Ah, a sharp and piercing scream shattered the silence of the forest, startling the birds into flight.
On the main road, the first to stop were the members of the Dowager Ding's entourage. Upon hearing the distant scream, they all shuddered.
"What happened?" Old Mrs. Ding frowned, her face tired, fingers moving her prayer beads.
A servant went to inquire, and the Ding family's steward came over to report: "It was Scholar Xie's group walking behind us; the scream came from their direction. Dowager, your thoughts?"
Old Mrs. Ding pursed her lips, saying, "Send someone to check what happened, and we will continue moving forward."
"Yes."
Ding Suman looked at her grandmother and asked, "Grandmother, should we not stop to see if they need help?"
Old Mrs. Ding glanced at her, saying, "We have no doctor with us on this journey; what help could we provide? Let's go."
