When Tie Ye learned that Ge Zhiyao had not only escaped Golden Yao Valley but had also rescued Ge Ruifeng along with her, his expression darkened so violently it seemed ink could drip from it.
He sat in the main seat of the Golden Flame Hall, his long robe pooling on the floor. His gaze was blade-sharp. The deputy general delivering the report knelt on the ground, barely daring to breathe.
Tie Ye rose slowly, one hand resting on the sword at his waist. A low, icy laugh slipped from his throat.
"A bunch of useless trash."
"Letting a little girl snatch Ge Ruifeng right from under my nose? Where's Yan Shuo? Where's Gu Ying? Where are the guards?!"
His voice grew colder and colder, as if every word crystallized into frost. The air in the hall congealed with it.
The deputy general reported in a trembling voice, "This subordinate has ordered all routes outside the valley sealed. Master Gu has also moved personally and sworn to capture them with her own hands."
"Sworn?" Tie Ye snorted, his eyes falling on the map and the intelligence sketchbook at his side. "If she fails again, I'll teach her what the crime of dereliction truly means."
He slammed his palm onto the stone table. The map jumped and flipped, and the bronze paperweights crashed down heavily.
"Lin Yaochen… Luo Yan…" he murmured, a thin smile curving his lips. "Is that it? Whoever you are, since you dared to interfere—then you'll pay."
He turned to an attendant spy and commanded, "Notify all Golden Yao martial guards. Full pursuit. Post the portraits of those two men on every border notice—make sure they have nowhere to run in the Yao Realm. And one more thing—"
He paused. His voice sank into something like a hellish abyss.
"I'm going myself."
At the Same Time — A Hidden Refuge in the Mountains
Dense fog sprawled across the valley mouth. In the forest at the cliff's edge, a small cave—hidden beneath vines and dead leaves—served as a temporary shelter for three youths and one beast.
Ge Ruifeng lay on a bed of dried grass. His breathing was still uneven, but he was no longer in immediate danger. Luo Yan leaned against the cave wall, still recovering from the strain of the previous night. Ge Zhiyao stayed by her father's side, exhaustion written plainly on her face. Lin Yaochen crouched near the entrance, holding the Yao Disc to monitor the flow of spiritual energy and watch for approaching enemies.
"They'll trace our route soon," Lin Yaochen said in a low voice as he glanced back.
"We rest a little, then we move," Ge Zhiyao replied calmly—though her fingers tightened around the dagger in her hand.
Luo Yan looked at her and spoke softly. "As long as your father's safe for now… where do we go next?"
"We can't go back the way we came." Lin Yaochen frowned. "Yan Shuo must've sealed the entire western route, and the Shadow Pavilion has already laid their net… unless we can slip right under their noses."
"The southeastern rift gorge passage." Ge Zhiyao lifted her head suddenly. "There's an old military supply trail there—an abandoned route used to move troops. The entrance has been deserted for years, but we can circle out from that side."
"But… isn't that trail all cliffs and broken bridges?" Lin Yaochen froze. "Are you sure your father can endure it in his condition?"
Ge Zhiyao glanced at her sleeping father, her brows knit tight. After a moment, she nodded. "I know it's dangerous. But Tie Ye has practically sealed every proper road. Only abandoned paths like that might evade a search… We don't have another choice."
Mozi spoke in a deep voice, "If it was an old troop route, there should still be remnants—rope systems, suspension bridges. As long as they're not completely destroyed, we can make it across. I'll carry Ge Ruifeng. The weight won't be a problem for me."
Lin Yaochen still hesitated, but when he saw the resolve in Ge Zhiyao's eyes, he understood how urgent it was. He finally nodded.
"Then we take that route. If there are cliffs and broken bridges, I'll lead."
As he spoke, he clenched his fist. A faint glow of Earth Yao power surfaced in his palm.
"Good. I'll guide us." Ge Zhiyao turned, shouldered her pack, and moved with crisp efficiency—her voice firmer than before.
Luo Yan followed quietly behind. Watching her back, he murmured under his breath, "Then I'll… burn us a way out."
The four set out again. This time, they weren't running just to flee—
they were forcing a path through encirclement, choosing a road of shattered stone and collapsing cliffs because it was the only road that still held hope.
Elsewhere — Western Gorge Frontline
Gu Ying stood on high ground in a black-and-purple robe, her eyes like knives as they swept over the forest and mountain trails below.
Behind her, one of the Shadow Pavilion scouts reported in a low voice. "We confirmed wagon tracks entering the cliff woods from the northern forest, but they vanish halfway—as if someone deliberately erased them…"
"They're relocating," Gu Ying said evenly. "Notify all outposts—expand the search to the southeastern cliffs."
"Yes!"
Her gaze sharpened. Her fingers brushed the thin blade at her waist.
"Ge Zhiyao… if you truly think a pack of brats can escape right under my eyes…"
Her lips curved, cold and faint. "Then I, Gu Ying, don't deserve to be called Master of the Pavilion."
At the Same Time — Northern Watchtower, Golden Yao Valley
Inside the watchtower, Yan Shuo stood before the wall, staring at several smoke-signal flares rising from the mountains.
A Shadow Pavilion scout rushed in and dropped to one knee. "Reporting, Lord Yan. The targets fled toward the southeastern forest. A spirit beast appears to have regrouped with them. They're hiding within the mountain belly—residual fire traces and footprints have been found."
Yan Shuo's eyes darkened. His voice turned sharp. "Send the scout squads into the mountains. Seal every exit route on the southeastern side."
"Dispatch a second wave along the ridgeline. If necessary, use smoke to choke the roads—alive, I want to see them; dead, I want their bodies."
He turned, his gaze icy. "We owe Lord Tie an explanation. It's time to end this farce."
Southeastern Rift Gorge — En Route
The sky hung heavy and dim, dusk staining the forest an iron gray. The four moved carefully along the cliff face, picking their way through jagged slopes of loose rock. One wrong step could send them sliding into the abyss. Wind howled through the rift like whispering warnings.
Ge Zhiyao led at the front, pausing often to confirm direction. Her steps were steady, her eyes sharp—she looked as if she had sealed every emotion behind reason, leaving only the will to carve a path through ruin.
Mozi brought up the rear, Ge Ruifeng on his back. His limbs clung to rock with nimble precision, expression calm—but his ears twitched constantly, never dropping his guard.
Lin Yaochen reinforced unstable stones with Earth Yao power whenever the ground loosened beneath them. Sometimes he tossed small rocks ahead to test the terrain. Normally he seemed carefree and cheeky, but now he was cautious to the bone.
Luo Yan followed silently behind Ge Zhiyao, his right hand half-open. A faint flame hovered at his fingertips—lighting their way, and ready to strike at any instant.
After a while, he noticed Ge Zhiyao's fatigue and finally asked softly, "Are you… okay?"
She didn't stop. She only nodded once. "We can't stop. We need somewhere safe to settle my father."
Her voice was cold and steady—like she had locked all pain behind discipline.
Luo Yan answered quietly, "Alright," and didn't say more.
Suddenly—
"Wait!" Mozi growled, ears snapping upright. "Ambush ahead!"
Almost at the same time, Ge Zhiyao hissed, "Cloaking technique—Shadow Pavilion!"
"Break it!" Lin Yaochen roared. He slammed a fist into the ground. Earth Yao power surged outward, blasting up shattered stone—and three black-clad figures were jolted into view.
"Into the side path!" Ge Zhiyao led them hard left into a narrow passage.
Luo Yan spun and threw up a wall of fire to block pursuit. Flames exploded in a roar, staining the gorge red.
Mozi sprang up, sweeping his tail through nearby vines and loose stone, triggering a small collapse that briefly blocked the enemies' sightline.
"Move!" he barked.
In the firelight, the four disappeared at speed, leaving behind only scattered sparks and the Shadow Pavilion killers' stunned curses.
Night fully fell. The gorge became pitch-black, lit only by the small flame hovering in Luo Yan's palm. It illuminated a narrow stone fissure of a path.
This had once been a hidden military supply route for Golden Yao troops. Time had broken it down into collapsed rock and dangling bridges. From far below came the whistle of wind and the sound of stones falling—each echo pulling nerves tighter.
Ge Zhiyao dropped into a half-kneel on a jutting ledge and listened. After a moment, she murmured, "No footsteps behind us… We shook them off for now."
Lin Yaochen patted his chest and exhaled. "I swear I almost coughed my lungs out."
Luo Yan turned into the wind, steadying Ge Ruifeng on Mozi's back. "Uncle… can you hold on?"
Mozi glanced back. His voice was low. "His breathing's steadier, but he can't handle much more shaking."
"There's a suspension bridge ahead." Ge Zhiyao stared forward, her brows tight. "That's the most dangerous point. Under it is a rift dozens of zhang deep. There's no time to detour—we have to cross."
"I'll go first." Luo Yan stepped forward. "I'll test if it holds."
Lin Yaochen frowned. "No—let me. I'm better suited for this."
Their eyes met for a beat. Neither argued further. Luo Yan finally nodded and let Lin Yaochen take the lead.
Lin Yaochen took a deep breath and stepped onto the bridge. With each move, he first formed a small lump of earth to test the plank's strength before placing his foot down. Years of wind and rot had snapped several ropes; many boards were half-decayed. One slip meant the abyss.
When he reached the center, he turned and gestured. "It'll hold—but one at a time. Careful!"
Ge Zhiyao secured her crossbow on her back and crossed first, tense but resolute. Behind her, Luo Yan guarded Mozi and Ge Ruifeng as they moved forward slowly.
Wind screamed past. The boards groaned like they were about to break.
Lin Yaochen suddenly felt a violent tremor beneath his feet.
"Wait—!" he shouted, spinning around—
But before the warning could finish, one end of the bridge snapped.
On a distant cliff edge, a graceful black silhouette stood against the wind, flicking out a thin flying needle that struck true—severing the bridge's main rope.
Gu Ying.
"Damn—!" Lin Yaochen's pupils shrank. He roared, "Back! Get back!"
But Ge Zhiyao and Luo Yan were already near the center—behind them was Mozi, carrying Ge Ruifeng.
The entire bridge tore apart with a cracking scream, and their cries broke free—
And in that instant—
"YOU ARE NOT FALLING!!"
Lin Yaochen slammed his palm into the earth. Earth Yao power erupted like a flood, the ground booming in response. With a furious roar, he threw both arms upward—
A wall of earth and a ridge of stone rose violently from the cliff, forcing itself outward into midair, forming a crude but solid passage.
Loose rock became steps. Soil hardened into a bridge-spine—
a rough, sturdy Earth Bridge appeared above the bottomless rift.
Ge Zhiyao's eyes sharpened. She grabbed Luo Yan's hand and sprinted onto the earth bridge. Mozi flared his wings, surged forward with Ge Ruifeng, and leapt across.
"Hold—hold it—!" Lin Yaochen's knees sank into the ground. His teeth clenched so hard they ached, sweat pouring down his face. The bridge shook violently under the strain, held together purely by his force of will.
At the last moment, Mozi lunged—dragging the others onto solid ground—
And the Earth Bridge collapsed a heartbeat later, roaring into the abyss.
They hit the far side hard. Lin Yaochen crumpled to the ground, gasping, his face drained white.
Ge Zhiyao, closest to him, turned and wrapped her arms around him. "Are you hurt?!"
"Still… still alive…" Lin Yaochen wheezed, forcing a weak grin. "Holy hell… I'm… exhausted…"
Luo Yan watched Ge Zhiyao holding Lin Yaochen, and something in his eyes dimmed. A feeling rose in his chest—sharp and sour, tangled into something he couldn't name.
On the far cliff above them, Gu Ying's cloak whipped in the wind. Coldness gathered in her gaze.
"…Forming an Earth Bridge on instinct." Her voice was soft, almost amused. "That boy has some skill."
Then she lifted her hand.
"Keep chasing. Don't let them escape."