For now setting aside the three criminals whose identities remained unknown, Guan Xia asked the question that concerned her the most at this point: "Based on our speculation, the remains of the missing Lv Xiangmei and Li Song should have been sealed into the walls of the new houses. So why does Li Feng keep going up the mountain?"
Recalling the information Li Miao had inadvertently revealed, Guan Xia asserted, "Li Feng's habit of going up the mountain isn’t something recent. Li Miao mentioned it to us, even demonstrating a clear awareness of Li Feng’s movements. That means this habit has been going on for at least several months, half a year, or even longer. What could be up there that keeps drawing him back?"
Qi Bai hesitated for a few seconds before suggesting, "Could it be that our initial speculation was wrong? Maybe the remains of the two missing people were buried in the mountains instead? As the village develops and attracts more tourists, Li Feng might be worried about discovery, which is why he keeps returning—to make sure nothing is found."
At first glance, Qi Bai’s theory seemed plausible. But after a few moments of contemplation, the group dismissed it.
"Unlikely," Jiang Yingyao said. "If this were a first-time killer with no experience, such a mistake might be possible. But Li Feng has been by Wu Yang’s side for years—they grew up together. Just looking at Wu Xingxian, we can tell he’s not reckless. I still think our original theory holds more weight."
Wang Yu agreed, "Jiang’s right. From the records we’ve checked, Li Feng is actually a year older than Wu Xingxian, just a year younger than Wu Yang. Though he didn’t attend the same university as Wu Yang, they were in the same city. In terms of time spent together, Li Feng’s been around even longer. So it’s highly improbable that he buried the remains in the mountains."
"Then that’s strange," Qi Bai said, spreading his hands. "If there are no remains up there, why does he keep going? Unless… besides Lv Xiangmei and Li Song, he has other secrets he can’t afford to expose?"
"That’s not impossible," Guan Xia remarked. "Someone who’s grown accustomed to solving problems through murder—even if they’ve supposedly ‘retired’ to their hometown to lead the village to prosperity—doesn’t necessarily stop committing crimes. The remains of Lv Xiangmei and Li Song are almost certainly in that villa area, but that doesn’t mean others are too."
“But the mountains have been developed,” Zhong Xiaoyu mused, deep in thought. “Qi Bai and I spent the whole afternoon there. The development is extensive—besides the rafting activities, the fruit-picking projects are completely open to unlimited visitors. Even though it’s not peak tourist season yet, there were quite a few people, especially couples looking to bond in that kind of setting. While we were exploring, we even saw free-range chickens and dogs guarding the orchards. Even if humans don’t notice anything, animals with sharper senses would surely pick up on something.”
The reasoning was sound, yet something still didn’t add up. Guan Xia frowned, feeling like she was missing a crucial detail.
Before she could figure it out, Xu Nian suddenly spoke up: "Where is the village’s ancestral burial ground? Is it also in those mountains?"
The question jolted Guan Xia into realization. Of course—while national policies now mandate cremation, many villages, especially older residents, still prefer traditional burials. A body buried out in the open would immediately raise suspicions of foul play, but if it were placed in a grave, it would seem perfectly natural. Even if dogs caught a scent, before they could dig anything up, they’d likely be stopped—perhaps even prompting superstitious villagers to perform rituals, fearing they’d disturbed the spirits of their ancestors.
The others quickly grasped Xu Nian’s implication and exchanged glances. Wang Yu was the first to respond: "It is in the mountains, but not the developed one. It’s in the valley between that mountain and another."
Guan Xia was surprised Wang Yu had even gathered that detail and glanced at her before saying, "If that’s the case, it makes sense. Li Miao mentioned Li Feng has been acting paranoid lately—like how the villa’s streetlights were turned off after flickering inexplicably, which spooked him. And then there’s that kneeling cushion often used to pay respects to Lv Xiangmei. I suspect Li Miao might have done something to make Li Feng start seeing ghosts—or maybe, out of guilt, he’s begun worshipping Lv Xiangmei and other potential victims."
"Should I head into the mountains tonight, then?" Zhong Xiaoyu suggested tentatively. "If Li Feng goes there often, the traces he leaves should be easy to follow. If I can track his path, maybe I’ll find the burial site. That’d save us a lot of trouble."
The group looked to Xu Nian, who considered it before asking, "Are you confident?"
Zhong Xiaoyu grinned. "Don’t worry. If an old man like Li Feng can go in and out without trouble, I’ll be fine. Besides, Qi Bai and I were up there this afternoon—the peaks aren’t high, and the vegetation isn’t too dense. The ecosystem can’t support large predators like tigers or wild boars. With my skills, I’ll be back before sunrise without a scratch."
Despite trusting Zhong Xiaoyu’s abilities, Xu Nian wasn’t comfortable sending her alone. "Then take Qi Bai with you. He’s strong and quick—won’t slow you down. If you can’t make it back by dawn, at least you can cover for each other. And since you two are posing as a quarreling couple, it’ll fit your cover."
Zhong Xiaoyu sized Qi Bai up before nodding. "Fine, we’ll go together. We’ll slip into the mountains after midnight, once most people are asleep."
After Guan Xia and Zhong Xiaoyu shared their findings, the others followed with their own discoveries.
Compared to theirs, however, the rest were minor details—like which families in the village were closer to Li Feng’s, or who Li Miao had conflicts with. The only notable lead was that several young villagers had been sent away for work by Li Feng, yet over the years, only money returned—never the people. Guan Xia’s group immediately drew parallels to the disappearances of Lv Xiangmei and Li Song.
Their first thought was that these individuals might also be dead, possibly buried in the ancestral graveyard Guan Xia suspected Li Feng frequented.
The discussion lasted until nearly 10 p.m. As the hallway outside grew quiet and most guests retired to their rooms, Guan Xia and the others seized a moment of solitude to slip back into theirs.
After changing into slippers and tossing her bag onto the table, Guan Xia moved to close the window and draw the curtains. But halfway through, she heard a familiar buzzing sound again.
Guan Xia looked up and immediately spotted a familiar small drone brazenly hovering in the air just a few meters from their window. Staring at the drone, it felt as though she was locking eyes with Li Miao through it. The standoff between her and the machine lasted a few seconds before the drone finally flew away.
Pang Le, having heard the commotion, walked over. After Guan Xia closed the window, she remarked with a sigh, "That Li Miao really has her eyes on us."
The mention of this brought back a lingering doubt in Guan Xia’s mind. As she drew the curtains, she couldn’t help but say, "I’ve been thinking—maybe we gave something away when we were at the small square this afternoon. That’s how Li Miao noticed and started tailing us."
Once the curtains were fully closed, Pang Le turned on the air conditioner and began changing into her pajamas, continuing the conversation as she did. "I’ve gone over it in my head, but we didn’t do anything suspicious at the square. We just sat on the bench, snacked, and observed the villa area across from us. We barely even spoke—definitely didn’t discuss the case."
Guan Xia, now also in her pajamas, lay flat on the bed, gazing at the ceiling. "Maybe it was the way we kept staring at the villas. We were there for nearly two hours, and most of that time, our eyes were fixed on that area. If she’s really looking for cops who suspect Li Feng, spotting us wouldn’t be surprising."
Pang Le tilted her head in thought. "True. That drone of hers is even creepier than Qi Bai’s binoculars. But honestly, Li Miao is so strange—I can’t figure out what she’s really after."
Guan Xia, however, wasn’t too concerned. She chuckled lightly. "Whatever she’s up to, as long as she’s working against Li Feng, she’s our natural ally. Besides, we’re anxious, but she’s probably even more desperate. After all these years, we might be the first cops investigating her mother’s disappearance. She’ll likely make a move soon, and hopefully, it’ll help our case."
Worried about Zhong Xiaoyu and Qi Bai’s mission that night, Guan Xia barely slept. She hadn’t set an alarm, yet she woke up at the crack of dawn.
The moment she opened her eyes, she saw Pang Le standing by the window, peering outside through a small gap in the curtains—clearly sharing the same concern.
Noticing Guan Xia was awake, Pang Le turned and waved her over. "Guan Xia, come here. I’ve found something."
Still groggy, Guan Xia perked up at the words "found something" and hurried to Pang Le’s side, squeezing into the same gap to look outside. "What is it?"
Pang Le pointed. "Perfect timing. Look at the path from the square to the village entrance. See that figure? Doesn’t it look familiar?"
From their elevated vantage point, Guan Xia could see most of the village. With dawn just breaking, the area was nearly empty except for villagers and resort staff—no tourists in sight. Against this quiet backdrop, a hunched figure with half-gray hair stood out. Guan Xia had seen him countless times in photos and the videos Wang Yu had dug up. It was Li Feng.
Guan Xia was surprised. "Why is Li Feng heading into the mountains so early?"
She remembered sharing the system’s field of view around noon the previous day, when Li Feng was still in the villa area. By evening, when they first spotted Li Miao, he must have already gone into the mountains—though the exact timing was unclear. But judging by this timeline, he’d left in the afternoon at the earliest.
Now, with the sun barely up, was he making a second trip into the mountains in a single day?
Lost in thought, Guan Xia kept her eyes fixed on Li Feng’s retreating figure until he disappeared into the distance.
Pang Le, however, was focused on another detail. Once Li Feng was out of sight, she remarked sarcastically, "That old man’s in great shape. He walks faster than you do. Guess our theory was right—he’s been making these mountain trips for years."
She then muttered under her breath, "I wonder if Zhong Xiaoyu and Qi Bai are back yet. Hope their night went smoothly."
Preoccupied with this, Guan Xia and Pang Le rushed through their morning routine, finishing their makeup in record time and stepping out the door in just twenty minutes.
The hallway was eerily quiet, with even Xu Nian and Wang Yu’s room silent. Unable to knock as they normally would, the two exchanged a glance before linking arms and heading to the second-floor restaurant via the elevator.
After grabbing a quick breakfast, they barely paid attention to their food, their eyes constantly flicking toward the entrance. Nearly ten minutes passed, their plates nearly empty, when Zhong Xiaoyu finally appeared in sportswear, followed closely by Qi Bai.
In public, the two maintained their act flawlessly.
Zhong Xiaoyu wore a stern, angry expression, while Qi Bai trailed behind with an apologetic, almost pitiful smile.
They didn’t join Guan Xia and Pang Le’s table but sat nearby. However, the moment they took their seats, Zhong Xiaoyu—hidden from view by Qi Bai—subtly flashed an "OK" sign.
Guan Xia, watching from the corner of her eye, caught it immediately and quietly sighed in relief.
With no chance to talk in the restaurant, Guan Xia and Pang Le finished their meal quickly and headed downstairs to a secluded spot with a good view, pretending to admire the scenery while communicating via phone.
Zhong Xiaoyu was perfectly in sync. The moment Guan Xia pulled out her phone, multiple messages popped up in rapid succession.
Zhong Xiaoyu: "Last night went smoothly. We made a big discovery."
Zhong Xiaoyu: [Image][Image]
Qi Bai: [Image][Image]
They sent several photos in quick succession.
Guan Xia instinctively scanned their surroundings—first at eye level, then upward for drones—before opening the first image.
The photo was dimly lit, likely because Zhong Xiaoyu had set her flashlight to its lowest setting. The background was blurry, but upon zooming in, details emerged: partially burned joss paper and marks left behind from kneeling.
The second photo provided more clues. Although the grave mound was overgrown with weeds, suggesting neglect by descendants, the ground in front of the grave bore very noticeable marks—like traces left by something burned over a long period, leaving behind black ash. Strangely, however, there were no remnants of unburned spirit money like those seen in the first photo, as if someone had deliberately concealed the evidence.
The third photo showed similar traces to the first, with one key difference: Qi Bai had intentionally captured the inscription on the tombstone—"Beloved Father Li Mian."
The fourth photo focused on the grave mound itself. At first glance, Guan Xia didn’t understand Qi Bai’s intention, but after zooming in and out a few times, it became clear—there was a discrepancy in the vegetation. One patch of plants on the mound was noticeably less healthy than the rest, as if they had been dug up and replanted. They were not only sparse but also shorter.
As Guan Xia was examining the fourth photo, her phone vibrated with a new message notification.
Closing the photo, she returned to the group chat and saw Qi Bai’s message: "We’ve found traces likely left by Li Feng. Zhong Xiaoyu and I both suspect that at least two grave mounds have been dug up."
Zhong Xiaoyu added: "We think this tomb belonging to Li Mian might be Li Song’s father’s grave. It’s possible Li Song wasn’t actually sealed inside a wall but buried in his father’s tomb instead."
Qi Bai continued: "That would also explain why Li Feng frequently goes into the mountains."
Zhong Xiaoyu: "Also, on our way back, we ran into Li Feng. Luckily, we reacted quickly and hid before he noticed us. But judging by the direction he was heading, we suspect he was going back to that graveyard."
Qi Bai: "There’s one thing we still can’t figure out—how has Li Feng been going in and out of the Li family ancestral graves so frequently without the villagers noticing? Or if they have noticed, why haven’t they exposed him, given their shared interests?"
Zhong Xiaoyu: "After discussing it, we think some people in Li Village might be Li Feng’s accomplices, which is why he’s so brazen. Meanwhile, Li Miao, despite knowing the truth, is being extremely cautious."
