After Li Jiniao fell asleep, the lingering effect of the wine surged and浸ed his nerves, and he slept through until dawn. The bustling sounds around him woke him with a yawn. The "dawn" below was actually the "opening of the sky window"—the staff members climbed to the ground, lifting several sections of the floor, allowing sunlight to stream directly through the thick glass windows and cast bright patches of light onto the dining hall directly opposite. Li Jiniao sat up, and the door to his room was already wide open. Inside, everyone was busy with their own tasks: Ye Liuxi combed her hair, Ding Liu applied face cream, Fei Tang did push-ups—those where her stomach touched the floor—while Gao Sheng, deeply focused, wrote something in his notebook. Amidst this flurry of activity, one person was missing: Zhun Shanhe. Li Jiniao murmured in surprise and stepped outside, leaning on the railing on the second floor to look around. In the dining hall, a few chickens strolled leisurely, occasionally pausing in the patches of sunlight to bask in the filtered rays, yet Zhun Shanhe was nowhere to be seen. “That…,” Li Jinao looked toward the room inside, a bit puzzled, “Did anyone see my chicken?” Ye Liu didn’t lift her head; with a graceful motion, she gently caught a few strands of hair that had fallen from her comb. “I didn’t notice—it must have wandered off.” “This useless chicken!” Li Jinao stormed down to the lobby, shouting, “Let it die out there! Never come back!” Chang Dong, who was taking notes, paused his pen. How many hostage-taking cases had there been where the families remained unaware that their loved ones had been kidnapped—just like Li Jinao—until the very end? Probably because everyone had a heart as large as his. Before heading downstairs, Chang Dong handed Ye Liu another mask. She took it with a groan, fastening the elastic band over her ears. Ding Liu, standing by, watched with genuine sympathy. Ye Liuxi started wearing her mask as soon as she entered the shop yesterday, citing the underground smell as uncomfortable—after inhaling it for a while, she felt dizzy. Ding Liu thought this issue was indeed hard to resolve; the smell seemed to seep in from all directions, finding its way through every crack. Wearing a mask offered only psychological comfort. Poor Xi姐, her dark circles under her eyes had clearly appeared, and she must have slept poorly last night. For instance, "Spring winds fail to cross the Jade Gate Pass" was written by a poet named Wang, "A lone city gazes afar at the Jade Gate Pass" was also penned by another Wang poet, and "Long winds stretch for ten thousand miles, sweeping across the Jade Gate Pass"—I’ve forgotten who wrote that. Chang Dong said, "Li Bai is crying right beside you." Fei Tang genuinely glanced over: "He’s the Poet Immortal now—he doesn’t care about such details. Dong, have you thought of anything?" Clearly not. Chang Dong asked, "Shall I ask for your guidance?" Fei Tang proudly said, "Dong, you’re wise all your life, yet confused now. Listen to me." "The last celestial phenomenon occurred in the Tang Dynasty—the sun appeared in the Southern Dipper, and the Southern Dipper broke through the Jade Gate—this caused unrest within the pass for a while, with the old turtle saying at least a century or so. Meanwhile, what was going on outside the pass? Hmm?" Outside the pass… Chang Dong pondered. Outside the pass, it was precisely the Tang Dynasty. He remembered watching TV dramas about Tang Taizong when he was young—Li Shimin had fought wars against the Western Turk, and later, in his struggle with Tibet for control over the Western Regions and Qinghai, he waged repeated campaigns, mostly along the Hexi Corridor. The popularity of frontier poetry during the Tang dynasty stemmed precisely from the persistent border threats. Fei Tang spoke with lively energy: "What if, this time, the turmoil we're experiencing began in the interior provinces and spilled over into the outer regions?" As he spoke, he grew more convinced of his reasoning: "You know, Dong, haven't you noticed that the Tang dynasty deeply revered Daoism—full of Daoist priests everywhere—and that the genre of strange tales and anecdotes reached its peak? Why? Culture always reflects social conditions. If we look beyond the surface to the essence, isn't it because…?" He lowered his voice: "At that time, when the gate of Yumen Pass was breached, didn't some kind of spirit or monster emerge and make its way out?" Chang Dong had barely had time to respond when a sudden commotion erupted at the front desk. The woman's voice rose sharply, as if she were fighting against the wind: "What Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi exchanged a look of understanding. —— The time went back to last night at midnight. Zhen Shan He carefully turned her head around. Facing each other, Zhen Shan He displayed a composure far beyond that of an ordinary chicken. It... simply walked away as if nothing had happened. Ye Liuxi almost rushed out, only to be stopped by Chang Dong, who quietly said, "Don't worry yet." Of course, they couldn't just leave it at that—what kind of chicken would be listening to the walls at midnight? Who knew what was really going on? But they didn't need to lose their temper right then and there, either. A big scene would have scattered everything, making everyone look ungraceful. By the time dawn approached, Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi coordinated a smooth abduction: Zhen Shan He was fast asleep, Chang Dong gently held her beak and claws, Ye Liuxi sealed her mouth with tape, and then wrapped her body and wings tightly with several strips of cloth. The entire operation was clean and efficient—no feathers fell. After the faint sounds of voices began to emerge from outside, Ye Liuxi carried the Zhenshanhe upside down toward the entrance. At the front desk, there was a long tablecloth that nearly reached the table legs, though the table itself was solid and the space beneath was hollow. That was perfect—she had arranged to hang the Zhenshanhe below, then, as she left, used scissors to cut a gap in the cloth. With a little struggle, it would surely open up. Throughout the entire journey, the Zhenshanhe remained motionless, its eyes blank. Li Jinao mentioned that the person with the scorpion’s eyes had been accompanied by a large scorpion. Chang Dong said that from now on, they must remain vigilant, as the person with the scorpion’s eyes had already regarded them as enemies. Who exactly was this person? Among the dozens of guests staying at the inn, no one had been identified yet—everyone seemed suspicious, and the group felt restless, constantly scanning each other. If this person checked out, they would definitely pass through the front desk. At that moment, they would likely place the scorpion into their suitcase or box. While Ye Liuxi couldn’t open the guests’ bags to inspect them — The table at the front desk seemed to come alive, swaying and bumping as if it were animated. The wind stirred by the chicken wings tossed the tablecloth up and down. The woman at the front desk, fierce and urgent, snatched it off with a strong pull: "What in the world—what's going on? Whose chicken is this? No one has claimed it!" Everyone in the lobby turned to look at the front desk, and Chang Dong did too, as though it were entirely natural. Only those who didn't look on were truly hiding something. "... The frail man carried his suitcase quietly and went up the stairs without a word, leaving Li Jinao standing there, constantly apologizing to the front-desk woman. Chang Dong turned his gaze and spoke softly, 'That man just now—possibly one of the Scorpion's people. We'd have been fine if we hadn't encountered him again. But if we see him again, we should be cautious.' Fei Tang opened his mouth several times before stammering, 'Which man—just now?' He had been too busy watching the chickens. Gao Shen reminded him, 'The one in the black wind coat—slender and slight—just went out.' As he spoke, Li Jinao came over, looking dejected, carrying the chickens, and complained at their table, 'I have no idea who it was that hung the mountain river over the table.' Ye Liuxi finished eating, set her chopsticks down on the table, and said, 'Me.' She then stood up, reached out, and grabbed Li Jinao by the collar, pulling him toward the nearest empty room. Chang Dong rose to his feet and gestured to Ding Liu and the others, 'You take your time. Don't rush.' He calmly followed inside and closed the door behind him. Ye Liuxi pushed Li Jinao into a chair, removing his mask since it was getting in the way—after all, they had already met face to face at midnight yesterday, so there was no need to hide. She said, "Last night, I spoke with Changdong about some private matters—not anything major, just reflecting on how we've been setting fires and committing murders lately..." "Didn't want anyone to hear, because if they did, they'd have to be killed on the spot—too much hassle." "Who knew you'd show up at any moment like a chicken, listening in all along? What am I supposed to do now?" Li Jinao smiled awkwardly, "This is ridiculous—how could a chicken possibly listen to people? Even if it did, it couldn't speak, so it'd be just as if it hadn't heard anything at all." Ye Liuxi scoffed, "I don't think so. I believe you're directing it. Whatever it hears, I hear it too." Li Jiniao’s eyes instantly widened into circles: “No, no, absolutely not! This chicken…!” Suddenly realizing he needed to distance himself from the situation, he quickly let go. Zhen Shanhe stumbled to the ground and rose slowly, exuding the calm, unshakable demeanor of a pig that doesn’t care about boiling water. Li Jiniao cleared his throat: “This chicken is naturally drawn to excitement—any quarrels or fights it witnesses, it just won’t let go, no matter how hard you try to pull it away. If you’re chatting normally, it simply wouldn’t pay attention….” Ye Liuxi said: “So, that means I’m not chatting normally?” Her tone suggested otherwise, and Li Jiniao shivered, hesitating to speak. Ye Liuxxi continued: “Then, to make me feel secure, either the chicken or you must go—choose one. Don’t even think you can pull off a cover-up. Look at the kind of car I’m riding in!” Li Jiniao still tried to smile, but seeing Ye Liuxi’s serious expression, he paused and then decisively made his choice: “It!” —– Ding Liu and the others had been waiting patiently for a long time, finally seeing the door open and Ye Liuxi come out with a chicken. Fei Tang was deeply impressed: “My sister is truly outstanding! After just staying in this remote village, she’s managed to gather all the local resources, met Li Jinao, and even taken the chicken from him—what a feat!” Ye Liuxi stepped closer and offered the chicken forward: “Who would ever think of killing a chicken?” As he presented it to Fei Tang, Fei Tang quickly waved his hands: “No, no, no, Sister Ye! Killing a chicken is so cruel—I simply can’t do it.” When he offered it to Ding Liu, Ding Liu managed a weak smile: “I’m not sure I can handle it—the chicken smells strange and seems quite messy.” It seemed only Gao Shen remained. He took the chicken from Ye Liuxi, examined the wings, then the feet, hesitated, and said: “Miss Ye…” Though their ages were quite similar, he couldn’t quite call her “Sister Ye” like Fei Tang and Ding Liu did, nor could he use the more formal “Miss Ye” like Chang Dong—so his "My grandfather taught me that the most effective chicken for warding off evil is one with golden claws and a blossoming crown, its eyes glowing like flames, its feathers resembling brocade—its claws gleaming golden, sharp as iron hooks, and its comb a vibrant, full bloom of red, like a flourishing flower." Ye Liuxi nodded. "Is this chicken truly blessed?" "Yes, it is." Such a naturally gifted bird, yet so crooked in its form—truly a source of shame among chickens. Gao Shen cleared his throat. "…I feel that all these unexplained occurrences along the way will eventually prove useful. If we must kill it, we should wait until the moment of greatest need. Killing it now, however, will only result in wasted effort—its blood won’t even be fully utilized." —— Chang Dong paid for his meal and lodging with a box of cold medicine, two packs of alcohol wipes, and two sets of dry batteries. As he left, he looked at Li Jiniao, whose eyes were full of hope, and felt a pang of compassion. Yet the chicken truly seemed unusually spirited—so he decided to return it, not entirely at ease. Ye Liuxi found a rope, tied the Zhush The car resumed its journey westward across the desert. Not long after, a solitary figure appeared ahead, carrying a suitcase in one hand. It was the frail man who had been suspected of having scorpion's eyes. Chang Dong spoke softly, "If he doesn't bother me, I won't bother him either. I don't want any trouble—let's just go around." Ye Liuxi nodded. As Chang Dong pressed the accelerator, intending to pass by the man, he suddenly turned around and raised his hand high. He wanted to board the vehicle.