Yi'an's movements were quick and urgent, entirely instinctive.
He had vaguely heard sounds coming from deep in the woods, along with the sound of branches breaking, and he was afraid that Xu Xinghe might act impulsively and startle the source of the sound.
Xu Xinghe was unable to speak because he covered her mouth. At first, she subconsciously struggled, but when she heard his words, she immediately understood the situation.
Knowing what was important, she stopped moving and nodded, indicating that she would cooperate obediently.
Seeing this, Yi An slowly released his hand from her mouth, but still kept his arm around her waist. The two of them pressed tightly against the tree trunk, not daring to breathe.
Yi'an's heart was pounding, and her palms were even sweating.
His biggest fear was encountering wild animals.
The wild beasts deep within Black Wind Ridge are far more ferocious than those on the outskirts. If they were to encounter a pack of wolves, a herd of wild boars, or even a bear... the two of them would simply be unable to cope!
He held his breath, pricked up his ears, and carefully discerned the sounds around him.
Time passed by, and the woods were eerily quiet, with only the rustling of leaves in the wind.
The strange sound from before never came again.
Yi An's tense body gradually relaxed a little, and just as she was about to say something, the voice came again!
This time it was clearer; it was the sound of footsteps and people talking, drifting intermittently from the depths of the woods.
"Damn it, several of the traps are empty. Are we going to go hungry again tonight?" a rough male voice complained, accompanied by the rustling sound of a stick poking at the bushes.
"Who knows! I really don't know what Sister Hong was thinking, making us hide in this godforsaken place." Another voice chimed in, its tone full of impatience, "What if we starve to death here before we even finish the mission?"
The footsteps of the two figures grew closer, and two figures could be vaguely seen emerging from the depths of the woods.
They were dressed in dark clothes, carrying sticks, and looking around as they walked.
Soon, they walked in the other direction.
The figure disappeared into the dense bushes, only the sound could still be faintly heard.
Xu Xinghe's heart leaped into her throat, and her pupils contracted slightly.
Sister Hong?
Task?
These words immediately put her on alert.
These two people are very likely the spies that Jiang Linchuan is investigating!
If we can follow them, we might be able to find their base and Jiang Linchuan directly!
Overwhelmed with joy and eagerness, Xu Xinghe instinctively tried to step out from behind the tree, but was once again held back by Yi An.
"What do you want to do?" Yi An lowered her voice. "Are you going to follow them?"
"They are very likely the people I'm looking for!" Xu Xinghe no longer bothered to hide it. "I can't miss this opportunity; I have to go with them!"
"Don't take the risk!" Yi An gripped her wrist tightly. "They just mentioned traps, which means there's a high chance they've set animal traps or dug pits around here. You know nothing about this place; you could easily get hurt, and then you won't even be able to save yourself!"
He had been dealing with the mountains for many years and knew very well how terrible traps were. Those things were extremely well hidden, and once triggered, they would either kill or injure you!
Moreover, those two didn't seem like good people either; following them rashly would only be asking for trouble!
"No, I have to go!"
Every minute Jiang Linchuan remains in their hands increases his danger; she absolutely cannot let this opportunity slip by!
She suddenly exerted force, trying to break free from Yi'an's grasp. "If you don't dare to go, just wait for me here! I can go by myself! If I don't come out for a long time, you can leave on your own. I've already given you five hundred yuan, you don't need to do anything else."
"No!" Yi An gripped her wrist tightly, his strength almost crushing her bones. "If you follow them rashly like this, you'll be throwing your life away! Their route is definitely full of traps; you won't be able to spot them at all!"
That's better than just watching Jiang Linchuan get into trouble!
Xu Xinghe's eyes reddened, and she completely lost her patience.
Knowing that arguing was pointless, she stopped wasting words and suddenly lowered her body, using the momentum of turning to break free from Yi An's pull. At the same time, she grabbed his wrist with her left hand and wrapped her right arm around his arm. With a burst of strength from her waist, she executed a clean and swift over-the-shoulder throw, instantly pulling him forward!
Caught off guard, Yi An felt a tremendous force on her arm, causing her body to lean forward uncontrollably.
Before he could react, Xu Xinghe had already circled behind him, precisely grabbed his wrists with both hands, forcefully twisted them backward, and pressed him heavily against the tree trunk.
With a thud, Yi'an's face was pressed tightly against the rough tree bark, her arms were painfully twisted behind her back, and she couldn't move.
A storm raged within him.
This technique was so clean and efficient, it was not something an ordinary woman could do. On the contrary... it was more like the skills of a professionally trained soldier!
He had seen soldiers on missions outside the mountains before, and their fighting stances were exactly the same as Xu Xinghe's movements at this moment!
Who exactly is this woman?
What important thing are they looking for that's worth going to such lengths for?
Xu Xinghe, unaware of his shock, reached into her spatial storage and pulled out a sturdy hemp rope, intending to wrap it around his wrist. "I believe you can untie it yourself with your skills. Once you've untied it, leave quickly and don't waste time here. If you're willing to wait, you can wait for me for two more days. When I get out, take me across the river, and I'll give you an extra five hundred yuan."
"Wait!" Yi An spoke immediately, her voice muffled as her chest pressed against the tree trunk, "I didn't say I wouldn't go with you! I just said you can't go now!"
Xu Xinghe paused, the rope in his hand hanging in mid-air.
“Where those people have gone, they will definitely leave traces—trampled grass, broken branches, even footprints. We can wait until they go further away and then follow the traces. This way, we won’t be discovered, and we’ll also have time to check for traps along the way.”
"You lack experience. You can't see those hidden animal traps and tripwires at all. Once triggered, you'll be injured at best, and crippled at worst. At that point, you might not even be able to get out alive, let alone find anything."
Seeing that Xu Xinghe had stopped moving, his tone softened. "I don't care what treasure you're looking for, or what your identity is, but I know that if you get hurt, everything you want to do will be ruined. I'm willing to go in with you, help you avoid traps, and find your way, but on the condition that you listen to me and wait until they're far away. Safety first."
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