After a period of bustling activity, the camp's defensive setup resumed its orderly rhythm: the central area housed the main camp, the outer perimeter featured fixed and mobile sentries, and the farthest layer was the frontline net of fire barriers. At dinner time, two more vehicles arrived, just as Ding Liu had described—curtained tightly, with no sight of the occupants inside. Yet their presence was clearly substantial. The vehicles were parked in front of a tent in a corner of the camp. As soon as they stopped, a number of Yulin Guards gathered around them, soon escorting the visitors into the tent. Chang Dong’s own tent was a bit farther away, so he couldn’t see the visitors clearly. Nevertheless, he noticed that upon the arrival of these two vehicles, the Yulin Guards—previously so boisterous—immediately became more restrained, radiating an unmistakable sense of unease, as though the presence of leadership made it inappropriate to be casual. After dinner, someone came to collect the plates and dishes, and during the brief moment of distraction, slipped a note to Chang Dong. Taking the opportunity to tidy his bed, he leaned slightly to unfold it. The note was black, with a single line of text, glowing softly. Chang Dong hadn't quite reacted yet when the characters, together with the golden seal, had already begun to tremble and roll gently toward the edge of the scroll—almost at the same time, a voice from beside him said, “Oh! Dong-gong, what are you looking at?” Ding Liu had been instructed by Ye Liuxi to pay close attention to Chang Dong and to remain vigilant, always mindful of her duty. Being impulsive, she noticed Chang Dong staring at the scroll and decided it was better to simply step forward and ask rather than speculate. As she spoke, she had already moved close: “Let me see… Hmm?” All there was was a long, plain sheet of black paper—no characters visible at all. Chang Dong deeply admired Long Zhi’s initiative; this was a clear case of deliberate destruction of evidence: the characters and the golden seal had taken on a luminous form, and with the tent lights on, the flowing light had dripped onto the ground, making it hard to notice. He handed the scroll to Ding Liu: “Here, take a good look.” Ding Liu was not satisfied: “What is this?” Chang Dong replied: “A paper of the sky without characters.” Ding Liu squinted, unfurling the note and studying it carefully by the lamp, murmuring to herself: "It's strange how the names inside the compound are assigned—there's no written name on the heavenly scroll, and yet there's no written name on the heavenly paper either..." Chang Dong couldn't help laughing. Ding Liu paused for a few seconds, then regained her composure, nearly jumping up: "East Brother, are you playing a trick on me?" Chang Dong replied softly but clearly: "It's time to get ready." Though his voice was quiet, everyone inside the tent heard it. Ding Liu settled down. Fat Tang stammered: "Now? Isn't that a bit too sudden?" It was indeed a bit rushed—but wasn't that exactly the card they'd been playing all along? Not long into the performance, the curtains parted and Pan Jinlian’s graceful figure emerged halfway from within the window. Suddenly, Fei Tang rose, hurriedly pulling people around: "Excuse me, I need to go to the restroom—where is it? Who will come with me? I’m not brave enough to go alone!" At a crucial moment in the plot, who had the patience to attend to someone’s business of urination? Those behind found him blocking their view; others nearby grew annoyed by his interruptions, beginning to urge him to leave. One person shouted, "Go farther, go far away—please don’t let the smell bother anyone!" Fei Tang blushed deeply, bowing and nodding as he hurried out. After a short distance, he encountered a sentry from the Yulin Guard, who had likely heard the commotion, gazing at him with a mixture of amusement and mild impatience, and added, "Just stay within the circle—there are people outside who are trying to maintain their dignity." In fact, under the vast, dark night, the people who were trying to preserve their composure had long since dispersed and were no longer visible. Fei Tang ran on, reaching the edge of the net, facing Dong said that, in Jin Yang's cave, Jin Yang suddenly became agitated because the seal on his body had been disturbed by the blood dripped into the Golden Pool by Ye Liuxi—the seal had been cast by a scholar, so Ye Liuxi’s blood might be the key that breaks the scholar’s incantation. Well, why not try it? After all, it was originally intended to use Xi Jie’s blood to make a show anyway. He knelt down, trembling as he pushed the valve firmly, directing the needle precisely at the seam where the fire-line mesh met the ground, and pushed all the blood out in one go. Afterward, he turned around and ran, dreading that the fire-line mesh might vanish suddenly, just like a power outage. Fortunately, it didn’t. As he passed by the sentry on duty, the man glanced at him with a puzzled expression, his tone slightly mocking: “You’re only three years old, aren’t you? Even when you pee, you still have to kneel down.” Fei Tang braced himself and said, “I’m happy to!” He’d made up his mind to go ahead. After all, if everything went smoothly, and the Yulin Guard realized … Back at the tent, Fei Tang came out sweating and said, “Alright, just wait and see if it works.” He didn’t know how long it would take—possibly forever, or possibly right at the moment. Ding Liu felt a bit tense and wanted to pack up her things, but Chang Dong said, “Leave everything as is. Don’t bring anything unless necessary. Don’t let anyone suspect anything.” Fei Tang hurriedly instructed Ahuo, “Ahuo, you need to think carefully. My sister will come for the second time to pick up my brother Dong, but she won’t be able to take you with her. The Yulin Guard might retaliate against you in no time. If things get too tight, just go with Li Jinao.” "It's strange—over three days of travel, sharing the same vehicle with Ahuo, we had plenty of time to chat. He kept talking about all sorts of random things. Now, I finally feel time slipping away and realizing I haven't managed to convey everything: 'We'll be away for a while. For now, just stay out of the way and meet up later. By the way, there's a remote village, isn't there? When the wind settles down, leave a note in the cellar there—tucked inside that wuxia novel. We'll come find you when we arrive. Don't worry—I'll definitely arrange a translator for you next time. Then you'll be able to speak.' Ahuo nodded, eyes glistening. The tent swayed slightly, as if the wind had picked up. Indeed, soon after, voices from outside began to rise in murmurs and complaints: 'What's going on? Why's it suddenly windy?' 'The wind's getting stronger—how are we supposed to enjoy the play now? Look, the shadow figures have been blown all out of shape, and even Wu Dang has been lifted up by the wind!' 'We haven't even seen Wu Song take revenge yet—how can we watch half Li Jin'ao shouted, "Everyone, please be quiet! Otherwise, we'll have to move inside the main tent for the performance. It's warmer inside and there's no wind or sand!" The crowd responded immediately. This was good—having everyone gathered in one tent meant that if something happened outside, they'd have less time to react. The Yulin Guard would be more disorganized, and thus their plans would unfold more smoothly. Chang Dong checked the time on his phone. It was past nine. Fei Tang couldn't wait anymore, "Maybe the blood from Xi's sister isn't effective against the protective net. I'll go check. If she doesn't show up, we'll be in real trouble." He grabbed a towel, tied it around his head, and stepped out. The wind and sand were so strong that he couldn't see anyone in the entire camp—only the sentries on the outer perimeter remained steadfast, though they were all being blown off balance, some covering their eyes, others clutching their heads, and a few bending low, spitting out the sand that blew into their mouths. Fei Tang walked outward, braving the wind. Just a moment ago, where had he been when he went to urinate? Suddenly, a surge of joy welled up within him. Yes, he had seen it—far off, beneath the fireline netting, a dark patch appeared, as if cut out, like a doghole dug by someone. Chang Dong was right—the blood of Ye Liuxi indeed interfered and disrupted the shaman's incantations. Fei Tang took another few steps and reached out to steady himself against the nearest tent. The netting had already torn—why hadn't this person come forward? Had they perhaps lost all hope, retreating en masse, convinced they couldn't break through the netting? As he lifted his hand, he noticed a slightly damp, sticky residue on his palm, stretching out as he pulled. How did this thing end up on the tent, still glistening and sticky... In a flash, Fei Tang suddenly remembered something. A cold rush surged up his back, his heart pounded violently, and he turned and ran, shouting as he went, "By the gods! It's intruded! The human frame has already slipped inside!" Before he finished speaking, a sharp whistle sounded from the southeast corner of the camp, and above, a series of piercing cries echoed. A slender, elongated human frame was hurtling toward the nearest tent, crashing onto its roof and collapsing half of it. Fei Tang didn't slow down—originally intending to head toward his quarters—when he looked up, he saw Ye Liuxi escorting Ding Liu and the others stepping out. His heart skipped a beat: It had begun. It was time to follow the plan. …Almost instantly, the camp was a scene of chaos, with alarms blaring and cries rising incessantly. Most of the Yulin Guards, gathered in the large tent hosting the shadow play, rushed out in panic upon hearing the alarms, pushing and colliding with one another. Li Jinao moved among them, bumping into people, even tripping over two others deliberately. Amid the turmoil, he was kicked and rolled to one side. Suddenly, he spotted the tent poles and, without hesitation, pulled them up forcefully. The tent itself was never particularly sturdy—exposed to wind and sand, the poles collapsed, and half of it immediately collapsed, the chandelier wires snapping loose, plunging the interior into darkness. Now that attention had been drawn and the scene was in disarray, his primary objective was well underway. The situation outside looked perilous, unsuitable for a man of his age and condition. So Li Jinao simply lay still, drawing the tent fabric over himself to shield his entire body, holding his breath as tightly as possible, and then, quietly, parted the fabric just a little to create a narrow opening. There it was—the famed composure of the officers. Entirely white, glowing with an almost nauseating brightness, moving with the agility of wild animals. Yet the disciplined training of the Yulin Guard was no mere boast; they quickly stabilized from their initial panic, launching a swift counterattack. With their shorter swords complementing their long spears, they executed precise thrusts and cuts, both long-range and close-quarters strikes, while archers stationed nearby provided continuous support. That thing also turned its head to look at him, its eyes like green beans, still trembling. Damn it, Zhenshanhe! Truly, chickens are killing chickens—Li Jinao was furious, giving it a solid slap on the neck: "Look at those people from Sihai!" Chang Dong shook his head and smiled, saying, "No problem, it's almost over." ... The camp gradually grew quiet, the campfire now scattered in fragments. The commander of the Yulin Guard roared, "Form up at the sentry posts, count the numbers, report any casualties—by the way, how did these beasts get in here?" As he finished speaking, a sharp, piercing scream suddenly erupted from the medical tent. It was Ding Liu! Ye Liuxi and Chang Dong exchanged glances and hurried over. The rest of the Yulin Guard followed close behind. When they reached the entrance, they saw Fei Tang supporting Ding Liu, who was staggering and unsteady. As soon as she saw Ye Liuxi, Ding Liu nearly collapsed, "Western Sister, Gao Shen... Gao Shen..." The commander, accompanied by his men, entered the tent first. What he saw sent him gasping. The stretchers meant for patients were now in disarray—the blankets and quilts had been pulled down and dragged across the floor, leaving a clear trail of wear. A large tear had been ripped in the back of the tent, flapping wildly in the wind. Fei Tang’s voice trembled: “Dong, Dong, maybe Gao Shen has already been dragged off by someone...” The commander of the Yulin Guard shivered and immediately ordered his subordinates: “Quick—go search nearby. He might not have been carried far yet.” The group scattered immediately. Not long after, one person rushed back, whispering several words into the commander’s ear. The commander’s face turned pale. When he looked up, he instinctively tried to avoid Chang Dong’s gaze. Chang Dong asked sharply: “What’s going on? What happened?” The commander hesitated: “They say—the fireline net has torn open. Your friend—yes, your friend—was probably indeed dragged away.” Ding Liu broke down in tears. Chang Dong turned to Fei Tang: “Alive, see the person. Dead, see the body. Get the car and go—go!” Fei Tang nodded and sprinted off toward the nearby off-road vehicle. Chang Dong reached out to steady Ding Liu: "Little Liu, don't cry. There's still hope—we can drive over and look for them. No matter how fast a person walks, a car moves faster." As he spoke, Fei Tang had already driven up. Ding Liu wiped her tears and took a seat in the passenger seat. Ye Liuxi opened the back door to step in, when the officer quickly stepped forward to block her: "Miss Liuxi, we've been instructed that you shouldn't leave without permission." Ye Liuxi was puzzled: "Why not? My friends are in danger—I need to go with them." The officer's tone was soft but firm: "Miss Liuxi, we'll send an additional vehicle to follow your car. You just stay at the campsite and wait for updates. We're following orders—please understand, and don't make it difficult for us small staff." Ye Liuxi grew angry, slammed the door shut, and shouted, "Then I'll just stay put." Seizing this brief moment, Chang Dong clutched Ding Liu's arm and whispered, "I've left a scroll with Gao Shen. After he emerges, you must show it to Liu Xi right away—don't forget."