love on the turquoise land

Chapter 12

Or maybe it's related to the sketch she gave to the police? But Nie Jiuluo couldn't be bothered to describe the process to Xing Shen again. Besides, if the sketch hadn't been released yet, it would barely make sense for someone to try to kill her. And if the sketch had already been handed over, why would they still come after her?

Xing Shen was still at a loss. "It's too dangerous to let him into the house like that."

"If this person really wants to kill me, and it fails this time, there will be a next time. Instead of dragging it out, it's better to resolve it once and for all."

Xing Shen still found the idea of someone randomly wanting to kill her utterly unbelievable. "Could it be a random crime? Just happened to target you?"

"Just happened to target..." Nie Jiuluo scoffed. "Then I'm just too unlucky."

Why didn't she have this luck when it came to winning the lottery or something?

Xing Shen chuckled. "He's the unlucky one, blinded himself. But A Luo, blinding someone's eye like that, you've made a powerful enemy. I'm worried you'll have trouble later."

"It was self-defense," Nie Jiuluo replied without regret. She didn't feel an ounce of remorse for hitting the right spot with that pencil. After all, the other person came for her life from the start, so why bother being polite?

Besides, she shuddered to think what would have happened if she hadn't been awake at that moment...

Xing Shen said, "Speculating now is useless. Let's find out more first."

Nie Jiuluo agreed with a grunt, about to hang up the phone when she remembered something else. "You replied to my message so quickly, and it's late. Aren't you sleeping?"

"We're discussing matters... It's quite strange, though. This time in the mountains, we've come across two empty tents in a row."

Nie Jiuluo didn't see it that way. "Empty tents in the mountains, isn't that normal?"

Some people who go camping in the mountains find it troublesome to pack up their tents, so they leave them behind. Apart from being environmentally unfriendly, it doesn't seem like a big deal. Looking at the bright side, it also makes it convenient for others, reminiscent of the saying "One generation plants the trees, and the next enjoys the shade."

Xing Shen explained, "No, you misunderstand me. When I say 'empty,' I mean there's no one. All the camping equipment, supplies, and even spare clothes are still inside the tent, neatly stacked, but the person is nowhere to be found. From various signs, they've been missing for a few days."

Nie Jiuluo pondered, "Either they were dragged away by wild animals, or there's a wandering serial killer in the mountains, right?"

It was meant as a joke, but it wasn't entirely impossible. Xing Shen said, "We're discussing all possibilities, so we haven't slept yet at this late hour. You're okay tonight... right?"

"I'm fine."

"It's been a long time. How have you been these years..."

He didn't continue, and there was a busy tone on the other end.

Nie Jiuluo had already hung up.

***

After such a strange incident, coupled with guarding a broken window, Nie Jiuluo couldn't fall asleep for the rest of the night.

When it was barely light outside, she received a message from "That Side"

That Side
So far, inquiries have been made to various hospitals and clinics in the village, and even nearby villages, but there have been no reports of a person with an eye injury seeking medical attention.

Such a serious injury, not seeking treatment at a regular hospital, was simply suicidal, unless this person happened to have a friend who could perform such surgery and had privately bandaged them up. But the likelihood of that was too small.

Nie Jiuluo called the front desk, claiming that she accidentally broke the window glass and was willing to fully compensate. She requested immediate repair or a room change.

***

In the car, Lao Qian continued his work, "Miss Nie, today we're going to the neighboring village via the provincial highway, it's about a hundred kilometers round trip, with two Taoist temples and a Buddhist temple. Look at this route map, it's the one with the highways marked."

Nie Jiuluo found the map as instructed.

"Have you noticed the village with the peculiar name along the provincial highway?" Lao Qian asked.

Nie Jiuluo glanced at it, "Is it the Banya Village?"

Amidst names like Qiliqiao, Li Family Valley, and Wang Family Camp in the vicinity, the name Banya Village stood out like a clear stream.

Lao Qian was excited, "Do you know why it's called Banya?"

To be honest, Lao Qian's seamless transition from one topic to another seemed scripted and somewhat forced. Nie Jiuluo wanted to laugh, but seeing his enthusiasm and effort, she didn't want to discourage him, "Why?"

"Alright, the tourist asked! The worst thing is when customers don't cooperate and you end up performing solo," Nie Jiuluo thought to herself.