After thinking it over for a moment, Zhang Qizheng returned to the room. The medicinal herbs Li Bai had left behind were still on the table, along with some other odds and ends. He picked out a paper packet and opened it. Inside was incense ash Tang Qisheng had left behind. It could finally come in handy.
Jiang Cheng made his way through the fog, the oppressive feeling never leaving him. At Fuqing's request, they had split up into pairs and joined the villagers' search parties.
The Fatty stayed close behind Jiang Cheng. Their group of seven followed the dirt road through the village, searching toward its center.
The other two groups were Tang Qisheng and Zhu Jie, and Yao Shunyu and Shao Tong. Before they parted, Shao Tong nodded at Jiang Cheng, indicating that he would keep a close eye on Yao Shunyu.
The village beneath the fog had completely changed. Visibility was poor, perhaps only a few meters. Beyond that, the fog swallowed everything, leaving vague, shadowy shapes. The Fatty felt uneasy. He couldn't tell whether those shadows were buildings or something ghostly hiding in the mist.
The group walked on in vain, like headless flies buzzing around. The ominous feeling in Jiang Cheng's heart grew clearer. If they were really searching for someone, simply walking around in such poor visibility was useless. They could easily miss her even if they were only a few meters apart. They should be calling out. The village wasn't that big; a shout would work better than anything else.
So... this had to be a trap. They were luring the tiger away from the mountain. Once he'd confirmed that, Jiang Cheng slipped a hand into his pocket while the villagers weren't looking and blindly typed a warning to Zhang Qizheng, who had