The breakfast atmosphere was odd. Gao Shen finished his porridge in three sips, grabbed a bun, and hurried off. Ye Liuxi didn’t lift her head much throughout, chewing and savoring slowly—truly refined. Ding Liu propped her chin, watching Ye Liuxi with occasional dumb smiles, only biting into her pancake after a while, once even missing it entirely. Chang Dong grew impatient, tapping her bowl with the end of her chopstick, “Little Liu, eat properly!” Ah Hu didn’t know what was going on, feeling completely out of place, as if sitting on pins and needles. After lunch, Chang Dong went to check the equipment and tools on the vehicle, preparing for the night’s journey into the Ghost Tooth Mine Shaft—though never having been there before, he could already imagine its dark, eerie, and oxygen-starved atmosphere. Certain items, like lighting and gas-tight supplies, needed to be ready in advance. Ye Liuxi had intended to go with him, but was intercepted halfway by Ding Liu, the young girl smiling prettily and coquettishly, saying, “Miss Xi….” Ye Liuxi replied, “No need to ask. Yes, I’ve done it. With just a few words, Ding Liu had already grown warm, her back pressing against the wall, her hands covering her face as she laughed. Ye Liuxi was puzzled: "What exactly is it about you that's so special?" Ding Liu huffed: "You haven't chased stars, so you never know that kind of fulfillment..." She added with a sigh: "My Dongguang is truly full of energy! While I manage to get through my daily routine of eating, drinking, sleeping, and going to the bathroom, he spends his daytime exploring Zhao Old Man's study and still manages to complete a major life milestone in the evenings. He's a true master of time management. I just love men like that..." She tugged at Ye Liuxi's sleeve: "Xixi, does Dongguang have a younger brother? Either Changle or Channan would be fine—maybe I can even accept him. Then you get the meat and I’ll have the soup." Ye Liuxi took her by the hand and gave her a firm twist to her mouth: "You're such a young girl—look at all the nonsense you keep saying! How can you possibly be embarrassed?" And with that, she Ding Liu stood there, her mouth corner reddened like a smudge of lipstick that hadn't been wiped clean, looking crestfallen and unconvinced. She held her neck stiffly, complaining, "What's wrong? Can't life just be a little more exciting and lively?" Before she finished speaking, she heard the door creak—Gao Shen stepped out. Ding Liu quickly smoothed out her distracted expression, straightened up, cleared her throat, and combed her hair, pretending everything was normal. "Going out?" Gao Shen nodded. "I'm going to the mine later to swap for fresh Tang rice. I'm not sure if there'll be any conflict. I'd like to get something more useful—right now I'm just relying on my old engineering shovel, and it feels rather awkward." Ding Liu replied, "Just ask Zhao elder—he's from the Yulin Guard, who practices martial arts. They've got all kinds of weapons—swords, spears, lances—what could be missing? Just pick the best ones!" Gao Shen nodded in agreement, but didn't immediately move. He paused, then hesitated, saying softly, "Little Liu?" "Hmm?" "Then, maybe you shouldn't go out "The golden mine, the ghostly tooth tunnel—just hearing those names sends a chill down one's spine. He's afraid she might have another mishap... Ding Liu twisted her body slightly and turned to walk away. This was clearly her displeasure, a clear signal that there was no room for negotiation. Gao Shen felt a bit worried. She hadn't quite recovered from last night's intimacy yet; whenever images from that night flashed through her mind, her heart and ears would race, and certain parts of her body would occasionally feel inexplicably tender. Looking at Chang Dong now, she felt especially unfamiliar—did men really have to dress and undress separately? How could he still remain so composed and calm while speaking to her? Suddenly, Chang Dong gave her a sharp bump on the head. "Focus," he said. "I'm not distracted at all," she insisted. "But you're clearly implying something," he replied. "Flowxi, do your daytime tasks during the day, and your nighttime ones at night." "So you're saying I'm all over the place?" she asked, pressing her lips together. Chang Dong bent down, twisting the flashlight in his hands. "You know, why did I only have you once last night and let you sleep soundly until morning? Wasn't it to conserve energy for the team, since we still have so much work to do at Fei Tang?" Ye Liu Xi turned her head, gazing at the trembling setting sun reflected in the windowpane, feeling slightly resentful, and huffed, “Someone who catches a cold just from a breeze… speaks as if their constitution is outstanding.” With a clatter, Chang Dong threw the flashlight down, startling Ye Liu Xi, who looked up at him, “What now?” Chang Dong asked, “Do you know why I catch a cold from a breeze?” “Why?” “Because I reserve my strength for the most important tasks—unlike certain people, who are merely outwardly strong but internally weak. Liu Xi, don’t you feel proud that you don’t catch a cold from the breeze? Something as simple as a cotton sweater—something you can easily manage—shouldn’t you take pride in it and mention it often?” Ye Liu Xi replied, “…Yes, I am proud—just so I don’t have to spend on a sweater.” Chang Dong sighed, rubbing his forehead, truly at a loss for words. After a moment, he instructed her, “Go, make me a soup.” Ye Liu Xi thought she had misunderstood, “Huh?” “You still haven’t calmed down. Give yourself something to do—let your mind settle. "Alright. She doesn't want to be stuck with him all the time either. Having the soup in the kitchen—there are more people there, more earthy energy, more human warmth, more kitchen smoke—helps her recover. Ye Liuxi stood up: "What kind of soup would you like?" Chang Dong didn't look up: "Just the bone broth you made after your fight during the Dunhuang visit." He'll always remember that scene. It was nearly dark then, and she was sitting on a small folding chair, wrapped in her olive-green cotton coat, watching a simple charcoal stove. The lid of the small pot on the stove would lift occasionally, releasing white steam that rose into the golden-hued evening light. Then she would lift the lid, spoon up a bit of soup, and take a sip, tasting it—salty and fresh. Chang Dong always thought that soup must have been absolutely wonderful, in the very best way. —Ye Liuxi had disappeared for half the morning, and by lunchtime, there was a new pot of bone broth on the table. The chefs at Yulin City are all experienced professionals—Yefu Xi's modest skills simply can't measure up. When Ding Liu took a few sips of the soup, she remarked, "Compared to the dishes, the soup lacks depth." Chang Dong finished his bowl and said, "I think it's quite good." He then stood up and filled another bowl. High Shen, aware that this would upset Ding Liu, reiterated his request: "Um... would it be possible not to take Xiao Liu with us in the evening? I'm afraid something might go wrong." Ding Liu grew impatient, setting her bowl down sharply, spilling some soup: "What's the point of this endless talk?" Chang Dong said, "About this matter..." He paused mid-sentence. Ahuo, being perceptive, sensed that they didn't truly see her as part of the team, and quickly finished her meal with two or three mouthfuls, saying, "I'm done. I'll go out for a walk to ease my digestion." As she left, she moved gently, careful not to disturb anyone. Ding Liu frowned and grew increasingly agitated, her face flushed with frustration. Changdong then continued: "I have doubts about Zhao Guanshou, which is why I went to his study to gather clues. This man is inconsistent—he's certainly not entirely truthful about the incident involving Fei Tang being kidnapped. I can't rule out that he may have actively encouraged or influenced the situation. After we all left, leaving Xiao Liu alone, it wasn't safe. We managed to rescue Fei Tang, but then lost Xiao Liu. Going forward, how could we face Li Qi? Suddenly hearing the name 'Li Qi,' Ding Liu was genuinely taken aback. She recalled her initial ambition when she set out—determined to accomplish something significant and make an impression on her adoptive father—only to find herself in such a starkly different situation today, as if it were all a lifetime ago. Since entering the pass, although Li Qi had repeatedly said she was 'just settling into her current role, resigned, after all, not a biological daughter,' she still knew that her foster father would eventually find her. She suddenly felt homesick: 'Dong-guo, if Zhao Guanshou is involved in something, will we still be able to leave the pass smoothly?' "Chang Dong said, 'We eat meal by meal, accomplish tasks one at a time. To succeed in making our departure, safety is essential, and we must ensure everyone is accounted for. With that in mind, let's divide responsibilities.' He turned to Gao Shen, 'We've collaborated several times already—everyone should know that effort isn't limited to lifting arms and fighting. Those who watch, those who divert, those who provide cover—every role is equally vital.' 'We'll head to the gold mine together. I'll go with Liu Xi into the tunnels, while you two remain outside. Your primary responsibility will be to protect Xiao Liu.' Ding Liu wanted to speak, but Chang Dong gestured for her to listen. 'The conditions inside the tunnels are unclear—everyone going in together means that if anything goes wrong, we're all in jeopardy. By keeping you two outside, we're guarding against Zhao Guanshou's schemes, and if I or Liu Xi should indeed encounter difficulties, there will still be someone to rely on. Do you understand?' Ding Liu's throat grew dry; she nodded repeatedly, suddenly feeling the weight of her responsibilities pressing down on her like a thousand pounds. Gao Shen found himself a bit envious of Chang Dong, who had convinced Xiao Liu with just a few words. Unlike him, whose words always seemed clumsy, though he meant well, his good intentions often went unheeded and even caused hurt feelings. Suddenly, Chang Dong asked him if he had a suitable weapon. Gao Shen composed himself and said, "I spoke to the guards outside this morning. I'd like two iron poles—preferably a double-rod with a chain. I'm quite familiar with that." Chang Dong nodded. "I'll leave the gun to Xiao Liu. Bringing a gun into the tunnel isn't practical—firing it would be too risky and could easily trigger collapses. Remember, you should appear weak. When the others perceive Gao Shen as difficult to handle and don't take you seriously, you'll become a surprise force, and your move will have the greatest impact." As they were speaking, noise came from outside. Looking up, they saw Zhao Guanshou entering. Ye Liuxi stood up to greet him. It seemed that the recent incident yesterday—when Zhao Guanshou had been gently pressed—had left him feeling less secure, so today he brought a larger contingent of the Swift Hawks. Experts see the subtleties; Ye Liuxi immediately noticed something intriguing about the positioning of the Swift-Flight Guards: they appeared scattered around Zhao Guanshou, yet effectively sealed off every possible opening. She feigned not having noticed anything: "Anything wrong?" "Miss Liuxi, please prepare yourself—we're setting off shortly." Ye Liuxi was slightly surprised, glancing up at the high-slung sun: "So early?" "Sometimes you have to run all the way to the mountain to find a good horse. The golden mine isn't as close as you might think, and there are still a few matters to attend to before we leave the city." Ye Liuxi agreed without hesitation: "Give me fifteen minutes." She turned to go back to her room, when she happened to spot Li Jin'ao nearby, his expression urgent, bowing and clasping his hands in supplication for protection. At that moment, Ye Liuxi remembered, and turned to call out to Zhao Guanshou: "Ah, Mr. Zhao." As she spoke, she gestured to invite Li Jin'ao closer. Li Jin'ao hurried over, his legs trembling with excitement by the time he reached Ye Liuxi said, "Li Jinao is a court magician from the Li family. He has always wanted to see the antiquities display cabinet—specifically, the ancient ritual furniture display." As he spoke, Li Jinao had already nervously extracted his magician's plaque, reaching out to offer it to Zhao Guanshou, yet hesitating, his face filled with humility and courtesy, so much so that beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Zhao Guanshou glanced at him with a detached tone: "I know. I've had people investigate. Strictly speaking, his lineage merely shares the Li surname; the Li clan's ancestral hall doesn't recognize him as legitimate. He's not a true magistrate of the family. The plaque is merely a gesture of courtesy. As for entry into the museum, his qualifications fall far short." Li Jinao stood frozen, his face flushed crimson, unable to disregard Zhao Guanshou's dignity, and could only continue to smile awkwardly. Ye Liuxi found him quite pitiable, while looking at Zhao Guanshou, he felt especially contemptuous: In terms of qualifications? If you're being strict, then with a martial arts background completely lost, how can you possibly be the She carelessly replied, "So, Mr. Zhao, just go through the back door and sell me a bit of face—after all, my face still has some value, right? He's not looking at anything confidential. The 'Bog-Old Deity's Framework'—the alchemists have memorized it by heart. He's just checking the physical copies against the illustrations. If you're still not confident, have someone follow him the whole way." Zhao Guanshou frowned, thinking that Ye Liuxi never seemed to read the room or gauge the tone, yet for such a minor matter, he didn't want to argue with her. He turned to the nearest hawk guard nearby and said, "You take care of it." Zhen Shanhe was the type who grew dizzy at the slightest trouble—he wasn’t very resilient. Li Jinao hurried back, picked up Zhen Sihai and carried him to the car. Zhen Shanhe stood by silently, a faint sense of being overlooked lingering in his eyes. Yefu Xi looked down at the buttons on Chang Dong’s hat brim, extended her finger to lightly tap them, noticed him about to stand, and quickly withdrew it before he did, then looked up at him. Chang Dong explained: “This design is better than a simple belt—when I’m having stomach pain, it keeps me warmer, and in case of a fight, it offers some protection too.” Before he finished speaking, Yefu Xi quickly pecked him on the lips. Chang Dong smiled, paused, and said: “Stop being so lively.” He often forgot what he was going to say once she interrupted him. Yefu Xi asked: “How can I repay you for being so kind to me?” Chang Dong reached out to smooth her clothes: “As for me, if you can stay alert and composed after entering the mine passage tonight—without bumping into anything, without getting hurt, without any mishaps—I’ll be truly grateful.” Yefu Xi smiled, then added: “I’ve never quite figured out what kind of setup Jiang Zhan has arranged in the Ghost Tooth Mine Passage. I’ve heard his name so often, I’ve actually started looking forward to meeting him He and Jiang Zhan must face off at some point. Whether it's the Shānchá or Kǒng Yāng, the matter hasn't yet reached a conclusion. He has noted Zhao Guanshou's account. He will seek Jiang Zhan to verify the other side of the truth— Who opened the Bogu demon's frame, who fed the Yǎnzhǒng, and why, precisely, did they leave him alone?