"Uncle Xu? Why is it you?!"
The old man was wearing the navy blue Zhongshan suit he had worn for twenty years, with threads frayed at the cuffs.
His hand rested on the doorknob, "Master, the old man made all the arrangements before he left."
His gaze shifted to the old man who had passed away peacefully on the hospital bed. "Someone will take care of the aftermath properly. Now, we must hurry to Gujia Village."
Gu Youran looked up suddenly upon hearing this, her voice filled with disbelief, "But that's not..."
She clutched Shi Heng's sleeve tightly, "After the fire twenty-two years ago, the whole village was..."
"The entrance is still there."
Xu Bo took out a piece of yellowed silk cloth from his arms, on which were drawn complicated routes with dark red lines.
"Over the years, the old man has been searching in secret. This is the route he spent twenty years to confirm."
Half an hour later, in the sanatorium restaurant.
The group of fifteen people hurriedly finished their lunch.
This includes five bodyguards from each side.
Three modified off-road vehicles quickly drove away from the sanatorium.
In the leading car, Lei Shuangcheng was steering the car. Renault, who was in the passenger seat, suddenly turned around and stared at the back seat. "Uncle Xu, you still haven't explained why you kept the fact that my grandfather was still alive from me?"
Xu Bo's expression remained unchanged. He simply stared back at him calmly, "The old man won't let me say that."
In just five words, all of Renault's questions were blocked.
The carriage suddenly fell into silence.
In the back seat, Gu Youran curled up in Shi Heng's arms.
Shi Heng could feel her body trembling slightly.
"It's okay," he whispered in her ear, "I'm here."
6:20 in the evening.
The convoy drove over the bumpy concrete road and entered Qinglin County.
This remote county town surrounded by mountains has only one main street.
"Stay here tonight." Xu Bo's hoarse voice broke the silence.
He pointed to a three-story building on the side of the road with peeling paint. The sign of "Qingshan Guesthouse" was missing a few strokes.
Under the dim light bulb at the front desk, the proprietress, who was in her forties, was dozing with her chin propped up.
The sudden influx of people startled her and she staggered, almost sliding off the paint-chipped wooden chair.
"How many people are you..."
She wiped the corner of her mouth in panic, her eyes wide open.
Some of the people in this group were wearing neat coats, and some were wearing camouflage uniforms. They didn't look like the kind of customers who would come to such a place.
Lei Shuangcheng slapped a wad of cash on the paint-chipped counter and said, "Fifteen people, we want the best room."
The proprietress's fingers trembled as she counted the money. "The best... there are three rooms with private bathrooms on the third floor..."
She glanced at the uninvited guests and her voice suddenly weakened. "It's just... the water heater might not be working properly..."
Twenty minutes later, in the small restaurant next door.
Fifteen people squeezed around three wooden tables put together. The proprietress served steaming stew and pancakes, and the aroma temporarily diluted the tense atmosphere.
Uncle Xu unfolded the yellowed silk cloth and said, "Tomorrow's journey into the mountains will take six hours, and there will be no supplies along the way."
He pointed his finger at a dark red broken line, "The last part requires the use of both hands and feet."
Lei Shuangcheng frowned, "Do you need special equipment?"
"Two liters of water per person, and high-calorie dry food."
Xu Bo rolled up the silk cloth and said, "I already prepared the headlamp and rope and put them in the car."
Renault, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up: "Is that ancient road...still the same as it was twenty-two years ago?"
Xu Bo paused and said, "The eastern section has collapsed. We need to go to Eagle's Beak Cliff instead."
He raised his cloudy eyes and said, "It's... a lot has changed there now."
Gu Youran shuddered without warning.
Shi Heng immediately held her cold fingers and found that her nails had dug deep into his palm.
After dinner, several people took a walk along the main street to digest the food.
The nights in Qinglin County are particularly quiet, with almost no people on the streets.
Only a few street lights were on, illuminating the cobblestone road.
Shi Heng held Gu Youran's hand tightly and asked softly, "Do you remember your childhood?"
Gu Youran shook his head and looked at the dark mountains in the distance. "I only remember a few fragments... a huge fire, people screaming, and crying..."
She suddenly grabbed Shi Heng's hand and said, "I was only three years old at that time."
Shi Heng felt extremely distressed and hugged her in his arms.
Gu Youran buried her face in his chest and said in a muffled voice, "Why am I the only one who survived..."
Shi Heng held her face and found tears in her eyes.
He gently wiped away her tears, "Because you need to live to meet me."
Gu Youran was amused by him and hit him lightly.
Shi Heng grabbed her hand and pressed it against his chest. "Do you feel it? This heart will always beat for you."
The night wind blew, and Shi Heng quickly took off his coat and put it on her.
Gu Youran looked up at him and suddenly felt much more at ease.
Up ahead, Renault stopped in front of a grocery store, "Let's buy some more necessities."
He picked up a few packets of compressed biscuits and batteries, turned to Xu Bo and said, "Are you sure you can find the entrance tomorrow?"
Uncle Xu stood at the door of the shop, smoking, "The old man spent twenty years...he touched every stone."
The biting mountain wind whistled into their collars, and everyone shivered at the same time.
It was not until this moment that they realized that the most crucial thing was missing from the equipment they had prepared.
Thick clothing to protect you from the harsh mountain weather.
The last ten fleece jackets at the grocery store were sold out in a flash.
Back at the guesthouse, the corridor was filled with a damp and musty smell.
Gu Youran stood in front of Room 306, staring blankly at the scratches of varying depths on the door panel.
"Everyone, just make do for one night."
Xu Bo's hoarse voice drifted from the end of the corridor, "We'll set off at dawn."
Shi Heng took the key and felt a layer of dust on his fingertips.
The door hinges made a harsh creaking sound, as if they had not been opened for years.
In the room, there is a yellowed wooden bed, a paint-chipped wardrobe covered with cobwebs, and behind the half-open bathroom door, a rusty faucet is dripping with water.
Shi Heng placed his backpack on the wooden chair and carefully checked the window latch. "Go to bed early. Tomorrow will be very hard."
Gu Youran sat on the edge of the bed, twisting the corner of her clothes unconsciously with her fingers. "I have a feeling... when I go back this time, I will remember a lot of things I have forgotten."
Shi Heng sat down beside her and held her hand, "We must face what we have to face."
The two of them lay down in their clothes.
The quilt had a musty smell. Shi Heng took out a clean blanket from the car, gently covered Gu Youran with it, and then held her in his arms.
Gu Youran leaned into his arms, and Shi Heng patted her back gently, like coaxing a child.
…
On the other side, Fernan Manor in Country Y.
The luxurious living room was brightly lit. Fernando leaned comfortably on the sofa, playing with an ancient silver coin in his hand.
Ryan and Chu Beiyuan sat opposite each other.
"Third Master, I just received the news."
Ryan said, holding a tablet computer, "Reno and the others followed Old Man Xu to Qinglin County. They were said to be looking for the entrance to Gujia Village."
Fernando's eyes lit up and he sat up straight with excitement.
"Great! The opportunity we've been waiting for has finally arrived!"
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