Chapter 29

The snow in the mountains did not cease until nightfall.

In the city, however, only a dusting of salt-like snow fell, melting into puddles on the ground before quickly freezing into a thin layer of ice. In the corners, the ice grew thicker, and one could easily slip if not careful. People walked with cautious steps; in such bitter cold, one could hardly find a single stray cat or dog.

Lang Xiao tucked the sleeping Qing Yao into bed. She had fallen asleep unusually early today; normally, she would play with Hu Yuanfei for a good while after dinner before agreeing to rest, but for a child of her age, extra sleep was a good thing. It also happened to make things convenient for them to head out.

Hu Yuanfei was already waiting at the door. "Are you ready?"

They had left Qing Yao sleeping alone at home before when heading out for night hunts, and nothing had gone wrong in several months. Thus, Hu Yuanfei felt no concern about leaving the child behind to go work. They had cast a barrier on the room the very first day they moved in; any stranger who broke in would be sensed immediately. Qing Yao was perfectly safe at home.

Lang Xiao tucked the quilt tightly around Qing Yao before stepping out.

This task came from the police. They hadn't specified a reward, only promising that if the missing people were found, they would nominate them for a "Courageous Act" award and feature them in the news. Even without money, the two demons would have helped; after all, it was the police who had helped them with their ID cards and housing. Maintaining a good relationship with human law enforcement was essential, whether in ancient times or modern. Furthermore, doing good deeds earned merit, which was a difficult thing to come by. As for why both of them were going for such a small matter? Well, if there was merit to be had, it had to be split equally!

The two arrived at the police station to find Yan Kai fully equipped and waiting at the entrance.

"Get in."

The car sped toward Mount Dafeng. Venturing into the snowy mountains at night was dangerous, so they were not taking a large force; besides the two demons, there were only four police officers, all of whom they had met during previous dealings.

It took nearly an hour to reach the foot of Mount Dafeng. Along the way, Yan Kai gave the two demons the personal belongings of the missing people so they could familiarize themselves with the scents.

"With several days of snow cover, the scents will have faded significantly. Regardless of the outcome, we hope you will do your best."

Lang Xiao showed disdain for his distrustful words.

Hu Yuanfei remarked, "There isn't a person in these mountains we can't find! Even if they were dead and cut into dozens of pieces, we could still find them all for you."

Yan Kai and his team wiped sweat from their foreheads. "Don't say such unlucky things!" Until they found them, they still held onto the hope that the people were alive.

The car could not drive into the mountains, so the group disembarked. Yan Kai and his team carried their gear, filled with various rescue supplies. They stood still, waiting for the two demons to lead the way.

Once out of the car, Lang Xiao twitched her nose, sniffing the mountain air. Hu Yuanfei transformed into his original form, a fire-red fox that stood out vividly against the vast, snowy landscape. He inhaled the icy air, feeling a sense of familiarity and joy, as if he had returned to his old home.

"The scent is indeed very faint, but it's coming from this direction." Hu Yuanfei ran toward the mountain. As he moved, the police immediately followed, but after only a short distance, they lost sight of the fox. They had lost the trail. Looking at the tracks on the ground, the officers realized the fox’s footsteps were incredibly light, leaving only the faintest traces. Combined with the darkness, it was not easy to follow the tracks.

Yan Kai made an immediate decision and ordered his team to fall back to their original position. "We’ll wait here. Once they find the people, we’ll head directly to the location." This was the most efficient method.

As they turned back, Lang Xiao strolled leisurely toward the mountain, looking less like someone on a search mission and more like a tourist.

Lang Xiao said, "You wait here. I’ll notify you when there’s news."

"Understood. Thank you both for your hard work."

Lang Xiao's figure soon vanished into the mountain forest. From afar, one could see a grey shadow passing through the trees, causing the accumulated snow on the branches to fall in soft flurries.

A team member said with a mix of wonder and envy, "Demons have such great physical fitness. If they were police officers, they could solve countless cases instantly."

Yan Kai glanced at him. "It's not that simple."

The higher-ups and the Taoist Association had been pushing for the establishment of a "Special Investigation Bureau," but for various reasons, the matter had reached a stalemate and had not succeeded. Yan Kai knew this because if the bureau were established, he might be transferred there. When Master Yuan had seen him previously, he mentioned that Yan Kai’s "yang fire" was vigorous and his righteousness strong; ordinary ghosts would be burned by his presence, and demons or evil spirits would find it difficult to deceive him. It would have been perfect for someone like him to join such a department, but unfortunately, it hadn't happened. He remained deeply curious about these supernatural events.

Lang Xiao soon met up with Hu Yuanfei. Hu Yuanfei was still pressing forward; the two humans had wandered deep into the mountains, perhaps having lost their way.

"There is a scent over here too; I’ll go check it out," Lang Xiao said before dashing off in another direction. A few minutes later, she returned to the path Hu Yuanfei was taking; the lingering scent there suggested the two people had tried to walk that way but eventually doubled back.

Hu Yuanfei finally stopped at the mountainside. The view was open, with no trees overhead, and the flat ground was covered in a thick layer of snow.

"The scent disappears here."

At first glance, it didn't look like anyone could be here, yet the scent of the two humans stopped abruptly.

Lang Xiao looked toward the distance. "This mountain is clean. No mountain gods or spirits. The demonic energy is very weak; even if something were to cultivate here, it wouldn't cause any trouble."

Mount Dafeng had been developed early on, and its rafting projects had been around for years. While tourists didn't usually come deep into the mountains, looking from high up, one could see electrical towers on the summit, proving humans had long since encroached on the area. For demons, such a place was unsuitable for cultivation.

Hu Yuanfei used his claws to scrape at the snow. "Maybe they are still here. Let's dig and see."

With that, his claws suddenly enlarged. He swiped at the ground, and a thick layer of snow was instantly cleared away, revealing traces of human activity underneath.

The scent of the two humans suddenly became pungent, but it was accompanied by a faint, lingering demonic aura. Beneath the cleared snow was a hole leading further in, just large enough for one person to pass through. It appeared to have been a den once occupied by a snake—a python, given the size—though the snake had likely left long ago.

Hu Yuanfei curiously walked inside. The tunnel grew deeper and wound around. The temperature inside wasn't as low, and there was the smell of fresh earth. The walls showed marks from a shovel; it was clearly dug recently, likely expanded by the two humans after they took refuge.

Before long, Hu Yuanfei heard faint voices.

"The food is gone. If we stay here, we're going to starve."

"We can still last a while here. If we go out, we'll die even faster."

"It's been days. People must be looking for us outside. If we light these leaves, we’ll be seen."

"My hands are rubbed raw, and I still couldn't start a fire. I have no strength left; do it yourself if you want to. It’s all your fault for insisting on coming into the mountains. If it weren't for you, I’d be off work by now, eating a hot meal at home. I’m so hungry I could eat myself. So hungry."

The person opposite didn't speak, seemingly stung by the accusation.

When Hu Yuanfei walked in, the two people, who were on the brink of starvation, didn't see him at first. There was no light in the cave, and their eyes couldn't see, but they could feel something had entered.

"What is that!"

"How could an animal find us here?"

"We didn't block the entrance!"

"The snow blocked it!"

Seeing their panicked expressions and confirming they wouldn't die immediately, Hu Yuanfei backed out and met Lang Xiao at the entrance.

"Found them. They're alive. Let’s go back and tell the police."

The rest was simple. Once the location was pinpointed, they just needed to find a way to get them out. This was an easy task for the two demons, but they had no intention of helping further; the police had only asked to find the people, not to bring them out.

Because there was no cell phone signal, it took the two demons another hour or two to lead the police to the exact spot. Once the people were found, the police and other departments sprang into action. Surely, this news would make the city headlines tomorrow.

"Let's go back."

The two demons greeted Yan Kai and left.

They had been out for so long, and they didn't know if Qing Yao had woken up. Thinking of her, for some reason, both demons felt a faint sense of unease.

Meanwhile, back at Happiness Apartments, shortly after the two demons had left, Qing Yao—who should have been fast asleep—actually woke up.

She rolled around in the quilt, realizing that neither of them had come in. She let out a few "ah" sounds, kicked off the quilt, slid off the bed, and tumbled onto the floor. Fortunately, the carpeted floor cushioned her fall. She crawled to the living room, checked the balcony, and looked into the other room—no one was there.

Unable to find the adults, Qing Yao pouted in distress.

They were gone. Papa was gone, and Mama was gone.

Qing Yao crawled toward the door. She couldn't open it, but in this old house, the door hadn't been shut tight—perhaps it had latched but then popped open again, something the two demons hadn't noticed. With a gentle push, it swung open.

The hallway was pitch black, with only a little light and sound coming from the elevator area.

Qing Yao leaned against the wall and stood up, peering out, but she saw no sign of the two adults. She watched the doorway for a long time before deciding to go out.

She struggled over the low threshold and moved outside. It was a bit cold, and she wasn't dressed very warmly, but her clothes were padded, and she had on cotton socks, so she could endure it.

Qing Yao couldn't walk independently yet; she could only shuffle along the wall, and not very fast. She carefully moved a few steps forward just as the elevator dinged and stopped on their floor.

There were two elevators, and they weren't linked; perhaps someone had pressed both, and the faster one arrived. The elevator was empty, with only the wall-mounted advertisement playing. Qing Yao blinked; she rode this often, and she knew it could take her down. She crawled onto the floor of the elevator as fast as she could.

The doors closed, and the elevator quickly descended to the first floor.