Chapter 71: Emerging from Seclusion

Meng Fanxin had escaped, and this incident triggered a third wave of uproar in Beizhen.

The Beizhen police station immediately contacted the Nanzhen police station to launch a joint search operation.

As a suspected arsonist and murderer, Meng Fanxin was now under high scrutiny. Due to his dangerous nature, the police had no choice but to issue a citywide warrant for his arrest.

When Jing Xi heard the broadcast about Meng Fanxin’s warrant, she was truly curious—how had such a dangerous individual managed to escape from a detention center?

If she remembered correctly, the facility had an electric grid and was monitored 24/7. What kind of skills did he possess to break out of a police stronghold?

Now that she thought about it, if he had the ability to escape, then killing someone must have been even easier for him.

Despite sealing off roads and searching the mountains for an entire day, they still couldn’t find him.

Zhou Shu and the two blond-haired men were interrogated again due to Meng Fanxin’s escape.

However, the two blond brothers continued to insist they knew nothing about Meng Fanxin’s involvement in any murders.

Li Tao and Zhou Jiwen were both deeply frustrated.

If Meng Fanxin wasn’t the murderer, then he had no reason to run.

But the fact that he ran meant he was trying to escape legal consequences, wasn’t it?

Qi Xiejun was furious. One problem wasn’t even solved yet, and another had already emerged.

The officers in charge of the detention center were berated so harshly that they didn’t dare utter a word.

But the situation had already spiraled out of control. Now, their only hope was that the military and the police could work together to track down Meng Fanxin as soon as possible.

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Jing Xi hesitated for a long time but ultimately decided not to leave her space just yet.

The outside world was simply too dangerous right now.

It was better to stay put and avoid causing trouble for everyone else.

That didn’t mean she missed out on any news, though.

She kept a close eye on the radio and television every day, eager to see if Meng Fanxin was indeed the one who had burned down her house.

On the third day of Meng Fanxin’s escape—

Qi Xiejun’s face grew even darker, and the pressure on his subordinates intensified.

Even the Public Security Bureau chief had called multiple times, demanding updates on the situation and asking whether Meng Fanxin had been found.

As a result, every time Qi Xiejun heard the phone ring, he felt a headache coming on.

On the fifth day of Meng Fanxin’s escape—

Jing Xi had a strange dream.

She dreamt that Meng Fanxin was hiding in a remote forest farm on a large mountain.

In the dream, she saw him catching a wild rabbit and roasting it over a fire.

Even stranger, a man from the forest farm affectionately called him “son.”

Jing Xi jolted awake.

What did this dream mean?

Could it be that Meng Fanxin was really hiding in a forest farm like that?

She got up and listened to the radio for a while, but there was no new information about Meng Fanxin.

Restless, she paced back and forth.

In the end, she decided to go out and take a look for herself.

After preparing everything, she walked up to the entrance of her space’s corridor.

But the moment she pushed open the door—

She found herself standing in the middle of a forest!

Good heavens!

What was going on?

Shouldn’t she have stepped out into the ruins of her burned-down house?

Where was this place?

But her curiosity outweighed everything else, and in the end, she still left the space, taking a wooden stick as a weapon just in case.

She walked for an hour without seeing a single person.

She kept going. They say climbing a mountain is easier than descending one, but she hadn’t even climbed a mountain—so why was going downhill so difficult?

She walked and walked.

When would this end?

Finally, after her legs had gone numb and started to feel weak, she saw a few small houses at the foot of the mountain in the distance.

It looked like it would take another two or three hours to reach them.

She took a deep breath and kept going.

Just as she grabbed a tree for support to stand up—

She heard two men talking in the distance.

Jing Xi instantly became alert, quickly crouching behind the tree to hide.

Peeking out, she was completely stunned.

Wasn’t that Meng Fanxin?!

Dressed in tattered clothes, following another man up the mountain!

Jing Xi suddenly realized something.

Could it be that her dream was a hint from her space?

And had she appeared in this forest because the space wanted her to find the murderer?

Good heavens!

She had to stay hidden.

If Meng Fanxin discovered her, he would definitely kill her without hesitation.

Jing Xi crouched behind the tree, not even daring to breathe.

She didn’t dare to move, her legs had gone numb.

Only after Meng Fanxin and that man disappeared from sight did she finally stand up and use all her strength to descend the mountain.

She needed to report this to the police—to tell them that Meng Fanxin was here! Someone was sheltering him!

Jing Xi ran as fast as she could, though her pace barely qualified as running on the rough mountain terrain.

Even though summer hadn’t arrived yet, she was drenched in sweat.

She had discarded the wooden stick she carried for self-defense to lighten her load.

She had no idea how long she had been running, but eventually, she made it down the mountain.

Thankfully, it wasn’t dark yet.

In the distance, she saw a man riding a motorcycle. Waving desperately, she called out, “Big brother! Big brother! Can you give me a ride to the nearest town? I’ll pay you!”

The man looked at her—this young girl, sweaty and breathless from running. “Miss, it’s getting dark soon, and the mountain roads aren’t easy to navigate. How did you end up here all by yourself?”

As soon as he spoke, Jing Xi was taken aback.

His accent was different—it didn’t belong to her region.

It sounded more like someone from a neighboring province or a border area.

“Then… do you have a phone I could use? I need to call my family and ask them to come get me!”

The man nodded. “Hop on. I’ll take you to the village office. They have a phone there.”

Jing Xi quickly got on the motorcycle, and before long, they arrived at the village office.

She couldn’t help but notice how small the village was—it took only five minutes to reach their destination.

There were only a dozen or so households along the way—a tiny mountain village, tucked deep in the hills.

But what surprised her was that the villagers dressed quite well. Despite being remote, this little village seemed well-off.

The motorcycle man was kind and led her inside to meet the village secretary, who then handed her the phone.

Several people inside were listening to the radio—coincidentally, the broadcast was about Meng Fanxin.

“I was wondering where that guy went. He’s been missing for so long.”

“Who knows? But I doubt he escaped their city. With so many people searching for him, he’s probably hiding in someone’s house!”

“Hard to say. I just hope they catch him soon! Isn’t he a suspect? Arson, murder, and even escaping prison—just hearing about it gives me chills!”

“Exactly! He better not come here! These mountains would make it impossible to find him if he did!”

Jing Xi listened for a moment before grabbing the phone.

But then she realized—she had no idea where she was. Turning around, she smiled sweetly. “Big brothers, may I ask where this place is?”

One of them laughed. “Little girl, if you don’t even know where you are, how did you get here? This is the Taihang Mountains! Our village is called Xiaopo Village!”

Jing Xi felt a little embarrassed. “I ran all the way here after encountering a bad guy!”

The men were shocked. “A bad guy? Oh my! Hurry up and call someone to pick you up! This world is getting more and more dangerous!”

Jing Xi nodded and hummed in agreement.

She remembered that Xiao Jie had once given her a small note with his address and phone number in town. She quickly dialed the number.

The first call—no answer.

She immediately dialed again—still no answer.

A third time—nothing.

Jing Xi took a deep breath. Was this some kind of joke?

She desperately tried to recall if she knew any other numbers.

She vaguely remembered the village office’s phone number, but she wasn’t sure if she had it right.

Just as she reached out to dial again, the phone suddenly rang.

Jing Xi hurriedly picked it up.

On the other end, a calm yet youthful male voice said, “Hello, Xiao Jie speaking.”

Jing Xi almost burst into tears!

“Xiao Jie! It’s me—Jing Xi! I’m in the Taihang Mountains! Can you come pick me up?”

Xiao Jie’s grip on the phone tightened. This girl was alive after all!

But how had she ended up in the Taihang Mountains?

“No problem. Tell me your exact location!”

“Taihang Mountains, Xiaopo Village.”

“Got it. I’ll find someone to get you right away! Stay there and don’t wander off, okay?”

Jing Xi quickly agreed, but then she suddenly remembered the most important thing.

“Contact Li Tao! The fugitive is hiding in these mountains! I saw him!”