Gu Qingcheng entrusted her small pets to Qin Yue for feeding.
Qin Yue was attentive, enthusiastic, and fond of animals. She assured Gu Qingcheng that she would take good care of the two little ones, allowing Gu Qingcheng to focus on her tasks.
While missing her cats and dogs back home, Gu Qingcheng urged Mi Guo to start preparing lunch. They were nearing Liantang Village and wanted to have a meal before entering the village to search for someone.
Furthermore, the search might not be straightforward and could extend late into the day, so it was essential to eat heartily.
After lunch, Liantang Village was within sight. Gu Qingcheng and her companions found a secluded spot to moor their boat and disembark.
Gu Qingcheng secured the boat.
The four of them, dressed as warriors, headed towards Liantang Village.
Each wore a sword and quiver at their waist, and carried a bow on their back, fully equipped.
This was primarily a precaution against encountering zombies, enabling them to draw weapons and fight immediately if necessary. Carrying weapons openly in anticipation of zombie combat would not arouse suspicion when the need arose.
Their initial plan was to find their old acquaintance, Liao Xinlang.
Of course, Liao Xinlang was a codename; his real name was Liao Qing.
While they knew who Liao Xinlang was, if they asked the people of Liantang Village, no one would recognize the name, and they would likely be considered crazy.
Fortunately, Gu Chaobei had not been foolish that day and had remembered Liao Xinlang's real name, making the search easier now.
Once they found an acquaintance, they should be able to inquire about Yin Zhiping.
In any village, even one with a large population, if there was someone who brought honor to the ancestors, everyone would know about them.
Someone like Yin Zhiping, who served at Prince Xia's manor, would be considered capable by the villagers, and many would likely know him, making him not difficult to find.
When they had visited Liantang Village before, the village had been attacked by zombies. They wondered about its current state.
They were also concerned whether Liantang Village had faced further zombie attacks and if it had managed to hold them off.
Upon reaching the entrance of Liantang Village, the Gu family noticed a significant difference compared to their previous visit. Notably, the village entrance was fortified with a double-layered wall approximately two meters high, constructed from thick logs.
The wall was tall and sturdy, making it difficult to attack and easy to defend. Villagers patrolled the top of the wall intermittently.
Only one thick wooden gate was left open at the entrance. While it allowed passage during the day, the evident defensive structures indicated that something significant had occurred.
The Gu family entered the village through the wooden gate.
The villagers guarding the entrance saw them and inquired about their origin and whom they were looking for.
Gu Chaobei quickly replied, "We are friends of Liao Qing from the village and wish to find him. Could you please direct us?"
"Oh? Village Chief Liao? His home is not hard to find. Follow the main road into the village for about 500 meters, and you'll find an inn called Zui Shi Lou. Ask the staff, and they'll tell you it's owned by Village Chief Liao's family."
So, the Liao family owned an inn. It explained why they didn't appear to be ordinary, impoverished villagers.
Gu Qingcheng's mind flashed back to the bride who had turned into a zombie, and she felt a pang of regret for the missed opportunity of a good match.
The villagers guarding Liantang Village did not obstruct them intentionally. After all, zombies and humans were easily distinguishable, and zombies could not convincingly impersonate humans.
Since the Gu family members were of sound mind and responded coherently, they were naturally not zombies, so the villagers had no reason to be wary.
The Gu family thanked the villagers for the directions.
Gu Qingcheng, feigning curiosity, asked, "Uncle, why is your village so heavily guarded even in broad daylight?"
"Miss, you must be from out of town. Recently, all the villages within a ten-mile radius have been plagued by monsters called zombies. We're helpless and have resorted to this measure. If our village wasn't so strictly guarded, it would have been wiped out long ago.
Our neighboring village, Jiren Village, was completely annihilated previously. The bride you're looking for, Village Chief Liao's fiancée, was from that village.
Tragically, on the day he went to pick up his bride, he discovered she had turned into a zombie.
However, it was thanks to this experience that he learned how to deal with zombies. When the zombies besieged our village last time, he led us in driving them away. Without him, our village would have perished. That's why we've been so vigilant since then."
The middle-aged man, seeing no reason to conceal the truth, explained everything.
Gu Qingcheng quickly said, "I see. Thank you, Uncle, for your honest explanation."
After bidding farewell to the villagers, they followed the directions and soon found Zui Shi Lou Inn.
When the staff at Zui Shi Lou heard they were looking for Liao Qing, they immediately went to the back kitchen to summon him from his inventory check.
Gu Chaobei was surprised that the search had been so effortless, feeling as if they had divine assistance. He hoped the rest of their endeavors would be just as smooth.
As soon as Liao Qing heard someone was looking for him, he quickly came out from the back kitchen. Upon seeing them, he cupped his hands in greeting and said warmly,
"So, it's our benefactors gracing my humble abode. Excellent, I was planning to find time to visit Phoenix Village to express my gratitude to you all, but you've arrived first. Please, have a seat and have some tea."
Gu Chaobei politely replied,
"Brother Liao, please hold on. We have something to discuss with you. Do you have some time now? Can we talk in private?"
"Of course, I have time. Come, it would be better to speak at my home. I still have some excellent West Lake Longjing tea. Please, do try some."
The group followed Liao Qing into his courtyard.
Liao Qing's residence was a tranquil two-courtyard house with about ten rooms. After they were seated in the main hall, Liao Qing quickly brewed some tea and served it to his benefactors.
After some pleasantries, Gu Chaobei stated their purpose:
"We've come to inquire about a person named Yin Zhiping. We were told he is from Liantang Village. Do you know him?"
"Yin Zhiping?" Liao Qing frowned upon hearing the name, then said, "Is that the one who works at Prince Xia's manor?"
"Yes, precisely. It seems you know him!"
Upon hearing his tone, Gu Chaobei felt reassured.
"Of course, I know him. He's the uncle of one of my childhood friends and has been working at Prince Xia's manor for a long time, highly regarded by Prince Xia.
He returns to his hometown every year during festivals, and I've met him. What's the matter?"
Seeing Gu's family in their warrior attire and fully armed, Liao Qing felt uneasy, fearing they were there for revenge.
Gu Chaobei noticed Liao Qing's hesitation and didn't press him. It was natural to hesitate in such a situation; after all, they were from the same village and would instinctively want to protect their own, especially if Gu Chaobei and his group were seeking vengeance.
"Let me clarify things a bit. We are indeed not here to seek revenge on Yin Zhiping. Instead, we are seeking his help regarding the management of zombies."
Gu Chaobei explained.
"Managing zombies?" Liao Qing became even more confused.
What was the connection between Yin Zhiping and zombies?
He couldn't fathom it.
"Let me ask you first, does the way your village deals with zombies affect your daily life?" Gu Chaobei inquired.