Reborn and returned, sisters swapped

Chapter 131 A Key Breakthrough Point

Another soldier's eyes flickered, as if he had received a hint. He deliberately dropped the broom in his hand on the ground with a "thud" in an attempt to attract Gu Jinyan's attention.

Gu Jinyan raised an eyebrow slightly, without saying a word, glanced at them indifferently, and then said softly, "The ground here has been swept very clean, you don't need to bother anymore."

The soldiers looked at each other in bewilderment, hurriedly saluted, and then made an excuse that they were "about to change shifts" before leaving in a hurry.

All of this did not escape Gu Jinyan's eyes. She coldly watched the soldiers' departing figures, her mind filled with doubts.

Her actions over the past few days made her realize that the soldiers' behavior did not seem to be accidental.

Back in his tent, Gu Jinyan took out his patrol log and wrote down their actions in detail, especially the details on the notes.

She began to recall repeatedly that the faint handwriting on the note had only flashed for a moment, but she vaguely remembered that the symbols and cipher format did not seem to conform to the standard military handwriting.

He became increasingly certain that these soldiers were not ordinary soldiers, but secret agents planted by the enemy.

In the dead of night, the granaries of Hesha City appeared even more tranquil in the dim light.

As the twilight faded, only a few faint starlight rays pierced through the gaps in the warehouse, casting their light onto the heavy grain sacks.

A gentle breeze slipped in through the half-open warehouse door, softly lifting a scrap of paper in the corner and making a faint sound.

Gu Jinyan stood deep inside the warehouse, using the shadows of the shelves to completely conceal his figure.

She noticed something unusual about the warehouse a few days ago.

The soldiers responsible for the handover of supplies were originally following normal procedures, but in recent days their actions have become more secretive.

Whenever grain or fodder was moved in or out of the warehouse, these men would always gather together and whisper among themselves.

Gu Jinyan sensed a hidden danger through his intuition.

She patiently waited for the right moment, observing every subtle movement of the soldiers.

Her gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, taking in everything from their footsteps to their hand movements.

That evening, as she stood quietly in the shadows observing, she noticed that one of the soldiers' sleeves was slightly bulging, as if he were hiding something.

Gu Jinyan narrowed his eyes and focused his attention on the soldier.

She saw him glance around to make sure no one was watching before slowly taking out a carefully folded piece of paper from his sleeve.

The note stood out brightly in the dim starlight. The soldier quickly glanced at its contents and then swiftly stuffed it back into his sleeve.

Gu Jinyan held his breath, his gaze fixed on the soldier's movements like a hawk.

This note was no ordinary record; the soldier's expression and his cautious attitude spoke volumes.

This could be important intelligence being transmitted by the enemy.

To confirm further, she decided to take a risk.

She quietly emerged from between the shelves, deliberately making her footsteps louder, and slowly approached the soldiers.

The footsteps sounded particularly loud in the empty warehouse, echoing all around.

The soldiers immediately looked up and stopped talking.

The leading soldier quickly stuffed the note away, his expression full of vigilance.

His eyes scanned the warehouse, trying to spot any potential threats in the darkness.

The other soldiers also appeared extremely nervous; they exchanged glances, trying to conceal their unease.

The leading soldier whispered a few words, and the group immediately dispersed, pretending to be busy in the warehouse.

Seeing their reactions, Gu Jinyan secretly noted down their way of interacting.

The eye contact and seamless teamwork among these soldiers indicated that they had already reached a consensus, clearly demonstrating that they were not ordinary soldiers.

This made Gu Jinyan even more convinced that the grain depot had become a contact point for the covert operation.

In the following days, Gu Jinyan became even more cautious, moving closer to the point where the soldiers were meeting.

Whenever provisions were being moved in or out of the warehouse, she would quietly hide in a corner, blending into the darkness, and silently observe the soldiers' every move.

She discovered that the soldiers' movements were highly regular; they always acted in groups, and their shift changes and the arrival and departure of supplies almost perfectly coincided.

The soldiers didn't talk much to each other, but whenever they gathered together, they would exchange a few seconds of eye contact.

This kind of communication involves no extra words, relying solely on gestures and eye contact to convey information.

Gu Jinyan saw this and became increasingly vigilant.

These suggestive gestures and glances are very likely exchanging some kind of information.

She took a deep breath, and the military strategy her father had taught her came to mind: "Flaws are often hidden in the details. Observing the enemy's flaws is like a cheetah watching the slightest movement of its prey."

She forced herself to calm down and memorized every single action of these soldiers.

Early that morning, the sound of horses' hooves and cart tracks could be heard outside the warehouse, where several soldiers were changing shifts.

Gu Jinyan approached quietly, pretending to conduct a routine inspection, observing the soldiers' reactions.

She noticed that when the leading soldier saw her, he frowned slightly, quickly changed the subject, and lowered his head to organize the wooden crate in his hands, which was just a routine task.

Gu Jinyan walked to their side, casually glanced around, and then gently touched the seal of the grain bag.

She said in a low voice, "The seal on the provisions seems to have loosened; the recent inspections haven't been thorough enough." After saying that, she slowly raised her head and coldly surveyed the soldiers.

The soldiers immediately stopped what they were doing, bowed their heads in salute, and repeatedly said yes.

The leading soldier quickly explained, "Sir, we will re-inspect immediately, please rest assured."

He tried to keep his tone calm, but his slightly trembling hands and flickering eyes betrayed his true feelings.

As Gu Jinyan left, she deliberately slowed down to observe their next move.

The soldiers visibly breathed a sigh of relief, but one of them still kept glancing in her direction, his expression revealing unease.

They exchanged a glance, as if to make sure no one was approaching, before continuing their hushed conversation.

Of the soldiers, one was responsible for monitoring the warehouse entrance, while another was quickly organizing the provisions, seemingly checking for any signs of inspection.

The remaining few continued their discussion in hushed tones, their movements swift and discreet.

Gu Jinyan observed from a distance and keenly sensed the tense atmosphere between them.

The soldiers' behavior was clearly defensive and wary, indicating that they had something to hide.

As time went by, Gu Jinyan began to piece together all the details he had observed.

She discovered that these soldiers not only behaved strangely during shift changes, but also appeared outside the food depot at specific times.

She compared the timing of these regular actions with the flow of goods in the warehouse.

They gradually discovered a hidden pattern: whenever the amount of food changed, these soldiers would gather together for a brief but intense exchange.

Gu Jinyan returned to his tent, took out his paper and pen, and wrote down the patterns he observed and the soldiers' behavior one by one.

She calmly analyzed every detail, from the soldiers' movement patterns to their interactions and the timing of the handover.

Her thinking was like the formation of battle formations in military strategy, meticulous and detailed, piecing together the enemy's possible plans bit by bit.

In order to confirm the identities of these soldiers and their true purpose, Gu Jinyan decided to adopt a new operational strategy.

She chose to quietly follow one of their movements after their shift change in order to further investigate whether they had any connection with enemy forces outside the city.

She followed carefully behind the soldier, making sure she made no sound with each step.

Her gaze remained fixed on the soldier's back, maintaining a proper distance.

After leaving the warehouse, the soldiers did not return directly to their garrison, but instead headed towards the dark alleys near the city wall.

Seeing this, Gu Jinyan became secretly alert, knowing that this might be a key breakthrough point.

He completely concealed himself in the night and followed silently.

The night was as dark as ink, and the city lights had gradually gone out.

Gu Jinyan completely concealed himself in the shadows, slowly following behind the soldier, his steps as light as willow catkins, without making a sound.

The soldier appeared unusually cautious, glancing around frequently, as if afraid of being discovered.

Although he walked quickly, he deliberately made his steps light, intentionally avoiding any objects that might make a sound.

The soldiers walked through several alleys and finally stopped next to an abandoned stable.

Seeing this, Gu Jinyan also stopped in the shadows not far away, holding his breath and silently observing his actions.

The soldier looked around to make sure no one was there, then took the slip of paper out of his sleeve again, quickly unfolded it, and carefully smoothed out the creases with his fingers to reveal the writing on it.

He glanced at it a few times by the moonlight, then quickly buried the note in a pile of hay next to the stable. He carefully pressed the hay down and only felt a little relieved after confirming that it was completely covered.

Gu Jinyan watched all this quietly, and immediately realized that this note was very likely key evidence of communication with the enemy.

This abandoned stable was the rendezvous point used by soldiers to exchange intelligence.

Gu Jinyan secretly noted down the location, deciding to investigate it again later to avoid alerting the other party.

Just as the soldiers finished tidying up and were about to leave, Gu Jinyan suddenly took a step back, disappearing into the shadows once more, his gaze calmly watching the soldiers' next move.

After looking around and confirming that there was nothing amiss, the soldier quickly left the stable and headed down another path.

Not wanting to alert the enemy rashly, they patiently waited for the soldiers to leave before quietly approaching the pile of hay and searching it carefully.

She carefully peeled back the outer layer and found the meticulously folded note.

She unfolded the note and examined it closely by the moonlight. She found that it contained some brief instructions and arrangements for time and place, clearly a plot for the next operation.

Gu Jinyan calmly hid the note back in its original place, and after ensuring the hay was completely restored, he quietly left the stable.