bones at the bottom of the River of Forgetfulness."I blushed and couldn't meet Jiang Qiyun's eyes. I stammered, "You rascal! You think everyone is as calm as you I get embarrassed looking at people wh..."You want to ask around about someone I'm your man, I'm a native born and bred local. Who are you trying to find out about, Ms. Yin There are quite a few people up here." He frowned as he looked at the photo on his phone.

I zoomed in on the picture, pointing at my senior sister. She was wearing a red dress, hugging herself with both hands, and her red lips were slightly curved in a cool smile.

"This person, she is my senior sister," I whispered. "She suddenly left home, and we've all been looking for her. Sister Lu used her power and connections to find out that she had appeared here."

Xie Ge narrowed his eyes and scrutinized carefully: "...This makeup doesn't make it obvious, but the aura is kind of familiar."

"Really" I was a little excited inside.

No wonder the eldest brother couldn't find the whereabouts of his elder sister, she ran off to the border!

“I can’t be sure, but this aura feels familiar somehow… Because the women here are basically divided into two types: one is demure and gentle, the other is shrewd and sharp-tongued in business. A cold and haughty beauty like this isn’t common, not common at all… Perhaps from beyond the border”

Yes, it's very possible she has already left the country. The last time she kidnapped me, she mentioned being afraid of her eldest brother coming after her for revenge. She might have gone abroad to avoid him.

Big brother seems to have a good temper, but when he gets angry, he's very fierce. He suddenly kidnapped me and left home without a word. This is a betrayal of the sect. If he were caught in China, he would definitely face severe consequences.

"Then let's go quickly, I want to see it as soon as possible."

"Um, aren't you afraid, Miss Yin"

"I'm not afraid." What's there to be afraid of I've seen storms and waves, and I've endured the pain of separation.

If I am not strong, how can I lead those tribesmen waiting for their king's return

This feeling really makes the days drag on.

Every time night falls, I start to anticipate Mu Wanchen's sudden appearance.

He would hold me and apologize, his voice clear and soft as he whispered in my ear.

"...Miss Yin, Miss Yin"

I spaced out.

"Then eat quickly, after we leave." He urged me softly.

Night was dark and the wind howled, the air thick and heavy with humidity.

I seem to be back in the environment where I was kidnapped before.

My eyes are filled with endless mountains, and beneath my feet, the ground rises and falls unevenly. Ahead of me lies a dense forest, rivers winding through it, and patches of gravel and shallow water...

Xie Ge was walking in front, and we walked along the path. By now, we should have crossed the border.

He reached into his satchel, and I quietly gripped a long needle between my fingers. If he pulled out anything dangerous, I'd jab him right in the back of the neck.

Perhaps because of the rapid growth of the female gu, my hearing became acute before, and now my vision is beginning to change.

The actions of an ordinary person appear clear and "slow" to me, and I seem to instinctively anticipate his body language in the next second.

Prescience, perhaps, is the most fundamental ability of a sorcerer.

However, this ability is just a fleeting thought, and it cannot be known far in advance. It can be said to be an extraordinary sensitivity beyond the sixth sense.

As Xie Ge was digging through something, I imagined him turning around and speaking to me.

"That, Miss Yin, take this. I'll go ahead, so you don't have to be afraid of me." He handed over something dark, cold, and heavy.

"This...a gun" I felt the weight of it in my hand when I picked it up.

"Well, just keep that for self-defense. When you're ready to head back, just give it back to me." he said.

"Xie Ge, who are you really And why do you have a gun" I frowned.

He chuckled, "I'm a local born and bred. It's not strange to have guns on the border."

"It's not strange abroad, but it's strange here in our country. You carry a gun, won't the border police catch you" I stared at his face.

In the dark forest, only scattered moonlight shone down.

Half of his face was hidden in the darkness, a smile playing on his lips but no words spoken.

“…… Xie Ge, I'm here on behalf of Sister Lu. I won't pose any threat to you and don't want to get involved in your interests. You don't have to be so careful around me. I really don't want anything to do with you guys." I said helplessly.

He laughed heartily: “You're overthinking it... I have a gun because the country allows me to carry one.”

Why

"...I'm also a member of the unit, aren't I But because I often work undercover, the serial number on my gun has been filed off. Even if I die in an accident, no one can find clues from my gun." He replied calmly.

Well… so that’s how it is.

"Alright... so I just, uh, take the gun then"

"Here, take this. It'll give you courage. You're a young girl all alone in a strange place. What if you encounter bad people" He said it sincerely.

Take it if you want, it's better to have a gun for self-defense.

"The moon tonight is a little strange... It's not full moon time, how come it's so bright" Xie Ge looked up at the moon and said.

It was quite bright, this patch of woods had been covered in a layer of silver, we could see the tree roots on the ground clearly even without lighting.

"Look, the village is over there." He stood behind a big tree, pointing to the village at the foot of the mountain.

That village was too spread out. Because of the terrain, there were several mountains before and after it, with lights scattered in front of and behind the mountains.

“The only flat land here is used to build factories. That’s how things are in villages tucked away in these mountains. Although electricity has been brought here, most people are reluctant to use it and still rely on kerosene lamps. The factory is over there…” He pointed to a patch of level ground in the valley.

There was a dark, two-story building.

"What kind of factory is it"

"Don't underestimate the cutting and processing of jade in this village!" he whispered to me. "There are often people who gamble on stones on the black market who come here."

I nodded. "It seems this place is also a hidden dragon's lair...Where does Auntie Lu's husband usually hang out At the factory"

“No, behind the factory there's a ravine where his jade mine is. There are water sources nearby too, and he built a manor there, acting like an emperor of the land.”

"So, do we go through the village... or sneak around it"

Xie Ge furrowed his brow, crouching behind a large tree and observing carefully. At this moment, the aura surrounding him was indeed that of a "scout"—calm and upright.

He observed for a while, then whispered, “Something’s off tonight. The lights in the village haven’t all gone out, but there isn’t a single person moving around... maybe they’ve all gone to the jade mine.”

"Going out this late"

"To make money, work anytime, anywhere! Look over there, the factory lights are on. Let's take a detour and check out the situation at the estate"

This is relatively an open village, not a place where drug dealers or warlords are located, so there's no danger. We took a detour to the back and saw another scene.

The scene was illuminated by lights. A massive stilt house complex stood beside a small river, with off-road vehicles parked on the riverbank and small boats floating in the water.

Xie Ge took out a folding monocular telescope and looked through it, saying in a low voice, "It's time. They are probably having a jade gambling gathering tonight, we can go straight in."

"Don't need to check ID"

"Hmph, people who come to this kind of place don't want to reveal their identities... Hmm That woman, isn't that the person you're looking for" Xie Ge passed over the telescope.

I took a closer look, and a woman just turned around and walked into the estate's attic. I couldn't see her face, but her back and figure seemed so familiar!s place isn't fun. You look like you're here to end it all because of heartbreak" The woman in blue crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow at me as if watching a show."Then what are you doing here Loo...