Yi An was taken aback by her cold tone and nodded somewhat guiltily, "Yes... I saw you coming out of the village last night, and I thought you must be going back to Shiwa Village. I was worried about you, so I followed you."
“But it was dark and raining heavily in the mountains, and I lost you as we walked. I was afraid you would slip and fall and get hurt, so I searched for more than an hour but couldn’t find you. My clothes were soaked, and I couldn’t take it anymore, so I went to the cave where I used to stay, dried my clothes and rested for half the night. I came out to look for you again when it was dawn.”
Seeing Xu Xinghe's tense expression, he said again, "I heard a noise coming down the slope, so I rushed over. I was relieved to see you were alright. I thought you had accidentally fallen yesterday, or that you were stuck somewhere..."
However, judging from her good spirits, she must have found a safe place to rest for the night.
Yi An's eyes were honest and unwavering, and she didn't seem to be lying.
Xu Xinghe breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed that after losing track of him last night, he went to the cave and did not see the scene of him entering the space.
It was also thanks to her caution that she found a secluded place, even when there were no people around.
If we hadn't entered the woods, Yi'an probably would have discovered us.
“I found a place to shelter from the rain and rested for the night yesterday,” Xu Xinghe replied calmly, her tone softening. “You should go back now. This is not a place for you; it’s too dangerous.”
Her trip to Shiwa Village wasn't just about gathering intelligence; she was prepared to deal with any unexpected situations, and might even have a direct confrontation with spies.
She has received professional training and is able to handle various dangers.
But Yi'an was just an ordinary hunter with no protection or combat experience. Staying here would only be a burden, and might even cost him his life.
Yi An pursed her lips and shook her head again, "I'm not going back, I want to stay with you."
"You!" Xu Xinghe frowned, genuinely growing impatient. She was grateful for Yi An's help, but now was not the time to fool around!
“If it’s for that five hundred yuan, the payment was already settled when you first brought me to Eagle’s Beak Cliff. You don’t owe me anything, and there’s no need for you to take risks with me.”
“No!” Yi An immediately retorted, “I’m not doing this for the money!”
Xu Xinghe narrowed her eyes, staring intently at him. "Then what exactly is your reason? Why do you insist on following me? Your indiscriminate following is starting to make me suspicious. Or perhaps you had some ulterior motive from the beginning?"
Yi An hesitated for a moment, took a deep breath, and finally spoke her mind, "I want to join the army! I know you're not an ordinary person, which is why I've helped you time and time again, hoping you'll give me a chance to join!"
"Join the army?" Xu Xinghe was stunned. She hadn't expected that his insistence on following her was for this reason.
She carefully examined Yi'an.
He was tall and slender, but had great muscle explosiveness, bright eyes, and a steady breathing. Years of hunting had honed his keen observation skills and agile movements, and his physical fitness was indeed excellent.
Moreover, he knows how to use a hunting rifle, although it's a homemade one, but he has basic weapon skills and his foundation isn't bad.
According to the army's recruitment standards, he was indeed qualified.
Xu Xinghe's expression softened, and she nodded. "Okay, I can help you apply to your superiors. But whether you can pass the review depends on your performance and the results of your medical examination. I can't guarantee that it will be successful."
After she finished speaking, she urged again, "Now you can go back, right? What's happening here has nothing to do with you. There's no need to risk your life."
Yi An didn't turn around immediately. Instead, she looked at her and asked again, "Are you sure you don't need any help? I'm familiar with the terrain around here and I can hunt. I can keep watch for you and help you out if you encounter danger. I won't hold you back."
Xu Xinghe's face darkened, and her tone hardened, "I said I don't need it! If you don't go back now, I'll take your earlier talk about joining the army as a joke, and I won't help you with this anymore!"
Upon hearing this, Yi'an immediately stopped insisting.
What he valued most was the opportunity to join the army.
"I'm going back right away!" He gave Xu Xinghe a deep look, and finally turned around and walked quickly towards Lijia'ao.
Xu Xinghe stood there for a moment, listening intently to the direction Yi An had gone, until the faint footsteps completely disappeared into the forest and no more sounds could be heard, before he was certain that Yi An had truly left.
She breathed a sigh of relief, turned around and continued down the slope, her steps lighter and more focused than before.
The lower half of the slope was slightly gentler than the upper half, but it was still slippery.
She held onto the tree trunk beside her, stepping on the stones embedded in the soil, and steadily made her way down.
The morning mist had long since dissipated, and sunlight filtered through the leaves, bathing her in its glow.
After walking for about another hour, she finally stepped onto solid ground at the bottom of the slope.
This is the forest below Eagle's Beak Cliff.
The trees are even denser than those on the mountain, their branches and leaves intertwining to block out the sun, forming a natural concealment barrier.
Xu Xinghe did not rush forward, but stood at the edge of the woods, cautiously scanning his surroundings.
Apart from fallen leaves and damp soil, there were no fresh footprints on the ground, nor any unusual sounds, indicating that no one had been here at least yesterday or today.
She tiptoed into the woods.
Every so often, she would stop and carefully observe her surroundings to make sure there were no hidden sentries or warning devices.
After carefully making her way for about a mile, Xu Xinghe finally reached the edge of the woods.
Further ahead, there is an open space, and at the end of the open space is Shiwa Village.
She found a large, leafy tree, hid behind its thick trunk, and, using the leaves as cover, looked towards Shiwa Village.
The village was quiet, with wisps of smoke rising from the rooftops and the occasional bark of a dog and the sounds of villagers talking. It looked no different from an ordinary mountain village, and there was no indication that it was a spy outpost.
There were no obvious guards at the village entrance, and villagers were moving around in twos and threes in their courtyards. Some were chopping firewood, and some were hanging clothes to dry. They looked natural and showed no signs of anything unusual.
Xu Xinghe frowned.
Jiang Linchuan had said that chaos would soon begin, but Shiwa Village was as calm as a stagnant pool.
She remained vigilant, finding a secluded recess behind a tree trunk to hide herself. Once she was sure she wouldn't be discovered by the villagers, she entered the space again.
The space was warm and bright, a stark contrast to the damp and cold outside.
Xu Xinghe walked to the bookshelf next to the bamboo house and randomly picked out a book.
This was one of the supplies she had collected before, and she was using this time to supplement her knowledge and pass the time while waiting.
She sat on the bamboo chair, calming herself down to read, her gaze focused, as if everything outside was irrelevant to her.
Time slips away quietly.
Two hours passed quickly.
Xu Xinghe then left the space to observe the situation in Shiwa Village.
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