Chapter 235 Original Sin 44
Yun Shuangshuang followed the scent left by Wan Yan up the mountain. Initially, the route Wan Yan took led into the depths of the mountain, passing two mountain streams. Wan Yan might have crossed the streams, as there were many paw prints from police dogs nearby. It’s evident that the moisture had broken the trail of Wan Yan’s scent, causing the police dogs to wander aimlessly by the streams.
Yun Shuangshuang stepped over the stream, and sure enough, amidst the strong, pungent aroma of peppercorns and star anise, Wan Yan’s scent faintly reemerged. Yun Shuangshuang continued forward, still seeing traces of people and more paw prints from police dogs. Apparently, the dog handlers also deduced that Wan Yan must have crossed the stream, so they brought the police dogs along.
Unfortunately, the dog footprints were mostly pacing back and forth at the same spot. The place was surrounded by peppercorns and star anise, and this was the peak season for their strong aroma, even more overpowering than at the foot of the mountain. The police dogs were severely distracted and couldn’t function effectively.
Yun Shuangshuang, however, adeptly distinguished Wan Yan’s scent amid these pungent spices and continued onward. From the remnants of Wan Yan’s scent, it was clear he kept moving inward, occasionally circling in place, apparently searching for someone.
However, Wan Yan’s path then took a turn, rather than circling in place, he turned back as if trying to exit the mountain but lost his way. The path grew increasingly skewed, leading him deeper into Da Shan. Yun Shuangshuang tracked the scent up to a mountain top where the terrain undulated. From there, all around lay a ring of vast and misty peaks stretching out.
Wan Yan paused here briefly, seemingly identifying the correct direction, before continuing towards the mountain’s exit; yet again, he strayed far off course.
As Yun Shuangshuang advanced, she examined the traces Wan Yan left behind. His footprints were somewhat chaotic, accompanied by impressions from a stick pressed into the ground. Wan Yan must have been tired and was using a thick tree branch as a walking stick.
The further ahead, the more chaotic Wan Yan’s footsteps became. Yun Shuangshuang realized he had veered significantly off course, circumventing as many as three mountains. There were no signs of searches by armed police or villagers nearby, evidently, no one anticipated Wan Yan’s stamina to be so robust, allowing him to penetrate this far!
Yun Shuangshuang frowned. The better Wan Yan’s stamina, the more troublesome it became. Judging by the markings on the ground, Wan Yan had realized he was lost and becoming anxious. His footprints grew increasingly scattered, but the distance expanded, indicating he had been rushing to leave the mountain quickly.
But Wan Yan’s path was incorrect. The faster he moved, the deeper he entered Da Shan, making rescue increasingly difficult. Particularly in a place like this where phones received no signal, and no one expected him to reach such depths, even if he called for help, no one would hear!
The footprints on the ground grew more chaotic. The area where he advanced saw many broken branches alongside, and the supporting walking stick marks deepened in the ground, signaling Wan Yan’s struggle to progress. Judging by the force of the footprints, he didn’t seem to be conserving stamina but was accelerating forward!
After another stretch, Yun Shuangshuang saw scattered food wrappers on the ground, yet no water bottles. Inspecting the surroundings, she noticed many footprints and moss scraped off a nearby large rock. Wan Yan likely rested here a while and ate something, suggesting he possibly spent a night at this spot.
Yun Shuangshuang quickened her pace. In the mountain, she moved almost as light as a feather, nearly running all the way. At this point, Wan Yan had proceeded for an unknown duration, yet Yun Shuangshuang had only taken about three hours, feeling barely fatigued. This fitness was from the martial arts training she underwent, originally envied by everyone at her martial arts school. Practically a legendary martial arts prodigy!