arrows?"
Xiao Tong's eyes brightened noticeably. "Its penetrating power is extremely strong. I tried it, and it can pierce right through a stone slab."
Xiao Yunjie: "In beast form?"
Xiao Tong shook his head. "I didn't use the Force."
Xiao Yunjie turned around abruptly. "Does it really have such power?"
Xiao Tong swallowed hard and said, "I had Er Ying try it too. You know, although she hasn't awakened, she has considerable arm strength. She drew her bow and nocked an arrow, piercing two stone slabs in succession!"
Xiao Yunjie paused for a while before looking at the two-story building again. Her lips trembled slightly, as if she were muttering something.
Xiao Tong couldn't hear clearly, but he could clearly feel his mother's excitement, a scene he had never witnessed before in his life.
A mother who is always calm...
Even after her father's disappearance, the mother, who had calmly directed the village, was now trembling slightly.
"Mother..." Xiao Tong called softly.
Xiao Yunjie's voice was hoarse as she looked at her son and asked, " Tong'er, do you want to know... where your father went?"
Xiao Tong's face turned pale. His thin back was straight, like a green bamboo standing on a cold mountain, as if a strong wind could break his young back.
Hu Yuan's voice echoed in his mind like a demon's whisper, "... It was your father who broke through the isolation barrier, it was your father who destroyed half of Liu Family Village, the culprit is your father, Liu Xuangang!"
Chapter 51
Xiao Yunjie noticed Xiao Tong's stiffness and said softly, "Did she tell you... that your father broke through the barrier for his dream of becoming a ' Hunter '?"
Clearly, Xiao Yunjie understood Hu Yuan better than Xiao Tong had imagined. After all, she was the one who had raised and nurtured Hu Yuan, and she was very clear about Hu Yuan's logic.
Xiao Yunjie also understood her son and knew that he was not reckless. Hu Yuan only thing that could provoke him to such a violent outburst was this matter.
Hu Yuan was adept at sowing discord, and she always succeeded because what she said was true, only taken out of context.
Xiao Yunjie: "Come with me."
She walked ahead, Xiao Tong quickly followed, his voice hoarse as he asked, "Mother, Father... he..."
Xiao Yunjie didn't reply, but led him all the way from the top floor of the Golden Temple to the bottom floor.
The lobby on the first floor was much emptier at this time, but there were still some seriously injured people under Bai Jing Jing's care, who were ready to provide emergency care at any time.
Bai Jing was resting with her eyes closed, looking slightly tired.
Aside from going back to the community to get his medicine, he spent the rest of his time here, and he didn't even go to see Song Xiaozhu's shop when it opened today.
It is said that Healer have the hearts of parents...
Master Bai possesses more than just the heart of a parent.
Xiao Yunjie and Xiao Tong walked even more quietly, so as not to disturb the old man who was dozing lightly. They arrived at the very back of the Golden Temple, in a narrow corridor.
After walking about a dozen steps, Xiao Yunjie stopped and tapped on the side wall. After the even, regular, and strangely rhythmic tapping sound, there was a click, and the stone bricks on the ground slid to one side, revealing a dark hole.
Xiao Tong looked at his mother.
Xiao Yunjie moved nimbly and easily leaped into the cave entrance. Her gentle voice came from below. " Tong'er, come down."
Xiao Tong quickly followed, unaware that there was such a winding passage beneath the temple.
Xiao Yunjie took an old, discarded flashlight—a relic from the garbage dump—and walked ahead. Xiao Tong followed closely behind her. He had a lot of questions he wanted to ask, but he couldn't find the words to express them clearly.
They walked for a long time, at least fifteen minutes.
They walked in silence, and Xiao Tong even began to suspect that they had left the village...
Xiao Yunjie suddenly stopped in her tracks. She turned her flashlight up to the maximum, illuminating the path ahead.
Xiao Tong stopped abruptly, and when he looked up, he was stunned by the scene before him. "This... this..."
Xiao Yunjie: "One ' Hunter ' can't save the village. What your father has been searching for all along is... ore."
Liu Family Village was built on a quarry. With such a large amount of rock on the surface, there must be minerals underground.
Even if it has been over-exploited by the conglomerates within the Fortress, some remnants will remain.
Liu Xuangang inherited the profession of " Hunter," but he had long realized from his father that... in the current environment, a " Hunter " cannot lead the whole village to a better life.
The isolation zone was closed off, and they had no prey.
With the isolation zone breached, ordinary people are no match for the Polluted Beast.