The convoy departed the city. They did not follow the path they had come on; instead, this gate faced directly toward Black Stone Mountain and the Golden Mine. Engraved above the massive arch was a serpent coiled around a turtle—Chang Dong, though less familiar with Xi'an than Fu Tang, recognized this as the emblem of "Wu Xu" (the Turtle-Dragon). The Wu Xu Gate. Here, the convoy halted. Chang Dong, riding in the rear, was nestled among the vehicles and could only wait. Ding Liu grew impatient and leaned out to look. At once, she spotted Zhao Guanshou's carriage—prominent and drawing attention. Several dozen city guards stood beside it. One officer at the head was speaking respectfully with Zhao Guanshou, while another held a thick volume of documents, occasionally having the wind blow the edges of the pages, causing them to flutter. The guards' uniforms differed from those of the Swift Birds, clearly designed for prolonged exposure to wind, with heavier fabric and more vibrant shoulder insignia. Ding Liu took out her telescope and, upon first sight, smiled: "Look at those little bees on their shoulders—so charming." "Chang Dong said, 'Bees defend their hives; when threatened, they usually mount a collective assault. If you're stung, you no longer find them endearing. It's quite fitting that the garrison soldiers be compared to bees.' Ding Liu disagreed: 'The Yulin Guard don't all use birds? Shouldn't bees count too?' 'For the Yulin Guard, what matters is having wings and being useful—they can embrace both,' Chang Dong added, himself slightly puzzled that the discussion had lasted so long. 'I'll go take a look.' Ye Liuxi followed him off the vehicle. The record is indeed detailed—names, genders, entry and exit times, reasons, addresses, city registry numbers, and notes—yet Changdong feels it's merely a broom sweeping sand, appearing clean on the surface while always leaving some grains untouched. Jiang Zhan, in order to leave the city, must have thought of every possible strategy: disguising himself, borrowing someone else's identity or registry number, even employing feints and threats. Ye Liuxi also remarked, "Mr. Zhao, you've underestimated Jiang Zhan. I heard he's been living within Black Stone City for a long time. If I were him, I'd have dug at least ten or twelve tunnels—how would anyone dare risk walking through the city gates?" Zhao Guanshou smiled with a sense of pride, "Miss Liuxi, that's exactly what you're overthinking. There are absolutely no tunnels within Black Stone City." Ye Liuxi didn't believe it. Could there really be such absolute confidence? Even if the Yulin Guard strictly forbade tunneling, wouldn't ordinary citizens not always follow the rules? Zhao Guanshou said, "If you stay here long enough, you'll find that earthquakes are frequent in this area. Black Stone City originally wasn't located here—it has suffered multiple earthquakes and damages over the years. However, due to its strategic location, especially its proximity to the golden mine, it couldn't be moved or relocated." "Liyang Dong has done something commendable. He managed to step out of the pass and visited Chang'an several times, deeply admiring the culture and scenery of the Tang Dynasty. He decided to build Black Stone City in a manner resembling Chang'an, and this was made possible thanks to his thorough geological surveys of the surrounding area—unfortunately, he discovered that there was something remarkable hidden beneath this entire region." "The current location of Black Stone City is not further extendable; we can't dig deeper, because beneath us lies a massive, semi-spherical stone." "We use black stone to build our city because it is much harder than bricks and tiles, and less prone to cracking during earthquakes. Once the black stone city is established, it becomes almost like a standing ball—connected seamlessly with the stone blocks of the hemisphere. Even during earthquakes, the city only tilts or shifts slightly, without houses collapsing or tiles being lifted. At its most severe, the road may slope upward, yet we still manage to drive and walk as usual. Later, when I reviewed my notes about the areas beyond the pass, I came across a reference to the Xiaoyantan in Xi'an, which described its foundation as resembling that of a 'standing ball,' remaining upright through numerous earthquakes. This is indeed a parallel case—though our black stone city is far larger in scale. Hence, I concluded that there is no possibility of digging underground tunnels; Jiang Zhan would have to reach the city through the ground surface. With him making this point, Chang Dong flipped through the records again and suddenly noticed several instances of blank lines—no entries at all, only a golden seal in the person's name column, bearing the image of a furious dragon with wild whiskers and intense eyes. Chang Dong asked: 'Who is this?'” "Why are there no records at all?" The guard, holding the book, looked genuinely puzzled, stammered out "Long family," and then fell silent. Zhao Guanshou seemed equally unwilling to dwell on this point. "Since everything appears normal here, let's move on quickly. We'll need to make arrangements once we reach the mine." How could it be considered "normal" when the Long family's golden seal was so unusual? After restarting the vehicle, Chang Dong asked Ahu: "Does the Long family simply need to stamp their seal to pass through Yulin City? This seems rather casual. If I hold the Long family's golden seal, should I not also be inspected?" "Ah, Huo hesitated: 'This is actually quite complex. In Black Stone City, the Yulin Guard and the Fangshi each hold a city, claiming equal status. You might notice that daily duties and administrative affairs are handled by the Yulin Guard, but in reality, the Fangshi leader holds authority that surpasses even the Yulin Guard.' Moreover, the patrols stationed at checkpoints never catch the Long family's vehicles—yet they do so for everyone else...” Ahu was startled, her words stumbling: “No, no, no, Xiao Liu—don’t say this! These are just minor disagreements. Even if the Yulin Guard and the Daoists had strained relations, they couldn’t possibly shield Xieyan. Besides, not just anyone who holds the Dragon’s Golden Seal can move freely—someone of Dragon Shen’s stature, at the very least, would be able to pass through without obstruction.” Regretting her own interjection, she spoke in a disorganized rush, only hoping someone would agree with her. In the end, all she heard was Chang Dong’s quiet remark: “Sit tight—we’re leaving the city.” Not long after leaving Blackstone City, the scenery grew increasingly desolate. The sound of the wheels grew dull and monotonous. On the hard yellow soil roads, dust and sand whirled constantly, and within sight, there was not a single tree. Only then did Chang Dong realize that since entering the pass, the prosperity, bustle, peace, and harmony he had expected had all been concentrated within Blackstone City—only inside the towering black walls could Surrounding the remote village was an endless expanse of desert wasteland; on foot, one would go days without seeing a human figure, let alone encountering anyone. At night, travelers dared not venture out, and the red-flowered inn that dotted the road had nearly all retreated underground, offering meager meals with little meat. Even Xiaoyangzhou—now clearly marked as a market on the map—had seen its medical supplies and daily necessities dwindle to the level of what was carried in his vehicle. In a single night, the town had been completely enveloped by the creeping grasses, as if slaughtered. Changdong furrowed his brow: "Can demons and spirits infiltrate the city? Aren't there also the Yulin Guards and the scholars stationed there?" Ahé hesitated, glanced at the front and back of the carriage, and spoke softly: "The problem of demons and spirits has existed for a long time—much like wolves roaming the area, inevitably snatching people off. It all depends on how well you're prepared. Black Stone City stands out as the most vigilant, with watchfulness beginning at the reception gate. Its walls are strong, its defenses solid, and its scholars numerous—living there is undoubtedly comfortable and secure. You've seen this yourselves over the past few days: the number of people in Black Stone City must be several times greater than the combined population of all other places." "But with such a vast territory, it's impossible to maintain vigilance only in the city. Other markets have been developed gradually, and when officials were first dispatched to oversee them, families like Zhao, Long, and Li were sent out, with many ordinary citizens relocated regularly. Yet think about it—how could anyone not prefer to live in a better location? Those with connections who left will always make every effort to return. "She murmured softly: 'In the end, those with connections all returned. The ones who stayed behind were merely peripheral relatives, overlooked—like Li Jin'ao, who went with you, a perfect example. And then there were the common people who left; they could only hold on outside, and most never made it back.' Her eyes suddenly glistened with tears. 'Actually, my parents sent me to the Yulin Guard for the best of intentions. Back then, I was still young, and the family was chosen to relocate to the Yulang City, located on the northeastern frontier—rumored to be filled with dead souls turned into withered trees. As the only daughter, they didn't want me to suffer the same hardships, so they spent considerable effort and money to secure my selection. They never imagined that shortly after, I would have my tongue cut out.' Ding Liu felt a chill run down her spine, and couldn't help but feel even more sympathy for Ahuo. Reaching out, she gently touched the back of Ahuo's hand and asked, 'Then, did you stay in contact with your parents?' Ahuo shook her head. 'The news coming back from those places were all terrifying.'" "I've been training hard, striving to do my best, hoping to earn recognition and get assigned tasks sooner so I can find out about my family's well-being..." She sniffed, reaching up to wipe her eyes. "But later, when the Scorpion's eyes took hold of the Poplar City, many things became inaccessible to someone of my rank. Then, when the Poplar City was destroyed, I think my family must have been lost too..." Her tears finally fell. "Little Liu used to look down on me, saying, 'Our Feathers and Forest Guard.'" Ding Liu grew impatient. "Oh, I never meant to look down on you—I was just trying to be helpful, giving you gentle reminders." Gao Shen glanced at Ding Liu and found that though she sometimes spoke sharply, her heart was truly kind. "No," Ah He said, "what I mean is, I've long since come to see myself and the Feathers and Forest Guard as 'us.' Even if I'm just a puppet, merely serving as a messenger—I still consider myself part of 'us.' Otherwise, to whom would I say 'us'?" I have no family, no friends—Yulin Wei at least feeds me a meal...” The car was quiet. For a long while, no one spoke. The wheels rolled over the earth, and beneath the vehicle, a dense, steady sound of sand crunched. Chang Dong said, “Ahuo, have you ever thought about giving up being a go-between, breaking free from being controlled, and living your life on your own terms?” Ahuo replied softly, “How could such a thing ever happen?” Ye Liuxi said, “That’s not quite right.” She turned around in her seat to face Ahuo and made a gesture of “three”: “Just three steps.” Chang Dong glanced at Ye Liuxi, thinking how remarkable it was that she, with such energy and spirit, didn’t apply for TV hosting roles—like those promotional segments about ‘South African diamonds, just 888 yuan, hurry and grab your chance!’—which seemed such a waste. Suddenly, he felt a new thought: maybe she had actually done part-time hosting at some point. He reached out and gently loosened her seatbelt, to prevent her awkward posture from causing discomfort. Ye Liuxi didn't notice these; she was only focusing on guiding Ah He: "Step one: think; step two: act; step three: achieve. As long as you dare to think, you've already achieved thirty percent. How can you just sit there, not even thinking, hoping good things will find you on their own?" "Billions of people around the world are waiting for good things to happen. Good things have to choose people—so they'll first pick those who show initiative. People who pray and offer incense are far more diligent than you. What have you done?" Ah He was momentarily stunned, unsure of how to respond. After a pause, she said, "Miss Liuxi... your way of speaking is really quite similar to Fei Tang's." Ye Liuxi looked at her for a while: "Who's like whom? Ah He, you're not exactly someone who's slow-witted—how can you not tell the difference between genuine and counterfeit?" Before she finished speaking, the vehicle suddenly braked sharply. Chang Dong reached out to steady her waist and said, "Be careful." That's the downside of being in a car—though you're in control of the vehicle, every time you need to start Ye Liuxi turned around and sat straight. She understood that stopping at the gates of Xuanwu Gate would allow her to inquire about the inspection results from the city guards over the past few days. But now, in this remote location—vast, open, with dry grass stretching endlessly and no trace of human figures—what was the point of stopping a vehicle? Had the lead vehicle’s tire blown out? Chang Dong stepped out to take a look. The convoy consisted of roughly seven or eight vehicles. Positioned centrally, his spot was flanked by the lead vehicle, Zhao Guanshou’s official car, and the escort vehicles ahead, while the vehicles behind were fully loaded with transport trucks carrying the Man-Of-The-Wild guards. Whether looking forward or backward, people were constantly getting off the vehicles, placing their hands over their eyes and brows to peer out, or climbing onto the roofs, raising their telescopes. All in the same direction. Chang Dong turned to Ding Liu and said, “Telescope to me.” He stepped down and swiftly climbed onto the roof. The modified vehicle was significantly taller than the ones ahead. With Chang Dong in a prime position, the telescope was held steady before him, and It was a face carved into a brown-yellow stone surface. Perhaps due to the distance, the face appeared not particularly large, and the accumulation of surrounding rubble gave it a furrowed, eerie expression. But this was still not the most unsettling. Crimson blood was flowing out separately from the eyes, nose, ears, and mouth of the face, trailing long streaks downward—like a paint bucket had been tipped over halfway up the slope, resulting in a sudden renovation mishap. Jin’s face, seven orifices in the mine passage. This was indeed—seven orifices bleeding.