Looking at all this, Qin Qianluo sighed helplessly. The sigh was low and heavy, as if it carried countless feelings of exhaustion, loss and frustration.
She slowly stood up, her movements slow and weak, as if bound by invisible shackles.
She raised her hand and gently patted Yao Guang's shoulder with her slightly trembling palm. The warmth of her palm conveyed silent comfort and encouragement, indicating that it was time to leave.
Yao Guang nodded slightly, silently got up, and followed closely behind Qin Qianluo with heavy steps.
After leaving the space, the two carefully inspected every corner of the thatched hut again, not overlooking any detail.
Inside the thatched hut, a stuffy smell mixed with dust and decay filled the air, making Qin Qianlu cough a few times.
She raised her hand to gently cover her mouth and nose, her brows furrowed slightly, and her gaze quickly swept around the room.
The room was dimly lit, with only a few weak rays of sunlight struggling to seep in through the dilapidated window frames covered with tattered oil paper and the dense cracks in the roof.
On the dusty ground, where weeds even sprouted from the cracks in the ground, irregularly shaped, blurred patches of light were projected.
In the corner, a rickety wooden table leaned against the wall, with a few tattered books scattered on it, their covers illegible.
The paper was yellowed and brittle, as if it would crumble into powder at the slightest touch; the wooden chair next to it had one leg broken and lay crookedly on the ground.
They immediately bent down and focused intently on the search.
Qin Qianlu walked to the wooden table and carefully examined each item. She gently opened a drawer.
A jarring creaking sound came from inside, as if protesting the long-awaited disturbance.
The drawer was full of odds and ends, and she patiently examined each item one by one.
Every time she moved something, a cloud of choking dust rose up, filling the air and causing a slight sting to her eyes.
Yao Guang squatted on the ground, her eyes sharp, examining every corner of the ground inch by inch.
Her palm moved slowly across the rough ground, feeling every tiny bump and hollow, even the easily overlooked areas like under the bed and table legs.
Sometimes she would bury her head deep in the dark corner, and other times she would squint her eyes to carefully discern things in the dim light.
Just as Yao Guang was inspecting the area around the brand-new chair again, a very faint reflection flashed by in the dim light.
Like a shooting star streaking across the night sky, fleeting yet catching her attention.
Her heart skipped a beat; her intuition told her this might be a crucial clue.
She immediately bent down and reached under the chair, her fingertips touching a cold, hard object that felt smooth and delicate.
When she took the object out, she discovered it was a jade ring.
The ring is entirely black with a warm, smooth texture, but it has no complicated patterns; it is simply a plain band.
In the dimly lit room, it was so dark that it seemed to blend into the darkness. If Yao Guang hadn't had excellent eyesight and remained highly vigilant at all times, she probably wouldn't have noticed it.
She placed the ring in her palm and examined it carefully by the faint light filtering through the cracks in the roof.
Yao Guang picked up the ring, her brows furrowing into a deep frown, her eyes filled with focus and inquiry.
She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and focused her mind, trying to sense the lingering aura on it.
But the result shocked her greatly; the room was filled with only the smell of decay and decay, and there was no trace of anyone.
Even the presence of the county magistrate who had once been there had vanished without a trace.
Yet, this small ring carries a faint, elusive aura.
Although the aura was very faint, as if it had been deliberately diluted, or as if it had been worn away by the passage of time, it still left this last trace.
This discovery filled Yao Guang with doubt, and various thoughts flashed through her mind. The strange feeling she had previously had now found a reasonable explanation.
Logically speaking, even if a long time has passed, one should still have a sense of presence in the room, given one's keen perception.
But now there is no trace of life in the room. It is obvious that the other party has deliberately used some kind of profound concealment technique to hide their own and the magistrate's presence.
But if that's the case, why leave this jade ring behind? This behavior is truly puzzling, like a fog that shrouds the truth, leaving people completely baffled.
Filled with doubt, Yao Guang quickly approached Qin Qianluo.
At this moment, Qin Qianluo was standing by the window, examining an old book by the dim light.
Her brows furrowed, and her fingers gently traced the blurred words on the pages, trying to find a clue.
Yao Guang took a deep breath, composed herself, and then clearly and logically recounted her findings.
He then handed the confirmed non-toxic dark jade ring to Qin Qianluo. Their eyes met, and they both saw the seriousness and confusion in each other's eyes.
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