The deeper the night pressed in, the colder the forest grew.
Su Chen followed the faint flicker of firelight into the woods, barely making a sound. Fallen leaves, broken branches, and scattered stones were no obstacles to him—instead, they were clues.
Someone had just passed through here.
More than one person.
Three.
One had heavy footsteps, like a bodyguard. One moved lightly, like a habitual criminal. And the third had left drag marks, clearly from hauling something.
Not a child.
A box.
Su Chen's gaze darkened.
That meant Xu Tinglan had guessed right.
The black-canopied carriage had only been a transfer point. What they were really trying to protect wasn't the two children inside, but another illicit transaction.
The firelight ahead flickered again.
Briefly.
As if someone had deliberately shown it.
Su Chen didn't slow down. He sped up instead.
The fact that Han Su's men still dared to leave someone behind to cover their retreat meant the things the group ahead was carrying were certainly valuable.
Since he'd pursued them this far tonight, he had no intention of going back empty-handed.
He passed through a thicket of dark, densely packed shrubs, and the ground ahead suddenly dipped.
A dried-up riverbed.
It wasn't deep. Broken stones and logs littered both banks, and a small carriage with its canopy removed stood in the middle. Its shafts were crooked, and two horses were tethered beside it.
Sure enough, there were people by the carriage.
One was rummaging through a box.
One was lighting a fire.
And the third stood at the edge of the riverbed, his back to Su Chen as he watched for danger.
The moment Su Chen stopped, the lookout seemed to sense something and whipped around.
"Who's there!"
The instant the words left his mouth, Su Chen moved.
He