After walking and stopping for about two hours, the sky gradually brightened and the fog dissipated considerably.
The two finally reached the summit, where a breathtaking view unfolded before them.
Eagle Beak Cliff stands on the east side of the mountaintop. It is named for its resemblance to an eagle's beak. The cliff face is steep, with a deep valley below. The wind blows through the valley, making a whistling sound.
“This is it.” Yi’an pointed to the cliff face in front of her.
Xu Xinghe strode forward, his gaze carefully scanning the cliff face, the ground, and the surrounding trees.
She remembered Jiang Linchuan's habit: if he left any clues, they would most likely be some inconspicuous markings.
"Could you take a look and see if there are any strange markings, such as unusual engravings or different stone arrangements?"
“Okay.” Yi’an immediately agreed and began to carefully search the surrounding area with her hunting rifle on her back.
He grew up in the mountains and was particularly sensitive to these subtle traces, leaving no corner unnoticed.
Xu Xinghe focused her attention on the area near Eagle's Beak Cliff, running her hands over the rough rocks to check for signs of recent disturbance.
They then searched the surrounding bushes for any items left behind.
The two searched for more than an hour, looking everywhere they could think of around Eagle's Beak Cliff, but found nothing.
There were no special markings, no hidden items, not even an oddly placed stone, as if Jiang Linchuan had never been here before.
"It seems we don't have what you're looking for." Yi An walked to Xu Xinghe's side. "Should we look again? Perhaps we missed something."
Xu Xinghe shook her head, her gaze still fixed on the direction of Eagle Beak Cliff. "No need, we've looked for everything we needed to."
It's likely that Jiang Linchuan didn't have time to leave any clues here, or that the clues have already been cleared away.
The two ate some dry food and drank some water at the top of the mountain before preparing to descend.
The road there was relatively easy to travel, but on the way back, the road was a bit slippery because of the morning dew.
Yi An walked behind, occasionally reaching out to help Xu Xinghe to prevent her from slipping.
Xu Xinghe neither refused nor thanked him, but after standing firmly, she would turn slightly to indicate that she was okay.
It was already noon when we returned to the meeting point on the hill behind the village.
The once clear sky was now clouded, and the air grew increasingly stuffy; it looked like a heavy rain was really on its way.
The two stopped. Xu Xinghe turned to look at Yi An and said calmly, "I've already been to Eagle Beak Cliff. Our deal is over. The money and goods are settled. You don't need to feel guilty anymore."
Yi An paused for a moment, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.
"If I need your help later, I will ask you for it," Xu Xinghe added, giving him a way out while also drawing a clear line. "I'll go back now."
After saying that, she didn't linger and turned to walk towards the village.
Yi'an stood there, watching her figure gradually disappear into the distance, her heart filled with mixed feelings.
He stood there for several minutes until Xu Xinghe was completely out of sight before slowly turning around and walking towards his home.
As soon as Xu Xinghe entered the village, he saw a group of people gathered not far away, chattering about something.
"Have you heard? Ah Cui picked someone up by the river!"
"Really? What kind of person is that? Why would they be by the river?"
"I don't know. I heard she was covered in injuries and unconscious. A-Cui felt sorry for her and asked someone to help carry her back to the village. She seems to be lying at her house now."
Xu Xinghe didn't pay much attention. It wasn't unusual for outsiders to get lost or injured hunters to occasionally appear in the village.
But just as she was about to leave, she heard a middle-aged woman next to her say in a low voice, "I saw it! I even helped carry him! That man was very tall and looked quite imposing, but he was badly injured. He had cuts all over his body. I took a look, and they looked like he had been whipped, and some of the wounds looked like they had been cut by something. It looked quite frightening, and I felt that this man was quite dangerous."
"Was it from a whip? Could it be that he offended someone?"
"It's hard to say, these days, things aren't very peaceful outside..."
Upon hearing this, Xu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat, and a strong premonition surged into her heart.
She strode forward and grabbed the middle-aged woman who had just spoken. "Auntie, what does the injured person you mentioned look like? Can you tell me?"
The middle-aged woman was startled by her sudden movement and paused for a moment before saying, "Oh, it's Miss Su. That person looked to be in his early twenties, with messy hair and abrasions on his face, but his features were very regular. With his eyes closed, he looked quite dashing. He was very tall with broad shoulders and was wearing tattered dark clothes. The injuries on his body were indeed frightening, especially on his chest and thighs, with many whip marks that had scabbed over."
The middle-aged woman spoke while gesturing, describing the scene in great detail.
Xu Xinghe's heart was beating faster and faster, and her breathing became rapid.
Judging from his appearance and injuries, he is very likely Jiang Linchuan!
Suppressing her excitement, she pressed on, "Where is he now? At Acui's house?"
"Yes, it's at Acui's house. The village chief has already sent someone to fetch a doctor." The middle-aged woman nodded, somewhat curious. "Miss Su, why are you asking about this? Do you know him?"
Xu Xinghe did not answer. He released the middle-aged woman's arm, turned around, and ran wildly towards A Cui's house.
It has to be him, it absolutely has to be him!
Jiang Linchuan, you must take good care of yourself!
Soon, A Cui's mud-brick house came into view.
Xu Xinghe didn't stop. He rushed to the door and slammed his fist down hard.
"Bang bang bang!"
The quiet in the courtyard was broken by a rapid knocking, and soon Ah Cui's voice came from inside, "Who is it? Why are you knocking so hard!"
The door creaked open, and Ah Cui poked her head out, her face showing a hint of impatience.
But when she saw Xu Xinghe standing at the door, her face instantly darkened, and her eyes filled with disgust. "It's you? What are you doing here?"
"I've come to see the injured person." Xu Xinghe's gaze went over A Cui's shoulder and looked into the house, but unfortunately the door was closed and she couldn't see anything.
"See him?" Ah Cui immediately frowned, instinctively blocking the doorway to prevent her from entering. "Why should I let you see him? He's someone I found. What's it to you?"
This morning, she went to the river to wash clothes and saw a person lying in the grass by the river from afar. When she got closer, she found that it was a tall and handsome man.
He was covered in wounds and unconscious. His tattered clothes were soaked in blood, and the fabric at his chest was torn, revealing his strong muscles and crisscrossing whip marks. Far from being ferocious, he exuded a wild masculine charm that deeply attracted her.
At that moment, A Cui's previous obsession with Yi An vanished instantly.
Compared to Yi An's coldness and aloofness, this mysterious and powerful man was more attractive to her.
She immediately decided to take good care of this man and confess her feelings to him when he woke up. As for Yi An, she had long forgotten about him.
But now, this annoying ugly woman has actually come knocking on my door, wanting to see the man she's set her sights on!
How annoying!
"I know him." Xu Xinghe reached out to push Ah Cui aside and try to go inside. "Let me in!"
"You know him? I don't believe it!" Ah Cui blocked the doorway. "You just want to take things from me! You took Yi An first, and now you want to take him again. How can you be so shameless?"
As she spoke, she reached out to push Xu Xinghe, trying to shoo her away, "Get out of here! Or I'll call for help!"
Xu Xinghe wasn't about to let her succeed. She sidestepped her push and simultaneously reached out to firmly press down on the door, preventing her from closing it.
The two were locked in a stalemate at the doorway.
Ah Cui tried her best to close the door, but Xu Xinghe held it firmly, and the door creaked as the two of them pushed it.
"Su Xiao, don't go too far!" A Cui's face flushed red with anger, and the veins on her forehead bulged. "This is my house. If I don't let you in, you can't come in! If you keep this up, I'm going to find my dad!"
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