Shi Lan entered the forest while it was still early. The trail into the mountains wasn't too difficult to navigate.
The information Hao Fei had given her contained details on twelve people. Though it didn't pinpoint their exact locations, it marked out the general area, saving her a lot of trouble.
Finding someone in mountains like these was like searching for a needle in the ocean.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye. Shi Lan had traveled more than a hundred and thirty li into the mountains.
The mountain paths had completely disappeared, leaving nothing but waist-high weeds as far as the eye could see. Winter hadn't yet set in, and snakes, insects, rats, and mice were extremely active.
Fortunately, her combat uniform was thick enough, and the insect repellent worked well. Shi Lan hadn't suffered much.
As dusk fell, Shi Lan looked around for a large tree to rest beneath. Even with night-vision goggles, traveling through the mountains after dark was far too dangerous.
She skirted a cliff, and the view suddenly opened up. The terrain between the mountains varied greatly; every now and then, a valley appeared.
In the valley below, a village came into view. At first glance, it had only about twenty households, with a few scattered yellow lights.
Shi Lan took out her map and checked it, then raced toward the foot of the mountain. This was one of her targets.
The village was marked on the map. It was called Xiaohun Village. More than half a year ago, the police had come here in connection with a case she was involved in and rescued two abducted girls.
Shi Lan didn't care about any of that. The law no longer held any sway over her. She only hoped to find some leads