Cheng Su and Li Qiulan were busy pickling cucumbers in the small courtyard. Meanwhile, Ning Ge, with a backpack strapped on, climbed up Water Chestnut Mountain. He moved with agility and quickness, expertly navigating through the terrain, occasionally stopping to listen closely to the sounds around him. His expression was one of vigilance and sternness, something neither Cheng Su nor Qi Taiguo had ever seen on his face before.
Trusting his memory, Ning Ge climbed up the mountain off the beaten path, taking a rugged trail instead. Before long, his hands were scratched and bleeding from the thorns and branches.
But Ning Ge didn't care in the least. His eyes blazed as he burrowed towards the place in his memory.
The sun began to dip westward, and the mountain was covered in shade from the dense foliage, blocking out much of the sunlight, leaving only dappled specks of light filtering down through the leaves.
