Chapter 714: Chapter 612: The Mountain of Despair
The name Jiang Ning was somewhat unfamiliar to everyone in the village.
However, after getting a clear look at the person approaching, everyone widened their eyes.
These young kids from the city recording programs — they’ve been watching them for who knows how many times these days. They can’t remember their names, but their appearances are deeply etched in their minds.
“Girl, why did you come here?” someone couldn’t help but ask.
“I heard Shi Xiaohua was missing, so I came to check,” Jiang Ning sensed the damp, chilly environment in the forest and said to them, “Aunties, the villagers are just behind, they’re coming soon.”
“Xiao Hua hasn’t returned to the village?” Aunt Tian’s last shred of hope shattered.
There’s no hiding it, Jiang Ning answered truthfully: “No.”
Seeing Aunt Tian wailing and crying, Jiang Ning didn’t offer much comfort, but instead took out a flashlight from her body and handed it to them, saying to the others, “It’s too dark right now, it’s not safe for you to take the children out. Wait for the people behind to come up, then let a few young men escort you down the mountain with flashlights.”
One of the old ladies took the flashlight and asked, “Girl, aren’t you coming with us?”
“I’ll look around for Shi Xiaohua nearby,” Jiang Ning rummaged for another flashlight on her body.
“You by yourself? That won’t do! It’s better to wait until the villagers come up,” the old lady hastily stopped her.
It’s not that she wasn’t worried about Shi Xiaohua, but the girl here looked only about twenty years old, from the city, having never been in this mountain before, and now it’s dark out. They don’t want her to end up like Shi Xiaohua and go missing!
The old lady was genuinely worried.
Hearing this, the others also advised against it, even Aunt Tian, who was originally crying out of distress, told Jiang Ning not to go.
“It’s fine, I’m skilled in outdoor exploration. I grew up in the mountains when I was young,” Jiang Ning responded, stepping towards another direction.
The aunties saw they couldn’t stop her and could only advise Jiang Ning: “Girl, don’t go too deep in!”
Jiang Ning said this, yet her footsteps searching for the person showed no hesitation.
The old ladies could only watch Jiang Ning’s figure grow more distant. At this time, everyone realized that the girl from the city was walking on this muddy and slippery mountain road without panic, with steady steps, as if she were walking on flat ground.
In just a while, before they could even react, Jiang Ning’s figure had already vanished from their sight.
They themselves didn’t realize Jiang Ning walked so fast.
If it weren’t for the flashlight Jiang Ning had just given them, they might even wonder if they had encountered something supernatural.
“Girl? Girl!” The old lady holding the flashlight bravely shouted twice in the direction Jiang Ning disappeared, her voice trembling.
After waiting for a while, with no response from Jiang Ning, she stared at the flashlight in her hand, and her arm couldn’t help but start trembling.
Since Jiang Ning arrived earlier, everyone gathered together, knowing that Jiang Ning was right.
Now that it’s dark, going out of the mountains alone is indeed unsafe.
They could only sit together and wait for the villagers to come up.
The light from the flashlight was almost everyone’s source of security.
They didn’t know how long they waited in place; maybe it was long, maybe just a while. Each passing minute and second was excruciating for everyone, especially with two younger children who were terrified by the surrounding darkness, crying and snuggled in an adult’s arms, sobbing.
Just when everyone’s mind was in turmoil, they faintly heard other noises, and several flashlight beams appeared in their sight.