Yi An, who was standing next to Xu Xinghe, noticed that Xu Xinghe was emotional and her breathing was a little erratic. She gently touched her arm to signal her to calm down.

Although he couldn't understand what the two people were saying, he could sense that Xu Xinghe was not in a good state and was afraid that she might impulsively reveal her whereabouts.

Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and forced herself to calm down.

Now is not the time to act rashly. Those two are just small fry; there are definitely more accomplices. Taking rash action will not only fail to rescue Jiang Linchuan, but will also endanger both yourself and Yi An.

She nodded to indicate that she was alright, then turned her gaze back to the riverbank.

The two men had filled three jugs with water and were packing up to leave, heading upstream where the woods were denser and seemed to lead to a deeper part of the river.

“They’re leaving.” Yi’an’s voice was very low. “The terrain upstream is more complicated, and it’s very likely their final destination. If we want to follow them, we must keep our distance and not let them find us.”

Xu Xinghe stared intently at the backs of the two people and nodded.

No matter how many dangers lie ahead, she will get Jiang Linchuan out safely!

Yi An was the first to get up, still crouching low, and quietly followed the two people in the direction they had left, along the edge of the bushes.

Xu Xinghe followed closely behind, his heart pounding violently in his chest.

The path upstream is more difficult to walk on than before, with protruding rocks and tangled vines everywhere. If you are not careful, you will trip or be scratched by the vines.

The two could only climb more carefully, trying to move forward by stepping on the crevices of rocks and the roots of vines, and making their footsteps extremely lightly, for fear of making a sound and revealing their whereabouts.

After following for about twenty minutes, the two people in front suddenly stopped and chose a relatively flat rock platform to sit down, seemingly to rest.

Yi An immediately pulled Xu Xinghe aside, signaling her to crouch down. The two hid behind a thicket of wild bamboo, quietly observing through the gaps in the bamboo leaves.

The two men pulled out some dry rations from their backpacks; they were several snow-white steamed buns, still slightly warm.

Xu Xinghe frowned slightly.

Steamed buns have a high moisture content, making them unsuitable for long-term storage as they spoil easily.

They were hiding deep in the mountains, yet they were able to eat fresh steamed buns. Did they frequently go down the mountain to buy supplies?

If that's the case, where would they source their goods?

Is it a nearby village, or a town further away?

She silently noted this detail, hoping it might become a breakthrough clue in the future.

The two men ate quickly, talking in hushed tones as they ate. Their voices were so low that Xu Xinghe and Yi An couldn't hear them clearly, only vaguely making out a few scattered words, seemingly complaining about the long journey.

In less than ten minutes, the two finished their steamed buns, dusted off the crumbs on their hands, and got up to continue their journey.

They quickened their pace and headed towards an exceptionally dense thicket of trees. The thicket was so tall that it blocked out the sun, and the branches and leaves were so intertwined that it was almost impossible to see through. As soon as the two figures disappeared into it, they vanished without a trace.

Upon seeing this, Xu Xinghe immediately tried to get up and follow, but her wrist was firmly held down by Yi An once again.

"Don't be impulsive. The closer you get to their hideout, the more carefully they'll set up their traps. There might be traps around the bushes, or warning bells hanging there. You'll be discovered as soon as you get close."

He spends most of his time hunting in the mountains, and if he has to stay overnight, he will do so.

Since those people chose to hide in the mountains, they must have been led by professionals, and they couldn't possibly be unaware of this principle.

Xu Xinghe bit her lip and nodded. "So what do we do now?"

“Let’s keep watch here for now.” Yi’an’s gaze swept over the dense thicket. “When it gets dark at night and visibility is reduced, their vigilance will be lowered as they rest at night. It will be much less risky to sneak over and investigate then.”

"And even if we trigger something, they might just assume it's the work of a wild animal. For safety's sake, they're unlikely to come out to check at night, and by the next day, we'll have already taken care of it."

Xu Xinghe had no objection and nodded in agreement.

Yi An looked around and quickly spotted a small cave not far away. "Let's find a place to hide and rest to conserve our energy."

The two stealthily made their way towards the cave. Just as they reached the entrance, Yi An abruptly stopped, her brows furrowing instantly.

He gestured for Xu Xinghe to stop, then carefully parted the weeds at the entrance of the cave, peeked inside, and immediately pulled Xu Xinghe back several steps.

"What's wrong?" Xu Xinghe asked in a low voice.

“There’s fresh animal droppings inside. Judging from the shape and moisture, it must be from a large wild animal that just left. This must be its den. If we stay here and wait for it to return, we’ll be in danger.”

Large wild animals in the deep mountains are mostly ferocious, especially those with dens. They have a strong instinct to protect their cubs or territory, and will inevitably launch a frenzied attack if they are spotted.

Xu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly followed Yi An forward, not daring to approach the cave any further.

The two wandered through the mountains and forests for about fifteen minutes before finally finding a place resembling a tree hollow at the foot of a sheltered hillside.

It was a small space formed by the hollow trunk of an old tree, only about half a person's height. It was a bit cramped for two people to sit together, but it was well hidden, with the surrounding bushes completely concealing the tree hole.

"This will do." Yi An bent down and squeezed in first, making room for herself. "I'll make do here for now."

Xu Xinghe nodded and bent down to squeeze in as well. The two sat down close together, their shoulders almost touching, and they could clearly feel each other's body temperature and breathing.

She took out some food from her backpack and handed it to Yi'an, saying, "Eat something to replenish your energy."

Yi'an accepted it without hesitation.

The two remained silent, eating in silence, with only the occasional calls of unknown birds coming from afar outside the tree hollow.

After finishing his meal, Yi'an folded the empty oil paper package and stuffed it into his backpack. Then, he crossed his arms, leaned against the tree trunk inside the hollow, and closed his eyes. "Everything's alright now. You should rest a bit more. If you can, take a nap. We need to travel and scout tonight, so you need to be well-rested. It gets colder in the mountains after nightfall. If you feel chilly, just bear with it. We're too close to their hideout, and starting a fire here could easily give us away."