Xu Xinghe didn't have time to think it through and immediately unfolded the note.

The note was made of ordinary scrap paper, with some wear on the edges. It had a few lines of simple handwriting written on it in pen, which was Jiang Linchuan's handwriting.

"The stronghold contained a secret letter, which has since been moved. This fabric came from the leader and is not a local material. Tracing its origin may lead to a crucial clue. Black Wind Ridge, Eagle Beak Cliff."

These few words contain a wealth of information!

Xu Xinghe's eyes lit up instantly.

Jiang Linchuan not only left clues, but also pointed out the next direction!

Black Wind Ridge!

He mentioned Black Wind Ridge!

Is it possible that Jiang Linchuan's disappearance was never forced, but rather something he did voluntarily?

Just like the saying goes, "Nothing ventured, nothing gained."

Looking at the fabric again, it was fine-textured and had a unique smooth feel. The color was a deep, dark blue, and there were obvious tear marks on the edges, indicating that it had been forcibly torn from a piece of clothing.

Xu Xinghe carefully stroked the fabric, her brows furrowing slightly.

She had never seen this kind of fabric in Heilongjiang or Qingzhou.

The climate in Heilongjiang Province is cold, and clothing is mostly made of coarse cloth and cotton-padded clothes.

The fabrics in Qingzhou are mainly made of cotton, and are rough and thick. However, this piece of fabric has a delicate feel and a more refined weave, so it is obviously not a local product.

Could it be that tracing the origin of this piece of cloth will lead to the spy ringleader?

How can we then find Jiang Linchuan's whereabouts?

Just as she was deep in thought, she suddenly heard light footsteps and the sound of people talking in hushed tones outside the courtyard gate.

Xu Xinghe was startled and instinctively gripped the iron box tightly, her nerves instantly on edge.

Without a second thought, she moved her fingertips and stored everything in her spatial storage. Then she quickly moved the bluestone slab back to its original position, tamped down the surrounding soil, and covered up the weeds again to hide the signs of disturbance.

After doing all this, she quickly scanned her surroundings and found a pile of dry grass in the corner of the woodshed. She immediately slipped inside, held her breath, and cautiously observed the movements outside the courtyard gate through the gaps in the dry grass.

"Is this the place? What kind of place is this? Is it really going to work?" A strange male voice came from behind, and the footsteps grew closer, seemingly heading towards the entrance of the courtyard.

"Why not? Nobody comes here anyway. You two can make a huge scene and nobody will know!"

Xu Xinghe's heart was in her throat, and her palms were sweating.

Is he a spy?

Or were they other people investigating?

She quietly took out a pistol from her storage space, her finger on the trigger, ready to retaliate at any moment.

Fortunately, the two people only stood at the gate for a moment and did not seem to have any intention of coming in.

“There’s no one here, but it’s right by the road. I don’t think it’s a good place. If your sister-in-law finds out that I’m having an affair with Xiaohong, she’ll definitely give me a hard time.”

"Big brother, you're really henpecked..."

The footsteps gradually faded into the distance, and the conversations grew fainter until they disappeared at the end of the path.

Xu Xinghe hid in the woodshed for a full quarter of an hour, and only after confirming that there was no more noise outside did he slowly breathe a sigh of relief and walk out from the haystack.

It seems those two were just looking for a place to do something bad; they probably weren't spies and had no connection to the military.

She checked the scene again to make sure no traces were left before quickly walking to the courtyard wall and climbing over it once more.

After landing, she didn't linger. She picked up her cloth bag and walked quickly towards Lijia'ao.

She didn't take the main road, but chose a quiet side path, walking very quickly.

Along the way, she cautiously observed her surroundings, fearing that she might be followed.

Fortunately, the journey was smooth, and we did not encounter any suspicious persons.

When she returned to Lijia'ao, it was already getting dark, and smoke was rising from the village chimneys as every household began preparing dinner.

Xu Xinghe hurried home, pushed open the courtyard gate, and saw Uncle Li chopping firewood in the yard. "Uncle Li, I'm back."

"It's good to be back. Did you manage to buy anything?" Uncle Li stopped what he was doing and glanced at her.

"I've bought it all, salt and needles and thread." Xu Xinghe waved the cloth bag in her hand. "It's a bit dark outside, I'll go back inside and rest first."

"Go on, I'll call you when dinner is ready." Uncle Li didn't ask any more questions and continued chopping wood.

Xu Xinghe strode into the west room, locked the door, leaned against the door to compose herself, and then slipped into the space.

She took out the note and the piece of cloth again, and read the contents of the note word by word.

Jiang Linchuan mentioned that the secret letter had been moved, which means that he had discovered some of the spy's core secrets before he disappeared, but he failed to get his hands on the secret letter and was discovered by the other party.

Black Wind Ridge is the place on the other side of the river where he is likely to disappear.

Where exactly is Eagle Beak Cliff?

Could this be a new base for spies?

Or is it where they transferred the secret messages?

She picked up the piece of fabric again, held it to her nose and sniffed it gently. There was no special smell, but the delicate texture still left a deep impression on her.

Where does this fabric come from?

Is it a specific city?

Or is it some special place?

If we can find out where the fabric is made and how it is sold, can we follow the trail and find the spy leader who is wearing this outfit?

Xu Xinghe stroked the fabric repeatedly, and an idea came to her mind.

Political Commissar Wang once said that there were trustworthy liaisons from the military in Qingzhou who were specifically responsible for coordinating the transmission of information.

She could entrust the fabric to the contact person for investigation, allowing them to have professionals authenticate the fabric's origin and also share the information from the note left by Jiang Linchuan with Political Commissar Wang, letting the military know.

But this will take time, and Jiang Linchuan's situation is probably urgent.

The note clearly pointed to Black Wind Ridge and Eagle Beak Cliff. Since Jiang Linchuan deliberately left a mark, he must have hidden key information there. It might even be a clue he left after risking his life to enter the spy stronghold.

She couldn't wait for the fabric testing results, nor could she wait for further instructions from the military; she had to get into the mountains as soon as possible.

Black Wind Ridge is high and densely forested, and as for Eagle Beak Cliff, she had never even heard of it.

Both places sounded dangerous, and without someone familiar with the terrain to guide her, she could not only get lost but also be directly exposed to spies.

Yi An is currently the only candidate.

Without further hesitation, Xu Xinghe carefully put the cloth and the note away and slipped out of the space.

She pushed open the door and went straight to the main room, where Li Bogang had just finished chopping firewood and was sitting on a bench smoking and resting.

"Uncle Li, there's something I'd like to ask you."

Uncle Li looked up and saw her serious expression, so he put out his cigarette. "What's wrong? What happened?"

“I want to go to Black Wind Ridge, and Eagle Beak Cliff as well, two places in total.” Xu Xinghe said frankly, “I know it’s dangerous, but I have to go. Could you help me find Yi An and tell him that I’m willing to pay 100 yuan to take me into the mountains? As long as he can get me there safely, I’ll give him the money all at once.”

"What?" Uncle Li stood up abruptly, his face changing drastically. "Are you crazy? Black Wind Ridge is such a dangerous place, let alone Eagle Beak Cliff. That place has sheer cliffs and no one dares to go there normally! Besides, Yi An said that things haven't been peaceful in the mountains lately, and he doesn't even plan to go into the mountains. How could he possibly take you there?"

“Uncle Li, I have a reason to go. One hundred yuan is not a small amount; it's enough for him to treat his sister and improve their current life. Please ask him for me. Whether he agrees or not, I want to give it a try.”