Ding Liu felt a bit uneasy and blurted out, "Is it possible... a water spirit?" Fei Tang had a mysterious trust in the official channels: "How could it be? They're official!" Regardless of whether it was official or not, what mattered was whether they could make it through—Ye Liuxi, however, kept thinking and ended up veering off course: "Why don't we just grab a few route passes or the cards of the diviners?" Chang Dong shook his head. It wasn't that simple. Chickens are believed to ward off evil. That night, when Qi Niang grass was involved, the mountain river had been wildly active, but yesterday and today, the river only flapped its wings a couple of times—no cries, no escape. This indicated that the two women weren't extremely dangerous, yet there was certainly something unusual. It would be difficult to capture them or to deceive them. Chang Dong carefully said, "Like this—although the ticketing process is standard, there are always unforeseen circumstances. Even an airplane can return mid-flight without a ticket. So, if someone asks, we simply say we have urgent matters and haven't had time to go through the formalities." Ye Liuxi "Chang Dong replied, "Didn't Li Jin'ao already share information with us? The Zhao family is among the top clans in Black Stone City. We are actually dispatched by the Zhao family to handle confidential matters. Anything else, we must not say." This bold strategy of entering without any initial assets seemed a bit ambitious, and Fei Tang couldn't help asking, "Will this work?" It's like walking grandly up to the palace gates and claiming to be sent by the emperor himself to discuss confidential matters—would the guards even let you in? Ding Liu, on the other hand, was excited: "This is so thrilling—it's just like *The Cat and the Mouse Game*. Hey, Xi-jie, have you seen it? As long as you're brave enough and convincingly present yourself, you can fool the entire world." Ye Liuxi hadn't seen it, but she thought it was probably similar to *The Cat and the Mouse*, so she nodded in agreement. Gao Shen hesitated: "This... is quite unbelievable, isn't it? I simply don't think it's possible—it sounds a bit crazy." Ding Liu grew irritated upon hearing him contradict her: "What do you mean, it's crazy?" What's with the Yangmen Pass, the Qi Niang Grass, and now this receiving gate—aren't they going mad? If the sky itself is already mad, then a little madness from me at the top doesn't matter. Gao Shen remained silent. Chang Dong said, "It's not exactly well-arranged, but we've come this far. We'll just take it step by step, go with the flow. We can't stay here for years waiting for the right moment—after all, we've been inside for so many days. To outsiders, we must seem like missing persons. We're like isolated individuals, nobody coming to find us. But wouldn't Li Qi still come looking for Xiao Liu?" This remark reminded Ding Liu. Over these days, with so many ups and downs, she had gone from initial anxiety to curiosity, then to excitement, and almost forgotten the main purpose of their journey. They needed to reach Black Stone City and find a way out. After all, she was originally from outside the pass. Thinking of this, she quickly glanced at Ye Liuxi. Xi Jie was from within the pass. If a solution were found, would she choose to leave or stay? What about Dong Ge? And what if no Could they stay in the region permanently? A cascade of questions suddenly surged up—this time, she was truly stressed. Fei Tang suddenly turned her gaze toward the distant lake surface, "Dongge, is it just me, or do I feel as though this land itself is moving?" Chang Dong followed her line of sight. Indeed, the land was shifting—perhaps guests arriving from various directions were coming to welcome them, and with the lake so vast and expansive, there might be other travelers scattered along the long shoreline. It wouldn’t matter if they didn’t immediately find the reception gate; the gate would come to them. —— Then, two more groups arrived. One group drove three-wheeled motorcycles, which, as they rumbled in, Fei Tang initially mistook for tractors entering the village. The other group arrived on wooden carts pulled by oxen, with a large white-robed rooster perched on one of the oxen’s backs. Probably due to the fatigue from traveling, neither group showed much enthusiasm, nor did they bother to strike up a conversation with the passengers on the corrugated iron vehicle. They simply checked their tickets and moved on, passing by several people in a steady stream—Fei Tang felt that his own group resembled a few reeds abruptly growing out of the middle of a river, standing still while the water flowed past. Indeed, it was awkward. Fortunately, not long after, Room 01 was completed, and the two young women stepped out. Seeing several people still standing on the open ground, one of the women asked curiously, "Why aren't you all seated yet?" Chang Dong replied, "We have urgent matters and came only recently; we didn't manage to purchase tickets." "Do you have any special badges? For instance, the Fangshi badge or the Yulin Wei's Feather Badge?" "No, we don't." "Where did you come from?" Chang Dong realized then that he didn't even know which market the people named Zhao resided in: "…It's not convenient to mention." "Are you looking for someone named Zhao in Black Stone City?" "Yes, someone named Zhao." "Zhao is one of the most prominent surnames in Heishi City—there are so many Zhao families, hundreds or even thousands of them. Which one would you pick?" Chang Dong said, "The one with the highest status." Even he was starting to struggle to pinpoint exactly who that was. The woman turned around, glanced at her companion, and then said, "You all come with us, take your luggage." Her tone was calm and neutral—no clear signs of good or ill fortune. Chang Dong looked back at the group, signaling: "Let's go. Stay composed, and bring your gear." — Two women led the way, leaving clear footprints of water behind them. Behind them, the town's river guard wobbled along, a decision made by Fei Tang, who insisted that the river guard go ahead so he could feel secure. As they walked, passing through corridors and ascending staircases to the highest floor, Chang Dong paused to observe when they entered the room. There was no room number on the door. The room had very little furniture—only a few circular stools, though made of wood, styled after bar counter stools. Each featured a wooden post connecting to the seat, allowing the user to adjust height and rotate freely in all directions. The woman at the front invited them to sit: "I'm sure you've heard by now that Scorpion-Eye agents have already infiltrated Black Stone City, and in significant numbers. As a result, upper management has instructed us to thoroughly investigate anyone with an unclear background." Indeed, the pretense of casual flattery fell flat. Chang Dong, stiffly, sat down on one of the stools—there were more stools than people, and even the dignified Zhun Shanhe managed to secure a seat. How calm and composed it all was—no matter where they went, they always felt at home, as if born with the innate grace of a traveler at ease. The woman then instructed her colleague: "Call the sisters." Sisters? Fei Tang felt a sudden jolt in her chest, as if stepping into a spider's web, anticipating that soon, graceful, elegant female figures would emerge and settle upon them. A moment later, the door was pushed open, and seven or eight women in welcoming attire entered. The one leading them was in her forties, with high cheekbones and a serious expression that made her look like a man. She instructed someone to close the door. As soon as the door closed, Fei Tang felt as though the entire room were shifting, and faintly, he could still hear the gears turning. The leader spoke, her voice deep and hoarse: "Please sit up straight, hold your chests high, and remove your hats and masks." While the others complied smoothly, Zhen Shanhe stiffened, straightened her chest, and tilted her neck as high as it could go. Good heavens, what on earth was going on here? Fei Tang found himself utterly puzzled. The leader continued: "We hope you'll cooperate; otherwise, we might just have to send you off to feed the water serpents." The house was still moving. The women approached, mostly in pairs, encircling each person from all sides. Leaf Liuxi felt increasingly uncomfortable under the scrutiny, just as she was about to speak, when suddenly she noticed something odd about their eyes. The pupils of her eyes, like colorful segments of a kaleidoscope, kept shifting between gray, white, and black. She felt a bit uneasy. The leader asked, "Which market are you from?" Chang Dong responded vaguely, "The last stop was Xiaoyangzhou." The leader turned to him and said, "I mean your registered residence—where is it?" Chang Dong remained silent. The leader's tone grew impatient, "Speak!" As soon as the words left his mouth, there came a loud creak—the roof folded outward on both sides, revealing a night sky dotted with only a few scattered stars. This was the first time Chang Dong had witnessed a leader dismantle a building over a simple disagreement, especially one that was his own. The leader's tone grew stern, "What is the name of the chief physician of the small Luoyang market?" Chang Dong couldn't recall. The leader pressed on, "Speak!" Then came a loud crash—this time, an entire wall collapsed downward. Staring around, Ding Liu gasped, "East Brother, we're—?" No need for her to speak—Chang Dong saw it clearly. The house had been gently lifted and extended by a long, retractable rod, now far removed from the village. Beneath their feet, a layer of floor separated them from the water, the sound of rushing water echoing steadily. Clearly, they—people and house together—had been lifted into the air, now trembling, suspended alone above the water. The leader barked at him, "Are you deaf? What's the head physician's name?" Ye Liuxi erupted in anger, rising sharply and stepping toward Chang Dong, "What are you shouting about? Don't you know! No household registration!" A woman from beside her stepped in to block her, and Ye Liuxi pushed her hard. The push felt strangely unusual. On closer reflection, her mind buzzed with disorientation: the woman's body felt soft, almost yielding—she had no bones at all! Meanwhile, the leader slowly turned around, and with him, several more wall panels began to collapse. The wind picked up, blowing people this way and that, as if the floor beneath had been fitted with rollers, swaying left and right with no stability. Ding Liu’s scalp tingled; she clutched the edge of the chair tightly with both hands. Fei Tang’s upper and lower teeth clicked against each other, while Gao Shen remained calm, glancing at the half-open suitcase and then at the two women surrounding him. He had placed the engineer’s shovel inside the suitcase—should a real fight break out, he’d be able to retrieve it immediately. The leader fixed his eyes on Ye Liuxi and chuckled. Almost at the same time, a sudden roar of water erupted from below, and a massive tongue of water surged upward. It turned out the "water snake" was actually a tongue. Fei Tang only saw Ye Liuxi’s face change, hadn’t even had time to react, when his body was instantly enveloped by a cool, translucent foreign substance. With a crisp snap, the chair’s support column broke, and he fell backward helplessly. It happened suddenly, with several people launching themselves at once. Ding Liu charged toward Fei Tang, but Shui She moved too swiftly—she missed, tumbling headfirst toward the edge of the floor. Chang Dong bent low, sliding in, grasping Ding Liu's ankle with one hand and the chair post with the other. He then leaned forward, lifting his engineer's shovel high and sweeping its sharp edge upward across the small abdomen of a woman beside him. "What does that mean?" Ye Liuxi stared, slightly stunned. Close but not close enough, Gao Shen and Chang Dong were working together to pull Ding Liu up. The leader said, "My point is, you can now pass through the Welcome Gate and enter Black Stone City." Ye Liuxi gritted his teeth, "Then what about my friends?" Before he could finish, Ding Liu's voice came through, filled with both surprise and joy: "FAT TANG!" The water tongue rose again, and FAT TANG curled up, wrapped in the center, with the broken barstool still resting beneath his buttocks—like a sausage wrapped in a roll of dough. When the water tongue relaxed, he rolled out, wet and spluttering, gasping loudly. The four walls and the roof quickly rose and closed in, and the room began to shift backward. Ye Liuxi released the leader and turned to look at the woman by his feet—the one who had been injured by Gao Shen—now only leaving behind a set of Welcome Gate uniforms on the floor. A soft tremor, and the room settled back into place. The leader smiled warmly, "You may go have dinner now. We'll arrange rooms for you. Please rest well—tomorrow morning, you'll be able to pass through the welcoming gate." High Shen couldn't help pointing to the set of clothes on the ground, "I'm injured—I killed one of you." The leader responded politely, "That's all right. Just a few clothes torn."