Yi An was silent for a moment, then looked up at the wooden houses. Her gaze swept over the patrolling guards and landed on the houses with lights on. "We can't act rashly now. There are patrols outside, and the people inside aren't asleep. Let's find a place to hide first, and then try to get closer when they're least alert in the middle of the night. Let's see if we can find where the person you're looking for is being held."
Xu Xinghe nodded; this was the safest approach at the moment.
A group of twenty people is not something she and Yi'an could force their way through; they had to outsmart them.
"Come with me." Yi An said, taking the lead to step back and pulling Xu Xinghe behind a thicker tree.
The tree is in a good position; it allows one to observe what is happening in the clearing, yet its dense foliage completely conceals it, making it difficult to spot.
The two sat behind the tree, holding their breath.
The patrolling guards were still pacing back and forth, occasionally exchanging a few words in hushed tones, remaining highly vigilant.
As night deepened, the temperature in the forest dropped lower and lower.
About an hour later, the light in the wooden house suddenly went out, the dim yellow light vanished instantly, and the open space was plunged into deeper darkness, with only the scattered glimmer of moonlight remaining.
Not long after, the three men who were originally on patrol walked toward the largest wooden house, and then three other men came out and took over their patrol duties.
They work in groups of three, taking turns on duty.
Xu Xinghe's heart sank. She hadn't expected the other party to be so vigilant, even arranging for patrols to be rotated.
The two could only continue to lie in wait, and time slowly passed during the long wait until the middle of the night.
The forest was eerily quiet in the latter half of the night; even the chirping of insects had disappeared.
The three newly appointed patrol guards were clearly exhausted, yawning incessantly and their steps becoming unsteady.
One of the tall men rubbed his eyes and whispered, "I can't take it anymore, I need to poop, I can't hold it in."
Another person immediately chimed in, "I'll go too, let's go together."
The last one leaned against the wall of the wooden house, his head nodding, so sleepy he could barely keep his eyes open, and mumbled, "Come back quickly, don't dawdle, or you'll get scolded if Sister Hong finds out."
The two responded and walked towards the bushes behind the cabin, quickly disappearing from sight.
Only the tall, thin man remained, and after a short while, he leaned against the wall and fell asleep, his even snores particularly clear in the quiet night.
The opportunity has arrived!
Yi An's eyes lit up instantly. "Now is the best time! Tell me what the person you're looking for looks like, and I'll go in and scout ahead. I've traveled many mountain paths and know the terrain better than you. If I alert the people inside, I have a way to escape quickly, but you can't. The mountain paths are intricate and complex; you could easily get lost and captured, so me going is the best option."
Without hesitation, Xu Xinghe reached into her pocket and took out a neatly folded plain handkerchief and a small black and white photograph from her spatial storage.
The young man in the photo, dressed in military uniform, with handsome features, is none other than Jiang Linchuan.
She handed the handkerchief and the photo to Yi'an. "The person in the photo is him. After you find him, show him this handkerchief, and he'll know I've come. Then ask him if he wants to leave and get a clear answer from him."
This handkerchief was given to her by Jiang Linchuan before he left. It has a small plum blossom embroidered on it and is a unique token between them. Jiang Linchuan will definitely recognize it.
Yi An took the photo, and by the faint moonlight overhead, she leaned close to examine it carefully, memorizing Jiang Linchuan's appearance. Then she returned the photo to Xu Xinghe and carefully tucked the handkerchief into her bosom. "Don't worry, I've memorized it."
After saying that, he took a deep breath, crouched down, and moved silently toward the open space like a nimble cheetah.
He walked very lightly, making almost no sound as he stepped on the fallen leaves, and quickly approached the smallest wooden house under the cover of shadow.
Based on the previous analysis, the two sides are most likely to be locked up here if they are enemies.
Moreover, the lights here are turned off last.
Generally speaking, the last place to rest is only the place where people are imprisoned.
Xu Xinghe crouched behind the tree, her heart pounding in her chest. Her gaze was fixed on Yi An's back, and her palms were covered in cold sweat.
She wanted to help, but Yi An was right.
I'm not familiar with the terrain in the mountains, and going in rashly would only make things worse.
Yi An had already reached the door of the wooden house. He first listened to the sounds inside and heard even breathing, indicating that most people were asleep.
He glanced warily at the back of the cabin to make sure the two guards who had been defecating hadn't returned before slowly reaching out and gently pushing the door open a crack.
A smell mixed with the odor of sweat and mildew wafted towards me.
He held his breath, squeezed in sideways, and landed as lightly as a feather.
The cabin was small, and moonlight slanted in through the small side window, casting a narrow shadow on the ground that just illuminated the three bunks side by side inside.
There was a person lying on each bunk, breathing evenly, clearly fast asleep.
Yi An's gaze quickly swept over the first two berths.
The man on the left has a fleshy face and his shirt is open at the chest, revealing thick body hair; he is definitely not the handsome man in the photo.
The person in the middle is thin and hunched over, and his profile is completely different from the photo.
His gaze finally fell on the third bunk against the wall, and his heart skipped a beat.
The man lay on the innermost side of the bunk, his hands and ankles bound by heavy iron chains. One end of the chains was fixed to a wooden stake in the corner of the wall. The moonlight outlined his angular profile, and the heroic spirit between his brows and eyes had not diminished even in his sleep. He was the same person in the photograph!
Just as Yi An confirmed the target, Jiang Linchuan suddenly opened his eyes!
The two locked eyes.
Yi An's heart tightened. She quickly took out a handkerchief from her bosom, waved it gently at Jiang Linchuan, and at the same time put a finger to her lips, signaling him not to make a sound.
Jiang Linchuan's body tensed up, staring intently at him without making a move.
The chains binding him were extremely tight, and any slight movement would make a rattling sound. If they alerted others, the consequences would be unimaginable.
Seeing this, Yi'an slowly approached the bunk.
He walked to the berth and handed the handkerchief to Jiang Linchuan.
Under the moonlight, the small plum blossom embroidery on the handkerchief was exceptionally clear.
Jiang Linchuan's pupils suddenly contracted, his breath hitched, and he instantly realized the identity of the person who had come!
It's Xinghe!
Why would she come?
"Are you leaving here?" Yi An lowered her voice, her breath almost touching Jiang Linchuan's ear, afraid that people outside would hear.
Jiang Linchuan's gaze swept over the handkerchief, then turned to Yi An, and he responded in the same very low voice, "I won't leave. Tell her not to worry. You all leave immediately and don't come any closer!"
After saying that, he winked at Yi An, signaling him to put his hand inside his robe.
Yi'an was very clever and immediately did as instructed.
Her fingers slipped inside Jiang Linchuan's clothes and quickly touched something hard and square.
He gently reached into it and found a small box wrapped in waterproof oil paper, about the size of his palm.
"Take the stuff out of here, and hurry up!"
Yi An nodded, tucked the small box into her bosom, and turned to walk towards the door.
Just then, footsteps and voices suddenly came from outside the wooden house.
The two guards who went to the back mountain have returned!
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