# 186
**Chapter 186: Ripe**
Thick, heavy clouds hung like lead over the sky, shrouding the entire valley in shadow. Though it was only evening, sunlight seemed nowhere to be found.
Compared to before, the rainfall had lessened slightly, but the prolonged soaking still left the body aching and uncomfortable.
In the dim forest, a man in a black military coat trudged up a muddy hill. He glanced back at the ruined village in the valley below, narrowing his eyes slightly.
He turned and continued climbing, scanning the surrounding earth and rocks as if searching for something.
The rain-soaked mountain was soft and unstable. One wrong step could send a person sliding down the muddy slope or dislodge stones that tumbled down the hillside.
This wasn’t some scenic mountain with sturdy stone steps or viewing platforms. Here, there were only rugged, winding trails and rainwater trickling like small streams.
Suddenly, he froze, hearing something. He whipped his head around.
Three figures were struggling up the path he had taken. Deng Wei looked up and called out hoarsely:
“Shen… Shen! Wait up… we can’t keep up…”
Shen Qingzhu frowned. “You? What are you doing here?”
“Shen, we know you better than anyone,” Li Liang said with a grin. “You say you’re not coming, but you never listen to the instructors. You’re definitely sneaking off to find that girl’s parents…”
“So, we took advantage of a bathroom break and slipped away,” Li Jia added.
Shen Qingzhu stared at them, covered in mud. After a moment, he cursed, “Damn it, don’t act like you know me. I just needed some air…”
Deng Wei and the others chuckled as they reached him, looking around. “Shen, how should we split up? Just tell us!”
Shen Qingzhu: …
His mouth twitched. After a pause, he muttered, “Visibility’s bad. We can’t split up too much. Stay within five meters of each other. Search slowly.”
“Got it, Shen!”
“…You weren’t followed, were you?”
“Don’t worry, Shen,” Deng Wei said confidently, patting his chest. “We were super careful. No one saw us.”
“Good.”
…
Village No. 1, entrance.
Lin Qiye, in a black military coat, leaned against a large tree, eyes fixed on the darkening mountain peaks.
Baili Pangpang rushed out from the ruined village and said urgently:
“Qiye, Shen Qingzhu’s gone. Deng Wei, Li Jia, and Li Liang said they were going to the bathroom and haven’t come back. The instructors think they sneaked off to search for Yaya’s parents.”
Lin Qiye glanced at him. “Not ‘think.’ They definitely did.”
Baili Pangpang blinked. “How do you know?”
“I saw Deng Wei and the others sneak out of the village and head straight for the mountains.”
“…”
“Then why didn’t you stop them?”
“Couldn’t,” Lin Qiye said, shaking his head. “If Shen Qingzhu went, they’d follow. Better to turn a blind eye than cause a scene.”
Baili Pangpang sighed, staring at the dark peaks. “It’s so dark… you think they’ll be okay?”
Lin Qiye said nothing.
“Qiye… maybe we should sneak out too? Help them?” Baili Pangpang probed again.
Lin Qiye smiled wryly. “Stop testing me. Of course we’ll help. But not like them—rushing in blindly. We need a plan.”
“A plan? What kind?” Baili Pangpang asked, confused.
“You think I’ve just been sitting here for no reason?” Lin Qiye said calmly.
He looked up at the darkening sky and raised a finger. Bats swooped down from above, circling him. At the same time, countless insects emerged from the soft soil, surrounding him.
Lin Qiye looked like their king.
Baili Pangpang’s jaw dropped.
“Still not enough. Need more,” Lin Qiye murmured. “The night needs to deepen…”
…
In the dark forest, four figures moved in a square formation, flashlights in hand, searching slowly and carefully.
Each rescue team had been issued flashlights—especially those heading into the deep mountains. During training, they weren’t given lights to build night adaptability. But this wasn’t training.
Without flashlights, they’d be groping in the dark, risking getting lost. Instead of saving anyone, they’d need rescuing themselves.
“Shen!” Li Jia suddenly shouted. “Over here!”
Shen Qingzhu rushed over. In the beam of the flashlight, half-buried in the mud, was a worn woman’s sneaker.
“Stuck in the mud, no weathering. Must’ve been left after the landslide,” Shen Qingzhu said, eyes lighting up.
“So… this might be Yaya’s mom’s shoe? She’s alive?” Li Jia exclaimed.
“Possibly!” Shen Qingzhu said firmly. “Spread out. Search nearby for more clues.”
The discovery of the shoe boosted morale. They began searching outward from that spot.
Li Jia walked slowly along the slippery path, sweeping his flashlight across the ground. He glanced up—they were far from the village now, completely out of sight.
He lowered his head and continued searching.
Rustle…
A faint sound came from the side. Li Jia paused, hopeful, and shone his light toward it.
A man with an axe strolled leisurely down the path.
“Are you… Yaya’s father?” Li Jia asked excitedly.
“Yaya? Don’t know any Yaya,” the man grinned, revealing yellowed teeth. His narrow eyes sized Li Jia up.
“But your little head looks nice and ripe. Time to pick it.”
In the flashlight’s glow, the man’s grin turned sinister. The axe on his shoulder flashed as he swung it down!