Xu Xinghe's gaze fell into the deep woods. "I want to go into the woods and take a look."
She always felt that since Jiang Linchuan mentioned there was a base here, then there must be one.
Nothing disappears into thin air.
This seemingly ordinary grove of trees might hold some clues.
Yi An didn't stop him, but instead shouldered his hunting rifle and said in a deep voice, "Stay close to me. There are lots of loose stones and low branches in the woods, so be careful not to trip."
The two walked into the woods side by side.
The forest at the bottom of the cliff is different from Black Wind Ridge. The ground has little slope and is mostly flat gravel with some drought-resistant wild grass growing in between, making it much easier to walk than expected.
The sunlight was completely blocked by the dense foliage overhead, making the woods somewhat shady. The air was filled with the smell of damp earth and decaying leaves.
Yi'an led the way, using his machete to clear away vines and low branches blocking the path, keeping his hunting rifle ready to be raised at any moment, alert to any wild animals that might appear.
Xu Xinghe followed behind, her eyes constantly scanning the surroundings.
We checked for scratches on tree trunks, signs of trampling on the ground, and discarded debris in the grass; we didn't overlook any abnormalities.
Unfortunately, there was nothing there.
The woods were very quiet; apart from the sound of their footsteps, there was no other noise. It looked no different from any other ordinary wilderness forest.
After walking and stopping for about an hour, Yi'an pointed to a relatively flat boulder in front of her and said, "Let's rest for a while and have some water."
The two walked to the boulder, sat down, and each took out a water bottle and drank a few mouthfuls.
Xu Xinghe looked up at the tree canopy above her head. Had she really come to the wrong place?
After resting for about ten minutes, the two set off again.
After walking for about an hour, the light ahead suddenly brightened, and the branches and leaves overhead gradually thinned out.
As I moved forward, the view suddenly opened up before me.
At the edge of the woods, a small village appeared!
The village was not large, much smaller than Lijia'ao, with about a few dozen households. Most of the houses had mud walls and thatched roofs, scattered in an open area.
There were some crops planted around, making it look like a self-sufficient little village.
Xu Xinghe stopped and turned to look at Yi An. "Do you know there's a village here?"
Yi An frowned, carefully examining the village ahead, and slowly shook her head. "I don't know. This village is in a very remote location. If you don't come from the bottom of the cliff through the forest, you have to go around the side of the village to get here, and you have to cross at least two mountains."
“I’ve lived near Lijia’ao since I was a child and have never been that far. I’ve only heard people in the village mention it once, saying that there’s a village two mountains away, I think it’s called… Shiwa Village? I can’t remember clearly.”
Xu Xinghe's heart skipped a beat.
Could this secluded village be the base Jiang Linchuan is looking for?
Or perhaps the stronghold is hidden in this village?
She stared at the village ahead, lifted her leg and stepped forward, "Let's go, let's go take a look."
As soon as the two stepped out of the woods and into the territory of Shiwa Village, they immediately attracted the attention of the villagers.
The villagers who were busy in front of their houses or chatting by the roadside all stopped what they were doing and turned to look at them.
This village rarely sees outsiders, let alone two complete strangers.
Soon, a burly, dark-skinned man strode over with a simple, honest smile on his face. "Who are you? What brings you here?"
Yi An stepped forward. “Brother, we are from Lijia’ao. My name is Yi An, and I am a hunter. Today, we went into the mountains to hunt and followed the forest. We didn’t expect to stumble upon this place.”
Upon hearing "Lijia'ao," the man's eyes lit up. "Oh, it's Lijia'ao! I know that village!"
He patted Yi'an on the shoulder warmly, "Come and sit down, have some water and rest your feet! We have a wife from Lijia'ao who married into our family here. It's a pity she's not feeling well lately and is recuperating at home, otherwise she might even know you."
The man's enthusiasm made it difficult for the two to refuse, so they followed him into the village.
Most of the houses in the village are built against the mountainside, arranged in a staggered and orderly manner.
The man led the two into his yard and called his wife over from inside the house, "Honey, we have guests. They're from Lijia'ao. Go pick some fresh vegetables from the field, and we'll treat them well at noon."
The woman, who appeared to be in her thirties and dressed in simple, coarse cloth, nodded quickly upon hearing this, "Okay!"
She smiled and poured them both a bowl of coarse tea, then hurriedly grabbed a bamboo basket and turned to walk out of the courtyard.
The woman walked quickly, circled around to another house not far away, pushed open the half-closed door, and went inside.
A man was sitting on the earthen bed inside the house, twisting straw rope. When he saw her come in, he immediately put down what he was doing. "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with the outsider?"
"I don't know, I came to ask your wife something." The woman lowered her voice and quickly walked into the small inner room.
Lying on the kang (a heated brick bed) in the small house was a woman who was as thin as a rake, her face pale, her eyes staring blankly at the ceiling, looking lifeless.
The woman walked to the edge of the kang (a heated brick bed) and asked in a cold voice, "Do you know a hunter named Yi'an from Lijia'ao? He's tall and thin, with big eyes, and he carries a hunting rifle on his back. He looks quite spirited."
As she spoke, she described what Yi'an looked like.
The woman, whose eyes had been vacant, suddenly brightened up when she heard the name Yi An.
She opened her mouth excitedly, wanting to say something, but could only make indistinct "ah ah ah" sounds, unable to utter a complete sentence.
Her mouth was a dark hole, and her tongue was gone, making it look particularly horrifying.
Seeing her excited yet speechless expression, the woman already knew the answer in her heart. "It seems she's from Lijia'ao. In that case, I can rest assured."
After saying that, she patted the woman's hand on the kang (a heated brick bed), turned around and walked out of the small house. Then she walked towards the vegetable garden outside the village, bent down and picked some green vegetables and radishes, and hurried back to her own yard.
A moment later, the woman entered the house carrying a bamboo basket full of vegetables. Without exchanging many pleasantries, she went straight into the kitchen, and soon the sound of washing vegetables could be heard.
Xu Xinghe looked at the man opposite her and said politely, "Brother, there's no need to make special arrangements for us. We're just here to rest and have a drink of water. There's no need to trouble you to cook."
The man waved his hand and laughed heartily, “What are you saying, sister! Since you’re here, it’s fate. How can we let our guests leave on an empty stomach? Don’t worry, we have plenty of vegetables and radishes in our fields, as well as some grains stored from last year. We’ll have enough for a meal. We’ll just prepare a few simple dishes, no trouble at all.”
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