The Ambitions to Conquer the Official Career
Chapter 138 Difficult to Rescue

Chapter 138: Chapter 138 Difficult to Rescue

Qingshi Village was a very small village nestled deep in the mountains, and the paths here were treacherous. The only way in and out of the village was a small trail carved open by the villagers, which often got obscured by the overgrown grass.

Ji Yang continually hacked at the vegetation with a machete, clearing a path to direct those who would follow.

After several hours, Ji Yang finally reached Qingshi Village.

"Chief Ji is here!"

"Now that Chief Ji is here, everything will be fine."

Everyone appeared to be very relieved by Ji Yang’s arrival.

Clad in a raincoat, Ji Yang walked in the rain, feeling genuinely weary from the journey.

However, thinking of those still trapped in the mountains, he gathered everyone he could.

This group included some of the people from the township sent earlier for the rescue mission, many from the local police station.

Station Chief Zhang Feng said, "Chief Ji, we had a look but found no trace at all. We have no idea where they might have gone!"

Ji Yang turned to the village head, Zheng Cai Shan, "It wasn’t raining when they went, was it?"

"Um, the weather was fine when they set out. Nobody expected the sudden downpour. We thought they might have taken shelter somewhere, but then the rain didn’t stop, and we heard about the flash floods. We sent people out immediately but found nothing. As you know, there’s no signal here. We can’t even make calls. We had no choice but to send someone to report to the township. Up to now, we’ve heard nothing from them."

Anxiety was etched on Ji Yang’s face. It had been a long time; if they couldn’t rescue them soon, who knew what might happen.

"Which direction did they head in?"

"We know the direction and looked there, but found nothing," Zhang Feng also felt at a loss. In this rainy weather, the mountains were bitterly cold, and it seemed there was little chance of finding those people.

"In that case, Old Zheng, get your village ready to receive them. Prepare for all eventualities when the people are rescued, and also for the county personnel who will arrive later. Make sure everything is arranged."

Zheng Cai Shan replied, "Don’t worry, Chief Ji. I will take care of everything. We’ve kept hot water on boil and prepared blankets and such."

Ji Yang looked at Zhang Feng, "We can’t just wait. You lead a team, I’ll lead another, and we’ll split into two parties to search the mountains again."

Zhang Feng nodded vigorously, "Okay, we won’t have any problems."

Ji Yang then assembled some sturdy young men from the village and a few older hunters, dividing them into two groups. He and Zhang Feng would each lead a team back into the mountain.

Upon entering the mountains, Ji Yang said to Zhang Feng, "My team will re-search the areas you’ve already covered. You head in another direction. Remember, safety first."

"We understand. Chief Ji, take care of yourself too."

Ji Yang continued deeper into the mountains with ten others.

Despite having hiked the mountainous terrain for so long, Ji Yang didn’t actually feel tired. In the depths of the mountains, he even felt the air clear his senses.

Could it be that the mountains were more beneficial to him?

Puzzled by this thought, Ji Yang quickened his pace.

One of the searchers who had accompanied Zhang Feng pointed out various places and described the situation when they had last been there.

Standing on a high point, Ji Yang surveyed the surroundings repeatedly; a large area swept by the floodwaters caught his eye.

He pondered, if they were right there when the flooding happened, it was possible they were gone.

However, from the current situation, it was really not easy for Ji Yang to speculate about the conditions of those missing.

For some reason, Ji Yang’s vision had become incredibly sharp, and he spotted what seemed to be chopped marks in the distance.

"Did you reach that spot last time?" Ji Yang asked.

The hunter looked and shook his head, "We didn’t go there. That path was ravaged by the floodwaters and was too dangerous, so we avoided it."

"Let’s go!" Since that was the case, Ji Yang saw no reason not to take a look.

Once there, Ji Yang could see that the floods had left behind swathes of mud, and if not careful, one could easily sink into the muddy water. Looking up, he felt that larger flash floods could strike at any moment.

"Chief Ji, we can’t cross. Look at the situation; a landslide could happen at any moment."

Indeed, the possibility of a mountain collapse was evident.

After a moment’s thought, Ji Yang turned to the old hunter, "Search the area here, I’ll go across and take a look."

"Chief Ji, it’s dangerous!" The group protested.

Ji Yang shook his head, "We’ve come this far, it wouldn’t be right not to search the area. It’s okay, I’m very fast. Even if there’s a collapse, I should be out of danger."

The group fell silent at this, thinking how this still posed a great danger.

Ji Yang didn’t say much more, quickly tidying himself up and removing unnecessary items from his backpack, leaving only essential first-aid supplies. He turned to everyone, "Keep your distance, don’t get into trouble."

By the time he finished speaking, Ji Yang had already dashed forward.

Watching Ji Yang’s relentless determination, everyone admired him in their hearts. Leaders who would take such risks were rare nowadays.

But they also knew their limits; following him could mean disaster.

Ji Yang wasn’t being truly reckless; he was confident in his own abilities. Though the muddy water could entrap, he could cross it if fast enough.

Ji Yang felt he definitely had the chance to get across.

Moreover, as he progressed, he picked up some dry branches and other items, occasionally tossing them ahead.