Chapter Forty-Nine: An Unexpected Turn on the Journey

The landslide on the highway was finally cleared.

At dawn, Qiu Xi received a phone call and immediately shared the news with everyone in Beiting. They were all overjoyed and decided to send Li Fuqi to the city overnight.

Li Yiting insisted on escorting him personally, but was stopped by Chen Tianyu. Chen Tianyu asked him to stay behind and carefully examine the scene, as he was unfamiliar with the structure of the ancestral hall—if a mechanism were triggered, it could be disastrous. Besides, the secret couldn’t be kept for long; if the villagers came to make trouble the next day, they would surely ruin the scene, which would greatly hinder the investigation.

Li Yiting knew his fourth brother made sense but couldn’t shake his anxiety. Though Li Fuqi was now shackled, would he really wait passively for his fate? Since arriving at the ancestral hall, Li Fuqi had seemed dazed, even mentally disturbed, refusing to speak to others. But as the saying goes, it’s the dog that doesn’t bark which bites hardest.

Chen Tianyu patiently reasoned with him, and Wan Yongkun repeatedly assured there would be no further mistakes. In the end, it was Qiu Xi’s meticulous thinking that won out. He suggested they mimic the ancients and bind Li Fuqi tightly, then lead him with a rope himself into the city. It sounded absurd, but Qiu Xi’s cleverness made it workable.

Li Yiting finally relented, knowing well which matters were more urgent.

Beiting requisitioned Zhang Jin’s business car for transporting Li Fuqi. To ensure absolute safety, the other thieves were still held at the school, to be handed over to the authorities in two batches. Now that the roads were open, a round trip wouldn’t take more than three hours, though it would mean extra effort for Wan Yongkun.

Wan Yongkun patted his chest, promising there’d be no problem.

Thus, the arrangements were set.

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A business vehicle wound its way along the serpentine mountain road.

Its headlights shone bright, the driver focused, while one passenger gripped the rope nervously and the other sat with a vacant expression—a somewhat comical sight.

After traversing a muddy, bumpy dirt road for nearly ten kilometers, they finally turned onto a somewhat smoother concrete road, feeling a bit more at ease.

Along the way, traces of multiple landslides could be seen. At some cliff edges, only a single lane had been cleared. Clearly, the municipal workers had poured much effort into their task. Though the road was open, much work remained.

“Here, have a cigarette,” Wan Yongkun said, without turning his head, offering one to Qiu Xi.

Qiu Xi shook his head. “I don’t smoke.” But he took the cigarette anyway, sensing Wan Yongkun’s attempt to ease the tension.

Suddenly, the car braked sharply with a crunch; Qiu Xi was thrown forward by the momentum, the cigarette flying from his hand.

He exclaimed, “What happened?!”

Wan Yongkun gave a bitter smile. “Damn bad luck—another landslide here. Looks like we can’t get through.”

Mountain roads often have high embankments. Due to budget constraints, they use simple slope reinforcements and basic netting, so in the rainy season, landslides are common. Even after clearing, once the rain stops, secondary landslides are still likely.

“So what now?” Qiu Xi asked anxiously.

“Don’t worry, I’ll check it out first.” Wan Yongkun angrily slapped the steering wheel, opened the door, and got out. The four- or five-meter-wide concrete road was now piled high with yellow earth; beyond it, he drew a sharp breath—the drop below was a sheer cliff.

Wan Yongkun returned, opening the side door instead of getting back in.

“No way through. The landslide’s too severe,” he told Qiu Xi.

Qiu Xi was stunned for a long moment. “So we have to go back the way we came?”

Wan Yongkun thought for a bit, glanced at Li Fuqi. Li Fuqi looked up blankly at him.

“No, tonight, no matter what, we must get Li Fuqi into the city,” he said resolutely.

“But… we’re not even halfway down this road. Are we supposed to walk?” Qiu Xi knew the road well. “That’d take until dawn, and it’s pitch dark.”

Wan Yongkun looked up. It was the tenth day of the lunar new year; a half moon hung high, providing some light. He rummaged in the car for a flashlight and shone it around.

“It’ll do,” he said with certainty. “Bring Li Fuqi down. Even if our shoes wear out, we can’t turn back tonight.”

Qiu Xi nodded, helping Li Fuqi from the car. Li Fuqi staggered, almost falling.

Qiu Xi frowned, helpless. “He can’t walk like this, bound up.”

“Unlock his leg irons,” Wan Yongkun said.

Qiu Xi agreed, trusting Wan Yongkun’s skills and not worrying about Li Fuqi escaping.

Once the leg irons were off, Li Fuqi still couldn't move. Qiu Xi loosened the ropes binding his legs, allowing him to walk, then bound his waist but re-fastened the leg irons.

“Let’s go,” Qiu Xi said, holding the rope.

Wan Yongkun restarted the car, parked it safely by the roadside, and locked it up.

“Go.”

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The three formed a line: Wan Yongkun led, Li Fuqi in the middle, Qiu Xi at the rear.

They trudged forward, sometimes sinking knee-deep into the loose earth, yet nothing slowed their progress. Wan Yongkun was determined.

After about half a mile and several landslides crossed, Li Fuqi could go no further. He stopped, gasping, his face pale.

Qiu Xi, seeing this, signaled for a rest.

Wan Yongkun looked around, listening to the thunderous sounds from below the road. Curious, he leaned over and saw a river beneath, the roar from its rushing water.

He clicked his tongue—these mountain roads truly were perilous.

“Rest five minutes, then we press on,” he said, tired himself, sitting by the roadside and smoking, the glowing ember lighting his grave expression.

Qiu Xi switched the rope to his left hand, wiped sweat with his right. He wasn’t as strong as Wan Yongkun, and was exhausted. Sitting for a moment, he even dozed off.

The rope tightened in his hand, but he didn’t notice. He glanced up, saw nothing amiss, and lowered his head again.

Suddenly—

The rope slipped from Qiu Xi’s grasp.

He startled, too late to react, as a figure lost footing and tumbled down the slope—Li Fuqi.

“Brother Kun, something’s wrong!” Qiu Xi shouted.

Wan Yongkun saw Li Fuqi rolling toward the river, his face changed and he scrambled after him, trying to grab the rope, but couldn't keep up.

With a thud, something heavy plunged into the swift river. Wan Yongkun was stunned.

Luckily, he managed to grab a small tree in his panic, preventing himself from falling in as well.

Qiu Xi hurried over, pulling Wan Yongkun up with hands and feet.

“Brother Kun, are you alright?” he asked anxiously.

Wan Yongkun, face covered in dirt, climbed back onto the road, shaking his head in defeat, silent for a long time.

“It’s over…” he muttered. “It’s over…”

Qiu Xi quickly said, “Brother Kun, don’t panic. Could Li Fuqi have committed suicide to avoid punishment?”

Wan Yongkun quickly regained composure, nodding. He recalled Li Fuqi’s attempt to end his life with a short arrow in the ancestral hall, and hurriedly took out his phone to report to Beiting.

“Beep… beep…” The call connected, but couldn’t get through, repeatedly dropping.

The signal in the mountains was poor, especially on this remote road.

“Qiu Xi, get back and report immediately. Can you drive?” Wan Yongkun asked.

“I can, but not very well,” Qiu Xi nodded.

He hesitated. “What about you? Aren’t you coming back?”

“I’m staying to search. Maybe Li Fuqi survived,” Wan Yongkun said firmly.

“Not likely…” Qiu Xi was uncertain, but stood up. “Alright, you be careful. I’ll drive to where there’s a signal and come right back for you.”

“Good, hurry and return.” Wan Yongkun didn’t say more, carefully probing his way down the cliff; it seemed possible to reach the riverbank below.

Qiu Xi watched from above for a long time, seeing Wan Yongkun’s steady steps and no immediate danger. He sighed softly, turned, and departed.