I built a safe house in the eerie night.

Upon hearing the words "Yaojia Village," Jiang Ning frowned slightly.

Yaojia Village, under the jurisdiction of the Yao family, one of the three major families in Danhua City, is located on the eastern side of the southern foothills of Changyin Mountain.

Unlike Jiang's Baiye Village and Liu's Qingniu Village, Yao's Village is much farther away, requiring crossing several steep mountains and separated by a deep valley shrouded in miasma year-round.

Therefore, there is very little interaction between the villages on a regular basis, with Baiye Village having occasional contact with the relatively nearby Qingniu Village.

Why are the people of Yaojia Village going through all this trouble, crossing mountains and valleys, to come here?

Jiang Ning looked down at him, narrowing his eyes. "What important matter could possibly warrant Steward Yao's personal journey here?"

Yao Chengzhou was still deeply shocked.

Before them lay a mountain of bizarre corpses, including several bone towers exuding a chilling aura in the village, and the villagers' methodical handling of their spoils...

All of this left him deeply disturbed and unable to calm down for a long time.

"The Heavenly Craftsman... this is definitely the work of the Heavenly Craftsman!" Yao Chengzhou exclaimed inwardly.

"The notorious playboy in Danhua City, as rumored, actually... came to the right place! He really came to the right place!"

Only when Jiang Ning's slightly impatient question came again did Yao Chengzhou suddenly come back to his senses, compose himself, and bow with even greater respect once more:

"Young Master Jiang, this is what happened..."

He paused briefly, organizing his thoughts, "A few days ago, in the city... to be precise, on my Yao family's side, we received some vague information."

"It is said that you, Young Master Jiang, have been assigned to garrison Changyin Mountain, but you may encounter some unexpected obstacles along the way."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed.

Yao Chengzhou observed Jiang Ning's expression and continued, "After my Yao family learned of this, we originally intended to send me out of the mountains ahead of time to intercept you at the mountain pass and inform you, hoping that you could take a detour and go to my Yao family village to temporarily avoid trouble and ensure your safety."

"I don't know why, but black fog suddenly rose in the mountains, blocking all the main roads in and out. I am not capable enough to notify them in time, and I have been very uneasy. I am only relieved to see that Young Master Jiang is safe and sound today."

Jiang Ning listened in silence, his mind racing.

He naturally also keenly grasped several key points, which were also related to the attack he had encountered when he went into the mountains before.

"Oh?" Jiang Ning spoke slowly again, his voice revealing little emotion.

"Why did your Yao family know in advance that someone was going to ambush me on my way? And why did you specifically warn me and even try to protect me?"

Jiang Ning's question was very direct.

Although the Jiang family and the Yao family are both among the three major families in Danhua City, their relationship is usually superficial and they are by no means allies.

The original owner was a notorious good-for-nothing playboy. His death at Changyin Mountain caused no loss to the Yao family, and might even have eliminated a potential problem.

What is the other party's motive for this action?

Yao Chengzhou looked slightly embarrassed, remained silent for a moment, and then honestly said:

"To be honest, Young Master Jiang, I... truly do not know the details. I only received an urgent secret order from the clan's higher-ups, instructing me to find you, warn you, and provide shelter if necessary. The specific reasons are beyond the knowledge of a mere garrison manager like myself."

Jiang Ning also fell silent, his doubts growing deeper.

What value did the original owner possess that made the Yao family go to such lengths to protect him, even at the risk of offending a potential mastermind behind the scenes?

Previously, the original owner had not yet demonstrated any value.

Or is it some deeper conflict of interest?

After much deliberation, Jiang Ning still couldn't figure out what direct connection he had with the Yao family.

Could it be that someone within the Jiang family made some kind of deal with the Yao family?

But if the Jiang family really wanted to protect me, why did they send me to this desperate place in the first place?

They even sent those "guards" who would collapse at the first sign of an attack?

As Jiang Ning thought about it, an even colder thought flashed through her mind.

"Could it be that someone in the Jiang family... from a higher level, is trying to harm me?"

This thought sent a chill down Jiang Ning's spine, and his face unconsciously darkened.

The atmosphere at the scene froze for a moment.

Yu Niu, Er Hu, and others in the village still held their tools and vigilantly watched the outside world.

Yao Chengzhou and the girl beside him seemed somewhat uneasy.

They both revered the unpredictable abilities that the legendary "Master Craftsmen" might possess, and were wary of Jiang Ning's unpredictable attitude at this moment.

Unexpected events have occurred in the mountains, and people's hearts are unpredictable; Yao Chengzhou must proceed with extreme caution.

Seeing that Jiang Ning remained silent for a long time, Yao Chengzhou took the initiative to break the silence and said:

"There is one more thing, Young Master Jiang. Two days ago, more than twenty people who claimed to be villagers from your Baiye Village fled to my Yaojia Village. They said that the village altar was about to go out and they could not survive. They begged to be taken in. Considering the past friendship between the two villages, I temporarily took them in."

He paused, observing Jiang Ning's expression closely:

"Having heard about the situation at your village's altar, my Yao family village intends to allocate some of our reserves of holy blood to help your village maintain the protection of the altar."

"Unfortunately, the East Mountain Canyon has been blocked by thick fog for days. I tried many times and only managed to find a path to cross it today. Therefore... I did not bring the Holy Blood with me. May I ask, Young Master Jiang, how long can your village's altar be maintained?"

Jiang Ning raised his head and calmly replied, "It's already gone out."

"What?!"

Yao Chengzhou was taken aback when he heard this, but then he saw the scene in the village and suddenly realized what was going on.

Faced with such a defensive force, the altar's function may indeed be temporarily replaced.

He immediately straightened up and said, "Young Master Jiang's abilities are truly admirable, but the extinguishing of the altar is a major event. Since Yao Family Village has promised to allocate some of the sacred blood reserves, we will do our best. However, the mountain roads are treacherous and far-reaching, and we certainly cannot make it back and forth today. In other words..."

"Your village must endure tonight alone. If all goes well, I will surely come tomorrow with the Holy Blood!"

Upon hearing the word "holy blood," Jiang Ning's heart stirred slightly.

Regardless of the Yao family's motives for now, their willingness to provide this crucial source of protection is undoubtedly a timely and much-needed help.

Even if the altar is only slightly relit, it would greatly benefit the stability of the villagers and reduce the intensity of the strange impacts, so he naturally wouldn't refuse.

"If Yaojia Village is truly willing to lend a helping hand, I, Jiang, will remember this kindness."

Jiang Ning's tone softened somewhat, but he still remained inquisitive.

"However, I still have a few questions, and I hope Manager Yao can answer them."

"Young Master Jiang, please speak."

"First, the person who planned this ambush against me, your Yao family... do you know exactly who it is?" Jiang Ning's gaze was sharp.

Yao Chengzhou hesitated for a moment, then lowered his voice considerably:

"I dare not speak of the specific person, but there are some rumors in the city that you, Young Master Jiang... had some grudge against the young master of the city, perhaps... it is related to this."

He stopped short of making a point, his tone clearly showing apprehension.

Jiang Ning's eyes narrowed slightly as a sickly, frail young man flashed through his mind.

Zhao Huan, the young master who guards the city.

That cunning and ruthless fellow.

The original owner did indeed offend him, though the cause seemed to be just a trivial argument, but the other party's vengeful nature...

If he's behind it all, then it makes sense.

"Secondly," Jiang Ning continued, "was your Yao family's action at the request of my Jiang family, or... a spontaneous act by your Yao family?"

Yao Chengzhou shook his head: "I don't know about that either. The secret order came directly from the family's higher-ups and didn't mention whether there had been any communication with the Jiang family."

"Now that the mountain roads are isolated and communication is difficult, there is no way to verify anything."

Jiang Ning fell silent again for a brief moment.

The information is insufficient and it's difficult to distinguish between true and false, but the fact that the other party is willing to provide holy blood is the most tangible benefit at present.

Finally, Jiang Ning nodded: "Alright, I understand. I'll leave the matter of the Holy Blood to Steward Yao."

Yao Chengzhou's face showed a relieved smile, even with a hint of excitement:

"Young Master Jiang, you're too kind. It's an honor for the Yao family to be able to do our bit!"

He was well aware of what a "Master Craftsman" meant, and that their value was immeasurable.

Making friends with such a promising young master craftsman would be absolutely beneficial to the Yao family.

Yao Chengzhou was equally puzzled: Did the Jiang family know nothing about this?

How could they send such a disciple to his death at Changyin Mountain?

Unless, Jiang Ning's ability was only recently awakened, or even just activated in a desperate situation.

This makes it all the more extraordinary and important.

Time was of the essence, and Yao Chengzhou dared not linger. He cupped his hands and said:

"Time is of the essence. I will return immediately. If I can get back to the village as soon as possible, I will urge the men to deliver the Holy Blood quickly. However, tonight... I earnestly hope that Young Master Jiang and your village will be careful and get through this!"

"I understand," Jiang Ning replied succinctly and firmly. "Thank you for your trouble."

Yao Chengzhou said no more, took his granddaughter, turned around and quickly disappeared into the forest, heading back the way they came.

On the way, the girl in the red cotton-padded jacket couldn't help but ask in a low voice:

"Grandpa, is he... a master craftsman? He killed so many monsters in one night, and those towers too..."

Yao Chengzhou continued walking without stopping, and said in a deep voice:

"That's right, this sixth young master of the Jiang family must have awakened the Heavenly Craftsman, but what I can't figure out is where he obtained the initial resources in this desperate situation, and how he managed to build these arrow towers for defense in such a short time..."

"It seems that this young master Jiang's talent may be even more astonishing than we imagined. However, alas, there is no altar tonight, and the creatures in these mountains... I hope they can make it through."

Yao Chengzhou sighed and didn't say anything more.

The girl kept turning back, gazing in the direction of Baiye Village, her eyes still filled with shock.

The image of that mountain of corpses and tower of bones was deeply imprinted on her young mind.

On the viewing platform, Jiang Ning watched the figures of the old man and the young man disappear into the distance at the edge of the forest, but his brows remained furrowed.

Offending Zhao Huan, being exiled by the Jiang family, being attacked in the mountains, and Liu Guan's subtle attitude in Qingniu Village.

Adding to the sudden anomaly and blockade in the mountains, now the Yao family has emerged, proactively offering their help...

All of this was like a fog, trapping him in the center, unable to see the road ahead or discern where he came from.

"call......"

Jiang Ning exhaled a long breath, briefly releasing the pent-up emotions and doubts in his chest.

"Let's not worry about that for now."

Jiang Ning muttered to himself, his gaze turning to the distant, undulating mountains, the deep worry in his eyes clearly visible.

"Tonight will be the real test."

Without the last fragile protection of the altar, the village will be completely exposed to the countless eerie sensations emanating from the mountains.

The past few nights have been filled with increasingly intense shocks, so what will happen tonight...?

Jiang Ning dared not think about it too much, but he had to face it.

After calming himself down, Jiang Ning turned around and, raising his voice, addressed the young men below who were still somewhat dazed and not yet fully at ease:

"It's alright, let's get back to work."

"Before nightfall, make all necessary preparations for battle!"