PFC Chapter 10 The Path of Exploration
Chapter 10 The Path of Exploration
Murong Yi and Lin Xiaoqian searched desperately for Su Wan'er's whereabouts along the secluded roads outside the capital. Weeds grew rampant on both sides of the road, and thorns frequently snagged their clothes, as if deliberately hindering their progress. Sunlight struggled to filter through the dense foliage, casting dappled shadows, but it did nothing to dispel the gloom in their hearts.
Lin Xiaoqian's gaze meticulously searched the ground and her surroundings, not missing a single clue that might be related to Su Wan'er. Suddenly, she seemed to step on something hard and quickly looked down. It turned out to be a jade pendant. She bent down, picked it up, and examined it carefully. The jade pendant was warm and smooth, exquisitely carved, and its patterns subtly revealed a unique aura.
Lin Xiaoqian quickly called Murong Yi over and said, "Your Highness, look at this jade pendant."
Murong Yi rushed over, and when she saw the jade pendant clearly, her face turned deathly pale. "This...this is the jade pendant I gave to Wan'er. She always wore it close to her body and never took it off. Now that the jade pendant is here, she must have met with misfortune, something really must have happened to her!" Murong Yi's voice trembled slightly, her eyes filled with worry and anger.
Seeing Murong Yi's loss of composure, Lin Xiaoqian understood his feelings, but she also knew she needed to calm down to find a solution. She took a deep breath and began to carefully observe the surroundings of the jade pendant. She noticed that the weeds where the pendant had fallen showed clear signs of being trampled, and the footprints were rather messy, suggesting they were left by a group of people passing by, not just one person.
Lin Xiaoqian crouched down, gently touching the footprints with her hands, her mind racing. She recalled hearing rumors of bandits roaming the area around the capital while at the Prime Minister's residence. These bandits often robbed passersby on secluded roads. Judging from the footprints, there were quite a few of them, and they were moving in a hurry; it was highly likely that they had kidnapped Su Wan'er.
Lin Xiaoqian stood up and said to Murong Yi, "Your Highness, I deduce that Wan'er may have been kidnapped by bandits. Look at these footprints, they are messy and numerous, ordinary bandits wouldn't have such a scale. Moreover, this remote place is precisely the area where bandits frequently appear."
Murong Yi had some doubts after hearing Lin Xiaoqian's deduction, but she had no better clues at the moment. "Why are you so sure? What if it's just a coincidence?"
Lin Xiaoqian calmly explained, “Your Highness, think about it. Wan’er is a weak woman. If she hadn’t been forcibly coerced, how could she have easily lost the jade pendant? Besides, there are no other suspicious signs around here. Only the footprints of these bandits can explain why the jade pendant was dropped here. We cannot let go of any possible clues. The most urgent task is to follow the direction of these footprints as soon as possible.”
Murong pondered for a moment, then realized that Lin Xiaoqian's words made some sense. He gritted his teeth and said, "Alright, I'll believe you for now. Let's follow these footprints now and find Wan'er. We'll tear those bandits to pieces!"
So, Murong Yi gathered the soldiers who accompanied him, and Lin Xiaoqian, relying on his deductions, led the group to follow the faint footprints. They crossed hills and streams, their steps hurried and their eyes resolute.
Murong Yi was filled with worry and longing for Su Wan'er, while Lin Xiaoqian was contemplating how to deal with the bandits she was about to face. She knew that this rescue would be full of danger and challenges, but in order to find Su Wan'er and to prove her worth in this ancient world, she did not back down and resolutely headed towards the unknown danger, hoping to successfully rescue Su Wan'er and unravel the mystery behind this crisis.