Whether it's poison gas or smoke, either way, it's not good news. Chang Dong quickly covered his mouth and nose and barked, "Get in the car." Once inside, he swiftly closed the doors and windows, and everyone donned masks. Fei Tang used a thick blanket to seal the broken window tightly, only to realize later that the town of Zhenshanhe was still there: "Oh no, the chickens are still up there." Too late—smoke was dispersing too quickly. A faint brownish-red hue now covered the car windows. Ding Liu's heart pounded anxiously: "Dong, will the car hold?" Chang Dong replied, "Only for a while." "Will people die?" "We'll see—whether the enemy wants us to die or just lose consciousness. If Liu Xi is lucky and reacts swiftly, nothing should go wrong." … A while later, suddenly, the sound of iron chains being pulled came from outside. Chang Dong thought it was Ye Liuxi, but after the noise, the door didn’t open—instead, the parking lot lit up with bright daylight, clear and vivid. Ding Liu turned around and saw the cover door rising again, the exit now blazing with light, so bright it was blinding. The smoke seemed to have stopped, gradually fading from a deep red-brown. Fei Tang looked puzzled: “What’s going on?” Chang Dong said: “Just wait a moment.” After a few more minutes, no new developments came, but instead, Ye Liuxi arrived. She leaned her body through the opening and called out loudly: “Why aren’t you all coming out yet?” Whatever the situation, they’d just go out first. Chang Dong decisively pressed the accelerator. — Outside the cover, the endless desert stretched ahead, the sun high in the sky, the loess glowing under the light. A crispness had already settled in the air, signaling the transition from late autumn into early winter—only a few days ago. As soon as the car stopped, Fei Tang and the others rushed out, quickly stuffing and pressing themselves into the vehicle, making the air inside feel stuffy and heavy. They weren't sure whether they'd already picked up that smoky odor on themselves—rarely had they felt so eager to step outside and freshen up. With both sides coming together, it was simply unimaginable. Fei Tang held up the Town Mountain River toward Gao Shen and said, "Wait a minute—don't tell me all this fuss was just to knock over a single chicken!" Gao Shen lifted the river and examined it, then ran his fingers over the chicken's chest and abdomen. "It's probably not dead—more likely stunned. Just let it rest in the breeze." Chang Dong frowned. "Exactly—someone who's quite sharp, you know, someone who gets angry and acts before being provoked. I just grabbed him by the collar and asked, 'Why hasn't the garage door opened yet?' It sounds perfectly reasonable, but something must be off in the details. Chang Dong paused and said, 'Could you go through it again for me?' 'What?' 'Just pretend you're the receptionist. Walk me through exactly what you did—don't make a single mistake.' Fei Tang and Gao Shen, who had been working together to hang chicken, turned around, puzzled. Ding Liu looked between Chang Dong and Ye Liuxi, feeling sure that the two of them must be hiding something. So she did it. 'At that moment, I was standing about this far from him...' 'I said, "The door hasn't opened yet—what are you two doing?"' She extended her left arm, as if reaching to grab Chang Dong's collar. At the same time, Chang Dong quickly raised his hand and firmly grasped her wrist, his gaze fixed on one spot without moving. As she extended her arm, the sleeve naturally slipped back, revealing the tattoo on her wrist. The tattoo resembled a snake with eagle claws, and from its flat, rounded head, several strands of hair drifted out—strange and unusual, looking almost like a pendant or bracelet from a distance or when viewed from afar. Ye Liuxi noticed it too; she paused, her heart suddenly beating rapidly. Chang Dong asked, "At that moment, did the front desk attendant look down?" Ye Liuxi recalled, then slowly shook her head. When someone is suddenly pulled by the collar, people typically don't immediately look down at their arms—they're usually startled, tense, and instinctively focused on the person's face to guard against further injury. Chang Dong thought for a moment, "Was there anyone else nearby?" "Yes, there were." The hotel was quite busy, and the lobby functioned as a gathering space; as she moved, several people came over to mediate. "Try to remember—did the front desk attendant glance at anyone who came closer?" "Hmm... she seemed to glance over toward the side a few times." Ye Liuxi couldn't quite put it into words. The entire process had actually lasted only a few seconds—whether or not the front desk staff had signaled to someone, or received signals from others, she couldn't recall. Chang Dong was rapidly thinking through the sequence. There should be a clear thread running through the events. To make sense of what followed, he decided to make an assumption. The receptionist noticed her return and seemed clearly nervous—though if she wasn't mistaken, there was also a hint of hesitation in that nervousness. Ye Liuxi walked over, placed both hands on the desk, and scanned the lobby before selecting a table in the corner. She pointed to the receptionist and said, "I'll sit there. I'll call people out and have a few words with them." The receptionist didn't quite catch it: "What?" Ye Liuxi ignored him and walked straight over to sit down, one leg crossed over the other, giving off an air of both being unyielding and slightly impatient. Not long after, a man in his forties or fifties came rushing over—unremarkable in appearance, short and stout, with a few small mustaches, like a down-to-earth businessman. He looked embarrassed, didn't dare sit, smiled politely, and had a slight sweat on his forehead. Ye Liuxi asked, "Do you know who I am?" The man stammered, "Is… is it Miss Qingzhi?" Ye Liuxi didn't confirm her identity. Changdong had instructed her: no matter who you say you are, don't respond—this way, if She sneered, her voice muffled through the mask, sounding especially odd: "What exactly are you all performing now?" The person truly had no words: "We received word that you were our rivals, so we planned to act first and move swiftly. Who would have thought we ended up stepping on your toes? Madam Qingzhi, before Lord Zhan, I beg you to give us a little favor..." Ye Liuxi remained unresponsive: "All along, I've been cautious and attentive, fearing unforeseen complications. Yet here we are—things have gone awry, and now I'm truly delayed." The person flushed, nearly sweating at the nose. Ye Liuxi then shifted her tone: "Still, you two have certainly got the knack. I thought I was well concealed. How did I end up exposed? Let me hear it—especially the latter part of the journey. That way, I can be better on my guard." "Person relaxed slightly: 'I never expected it. I always thought you were accompanying Lord Zhan in Black Stone City. It wasn't until I saw this tattoo...' 'I heard only Miss Qingzhi and Lord Zhan had the same tattoo. As soon as I saw it, my heart skipped a beat...' 'Then, considering his height, build, even his temperament—so much like Miss Qingzhi—and the fact that he's riding in a steel-wheeled carriage, who else could it be? I was afraid of being an obstacle, so I stopped him right away.' Ye Liuxi looked down at her wrist: 'I never noticed it before. I think it's time we covered it up now.' The person nodded quickly: 'Yes. While outsiders may not know, word spreads fast. If the Yulin Guard sees this, we'll have a problem.' —— Chang Dong waited a while before seeing Ye Liuxi arrive. To her surprise, she was carrying a bucket of gasoline. He approached and asked her: 'How did it go?' Ye Liuxi replied: 'Not much. I didn't ask too many questions, afraid of making a mistake.' You were right—this inn is pretty much a base of operations for Xie Yan. "What about the oil?" "They treat me like one of their own; why not take it?" "And the tattoos?" Ye Liuxi said, "Well, that's something I can't quite explain right now." She turned back to the entrance of the inn. "We'd better hurry. I'm afraid another incident will happen once they catch on." ... The journey to Black Stone City is expected to take another two days. Most of today was spent on the road, fortunately, everyone except Ding Liu can drive, so they take turns driving—no real strain. Ye Liuxi wasn't particularly enthusiastic, and remained silent throughout the journey. Her mood seemed to be contagious; the car barely had any lively moments throughout the day. Zhen Shanhe had fallen into a deep unconsciousness, dangling outside the window, swaying back and forth. Gao Shen clearly realized that "letting the wind blow on the hanging spot" was a rather foolish idea. During one of the stops for rest, he carefully lifted her and placed her in the back compartment. The good news is that the desert is gradually giving way to a basin. On the distant horizon, the outlines of the snow ranges are visible, and at the far edge of the horizon, vast patches of bright light shimmer. The map at hand is too simple, lacking topographical details; Chang Dong intuitively feels that the bright areas should be lake regions. After several days of driving, the vehicle has already covered considerable ground—no matter how vast the desert, it must eventually be traversed. Indeed, by the time the sun begins to set, the vehicle gradually approaches a large lake. The lake covers roughly a hundred to a hundred and ten square kilometers, appearing dark blue under the evening light, with broad swaths of yellow reeds bordering its shores. In areas with larger bodies of water, the temperature is noticeably cooler, and as the vehicle circles the lake, Chang Dong even spots patches of early ice forming. Under this trend, the lake should be fully frozen within at most another fifteen days. Although no red-flowered trees have been seen along the way, there seems to be an unexpected delight—distant lights glow steadily, suggesting a cluster of villages. Fei Tang said, "You're quite bold, Dong哥. On our journey, it's been rare to actually stay on the ground." Indeed, whether it was the remote village or the red-flowered trees, they were all beneath ground level—except for Xiao Yangzhou, which was a market with different facilities. Yet even that ended up being completely taken over by Qi Jiang's grassy encampment. Now it truly feels unsteady to be living on the ground. The vehicle stopped at the village entrance. As soon as they stepped out, a cold breeze greeted them, and Fei Tang shivered, suddenly realizing something—a cool sensation surged up from his soles. Every household in the village had lights on, yet... where was the sound?