Sheriff Uncle, open the door quickly! I've come to solve a case!

Bai Zhizhi wiped away her tears haphazardly, still sniffling and gasping for breath.

Qin Qingzhou walked quite a distance and only looked back once she was sure the gaze behind her had disappeared.

"Bai Zhizhi, what did you just see?"

Qin Qingzhou knew very well that Bai Zhizhi was different from other children and was not so easily frightened.

Something special must be making her cry until now.

Bai Zhizhi hugged his neck: "Zhizhi saw Grandma's child. Grandma's child had no spirit, as if it were dead."

"What?" Qin Qingzhou frowned.

"What else did you see? Did you notice the condition of her child? Skin color and such?"

Bai Zhizhi shook his head.

If you can see the condition of the skin, you can determine how long the child has been dead.

It's speculated that she may have been dead for a long time, but why is there no strange smell, and why does the old woman's condition make it seem like the child is still alive?

This village is so strange.

"Uncle, I'm sorry..."

Qin Qingzhou patted the back of her head to comfort her, "No need to apologize, but you can't walk alone anymore, okay?"

"Mmm." Bai Zhizhi looked around, her clear pupils reflecting the surrounding scenery.

Qin Qingzhou carried her slowly towards the back of the village.

"Uncle, where are we going?"

"That person just said there's a shrine on the mountain, and a girl went to see it. She might be the girl we're looking for, so I want to go up and take a look."

The two, one big and one small, slowly climbed the mountain. The path up the mountain was all muddy, and the further away from the village they were, the denser the trees became.

I don’t know if it’s because it’s all natural, but the trees on the mountain are growing exceptionally well, each one thick and green.

Finally, as they ventured deeper into the area, a shrine bound with a red rope came into view.

The shrine is one meter in length and its surface is covered with moss and thin, snake-like vines.

The cracks in the rocks are covered with grayish-brown stains that have lingered for years, like dried bloodstains.

A passage of obscure ancient text is carved directly above the stone. The characters are deeply embedded in the stone surface, and some strokes are obscured by moss, but one can still vaguely make out what it says.

[May the mountains forever welcome travelers, and may the spirits forever protect the peace of the village.]

The niche pillars are surrounded by snake bodies; this is a niche dedicated to the snake god.

Bai Zhizhi struggled to get down, but Qin Qingzhou put her down, and she ran to the shrine and squatted down.

"So much spiritual energy, Zhizhi likes it." Bai Zhizhi touched the surface with her small hand, and wisps of spiritual energy were absorbed by Bai Zhizhi little by little through her palm.

She comfortably squinted her eyes.

"Hiss~" A strange sound of grass rubbing and rustling came from the bushes nearby.

A small, bright green head slowly peeked out from the grass, its round, black eyes watching the two of them warily.

Qin Qingzhou placed his hand discreetly on his lower back, where a knife was hidden. He would cut the snake down first should it lunge at him.

"Bai Zhizhi, come here."

Bai Zhizhi turned around upon hearing the sound and happened to meet the gaze of the Green Snake.

"?" Bai Zhizhi tilted her head slightly in curiosity.

The little green snake also tilted its head slightly, mimicking her gesture.

Both of them sensed a different aura emanating from the other.

"Uncle, the little snake doesn't seem to be a bad snake."

Qin Qingzhou then lowered her hand.

"Little snake, Zhizhi is a little ginseng." Bai Zhizhi squatted down at a distance and stared at the green snake.

Snakes and ginseng are essentially related; they protect and interact with each other.

The green snake, unsure if it could understand Bai Zhizhi's words, hissed and disappeared into the bushes.

Qin Qingzhou breathed a sigh of relief.

Bai Zhizhi pointed to the shrine: "The little snake is the guardian deity protecting the shrine."

"What is the purpose of this shrine?" Qin Qingzhou knew nothing about such supernatural things.

Bai Zhizhi, on the contrary, acted like a little master: "Each shrine is locked with a very powerful god. This shrine holds the spirit of the snake god, and the spirit can protect the village and bless the village and the creatures on the mountain to live peacefully for generations to come."

Qin Qingzhou walked around the shrine several times, but as an ordinary person, he still couldn't see anything different.

The sound of grass rustling rang out again, and that little green head popped out once more.

This time, it seemed to be carrying something in its mouth.

"Hiss~"

Bai Zhizhi lifted her foot and walked over.

Qin Qingzhou's heart tightened, wanting to protect Bai Zhizhi, but seeing that the snake showed no intention of attacking, she ultimately held back.

Bai Zhizhi squatted down in front of the green snake. The green snake put the thing in its mouth on the ground and hid back in the grass.

Qin Qingzhou then realized what it was.

It's a Swarovski necklace!

He immediately took out his phone and found the photo of Song Qiu before she disappeared; it was the one she was wearing around her neck!

Sure enough, the girl who came to the shrine was Song Qiu!

"Bai Zhizhi, can you sense the owner of this necklace?"

Bai Zhizhi gripped the necklace tightly: "Zhizhi, give it a try."

A minute later, Bai Zhizhi opened her eyes: "The young lady came here alone, took some photos, and then left. The necklace accidentally got caught on a tree branch and fell."

"And... there were other people following the girl..."

"Who is it?"

Bai Zhizhi closed her eyes, trying hard to sense: "Zhizhi can't see... It feels so familiar..."

Qin Qingzhou: "Was it that little green snake from earlier?"

"No, it's...it's that grandma from earlier!"

"The grandma followed behind the young lady, and they went back to the village."

That old woman was definitely not right!

What is she doing following her?

Is Song Qiu at her house now? Could the dead person in the bed be Song Qiu?

Qin Qingzhou quickly denied her own thoughts.

No, the curve of the blanket on the bed should belong to a child, not Song Qiu.

I need to find an opportunity to sneak into her house and take a look.

The two took advantage of the daytime to visit all the other attractions, but found no other clues besides the shrine.

On the way back to the village, Qin Qingzhou's thoughts exploded.

Why did that magical green snake give them the necklace?

Are you seeking help?

But if the villagers were responsible for all those disappearances, then the snake god who protects them must be in cahoots with them.

So was this actually bait dropped by the green snake?

What exactly is this village doing?

"Dad..." Bai Zhizhi tugged at Qin Qingzhou's sleeve.

Qin Qingzhou snapped out of her thoughts and saw the man walking towards her. It was the uncle who had taken them to the dormitory during the day, who was also the village chief.

The village chief was carrying a large palm-leaf fan and was wearing a vest and shorts, wandering around as if he were inspecting the village.

Bai Zhizhi was very clever; she knew not to reveal their true relationship when outsiders were present.

The village chief saw the two of them and smiled kindly: "Where have you two been playing?"

Qin Qingzhou picked Bai Zhizhi up and said, "We just went for a walk in the mountains."

"So you saw a shrine? How about that? Isn't it amazing? You city folks probably haven't seen anything like this before, have you?"

"Hmm, that's amazing." Qin Qingzhou nodded. "What is the purpose of this shrine?"

The village chief explained as he followed them back to their dormitory.

"Our village has been protected by the Snake God since the Qing Dynasty. When foreign troops invaded, thanks to the Snake God, not a single person in our village died."

"You see the snake pattern on the shrine? That's the pattern of our Snake God. Our village has lived here for generations, worshipping the Snake God, and the Snake God protects us."

Qin Qingzhou lowered his eyes and pondered for a moment: "I saw two lines of text on the shrine: 'May the mountains forever welcome travelers, and may the spirits forever protect the peace of the village.' What does this mean?"

"Travelers often pass through the deep mountains, and the snake spirit has long protected the peace of the village."

The village chief and Qin Qingzhou stopped at the dormitory entrance: "That's exactly what I mean."

"That's why we built this house specifically to receive tourists. The more tourists there are, the more the snake god likes it, and the more spiritual energy it has."

"I see." Qin Qingzhou put Bai Zhizhi down. "Thank you for bringing us back."

"No need to be so polite, I'm leaving now." The village chief waved his fan and slowly left the dormitory.

After the village chief left, Qin Qingzhou's polite and aloof face instantly turned cold, and she turned around and closed the door.

The village chief wasn't kindly sending them back.

Rather, it was to prevent them from wandering off and to indirectly escort them back.

Moreover, he had already been wandering around the village before he even met them; he was clearly on patrol.

There must be something wrong with this village.

He dialed Xu Shan's number, and Xu Shan answered the phone quickly.

"Did you find anything?" Qin Qingzhou asked.

"Not yet. The villagers are very tight-lipped, and there's a strange feeling about them; it seems like they're trying to find out about us."

Qin Qingzhou: "Yes, I feel the same way."

It was quiet on Xu Shan's end; she must have already returned to her dorm. "How about you?"

"We've found Song Qiu's necklace. Bai Zhizhi sensed it and found that a woman has been following Song Qiu. Be careful and don't let your guard down with anyone in the village."

"clear."

Qin Qingzhou: "Also, I'll be sneaking into that woman's house tomorrow. You guys help me cover for her, and Bai Zhizhi will also help me take care of her."

"it is good."

After hanging up the phone, I turned my head and saw that Bai Zhizhi had already fallen asleep.

She walked too far and used too much spiritual energy today; she was already exhausted.

Qin Qingzhou took a deep breath and sat by the bed, intending to protect her all night.

As night fell, the chirping of insects could be heard outside the window.

Qin Qingzhou sat at the table, propping his head up as he thought, the faint light from his phone illuminating his sculpted features.

Bai Zhizhi, who was sleeping soundly next to him, occasionally babbled in her sleep in a childish voice.

A wave of drowsiness washed over Qin Qingzhou, and without realizing when she had lost all her strength, she fell asleep on the table.

The phone screen was still lit, faintly illuminating someone who had entered through the front door.

The person walked silently past Qin Qingzhou and headed straight for Bai Zhizhi on the bed.

The man stared at Bai Zhizhi for a long time, as if she were a statue standing beside him, before reaching out and touching her fair face.

"So it's a little ginseng spirit..."

After confirming the information, the person stepped back, bent down, took a notebook from Qin Qingzhou's pocket, tore off a page, wrote a line on the dim phone screen, left the paper on the table, and left.

The door closed slowly, and the room fell silent again.