Jiang Zhan quickly cleared several scattered stones, only to find a chorus of groans beneath—among the crushed people, there were both the Swift Birds guards and the Scorpion-Eyes, yet no trace of Qingzhi. Jiang Zhan’s head ached fiercely. When the Golden Lord burst out of the cliff cave, the entire dome had half-collapsed, the situation unfolding with sudden urgency. The stone platform cracked, and Jiang Zhan lost his footing, tumbling down. In his peripheral vision, he had caught Qingzhi darting aside—by all accounts, Qingzhi’s skill should have allowed her to maneuver easily amidst the chaos. Yet Qingzhi had sustained injuries during the sandstorm in the Poplar City and had been largely resting ever since, practicing her movements infrequently. Perhaps her agility had dulled over time. How could the Golden Lord suddenly have gone berserk? The imprisoned demon, no matter how repeatedly attacked or pierced, moved with the sluggishness of someone suffering from early-onset dementia, occasionally shifting or turning only to create minor tremors. Today’s state, however, was utterly unprecedented. As Jiang Zhan reached out again to push aside the stones, he sensed something unusual and swiftly turned to look back. Amidst the dust and ash, Ye Liuxi had managed to rise, one hand gripping his bow, blood streaks mingling with dust on his face, his gaze cold, as if viewing a corpse. The demeanor unsettled him—what kind of nonsense was this? A traitor, a hands-on-blood executioner, dying, yet still wearing a composed, reasonable expression. Jiang Zhan tightened his iron ruler, his resolve sharpening: "Ye Liuxi, with one leg gone, do you still have the strength to fight? Don't you go see if your man is alive or dead?" Ye Liuxi replied: "He's already dead—there's nothing to be done. If he's still alive, we can assess later. Without attending to you now, he'll surely be killed by you before long." Jiang Zhan nodded: "You've got good sense. You're lucky today—you're still alive." As soon as the words fell, a coldness swept over her face. She surged forward in two swift steps. As she reached close, the iron ruler swept horizontally across her throat. Leaf Liu Xi, weakened by her injured leg, could not exert full strength and thus leaned back to avoid it, collapsing on one knee. Raising her wrist, she launched her arrow with force toward Jiang Zhan’s abdomen. Jiang Zhan sensed the danger and reacted instantly, pressing firmly on her shoulder to gain leverage, attempting a mid-air somersault. But Leaf Liu Xi refused to let her succeed—suddenly, her body went limp, and Jiang Zhan’s effort came to nothing, her body tumbling down. Before Leaf Liu Xi could draw back her bow to strike, she seized the moment and drove her left arm across, delivering a solid blow to Jiang Zhan’s head. Jiang Zhan was stunned, her body rolling away. As she regained her footing, stars danced before her eyes. Looking up, she met Leaf Liu Xi’s gaze. The latter sat on one leg, her expression disdainful, and replied to her just-uttered words: “I’m not dead now, and I won’t be dead by then.” Cracks of stones crunched softly as the surviving Scorpion Eyes and Swift Birds gradually rose to their feet—buried together in the aftermath, once harmonious, now instantly engaged in fierce rivalry. A Scorpion Eye drew his sword and stepped forward: "Let's cut him down!" Jiang Zhan roared, "Go find Qingzhi!" Before the words had fully settled, the agile attacker surged again toward Ye Liuxi. Ye Liuxi remained still, breathing deeply, watching as the iron staff struck with precision—just as he prepared to deflect it sideways, Jiang Zhan suddenly laughed, stepped back smoothly, and leapt forward, driving his iron staff straight toward Chang Dong beside him. Ye Liuxi was so startled that he paid no attention to his injured leg, hurling himself forward with all his strength, wrapping his arms tightly around Jiang Zhan's legs. As they spun in the air, both of them landed together on the ground. The moment they touched down, they immediately began to grapple, Ye Liuxi biting down hard on his jaw, determined to keep Jiang Zhan at arm's length. Their struggle intensified until suddenly, the stone supporting them gave way and collapsed, revealing a shimmering pool of water beneath, tinged with blood. Both of them tumbled together to the edge of the pool, and as the ripples began to form just beside their heads, they simultaneously felt a strong urge to push each other into the water. Yet Ye Liuxi moved even faster—she instantly rose, rolled over, and pressed hard onto Jiang Zhan, one hand tightening around his throat, pressing his head down toward the water's surface. Jiang Zhan struggled to breathe, punching furiously at her waist and abdomen. Ye Liuxi held firm, regardless of the pain in her body, tightening her grip with every passing moment. In desperation, Jiang Zhan suddenly felt the edge of an arrow wound on her leg and, without thinking, reached down and pressed hard into the injury. Ye Liuxi gasped, her entire body trembling, and momentarily lost strength in her arms. Jiang Zhan then rolled over and sat up, grabbing her sword belt so tightly that she was nearly lifted off the ground, and prepared to throw her into the pool. At that moment, a sharp cry came from behind: "Ah!" It turned out that Fei Tang had been suspended by the rope, watching the commotion below, his voice strained from shouting, yet seeing no response from Ding Liu or the others. He was growing increasingly anxious, sweating profusely. Suddenly, a sudden realization struck him—fierce resolve surged through him: all of them had come to help him. If they all perished Thus, he strained to untie the rope, clutched the iron chain, and slid and bumped down the length of it, still falling short by a stretch at the end. With a deep breath, he leapt down, gasping in pain. Just as he did, he saw the peril unfolding at Ye Liuxi's end—blood surged to his face. He reached for a knife at his side and roared, charging forward. The drawback was that he hadn't yet gained much experience—his roar actually alerted Jiang Zhan, who tightened his grip and swiftly turned around, kicking off Fat Tang with a powerful leg sweep. Fat Tang, already hearing the wind rushing past, had braced himself for a disorienting fall. Yet upon landing, he felt suddenly cold and weak, and turned in panic to see that he had landed squarely upon the massive snake's body. At the same time, Zhen Sihai, who had been vigorously attacking the giant serpent, was startled. His neck feathers stood on end. After exchanging a glance with Fat Tang, he suddenly regained his fierce momentum, determined to make an impression right there, flapping his wings and fiercely pecking and scratching at the snake's body. Fei Tang felt his heart utterly overwhelmed, exclaiming, "You're so full of energy—can't you use it on something important?" As soon as he finished speaking, a jolt went through him. He scrambled up, grabbed Zhen Sihai tightly, and took off running. Ye Liuxi saw blood and foam spurt from Chang Dong’s mouth, and his mind instantly went blank—yet his eyes were clearer than ever: beneath Chang Dong’s body, the knife she had been pressing against it remained pressed there, and as Chang Dong’s body spun around, the knife was dragged along with it, now close to Ye Liuxi. Blood surged to Ye Liuxi’s brain, and he pulled the blade free with a sudden motion. "... The blade's light vanished into Jiang Zhan's left axilla, then burst out again from his shoulder. Nearby, someone screamed with piercing agony, 'Master Jiang!' Blood gushed forth like a fountain, Jiang Zhan's arm snapped off and he collapsed, rolling to the side. Ye Liuxi crawled to Chang Dong's side, reaching out to pry apart the arms that were cradling Jiang Zhan's leg, but it seemed as though she had used up all her strength—no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't budge them. Fei Tang rushed over to assist, and just as they managed to separate the arms, the stone beneath their feet suddenly gave way, unsteady. Fei Tang looked up, pale as a sheet, and immediately wrapped her arms around Chang Dong's upper body, pulling him back: 'Quick, Sister Xi, move Chang Dong to the side—the snake body has retracted.' " The lake surface at the bottom of the cave should have been mostly covered by scattered stone platforms and blocks, yet upon Jin's return, the ground had once again shifted and upheaved. The spot where they now stood was precisely the most severely affected. Ye Liuxi's head buzzed with noise; momentarily forgetting her leg injury, she lifted Chang Dong's leg and tried to take a step—only for her leg to spasm suddenly, sending her crashing to the ground. As she reached out to brace herself, her hands came away covered in warm blood. Looking down, her heart leaped. Left her hanging, her body followed and collapsed. Just as he spoke, Fat Tang launched himself in a powerful leap, fiercely pulling her back. Breathing heavily, legs trembling, Fat Tang said, "Xi-jie, why didn't you move? We were so close to losing you just now..." He suddenly stopped. He saw that Ye Liuxi was crying, her hand still outstretched as if reaching—looking toward the pool, the water was violently swaying, nearly covered in blood, the golden hue almost entirely obscured. Fat Tang stammered, "Xi... Xi-jie, what's wrong with you?" Only then did Ye Liuxi regain her composure, lifting her head. At the edge of the cliff, the Golden Feathers Guard had already begun descending one after another, swinging from ropes that swayed like they were riding a swing. She wiped her tears,茫然ly, and said, "I don't know. Just... in pain." — After a visit to the Golden Lord's face, the transformation between arrival and departure was complete. That face, once twisted with anguish, now collapsed into a vast black void. The open space where the mineral ore was sun-dried had turned into a Ye Liuxi sat motionless, the pervasive smell of scorched earth filling her eyes. Mine workers carried stretchers, constantly passing by, with those on the stretchers either wailing in pain or merely covered in white sheets. A temporary medical tent had already been set up nearby, and Changdong had been taken inside. The attending physician repeatedly assured her he would do everything possible. Fei Tang stood anxiously beneath the darkened tunnel, rushing to identify the injured each time someone was brought out. When a sharp pain shot through her leg, she looked down to see the doctor who had been bandaging her carefully tightening the bandage and securing the wound. Zhao Guanshou approached. He first examined her injury: "They say the injury went through flesh and bone, but don't worry—your body is strong, with all the Liuxi bones. You'll recover quickly." Ye Liuxi asked him, "What about the people with scorpion eyes? Did they escape?" Zhao Guanshou's face showed an air of condescension. "They're just a collection of loosely assembled people. They've hired a few scholars and magicians, believing themselves capable of repelling demons and ghosts and even fighting battles—yet they've already been pushed back. You and your companions may stay here for another couple of days. I need to head back to Black Stone City now. Scorpion-Eye has come with great force tonight, and Black Stone City is likely to have suffered as well." Ye Liuxi nodded, then turned to the man with the "Golden Lord" face. "There's a giant serpent inside. I didn't hear you mention that when I came in." Zhao Guanshou felt a bit embarrassed. "We hadn't expected it either. The Golden Lord has become a demon due to its insatiable desires—its hunger for more, unquenchable. It's the only demon that cannot be sealed even on the ancient scrolls of the scholar-hermits. Later, when the gold mines were discovered, the magicians came up with a brilliant idea: they've sealed the Golden Lord beneath countless mountains of gold—while wealth may not satisfy all human desires, it certainly fulfills most of them." "Because it can't be fully sealed, it occasionally agitates, causing a constant series of tremors—both large and small—around it. The golden-faced deity you see is actually just the facade of a temple of worship; the true deity is the great serpent itself. Over the past thousand years, they've managed to coexist peacefully. This situation, however, is truly unprecedented. Fortunately, our geomancers have already cast incantations to compel it to return to its lair..." Ye Liuxi remained silent. She didn't care whether the golden deity had returned to its lair. What mattered to her was the condition of Changdong, the safety of Gao Shen and Ding Liu, and... Oddly, she kept seeing Jiang Zhan's face flickering in her mind at the very end. The vigilant hawk guard from the lead vehicle leaned out, crossing his blade across his chest, his eyes and expression sharp with alertness: "Who is it?" The woman said nothing. Instead, a sound came from behind—the carriage of Zhao Guanshou emerged from the line, steadily advancing until it reached the woman's side. The carriage door opened, and the woman lowered herself to sit inside. The hawk guard from the front paused, then gracefully retreated back into his carriage. A moment later, the convoy resumed its journey, maintaining its formation, with Zhao Guanshou's carriage now in its proper place—calm and unbothered, as though nothing had happened at all. ... The woman pulled down her hood. Her eyebrows were slender and long, her hair black and straight, falling to her shoulders with a neat fringe of hair at the front. The tips of her hair were slightly charred, her lips full and glistening, finely defined. Yet her face bore a distinct layer of soot and gray, creating a striking contrast, vivid and compelling. Zhao Guanshou looked at her, assessing her expression. "Long Zhi..." Long Zhi raised her hand, signaling for him to listen. "Let me take you along. With Jiang Zhan gone, the Scorpion's eyes will surely be thrown off balance. I need to be present to calm the various parties. I'll come back to you in a couple of days. Heading west through Yumen—we've already achieved most of our goals. Just don't let the final details fall apart."