Chang Dong saw that the man was aiming at Ye Liu Xi, and his mind buzzed with excitement. He roared, "Quick, pull!" Before he finished speaking, the man suddenly lifted his bow, and a sharp crack echoed as the string snapped. The bow was a close-combat weapon, powerful and swift. Chang Dong focused entirely on Ye Liu Xi, unaware of where the arrow was headed. He only saw her clearly approaching, then suddenly her body dropped again. Without hesitation, Chang Dong thrust his arm into her ribcage and used his waist to powerfully twist and lift her, using the strength of his back and hips to carry her upward. A commotion erupted around them. One of the Mengu Guard shouted, "Get down!" Chang Dong pressed his back against the ground, holding onto Ye Liu Xi and gasping for breath. At first, he hesitated to check for any injuries on her. As he lifted his eyelids, he noticed the Mengu Guard who had previously been pulling the rope—still standing at the cliff's edge, motionless. An arrow had pierced his face and passed through his skull, its tip emerging at the back of his head. The cave was dimly lit, while outside it was A sound of something heavy hitting the water came up. Chang Dong closed his eyes, held tightly to Ye Liuxi, his body aching and pressing against the stone, his lower leg still bent and resting against his thigh—so much so that he didn’t know how he had reacted in that moment. Ye Liuxi spoke softly, “I’m fine.” Fearing another immediate assault, everyone lowered their centers of gravity, either crouched or lying flat, remaining still. Only Zhen Sihai moved steadily and fiercely back and forth at the cliff’s entrance. A while later, Ah He sat up and chuckled coldly. It was Jiang Zhan’s voice again. Ye Liuxi couldn’t help asking, “What do you mean by that?” “Nothing really—just felt like I wanted to do it. Besides, I wasn’t aiming at you.” Ye Liuxi sat up and looked toward the stone platform nearby, which, though described as “not far,” seemed much farther when compared to the dome itself—indeed, the distance was over twenty meters. She quickly peered down: the pool at the base of the dome shimmered with golden foam, and the snake emerged from the water, its body coiled within, its full length unknown. Ye Liuxi didn’t waste words, "I’ve brought the beast-headed jade. Where’s Fei Tang? How do we exchange?" Looking up, she saw Jiang Zhan slightly shifted, and a man stumbled forward, clearly being pushed—Fei Tang, bound like a rice dumpling, with a torn cloth stuffed in his mouth, struggling desperately, gasping and shouting. Jiang Zhan reached out, tugged at the cloth, and Fei Tang, first catching his breath, then shouted loudly, "West Sister, I'm right here!" Jiang Zhan spoke through Ah He, "Set up chain bridges on both sides. Don’t you have the fierce bird guards there? They’re well-versed in this maneuver—have them handle it." Before the words had fully settled, the sound of clinking chains echoed—four figures from behind Jiang Zhan stepped forward, each carrying a chain. Four crossbows were drawn, the chain heads fastened to the arrow shafts, the mechanical latch secured, and the arrows, now bearing gle The mace guards were truly seasoned—upon a single command, the four men rolled out of their positions. When the arrows penetrated deep into the cave, one of them executed a swift鹞-style flip, reached out, caught the shaft with his arm wrapped tightly around it, and simultaneously drew the long arrow from his bow. As the arrow struck the ground, it rang clearly. Chang Dong picked it up and examined it: the arrowhead was forged from three sharp blades welded together, each blade having two cutting edges, so keen that one could vividly imagine the sharpness and brutality of the penetration upon impact. Yet though the iron chain was thicker than that used to tether chickens, it still seemed insufficient for a load-bearing bridge—Chang Dong soon realized he had been overly cautious. Each of the four archers had drawn their bows three times, and every thick rope was wound with three strands of fine interlaced twisted hemp. The mace guards used the projecting stones and pillars within the cave as abutments, then looped the chain around several times before securing it with driven dowels for added strength. Not long after, a shaky suspension bridge was erected between the two ends—indeed, remarkably simple: just four iron chains, arranged at varying heights. Two chains at the bottom served as walking platforms, while two side chains acted as handrails. Jiang Zhan said, "You can come over with your belongings." Ye Liuxi was not having it: "Once I reach the center, if you suddenly feel like shooting a few arrows—ten or eight of them—I’ll be right in the crosshairs. Better if you bring Fat Tang over—your territory, your design. I’m not going to pull any tricks." Jiang Zhan smiled and said, "You’re indeed very cautious. Then let’s settle this: I’ll bring the people, and you bring your things. We’ll meet at the center of the bridge." With that, he gestured toward the nearby area. Someone grabbed Fat Tang by the collar and pushed him forward. When they reached the bridgehead, two more people arrived, placing wooden planks on the bottom chains, then tying Fat Tang securely to the top—this was a long, flat board that could be sat or lie on, with wheels underneath, firmly clamped between the two bottom chains. After securing it, Jiang kicked the fat Tang squarely in the back. Tang shrieked like he was dying. The iron chains shook violently, and the continuous clinking sounds as the wheels rolled and bumped against the links carried Tang helplessly toward the center of the bridge. Fortunately, he didn't flip or fall off—quite by chance, the heights on both sides were nearly level, and even though Tang was slender, he still had the weight of at least a hundred to a hundred and ten bags of rice. As he reached the middle, he naturally began to sag, swinging back and forth like a pendulum before gradually coming to a stop. Though he knew it was unfair, seeing Tang pressed so flat, Ye Liuxi couldn't help but smile. Tang had always been timid, but throughout this journey, he had experienced nearly every most thrilling moment. Dragged by the wind and sand, wrapped by the water tongues, and now forced to endure this high-speed carousel slide—surely, with time, nothing would daunt Tang anymore. Just for a moment's distraction, Jiang had already reached the chain bridge. He walked steadily, almost as if he were walking on level ground; the corners of his wind coat occasionally lifted, which he claimed was from holding the chain, in reality only a gentle hand gesture. Ye Liuxi's face turned pale: for ordinary people, maintaining balance on such a chain bridge was already a challenge, and Jiang Zhan walked so steadily—how much more would he perform when he moved his hands? Ye Liuxi opened Chang Dong's bag, took out the mammalian-headed jade, and softly said, "Chang Dong, he might need to act on the bridge." Chang Dong nodded, "You delay him—don't hand him the mammalian-headed jade too early. I'll find a way." Ye Liuxi exhaled, then turned and stepped onto the bridge. Once on the bridge, she found it wasn't as difficult as she had imagined. Though not as steady as Jiang Zhan, those who had practiced possessed better body coordination and adaptability than ordinary people. By the time she reached the center, she even began to believe that, should things take a turn for the worse, a brief exchange of moves with Jiang Zhan on this chain bridge would not be out of the question. The He was a head and a half taller than her, about the same height as Changdong, but because he was slender, he gave off an impression of being taller. Though his features were clear and refined, exuding a cultured grace, he instantly shifted into a sense of solemnity and brooding intensity. Such a person—born with a frail, easily broken frame—had surely survived in the golden mine. How had he endured? How had he been reshaped and stood firm until today? Was the carved character "Qingzhi" on the stone walls of the sacrificial pit really her? "You've played a masterful hand of inside-out coordination," Jiang Zhan said. "When I told the guard that the city gates had fallen, I thought you'd already sacrificed yourself. But when I arrived, I found you on the city ramparts, smiling at me, the gates wide open, the Yulin Guards pouring in like a tide." Ye Liuxi felt a little uneasy. Jiang Zhan's tone wasn't one of deception. "The entire city is under martial law. The Hu Yang city is completely surrounded. Some people have disguised themselves as civilians and were brought before you to be identified—Ye Liuxi, not one of them escaped your notice." "The Scorpion Eye warriors—112 in total, including the Golden Scorpion elder and nine others—were all hanged. I couldn't save them. But I went to the execution site myself. I want to remember the sight of their final moments, so that I won't forget the need for vengeance." He smiled, though his gaze remained fixed on her—yet it seemed already distant, returning to that very scene of execution. "So many people have been cursing you. You had them struck with a iron ruler until their jawbones cracked. Master Yan, who was even bleeding from his teeth, was drenched in blood and splattered all over your face. Outraged, you took this rope and strangled him to death right there." He lifted his hand, and a hemp rope hung beneath it. A faint dark red stain ran along the rope—uncertain whether it was blood—making Ye Liuxi's back feel cold. Below, Fei Tang had been listening intently, already stunned. Jiang Zhan slowly tightened his grip on the rope, his fingertips turning pale and sharp: "I watched the entire incident from beginning to end, not missing a single detail. After the wind picked up and everyone else had left, I took advantage of the guard's distraction to gather this hemp rope and a blood-stained iron ruler. To myself, I vowed never to let anyone else handle this matter—I would personally settle this score, using precisely this rope and this ruler." Ye Liux Xi's mind spun in confusion. She steadied herself: "One matter at a time. Things have their own sequence. I came here to exchange people. If you wish to bring up old grievances Jiang Zhan bent down, drawing out a iron ruler from his boot, wrapping the handle with cloth to make it easier to grip. He didn't answer directly: "You're still alive today not because I hold onto our past ties and choose not to avenge myself, but because, throughout this entire year—searching heaven and earth—I couldn't find you." He lowered his gaze, fixing his eyes on Fei Tang's back: "Your friend mentioned that the sandstorms in Hu Yang City affected you as well, and you've forgotten many things. That's all right—I'll go through everything step by step, so when it's too late, you won't be left wondering why." His aura grew fiercely charged. The pouch, originally shaped like a beast's head made of jade, had now been crushed flat under the fragments, its thick ear membranes buzzing with a constant hum, as if his heart were bleeding. For heaven's sake! You don't have to take it—you shouldn't treat it so poorly! Jiang Zhan sneered, "Everyone says whoever obtains the jade beast's head will become the second Li Wangdong. Unfortunately, I don't care—whether or not the world is destined for me, the presence or absence of this jade beast's head makes no difference. After all, by shattering it, I've effectively shattered this prophecy. From now on, no one will believe in it anymore." Ye Liuxi said, "Then why do you keep insisting that I exchange it for the jade beast's head?" Jiang Zhan interrupted her, "I'm afraid you won't come. By making myself seem so invested in this item, you'll think you have leverage, that I'm hesitant to act against you—hesitant to strike you down. In truth, you have no idea what I truly desire." He burst into laughter. "Yefu Li, today is a great day. I've chosen today—to take your life, to avenge the grievances of Huayang City, and to sever the lifeline of Heishi City, all on this very day." He turned to Qingzhi: "Qingzhi, over the past year, you've been so cautious, so careful, that you've changed beyond recognition. I've hidden myself long enough—this time, I'm doing it without consulting you. I hope it will be a surprise to you." Qingzhi was startled: "What have you done?" Jiang Zhan burst into loud laughter. As his laughter still echoed, his gaze tightened, and the iron staff crashed down toward Yefu Li's head. No, old Dragon Shen has long since pulled away and stopped caring. Though he's been publicly humiliated a few times due to that matter, it's merely out of lingering resentment—like letting his frustration spill out through the vents of his office. Looking out over the horizon, the convoy appeared like a long dragon swiftly climbing the mountain road, drawing nearer and nearer. The lead vehicle was indeed Dragon Shen's own.