Along the desolate stretches of the desert road, wind and sand constantly swirl, their murmuring echoing across the sky, eventually carrying a thread of dust toward the distant horizon. At the road's end, dark spots gradually emerge. After a while, these spots draw nearer—revealing a caravan, surrounded by nearly a hundred stern guards, closely monitoring the surroundings with vigilant eyes, their hands tightly gripping the weapons at their backs. As the desert approaches the outer reaches of the Central States' northern region, occasional figures are sometimes sighted, though they remain sparse and vanish almost instantly. The entire road is thus punctuated only by the steady rhythm of the caravan's hooves and the occasional cry of eagles heard from the sky. Inside the bumpy carriage, Xiao Yan leaned against the window, gazing at the韩 family guards outside, whose serious expressions contrasted sharply with the usual relaxed atmosphere. Even the usually lighthearted guards like Gui Tou, who had often joked with him daily, now kept their mouths tightly closed, their hands gripping their weapons tightly and then loosening, clearly showing their growing tension. "It seems that this snake-creature, Xiamang, has quite a formidable reputation here, capable of making people so tense," Xiao Yan murmured, observing the expressions of everyone around. After pondering for a while, Xiao Yan shook his head and then settled onto the cushions inside the carriage, closing his eyes to meditate... The bumpy ride lasted approximately two and a half hours before suddenly coming to a abrupt halt. At that moment, Xiao Yan abruptly opened his eyes, his gaze passing through the window slits to catch sight of a particularly imposing mountain rising not far ahead. At the heart of the mountain stood a massive crack, roughly ten to fifteen zhang wide—wide enough to resemble a deep valley. At the moment the vehicle came to a halt, Xiao Yan's soul perception instantly became sharp, detecting that everyone's heartbeats had slightly accelerated. It seemed that this must be the so-called "Ten-Thousand-Snake Gorge." "Everyone take care—we've entered the Ten-Thousand-Snake Gorge. Gui Tou, prepare to scatter antivenom powder along the route. All the snakes here are agents of Xiamang. As long as we don't disturb them, we should be able to pass smoothly. Moreover, even if they are discovered, unless given explicit orders, don't engage them lightly. Any violation of orders will be subject to clan regulations!" As Xiao Yan pondered, a firm, commanding voice from outside the vehicle suddenly rang out—Han Chong's. "Understood!" Han Chong's voice fell, drawing a wave of responses. "Move!" Han Chong nodded seriously, then raised his hand and spoke firmly. Under Han Chong's instructions, the convoy restarted and slowly advanced into the rugged mountain range. "Xiao Yan, if any incident arises, could you kindly take care of the lady and bring her with you?" Xiao Yan leaned against the window, startled when a soft voice suddenly came from outside. He turned to see it was Han Chong. "Shouldn't be much of a problem, right? Xiamang wants to pay toll fees—just give him a bit of money, shouldn't that settle things?" Xiao Yan said. "If Miss Lin weren't here, a little money should suffice. But... ah, that messy snake—so greedy, and whenever he sees a beautiful woman, he acts like a lustful beast. So, when the time comes, I'm afraid something unexpected might happen. The journey to Tianbei City still stretches ahead, and even Han Family's influence might not be enough to deter him." Han Chong glanced at the carriage ahead, emitting a subtle fragrance, sighed, and offered a wry smile. Hearing this, Xiao Yan finally understood—this was indeed a cause for concern, which explained why everyone had been so tense. "Han brother, don't worry—everyone will be safe," Xiao Yan smiled gently. As for Xiao Yan's words, Han Chong only regarded them as consolation, offering a wry smile, a touch of self-deprecating humor. He knew well that Xiao Yan was currently severely injured, yet still found himself unexpectedly speaking to him about these matters. Should anything go wrong, he himself might not even have the strength to save his life, let alone assist Lady Xu. After a deep breath, seeing the vehicles gradually moving into the valley, Han Chong, feeling utterly helpless, shook his head and then urged his horse forward, beginning to closely monitor every movement around. Amid this urgent atmosphere, the team encountered no issues. Fifteen minutes later, they passed through the central part of the canyon, where the distant canyon exit was now clearly visible. At this sight, nearly everyone silently breathed a sigh of relief. Just as they were relaxing, Xiao Yan in the carriage slowly opened his eyes, then sighed softly—trouble, it seemed, was unavoidable. As soon as he sighed, the canyon suddenly trembled, and trees on both sides rapidly collapsed, revealing traces of massive, serpentine forms. "Damn it! We've been discovered! Speed up—move!" Seeing this, Han Chong's face grew increasingly serious, and he bellowed in frustration. Without needing further instructions, the experienced Han family guards urged their black-horned oxen with all their might, and the convoy roared forward, pressing hard toward the canyon's exit. "Boom!" Just as the team was less than a hundred meters from the canyon exit, massive shadows suddenly burst forth from both sides of the canyon, ultimately sealing off the entire roadway. With their fierce, gaping maws exhaling hissing, sulfurous serpents, and cold, piercing eyes locked onto every member of the team, the scene became utterly imposing. "Damn it..." Staring at these colossal serpents blocking the entire passage, Han Chong felt his heart sink. Though these were only third-tier beasts, their sheer size was overwhelming—dozens of them lined up, nearly closing off the path completely. As the roadway was being sealed, sounds of rustling came from the surrounding jungle, followed by countless venomous snakes of varying sizes and hues emerging in dense numbers, eventually encircling the entire team from front to back. "Hahahaha! A bunch of fools—thinking they can slip past Master Xia's watchful eye?" As the encirclement took shape, a strange laughter suddenly echoed across the sky, followed by a swift descent of a deep emerald figure from the peak of the gully. Within just a few breaths, the figure materialized above the convoy. Han Chong's face trembled slightly before he stepped out of the convoy, producing a crystal card and bowing respectfully, "Of course we know, General Xia. We are the Han family convoy from Tianbei City. Here are some modest gifts—please accept them, General." Xia extended his hand, and with no hesitation, a force of attraction effortlessly drew the crystal card from Han Chong's grasp. He glanced at it, then smiled and said, "Not bad. It seems you do have a bit of sincerity." Upon hearing this, Han Chong's face brightened slightly, and he said with care, "Then, would General allow our convoy to proceed?" "Of course," Xia chuckled, his snake-like tongue flicking against his lips. He then swiftly directed his finger toward the vehicle where Han Xue was seated, and with a lewd smile added, "But before you go, leave her behind!" Everyone in the convoy instantly stiffened, many of them instinctively gripping their weapons tighter. Han Chong took a deep breath and respectfully asked, "Then, what does the General mean?" "Hehe, miss, there's no need to hide anymore. The fragrance of a woman—my lord can smell it from afar. And, my lord knows for certain, this one will be a true gem. So, come out now!" Without even acknowledging Han Chong, Xia Mang fixed his gaze directly on the carriage, chuckling. "Boom!" As soon as Xia Mang finished speaking, the lid of the carriage burst open, and a graceful figure darted out, standing atop the carriage, her gaze cold and steady upon Xia Mang in the sky. Upon seeing Han Xue's face, a surge of red light erupted in Xia Mang's eyes. He laughed heartily,仰天, "Indeed, as my lord had predicted—this harvest is truly splendid! Such a rare gem, I haven't encountered in years!" Han Xue's cheeks remained cold, a hint of determination flashing in her eyes. With a delicate grasp of her hand, a long sword materialized, and as her back's aura wings flared, she shot forward with sudden momentum, aiming straight at Xia Mang. "Hehe, young lady, with your current Duke-level strength, how could you possibly escape my grasp?" As Han Xue charged forward, Xia Mang chuckled and, with a single opening of his mouth, shot out a ribbon of vibrant emerald aura that struck the former's sword like a lightning bolt, instantly shattering it. Han Xue was forced to retreat step by step, her previously rosy cheeks now pale, clearly demonstrating the vast gap between Duke and Emperor-level combatants. "Commander Xia, we are from the Han family of Tianbei City. Should you attack us, the family head and all the elders will surely not spare you!" Upon seeing Han Xue's setback, Han Chong roared in anger. "Hah! The Han family? Though there are a few older members, what can they do against me? Can't they even run when they're defeated? Moreover, as long as I keep you all here, who will know that I've targeted the Han family members?" Xia Mang chuckled, then emitted a strange, guttural cry. As the cry spread, the countless venomous snakes lining both sides of the gully instantly flashed cold glimmers in their eyes, shooting forth like arrows—dense and relentless, as though a downpour of venomous rain had begun, creating a truly terrifying scene.