"Don't panic, it's just a mongrel, not a hunting dog. If it were a wolfhound released by a hunter, we'd better find a way to escape now!"
Just as they rounded the rocky cliff, they arrived at the narrow gully. Du Jianshan grabbed Lanzi's hand and pushed her into the bushes, saying, "Hide inside and don't make a sound."
Lanzi practically buried herself in the pile of dry branches, carefully suppressing her breathing.
Footsteps sounded in the distance, mixed with heavy breathing, followed by a man's voice from above: "Old Fan, you were right! The traces of last night's campfire are still there, someone must have rested here!"
"Hmm." Another voice, deeper than the first, carried a seasoned air. "The ashes are fresh, along with rotten grass and fresh footprints. It must have been less than two hours ago. They must have run this way!"
"Should we let the dogs out?"
"Idiot!" Old Fan said in a low voice, "When the weather clears up, the wind direction changes, and dogs' noses aren't as sharp. Besides, what can your two dogs do besides chew on steamed buns? Follow the footprints carefully, don't scare away any wild animals."
Two figures passed through the woods one after the other, indeed accompanied only by two yellow dogs, sniffing the snow and mud on the ground, barking occasionally. Fortunately, the spot where Lanzi was crouching was covered by dense branches, and the snow was thick, so the scent dissipated quickly. After sniffing a few times, the dogs huffed and puffed and ran off.
As the voices faded into the distance, Du Jianshan called out softly, "Lanzi."
She slowly raised her head from under the branches, her face flushed. "I almost thought... it was all over."
Du Jianshan squatted down and placed his hand on her shoulder. "Remember this—when you're really into mountain climbing, you should avoid it if you can, and run away if you can. We're not fighting, we're doing business. Your life is the most important thing."
"Do you recognize those two?"
"I haven't seen the one in the back before. The one in front is called Fan Conglie. He's from Linheba. He used to be a mountain goods hunter, but later he became a guide for people."
"He's here to chase us away too?" Lanzi squinted. "Is he after you because you're carrying some kind of merchandise?"
“It doesn’t seem like it.” Du Jianshan shook his head. “He was bold back then, but he wouldn’t have dared to chase after a peddler like me. Most likely… he was acting under someone’s orders.”
Lanzi's expression turned cold. "We have to take a detour."
"Hmm." He gestured in a direction. "After this ditch, there's an abandoned forest path that hasn't been used for over a decade. Let's go around it; arriving a day later is better than showing up."
After saying that, the two emerged from behind the bushes and walked through the remaining snow at the bottom of the gully. Sunlight filtered through the treetops, shining behind them and leaving a string of slanted footprints in the snow, which were soon blown away by the wind and became indistinct.
Afternoon had passed, and the two had crossed the second ridge. As dusk approached and there were no villages or lights in sight, Lanzi finally couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Brother Du, where are we going?"
"Let's go to the 'old manger' for a while."
"That place... also has hunting lodges?"
"The thatched hut I built years ago might still be there. Even if it collapses, we can still make do with a pile of branches."
As he was speaking, Du Jianshan suddenly stopped, squatted down in front of a steep slope, and stared at the ground.
Lanzi peeked out and saw a row of deep footprints faintly visible in the snow. "Whose are these?"
“It’s not human.” Du Jianshan’s face darkened. “It’s a bear paw print.”
Lanzi shuddered: "Bears? Don't they hibernate in winter?"
"Hibernation depends on the location. This mountain pass faces the sun, the caves are deep and the snow is shallow, so it's not surprising to encounter bears coming out to roam."
He took out the dagger he carried with him, placed his palm on the bear print, and whispered, "About forty pounds of forepaws. An adult male bear would weigh at least three hundred pounds."
"Let's change our route then!"
“No way.” Du Jianshan’s eyes were like knives. “This is the shortest route, but taking a detour will add another day to our journey. Besides, the bear might not even be nearby; it might just be out looking for water.”
Lanzi bit her lip and remained silent, but finally nodded.
The two set off again, and it wasn't until the sun was setting that they finally found the ruins of the old manger in a valley. The shed had mostly collapsed, leaving only a few crooked wooden pillars and a pile of scattered grass, but at least it could shelter them from the wind.
Lanzi went to gather some firewood, while Du Jianshan rummaged through his food bag and found a package of cured meat and a few sweet potatoes.
The fire was lit, and the snowlight made their faces look rosy.
Lanzi huddled by the fire and whispered, "Brother Du, do you think... Fan Conglie and his gang will catch up with us?"
“Judging from today’s footprints, they’re not familiar with the terrain and just followed in a straight line. We turned onto the forest path, and it will take them half a day to realize what’s happening.” He paused, his eyes darkening. “But—people aren’t afraid of being chased, they’re afraid of the eyes watching from behind.”
"You suspect... that they didn't come looking for them themselves?"
“No,” Du Jianshan said in a deep voice, “No matter how fast Fan Conglie is, he wouldn’t have the guts to chase me into Black Ridge, and he shouldn’t have known my location this morning.”
"So, someone leaked the information beforehand?"
“Not a ‘person,’ but an acquaintance.” His gaze was icy. “Before we left, there were only four people left by the fire. Those footprints were made by the fifth person.”
Lanzi looked up abruptly: "You mean... someone tipped off our team?"
“It’s not ventilation, it’s a trap.” Du Jianshan sneered. “The mountain products we brought are not ordinary goods on the market—especially those packets of dried angelica and blood-breaking grass, which can be sold to pharmacies and exchanged for real money.”
Lanzi's eyes darkened. "Someone is trying to intercept our goods."
"Unfortunately, they were a step too late." Du Jianshan smiled slowly, took out a brownish-yellow cloth bag from under his clothes, and gently shook it open. Inside was a yellowed delivery list and an approval document stamped with a red seal.
“We’re not just here to deliver goods from the mountains; I also brought the medicinal herb registration certificate from the commune’s forestry management bureau. They want to accuse us of selling counterfeit goods? Let them be counterfeit then.”
Lanzi breathed a sigh of relief. "So, what's our next step?"
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