In the brief silence, the wind roared, and Ye Liuxi whispered to Gao Shen, "I'll ensure there's no risk behind you—though you must guarantee the same for me." Gao Shen nodded, "I'll let you know in advance if I'm unable to deliver." This man spoke little, often almost invisible, yet for some reason, Ye Liuxi always found him trustworthy. Holding her blade, she blew a soft whistle at the person closest to her. The chaos resumed, as if it had never paused—Ye Liuxi's blade moved only forward, never concerned about her back. She dispatched one opponent, then swiftly turned to face the next, not merely defending, but several times launching attacks. On several occasions, someone stationed on the side launched a sudden assault and was knocked down by bullets from the advancing troops. Ye Liuxi instinctively sensed that Ding Liu's gunfire occasionally missed or struck only the torso or limbs, whereas Chang Dong's shots always hit the head. She tended to be overly impetuous when handling things herself, much like driving a car while being constantly pelted by obstacles—so intense was the pressure that she nearly overturned the vehicle. There was a "steadiness" she deeply admired in Changdong, something she absolutely craved. Whatever she set her sights on, she wouldn't merely leave it unclaimed; she would actively gather it, and if necessary, forge connections. However, the number of such rigid, unyielding individuals was finite, and once a few had been knocked down, the momentum began to shift. Fei Tang, once hesitant, grew bolder, wielding his construction shovel with increasing vigor: he now charged at any opening, struck head-on, and then dashed off. Ye Liuxi found herself wanting to smile—what a determined young man! After knocking down one more person, the remaining two began to hesitate, showing signs of retreat. As dusk deepened, sand obscured visibility, and Ye Liuxi seized the brief moment to stride quickly to the tool box, opening the emergency work light. The bright incandescent light cleared a patch of sand, and as she glanced up unintentionally, she suddenly noticed, behind Changdong's back, someone’s rigid frame slowly c She was stunned, hadn't even had time to issue a warning, when that sturdy figure suddenly lunged and caught Chang Dong, hurling both of them off the roof. Ye Liuxi reached to rush over, but Chang Dong looked up and roared, "Stay focused—don't interfere!" As he spoke, he drove his elbow into the figure's jaw, then rolled over, raising his spear to press it against the figure's brow. The outer appearance is gone, the inner essence is foreign. A slender, eerie neck is adorned with a delicate chain, swaying gently. That night when the mountain tea plant was damaged, Kong Yang called him into the tent to check if the clothes suited him, nervously brushing the necklace at his neck and softly asking, "Does this look good? If we take photos, won't the chain appear too thin?" He hadn't quite finished speaking when he heard the wind rattling the bottles outside... ... The sound from two years ago seemed to have returned, now piercing through his eardrums and winding deep into his skull, interweaving and never ceasing. Kong Yang made a hoarse sound in his throat, his teeth clenched, his eyes glowing with an intense brightness, his back hunched and his neck creaking as it moved, as though he were about to rush forward again. Another burst of gunfire rang out, but it only missed—bullets grazing the top of Kong Yang's head and striking the wall. He was startled, stepping back, his neck rigid and his agitation growing more intense. Chang Dong turned sharply to Ding Liu and shouted, "Don't shoot!" Only then did he realize that, during his moment of stunned stillness, the fighting had nearly subsided. High Shen remained alert, watching the upper area, on guard for any possible new attackers. Everyone else stood at a distance. Ding Liu, holding her rifle, had trembled under his shout. Ye Liuxi raised his hand to steady Ding Liu’s arm, then went to pick up the gun that had been thrown aside by Chang Dong, wiped it with his hand, and reinserted it into his waist. Kong Yang quickly rose to her feet, despite being wounded in the waist, and didn’t slow down at all. Fei Tang, holding a military shovel, grew tense, his throat tightening: “West Sister, why isn’t Dong brother moving?” Ye Liuxi replied: “…Just let him be.” As the figures shifted, the tattered skirt swept out a fleeting line, and Kong Yang, using all four limbs, rushed forward several steps before leaping up and crashing into Chang Dong’s chest, her hands gripping his neck. Ding Liu gasped aloud. Ye Liuxi stared, gripping the knife tightly in her hands. At that moment, Chang Dong reached out, steadying Kong Yang's head with one hand on each side, then gave it a firm twist to the side. The crisp crack of the broken neck was especially sharp; the wind swept over and knocked the work lamp over, its tall shaft plunging straight into the air. Chang Dong remained motionless, while Kong Yang initially still leaned against him before slowly slipping away. Ye Liuxi lifted her head, unsure where to look—sand and wind filled her vision, and she felt the vastness of the sky and the world pressing down, everything seeming so difficult. Fei Tang stepped closer. "West sister, this person has a woman's posture, and she's wearing a skirt." Ye Liuxi replied, "Yes, that's—." She paused, choosing not to speak. Why should anyone know that the person with such awkward, unattractive posture was actually Kong Yang? Kong Yang had been a gentle, beautiful young woman, who died unexpectedly in a sandstorm, with no further story. Ding Liu glanced around, uncertain whom to approach: "With all these bodies lying here—won't they pose a safety risk? Shouldn't "Ye Liu Xi said coldly, 'It's not as if there weren't others available—why should we handle this?' —— Gao Shen used the stick to pry and tap, kicking several times, until he finally broke a hole in the stove opening. Ye Liu Xi knelt by the opening and called out inside, 'If you're wise, just come out calmly—we can still talk.' After a while, the old sign's trembling voice came through, 'You... you don't come in, or I'll burn everything!' Ding Liu grew pale with anger, while Ye Liu Xi smiled and said loudly, 'Alright, we'll help you burn it!' She then turned to Gao Shen and his team, 'For the things to burn, bring them in.' There were plenty of dry wood and debris in the courtyard. Fei Tang gathered them into piles, Gao Shen lit the fire with a match, and once the flames grew strong, Ding Liu simply picked up the burning materials and threw them into the opening. Not long after, coughing sounds came from below. Gao Shen hesitated, asking Ye Liu Xi, 'This... won't result in anyone being seriously hurt, will it?' Ye Liuxi sneered, "Didn't they just want our lives earlier?" Gao Shen said, "But what if someone actually died? Then it would be a legal matter." He had only just arrived and still couldn't fully shake off the outside social rules—despite Li Qi's boldness, he kept insisting his team not to make a serious mess, like overturning the tea pot lid. Ye Liuxi grabbed a broken stool and sat down by the fire. "Rest assured, people who develop greed are usually afraid of dying." Fei Tang, after tossing a few more flames, finally couldn't hold back and quietly asked Ye Liuxi, "Miss Xi, what exactly has happened to my Dong brother?" Ye Liuxi's gaze swept over Chang Dong, who had been sitting silently by Kong Yang's body, motionless, his silhouette carrying a sense of quiet melancholy. She said, "Just leave him be. Don't bother him. Don't go near him. Don't disturb him." "Waited a bit longer—probably couldn't keep up with the pace of the initial rush, and the air beneath was getting depleted faster. Finally, a faint coughing sound came from the stove opening: 'No... no, we're out now.' A moment later, the inner panel of the stove opened, and Gao Shen reached out, pulling the eldest guest out like he was dragging a chicken. — Under the glow of the fire, Old Qian, Ah He, and the potato stick stood just as they had the night before, shivering and huddled together, with a smear of chocolate sauce still on the corner of the potato stick—likely having eaten the chocolate while unpacking. Ye Liuxi wanted to smile. She sat on the stool, her arms braced against the knife handle, acting as a support: 'Now, tell me—what did you think then? What were you thinking at the time?' Old Qian remained silent, the potato stick grew increasingly afraid, constantly shrinking toward Ah He's back, while Ah He felt both embarrassed and ashamed, her lips tightly pressed shut. Ye Liuxi asked, 'Not saying anything, are you?' Suddenly, she leaned forward, grasped Ah He's coiled braid firmly Ahuo gasped in alarm, and Fei Tang was startled, instinctively pulling her close and shouting, "Miss Xi, can't this be the case?" He could tolerate being kicked twice or thrice—this burning face, though, was truly cruel! Amid the chaos, the elder Qian cried out, "It has nothing to do with them—it's my idea!" Ye Liuxi changed her grip from holding to pushing, gently shoving Ahuo aside and then sitting back down again, "Then tell me—what's your thought?" Ahuo lay motionless on the ground, her face streaked with tears, too afraid to cry out. The elder Qian's lips trembled as she said, "The times are tough. The uncles and aunts of the girl have been gone for several days—probably something has happened. We have very little left. We don't know how to carry on..." "Your goods are in high demand at the market—they're scarce. The things on the vehicle are even more sought after. That's what I've been thinking..." Ye Liuxi interrupted, "Your expectations are high, but can you really manage to absorb all these, and hold on?" "Without the ability to handle it, holding onto such a treasure—whether it's a blessing or a curse, really, is hard to tell." Not sure what Old Qian thought, Fat Tang suddenly turned crimson, feeling embarrassed as he recalled having longed for the jade stag head. "Didn't you say the human figures only leave their homes at night?" Old Qian shivered slightly: "That's true—human figures generally prefer the daytime, but during major sandstorms, when the sand completely covers the sky, they might follow the storm. I was just taking a chance..." At that time, he had found an excuse to send Ah He and the potato into the cellar, staying by the entrance himself. When he heard something unusual, he promptly sealed the door panel—only to find that things didn't go as planned. Everything had now been arranged, yet so far, only these three people from the interior region had been seen. There were still countless things to extract from them, and it wasn't convenient to take any action against them just yet. Ye Liuxi smiled: "Since it's a gamble, one should know what happens when one loses..." She pointed to the cellar entrance: "The space and the items are now all mine." Ah Hu’s hair stood on end as she bravely asked, “Are you planning to evict us?” Ye Liu said, “Do I seem like someone with such patience? I just haven’t quite decided how to handle you all yet…” He gestured toward the mess scattered throughout the yard. “First of all, shall I take charge of cleaning up and making things right?” Old Qian felt a weight lift from his chest—since they needed their help, their lives were at least temporarily secure. He sniffed, surveyed the surroundings, and tried to appear as enthusiastic as possible. “The bodies of the people with upright frames need to be burned. If left untouched, they’ll leave a strong odor and attract even more trouble.” Ye Liu asked, “Can’t we bury them instead?” “Not at all. These bodies came straight out of the Yadan soil mounds. If we bury them back there, we’ll face endless complications.” … Without realizing it, the sandstorm had passed, and the sky began to lighten into a pale yellow. While the potato fries were clearing the yard, Ah Hu and Old Qian worked together, dragging each person’s upright frame out of the yard and to the center. As they reached "Old Li was at a loss: 'This... this one can't be kept...' Chang Dong said, 'I haven't gone deaf—I heard you.' He stood up, bent down, and picked up Kong Yang's body, then stepped out of the courtyard. Fei Tang and the others were helping each other—some wiping alcohol, others bandaging wounds. At first, during the intense fighting, they hadn’t noticed the cuts, scrapes, and swelling. Only after they’d recovered did they realize everyone had been injured. When they looked at each other face to face, it was almost comical, yet their shared experience of enduring hardships made them feel deeply close. She picked them up one by one and placed them back in the box. Then she answered Ding Liu, "Because I'm tired."