"I think I heard some noise over here just now?" The tall man's voice rang out, and the footsteps grew closer and closer, stopping right at the door of the wooden house.
Yi An's heart leaped into her throat, and she froze on the spot.
The doorway was blocked; once the other party pushed the door open, he would have no way to escape!
Xu Xinghe, who was behind the tree, also saw this scene, and her palms were instantly soaked with cold sweat.
She can't speak up to warn them, nor can she rush forward rashly. What should she do?
In a moment of desperation, she spotted a fist-sized rock on the ground beside her, immediately bent down to pick it up, aimed at the bushes not far from the side of the cabin, and threw it hard!
With a muffled thud, the stone struck the tree trunk and then rolled into the grass, making a series of sounds.
"Who's there?" The two guards at the door were instantly startled, as was the tall, thin man leaning against the wall. The three of them immediately ran towards the direction from which the sound came.
"Who's there? Come out!"
Chance!
Yi An's eyes sharpened. Taking advantage of the moment when the three left, she rushed to the door, gently opened it a crack, and after confirming that no one was outside, she slipped out and, using the shadow of the wooden house as cover, ran wildly towards the direction behind the tree.
Yi An ran to Xu Xinghe's side, panting heavily, "Quick!"
Xu Xinghe had already gotten up. Without saying a word, the two turned around and disappeared into the bushes, running towards the depths of the forest.
The three guards behind him were cursing and swearing, clearly searching for someone they hadn't found, but they didn't follow.
The two ran wildly through the woods until they were far away and sure no one was chasing them, then they gradually slowed down and leaned against a big tree, panting heavily.
"How...how is he?" Xu Xinghe asked impatiently.
Yi An took out the small box wrapped in oil paper from her bosom and handed it to Xu Xinghe. "He's safe. He said he won't leave and told you not to worry. He also told us to leave quickly. This is what he asked me to bring to you."
Xu Xinghe immediately reached out and took the small box.
She didn't open it on the spot, but subconsciously turned her back and walked behind a big tree to the side, avoiding Yi An's gaze.
Seeing this, Yi'an wisely took a few steps back, deliberately keeping her distance, neither peeping out of curiosity nor asking any questions, so as not to cause any unnecessary misunderstandings.
Xu Xinghe took a deep breath and carefully peeled off the outer waterproof paper.
Layer after layer, she was stunned when she removed the last layer.
There were no letters or intelligence inside, only a piece of brown soil, moist in texture, which looked like ordinary soil that could be found anywhere in Black Wind Ridge.
What does this soil mean?
Xu Xinghe frowned, her mind filled with doubt.
The thing Jiang Linchuan risked his life to have Yi An bring out could not possibly be meaningless soil.
Is it some kind of code?
Or is it implying something?
Soil near Eagle's Beak Cliff?
Or was it the breeding ground for a spy base?
Xu Xinghe couldn't come up with an answer, but quickly calmed down.
Now is not the time to investigate further. The spies could discover something amiss at any moment. The most urgent thing is to get away from here as soon as possible.
She rewrapped the soil and oil paper together, and with a thought, stored it in her spatial storage. Then she turned and walked towards Yi An.
“We’re safe for now.” Xu Xinghe’s tone returned to calm. “Tell me in detail what happened in the cabin just now. Did he say anything else?”
Yi An nodded, recalling the scene just now, "There were three people living in that wooden house. He was sleeping in the innermost spot against the wall, with heavy iron chains tied to his hands and ankles, one end of which was fixed to a wooden stake in the corner of the wall. It looked like he couldn't break free. I asked him if he wanted to leave, and he said no, told me not to worry, and urged us to leave quickly. Other than that, he didn't say anything else, afraid that if he said too much, someone would overhear."
"Chains..." Xu Xinghe's heart felt like it had been ripped apart, and she felt a pang of heartache. Her eyes instantly reddened. "Does he have any wounds? Does he look very weak?"
“There were no obvious wounds on any part of his body that I could see, and his face was clean, without any bruises or bloodstains.” Yi An thought carefully for a moment and answered truthfully. “The rest of his body was covered by clothes, so I couldn’t tell. But his eyes were very bright, so he didn’t look weak.”
Xu Xinghe finally breathed a sigh of relief.
He seems to be safe for now, but being chained up, his situation is still dangerous.
Jiang Linchuan made it clear that he would not leave, which obviously indicated that he had his own reasons.
I cannot act rashly, otherwise I will not only fail to help him, but may also ruin his plans.
Seeing her silence, Yi An asked, "So what do we do now? Should we go down the mountain tonight, or stay here? I have to warn you, we were lucky to see people and get out safely this time. Their defenses are tight, and we might not be able to get close so easily next time, and we might even be discovered."
Xu Xinghe fell silent.
Yi An is right; one stroke of luck does not guarantee lifelong safety.
Moreover, since Jiang Linchuan has chosen to stay, all she can do is not cause trouble.
The only solution is to leave temporarily and then reconsider.
"After tonight, we'll go down the mountain at dawn tomorrow." Xu Xinghe finally made a decision. "Don't tell anyone about what happened today, including what you saw, heard, and what you did for me. No matter who asks, you can't say anything, understand? Just pretend we never met today, and that we never came to Black Wind Ridge."
"I know." Yi An nodded in agreement. He wasn't one to talk too much, and besides, this matter was clearly not simple. He just wanted to get his payment as soon as possible and return to a peaceful life.
Without another word, the two walked unsteadily toward the cave where they had rested, using the faint moonlight as their guide.
The mountain roads were particularly difficult to navigate at night, but fortunately Yi'an was familiar with the terrain and avoided traps and dangerous sections along the way. After walking for about two hours, she finally arrived at the small cave she had discovered earlier.
The cave was still dry. Yi An went in first to check and, after confirming that there were no traces of wild animals, then let Xu Xinghe in.
He started a fire.
The flames crackled and burned, dispelling the chill and darkness of the cave, and the warm yellow light illuminated the two people's faces.
Xu Xinghe sat by the fire, staring silently at the flickering flames.
Yi An sat opposite her, looking at her profile.
The person in the photo he saw near the cabin earlier was wearing a military uniform and looked very dashing.
Xu Xinghe's agility, professional alertness, and fighting skills are unlike those of an ordinary person.
They are most likely all soldiers, and those kidnappers, since they are hostile to the military, are definitely not good people.
Are they on a mission?
This thought made Yi An's heart tighten. He didn't want to get involved in such a dangerous matter; he just wanted to live a peaceful life with his sister.
He hesitated for a moment, but finally couldn't help asking, "Will your affairs... implicate me and my sister?"
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