The three made their way halfway up the mountain and met Daoist Li, who had answered the phone.
He was in his forties, thin but with bright, alert eyes.
Daoist Li handed Zhong Xueran's phone to Shen Hai and said, "I entrust this to you, sir. Please return it to Miss Zhong."
"Daoist Li, where exactly did you find this phone?" Xia Nan asked.
At his question, Daoist Li led them onward. He walked some twenty meters down from the entrance to the downhill path and pointed beside it. "Right here."
Xia Nan immediately crouched down to examine the spot carefully. Shen Hai did exactly the same, while only Yan Xiao nodded to Daoist Li.
"Thank you."
"Then I shall take my leave." Daoist Li turned and returned to Little Chongyang Temple.
As a forensic doctor, Xia Nan was quite skilled at examining traces left at a scene.
He studied the footprints on the ground, his gaze gradually traveling downhill.
Shen Hai, on the other hand, could make little sense of them. Seeing this, he glanced at Xia Nan. "Found something?"
Xia Nan nodded. "It rained today, and the mountain path is muddy. Footprints are easily left behind, but just as easily muddled. Miss Zhong was very clever, though..."
He pointed to where the phone had fallen beside the path. It had nearly fallen off the path and into the grass.
"Miss Zhong deliberately walked along the edge. There are fewer footprints here, so hers wouldn't easily be covered by passing pilgrims."
"That woman certainly has her little tricks. What else can you tell?" Shen Hai asked.
"Miss Zhong probably isn't in mortal danger for now. Her footprints suggest she was still fairly composed. Even if something unexpected did happen, she should have managed to deal with it." Xia Nan