A few more days passed, and Changdong's condition improved, while Gao Shen's serious injuries worsened. The medical facilities at the gold mine were limited, and the doctors could only offer vague speculations—suggesting damage to the intestines, possibly due to bacterial infection and other complications spreading into the abdominal cavity. Ding Liu was so anxious that blisters formed on her lips. That night, she couldn't sleep, staying by Gao Shen's bedside, watching over him. By midnight, Gao Shen experienced a new wave of danger—massive abdominal bleeding. Ding Liu was sent outside the tent to wait, standing shivering in the cold wind. Around dawn, a doctor came out, serious in demeanor, and told her that while they had managed to get through this crisis, the abdominal organs were numerous, and the two pieces of scrap iron that had been inserted into Gao Shen's body had caused extensive damage. It was unclear what further complications might arise. The mine's equipment could not keep up, and the doctor recommended she return to Black Stone City for further treatment. Yet, listening carefully to the doctor's tone, Ding Liu sensed an underlying implication—that preparations should have been made earlier, and even Black Stone City might not offer a miraculous solution. Ding Liu collapsed on the spot, rushing into Ye Liuxi's tent, crying wildly. Ye Liuxi was startled and sat up, still confused about what had happened, when Ding Liu had already fallen into her arms, sobbing so hard she could hardly breathe. Ye Liuxi felt a deep chill, thinking Ding Liu must be critically injured and beyond recovery, and gently stroked her back. After finally catching her breath, Ding Liu said, "Sister Xi, the doctors here aren't doing enough. We need to return to Black Stone City right away—or go out of the mountain. We should go out of the mountain and go back to find a big hospital, specialists. Otherwise, Gao Shen will die." Ye Liuxi nodded, saying, "Alright." The mine was always simple and inconvenient, and they had originally stayed there to care for Chang Dong and Gao Shen's health. Now that the situation had changed, it was clear they needed to move immediately. Ye Liuxi had a strong feeling that this journey to Black Stone City wouldn't be the end—this time, they might truly be going out of the mountain. It was just beginning to dawn when the group was already ready to depart. Fei Tang was in charge of driving the off-road vehicle from Changdong, while the mine provided two additional vehicles. One resembled an ambulance, equipped with two stretchers inside for Changdong and Gao Shen, along with a doctor on board. The other was a standard truck carrying about twenty Jin Yu Guards, who would serve as bodyguards along the route. How could she possibly handle such a grand arrangement? Ye Liuxi found herself wondering. When the head of the Jin Yu Guards approached, a few words weighed heavily on her heart. "Miss Liuxi, word has come from Black Stone City—after you killed Jiang Zhan, you've become a thorn in the side of the Scorpion's eye. They're likely to retaliate against you in various ways. Grandfather Zhao has specifically instructed that, should you travel at any time, we must ensure your safety." Ye Liuxi asked, "Did Jiang Zhan... pass away?" "Yes, he did. Everyone witnessed it—he fell into the golden pool and was probably turned into a pool of blood." ... The three vehicles began to move slowly. Ye Liu sat in the passenger seat of the off-road vehicle, with Fei Tang now driving instead of Chang Dong. She found it a bit uncomfortable. Ding Liu, concerned about Gao Shen, had gone to accompany the ambulance, leaving only Ah He and Zhen Sihai in the back seat. After Ah He went silent, she seemed drained, leaning against the window as if afraid of occupying too much space. In contrast, Zhen Sihai was quite the opposite—expansive and self-assured, taking up nearly seven-tenths of the back seat, and radiating an air of pride and accomplishment. Ye Liu recalled Fei Tang’s repeated complaints about Zhen Sihai—“Miss Ye, you haven’t seen this. Sure, he’s put in his share of effort, but it’s like when a house catches fire—he’s fetching water to put it out, while the others are doing push-ups by the side, sweating profusely, yet accomplishing nothing.” “No wonder they’re related—Zhen Shanhe always falters at the first sign of trouble, while Zhen Sihai is like someone wielding a knife against an intercontinental missile. I think they can barely manage to stay together; don’t even think The vehicle descended the winding mountain road, and in the solemn winter morning mist, the once golden-brown mine now carried a hint of deep gray. Long, withered, black stalks of qingmang grass hung from the mountain peaks, resembling the dry, tangled hair of a giant's head. Along the way, bones lay uncovered—scorpion-eyed, their postures twisted, spears and long arrows embedded in their bodies. No matter how heroic and resolute their final moments had been, once they fell, all was over. "Just look at it—he can't quite put it into words: the whole city tilts like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, no, even more so, with one vast section rising sharply and the other gently sinking into the ground. Remarkably, despite this dramatic tilt, the city's overall silhouette and architectural contours remain nearly intact. As we draw closer, the massive cracks along the city walls come into view. Ye Liuxi remarks, "It's been several days now, and they haven't even mentioned repairing it." Fei Tang shakes his head: "It's not easy to fix—groundwork has to be realigned. Sister Xi, have you ever heard of the Xiaoyantan in Xi'an? Once, during an earthquake, the tower cracked, and decades later, after another quake, the tower resealed itself. If I were Zhao, I'd immediately gather all the scholars and alchemists, and work tirelessly to straighten this city out." As they proceeded toward the city gate, a ramp had already been laid out at the entrance to facilitate entry and exit due to the incline of the ground. Fei Tang got off the ambulance, knocked on the back door, reminded Ding Liu that the next section would involve a lateral tilt, instructed the staff on board to prepare for it, and then took the wheel again to guide the way. The vehicle wobbled through Black Stone City and then into Yunlin City. Along the way, the vehicle split—others returned to their accommodations while Fei Tang took Ye Liuxi to see Zhao Guanshou. "I've never seen someone so openly trying to play the victim. The hawk guard was utterly embarrassed, yet he knew that Ye Liuxi was indeed Zhao Guanshou's guest and couldn't dare to obstruct her firmly. He could only keep his arms outstretched, hesitating and stepping back. As soon as he retreated into the living room, Zhao Guanshou's voice came from behind: "What's going on?" Startled, the hawk guard turned around to see Zhao Guanshou stepping out from the study. With his master now stepping in, there was nothing left for him to do—he quietly stepped back with a slight blush. "Ah, it's this matter. On matters of etiquette and form, Zhao Guanshou usually cooperates—especially now, when he's solely focused on getting her out of the way: 'You go on first, I'll make arrangements as soon as possible. Rest assured, the doctors from Black Stone City are carefully selected, and the equipment we use is among the finest...' Ye Liuxi interrupted: 'Mr. Zhao, there's always a contingency. Should the doctors be unable to make progress, I'd still need a backup plan. Would you mind arranging for me to be discharged?' Zhao Guanshou's expression shifted slightly, then settled back into composure. His words stumbled at first, but once he began speaking, they flowed smoothly: 'Well, I must admit the medical standards beyond the frontier are indeed superior. In matters of life and death, how could I possibly object?' — As Ye Liuxi walked away, Zhao Guanshou's face suddenly fell. He turned to Long Zhi and asked: 'Did you hear all of that?' Long Zhi sat down casually at Zhao Guanshou’s main seat by the desk, “I heard you. Let’s talk about our own matters. We can address this later—where did we leave off?” Zhao Guanshou’s expression was uneasy, “You didn’t bring Jiang Zhan’s body. Has he really died? Long Zhi, are you perhaps falling in love with him? Have you softened toward him?” Long Zhi arched her fine brows, a touch of scorn playing at her lips, “Softened? Zhao uncle, you’ve raised me since childhood. I will one day be the master of Fangshi City, which has always held the upper hand over Yunlin City. I shall eventually become the master of Black Stone City as well.” “The Unwritten Heavenly Scroll says that two orchids will flourish, with dragon qi swirling around them—yet Black Stone City can only bloom one orchid. It’s either you or me who survives. Have you ever seen me soften toward anyone?” Zhao Guanshou hesitated: "But one must see the body before they can be said to be dead..." "Uncle Zhao, a person isn't only dead when their breath ceases—when they've been cut off from the light, unable to participate in any affairs, no longer seeing the people they know, and everyone begins to treat them as if they've already passed away, then they are truly dead." "As for Jiang Zhan's matter, please don't ask me about it anymore. I can guarantee you—he has moved on. Both the Scorpion's eyes and the rest of the circle now believe he is dead. More importantly, Ye Liuxi is certain he himself killed Jiang Zhan. That's all that matters." Zhao Guanshou remained silent for a long time: "Long Zhi, then, perhaps it's time for you to step back now." Long Zhi lifted her gaze to meet his. Zhao Guanshou smiled bitterly, "Like my father, I'm getting old. All I hope for is a smooth, steady course—no unnecessary complications. With Ye Liuxi having returned, killed Jiang Zhan, and now becoming the enemy of the Scorpion Eye, she can only rely on us. Naturally, she'll follow our lead. With the Scorpion Eye leaderless, you have the rightful claim to take over, and then you can gradually dismantle them from within. To me, this outcome is already satisfactory." Long Zhi sneered, "Uncle Zhao, don't be deceived by Ye Liuxi's current compliance. We've applied the 'Kui' influence on both her and Jiang Zhan. As you've seen, despite my efforts to conceal it, Jiang Zhan still feels that I've changed from the Qingzhi of old. Even during this surprise assault on the Golden Mine, he didn't consult me. I instructed the Yingbin Gate to allow Scorpion Eye personnel entry to assist them in infiltrating Black Stone City—this was a strategic move to consolidate them for a future decisive campaign, not to nurture a threat that will eventually turn against me." "Can you truly trust Ye Liuxi?" When she comes into contact with something, draws conclusions, or raises doubts—aren't you just undermining your own efforts? What if she remains silent and suddenly delivers a decisive blow? Wouldn't all our hard work then come to nothing? Zhao Guanshou sighed, realizing he had overlooked some key points. "She came over just now; you heard what she said, didn't you?" Long Zhi nodded, then paused thoughtfully. "Then, send her some doctors who are clearly unimpressive—make it convincing that we've done everything we can. Show her that the skills of Black Stone City are as they are—not unwilling to save, but simply unable to do more." Zhao Guanshou was taken aback. "If that's the case, aren't we effectively pushing her to emerge from her retreat?" Long Zhi smiled. "Exactly. That's precisely my plan: the journey west through Yumen begins with her, Ye Liu, stepping through the Yumen Pass, and concludes when she finally emerges from her retreat. Isn't that a complete and satisfying arc?" "Master Zhao, could you help me arrange this? Just within the next couple of days, please have Chang Dong come by and meet me. It's time to make use of this card now."