At first, the local officials thought they had offended the prefectural authorities in some way, assuming that Prefect Tong was using this matter to cause trouble for them. However, when they saw Adviser Xue Chengfeng's serious and thorough investigation, and considering Prefect Tong's usual upright demeanor, they realized that something truly significant must have occurred.
Under the guidance of the local villagers, Xue Chengfeng's team eventually located the mountain village that Han Weishu had mentioned. Soon after, they discovered several other villages where, according to the locals, people regularly went down the mountain for supplies, but had been missing for several days.
Unsurprisingly, these villages were in the same situation as the one Han Weishu encountered: all the able-bodied villagers had been abducted, leaving only the elderly, the sick, and the weak behind. One of the villages was in an even more tragic state—only a few elderly people, too frail to leave their beds, remained, along with two infants under the age of one. By the time Xue Chengfeng and his team arrived, the elderly had already starved to death. As for the infants, only their half-eaten remains were left.
Faced with such a horrific scene, Xue Chengfeng suppressed his rising emotions and instructed two officers to bury the dead with the help of the local villagers. He then sent one officer back to the prefectural office to report the findings, while he led the rest of the team to follow the tracks left by the abductors.
Since the number of people abducted from each village was significant, the tracks were still visible despite the days that had passed. Clearly, the abductors had scouted the area beforehand and were confident they wouldn't be discovered, which is why they left such obvious traces, not even bothering to conceal their tracks.
Upon receiving the report from his officer, Prefect Tong immediately sent an urgent message to the imperial court. At the same time, he hurried to Shuisui Village, knowing that time was of the essence. The longer they delayed, the greater the danger those abducted would face.
Earlier that morning, Han Weishu, who was staying at the prefectural office, had informed Prefect Tong that the lives of the abducted villagers might be in imminent danger. She had received this information through the latest report from Qiuqiu. According to Qiuqiu's observations, several of the abducted villagers, particularly the elderly and children, had begun suffering from persistent nosebleeds that wouldn't stop. They had pleaded with the guards for help, but were ignored and beaten with whips for slowing down their work.
Though Han Weishu didn't provide specific details about how she knew these things, Prefect Tong could sense the urgency in her words. After some deliberation, he decided to visit Lingxian Sect for assistance. If the situation was as critical as Han Weishu described, waiting for a formal response from the court might be too late.
When Lin Xiao saw Prefect Tong arriving again so soon, he was somewhat surprised. However, upon hearing the situation, Lin Xiao's expression grew grave, and he immediately took out a communication talisman linked to Mo Yuanjiao's spiritual power.
Mo Yuanjiao had previously told them that, due to his close relationship with the emperor, they should contact him directly if there was ever an urgent need to communicate with the royal family. With that in mind, Lin Xiao sent a message to Mo Yuanjiao, explaining the situation.
After sending the message, Lin Xiao turned to Prefect Tong and asked, "Where is the Clear River Sect disciple now? If she knows the way, could she lead us? We should go immediately to save those people."
Prefect Tong was relieved that he had come to the right place but sighed before responding. "Master Lin, I'm afraid this matter isn't so simple. Throughout history, the various nations have adhered to the principle of not infringing upon each other's territory, especially the cultivators of each nation. While people may sneak across borders, at least on the surface, such actions are prohibited. If we were to cross into another nation without concrete evidence, it could spark a war between our countries."
Lin Xiao understood the dilemma. While war would drain resources, the more immediate concern was the impact it would have on the common people. The average person already lived a hard life, and throwing the horrors of war on top of that would leave them with no way to survive.
Frustrated that the enemy had broken the rules, yet they were the ones constrained, Lin Xiao asked, "So, as long as we find evidence before we're discovered, we can proceed?"
Prefect Tong sighed bitterly. "Finding evidence won't be easy. The people who were taken are undocumented mountain villagers. Without proper records, they're considered 'invisible' citizens. If the neighboring country wants to cover this up, they can simply claim these people are their own citizens, and we'd have no way to challenge that."
Lin Xiao furrowed his brow. "Then we'll have to resolve this quietly."
Prefect Tong nodded. "That would be ideal—if we can bring the people back safely, we can address the rest later."
"Now we just have to wait for the court's official stance," Prefect Tong added before asking, "Master Lin, do you think we should collaborate with Shanyang Sect for this mission?"
His question stemmed from the fact that both sects were located within Hufang Province. Even though Shanyang Sect had been downgraded after losing their Nascent Soul ancestor, he wasn't sure about Lingxian Sect's stance on collaboration, so he thought it best to ask.
Without hesitation, Lin Xiao rejected the idea. "No, we'll handle this ourselves."
He had already experienced Shanyang Sect's inefficiency and wasn't eager for a repeat.
After the discussion, Lin Xiao decided to head directly to the border where the abducted villagers were last seen boarding the spirit ship. The time it would take to travel there could also serve as the waiting period for Mo Yuanjiao's response from the court.
With that in mind, they would need Han Weishu to lead the way.
Without wasting time, Lin Xiao grabbed Prefect Tong and rushed back to Liaoju Prefecture. Since the sect's only spirit ship was being used by Mo Yuanjiao, there wasn't time to build a new one, and Prefect Tong had no choice but to endure the undignified experience of being carried.
Throughout the journey, Prefect Tong felt the wind whip against his face, making it numb. Fortunately, after noticing his discomfort, Lin Xiao created a protective barrier with spiritual energy, sparing him from being wind-blasted for the rest of the trip.
Trailing behind them was Liu Yunan, who had recently advanced to the Foundation Establishment stage. Although Lin Xiao was the most powerful, it was always useful to have a reliable companion when venturing into unknown territory.