In the main hall of Fengyan City, the night wind poured in through the high windows, making the candle flames tremble.
Tie Ye gripped an urgent report in one hand, his brow knotted tight. In the shifting lamplight, his face looked as hard and cold as iron—his eyes carrying a murderous intent that allowed no doubt.
"Are you certain it was them?" His voice was restrained, but edged with a cutting chill.
Gu Ying stood below the steps with her hands lowered, answering calmly. "Yes. According to the intelligence from Liuchuan Town, Ge Zhiyao was traveling with two men. One carried a Yao Disc, and the other displayed a Fire Yao anomaly—highly likely to be the Fire Yao-bearer."
"They infiltrated Golden Yao Valley, successfully rescued Ge Ruifeng, and escaped from the Seventh Layer."
Tie Ye's gaze sharpened like a blade. He abruptly tore the report in half.
"They dared to rescue someone? And even joined forces with Yao power—" His voice dropped, like a cold edge squeezed from his throat. "This group… intends to gather the Yao and rebuild Yao authority?"
He strode down the stone steps and issued his orders in a heavy, decisive tone:
"Seal off every exit around Golden Yao Valley. Send additional Fengyan troops to guard all ferries and mountain roads."
"Order the Flamefire Corps to prepare for battle. Enter full alert."
"Gu Ying—"
He stopped, turning toward the Shadow Pavilion master. His voice struck like sudden winter rain:
"You have seven days. Bring me her head."
Gu Ying nodded. "I will act personally."
Tie Ye sneered and returned to the high seat like a throne, sinking into it slowly—his eyes like a hawk pinning prey to the ground.
"No matter who stands beside her… anyone who opposes me should not be left alive."
Meanwhile, on the Golden Yao Valley side, Lin Yaochen and the others were still running from Yan Shuo's pursuit.
The wagon jolted wildly as it fled, wheels crushing mud, stones, and fallen leaves. The surrounding trees swept past like ghosts. The wind screamed, mixed with the hiss of arrows slicing through the air and angry shouts in the distance.
Lin Yaochen clenched the reins so hard his knuckles whitened, sweat beading on his forehead. "If this keeps up, the horse won't last—we have to shake them!"
"To the southwest—there's a cliff-pass!" Mozi crouched on the roof, reading the terrain. "There's a fork there. I'll draw them off!"
"No!" Zhiyao shouted, looking up. "That's too dangerous for you alone!"
Mozi glanced back with a grin, his tone unnervingly calm. "You need to protect Ge Ruifeng. Then someone has to stay behind. Don't worry—I'm a spirit beast. I'll survive."
With that, he tossed a pouch of scented powder out of the carriage, flipped off the roof, and shot into the woods—vanishing in a heartbeat as he sprinted hard in the opposite direction.
When the powder ignited, a sharp, choking scent rose into the air, masking the wagon's trail and throwing the Shadow Pavilion pursuers off their bearings.
"Now!" Luo Yan gripped the edge of the carriage, his fiery aura still coiling around him, anger flickering in his eyes. "Yan Shuo—I'll remember this debt!"
Ge Zhiyao looked back once toward the cloud of dust behind them. Her chest rose and fell as she forced her emotions down, whispering under her breath, "Mozi… you'd better come back safe."
Lin Yaochen grit his teeth and turned the Yao Disc. The needle shifted slightly. After confirming the direction, he snapped the reins and shouted, "Go! We are not dying here!"
The wagon veered southwest, kicking up dust as it plunged into the mountain road where dusk was thickening. Behind them, the pursuers split—one small unit chased after Mozi, while another continued biting at their heels, killing intent unspent.
The escape had only just begun.
After Mozi charged into the forest, he moved by bounding off tree trunks and rocks, his speed a gray blur. After several sharp turns, he shook off most of the pursuers.
But he knew the hardest to lose were not ordinary soldiers.
It was the shadow-guard squad leader who had been lurking in the dark all along—Yan Lin.
Sure enough, moments later, a black shadow dropped from the trees like a wraith. Blade light flashed, forcing Mozi to roll aside.
"Fancy seeing you again," Yan Lin sneered, his short blade flickering again and again—his footwork eerie, like a living shadow.
Mozi retreated two steps. His pupils flashed. Behind him, pale silver wings of light suddenly formed. With a low shout, spirit power erupted, whipping the air into chaotic currents. He stomped the ground, sending a shockwave outward that forced Yan Lin back half a step.
"You can't stop me—and you can't kill me!" Mozi snarled, then bolted into another stretch of forest. He flung several smoke-seal beads and scattered guiding powder behind him as he ran.
A moment later, Yan Lin pursued into the trees—only for the powder to disrupt his spiritual sense. The terrain shifted unexpectedly before his eyes—
He had fallen into a beast-trap formation Mozi had prepared in advance.
Mozi glanced back coldly. "You want my life? Come back in a few hundred years."
Then he turned away and vanished into the forest without looking back. He knew he had to regroup with Lin Yaochen and the others as soon as possible—because a greater danger was coming.
On the other side, when Lin Yaochen drove through the cliff-pass, the wagon nearly slammed into a pile of rocks on the slope. He gritted his teeth and hauled the reins hard. Luo Yan thrust both palms forward, and a fire barrier rose out of nowhere, blasting back several pursuers.
Ge Zhiyao leapt down at once and pulled her father into a hidden cave—an old passage she had discovered years ago while accompanying him on mine inspections. It was nearly abandoned, the entrance concealed by vines and easy to miss.
They hid the wagon in a crevice behind the broken cliff face. Then the three of them, supporting Ge Ruifeng, slipped quietly into the cave and followed the damp stone path deeper—until they reached a wide, hollowed-out abandoned shaft. Only then did they finally let themselves breathe.
Luo Yan collapsed to the ground, panting like a bellows. "I seriously thought I was going to burn my whole life away today…"
Lin Yaochen slid down the rock wall as well, barely managing to speak after a long moment. "We need supplies. We need to contact Mozi. And we need a place to settle Uncle Ge…"
Ge Zhiyao knelt beside her father, calling softly, "Father… we got you out. Are you alright?"
Ge Ruifeng's brow furrowed. He opened his eyes with difficulty—and the instant he saw her, the haze in his gaze snapped into focus. His throat worked. His voice was hoarse, but the emotion inside it was impossible to hide.
"Zhiyao… it's you… really… you…"
Zhiyao's eyes reddened. She gripped his hand tightly and nodded. "It's me, Father. It's Zhiyao… I came to save you…"
"You… how…" Ge Ruifeng struggled to sit up, but Zhiyao gently pressed him back down.
"Not yet, Father. You're hurt. We're safe for now—rest. I'll bring our people back too. All of them."
Ge Ruifeng's lips trembled. Tears gathered at the corners of his eyes as he murmured, "You did well… Zhiyao. You really grew up…"
He stared at her face as if trying to fill in every lost day of separation. His gaze shook, and at last he whispered, "I thought… I'd never see you again in this life."
Zhiyao held his hand, tears in her eyes. "I've been looking for a chance. No matter how hard it was, I was never going to give up on you."
Ge Ruifeng swallowed hard and gave a small, bitter smile. "You've been stubborn since you were little—just like your mother…" His voice softened, heavy with guilt. "This time… it was me. I couldn't protect you. I made you carry all of this alone."
Zhiyao shook her head, firm. "I'm not alone anymore. Now… I have companions."
She glanced back at Lin Yaochen and Luo Yan. Both boys looked exhausted, but they still kept watch nearby, alert even in fatigue.
Following her gaze, Ge Ruifeng's eyes softened. "You found your allies… That's good."
He paused, then murmured, "If your mother were still here… seeing you like this… she would be proud."
Zhiyao sniffed, smiling through a choke of tears. "And you, Father? Are you proud of me?"
Ge Ruifeng lifted a hand and rested it gently on her head. His voice was warm, steady, and unwavering.
"I am… proud of you beyond measure."
Zhiyao carefully took a cloth bundle from her chest and unfolded it before him. Inside was her mother's crossbow blueprint—worn at the edges, but the lines remained sharp and clear.
"I finished it," she said softly. "It was Mother's design. I modified it a little, and used the Golden Yao steel you hid in the secret room… The crossbow I'm using now is the real, completed form of this drawing."
Ge Ruifeng looked at the blueprint. His fingertips traced the paper as if touching the past itself. "Your mother's hand… And you were able to bring it into the world…"
"It's the passion she left behind—and the perseverance you taught me," Zhiyao said, each word deliberate, her gaze unbreakably firm. "I won't let these skills be stolen. And I won't let Tie Ye take them."
For a long moment, Ge Ruifeng couldn't speak. His throat tightened. Then he finally asked, "Zhiyao… has your Golden Yao power been unsealed?"
Tears flashed in Zhiyao's eyes. She squeezed his hand and nodded. "It has. A high-rank spirit beast named Mozi helped me break the seal. Don't worry—I won't let you go back to Golden Yao Valley. And I won't let our family suffer that fate again."
Only after confirming his breathing was steady did Zhiyao ease her grip slightly. She turned to the other two. "Let's rest a bit, then move to somewhere safer. I can't let Father face the risk of being captured again."
Luo Yan wiped sweat from his brow and let out a wry laugh. "First time in my life I've been chased across mountains—while setting fires and fighting. Noble grudges… really aren't meant for humans."
Lin Yaochen tugged at the corner of his mouth. "You're basically half a 'noble' now too. One of the Five Yao."
"Five Yao my ass…" Luo Yan grumbled, but his hands were already digging into the pack, counting their remaining rations and water skins. "Still—since I'm in this mess, don't think you're shaking me off. So, where to next?"
Zhiyao lifted her head, her gaze steady. "We have to leave this mountain area. Tie Ye will know by now—more pursuers will come. There's an old mine tunnel nearby that might help us avoid their search."
Lin Yaochen nodded. "Once Mozi gets here, we move immediately."
Mozi used spirit power to cut through the forest at high speed, footsteps light and swift, following the route they'd agreed on.
Now and then, he paused, ears pricking as he listened—making sure no enemy tailed him.
Finally, at the edge of a hidden mountain ravine, Mozi spotted Lin Yaochen, Ge Zhiyao, and Luo Yan waiting anxiously. He appeared soundlessly, eyes filled with vigilance and resolve.
"They're chasing hard. I held Yan Lin off for now," Mozi said steadily. "But what's coming next will be worse. We need to set the next plan—fast."
The three exchanged a look. No words were needed—understanding formed in silence.
Danger still surrounded them, but unity placed a small, stubborn strength back into their hearts.