A total of four men came, wearing neat suits that exuded a sense of competence.
From the first glance, Beisitian knew these people were skilled. Moreover, judging by their movements and team formation as they approached, they were likely military personnel!
Who exactly is Wu Yuekai?
Unwilling to linger any longer, Beisitian asked Wu Yuekai a question to confirm they were looking for him and then decided to leave.
"Which village is the little girl from?" Wu Yuekai glanced at the men without surprise.
"Kao Village." Beisitian paused for a moment before continuing, "It was just a small favor." With that, she left without looking back.
Wu Yuekai watched Beisitian’s departing figure with a smile, acknowledging that the little girl indicated he needn’t go out of his way to thank her!
It was the first time he had encountered such a young lady!
Those four men came over and cast a glance at Beisitian. One of them bent over and whispered, "Commander, are you alright?"
Wu Yuekai shook his head, "I’m fine. You came after I finished eating and drinking. Go inquire about the little girl, but make sure not to disturb her. Simply inquire and don’t take any unnecessary actions."
The man quickly straightened up and puffed his chest, "Yes!"
But he felt a bit surprised internally. It wasn’t his first time gathering information, but the specific instructions to avoid disturbing the person were a first.
Beisitian soon returned to the village. Seeing it was still early, she planned a trip into the mountains, taking Zhuangzhuang along.
Zhuangzhuang had grown quite a bit. Still rotund, his barks lacked ferocity and he appeared adorably dumb, without any semblance of a wolf.
Zhuangzhuang no longer needed to be in Beisitian’s basket; he trotted along behind her, sticking close.
Passing the North Slope, Beisitian descended into a hollow and after a few turns arrived at Zhou Tian’s cave.
This cave was Zhou Tian’s longest residence due to its spaciousness and dryness, as well as being sheltered with few predators, allowing for a peaceful stay for so long.
Zhou Tian cared deeply for his wolf dogs; though numerous, they could suffer casualties when fighting beasts, like that bear which almost claimed the life of a mother wolf dog.
"Uncle Zhou, I brought you sesame pancakes," Beisitian smiled as she entered the cave.
Zhou Tian knew of her arrival from afar and quickly welcomed her in, offering her a hay mat.
The mother wolf dog warmly wagged its tail as it circled her and then affectionately brushed heads with Zhuangzhuang.
The wolf dogs typically nested outside the cave unless it rained or snowed, keeping Zhou Tian’s cave clean and mostly odor-free.
When Beisitian took out the sesame pancakes, Zhou Tian caught the aroma and sniffed lightly, praising, "It smells really good! Ever since meeting Little Tian’er, I feel alive again!"
"Uncle Zhou, what are you saying? You are a person to begin with!" Beisitian laughed.
Zhou Tian laughed heartily and quickly ate a pancake along with clear water.
Beisitian often visited Zhou Tian initially out of curiosity, but gradually realized he valued loyalty immensely, especially toward the wolf dogs which accompanied and protected him.
Thus Beisitian respected and admired him more, leading her to willingly associate with Zhou Tian.
After getting to know Zhou Tian, Beisitian could venture into the mountains to collect herbs without worrying about safety, as wolf dogs would invariably surround her.
Today, after a brief chat with Zhou Tian, her main purpose was delivering the pancakes without plans to collect herbs, so she prepared to leave.
"Little Tian’er, stay away from the cliff wall recently. We’ve had overcast weather for over a month, causing the ground to become unstable and prone to landslides!" Zhou Tian advised.
Beisitian acknowledged with a sound as she departed.
Passing the North Slope, Beisitian frowned at the large accumulation of water at the village entrance. The area was low-lying; even slight rain would result in sufficient water to rear fish, the water depth just enough to submerge one’s feet, creating a large blockage on the path into the village!
Beisitian had to take a detour towards the southern side of the village, which, though further away, had higher elevation and no water accumulation.
She placed Zhuangzhuang into the basket and walked toward the southern part of the village.
This area was quite secluded with few residents; only those close to the mountains or newly formed households lived here.
Beisitian stepped onto the street, hastening her pace upon seeing the rising smoke as she intended to cook. But wait, it’s not even four o’clock—why would anyone be cooking already?
She stopped abruptly and looked upward, feeling a sudden weight in her heart. The smoke wasn’t cooking smoke nor rising from chimneys!
The smoke was emerging from the mountain!
Beisitian’s first thought was a fire, but soon she heard the crackling sounds and her eyes narrowed with a sudden heavy feeling—a familiar sensation overwhelmed her.
In her previous life, she’d seen smoke from the mountain and heard these sounds...
Beisitian was suddenly horrified, realizing the mountain was about to collapse!
This side of the mountain was earthen, with three households below. If it collapsed, they would all be buried!
Beisitian quickly set down her basket and ran towards that direction, shouting about the impending landslide, but the people inside showed no reaction.
She could only rush to the nearest household, which appeared newly independent, its yard not yet fully renovated. She pushed the flimsy door and rushed inside.
Inside, a man was fixing a table leg while a woman sat on the bed sewing shoe soles; a little child over one-year-old was playing with fabric strips.
The couple froze upon seeing a young girl suddenly enter, but the man reacted swiftly, standing to ask who she was. Seeing her rush to grab his child and dash out, he hadn’t yet asked.
The couple became frantic, the man leading the chase while the woman hastily went out barefoot.
Outside, they heard the crazy woman running with their child shouting about a landslide. Concerned only for their child, they didn’t think, focusing solely on catching the crazy woman and retrieving their child.
Other households nearby emerged at the commotion and, hearing Beisitian’s warning, glanced back. Their faces turned pale when they saw soil sliding from the slope!
That person hurried inside to alert their family.
Beisitian, having run some distance with the child, stopped. The couple behind had almost caught up, their faces contorted as they lunged at her. But before they reached her, a massive noise erupted.
Turning back, they couldn’t find their house anymore!