A magnetic anomaly was just a magnetic anomaly, explainable by geological structures, mineral distribution, or hydrological conditions.
The gathering of animals was the result of ecological recovery, traceable and supported by data.
But now, looking at the precise and detailed investigation records in the booklet, and then considering what they had encountered along the way...
One moment, a poaching syndicate had just completed its secret survey of Cangshan, mapping out the habitats of animals like the Lin She, clouded leopards, and pangolins with perfect clarity.
The next, this mountain forest had suddenly "mutated." People couldn’t get in, equipment failed, and it was as if an invisible barrier had sprung up overnight.
A coincidence?
Or was it...
Expert Fang didn’t continue, merely letting out a sigh.
The others were silent as well.
Yang Qi stood at the edge of the firelight, a similar feeling welling up inside him.
’Cangshan doesn’t have a spirit,’ he knew.
’The tree root that tripped Xiaoxu was a coincidence, and while I personally set up the Array, I didn’t arrange for the Black Rat Snake, and the Eagle Owl was the one who told me about the Lin She.’
But Yang Qi also knew it was perfectly normal for poachers to target this forest.
The Lin She, the Chinese Merganser, the Chinese Pangolin, the clouded leopard...
And then there was the South China Tiger he hadn’t told anyone about, hidden on the outskirts of Ancient Goose Forest with its two cubs.
Any single one of them was priceless "hard currency" on the black market.
To poachers, Cangshan was like a gold mine for the taking.
How could they not covet it?
"Let’s get out of the mountains."
Professor Zhou took a deep breath, breaking the long silence.
"Rather than wait here for dawn and risk another accident, we should hike out tonight."
No one objected.
Senior Engineer Li was the first to nod, beginning to pack up the instruments spread across the ground.
The graduate students also rose quietly, stuffing sleeping bags into their backpacks, turning off their camp stoves, and stamping out stray embers.
The middle-aged expert named Liu said nothing the entire time.
There was no signal here; no matter how many calls he tried to make, they wouldn’t go through.
As for what awaited him once they were out—the investigation, the questioning, perhaps even being held accountable...
He couldn’t run from it!
No matter what, there was no escape.
He simply packed his things in silence, his movements stiff, his face ashen.
A few minutes later, the campsite was an empty clearing again, with only a few piles of water-drenched ash sending up final wisps of smoke in the night wind.
"Flashlights on, headlamps on."
Uncle Cai wrapped the leashes for Dahuang and Big Black tightly around his wrist. "Stay close to me. Don’t fall behind."
Twenty-some beams of bright light pierced the darkness.
The group set off.
Yang Qi, escorting Xiaoxu, walked at the very back.
Xiaoxu was still bound tightly by the vines, deep red marks chafed into his wrists.
He didn’t resist or try to escape, just walked in silence, occasionally stumbling over a tree root or rock underfoot.
Yang Qi didn’t help him up.
Leopard and Bai Wan trotted back and forth on either side of the group, like two moving security cordons.
They didn’t bark or herd, but their actions sent a clear message to everyone in the party.
Don’t stray. Don’t fall behind.
The night trek through the forest was silent, save for the RUSTLE of feet on fallen leaves and the occasional stifled cough.
「About two hours later.」
The ground beneath their feet suddenly felt solid.
It was no longer soft humus and fallen leaves, but a hard, flat gravel road.
Uncle Cai stopped and shone his flashlight ahead.
Not far off, the entrance booth to the forest park stood quietly in the night.
They were out.
The cell phone signal bars practically leaped from "No Service" to full strength.
Jiang Kai immediately dialed a number, his voice low and his words rapid.
Yang Qi stood at the edge of the group and glanced up at the night sky.
The clouds had parted at some point, revealing a sliver of a cold, waning moon.
...
「1:37 a.m.」
Xianliu County Public Security Bureau.
Yang Qi was giving his statement.
The police officer taking his statement was so polite as to be almost cautious. He poured water, asked questions, took notes, and verified the details, showing not the slightest hint of being difficult.
"Advisor Yang, we don’t have any more questions for now. If we need any additional information later, we’ll contact you." The officer handed back his ID with both hands.
"Thank you for your hard work." Yang Qi took it.
He pushed open the door to the interrogation room.
The fluorescent lights in the hallway were a bit harsh. He instinctively squinted and raised a hand to shield his eyes.
"Advisor Yang, please have a seat over here and rest for a bit."
A young officer quickly led Yang Qi to a bench in the hallway and poured him a cup of hot water.
"Thank you."
Yang Qi accepted it with a word of thanks.
At the other end of the hall, Jiang Kai and Uncle Cai were sitting, each with an untouched cup of water in front of them.
Uncle Cai’s two hounds, Dahuang and Big Black, were lying quietly at his feet, already asleep.
Bai Wan and Leopard were lying next to Jiang Kai.
Yang Qi walked over, petted Bai Wan and Leopard, and sat down beside them.
"Finished?" Jiang Kai asked.
"Finished."
Yang Qi nodded. "Fingerprints, blood sample, statement of events—they’ve recorded everything. They also analyzed the poison on the dagger. It’s cyanide, in a lethal concentration."
Jiang Kai was silent for a few seconds, then cursed something under his breath before sighing.
Uncle Cai shook his head, his rough palm rubbing his knee.
"Those bastards really weren’t afraid to kill."
The three of them fell silent.
The sound of hurried footsteps and conversation came from the other end of the hall as several figures walked past quickly.
Yang Qi looked up and vaguely recognized the man in the lead as the magistrate of Xianliu County, followed by several people who looked like secretaries, all with grim expressions.
They went straight into a conference room, and the door quickly closed, cutting off the sounds from within.
"The city leadership will be here soon, too."
Jiang Kai glanced at his phone. "This whole thing tonight has blown up."
He paused, then lowered his voice. "I’m not talking about you, Xiao Yang. Professor Zhou, Senior Engineer Li... they’re all experts of provincial renown. If something had happened to them in Cangshan, from the top down, no one would have escaped the consequences."