Lanzi nodded, but then frowned: "But didn't the Yaozigou area collapse a couple of years ago? I heard that now the rocks are piled up like a grave, and there's even a fox spirit involved."
Du Jianshan snorted: "Fox spirits don't eat people, but people are the ones who harm each other the most. There are dangers in taking that route, but compared to being ambushed and robbed on the way, we have no choice but to force our way through."
He had barely finished speaking when a night wind, carrying the chill of the mountain forest, blew into the dilapidated shed, making the fire crackle. Lanzi pulled the old cotton coat draped over her shoulders tighter, her eyes gleaming: "Brother Du, how about... how about I keep watch tonight, and you can rest?"
Du Jianshan didn't answer immediately. He stared at her for a few moments before slowly nodding, "Have you rested for a while?"
"Yes." She nodded. "You carried that basket for me on the way during the day, and I took a nap by the woods."
“Okay.” He picked a thick piece of firewood from the woodpile and took out a bag of roasted beans from his backpack and stuffed it into her hand. “If you hear two short whistles at night, that means I’m awake. If you hear a long bark like a dog, wake me up immediately.”
"I've got it." Lanzi put the fried beans into her bosom. "Don't worry."
Du Jianshan nodded, said nothing more, crawled into the quilt on the other side of the fire, leaving only one hand on the knife handle, his body curled up, his breathing becoming heavier.
The night was deep.
Lanzi, wrapped in a cotton coat, sat with her back against the broken wall, clutching a piece of wood tightly in her hand, her eyes fixed on the small circle of firelight outside, while her ears constantly picked up on any unnatural sounds in the mountain wind.
Suddenly—
"Snap."
It was the sound of soft, pattering snowflakes.
She tensed abruptly, her gaze fixed on the direction of the woods. On the slope at the foot of the mountain, a dark shadow flickered, extremely light and slow, as if something was crouching and moving forward.
Lanzi didn't move, but she reached behind her and quietly nudged Du Jianshan.
The man, who had been feigning sleep, was already on alert. He sat up abruptly, a cold glint in his eyes: "What time is it?"
Lanzi whispered, "To the east of the forest... it looks like a person, not a beast, and the shadow is short."
Du Jianshan held his breath, listened intently for a while, then suddenly drew his sword, stood up, and pointed to the bushes to the side, saying, "You stay behind, I'll turn forward."
Lanzi nodded and slipped behind the fire.
The snow outside the dilapidated shed was whipped about by the wind, but the shadow remained still, as if it had sensed something and lay motionless.
Du Jianshan took a detour, approaching from behind an old yellow birch tree. He moved with extremely light steps, his figure hugging the terrain as he advanced. When he was within three zhang (approximately 10 meters) of the tree, he suddenly shouted, "Don't move!"
"Hmm—"
The shadowy figure cried out in surprise and reached behind his back as if to draw a knife from his waist. Du Jianshan stepped forward and struck the man's wrist with the back of his knife; with a clang, the object fell to the ground.
"Don't kill me!" The man fell to his knees with a thud. "Brother Du, it's me, it's me!"
Du Jianshan was taken aback, and upon closer inspection, his expression immediately changed: "Luan Fujin? What are you doing here?"
The man had a wide smile on his face, his shoulders shaking like a leaf: "It wasn't me who went with them, it was a few of them who took me with them. They said they were looking for you, that you... that you brought good goods that could be exchanged for silver. I... I was afraid they would have ulterior motives, so I secretly slipped away and went with you."
"Lies!" Du Jianshan said in a deep, cold voice, "How did you know we were going through Xilin?"
"I...I eavesdropped!" Luan Fujin's eyes darted around. "This morning I went around the hillside and saw you resting at the other end of the woods. I heard you say you were going to go this way from the old manor, so I...I followed you."
Du Jianshan stared at him for a moment, then asked in a deep voice, "What are you carrying on you?"
"I didn't bring anything." He hurriedly lifted his cotton-padded coat, revealing a tattered oilcloth bag under his belt. Du Jianshan pulled it out and saw that inside were several pieces of dried venison, a flint and steel, and a small metal signal flare.
His expression changed drastically: "Tell the truth, who gave you this?"
"I...I..." Luan Fujin's knees went weak with fear. "It was Yang Wanke...he was the one who led the charge. He said you had the commune's permit on you, and if you handed it over to the town, then the few medicinal herbs they had previously stolen would be exposed."
"So they wanted to stop me halfway and destroy the approval document." Du Jianshan sneered, "They really dare to scheme."
Lanzi also came out, her face cold: "I was wondering why people kept stepping on our footprints along the way. Were you marking our path?"
Luan Fujin burst into tears: "I didn't mean it... They forced me to do it, saying they'd cut off my hand if I didn't help... My dad still sells paper in town, and he needs Yang Wanke's support—"
"Alright." Du Jianshan stopped him, then turned to Lanzi and said, "Tie him up, and let him walk in front when we go to Yaozigou tomorrow."
Lanzi was taken aback: "Afraid he'll cheat?"
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