Shen Hanshan's gaze was sharp as he stared thoughtfully at the spot where the woman had disappeared: "Indeed, she was extraordinary. Her steps were light and her demeanor dignified, far beyond what an ordinary village woman could possess."
But right now, the most urgent task was not to find out the old woman's identity, so Shen Hanshan gave the order without hesitation to let everyone continue along the winding path.
After crossing the narrow wooden bridge, the group slowly approached the dense forest. As soon as they entered, the surrounding light dimmed instantly. Shen Hanshan, his expression grave, warned, "This place is cold and damp, and the light is unusually dim. Everyone must be extremely careful!"
The crowd responded in unison, "Yes, Your Highness!" Suddenly, a guard stopped, pointed ahead, and said nervously, "Your Highness, look!"
Everyone looked in the direction he pointed, their eyes focusing on the branches of several trees. These branches clearly showed signs of being broken, with a few withered leaves still clinging to the broken ends, swaying gently in the mountain breeze.
As Shen Hanshan stared at this scene, a strong sense of unease welled up in his heart.
His brow furrowed, and his pace quickened unconsciously as he walked straight toward the mark. He crouched down and carefully examined the soil's moisture. The ground was slightly damp, but not from rainwater; rather, it was the mark left by a heavy object pressing down on it. The soil was slightly compacted, and some moisture could be faintly seen seeping from the edges—a unique imprint left by the contact of a living organism with the ground.
A moment later, his gaze shifted to the exact location where the branch had broken.
He noticed that the angle of the break was unnatural, more like it was caused by a powerful force suddenly pulling it apart, rather than a natural detachment or a break in the wind. From the fracture lines and the force of the break, he could deduce that the force was both strong and swift, enough to tear a thick branch apart in an instant.
A picture quickly formed in Shen Hanshan's mind: Zhao Zhi and Cui Shenghe might have encountered a sudden attack from some kind of ferocious beast here. They fought back desperately, but ultimately could not overcome the terrifying power of the beast; the broken branches were the marks left by their struggle.
The footprints on the ground, varying in depth and direction, further confirmed this. Several silver needles were also scattered on the ground.
Shen Hanshan carefully picked them up and examined them closely in the dim light, confirming that the silver needles were exactly the same as the ones Zhao Zhi had used to ambush him earlier.
Most chillingly, he also noticed an unusually wide drag mark, winding its way out from the dense footprints and disappearing into the depths of the forest. The length, depth, and width of this drag mark far exceeded what ordinary people could imagine.
The trail of drag marks looked as if it had been made by some enormous creature. Instantly, a chill ran down his spine, and fear and unease gripped Shen Hanshan's heart, making it hard for him to breathe.
Shen Hanshan stood there, staring at the trail of drag marks. Combining the previous clues, he had now reached a conclusion—the one that dragged Zhao Zhi and Cui Shenghe away was no ordinary creature, but a huge snake with astonishing strength.
Thinking of this, Shen Hanshan's expression became extremely solemn.
His brows were furrowed, his lips trembled slightly, and a fine layer of sweat appeared on his forehead.
"Zhizhi, you absolutely cannot be hurt!" After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out the words from deep in his throat.
Shen Hanshan gripped the silver needles tightly, his fingers trembling slightly, seemingly unable to control his nervousness.
He slowly stood up, veins bulging on his arms: "Everyone, immediately follow these drag marks and find Zhao Zhi and Cui Shenghe's trail. Remember, we may be facing an exceptionally ferocious snake, so proceed with extreme caution and avoid recklessness."
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