Chapter 50

Guangming kicked the door and said angrily, "Why don't we set a fire and burn this place down to see if they come out."

As he spoke, he handed the watermelon knife to his left hand and took out a lighter from his pocket, lit it, and looked at Zhou Huazhong, waiting for his nod to start the fire.

Zhou Huazhong hesitated upon hearing this. Luo Ci quickly stopped him, "My sister is still in their hands. If she's being held in one of these rooms, what if she gets hurt by mistake?"

Guangming immediately reacted to Luo Ci's words, feeling guilty, "I was so focused on dealing with them that I forgot about Sister Luoshi. That was wrong of me." He then put away the lighter.

Xu Mo suggested, "Why don't we check other places first?"

Zhou Huazhong nodded in agreement and then turned to Guangming and Guangliang, "Xiaoming, Xiaoliang, you two stay here and guard this place. Don't let them escape from the rooms while we're gone."

Guangliang replied, "Don't worry, Teacher Zhou. With my brother and me here, no one will escape."

Xu Mo felt uneasy about Zhou Huazhong's arrangement, thinking, "If you split up, won't they be picked off one by one?" He wanted to remind him but then thought, "Zhou Huazhong is so arrogant, he won't listen to me." So he held back.

He glanced at the three large houses and thought, "The locks are on the outside, so there might not be anyone inside. But the people they kidnapped are likely being held in there."

He wanted to call out, but then thought, "If they're locked inside, they must have lost their ability to move. If I call out, they won't be able to respond, and it might alert others." So he did nothing.

By this time, Zhou Huazhong had already led the way out of the yard, through the archway, and turned left. The left side of the back yard was covered with deep grass, and they had to make their way through it. This area of grass was about a thousand square meters. After struggling through the grass, they found a few connected metal sheds with only one outer door.

The door was also locked, and Zhou Huazhong broke the lock. The door was blocked from the inside and couldn't be pushed open. Zhou Huazhong, angry and frustrated, kicked the door several times.

The metal sheds were near the edge of the outer wall. Looking ahead, there were no other buildings. Zhou Huazhong had to lead the group back the same way, searching the other side of the back yard, which was full of shrubs and grass. At the back of the yard, there was another door by the wall leading to the back mountain.

The back mountain was covered with trees. Zhou Huazhong led the group to search the entire mountain but found nothing unusual. Although there were more mountains connected to Jingnv Peak in the distance, they were too far away, and he had no interest in going there.

On the cliff edge of the back mountain, Xu Mo saw the waterfall, known as Jingnv's Hair Waterfall. The waterfall originated from the middle of the mountain and flowed into a pool at the bottom of the cliff. The sound was so loud that it could be heard from the top of the cliff. Looking down, one could see a silver-white stream falling into the depths, causing dizziness and vertigo.

The waterfall splashed into the pool, creating a mist that enveloped the area near the cliff.

Xu Mo looked at the waterfall, lost in thought, until Luo Ci called him back. He then followed the group back to the yard.

When they returned to the back yard, the Guang brothers came forward. Guangming asked, "Teacher Zhou, how did it go? Did you find anything?" He had already guessed the result from Zhou Huazhong's angry expression but couldn't help asking.

Zhou Huazhong said angrily, "Damn it, we searched for so long and found nothing. But at least we can be sure that those people are hiding in this yard or in those metal sheds."

"Metal sheds?" Guangliang asked, puzzled.

Anjing explained, "On the other side of the yard..." He pointed in the direction of the metal sheds, "... there are a few metal sheds, and they are also blocked from the inside."

"What should we do?" Guangliang hesitated for a moment and asked, "Should we stay together or split up and guard each place separately?"

Zhou Huazhong waved his hand and said through gritted teeth, "If the monks can run, the temple can't. This yard is big, so we'll stay here and guard it. If they have the nerve, they should never come out."

After a pause, he added, "Alright, let's not worry about them now. Let's get the food and eat first."

Xu Mo stood in the yard, lost in thought. When they went out the back door to search the back mountain, his uneasy feeling had disappeared, but it returned as soon as they came back to the yard. The feeling was so strong that it seemed he could touch it, but he couldn't pinpoint what was wrong.

Hearing Zhou Huazhong call for dinner, he shook his head, pushed the thought aside, and followed the group.

After eating, they stayed in the yard, waiting. As the afternoon turned into evening, the three large houses remained quiet.

Xu Mo looked at the sky, feeling uneasy, and glanced at Luo Ci. Luo Ci understood and said to Zhou Huazhong, "Uncle, it's getting dark. Should we go back and come again tomorrow?"

She was always respectful and lacked confidence when speaking to Zhou Huazhong.

Zhou Huazhong glared at her and said unhappily, "We're waiting for night. They won't come out until it's dark. Go back? Do you want to give up on saving your sister?" His impulsive nature made his tone harsh.

Luo Ci was speechless when he mentioned her sister. She looked at Xu Mo with a guilty expression.

Xu Mo sighed and gave up the idea of returning before dark.

The sky finally turned completely dark. It was the seventh day of the fourth lunar month, and only a small crescent moon hung in the sky, making it even darker.

Xu Mo and Luo Ci were nervous, while the others were eager. Anjing, impatient, asked Zhou Huazhong, "Teacher Zhou, how long do we wait?"

Zhou Huazhong didn't answer but turned to Guangming and ordered, "Get the powerful flashlights."

Guangming responded, opened his travel bag, and took out a small pack with several powerful flashlights, giving one to each person.

Xu Mo took the flashlight, thought for a moment, and suddenly said, "Give me your lighter."

Guangming was surprised, "What do you need a lighter for?" He didn't smoke and carried the lighter just for fun. He handed it to Xu Mo and warned, "Be careful. Sister Luoshi is still in their hands. Don't start a fire and hurt her."

Xu Mo nodded in agreement.

At this moment, the parrot on Luo Ci's shoulder suddenly flapped its wings, flew a short distance, and then landed again.

Luo Ci quickly comforted it, "Xiaoying, don't be afraid." She stroked its feathers, but the parrot kept turning its head, looking very uneasy.

Xu Mo looked at the parrot and suddenly realized why he had felt uneasy since entering the yard.

The yard was too quiet, eerily quiet. Despite the deep grass everywhere, he hadn't seen any living animals.

There were many birds on the back mountain, but none had flown into the yard.

He became alert: There must be something terrifying in this yard that keeps the birds and animals away.

Zhou Huazhong turned on the flashlight and shone it around, then said, "Be careful. After dark, they will try to sneak attack us."

He then looked at Xu Mo and Luo Ci and instructed, "Xiao Xu, Xiao Ci, you two be careful. If anything happens, stay behind us. We'll protect you, but don't run around and distract us."

Luo Ci replied, "Understood, thank you, Uncle."

Xu Mo also responded, but he thought, "Although Zhou Huazhong is impulsive, he has a good heart and cares for us in dangerous situations."

Anjing raised his flashlight and shone it at the doors of the three large houses, looking excited, "These cowards, I wonder how long they'll hide."

Before he finished speaking, a sharp whistle sounded from the front yard. The sound was so loud and piercing that it hurt the ears.

"They're in the front yard," Zhou Huazhong's spirit was immediately lifted. He raised his watermelon knife and urged, "Quick, quick, don't let them escape."

He was about to rush to the front yard when Xu Mo reminded him, "Be careful, it might be a trap. Also, don't fall for their diversion tactic." This was to repay Zhou Huazhong for his earlier concern.

Zhou Huazhong, though impulsive, wasn't stupid. He stopped and said, "Xiao Xu is right. We'll go quietly. Xiaoming, Xiaoliang, you two stay here and continue guarding. Xiao Xu, Xiao Ci, stay close to me. If anything happens, I can protect you."

He then signaled to Anjing, and the two of them walked cautiously to the front yard. Xu Mo and Luo Ci followed closely behind.

But the whistle sound, after one sharp blast, disappeared.