I can rewind time to prevent death

In the moment when Yan Junze faced the woman holding the red lantern, he didn't show any reaction, just staring at her, silent.

The Lantern Woman also gazed directly at Yan Junze, but the next second, she opened her mouth and released a string of questions, and her voice was eerily unnatural.

"Have you seen... my husband?"

The first four words came out normal, but as she said "my," the Lantern Woman's voice suddenly turned hoarse and rough, and by the time she finished with the last "ma" her voice had completely changed, as if a burly man was roaring in fury.

During this, Yan Junze could clearly feel his hair being blown backward by a foul wind, his clothes rustling, and his vision blurred; he could see nothing at that moment.

Snap!

The next second, five fingers pressed onto his head.

"Rewind."

This time, Yan Junze found himself returned to the moment before he had entered the gully, standing in the Plum Blossom Forest, eyeing the winding gully ahead, not planning to go down again.

After all, the Lantern Woman was still squatting in the middle of the gully, scraping at the yellowed skull with both hands; as long as Yan Junze advanced through the gully, he would inevitably run into her, blocking his necessary path.

And he didn't know what each rewind changed, but in the previous rewind, the sequence of events had actually changed, causing the Lantern Woman to prematurely enter her red lantern state.

If he entered the gully again this time, Yan Junze had an intuition that he would likely get intercepted by her again, and would still trigger her red lantern state.

So, he found a comfortable spot without moonlight and sat down, beginning to wait in silence.

Making a Moonshade Umbrella out of branches would also take about half an hour, and if Yan Junze's estimation was not wrong, in about ten or so minutes, the Lantern Woman should return along the gully to the Plum Blossom Forest.

Indeed, after about 12 minutes, a white figure appeared in the gully holding a lantern, only the upper body visible, but soon she came fully into Yan Junze's sight.
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The first thing Yan Junze noted was the lantern in her hand, white, which eased his mind slightly. The Lantern Woman walked elegantly, her long dress swaying gently with her steps, unsoiled.

After waiting a while, the Lantern Woman had fully walked to the bottom of the gully near the Plum Blossom Forest side. If it were Yan Junze, he would be climbing up using his hands and feet, expending some effort to get out of the gully.

But the Lantern Woman was different; she simply walked up step by step, her body tilted but not falling, standing on top of the gully for a while, before finally entering the Plum Blossom Forest.

Yan Junze had already stood up; he didn't hide himself but stood openly in front of the Lantern Woman, and when she approached, he said, "Perhaps I can help you find your husband."

The Lantern Woman, upon seeing a person, reflexively prepared to ask first, but was surprised the other party spoke directly, cutting straight to the heart of the matter. With a glimmer in her eyes, she quickened her pace and walked over, "Really?"

"Of course it's true," Yan Junze nodded, "but I need some information. You must answer me truthfully, or I can't guarantee that I'll find your husband."

The Lantern Woman hesitated for a moment but soon nodded, "Yes, okay. As long as you can find my husband, please speak."

So it goes to show that the opening address is very important.

As he spoke, Yan Junze watched the lantern in the woman's hand closely. The lantern remained white, and its light was not too bright, indicating that her emotions were quite stable at the moment.

A good opening gambit accounts for half the chances of successfully completing the task.

At this moment, Yan Junze felt some confidence and continued, "May I ask if you live nearby, and where exactly?"

The Lantern Woman nodded, "My husband and I live in Mo Family Village, but we are outsiders; we've settled there for... hmm, four years."

"Where exactly do you live?" Yan Junze asked.

The Lantern Woman pointed into the forest.

"Can you take me there?" Yan Junze said.

The Lantern Woman nodded and led the way. Because the Plum Blossom Forest was quite small, walking quickly through it would take about ten minutes, so the two of them quickly entered the heart of the forest.

Yan Junze looked around; there was nothing to be seen, and he felt puzzled.

"I live here," the Lantern Woman walked to a spot that looked somewhat flat and stood still.

Upon closer inspection, Yan Junze felt that this flat area could be suitable for building a home, perhaps the Lantern Woman and her husband really used to live here, but now time had passed, and the house was gone.

He definitely wouldn't find her husband's whereabouts here.

Yan Junze thought for a moment and asked, "Does your husband have any friends in the village, any house he likes to visit frequently?"

"My husband is dedicated to his studies, preparing for the imperial examinations, so he does nothing but study at home, and doesn't really have friends," the Lantern Woman shook her head, "But, if he gets tired of reading, he sometimes goes west to Mo Zhengping's home, to tutor Mo Zhengping's two children."

"Mo Zhengping, where does he live?" Yan Junze asked with a frown.

The Lantern Woman turned and walked towards the direction of the gully they had come from, and in a short time, the two arrived above the gully.

She pointed to the house directly in front of them, "That's Mo Zhengping's home."

"Perhaps... we should go take a look," Yan Junze suggested, "You've been searching here in the Plum Blossom Forest and its vicinity, no wonder you can't find your husband. Maybe he's been at Mo Zhengping's home all along?"