Void Jigsaw Puzzle

If it weren't for the roaring sound of flowing water in the nearby river, Guo Ling and Zhong Chenmu would not have dared to breathe, for fear of making any noise and attracting attention.

Is the person in red hanging on the tree a human or a ghost?

"Should we retreat?" The two exchanged information with their eyes.

At this moment, Zhong Chenmu suddenly discovered that the man in red seemed to be moving, and moving a little violently.

It’s more like struggling than moving.

His pupils shrank and his heart tightened.

"Could this man have hanged himself?"

The thought in his mind took effect before he was fully aware of it.

He only felt a powerful and familiar impact coming towards him, but this time he did not faint like last time on the riverside road. Instead, he opened his eyes wide and used his hidden strength to resist the impact.

After all, I'm mentally prepared.

The shock soon passed, and he clearly saw the "1011" in his mind instantly clear to zero and become "0000".

At the same time, the ancient tree on the hillside in the distance made a "crack" sound, as if it had been cut by a sharp sword, and was cut in half from the middle.

At the same time, the upper part of the tree tilted and fell to the left, throwing the hanging man in red to the ground.

The sound of branches crashing to the ground was accompanied by a scream of terror.

The scream completely drowned out the roar of the water and echoed among the mountains, exceptionally clear.

"It's a woman!"

Everything happened in an instant. Zhong Chenmu stood there until he was awakened by the woman's scream.

"What happened?" he asked subconsciously.

"I still have something to ask you!" Guo Ling felt extremely confused.

He watched helplessly as the tree was cut in two by an invisible force, and Zhong Chenmu beside him seemed to be possessed, staring in that direction, motionless.

He couldn't help but recall his experience by the river a few days ago and stared at Zhong Chenmu in disbelief.

He felt that everything that had just happened, even his escape from death by the river, was closely related to the young man in front of him.

But he has no evidence.

"I don't know either!" Zhong Chenmu replied, taking two steps forward and running along the path towards where the tree had fallen. "Saving people is the most important thing!"

Guo Ling also reacted and hurriedly followed him.

The river was pouring down, and they were running up the path beside it.

The slope became a bit steep, and there were a few fallen bushes popping up from time to time in the path, forcing the two to cross them.

When they arrived at the ancient tree halfway up the mountain, they were all out of breath.

Zhong Chenmu immediately saw the woman in red lying beside the tree. She was lying on her side with her lower body pressed by the fallen branches.

Seeing this, Guo Ling shouted, "Let's save people first!"

The two men didn't even have time to catch their breath or rest before continuing to rush towards the woman.

As they got closer, the two men saw the woman more clearly.

She was wearing a long red dress, her long black hair tangled across her face and shoulders. Her bare arms were supporting the dirt beneath her, seemingly struggling subconsciously to free herself from the branches that held her down. The skin on her arms was incredibly white, standing out against the night sky and the red dress.

Not far from her was a rope as thick as two fingers, tied into a loop and hanging on a branch as thick as a thigh that had fallen to the ground.

"She really wanted to hang herself!"

Zhong Chenmu rushed to her side and tried to lift the branch that was pressing on her.

Guo Ling squatted down and observed her condition.

The woman then raised her head and stared in horror at the two men who suddenly appeared in front of her through her messy hair.

"Don't worry, we have no ill intentions. We were just passing by and saw you fall, so we came to save you," said Guo Ling.

His calm and handsome appearance and somewhat magnetic voice made the tense expression on the woman's face relax a little.

However, she still didn't speak, her eyes full of vigilance.

Only then did Guo Ling look at the woman carefully.

Based on his experience, this woman was definitely younger than him, yet exuded a mature charm, probably around thirty. Although her face was heavily obscured by her hair, judging by her eyes and face shape, she was a beautiful woman with a well-maintained figure. However, her eyes seemed a little swollen, and the part of her cheek not covered by her hair was covered with tear marks.

He saw something other than fear and tension in her eyes.

sad.

Guo Ling was shocked and continued to comfort her, "Okay, you'll be fine. Now, let's get you out first, and then we'll see what happened, okay?"

The woman still didn't answer, but the hostility in her eyes had disappeared.

Guo Ling quickly stood up and came to Zhong Chenmu's side, and together with him, slowly moved the branches that were pressing down on the woman's lower body to the side.

Although it wasn't easy, the two men managed to free the woman's entire body from under the branch.

I saw that the bottom of her long skirt was torn, and there were several bloody marks on her white calves.

Guo Ling squatted down again and asked, "Can you move now? Do you feel any injuries?"

The woman closed her eyes, as if exerting herself, and then opened them again.

"pain......"

She finally uttered her first word.

The voice makes people feel pity.

Guo Ling continued, "We saw that your calf was scratched, so it must be painful. Besides that, do you feel any other pain? For example, do you feel the pain that's similar to... a broken bone?"

The woman shook her head: "No..."

"That's good." Guo Ling breathed a sigh of relief. "Luckily, if it's just a minor injury, it won't affect your return trip later. I happen to be driving."

Zhong Chenmu was stunned. "Uncle, you didn't tell me you drove a car. If we had known this, why did we have to walk so far along the main road after we came out of the City God Temple? Can't we drive to the foot of the mountain and then take the small road up?"

"You didn't ask. You were the one who said you wanted to walk back to the source."

"..."

After hearing what the two said, the woman's expression completely relaxed, and there was even a hint of a smile at the corner of her mouth, although it was a bit bitter.

Guo Ling pulled out a small packet of tissues from his pocket and handed them to the woman: "Just deal with it first. Wipe the area around the wound on your leg. I can't disinfect it, so I can only clean it first."

Zhong Chenmu was watching from the side, and suddenly he felt that the uncle's figure became taller.

"If I were alone, I wouldn't be able to be as meticulous as him..."

The woman showed a hint of gratitude in her eyes and took the tissue, but did not move.

"If you don't mind, shall we help you sit up first?" Guo Ling asked.

"Hmm..." The woman nodded gently.

So, Guo Ling asked Zhong Chenmu to stand on both sides, support the woman from behind, slowly push her up, and then gently support her shoulders.

"If you can sit still, tell us and we'll step back."

"It's okay..." said the woman.

Zhong Chenmu felt the woman's body temperature coming from his palm, and a faint fragrance also penetrated into his nose.

However, he had no intention of feeling these things, as he was thinking about something else in his mind.

"Just now, I seemed to see the cracks that Professor Pierce mentioned."