As the sky grew darker, the crowds of people coming to and from the market gradually dispersed, and from time to time there were insect vendors carrying insect baskets and passing by me, and the originally deserted village began to become lively.

Did Ling Zexu really go to the market?

As I walked forward, my steps getting heavier and heavier.

Could Ling Zexu have discovered new clues in the market and have already pursued them alone?

No, there must be something wrong with things.

I walked slower and slower, finally stopped, turned and ran back.

Run all the way to the bank of the river where the caisson was found.

I looked at the rushing water, then turned my head to look behind me.

Behind you is the village.

In the village now, not only are there villagers who have returned from the market, but many people who used to stay at home have also left their homes, gossiping, walking through the alleys, or wandering outside.

This is a normal mountain village, and the empty scene before is really weird.

But in the previous village, there was really not a single one?

I carefully recalled.

There are still.

There are village women who fetch water, rough men who throw garbage, lost customers, and hawkers......

The count is over.

Although there are few people, and they all pass by in a hurry, it cannot be said that there is no one.

So, what do these four people have to do with our incident this time?

It doesn't matter.

Their presence just gave me a wake-up call.

This is not an uninhabited village!

What does it mean?

The river was miles long, so why didn't the prisoners sink the boxes into the section of the river at the edge of the village?

Aren't they afraid of being seen by the villagers or by the guests passing by?

If it is for convenience, as long as you go forty or fifty steps upstream, there is a sloping boulder on the bank of the river, which can block the view of the idlers and others.

So, there must have been some reason why they chose this section of the river that is easy to witness.

Maybe that's the reason...... It is precisely 'easy to be witnessed'.

Choose this section of the river caisson so that it is easy for others to see it as well as for themselves.

In other words, it is very likely that the prisoner, or an accomplice of the prisoner, was watching this section of the river nearby to prevent the darts from being discovered and taken!

Once again, I scanned the village.

There must be a pair of eyes hidden in these hundreds of houses.

Which room will it be?

Maybe Ling Zexu has already found the right answer - this is probably the reason for his disappearance!

I frowned and walked up and down the village.

There are more than 200 houses here, if Hu Chuang breaks in, once he startles the snake, the prisoner will take the opportunity to slip away, not to mention, Ling Zexu's situation is even more dangerous.

What to do?

"This guest, the market has dispersed, you better go back quickly, if it is completely dark, the mountain road is not easy to walk." A villager persuaded.

"Can you spend the night here?" I took the opportunity to ask.

"There are no hotels in this village, and my own house is even more inconvenient for receiving foreign visitors." The villager said, "If you don't listen to the persuasion, no one will care about you when the door is smashed." ”

"Thanks for the reminder, then I'll go first." I arched my hand and walked towards the market under the gaze of the villagers.

Out of his sight, I turned around and quickly climbed up the cliff next to me, taking advantage of the mountain to hide my figure, and followed the cliff back to the village.

I didn't show up again, but lurked in the high ground, secretly observing the situation in the village.

If I'm not bad, there will always be times when the prisoner shows clues.

Wait.

Waited an hour.

The sky was already completely painted, and the villagers all went back to their houses, and the whole village was quiet, except for the unknown mountain birds cooing, except for the occasional people who came out to fetch water and pee or something.

Everything seems to be working fine.

I began to mutter:

If the prisoner is determined to stay in the house, how long can I wait here?

No waiting!

I jumped off the cliff with my heart crossed, strode to the door of a room, and knocked on it a few times.

"Who?" A moment later, a familiar voice came from the door.

This is very normal, because the one I photographed was the first one I photographed when I first entered the village.

Although the old man in the family was very polite and didn't even open the door, he finally pointed me in the direction.

"Your ancestor!"

I kicked the door and broke it.

The old man was so startled that he retreated again and again, and sat down on the ground.

"You...... Who are you? He stammered.

"The person who asked you for a question today." I said.

"Yes...... It's you? The old man's eyes rolled.

"It's me." I said, "Without further ado, take me to my friends right away." ”

"What friend?" The old man said with a straight face, "I don't know. ”

"Still with garlic?" I sneered, "Master Ben has already seen through everything!" ”

"You, what have you seen through?" The old man said in a trembling voice.

"When I asked you before, you said, 'My friend can't get into any house, and if there is no one in the village, he will either go out of the mountain road at the edge of the village, or go along the river.'" I said.

"Did I say that? I can't remember. The old man shook his head and said, "Besides, there is nothing wrong with that." ”

"Originally, I didn't think there was anything wrong with it." I said, "But when I think about it later, I don't think it tastes right." ”

"What's wrong?" The old man was stunned.

"I said I came to find a friend, and you didn't even have to think about it, just tell me right away that my friend had left through another exit." I said, "Even if the villagers will never let outsiders into the house, but the houses in the village are so complicated, how do you know that my friend is not lost in the village, or is hiding?" ”

"Guess what." The old man said.

"Guests to the village often leave through those two exits?" I snorted.

"This ...... I don't know. The old man bowed his head and said.

"I know." I snapped, "I have carefully observed those two roads, and there are very few traces of people passing through, because those two roads are not official roads, and they are narrow and difficult to walk. ”

"Very little, and there is." The old man hurriedly defended.

"yes, so on the surface, there's nothing wrong with your answer." I pushed it a step further, "But when a person gives you advice, does he ignore the greater possibilities and point out directions that are less likely?" ”

The old man was silent {he probably didn't understand me}.

"The reason why you mentioned these two exits is actually two meanings." I continued, "One, it is by your desire to lure me away from the village; Second, you know one thing in your heart - my friends and I are not guests who come to buy worms, so the probability that we will leave through other exits is much higher than that of ordinary outsiders! ”

After saying this, I stared at the old man condescendingly.

"Guest, you ...... You have some truth in that. "But I didn't think it was so complicated. ”