Chang Dong slowed down, always feeling that this man was different from what he had been just a moment ago, though he couldn't quite recall how. At the back seat, Gao Shen reminded Fei Tang and Ding Liu, "It's this man—Scorpion Eye." Ding Liu exclaimed excitedly, "Well done! He even stopped our car, not realizing we've already spotted him. Oh, Dong, see what kind of trouble he'll get into!" Ye Liuxi quietly added, "Be careful." Chang Dong nodded and gradually brought the car to a stop. The man smiled warmly, holding a piece of leather in his hands, bowing and leaning close to the window. Chang Dong pressed the window halfway down, indicating inside, "We're full—can't take anyone else." Ye Liuxxi didn't bother wearing his mask, simply cupping his hands over his face, pretending to be bored with the ride, his eyes peeking through the gaps between his fingers at the man. The man shook his head, "No, I just wanted to ask for directions. The people in the steel-bodied vehicles must know the route better than me. I'd like to know if, going in this direction Chang Dong was struck with an idea—the map drawn in delicate lines on the leather scroll clearly showed a layout, either a partial view or a complete map of the region. If only he could see the full map… He pressed the window down a little further. The man, being considerate, held the scroll close to him, his gesture almost awkward. Just as Chang Dong lowered his head, the man suddenly flicked his wrist. Ye Liuxi cried out, “Watch out for the knife!” Beneath the leather, the sharp edge of a cold, slender knife blade flashed suddenly toward Chang Dong’s throat! Relieved that he had always remained alert toward this man, Chang Dong didn’t pause to think—he used the strength of his back and waist to bend his body low, grasping the man’s arm holding the knife and twisting it backward, while simultaneously opening the inner door handle with his other hand and forcefully kicking the car door wide open. The man’s arm was pinned inside the car, but his body was thrown backward by the force of the door, gasping in pain. As Chang Dong prepared to step out, he suddenly heard Fei Tang’s scream—almost at the same time, the window on the back seat shattered In an instant, Chang Dong suddenly understood: it was no wonder he always felt this man was different. When he had left the hotel, the man had carried one luggage bag in each hand, but just as he had stopped to hail a taxi, he was only holding one bag, the other hand empty. The scorpion had been missing! Indeed, he was quite skilled at flanking attacks and sudden assaults—though rather ruthless, cutting off his throat right away without letting him speak a word. Chang Dong, stirred by the sudden crisis, stepped down from the taxi, using the window frame as a pivot, grasping the man's wrist and pressing down hard—cracking a sharp sound, and the man let out a piercing, agonizing cry. If you take my life, I'll break your bones—this isn't too much to ask. Turning around in panic, he saw the back seat in chaos: the scorpion had launched its attack from Fei Tang's side, its stinging tail sweeping heavily and shattering the still-solid window glass, then its two robust chelae, thick as sections of lotus stems, drove firmly into the window, pressing in with fierce determination. Fei Tang was clearly stunned, frozen in place with a pale face. Ye Liuxi had already jumped out of the vehicle, raising his sword to strike the scorpion's body. His first blow landed on the hard exoskeleton, causing a sharp numbness in his虎mouth—yet the blade wouldn't penetrate. Chang Dong hadn't even finished speaking when she was already charging forward—the man truly looked like a fragile clothes rack, instantly knocked to the ground by her. Turning back, Fei Tang finally regained his composure, crawling out on all fours, but his high-decked pancake was caught by the scorpion's pincers, pulling him back and unable to free it. Ye Liuxi was furious—the scorpion's shell was too hard, resistant to the knife; its tail was at least half a meter long, sweeping with graceful momentum. She dared not approach too closely, and could only strike when an opening presented itself—her blade curled at the edges, managing to sever only a few appendages. Chang Dong reached into the glove compartment, pulled out her handgun, chambered a round, and strode purposefully forward, firing a single shot directly at the scorpion's head. The Gobi plain was vast and open, the sunlight bright, the gunshot echoing. Turning back, Ding Liu had risen to her feet, delivering a solid punch to the man's jaw. Chang Dong said, "Don't kill him." "Fei Tang finally staggered down from the carriage, his eyes swollen and puffy, narrowed to thin slits, tears streaming in the wind as he spoke, his voice trembling with emotion: "Xiao Liu'er, what did you spray on me? Have I gone blind?" Ye Liuxi found it truly amusing. He looked up to see Gao Shen crouched on the roof, gently stroking the head of the Zhenshanhe creature with his hand, and when he released it, the head drooped down immediately. "Dead?" Ye Liuxi asked. It made sense that the scorpion had approached—it hadn't even made a sound, just passed away like that. What a pity, such a fine creature, with its golden spines and floral crown... Gao Shen gently touched the chicken's chest and abdomen with his hand. "Not exactly. It seems... frightened into unconsciousness." Ding Liu, finally exhausted, rose to her feet and gave the man a firm kick. As she turned to face him, Ye Liuxi burst out laughing and exclaimed, "Li, when you fought, how did horns grow on your head?" Ding Liu looked puzzled. "Huh?" she said, taking a few steps toward him She saw clearly—on Ding Liu’s head, the extra section wasn’t a horn at all, but a handle. A blade had pierced through her head. —Ding Liu remained unaware, curiously reaching up toward her head: “What horn is this?” Chang Dong roared, “Don’t move!” Ding Liu trembled slightly, her hand pausing at her ears. Looking up, she suddenly felt afraid. While Fei Tang stared at her with the blankness of a blind man, everyone else was watching her—especially Gao Shen, whose lips moved but who had lost all color. As Ding Liu spoke, her voice couldn’t help but shake: “Xī Sister, what… are you all looking at me for?” Chang Dong was the first to recover. He smiled and said, “Just playing around with you—truly, you’re not used to being startled.” Speaking calmly, he gently gripped Leaf Liuxi’s hand. Leaf Liuxi managed a smile: “A young girl, not used to being startled.” Ding Liu hesitated, half-believing: “Really?” She exhaled a little, but couldn’t quite settle down. As she On the windowpane, her image was clearly visible, with a distinct section of hair now projecting like a horn—what was that? Her head suddenly exploded with a roar; she screamed, reaching desperately for her own head. Chang Dong nearly rushed over, seizing her arm firmly and calling in a steady voice, "Ding Liu, Ding Liu, look at me!" Ding Liu's lips trembled and her body shook continuously. As Ye Liuxi and Gao Shen approached, Fei Tang's anxious voice seemed to come from another world, distorted and faintly echoing in her ears: "What's wrong? What happened? What's the matter with Xiao Liu?" "Chang Dong said, 'Ding Liu, listen to me. I've previously participated in emergency training and have been exposed to various types of accidental injuries. What you're going through has happened before—and not just once—and yet the person is still alive.'" Ding Liu's body could no longer stay upright: "My head..." She knew instinctively—without needing to think—that her head wasn't like her arm. If an arm were pierced, it would just bleed a little. But her head—the most complex organ in the body—was so intricate that even a simple blow could cause her to go dazed or confused. Any compression on a nerve could lead to paralysis. "Your body feels completely unharmed," Chang Dong continued, "you're fully conscious, moving freely, and aware—this means the brain's functional areas haven't been compromised. Do you understand? Ding Liu? We're going to find a doctor right away. Don't be afraid. Don't panic. Just listen to me." He then looked at Ye Liuxi and Gao Shen. "You two, stay with her in the back seat. Move gently." As he spoke, he pulled over Fei Tang, pushed him toward the passenger seat Honestly… I just want to kill him. Ye Liuxi stepped out and said, "Changdong, we're running late." Changdong grabbed the man by the collar, delivered a punch to the back of his head, knocked him out, then dragged him into the back compartment, tossing in his luggage as well. He picked up the piece of cowhide lying on the ground and quickly climbed into the vehicle. While buckling his seatbelt, he pressed down on the accelerator, and the car sped off, leaving a trail of dust behind. Changdong glanced at Ding Liu in the rearview mirror—she was trembling all over, tears streaming down her face. "Little Liu," he said, "listen to me. This isn't serious at all. Just go online and search—you'll find plenty of similar cases. People often don't realize they've been cut during a fight, and they don't even know it themselves. I remember a news story about someone who had a knife stuck through their head—yet, they were absolutely calm, even going to the hospital to check in on their own." Ding Liu laughed, her eyes glistening with tears. "There's another one—a foreigner—who ended up in a fight, drank too much, and had a knife go through his skull. He was much more severely injured than you, and didn't realize it for several hours. After surgery, he went home a few days later, unharmed...” Ding Liu whispered desperately, “That's different. They have hospitals—there's CT scanning, specialists, sterile operating rooms. But what about inside the province? Electricity is often insufficient. Chang Dong said, "You have to believe in the skill of the local healers—figures like Hua Tuo or Bian Que. Even without advanced medical equipment, they can still cure people." Ding Liu was drowsy, leaning against Chang Dong's chest, silent. Chang Dong gently pressed his lips together, then stepped on the accelerator, pushing the engine to full power. Heading west, hoping not to miss the small city of Xiaoyangzhou. —— About two hours later, the city came into view in the distance. Compared to a remote village, it was much larger. The compacted earth walls stretched north to south, forming a several-kilometer-long ochre barrier, yet it appeared as though recently burned—several large sections had collapsed and blackened. The city gates stood open; as the vehicle approached, Chang Dong noticed that half of one gate had snapped vertically, pressing against a nearby overturned car. That car had clearly caught fire, with half its body blackened. He hoped this was not a ruined city. As the vehicle sped forward, he wondered whether the noise from the passing wheels had disturbed the structure—indeed, a section of the gate panel pressed against the vehicle body wavered and fell. Revealing a slender camellia, half-burnt and still bearing its stem, on the car's door.