After saying that, the village chief stopped trying to persuade her and turned to leave the room.

Ah Cui lay on the pillow, crying even harder, her shoulders trembling.

She cried for a long time, her stomach growling with hunger, and finally, unable to bear it any longer, she sobbed as she crawled out of bed and picked up the food from the table.

The food was still hot; it was her favorite vegetable and tofu dish and mixed grain rice.

But after taking a bite, she found it tasted bland and tasteless.

After managing to eat a few bites, she had no appetite at all. She put the bowl back on the table, hesitated for a long time, and finally decided to listen to her father and go for a walk.

The main reason is that she used to go out every day, and she has never been locked up at home day after day like this before. She is really feeling very stifled.

Ah Cui cautiously opened the door, peeking out like a thief. Seeing that no one was in the courtyard, she slowly walked out.

But as soon as he stepped out of the yard, he ran into several villagers carrying hoes on their way home.

The moment they saw Ah Cui, their laughter and chatter stopped abruptly, and their eyes turned very strange.

Instead of greeting her warmly as before, they quickened their pace, walked past her hastily, and didn't say a word more than necessary.

Ah Cui stood frozen in place, her face burning, and tears welled up instantly again.

In the past, everyone in the village doted on her, went along with her, and would greet her with a smile.

But now, everyone avoids her like the plague!

Overwhelmed by immense grievance and humiliation, she could no longer hold back, covered her face, and turned to run home.

When she got home, she slammed the door shut, slid down to the floor with her back against the door, and cried her heart out.

It seems there's really nowhere left for her in the village!

Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.

Xu Xinghe suppressed her emotions and obediently waited at home.

She had already handed over the intelligence notebook she had taken from Sister Hong to her contact through secret channels, thus completing half of her mission.

For the past two weeks, no one in the village has dared to provoke her.

When the villagers saw her, they would walk around her as if they didn't see her, their eyes filled with fear.

Although she won against A Cui, in the eyes of the villagers, a young girl who was ruthless and fierce was really difficult to get along with.

Besides, she was an outsider who would leave Lijia'ao sooner or later, so people naturally didn't want to get too close to her, lest they get into trouble.

The girls who used to be close to Acui would be so scared whenever they caught a glimpse of her from afar that they would quickly take a detour, keeping their heads down and not daring to even breathe.

Now the two-week deadline has passed.

Jiang Linchuan did not return.

Xu Xinghe comforted herself, saying that the mission time was only approximate, and it was normal for it to be a few days earlier or later.

She patiently waited for another five days.

Twenty days have passed, and there is still no news of Jiang Linchuan, not even a single message.

Her unease grew stronger, fearing that Jiang Linchuan might encounter danger again, just like last time, or even be more seriously injured.

No, we can't wait any longer!

Xu Xinghe decided that she had to go to Eagle Beak Cliff no matter what.

That's the location of the hidden stronghold Jiang Linchuan mentioned; we might be able to find traces of him there.

Early in the morning, she packed her backpack, which contained spiritual spring water, external wound medicine, dry food, and a short knife, and headed towards the back of the village.

Having visited Eagle's Beak Cliff before, she vaguely remembered the route and walked quickly, arriving at Yi An's doorstep in no time.

Just as I was passing by, the door creaked open.

Yi An stood in the doorway, his gaze falling on her, and asked, "Where are you going?"

"Just taking a stroll," Xu Xinghe replied casually, without stopping.

Yi An glanced at the direction she was heading, her brows furrowing slightly. She immediately guessed, "You're going to Eagle's Beak Cliff?"

Xu Xinghe remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Yi An didn't ask any more questions. She turned around and quickly went into the house. A moment later, she came out carrying a hunting rifle and a bamboo basket on her back. The bamboo basket contained a woodcutter's knife and rope. "I'll go with you."

"No need, I remember the way."

Yi'an had already caught up with her, speaking naturally, "My family's firewood is almost gone, so I'll go to the back mountain to chop some. I'll also see if I can catch a couple of wild rabbits to raise their young."

He spoke frankly, without mentioning his concern for her safety or pressing her about the purpose of her trip to Eagle's Beak Cliff.

Xu Xinghe glanced at him, knowing he meant well.

There are spy outposts near Eagle's Beak Cliff, so it's not safe. Having someone familiar with the terrain with us might be helpful.

She didn't refuse again, but quickened her pace and headed towards the back of the mountain.

Yi An, being tall and long-legged, quickly caught up.

The two walked side by side into the back mountain, following their previous memories towards Eagle's Beak Cliff.

The mountain road was still rugged, and the trees on both sides were lush and verdant.

Yi An led the way with practiced ease, occasionally pushing aside thorns blocking the path. His hunting rifle was slung across his shoulder, and his eyes scanned the surroundings warily.

Although the back mountain is not considered dangerous, wild boars and venomous snakes occasionally appear.

After climbing for a while, the two reached the top of the mountain again, where the entire view of Eagle's Beak Cliff came into view.

Xu Xinghe quickly walked to the top of the cliff and looked down.

Below the cliff lies a deep canyon, with lush trees intertwined, making it impossible to see the specific scenery below or judge how deep the canyon is. One can only vaguely hear the rustling of the wind through the trees and the calls of unknown birds in the distance.

"Is there a way down?" Xu Xinghe straightened up and turned to ask Yi An.

Yi An frowned, puzzled. "What are you going down there for? There's nothing down there but dense woods and scattered stones. It's pointless to go down."

“That’s not necessarily true.” Xu Xinghe shook his head, recalling his previous experience. “When we were in Black Wind Ridge, didn’t we also not expect that there was a cluster of wooden houses hidden deep in the forest? Eagle Beak Cliff looks empty, but there might be something else underneath.”

Upon hearing this, Yi'an felt that what she said made sense.

He grew up in these mountains, but had only been down Eagle's Beak Cliff a few times, the last time being several years ago.

During this time, no one knew what was happening down below.

After a moment's thought, he nodded and said, "I know a way. Follow me."

After saying that, Yi An led Xu Xinghe around to the side of Eagle Beak Cliff, where there was a steep slope.

The slope was covered with loose stones, waist-high weeds, and low bushes, indicating that few people came here.

"Be careful, keep your footing, don't slip." After giving these instructions, Yi An took the lead and stepped onto the slope, the gravel under her feet tumbling down with a clatter.

Xu Xinghe followed behind, grabbing onto the weeds with one hand and holding onto some large stones with the other, carefully moving downhill.

The slope was steeper than expected, and the gravel was slippery, making it extremely difficult for the two of them to walk. Sweat quickly beaded on their foreheads, and their trouser legs and shoes were covered with mud and grass clippings.

It took them nearly an hour and a half to finally reach the bottom of the slope.

At the bottom of the slope, there is a clear stream with its water flowing gently, and the pebbles at the bottom are clearly visible.

Yi An bent down, scooped up some water to wash her face, and pointed to a dense forest in front of her, saying, "This is below Eagle Beak Cliff."

Xu Xinghe looked in the direction he pointed.

The forest before us was even more secluded than what we could see from the cliff. The trunks were thick and the branches and leaves were so lush that they almost blocked out the entire sky, making it impossible to see what was inside the forest.