Jiang Zhan had not heard any news for several days, though he hadn’t simply pretended to be dead—he had managed to send a message through a proxy, letting Fei Tang communicate once with Ye Liuxi and the others. This was just like the strategy used in hostage cases, where a newspaper dated that day is photographed and presented to the family: it serves as an implicit notification that the hostage is still alive, hasn’t changed their mind, and is willing to wait. Based on the tone and inflection of Fei Tang’s voice, it seemed that as a hostage, she was faring reasonably well. Chang Dong had asked her some pointed questions—such as whether Xi’an’s subway opened the Line 1 or Line 2 first, or whether the early market at the Zhuque Road antiques market was held on Fridays or Saturdays—and Fei Tang answered swiftly and confidently, clearly not being misled by the twin on the other end. Yet, the longer the situation dragged on, the less reassured Chang Dong felt. This meant Jiang Zhan had ample time to plan and organize his strategy. Given Jiang Zhan’s nature, he likely wasn’t content with merely securing the jade lion’s head—he might also seek revenge. In that case, Ye Therefore, collaboration with Zhao Guanshou must be prioritized. —— Yet, Jiang Zhan is an adversary, and Zhao Guanshou as well; thus, collaboration and offensive actions must proceed simultaneously. All this began when Ye Liuxi proactively visited Zhao Guanshou. She first informed Ah He of her intention to make the visit, requesting a simple schematic sketch from him. Ah He provided a rough draft, kindly reminding her, "Miss Liuxi, you should arrange for someone to notify them in advance; otherwise, you'll certainly be blocked and unable to enter." Zhao Guanshou's residence is a two-story modest building constructed of black stone. The upper floors are used for accommodation, while the ground floor serves as office and reception space. It is square and solid, with windows and doors arranged in a plain, unadorned manner—neither elaborate nor luxurious—yet it stands as a critical hub in Yunlin City, strictly guarded and accessible only to authorized visitors. Ye Liuxi reviewed her draft, smiled gracefully, "Of course—basic courtesies are something I'm well acquainted with." She certainly did not send anyone to notify on her behalf. She went once herself, visited Li Jin'ao to watch him serve chickens twice, took Ding Liu out for a leisurely outing once, and accompanied Gao Shen on another visit. By selecting different times, she walked every path leading to Zhao Guanshou's residence, and each time, without exception, she was blocked at the periphery—on one occasion even "misjudged" and released Zhun Sihai. Facing the sudden surge of swift bird guards armed with spears, swords, and lances, Ye Liuxi shouted, "What are you doing to the chickens? Who injured my chickens—I'll hold that person accountable!" When Zhun Sihai was finally recovered, she found a metal ring with a chain attached to her feet and claws, the other end of the chain being a leather harness held by the lead bird guard, who handed the harness to her, signaling their hope that such an incident would not recur. Ye Liuxi sincerely apologized, "That's that, that's that." Each time she was blocked or faced chaos, she remained fully cooperative, always stepping back—after all, it was only a trial, and Changdong was surely nearby. After several attempts, the map of Changdong became increasingly detailed, with a series of dashed lines outlining the restricted zone outside Zhao Guanshou's residence. The exact positioning of the guards, the response teams activated during anomalies, the number of rotating patrol shifts, their scheduled passes through the area, blind spots, ideal hiding spots, and the most efficient evacuation routes—these details were still unclear even to Zhao Guanshou himself. Once the outer perimeter was secured, Ye Liuxi took her next step. When she was once again blocked, she no longer turned back, instead indicating that she had an urgent matter to discuss with Zhao Guanshou. When invited into the living room, Zhao Guanshou was just stepping out of his study—the study's door was particularly imposing, and as it closed, Ye Liuxi noticed books stacked closely against the black bookshelves, and a towering pile of documents piled at one corner of the desk. Clearly, the study was a key area. Zhao Guanshou gestured for her to sit and then sent for tea. "Is there something I can assist you with?" "Yexiaoxi said, 'It's like this—about the cooperation you mentioned. I've thought about it again and again. In fact, I've come several times already, only to hesitate at the last minute and turn back.' Zhao Guanshou understood immediately: that's why she kept appearing near his residence so many times. Previously, he had been cautious, even assigning people to investigate. Now he realized it was all for this matter. He remained composed on his face, 'Then, what's your current thought?' Yexiaoxi replied, 'I'm afraid that once I cooperate with you and manage to defeat Jiang Zhan, you'll turn around and target me. After that, no matter what, you won't be able to trust me with the southern constellation's breakthrough at Yumen Gate.' Zhao Guanshou smiled, 'You can rest assured on that. As I've already stated, you're protected by the southern constellation's celestial aura—you won't meet a sudden death.' Yexiaoxi looked at him intently, 'Mr. Zhao, I'm not unintelligent. Of course, I can survive a sudden death. But what about being left with missing limbs, going blind or mute, or facing lifelong imprisonment Zhao Guanshou seemed to have anticipated her words all along: "You're overthinking it. You can move freely across the northern and southern borders, and we actually need you to continue transporting supplies. If we injure you or detain you, it would do us no good." Damn it—indeed, injury and disability were unavoidable, and the protection of the Nandou Star was simply under-engineered. Ye Liuxi leaned back into the sofa: "I don't really feel that you're so urgently dependent on me for supply transport. Competition creates pressure—without the Scorpion's Eye, internal unrest will settle down, and life will be tough for a few decades, but that's not a big deal, after all. The common people suffer, not you." Zhao Guanshou frowned: "Then what do you propose?" Ye Liuxi sighed: "Mr. Zhao, you shouldn't ask me—my mind is slow. I'd like to cooperate, but I'm not confident. I need you to give me reassurances—some kind of guarantee, signed, stamped, with your personal seal, perhaps?" "That will do?" Ye Liuxi said: "It's only a compromise, but better than nothing. Zhao Guanshou stood up, "Very well, I'll write right away." Seeing Ye Liuxi gesturing to follow, he added, "You just wait here." Ye Liuxi smiled, "Alright." Old man, not letting her enter the study—perhaps he's even hung her little figure on the wall and pokes her with the needle every day. "Over the past twenty years, the shadow puppetry troupe has been in decline, and since the Li family's most renowned specialty is precisely the secret art of shadow puppetry, their diminished status is quite understandable. Changdong found the name Long Shen familiar: "Is Long Shen the daughter of the Long family?" Ahu nodded and then lowered her voice: "It's said that after Long's eldest daughter fell seriously ill, he had a major conflict with Mr. Zhao, even losing his temper—since then, they've had no further contact." Ye Liuxi hummed: "People with family ties are truly fortunate. When her daughter fell ill, her father went to argue with Mr. Zhao—she even lost her memory because of it and never received a single cent in compensation. How could that be?" Ahu, a little uneasy from her tone, asked: "Miss Liuxi, what's wrong?" Ye Liuxi replied: "Nothing much. Even now, he treats his study like a treasure. One day, if a thief steals it, there'll be real entertainment." Ahu said: "That's impossible. There are so many guards outside, and moreover, it's rumored that there's something strange inside that study." " "Ah, I don't know," Ahu shook her head, "just... those things, you know." Ye Liuxi felt a weight settle in her heart. She and Changdong had planned carefully to uncover Zhao Guanshou's secrets at some point, but after all their preparations, the final push had suddenly become complicated. Looking down the corridor—Li Jinao was crouched by the doorway, wiping the stage box with a cloth, thoroughly enjoying himself. Behind him, on either side of the room door, one chicken was hung upside down on each side. As expected: Zhenshanhe remained silent, while Zhenshima was always restless, and now, with iron chain rings attached to their feet, their movements produced a natural soundtrack. If Zhenshima were to compose music, it would likely be in a metal-punk style. Ye Liuxi had already guessed Changdong’s intention: “I think this will work. I remember Li Jinao mentioning that *The Ancient Relics and Supernatural Framework* is a book every alchemist must study.” The two approached Li Jinao. Upon seeing them, Li Jinao lifted his head, tossed aside the cloth, and quickly stood up to greet them. Before Ye Liuxi could speak, Li Jinao had already opened his mouth: “Um… Miss Liuxi, could you possibly help me with something?” He expressed his request hesitantly. To sum up: After finally arriving at the world-famous Black Stone City, he had been stuck in this small courtyard for several days, feeling so anxious—how eager he was to visit the renowned families of physicians and alchemists in Fangshi City! Even if he couldn't make it there, just a visit to the main museum would be a great relief. At the very least, could he see the Hall of Mythical Creatures? The artifacts displayed on the ancient cabinets of the mythical creatures—he had always only seen them in pictures. To actually see them in person would be truly a privilege. "Ye Liuxi said, 'This isn't something you can just talk about. It's said that ordinary fangshi wishing to enter must answer three questions. If they fail, they're not qualified at all. I remember the first question was... Do you have paper and pen?' Li Jinao hurriedly ran inside: 'Yes, yes!' With paper and pen in hand, Ye Liuxi sketched quickly, drawing a room: 'Imagine a room filled with countless treasures. Sometimes people are inside, and when people are present, everything is safe. But often, the room is empty. Now, tell me—how would you ensure that when the room is empty, nothing goes wrong? A hint: your answer lies in the ancient artifacts on the bookshelf.' She pressed her hand on the drawing, then flipped it over so the image faced Li Jinao directly: 'Give me your answer within one minute—countdown begins.' Li Jinao suddenly grew tense. Chang Dong noticed that Li Jinao lacked strong on-the-spot responsiveness and psychological resilience. This wasn’t even a major occasion—just as Ye Liuxi casually and hesitantly spoke a few sentences, Li Jinao’s forehead already beaded with sweat, his speech stumbling and frequently contradicting himself. “With the water-flow stone fish—since the fish eyes remain open, they don’t need to close to guard the night, so the locks are often fish-shaped… ah, no—that only works for doors, not the most secure method. With the shadow-following technique—still not good, the items will still be stolen…” Ye Liuxi interrupted him: “Time’s up.” She stood up, brushing off the dust from her clothes. “If you can’t even answer the first question, how can I possibly help you?” She then pulled Chang Dong back into the room. Once inside, Chang Dong couldn’t help but stand in the foyer and look back: Li Jinao remained seated at the entrance of the side room, one hand holding the paper, the other wiping the sweat from his forehead. So pitiful. Then, the view was suddenly blocked as Ye Liuxi reached out and closed the door. Chang Dong said, "You really are..." Ye Liuxi replied, "What's wrong with me? As a scholar of the healing arts, one must be well-versed in his studies. If he can't recall them, it's because his skills aren't up to par—how could he achieve excellence? The pressure I put on him is actually a way of encouraging him, at bottom, for his own good. If you want to ride the waves of the sea, don't measure yourself by the standards of a pond." Chang Dong smiled at her. Ye Liuxi was puzzled by the smile. "What's going on?" Chang Dong said, "I should have realized long ago that you're a mid-level leader. When you trained Fei Tang, all your lofty promises—like 'three steps to strength' or 'practice the sword in two minutes'—were just empty slogans, not grounded in reality. They left Fei Tang completely confused. Now, even Li Jinao doesn't follow your lead, and yet you've taken the initiative to push him." Ye Liuxi returned him a look of "unconvinced but enduring," then raised her hands to gather her hair, twisted the leather bands around her wrist twice, and Chang Dong raised his eyelid: "What pressure do I have?" Ye Liuxi cleared her throat: "Men usually advocate that men be outwardly active and women stay at home, gentle and domestic—disliking women who are busy or strong. Now, I might very well be the leader, and no matter how hard you try, you won't escape that role. So I hope you adjust your mindset and don't feel too pressured..." Looking at her—what a feat. Chang Dong said calmly: "I don't have any pressure. Even if you soar into the heavens, I'll find a way to manage you." Ye Liuxi asked: "What... kind of way?" Chang Dong didn't answer—he just looked at her. The hall lights were dim, and his gaze softened and spread out, reaching all around. Ye Liuxi suddenly felt her cheeks grow warm. ... Outside, Li Jinao's knocking came: "Miss Liuxi, I've got it now! Open the door—there's no thief, no thief at all!"