"This..." Zhang Xiao was stumped by Liu Jialin's question. She raised a hand and scratched her head.
"Take a few photos of the situation here and send them back to the station," Liu Jialin instructed.
"Yes." Zhang Xiao nodded, then pulled her phone from her pocket and began taking pictures.
While Zhang Xiao was busy, Liu Jialin walked alone toward the distant woods.
A small river lay on the other side of the woods. Moonlight spilled across its surface, making it glitter with rippling waves.
"Whoosh..."
The wind blowing from the river sent some of the plants along the bank swaying violently. The rustling of colliding branches and leaves rang incessantly in their ears.
Some leaves fell from the trees. Some landed in the river, while others fell on the bank.
Liu Jialin emerged from the woods. Her gaze first fell on the river, then shifted to the fallen leaves along the bank.
"Crack."
A branch snapped beneath Liu Jialin's foot. When she reached the riverbank, she crouched down and swept aside some of the fallen leaves. A remarkably clear bird footprint appeared before her.
"This should be the footprint left by that Giant Crow. It dug so many pits in the fields, then came here."
Just as Liu Jialin was wondering why the vanished Giant Crow had come to the riverbank, Zhang Xiao's shout came from behind her.
"Captain."
Liu Jialin came to her senses at once, then stood and walked toward Zhang Xiao.
"What is it?"
"I just received a message. That Giant Crow has already left."
"It returned to the wilderness?" Liu Jialin asked in astonishment.
"Yes. This is the message I just received. Take a look." Zhang Xiao handed her phone to Liu Jialin.
"It really did leave." Liu Jialin scrolled through the several messages on