After a pleasant conversation between the two brothers, Yan Ge said, "Big brother, you can stay at the inn and keep Tiantian company. I will request a leave from the General Cao on your behalf."

Yan Su nodded, "Is he at his residence?"

"Yes," Yan Ge replied.

Yan Su continued, "I thought so. There has been a major incident at Xiguan recently."

"Oh?" Yan Ge was surprised, "What happened?"

Yan Su replied, "I'm not sure about the specifics, but it's related to Yinshan Hall. Members of Yinshan Hall have visited the General's residence several times, and both General Cao and Counselor Feng have been looking serious and in a hurry these days."

"Yinshan Hall?" Yan Ge was puzzled.

Yan Su explained, "Yinshan Hall is a martial arts sect and the only one at Xiguan pass Though they belong to the martial world, they never disturb the people and often do good deeds within their capabilities. A few years ago, they even helped the border garrison resist the invading troops of the Mai Kingdom, which earned them considerable respect in the local area."

"I see. Big brother, your room is next door. Until we leave, you just need to take care of Tiantian, you don't need to worry about anything else. I think Yuchen will be back soon."

"Alright, then I'll go there first."

After Yan Su left, Yan Ge waited in the room for a while, but Huangfu Yuchen had not returned yet. So he decided to bring Yan Jin back to the General's residence.

Following Cao Zhan's instructions, the attendants took him directly to the room outside the study.

"General, Madam Fang is here."

Cao Zhan heard the voice and quickly opened the door, welcoming Yan Ge inside, then gestured to the attendant, "You may leave."

"Yes."

"Were you anxious?" Huangfu Yuchen asked Yan Ge softly.

Yan Ge nodded, "I heard from my big brother that there has been a major incident in the Xiguan related to Yinshan Hall."

Huangfu Yuchen signaled to Cao Zhan.

Cao Zhan said, "Let me explain, Yan Guiqing. About six days ago, the daughter of Yinshan Hall's leader, Zeng Shouli, suddenly came to seek an audience, claiming that her father, Zeng Shouli, and six of his disciples went to the ancient Yidian city of the Mai Kingdom a month ago and have not returned yet. Yidian is not far from the border, and it takes at most three days to travel from the Xiguan to Yidian. She suspects that her father and his disciples have been killed by the people of the Mai Kingdom. I couldn't understand why she had such a suspicion, but after further questioning, she revealed that about two months ago, a secret rumor began to spread in the martial world about a huge treasure buried in Yidian. This city not only contains many rare treasures but also holds the remains of the venerable monk Xuna, who passed away a century ago in the Mai Kingdom. It is said that consuming these remains can greatly enhance one's martial arts prowess. Not only Yinshan Hall but many other martial sects rushed to Yidian, and they all lost contact. So, she suspected that something big happened. Yinshan Hall is now short of manpower so she sought help from the official army. Upon hearing this, I immediately dispatched people to investigate. Indeed, two months ago, there were rumors of the treasure in the martial world, and many martial artists have gone missing."

Yan Jin's eyes lit up. 'Treasure!'

Yan Ge asked curiously, "What kind of treasure is it? So many people believe in its existence so there must be a reason, right?"

Cao Zhan explained, "Yes. About ninety years ago, there was a ten-year-long war between the Hu Mai and Suyi nobles in the Mai Kingdom, struggling for the imperial power. The Hu Mai nobles were powerful in martial strength, while the Suyi nobles were wealthy. Both sides had their advantages, which prolonged the war for ten years. In the end, due to the sudden support of the Hebu nobles, the Hu Mai nobles defeated the Suyi nobles and caused their forces to collapse like a mountain. At that time, the leader of the Suyi nobles, Suyi Malo, seemed to have a premonition. With the protection of his subordinates, he timely withdrew along with a large number of loyal followers, and they disappeared with a large number of treasures. It is said that the Hu Mai imperial family has been searching for these treasures for years, but without any success."

As for the venerable monk Xuna, he was a well-known monk in several neighboring kingdoms, who was said to have the ability to see the past and future. His actual age exceeded two hundred years, and after his death, his body was cremated, leaving behind a relic weighing over one or two catties. Originally, this relic was enshrined in the Xuna Temple, but it mysteriously disappeared, and no one has heard of its whereabouts since. Therefore, those martial artists believe that there is a high possibility of the relic being with the treasure.

Huangfu Yuchen said to Yan Ge, "We haven't heard anything about this matter, which shows that our court's involvement in martial matters is still insufficient."

Yan Ge shook his head, "It's not their fault. Just think about it, if you knew the whereabouts of a treasure, would you tell others? If the martial world really wants to hide something, it would be difficult for us to detect."

Huangfu Yuchen's expression turned serious, "If those martial artists really encounter trouble, they will either start bloody battles in the martial world to compete for power or their forces will collapse. This is not a good thing."

"General Cao, what's your plan regarding this matter?" Yan Ge asked.

Cao Zhan replied, "They encountered trouble within the Mai Kingdom's borders, so even if we want to intervene, we cannot do so in the name of the official army. I planned to send some people to disguise themselves and venture into Yidian to find out more."

Huangfu Yuchen pondered for a moment and made a decision, "I will handle this matter personally."

"Your Majesty?" Cao Zhan was surprised.

Huangfu Yuchen waved his hand, "I have my own plan."

Cao Zhan looked at Yan Ge anxiously, hoping he could persuade Huangfu Yuchen. After all, Huangfu Yuchen was the precious imperial emperor. It was inconvenient for him to travel in the Mai Kingdom's territory. If anything happened, they wouldn't be able to rescue him in time.

Yan Ge also wanted to know if the treasure's existence was real, and if it was, they should claim it as their own. He dissuaded Cao Zhan, "General Cao, since His Majesty has decided, he must have his reasons. You don't need to say more. If you're still worried, prepare for any unexpected battles during our absence."

"Yan Guiqing, this… Your Majesty venturing personally is not appropriate," Cao Zhan wanted to persuade further but Huangfu Yuchen gave him a stern look, and he had to give up. "If that's the case, please take care, Your Majesty and Yan Guiqing! I will make preparations immediately if needed."

Huangfu Yuchen thanked him for his loyalty and said, "Prepare four sets of rations, water, and medical kits."

"Yes!"

Yan Ge asked Huangfu Yuchen excitedly, "Yuchen, when are we leaving?"

Huangfu Yuchen saw through his thoughts and smiled, "After continuous travel for almost half a month, let's rest well today and set out early tomorrow."

Cao Zhan suggested, "The inn is crowded. Your Majesty and Yan Caiqing might as well rest in the General's residence. I'll have someone arrange the rooms."

"That sounds good," Huangfu Yuchen agreed.

Cao Zhan sent someone to inform Yan Su and several guards at the inn.

"Papa, Father, I want to go too," Yan Jin said to Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen.

Yan Ge teased, "Didn't you complain about being bored with all the continuous traveling recently? But now that you know there's something exciting ahead, you don't feel bored anymore?"

During lunch, Feng Zhun returned to the General's residence and was surprised and delighted to find that the Emperor and Yan Guiqing had arrived. He quickly paid his respects.

Yan Ge looked at Cao Zhan and Feng Zhun suspiciously, then he noticed their embarrassed and fearful expressions. In fact, they had already been together, but due to the court's regulations, if the border commander wanted to marry, they had to inform the court, and the official partner couldn't stay at the border. Therefore, they had not officially married yet. If the Emperor didn't mind, it would be considered a momentary weakness, but if the Emperor minded, it would be a crime of deceiving the monarch.

Both of them were about to kneel and plead, but seeing Yan Ge slightly shaking his head and jokingly smiling at them, they understood. The Emperor had also noticed, but he didn't want to make a fuss about it. They felt grateful to Yan Ge and the Emperor in their hearts.

Cao Zhan said, "Report to Your Majesty, I took the liberty and inquired about the caravans heading to the Mai Kingdom tomorrow."

"What were the results?" Huangfu Yuchen asked.

"There's a 'Guangyuan Caravan' leaving as soon as the city gates open tomorrow."

"We'll travel with them," Huangfu Yuchen decided.

"Yes, I'll arrange it immediately."

The next day, at the break of dawn, Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, Yan Jin, Gao Feng, and Gao Yun prepared everything and joined the Guangyuan Caravan at the city gates.

"Wait!" A woman's voice came with the approaching sound of galloping hooves.

Yan Ge and the others initially didn't pay much attention, but soon they felt a woman rushing towards them and stopping beside them.

The woman on the horse was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a charming appearance, bright and lively eyes, and a practical and neat outfit. She looked heroic and brave.

She stared at Yan Ge and the others, lowered her voice, and asked, "Are you the spied arranged by General Cao? I'm Zeng Zhenzhen."

Yan Ge said, "I don't understand what you're talking about."

"Stop pretending," Zeng Zhenzhen said firmly, "I saw you coming out of the General's residence. Bringing this child with you must be to disguise your identity as spies, right?"

Yan Ge was speechless, thinking that this little girl was quite clever. Because he was accustomed to ignoring non-hostile gazes, he didn't notice Zeng Zhenzhen's presence when he left the General's residence.

Yan Ge said, "So what if we are? What if we're not?"

Zeng Zhenzhen replied, "I'm going with you."

"No need, taking care of one child is enough for us, and we can't take care of you too," Yan Ge refused.

Zeng Zhenzhen said proudly, "I don't need you to take care of me! I just need to get to Yidian as quickly as possible. As a woman, I might encounter trouble if I travel alone, which will waste time."

Yan Ge looked at Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen calmly said to Zeng Zhenzhen, "You're mistaken. This child isn't here to disguise our identity; he's really our son."

Zeng Zhenzhen was stunned.

Yan Ge was also taken aback. Why did Yuchen suddenly bring this up? When he saw Huangfu Yuchen warning Zeng Zhenzhen with his eyes, he suddenly understood and burst into laughter.

"Let's go," Huangfu Yuchen called to him helplessly.

Yan Ge chuckled and followed. This man. Wasn't he just saying a few words to this young girl? Why did he get jealous?

Zeng Zhenzhen was a clever girl.

Huangfu Yuchen glared at her for no apparent reason and when she saw Yan Ge unable to stop laughing, she immediately understood what was going on. Her pretty face blushed, "Presumptuous! Conceited! Thinking highly of yourself! Just because you're good-looking, you think everyone will fall for you? Hmph! I'm afraid of you being interested in me!"

"Sister, you can rest assured now," Yan Jin said with a smile.

Yan Jin's cute and adorable appearance successfully won over Zeng Zhenzhen.

"So cute. What's your name?" Zeng Zhenzhen asked.

"I'm Luo Jiacheng. My Papa is Shu Shi, and my father is Luo Fang," Yan Jin introduced himself, not forgetting to echo Huangfu Yuchen's previous words, earning an approving look from the latter.

Zeng Zhenzhen finally believed that they were indeed a family of three.

During the conversation, the merchant convoy had already left the city.

Yan Ge and his group followed the horse convoy until they reached the checkpoint of the Mai Kingdom, where they parted ways.

Gao Fan inquired about the location of Yidian city, and the group headed directly in that direction m

At the entrance was a teahouse. The group led their horses and walked over, looking into the town with confusion. There wasn't a single soul on the streets; Yidian seemed like an empty city.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged glances, immediately becoming vigilant.

The teahouse's owner was an old man in his sixties with a hunched back. Carrying a tray of tea, he shuffled over and asked with a hoarse voice, "Miss, Masters, your tea is ready."

Zeng Zhenzhen doubted if they had come to the wrong place, "Boss, is this Yidian?"

"Yes," the old man said slowly as he poured the tea.

Zeng Zhenzhen said, "It's strange. How come there's not a single person in the city?"

"Are you here to find the treasure?" The old man's sudden question made Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, and Zeng Zhenzhen tense.

"How do you know?" Zeng Zhenzhen drew her sword and pointed it at him, asking sternly, "Who are you?"

The old man didn't mind the sword at his neck and continued to pour tea, calmly and slowly saying, "From two months ago, groups of foreigners have been coming here to find the treasure. Small fights every three days, big fights every five days, and the place is in constant chaos. The people here have never seen anyone fly in the sky or behead someone with a single sword, so they all fled to seek refuge with relatives and friends. This old man has no relatives and, being old and weak, can't walk, so I can only stay here. During this time, I've seen many people like you, carrying knives and swords, entering the town, but I've never seen them come out."

Zeng Zhenzhen was shocked, "Not a single person came out?"

"Yes," the old man finished pouring the tea and sat down on a small stool, gently fanning himself.

"Could they have left through other city gates?" Zeng Zhenzhen asked, unwilling to give up.

The old man shook his head, "Maybe. But it would be strange that everyone chose to leave through other gates."

Zeng Zhenzhen also dismissed her speculation, "That's right. It's impossible for everyone to choose other exits. What is going on here?" She looked at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen in bewilderment.

Yan Ge asked, "Old man, are you the only one left in the whole town now?"

The old man said, "I'm not sure. I haven't been to other places, and I haven't seen anyone else."

"What do we do?" Zeng Zhenzhen asked.

Yan Ge said, "Let's go in and take a look."

He stood up and went to fetch the horses.

Suddenly, a "gurgling" sound came from behind.

Zeng Zhenzhen held her stomach in embarrassment, "I'm… I'm hungry. Don't you all feel hungry?"

Yan Ge was speechless. He and Huangfu Yuchen had reached the Golden Core stage, so they didn't need to eat. Yan Jin's cultivation level was also high, and he could go days without eating. Gao Fan and Gao Yun had already eaten dry rations while on horseback.

"Boss, do you have any food in this teahouse?" Zeng Zhenzhen asked.

"We do, but only flour, vegetables, and radishes," the old man said.

Zeng Zhenzhen said helplessly, "Could you make us something to eat? I'll treat you all."

Zeng Zhenzhen was just a young girl, and they couldn't really leave her alone. So, Yan Ge nodded, "Then we won't be polite."

The old man was old, and it took nearly half an hour to cook the meal.

Zeng Zhenzhen's stomach kept rumbling. At first, she blushed with embarrassment, but later she became composed and pretended not to hear it, chatting calmly with Yan Jin.

The old man made some pancakes, stir-fried vegetables, and radishes, along with a vegetable soup.

Yan Ge, Yan Jin, and Huangfu Yuchen didn't eat much, but Zeng Zhenzhen finished two servings in one go. She proactively explained, "I ate enough so that I wouldn't be hungry if I stay for too long without anything to eat."

In the end, she even bought the three extra pancakes the old man made.

Afterward, they led their horses around the area, searching for any clues and traces. From the broken fragments on the ground, dried bloodstains, collapsed walls, and chopped-off trees, it was evident that this place had experienced several intense battles.

Zeng Zhenzhen nervously hugged her arms, "There's not a single soul here; this is really creepy."

"Xiao Ge, use your spiritual consciousness," Huangfu Yuchen transmitted to Yan Ge.

Yan Ge knew he must have discovered something and immediately released his spiritual consciousness. His consciousness penetrated everything, and he immediately sensed movements coming from underground a couple of miles away.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Since the teahouse owner never saw anyone leaving the city, it can be inferred that they disappeared inside the city. In other words, there's a hidden mechanism or underground passage somewhere in the city."

"That makes sense," Yan Ge nodded.

However, because of Zeng Zhenzhen's presence, they couldn't openly investigate, so they had to pretend to casually explore each of the main streets in the city.

With no success, Zeng Zhenzhen's face turned completely pale, and she started shouting anxiously, "Father! Big Brother! Second Brother! Where are you? Father—Father—"

"Yuchen, how do we find the mechanism in such a big city?" Yan Ge was also at a loss, "We can't just use brute force to dig up the ground, right?"

Huangfu Yuchen: "Look for the place with the most intense signs of fighting."

"Boss, young master, let's go there," Gao Yun suggested one direction.

After a while, Yan Jin clapped his hands.

"Father, Papa, it's here!"

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen walked over and looked up at the signboard on the gate.

"Biliu Manor?"

Yan Jin said, "I saw that many tables inside were smashed, and there were many dishes, as if there had been a grand feast here before."

"Well done," Huangfu Yuchen praised and walked in with Yan Ge.

Zeng Zhenzhen asked impatiently, "Are you guys looking for something to eat here? You didn't eat when I invited you for a meal before!"

"Sister, be patient! Father and Papa are searching for clues," Yan Jin explained.

Zeng Zhenzhen calmed down a bit and looked around, asking in confusion, "What clues could be here?"

Neither Yan Ge nor Huangfu Yuchen answered her. They carefully observed all the furnishings in the house and occasionally tapped on the walls.

Yan Ge saw some bottles on a display shelf and tried to twist them one by one. As he tried the second one, he heard a faint sliding sound.

"A secret passage!" Zeng Zhenzhen exclaimed as she saw the hidden doorway on the floor.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Let's go down."

Gao Feng said, "Boss, this subordinate lead the way."

"I'll go. Both of you stay at the rear," Huangfu Yuchen said.

"Yes!"

"Zirui, be careful of traps," Yan Ge reminded.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "Don't worry. Give me your Night Pearl, and you and Jiacheng follow me."

Zeng Zhenzhen was surprised. 'The Night Pearl? That was an invaluable treasure. What were the identities of these two spies? They actually possessed such a t'

But she didn't have the mood to dwell on that and quickly followed the others.

Thanks to Yan Ge's Night Pearl, everything in the secret passage could be seen clearly. The entrance of the passage was not large, but after going inside, they found that the underground path was quite spacious, about a foot and a half high and six feet wide, even enough for a carriage to pass through.

There was only one passage, and they continued forward without encountering any of the feared traps. After walking for about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the passage turned left, and they could clearly sense the presence of people not far ahead.

Yan Ge carefully sensed it and was startled. He transmitted his voice, "There are more than eight hundred people down there. It seems like they're trapped; otherwise, they wouldn't have stayed here for so long."

Yan Jin also transmitted, "Father, there's a very uncomfortable aura here."

"Is everything all right?" Yan Ge asked him with concern.

"I'm fine, I just don't like it," Yan Jin said.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "There must be something strange here, be cautious."

Zeng Zhenzhen didn't know that the three of them were communicating through voice transmission and urged, "Why aren't we moving?"

Huangfu Yuchen turned back and glanced at her coldly, "You better be careful. If something happens, we won't have time to save you."

Zeng Zhenzhen's face darkened with anger, but considering that they were the ones who found the secret passage, and judging from the performance of this group, even the young Yan Jin, they did seem capable. She calmed down and kept quiet, no longer urging them.

Huangfu Yuchen covered the light of the Night Pearl with his hand and then proceeded.

After about twenty feet, the space suddenly widened. Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen cautiously poked their heads out from behind the wall and were shocked to see rows of prison cells separated by iron bars. Inside the cells, men and women dressed like martial artists were sitting or standing, some with angry expressions and restlessness, while others looked melancholic, their eyes dull as if they had lost the will to live.

"Goodness, they've actually captured so many martial artists," Yan Ge said indignantly.

Huangfu Yuchen analyzed, "Their inner strength should have been sealed, otherwise, they wouldn't be so passive."

Yan Ge observed carefully. "I don't see any guards. Should we directly go over and find out what's going on?"

Huangfu Yuchen pondered for a moment and said, "We are their only hope. When they see us appear, if they are clever enough, they shouldn't alert the guards in other places."

Zeng Zhenzhen looked at the two of them, puzzled by their inaction, and couldn't help asking softly, "Why… aren't we… going?"

Huangfu Yuchen reached out and pressed her mute acupoint.

Zeng Zhenzhen looked at him in shock.

Huangfu Yuchen ignored her and said to Yan Ge, Gao Feng, and Gao Yun, "Let's go over."

As soon as they appeared, the people in the prison cells noticed them and rushed over, gripping the iron bars tightly.

"You are from Great Han! Hurry, save us!"

"Hush!" Yan Ge made a hushing gesture.

The people immediately quieted down.

"We are indeed here to rescue you. What exactly is going on? How did you end up being imprisoned here?" Yan Ge asked.

One of them anxiously said, "Save us first, and then we'll talk!"

Huangfu Yuchen gave him a cold look, "Your inner strength has all been sealed. If we don't find a way to restore it first, do you expect us to carry more than eight hundred burdens like you?"

The man choked.

"Master Luo, Madam Luo!" Someone recognized Yan Ge and called out in surprise.

"Madam Pei?" Yan Ge also recognized the woman and the middle-aged man waving to them from behind the bars. They were none other than the "Deceptive Duo".

"Madam Luo, it's such a relief to see you!" Huang Shuya's face looked tired, but her joy was evident. The Luo couple had some acquaintance with her and her husband.

Others in the cell noticed the couple knew Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, and they approached excitedly.

"Madam Luo, Master Luo, it's been a long time." Zhong Xie waved from the cell opposite them, looking rather optimistic as if being confined had no effect on him.

Yan Ge said, "Xiao Tianxie, I never thought that your Escort Bureau would smuggle goods through foreign routes."

Zhong Xie shrugged, "It's better to avoid foreign routes from now on."

Now was not the time for casual chatter. Yan Ge didn't say much and asked about the main matter, "We indeed came to rescue all of you. But, what is going on here exactly?"

Huangfu Yuchen ordered Gao Feng and Gao Yun to investigate thoroughly and check if there were any other exits in the underground cave.

Huang Shuya sighed, "It's all because of our greed. We heard about the relics and came here. Initially, we were skeptical when we suddenly heard news of the treasure. However, the reappearance of the Relics in the martial world made us curious. The information was released by the owner of Biliu Manor, only he knew the detailed information. He invited us to Biliu Manor for a feast to discuss the search for the treasure together, and we agreed. We secretly checked the food and drink, and there seemed to be no issue. I don't know how he managed to drug us; we were affected, and when we woke up, we found ourselves in this cell, with our inner strength suppressed. It was terrifying."

"That's not all," Pei Jinde interjected. "During this time, one or two people are taken away almost every day and never return. We have no idea what they plan to do."

"There must be a huge conspiracy behind all this," Zhong Xie added.

Zeng Zhenzhen suddenly ran over, her face full of excitement. She pointed in the distance to a prison cell and frantically gestured towards Yan Ge.

Yan Ge unsealed her acupoint.

"My father and the others are over there!" Zheng Zhenzhen pointed in that direction. After being excited for so long, her initial excitement had somewhat subsided, and after whispering this to Yan Ge, she then ran off.

Yan Ge said, "I have some medical knowledge. If Master Pei doesn't mind, can I take your pulse?"

Pei Jinde nodded and extended his hand, "Of course." Luo Fang, Shu Shi, and Luo Jiaxing seemed to have emerged from nowhere. No one in the martial world knew much about them, which was truly strange. However, at present, he could only choose to trust them.

After carefully examining his pulse, Yan Ge's face became enlightened, "I understand now."

"Madam Luo, do you know what's going on?" Huang Shuya asked nervously.

Yan Ge explained patiently, "You have been poisoned, but your inner strength is still there, just suppressed by the poison. I know that people in the martial world usually check for poison in food using silver needles, but this poison is an exception. It's called 'Ruo Shui,' meaning it shares characteristics with water—colorless and tasteless, and it doesn't react with silverware. Ruo Shui is made using a rare poisonous plant called Tilabu, which grows in the grassy swamps. It's almost non-existent in Great Han, so it's no wonder you weren't aware of it."

"Can it be cured?" someone asked eagerly.

"Of course, it can be cured. But I would need the necessary herbs to prepare the antidote, which will take long. The fastest way is to find the person who poisoned you and get the antidote from them," Yan Ge replied.

Huang Shuya clasped her hands together, "Master Luo, Madam Luo, please help us as fellow citizens of Great Han Kingdom. We will be truly grateful."

Yan Ge nodded, "We came all the way here to find you, of course, we will help. But, we haven't obtained the antidote yet. Please be patient and stay here for the time being. If we release everyone now, it will raise suspicion."

"Thank you!"

"Young Master,Madam!"

Gao Feng and Gao Yun hurried over with serious expressions.

"Speak," Huangfu Yuchen said.

Gao Feng whispered, " I found a stone room over there. Two people are sitting cross-legged on a stone bed, and the person behind has both palms pressed against the other person's back, continuously absorbing their true qi. Apparently, that person hasn't noticed our presence."

"Is that so?" Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen were astonished. Could it be that the purpose of the person behind all this is to absorb the inner strength of these martial artists?

"What's going on?" Pei Jinde and the others asked on seeing their expressions change.

Yan Ge didn't hide anything and explained truthfully.

Pei Jinde, Zhong Xie, and the others were all shocked. Inner strength was like half of a martial artist's life; losing it would turn them into cripples.

The crowd became restless and urged Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen to release them immediately.

"Quiet!" Huangfu Yuchen's voice was cold as he scanned the crowd with icy eyes.

The crowd fell silent but still resisted, glaring at him.

Yan Ge patiently explained, "Everyone, you won't get far without the antidote even if we release you. If you still don't believe me, then there's nothing I can do to save you."

Pei Jinde added, "I believe Master Luo and Madam Luo. As fellow citizens of Great Han, they won't abandon us."

Zeng Zhenzhen also ran over, "That's right. I am the daughter of Yinshan Hall's master. My father and my fellow brothers are also locked up here. I believe Master Luo and Madam Luo will find a way to save them."

Some of the crowd recognized the master of Yinshan Hall, Zeng Shouli, as well as Zeng Zhenzhen, and gradually calmed down.

"Is there anyone else in this underground cave?" Huangfu Yuchen asked.

Gao Feng replied, "No, there are only those two people in there. Perhaps they think these people's inner strength has already been sealed and isn't a threat, so they haven't sent others to monitor them."

This speculation made sense. Yan Ge said, "Although we haven't had the chance to ask, someone must regularly bring food for all of you, right?"

Pei Jinde nodded, "Exactly. Every two hours or so, someone brings food for us. The food is good, and there is no deliberate mistreatment. It has been over an hour since the last meal."

Yan Ge thought for a moment and said, "Then, we'll wait until the next mealtime. We'll hide nearby and track them after the food is delivered to see if we can gain anything. If we don't find anything, we'll come back and subdue the person absorbing inner strength to force them to reveal the location of the antidote."

"Okay," Pei Jinde said, "we'll rely on you for this."

Zhong Xie looked around and said, "The underground space is all visible; there's probably nowhere to hide."

Gao Feng smiled, "Master, I have a solution."

Saying that, he took out an extremely fine iron wire from his sleeve and tinkered with the lock of a cell. The lock immediately opened.

Yan Ge praised him, "Well done. We'll hide among the others for now."

In the enclosed space with over 800 people, the smell wasn't pleasant. Huangfu Yuchen hesitated for a moment before following Yan Ge inside.

Yan Jin, being small, hid behind the crowd. With Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen coming in, it was unlikely that they meant any harm. No one suspected them of having ill intentions and cooperated to cover for them.

After waiting for about two incense sticks' time, the sound of approaching footsteps became audible.

Everyone in the cells sat quietly, pretending to be dispirited as the approaching group drew near.

Dozens of people pushing carts came closer, each cart containing a large bucket of rice, a large bucket of dishes, and a barrel of chopsticks.

Mealtime clearly had a time limit, and everyone ate quickly.

During the wait, the food-delivery people stood motionless and silent, it was evident that they were well-trained.

Huangfu Yuchen became more and more suspicious of what sinister plot the mastermind behind all this might have.

After everyone finished eating, the food-delivery people collected the bowls and chopsticks and left with the carts.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen quickly followed them.

"I'm coming too," Zeng Zhenzhen hurriedly caught up.

Yan Ge didn't object.

The others noticed that even Yan Jin, a young child, walked without making any sound, and they were secretly amazed by the profoundness of his inner strength in that he could completely conceal his footsteps.

The group followed the food-delivery people for about thirty steps and saw one of them press a spot on the wall. Surprisingly, a hidden door appeared in the solid wall. The food-delivery people orderly pushed the carts through the hidden door.

After walking for nearly two incense sticks' time, they finally saw them open another stone door, revealing sunlight streaming in from above.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen exchanged a glance, realizing they had reached the end. Yan Ge gave Gao Feng, Gao Yun, and Zeng Zhenzhen a look, urging them to be careful.

The three of them nodded In understanding.

As they approached the stone door, they distinctly heard the clamor of swords and blades clashing, as if many people were engaged in combat, but there were no screams. It seemed more like a sparring session.

Huangfu Yuchen's brows slightly furrowed.

"What's wrong?" Yan Ge mouthed.

Huangfu Yuchen replied, "These people have profound inner strength, but their moves are stiff and not at all in sync with their inner strength." As a cultivator, he easily sensed this incongruity with his heightened senses.

"Could it be that they suddenly gained their inner strength?" Yan Ge's mind raced, "Similar to the person in the stone chamber, they absorbed other people's inner strength?"

Huangfu Yuchen replied, "That possibility cannot be ruled out. It might be related to their physique. Mai Kingdom's people have a much harder time cultivating inner strength compared to our people of Great Han. There are very few martial arts experts in their kingdom, and only those with exceptional talents can cultivate profound inner strength."

Having said that, he released his spiritual consciousness and noticed the military camp aura from the people on the ground. His expression turned cold.

"There are fifty-six people in total. Try to capture them alive," Huangfu Yuchen commanded.

Yan Ge and the others nodded.

Yan Ge said to Zeng Zhenzhen, "Miss Zeng, please stay here and keep watch over Jiacheng for us." He and Huangfu Yuchen were hiding their true martial arts abilities from Zeng Zhenzhen.

Previously, Zeng Zhenzhen had been focused on saving her relatives, and afterward, she was engrossed in finding the antidote, completely oblivious to Yan Jin's inner strength. She replied, "Okay, please find the antidote. Thank you!"

"Don't worry," Yan Ge reassured her.

As the food-delivery people gradually entered the stone door, the carts stopped at the edge of the underground passage, and they ascended the steps.

When the last person went up, Gao Feng quietly moved forward, holding the person's head and simultaneously sealing his acupoints before dragging him back into the underground passage and quickly ending his life.

Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, Gao Yun, and Gao Feng then leaped up to the entrance.

In the courtyard, people were sparring with swords and blades. They were taken aback when they saw strangers suddenly appear there. With a fierce look on their faces, they immediately gathered around.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen's cultivation had reached an extraordinary level. Their figures moved swiftly within the crowd, silver lights flashing in succession. The soldiers dressed as ordinary people from the Mai Kingdom all turned into motionless statues.

The two of them left around ten soldiers for Gao Feng and Gao Yun to deal with. Meanwhile, they flew towards the main building, where they subdued everyone inside, including servants and kitchen staff. There was also a pale-faced man with an aura resembling that of a eunuch. He had formidable martial skills and flew out of the room, attacking Huangfu Yuchen. However, Huangfu Yuchen used his immobilization technique to stop him in his tracks.

Back at the courtyard, Gao Feng and Gao Yun were dealing with the last three soldiers.

Although these soldiers had decent inner strength, it wasn't truly their own, so they couldn't use it proficiently. They were quickly immobilized.

"Be vigilant," Huangfu Yuchen instructed Gao Feng and Gao Yun.

"Yes, master!"

Huangfu Yuchen asked the person closest to him, "Where is the antidote for those people down there?"

The person remained silent.

Huangfu Yuchen didn't say a word, but with a wave of his hand, a blood mark appeared on the person's neck, instantly ending his life.

The rest of the soldiers looked on in horror, completely chilled to the bone. A demon! A heartless killer!

"I have plenty of time." Huangfu Yuchen said lightly, and walked up to the second soldier, "Do you need me to ask again?"

"No, I don't know…"

Huangfu Yuchen waved his hand, and another soldier fell down.

Huangfu Yuchen stood in place, looking indifferent as he gazed at the third person.

The man's legs trembled, and he suddenly wet his pants in fear. His lips quivered uncontrollably, "We really don't know, only the captain knows."

As soon as this was said, one of the immobilized individuals' expressions changed, but he quickly pretended to act nonchalant, hoping Huangfu Yuchen wouldn't notice. However, before he could even blink, Huangfu Yuchen appeared in front of him.

He widened his eyes in terror. If not for being immobilized, he would have likely fallen to the ground.

"I-I'll tell you! It's, it's in Master Zhuo's room, in the drawer!"

"Where is his room?" Yan Ge didn't ask who Master Zhuo was. Regardless of Master Zhuo's identity, he and Huangfu Yuchen had likely already taken control of him within this mansion.

The man replied, "In, in… It's in the main building, the master's room."

Yan Ge grinned, "I should remind you that I understand medicine. If I find that what we retrieve is not the antidote for 'Ruo Shui,' I will give you an opportunity to write your last words, and your family can offer incense to you on this day next year. By the way, does Mai Kingdom have a custom of offering incense?"

Huangfu Yuchen smiled; his beloved always managed to make him smile no matter the circumstance. "Yes, they do."

Upon hearing that Yan Ge even knew about "Ruo Shui," the man turned pale and stammered, "I'm not lying, it's, it's the antidote!"

Yan Ge flew away with a smile. After a while, he returned carrying the entire drawer, which neatly contained dozens of medicine bottles.

"I've checked them, and they are indeed the antidotes," Yan Ge said. Since the soldiers needed to take the antidote before absorbing inner strength, a sufficient amount of the antidote was necessary.

Huangfu Yuchen nodded, then waved both palms, and all the people in the courtyard died.

After ensuring that there were no survivors, the four of them took the antidote and returned to the underground passage.

Zeng Zhenzhen was anxiously walking back and forth. Yan Jin held a snack bag in his left hand and kept feeding himself the small snacks from inside, looking quite at ease.

"You're back!"

Seeing them appear, Zeng Zhenzhen hurriedly approached, nearly tripping on the uneven ground.

"Did you find the antidote?"

Yan Ge nodded.

"That's great!" Zeng Zhenzhen was overjoyed and immediately became teary eyed.

The group returned to the cells and first dealt with the person who was absorbing inner strength in the stone chamber. Then, they distributed the antidote to the imprisoned martial artists.

With their inner strength restored, everyone came back to life and walked out of the cells. They tidied their clothes and approached Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, expressing their heartfelt gratitude.

"Master Luo, Madam Luo, and these two brothers and this young lady, thank you all for saving us. We are deeply grateful!"

"We were captured carelessly this time and had lost hope. The mastermind behind this could take down so many martial arts experts like us, so they must have the ability to erase all traces outside, making it impossible for anyone to find us. Unexpectedly, we were fortunate enough to be saved by all of you. As the saying goes, 'A drop of water, a grateful spring.' You saved our lives, which is a great favor. If you ever need the help of Yinshan Hall in the future, just ask, and we will be at your service!"

Zeng Shouli, the master of Yinshan Hall, was the first to express his gratitude.

The others also voiced their appreciation. Some were willing to pay a generous reward, while others expressed their indebtedness and offered to help Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen in any way they could. Some even invited them to visit their sects to show their gratitude, and so on.

Yan Ge knew that Huangfu Yuchen had personally come to save these people for a reason, but he didn't speak up.

As expected, Huangfu Yuchen said, "There's no need for any reward. I only hope that everyone will report their names. If you ever come across this jade pendant in the future, I hope you can do me a favor."

All eyes turned to the jade pendant Huangfu Yuchen took out. At a glance, they could tell it was no ordinary item. However, Huangfu Yuchen's words made them feel a bit doubtful and cautious.

Huangfu Yuchen calmly said, "Of course, this favor won't violate the rules of the martial world, nor will it compromise your conscience. And you're still free to refuse at the time."

In hearing this, they felt reassured. Most of them were prominent figures in the martial world, and they believed that if Huangfu Yuchen had ulterior motives, their sects were more than capable of dealing with him. Once they thought about it this way, their worries lessened, and they wholeheartedly agreed.

Yan Ge finally spoke, "Zirui, this place is no longer safe. Let's leave here first and then discuss."

"Just a moment." A man in his fifties spoke up, "I am He Wanli, the head of the Kuaidao Sect. Master Luo, Madam Luo, may I ask where you followed those people to just now? We have suffered such a great humiliation, and if we don't avenge this, the hatred in our hearts will be hard to dispel."

Others echoed his sentiment.

"That's right, those people from the Mai Kingdom have gone too far. Do they think we people from Great Han are easy to bully?" Huang Shuya said indignantly.

Zhong Xie couldn't swallow this anger either. A wicked and sinister smile formed on his lips as he said, "Exactly! Now that our inner strength has been restored, let's settle the score with them."

Yan Ge quickly interjected, "Everyone, listen to me first."

The crowd quieted down.

Yan Ge continued, "We did discover something. Those people are actually soldiers from Mai Kingdom."

"What?" Everyone was surprised.

Yan Ge continued, "Therefore, we deduce that this matter is related to the Mai Kingdom court. Matters concerning the court should be handled by the court itself. Otherwise, if this escalates into a war between the two kingdoms, we will all become criminals."

These martial artists were not just all about fighting and killing; they could also think seriously and understand the reasoning behind Yan Ge's words. Besides, if they let the matter escalate and attracted the attention of Mai Kingdom's army, it would still be challenging for them to escape unscathed, despite their many experts.

"Does that mean we can only let it go like this?" A young female martial artist felt very unwilling. As an unmarried young lady who was also quite beautiful, she was usually the beloved child of her sect. However, not only had she been staying with so many grown men for so long, even going to the restroom meant entering a rudimentary little partition in full view of everyone. This was a great humiliation for her.

Her anger resonated with the other female martial artists, and they looked at Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen with dissatisfaction.

Zeng Zhenzhen was grateful to Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen and was eager to help them. Without thinking too much, she spoke, "Master Luo and Madam Luo were sent by General Cao. I believe the court won't let this matter go so easily."

"Oh?" The crowd was surprised; they hadn't expected these two to have a connection with the court.

Zeng Zhenzhen thought they might not believe her, so she added, "It's true. I lost contact with my father and several senior brothers and was very anxious. I had no one else to turn to, so I sought help from General Cao. I saw them leaving General Cao's residence with my own eyes. They were secretly sent by General Cao to come to the Mai Kingdom and rescue all of you."

"Who is General Cao?" someone asked.

The person next to him explained, "General Cao is the overall commander of the stationed border troops in Xiguan Pass."

The fact that this matter was related to the stationed border commander made it clear that this incident was sure to escalate, even for those who knew little about politics. With so many people from Great Han being manipulated and imprisoned by the Mai Kingdom, the court would surely lose face and not let this matter go easily. Thinking about this. Thinking of this, the emotions of the crowd finally calmed down.

"Since that's the case, let's leave first and discuss later," He Wanli said.

Everyone had no objections.

After exiting the tunnel, everyone introduced themselves and left their names.

Only at this point did Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen notice that the head of the Luna Worshipping Sect and his disciples were also among them. Both sides nodded to each other.

The others expressed their gratitude to Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen once again, and then they dispersed, each finding a place to buy horses and returning to their respective places.

Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, Yan Jin, Gao Feng, Gao Yun, and a few others, along with Zeng Shouli and his disciples, all returned to Xiguan Pass together.

Yan Ge sent a message to Huangfu Yuchen, "Zirui, I don't understand. Why did you kill everyone instead of leaving anyone alive to interrogate? Aren't you curious about what's going on?"

"No need to interrogate; this is Hu Mailong's conspiracy," Huangfu Yuchen said. "There was a leader who should have known something among the people I killed but I had to kill him with a single strike, so as not to leave any traces of interrogation. It's not the right time to confront the Mai Kingdom openly. We have to remain silent temporarily to avoid alerting the enemy. Besides, almost all of the people were killed with just one move from the two of us. Just this fact alone will give Hu Mailong nightmares every night."

"I see." Although Yan Ge felt a bit aggrieved, he understood that their kingdom was currently in a period of rapid development. If they really went to war with the Mai Kingdom, all their previous efforts would be in vain.

Seeing Yan Ge's slight dissatisfaction, Huangfu Yuchen knew what he was thinking. He swiftly moved to his back and rode on the same horse as him, paying no attention to the gazes of Zeng Shouli and his disciples.

"Baby, don't be unhappy. I promise to give you a chance to vent your anger. And this opportunity will come soon," Huangfu Yuchen hugged Yan Ge and lightly kissed his cheek, then kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Really?" Yan Ge's mood improved a little.

"When have I ever deceived you?" Huangfu Yuchen relaxed against his back. "Hu Mailong knows that our kingdom will become stronger and stronger, but he doesn't dare to start a war with us lightly. He will act from other angles. This plan failed, so he will take action again soon. Then, we will seize the opportunity and deal him a heavy blow. As long as we can make him behave for two or three years, our kingdom would even stronger by then. If you like, I'll bring the Mai Kingdom down and give it to you as a gift. How about that?"

Yan Ge chuckled, "No need for that. A gift that big would be too tiring to carry."

"Don't worry; I'll carry it for you." Huangfu Yuchen looked at the bright and charming smile on his baby's face from the side. He couldn't help but want to hold him and kiss him. But with the others around, it was inconvenient.

"Should we go directly back to the capital after returning to Xiguan Pass?" Yan Ge felt Huangfu Yuchen's restlessness and gave him a warning look.

Huangfu Yuchen moved away a little regretfully. "We can play a few more days if you want, and we'll go back when you feel like it."

Yan Ge said, "Let's play a few more days and then go back. There will be many things to take care of when we return."

Huangfu Yuchen tightly hugged him and sighed gently, "Baby, you've worked hard these years. Give me five more years, and I promise, within five years at most, we will be free from the palace's cage. By then, Yunxi will have grown up and can shoulder his responsibilities. Wherever you want to go, I'll take you there. I want to make you happy every day, without worries."

Yan Ge was surprised and turned to look at him, "Five years? Yunxi will only be thirteen by then. Are you planning to abdicate and pass the throne to him so early?"

"What's wrong with thirteen?" Huangfu Yuchen didn't think it was a big deal. "I took the throne at thirteen as well. Baby, don't always spoil him."

'Why did he sound so sour?' Yan Ge said helplessly, "What nonsense are you talking about? When the time comes, Yunxi can try to rule temporarily, we can't actually pass the throne to him. Thirteen is still too young."

Huangfu Yuchen's face turned dark, "But…"

Yan Ge quickly pacified him, "I'm thinking about the best interests of Great Han. How about this, when the time comes, we divide the year into three parts. You and Yunxi manage the kingdom together for four months, Yunxi manages it alone for four months, and we travel together for four months. How does that sound?"

"That's not bad," Huangfu Yuchen was finally pleased.

Yan Ge glanced at him with a smile.

This look was like a little cat scratching Huangfu Yuchen's heart. He covered Yan Ge's face with his hand and turned his head forward.

Yan Ge felt puzzled and wanted to turn back, "What are you doing?"

"Baby, if you look at me like you did just now, I'll have to punish you right here," Huangfu Yuchen said.

Yan Ge used his elbow to nudge him firmly, "Go back to your own horse."

Huangfu Yuchen didn't move, lying on his shoulder, "I'm tired. Let me rest here for a while."

Zeng Zhenzhen and Yan Jin were riding together on one horse. Looking at the affection between Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen, Zeng Zhenzhen said enviously, "Little Jiacheng, your fathers have such a good relationship."

Yan Jin asked playfully, "Sister, are you envious of my papa or my father?"

Zeng Zhenzhen blushed and whispered, "Don't talk nonsense." With both of them being so outstanding in appearance and temperament, it was hard not to be moved. She liked Yan Ge more and if Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen weren't married, she might have actively pursued Yan Ge. But she was sensible, so her fondness for Yan Ge was more of an admiration.

Besides, seeing Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen being so affectionate and understanding of each other all the way, she found it sweet and would never think of breaking them apart.

After a few hours of traveling, the group took a short rest under the shade of trees by the roadside.

Yan Ge occupied the most solid and shady spot under a tree. Although he wasn't afraid of the heat, he didn't enjoy being scorched by the sun.

Once he sat down, he didn't want to move. He fanned himself with a fan, and felt quite relaxed.

Huangfu Yuchen sat down next to him and held both him and the fan, quickly condensing his true qi to form a thin layer of ice on the fan. As Yan Ge fanned, a refreshing breeze swept through, providing an even cooler sensation.

Yan Ge smiled at Huangfu Yuchen in appreciation and continued fanning the two of them.

Zeng Zhenzhen couldn't help but exclaim in admiration. 'Master Luo really spoils his wife, he uses his true qi just to cool him down!'

Yan Jin ran over and squatted down, feeding a piece of beef jerky into Yan Ge's mouth, then handing another piece to Huangfu Yuchen, smiling as he looked at the latter expectantly.

Yan Ge fanned Yan Jin a few times and gave Huangfu Yuchen a threatening look. Huangfu Yuchen reluctantly opened his mouth and ate the beef jerky.

The warmth and sweetness of the family of three were truly enviable.

Zeng Shouli walked over, cupped his fists, and said, "Young Master Luo, Madam Luo."

"Master Zeng Shouli, you don't need to be so formal. Please sit," Yan Ge didn't want to get up and made a hand gesture as an invitation.

Zeng Shouli didn't feel disrespected in the slightest; instead, he admired Yan Ge's straightforwardness and laughed heartily, then sat down on the ground nearby.

Zeng Zhenzhen and the several disciples of Zeng Shouli couldn't believe their eyes. Was this their rule-abiding and image-conscious master?

Zeng Shouli said, "I heard from my little girl that Young Master Luo and Madam Luo arrived at Xiguan Pass not long ago, so I assume you won't leave immediately. I wonder if I could invite you to Yingshan Hall to show my gratitude."

Huangfu Yuchen simply said, "My wife makes the decisions."

Zeng Zhenzhen liked Yan Jin very much, and she was afraid Yan Ge would decline, so she enthusiastically joined the invitation, "Madam Luo, come with us. Yingshan Hall is surrounded by trees, and it's very cool. It would be nice just to go and escape the summer heat."

The more friends, the more options. Yan Ge nodded with a smile, "Since Master Zeng has invited us, we shall gladly accept."

That's great." Zeng Shouli was overjoyed. "My grandson is the same age as the Little Master, and I believe they will have fun together."

After a few hours of rest, the group continued their journey.

They returned to Xiguan Pass smoothly, and Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen arranged to visit the Yinshan Hall the next day. Zeng Shouli led Zeng Zhenzhen and dozens of disciples back to the Yinshan Hall.

Yan Ge asked Gao Feng to go to the inn and report their safety to his brother. He and Huangfu Yuchen returned to the General's Mansion to freshen up.

Naturally, the conditions at the General's Mansion were not as good as the palace, and they could only bathe in a wooden tub.

However, for Huangfu Yuchen, a wooden tub had its own advantages.

While Yan Ge was using a cloth to pour water over himself, someone suddenly entered from behind, causing a splash that soaked the floor.

"You're squeezing me."

"I'll hold you so there won't be any squeezing," Huangfu Yuchen said, and without waiting for Yan Ge's response, he wrapped his arms around Yan Ge's waist and lifted him up, placing him on his lap.

Yan Ge guessed what he intended to do and his face turned hot. "Don't be reckless; it's still broad daylight."

"No one would dare to barge in," Huangfu Yuchen held him tightly.

The two wrestled in the wooden tub for awhile, and only when Huangfu Yuchen was satisfied did he skillfully use the cloth to help Yan Ge wash his back and hair. "All done, baby."

"Um, I'll go out first," Yan Ge stood up, but Huangfu Yuchen couldn't resist leaning over and kissing him while pushing him back into the tub.

Just as they were kissing, they suddenly felt a lightness beneath them. Huangfu Yuchen quickly hugged Yan Ge tightly, and in the next moment, they heard a "splash" – the tub had cracked.

"Are you satisfied? Now everyone knows what we were doing just now," Yan Ge looked at Huangfu Yuchen with a sidelong glance.

Huangfu Yuchen looked at the water on the floor and the broken wooden tub. He raised his hand and, with another "splash," his own tub also cracked.

Yan Ge's mouth twitched. This was really… creative.

The attendants in the courtyard were alarmed by the commotion and rushed over, fearing that something had happened to the esteemed guests. They knocked on the door, "Master Luo, Madam Luo, are you alright?"

After a moment, the door opened.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen walked out gracefully.

"We're fine," Yan Ge said matter-of-factly, "Tell your general that even when saving money to marry a wife, you can't be too frugal. Aren't these tubs too cheap? Cheap goods are not good."

With that, he confidently pulled Huangfu Yuchen along and left.

Several attendants looked at each other. 'Cheap? The steward had said that the tub was specifically purchased for Master Luo and Madam Luo, and it was bought from the best woodcraft store in the city for 15 silver taels each.'

When they returned to the inn, Yan Ge still had an amused expression on his face.

Yan Su who was holding Yan Xiangtian amd waiting by the door couldn't help but ask, "Is there something good that happened?"

Yan Ge quickly denied, "Nothing. Tiantian, do you miss your uncle?" He then lifted Yan Xiangtian into his arms.

"I do," Yan Xiangtian smacked Yan Ge's face with a kiss.

Huangfu Yuchen lightly patted Yan Ge's face as if unconsciously, using his sleeve to wipe away the saliva. Yan Su couldn't help but smile to himself. "Both of you, please come in."

They sat down in the room, and Yan Ge said to Yan Su, "Big Brother, we'll stay in Xiguan Pass for two more days before heading back to the capital."

Yan Su had long guessed that they wouldn't stay for long. As the ruler of a country, Huangfu Yuchen had his hands full, not to mention his second brother who was busy helping Great Han develop its economy and military strength. Although he was reluctant to part with Yan Xiangtian, just having the chance to see his son already made him luckier than many people in the military camp.

"Understood, I'll spend the next two days with Tiantian," Yan Su replied.

Zeng Shouli attached great importance to Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. Not only did he send someone to pick them up, but it was also his eldest son, Zeng Xuyang.

Zeng Zhenzhen also came along and ran over to Yan Jin to give him a hug as soon as she saw him.

Yan Jin seemed to be trying the aloof route today. With a straight face, he nodded faintly, "Miss Zeng is polite."

After a moment's surprise, Zeng Zhenzhen burst into laughter.

Yan Jin glanced at her helplessly and continued to walk with his hands behind his back, maintaining an expressionless face.

Zeng Zhenzhen saw that he was playing around and intentionally tried to make him laugh. Yan Jin had no choice but to quicken his pace, and Zeng Zhenzhen chased after him. The two of them walked faster and faster.

Zeng Xuyang shook his head helplessly, "Master Luo, Madam Luo, my younger sister has always been playful. Please don't be offended."

"No worries," Yan Ge said, "I can tell that Little Jiacheng really likes your younger sister."

Yinshan Hall was situated halfway up the mountain, surrounded by trees, with a soothing greenery. The cool breeze on the mountain was indeed very pleasant.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen walked side by side, chatting and admiring the scenery along the way.

Having received instructions from his father, Zeng Xuyang gave up on introducing them to Yinshan Hall. Instead, he led the way in front without interfering.

A servant walked at the back, carrying gifts.

As they stepped onto the final flight of steps, Zeng Shouli personally welcomed them.

"Ourhonored guests have arrived, and Yinshan Hall shines brightly," he said.

Huangfu Yuchen only nodded casually. Zeng Shouli had long understood his character and didn't mind.

Yan Ge smiled and said, "Master Zeng is overestimating us. We know very little about the martial world. Today, we have the opportunity to visit Yinshan Hall, which is our great honor."

"Madam Luo is being too polite. Both of you, please come in," Zeng Shouli said.

After they sat down in the reception hall, they chatted casually. Zeng Shouli had no airs of seniority and treated Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge with equal respect, just as the rumors suggested – he was warm and amiable.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen agreed to come to Yinshan Hall for another reason.

Huangfu Yuchen asked, "Master Zeng, do you know if there are any martial practitioners in the martial world willing to be hired as instructors?"

Zeng Shouli replied, "Naturally, there are. Some local wealthy families have hired several members of my sect to be instructors, teaching their children martial arts for self-defense."

Huangfu Yuchen said, "I suppose such cases are rare in the martial world."

Zeng Shouli thought for a moment and said, "Upon careful consideration, it does seem to be relatively rare. Most martial practitioners in the martial world prefer to roam freely rather than be tied down to one place."

Huangfu Yuchen nodded and didn't say more.

Seeing that they didn't want to discuss it further, Zeng Shouli tactfully refrained from asking more questions.

They shifted to other topics.

After having lunch at Yinshan Hall, Yan Ge and the others took their leave.

The next day, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen set off on their journey back to the capital. Unlike the hurried trip when leaving, this time they strolled leisurely. Huangfu Yuchen had arranged a different route, allowing Yan Ge to enjoy sightseeing along the way.

When they went back to the capital, Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen once again immersed themselves in their busy schedules.

The Little Crown Prince was also not idle. As he grew older, Huangfu Yuchen's demands on him became stricter, assigning him practical tasks on a regular basis. The Little Crown Prince understood that he was the sole heir to the throne, and he was very hardworking. Although his father was strict with him, the Second Master and Yan Jin treated him kindly, and he was content.

Time flew, and another month passed.

During the early morning court session, the ministers argued heatedly over state affairs. Huangfu Yuchen calmly read a memorial, waiting for them to finish their quarrel. Today was Yan Ge's rest day, and he planned to take Yan Ge on a tour of the entire capital, so he needed to finish reviewing the memorials for the day as quickly as possible.

After arguing for a while, the ministers didn't hear the emperor intervene, so they looked up and saw the emperor rapidly marking comments in red on the memorials. They understood that the emperor must be eager to "meet" with Yan Guiqing.

"Your Majesty," Deng Mande reminded.

Huangfu Yuchen didn't raise his head, "Are you finished arguing? Just state your conclusions."

Prime Minister Wen said, "Currently, our Great Han is developing rapidly, and it's a time when we need unity between the monarch and county kings. But King Jun Wang is abusing his authority, oppressing the common people, knowingly violating the emperor's will, and acting against him. Considering his past merits to the kingdom, he can be spared from capital punishment, but he can't escape punishment for his actions. We believe he should be stripped of his title, demoted to a commoner, and have his wealth confiscated as a deterrent."

"Understood. Do as Prime Minister Wen suggested," Huangfu Yuchen said.

"Report—"

The voice of a eunuch announcing a report came from outside the hall.

Everyone in the hall straightened up. Normally, when memorials were submitted directly to the emperor, they were either urgent military reports or diplomatic letters from foreign kingdoms.

A eunuch came in with both hands holding a memorial and hurriedly entered the hall.

"Report to Your Majesty, a letter from the Wei kingdom court."

"Present it."

Deng Mande took the memorial and handed it to Huangfu Yuchen.

After reading it, Huangfu Yuchen snorted.

The ministers were curious. It wasn't often to see the emperor displaying such rich emotions while reading a memorial.

"Deng Mande, let all the esteemed ministers have a look," Huangfu Yuchen said.

"Yes." Deng Mande passed the memorial to the other ministers one by one.

"Demon Fortress? Your Majesty, do you know where this Demon Fortress is located?" After reading the memorial, Huangfu Yuhu handed it to Jiang Gan.

The ministers who hadn't seen it yet perked up their ears at the unfamiliar term. Their emperor was known for his wide knowledge and extensive learning.

Huangfu Yuchen glanced at Grand Tutor You calmly and said, "Grand Tutor must know."

You Tai held his tablet and said, "Reporting to Your Majesty, this old minister indeed knows a bit."

"Then, Grand Tutor, please enlighten the esteemed ministers," Huangfu Yuchen said.

You Tai said, "This old minister obeys the order. Demon Fortress is located in the Mai Kingdom and is said to be the residence of demons. To enter the Demon Fortress, one must first traverse an uninhabited desert, then cross a turbulent river, and finally pass through an endless jungle. The desert, river, and jungle are filled with poisonous insects and monsters, and danger lurks at every turn. For hundreds of years, a legend has circulated that the Demon Fortress houses numerous rare treasures, but because of the demons guarding them, anyone who ventured into the Demon Fortress never returned. Before the rise of the Hu Maichu nobles in the Mai Kingdom, almost every dynasty had dispatched armies to the Demon Fortress, attempting to find treasures for expanding their military funds, but none were successful."

Prime Minister Wei said, "The state letter mentions that each kingdom is to send a thousand elite troops to explore the Demon Fortress together. One, it's to display their military strength and learn from each other, and two, it's to search for treasures. Whichever kingdom's troops arrive at the Demon Fortress first will be considered the victors, and the troops of other kingdoms will help them search for treasures. Once treasures are found, two-thirds of the treasures will belong to the victorious troops. The invitation to our Great Han comes from His Majesty Wei Lie. What is his intention?"

Jiang Gan said, "It's obvious that the Wei Kingdom and Mai Kingdom are colluding. The reason they had the Wei Kingdom extend the invitation is merely to deceive and cover up their true intentions."

The ministers whispered in discussion.

"I wonder what Your Majesty plans to do?" Jiang Gan asked.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "If we refuse, they'll think we're afraid of them."

Jiang Gan nodded in agreement, "However, if what Grand Tutor said is true, there are various unheard-of poisonous insects and monsters in the jungle and desert. Sending a thousand soldiers might lead to casualties without any returns."

After contemplating for a while, Huangfu Yuchen spoke again, "Rumors might not always be baseless. I once read an anonymous anecdote in an ancient record many years ago, which mentioned that a thousand years ago, the Demon Fortress was once the imperial palace of a small kingdom. Coincidentally, in another book called 'Ancient Legends,' I read about the same place, referred to as the Twin Moon Palace, it fell due to a battle between unknown forces. Therefore, I believe that the existence of treasures in the Demon Fortress might be true."

Grand Tutor You nodded, "I've also read 'Ancient Legends' mentioned by His Majesty. It is an extremely ancient book written by someone with the surname 'Gu.' The book didn't originally have a title, as it was customary at that time not to sign one's name in writings. The author identified himself as 'Gu,' and later generations named the book 'Ancient Legends.'"

"That's right," Huangfu Yuchen affirmed.

The ministers were greatly impressed by the extensive knowledge of their emperor and the Grand Tutor.

Prime Minister Wei wasn't entirely in favor, "Your Majesty's intention is to accept the invitation?"

Huangfu Yuchen replied, "The assembly time mentioned in the state letter is still two months away. I will think it over first and discuss this matter tomorrow."

"Yes!"

Deng Mande announced, "Presenting a report, and adjourn if there are no other matters—"

"Long live, our Emperor!"

"Adjourn—"

Back in Tenglong Palace, Huangfu Yuchen went directly to Yang Ge's laboratory.

Yan Ge was busy studying the spiral bottle stopper on the experimental platform. The container's opening was made with threads to provide a higher level of sealing, which was good for preservation.

Seeing him occupied, Huangfu Yuchen didn't disturb him. He signaled to Deng Mande and quietly sat down at a nearby table.

Deng Mande handed him the memorials, then stood quietly beside him.

After verifying a set of data, Yan Ge turned around to record it on the table. Unexpectedly, he saw Huangfu Yuchen and was startled.

"When did you arrive?"

"Just now," Huangfu Yuchen picked up a cup of cooled tea and warmed it using true qi. "Baby, have some water and take a break."

"Mhm." Yan Ge had something in his hands so he just took a big sip.

Huangfu Yuchen realized that Yan Ge had been busy for a while, and because the palace maids and eunuchs didn't dare to disturb him, they hadn't brought him water, leaving him thirsty until now. He felt distressed and fed him another sip.

"I've told you countless times to take care of yourself. If you don't listen, I'll have your laboratory closed."

"I promise to pay attention next time. I want to drink more," Yan Ge smiled at him.

Seeing his beloved's smile, Huangfu Yuchen lost all his anger and continued to feed him the tea.

Having quenched his thirst, Yan Ge smiled contentedly, then went back to the table to finish recording the previous data.

Deng Mande thought ahead and asked a maid to prepare water for him to wash his hands after.

"Aren't you still busy? Why did you come over?" Yan Ge asked as he washed his hands. He saw the open memorial on the table.

Huangfu Yuchen motioned for him to sit down, then personally fanned him with a folding fan, while telling him about the matter of the Demon Fortress.

"Hu Mailong is really dishonest!" Yan Ge said, "Since you think there might be treasures in the Demon Fortress, we should go and have a look. If possible, we'll take all the treasures and let him suffer. Maybe the next ruler of the Mai Kingdom won't be as ambitious as him, and it will save us a lot of trouble."

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled; his beloved always looked at the bright side.

"That's what I'm thinking too. However, there are many dangers on the way to the Demon Fortress, and having a thousand people might not be advantageous. On the other hand, there are also the so-called poisonous insects and ants. Baby, can you treat someone bitten by an unknown poisonous insect?"

"Of course!" Yan Ge was brimming with confidence. "The 'Medicinal Pharmacopoeia" contains information about various poisonous insects and plants, as well as treatment methods after injuries. If I have time, I can prescribe appropriate remedies."

Huangfu Yuchen loved seeing him so confident and couldn't help but lean down and kiss him deeply. "Since that's the case, let's personally go and take a look. We'll only take a hundred elite soldiers and travel lightly."

Yan Ge nodded, he was also looking forward to the new adventure.

"I'll start preparing some antidotes."

Huangfu Yuchen stopped him, "There's no need to rush. It will take some time for the large group to arrive. We won't go with them. Instead, we'll wait until the last few days of the deadline and fly there directly on our swords."

"That works too," Yan Ge agreed without objection.

Huangfu Yuchen said, "You rest obediently for now. Once I finish handling the last few memorials, I'll take you out for a walk. I feel sorry for you being stuck in the palace all this time."

"That sounds good." Yan Ge stood up and hooked his arm around Huangfu Yuchen's neck, giving him a deep kiss on the lips. "Hurry and finish your work. I'm going to take a bath."

"Go ahead." Huangfu Yuchen quickly reviewed the remaining memorials, hoping to join his beloved in the bath soon.

"Ride—Ride—"

On the cement road leading to Xiguan Pass, a troop of soldiers galloped forward on spirited horses. There were about a hundred soldiers, all dressed in neat and concise camouflage uniforms, each carrying identical equipment bags on their horses. The lead horse had the flag of the Great Han Kingdom. The heavy sound of horse hooves striking the ground resembled a thunderous drumbeat. Passersby that were carrying loads on shoulder poles or pushing carts quickly made way for them upon hearing the commotion and seeing the flag. The cavalry thundered past, leaving a gust of wind in their wake.

The cavalry stopped at the entrance of Xiguan Pass. The guards saw the military flag and hurried over. "May I ask if you are the special forces headed to the Mai Kingdom?" asked the guard.

"Indeed," replied Yang Zhuo. He also took out his identification card from his pocket and handed it over.

The guard looked at it and saw the general rank insignia. He quickly said, "So it's General Yang. Please pardon my lack of insight. Everyone, please follow me into the city. General Cao has already arranged accommodations for you all."

"Alright, lead the way."

The group of soldiers entered the city at a steady pace to avoid causing any disturbances among the common people.

Wei Hao rode up to Yang Zhuo and asked, "General Yang, aren't we going directly to the Mai Kingdom?"

Yang Zhuo explained, "We still have plenty of time before the deadline. Let's wait here at Xiguan Pass for the other two team leaders to arrive and also take the opportunity to rest."

Wei Hao, Zhou Zheng, and the others exchanged puzzled glances.

"We always thought you were the team leader," said Wei Hao.

Yang Zhuo smiled and didn't say much. "You'll know when the time comes."

Wei Hao and the others were still confused, but they didn't dwell on it. It was an arrangement made by the court, so there must be a reason for it.

Upon arriving at the designated military camp, the soldier leading them explained, "For your convenience, General Cao has set aside this camp specifically for you. Brothers, please rest assured and stay here. Three meals a day will be delivered to you."

Yang Zhuo nodded, "I will visit General Cao after settling in. You may go now."

"Yes, I'll take my leave now."

The special forces soldiers quickly washed up and almost immediately chose to lie down for a deep slumber. Resting would alleviate their travel fatigue and prepare them for the upcoming challenges.

Once Yang Zhuo had taken care of everything, he went to pay a visit to General Cao. Though they held the same rank, General Cao's military accomplishments as a border defense commander far exceeded his. It was only appropriate to personally visit him.

After settling matters in the capital, Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge, accompanied by Yan Jin, Gao Feng, and Gao Yun, set off. They left the affairs of the court to Prince Dai, Grand Tutor You, Prime Minister Wen, Prime Minister Wu, and the six ministers.

Gao Feng and Gao Yun had the chance to fly on Huangfu Yuchenn's sword for the first time, and they were so thrilled that they almost fainted. They were both amazed by Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge's strength and marveled that there were such incredible powers in the world.

Meanwhile, Yan Ge flew comfortably and smoothly, with ups and downs that were effortless, as if he was having great fun. Gao Feng and Gao Yun were envious, but they didn't dare to ask Huangfu Yuchen to also fly like that.

After being in seclusion for so long, the Zhantian Vine was slowly regaining consciousness. By the time they reached the Mai Kingdom, they would have a formidable helper.

In just two days, the group had rushed from the capital to Xiguan Pass, arriving half a day later than the main army. They reached the city gate of Xiguan Pass just as it was opened in the morning.

On entering the city, they went straight for the general's mansion. Huangfu Yuchen changed into his imperial robe, while Yan Ge donned his Guiqing attire. Gao Feng and Gao Yun both wore camouflage uniforms, and even Yan Jin had his own tiny version of camouflage attire, looking cute and handsome.

Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge didn't intend to conceal their identities this time, for they had other plans in mind.

After having breakfast, they first visited the military camp to inspect and comfort the border defense soldiers. The border defense soldiers had already heard that the series of changes at Xiguan Pass were all due to the efforts of the Emperor and Yan Guiqing. Never in their wildest dreams did they expect the Emperor to personally visit Xiguan Pass, let alone bring the legendary Yan Guiqing along. Overwhelmed with emotions, they couldn't help but shout, "Long live the Emperor! Long live the Emperor!" and "Greetings to Yan Guiqing!"

The voices rose to the sky and resounded through the heavens.

Huangfu Yuchen delivered some encouraging words to boost their morale and then left the training ground. After all, reviewing the border defense troops was not his main purpose.

Wei Hao and his team were also in shock, never expecting the Emperor and Yan Guiqing to appear here. Remembering the vague words Yang Zhuo had said before, Wei Hao was even more astonished. Could it be that the two team leaders that Yang Zhuo mentioned were…

They were still in a daze when a soldier ran over.

"General Wei, the Emperor summons you all!"

Wei Hao and his group quickly rushed over.

Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge entered Yang Zhuo and the others' temporary camp. They were having tea when all one hundred special forces soldiers entered one after another and knelt down in an orderly fashion.

"Kneeling before the Emperor, long live the Emperor!"

"Rise."

"Thank you, Your Majesty!"

Huangfu Yuchen: "It is rumored that there are various monsters and venomous insects on the way to the Demon Island. You must have heard about it. I won't let my one thousand elite soldiers take risks merely for a vague treasure. Therefore, I decided to send only one hundred soldiers to facilitate our actions. You were selected because you are the best among the elite soldiers, and I believe you will perform admirably. This time, you will go to the Demon Fortress with Yan Ge and myself leading the way. You need not worry about venomous insects or poisonous ants, as Yan Guiqing is skilled in medicine. If any accidents happen, he will personally treat you."

The special forces soldiers were not only surprised and touched, but also relieved. They had already guessed that there would be a physician accompanying them, but they never expected it to be Yan Guiqing. Moreover, the Emperor was leading them personally.

They knelt down again and said, "Your Majesty and Yan Guiqing's considerate arrangements humble us. We will give our all to fulfill our mission and not disappoint you!"

"Rise." Huangfu Yuchen said, "The one hundred soldiers will be divided into ten squads. Yang Zhuo, Lu Fei, Jun Xiang, Wei Hao, Zhou Zheng, Zhang Qiao, Huang Hui, Wang Qiang, Wang Yong, and Chen Feng, you will be cautious and serve as squad leaders. Yang Zhuo and Wei Hao will be in overall command."

"Yes!"

Wei Hao, Zhou Zheng, and the others who were mentioned by name were surprised. They wondered how the Emperor knew they were more careful in nature.

"Xiao Ge, do you have anything to add?" Huangfu Yuchen asked Yan Ge while hugging his waist unabashedly.

Yan Ge motioned to Gao Feng, who opened the box in his hand.

"All squad leaders, step forward."

"Yes!"

Yan Ge continued, "Take these medicine bottles and distribute one to each person. These are detoxification pills I refined, with ten pills in each bottle. If anyone is injured by venomous insects or snakes, don't panic. Immediately take one detoxification pill to prevent the spread of the poison. This will enable me to treat you in time."

"Yes! Thank you, Yan Guiqing!"

"I have nothing else to add," Yan Ge looked at Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen nodded, "Rest well today, and assemble at the hour of Chen Shi tomorrow."

"Yes! We bid farewell to Your Majesty and Yan Guiqing!"

Once Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge left, Wei Hao, Zhou Zheng, and the others exchanged glances.

"General Wei, don't you feel that His Majesty and Yan Guiqing seem somewhat familiar?" Zhou Zheng asked.

Wei Hao silently nodded, feeling the same. He hesitated for a moment and said, "Based on my feelings alone, it's as if they resemble Qin Xiaosha and Yu Xiaoyao from last time…"

"Not hiding anything from the two generals, I feel the same…" Zhang Qiao whispered, as if afraid to be heard.

The group exchanged surprised glances, then looked at Yang Zhuo, who remained calm.

Wei Hao tentatively asked, "General Yang, do you know about it?"

The incident from last time had passed, so there was no harm in telling them. Yang Zhuo nodded.

Wei Hao and the others' faces changed drastically.

"We're doomed…" Jeisen slumped on the bed, looking pale as a sheet. He then looked at the few who had gone on a mission with him last time and said with tears welling up, "I, I, I actually said…"

Zhou Zheng and the others looked at him in sympathy.

"What happened?" Yang Zhuo asked.

Seeing Jesien's appearance, Wei Hao and the others didn't feel right about reprimanding him further.

Yang Zhuo roughly guessed that Jeisen had said or done something wrong. He acted as if he didn't know and intentionally avoided probing further. He lay down on his own bed, closed his eyes to rest.

With a "thump," Jeisen knelt in front of him, knocking his head hard on the ground, and wailing, "General Yang, please show me the right path!"

Since Jeisen was selected for high-difficulty missions twice, he indeed had real abilities and a good heart. Wei Hao and the others also knelt down to plead for him.

Wei Hao said, "General Yang, the incident from last time was merely Jeisen's slip of the tongue. He didn't know the true identities of His Majesty and Yan Guiqing. Please consider…"

Yang Zhuo then opened his eyes, waved his hand, and said, "Enough, use your brains. Since His Majesty and Yan Guiqing haven't brought it up, and Jeisen was still selected this time, it means that His Majesty and Yan Guiqing don't intend to hold grudges. Otherwise, Jeisen, do you think you would still be here? If you're still worried, perform well this time and make up for your mistakes. Do you understand?"

After hearing Yang Zhuo's analysis, Jeisen and the others felt that his reasoning made sense. They heaved a sigh of relief, thanked Yang Zhuo, and stood up.

Jeisen wiped the sweat from his forehead and let out a long breath.

Yan Jin and Huangfu Yuchen were unaware of the minor disturbance in the military camp. They had long forgotten about the incident from last time, with so many tasks to handle every day; they wouldn't bother dwelling on such trivial matters. Moreover, Jeisen hadn't known their true identities back then, and men were prone to saying something rude without much thought.

The two returned to the general's mansion, changed back into regular clothes, and each meditated and cultivated as they waited for the appointed time to set off to the Mai Kingdom.

At the hour of chen, Yang Zhuo assembled the team. Everyone was dressed neatly, holding their horses with their right hand and placing their equipment bags on the horses.

General Cao Zhan was also there to bid them farewell.

Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, Yan Jin, Gao Feng, and Gao Yun appeared next. Like the special forces, they were now dressed in camouflage uniforms.

As Yang Zhuo and the others were about to pay their respects, Huangfu Yuchen raised his hand to stop them. "No need for formalities. From today onwards, address me as 'Boss,' and Yan Guiqing as 'Young Master.'"

"Yes!"

Huangfu Yuchen continued, "Everyone, do one final check of your equipment."

"Yes!"

They all opened their equipment bags to inspect the contents. Because this mission might take some time, they each brought two sets of camouflage clothing. In addition to that, the bags contained dry rations—compressed biscuits. These were new products from the First Company, currently only supplied to the military and with a shelf life of two months. Two months was sufficient, and improvements could be made in the future. They also had canteens filled with water, made of iron with a special rust-resistant coating on the surface. The canteen mouth was threaded, ensuring it wouldn't leak when tightened, and the lid was not easily dislodged. Moreover, the canteen was sturdy enough to be heated directly over a fire. The medical kit contained basic items such as disinfectant, gauze, small scissors, a sewing kit, and even salt. Additionally, Yan Ge provided detox pills, waterproof clothing suitable for jungle operations, tents, and other essential items.

After confirming everything was in order, Huangfu Yuchen and Yan Ge playfully put on their disguises, but in truth, they used their transformation skills to change their appearances. Masks were uncomfortable and both disliked wearing them for too long.

"Mount your horses."

The team officially set off, heading towards the Mai Kingdom.

Three days later, they arrived at the gathering point for representatives from other countries—Maeden, Wei, Mai, Youji, Mini, and other kingdoms . As mentioned in the royal letter, each kingdom sent a thousand elite soldiers, dressed in various uniforms, totaling nearly twenty thousand people, forming a vast expanse of human heads.

"The army of the Great Han Kingdom has arrived." General Yilihan of the Mai Kingdom saw the flags of the Great Han Kingdom's army and rode out to meet them.

The leaders of the other kingdoms also joined him.

"I am General Yilihan, the leader of the Mai Kingdom's one-thousand-strong elite troops. Welcome to Mai Kingdom."

Yang Zhuo, as the official leader, nodded in response. "Thank you, General Yilihan. I am Yang Zhuo, the leader of the team from the Great Han Kingdom."

"General Yang, you are polite," Yilihan glanced behind Yang Zhuo and paused, "Most of the other teams from various kingdoms have arrived. When will the rest of your team arrive?"

Yang Zhuo replied, "We only have 105 people. It may seem laughable, but our kingdom has been extremely busy lately, and after careful selection, we could only muster over a hundred elite soldiers. However, General Yilihan, please don't underestimate our team. These hundred-plus individuals are all among the best in our military. Though our numbers are small, we will compete with all our might against everyone else!"

Yilihan's first impression was that the Great Han Kingdom was taking this mission lightly, but Yang Zhuo's last sentence dispelled that feeling. They had reached this point, and he could only accept the reality. He could not exclude the people of the Great Han Kingdom from this mission.

"Very well, then we shall wait and see. Haha… Let me introduce you. This is Bai Shaobai, the leader of the soldiers from the Wei Kingdom, and this is Fick, the leader of Mini Kingdom…"

Bai Shaobai, they had met during the New Dynasty Ceremony.

After the introductions, Yilihan continued, "Everyone, we will set off now and hopefully arrive at tonight's campsite before dark."

This was the Mai Kingdom, and Yilihan was familiar with the route. The others had no objections and mounted their horses, hurrying along the way.

Ten thousand men galloped across the grassland, creating a spectacular scene.

That night, the large group camped on the outskirts of a small town. Everyone replenished their supplies consumed during the journey, buying extra provisions to ensure they would have enough at the Demon Fortress. They also bought food from the town for their dinner, enough to feed an entire county.

The people from Great Han Kingdom were used to eating rice, so they paid a high price to buy some rice and cooked several large pots of rice. Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen would not treat themselves badly and had brought plenty of seasonings, making the dishes fragrant. The other special forces soldiers happily joined in.

Both Wei Kingdom and Mai Kingdom invited them to join the Demon Fortress exploration for their own hidden motives, so they wouldn't harm them before reaching the destination. Therefore, the Great Han's team slept soundly that night.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen had separate tents, but due to limited space in their backpacks, they had no blankets, let alone quilts, so they slept on the ground. Yan Ge wasn't used to it and kept tossing and turning.

Huangfu Yuchen eventually hugged him to his chest, letting him lie on top and kissing his face and hands. Both his palms gently caressed Yan Ge's back.

Yan Ge's body gradually warmed up, and he unconsciously snuggled closer.

Both were tempted, but they knew it wasn't the right time.

Yan Ge stopped Huangfu Yuchen's advances, found his lips, gave him a gentle kiss, and slipped his tongue into his mouth. In an instant, it was firmly held, and their tongues intertwined passionately.

They kissed silently for a while before relieving a bit of their longing.

"Sleep well, baby. Sweet dreams," Huangfu Yuchen's hoarse voice was particularly evident in the darkness.

Yan Ge kissed his face again but couldn't tell where it landed precisely. Then he adjusted to a comfortable position, held Huangfu Yuchen's waist and soon fell asleep.

The next morning, at the crack of dawn, everyone woke up one by one, had breakfast, and continued their journey.

After three more days of travel, the group stopped.

Yilihan asked the representatives from each kingdom to come forward.

"Everyone, we are about to approach the Lash Desert. It will take us two days to cross it. This is the last place we can replenish water, so make sure to fill your containers in time. Otherwise, it will be difficult to make it through the desert."

The message was passed down, and they bought water tanks carried by camels in the towns and villages. Everyone filled their canteens and water bags before continuing. About an hour later, they could already see what seemed like an endless desert.

Gao Yun glanced at Yan Ge with a hint of worry, "Boss, young master…"

Yan Ge reassured, "Don't worry, I have been taking care of Little Jin's physique. He will be fine."

Yan Jin smiled in cooperation and said to Gao Yun, "Thank you, Uncle Yun, for your concern. I'm doing well!"

Seeing Yan Jin's rosy complexion and no signs of fatigue, coupled with the abilities of His Majesty and Yan Guiqing, Gao Yun's worries eased.

Even before entering the desert, they could feel the dryness in the air and the scorching sun. Once inside the desert, the sensation intensified, and soon, almost everyone started sweating.

Perhaps the only fortunate thing was that the team from the Mai Kingdom had a guide, so they didn't have to worry about getting lost in the desert. Regarding this guide, everyone witnessed how Yilihan had to spend one hundred taels of gold just to get him to agree to lead the way. It was evident that the Demon Fortress held great terror in this guide's heart.

In the Great Han team, Yang Zhuo and Wei Hao took turns leading, while Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen followed closely behind them, ready to issue commands at any time.

Because their team stayed at the rear of the main force, following in the footsteps of others, they didn't need to worry too much about poisonous insects or monsters in the desert. Those creatures either attacked the people in front or were trampled or frightened away by the horses ahead, so there was no need for excessive concern.

However, just to be cautious, Huangfu Yuchen called Yang Zhuo over and said, "Spread the word and have everyone remain vigilant, guarding against any monsters or poisonous insects."

"Yes!"

Yan Ge, Huangfu Yuchen, and Yan Jin were the most relaxed among them. Yan Jin, in particular, seemed carefree. In the eyes of outsiders, he was just a child of eight or nine years old, and he didn't need to worry about anything. He curiously looked around while in Yan Ge's embrace and fell asleep when he felt tired.

Yilihan wasn't a fool; he wouldn't let his kingdom's team lead the way all the time. The teams took turns leading every hour. Whichever kingdom's team was at the forefront was responsible for protecting the guide.

The guide handed over one hundred taels of gold to his family before departure, appearing quite indifferent at the moment. It seemed he had already come to terms with the situation. Even if he died on the way to the Demon Fortress, his family would have one hundred taels of gold to live comfortably.

Soon, it was the Great Han team's turn to lead. Yang Zhuo ordered a few soldiers to lead the way, while Wei Hao and others rode forward, discreetly protecting Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen in the middle.

Their team consisted of only a little over a hundred people, which made the soldiers from the Mai Kingdom and Wei kingdom following behind them feel quite uneasy.

To them, if there were monsters in the desert, these one hundred people wouldn't be enough to fend them off. Yilihan and Bai Shaobai felt like their mission had already failed before it even began. However, at this point, they had no choice but to go on.

Yan Ge quickly noticed that their soldiers were drinking water more frequently than others. He furrowed his brows and reminded them, "Everyone, be mindful and try to conserve water." Their military water flasks could only hold about 2 liters of water at most, but they had to travel in the desert for two days. At this rate, the water wouldn't last. Before entering the desert, they rented camels in the village, and the camels carried several water tanks, but those were for emergencies and couldn't be used lightly.

"Yes!"

In fact, it's not surprising that their soldiers were drinking water more frequently than others. The Great Han had little desert terrain, and these soldiers have never stayed in a desert area before; they were not accustomed to it and couldn't resist the urge to drink water when they felt their throats were dry.

Not only the soldiers from the Great Han but also the soldiers from other kingdoms were facing the same situation.

The soldiers from the Mai kingdom were either deliberately taunting them or were genuinely accustomed to the desert environment; they all appeared quite relaxed.

Yan Ge couldn't help but complain silently, 'Were they also constructed like camels?'

At this moment, the front hooves of a horse for one of the solders suddenly sank a few inches into the sand. The horse was startled, and it neighed and arched its body. The special forces soldier reacted quickly. He tightly clamped the horse's belly, and held the reins firmly, pulling the horse back.

"What's going on?" Yang Zhuo asked cautiously.

The special forces soldier was a bit dismissive, "Report to the General, it's nothing. The horse's hoof sank."

The guide was a bit nervous, "Be careful; it might have stepped on some ant or insect nest."

As soon as he finished speaking, Yan Ge noticed a black, centipede-like creature with a crab-like shell emerging from the collapsed area where the horse had stepped. There were at least twenty to thirty of them— they had poked an unknown insect's nest!

"Be careful!"

The creatures crawled very fast, and the group couldn't react in time. One of them had already climbed up a horse's leg and must have bitten it. The horse suddenly reared up, let out a mournful cry, and collapsed to the ground, motionless.

The toxicity was so strong!

"Move away!" Yang Zhuo's face changed drastically.

At the same time, Wei Hao reprimanded the stunned special forces soldier, "Why are you still standing there? Run!"

The special forces soldier finally reacted, leaped off the horse, and rolled on the ground. While rolling, he drew his weapon and fiercely chopped at the sand. His knife skills were precise, and he cut one of the black creatures in half with a single blow, making it motionless.

The special forces soldiers had undergone rigorous training after all, so they quickly calmed down. The nearest few quickly lifted their knives and began to attack.

However, the creatures crawled fast and as soon as they sensed an attack, they burrowed into the sand and reemerged from another location moments later. The special soldiers couldn't deal with them for a while, and the horses were also panicking due to their frequent changes in commands.

"Not good!" Yang Zhuo saw that the situation was not good and shouted, "Protect the young master and the Boss! Charge through!"

The special forces soldiers immediately gave up confronting the creatures head-on and protected Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen along with them, urging their horses to dash forward.

Wei Hao picked up the special forces soldier who had lost his horse and shared a horse with him.

"There are poisonous insects ahead; good luck, everyone!" Yang Zhuo warned the other teams at the back out of conscience, shouting as he ran away.

The troops from the Mai kingdom were closest and noticed something was amiss. They quickly avoided the creatures and spurred their horses to gallop away.

The teams further back were unclear about what had happened in front, so they could only hurry along. Chaos and panic spread for a while. Fortunately, horses were faster than the black insects, and after about a quarter of rapid running, they finally escaped from the group of creatures. The relatively flat desert terrain prevented them from getting separated even during the chaos, and the scattered teams gradually regrouped.

Several leaders rode their horses to the front and asked Yang Zhuo what had happened. Yang Zhuo didn't hide anything and explained about the black venomous insects hiding beneath the desert.

The leaders were cautious and quickly summoned the respective accompanying physicians.

"Do any of you know what those insects are?" They asked the physicians.

The physicians looked panicked and ashamed. "This… They look like centipedes, but they have shells similar to crabs. We've never seen or heard of such strange creatures."

The team leaders were astonished. If these creatures could instantly poison a horse weighing hundreds of catties, wouldn't it be even easier to kill a person? Since they didn't know what those insects were, they had no idea how to treat the poison. If they encountered those venomous creatures again, their lives would be in jeopardy.

However, the special forces soldiers from the Great Han Kingdom showed no concern. If the Emperor and Yan Guiqing weren't worried, why should they be?

Yilihan and Bai Shaobai soon noticed the calmness of the Great Han Kingdom's troops.

Bai Shaobai recalled that he had forgotten to ask if Yang Zhuo's team's physician knew about these creatures. He turned to Yang Zhuo, "General Yang, we haven't consulted your physician about those insects."

Yang Zhuo pretended to be clueless and replied, "Oh, General Bai, I almost forgot. Physician Qin, do you know what they are?"

Yan Ge glanced at Bai Shaobai and thought, 'Clever; if you didn't ask, I wouldn't have bothered mentioning it.'

"Those insects are called 'Black Fleas'; they thrive in the desert and are extremely venomous. Once bitten, a person will be paralyzed and lose strength in the blink of an eye, followed by unconsciousness. If the antidote is not taken within 30 seconds, the poison will spread throughout the body, leading to certain death."

The other physicians looked at him in shock and admirration. They had never heard of, let alone seen, such strange creatures. They believed that this area was rarely explored, and as a result, these peculiar creatures didn't have a name. Turns out they are called "Black Fleas."

In truth, Yan Ge only knew about the Black Fleas because of the Pharmacopoeia. Fortunately, he and Huangfu Yuchen had come in person this time; otherwise, it was highly likely that the hundred elite soldiers would have all been wiped out.

When the special forces soldiers heard his words, they were even more grateful to the Emperor and Yan Guiqing.

Yilihan and Bai Shaobai exchanged glances and decided to pay more attention to Yan Ge.

Yilihan immediately asked for further details, sounding very polite, "May I ask, Physician Qin, how should a person who has been bitten by the Black Fleas be treated?"

"This…umm…" Yan Ge deliberately hesitated.

A slight smile appeared at the corners of Huangfu Yuchen's mouth as he looked at Yan Ge with indulgence, not interrupting.

Yilihan saw Yan Ge's reaction and was displeased. He turned to Yang Zhuo, "General Yang?" He wanted to apply pressure on Yan Ge through Yang Zhuo.

Unfortunately, he miscalculated.

Yang Zhuo sighed helplessly, "General Yilihan, I'm afraid you're mistaken. Our Emperor was concerned about the dangers of this journey, which is why he sent the best physician to accompany us. Physician Qin is highly skilled, and even our Emperor trusts and values him greatly. I dare not make things difficult for him."

Although Yilihan didn't believe his words, the other physicians were not as skilled as this Physician Qin. They might need this arrogant person's assistance during the journey, even if it meant parting with some gold. Thinking of this, Yilihan glared at the other physicians—a bunch of trash.

Enduring his frustration, he had no choice but to turn to Yan Ge again, speaking politely, "Physician Qin, the main purpose of this journey is to search for treasure. If we lose manpower, it will be a great loss for any kingdom. Your kingdom's emperor has dispatched troops, indicating that he values this matter greatly. Therefore, we will still need your assistance along the way. Given the favor your emperor shows to you, I believe you wouldn't want to disappoint him, right?"

Yan Ge rubbed his hands and said, "Well, I do like shiny things…"

Huangfu Yuchen's lips curled with a deeper smile.

Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and the others: "…"

Seeing that Yang Zhuo showed no intention of pleading for them, they each took out one hundred taels of gold and offered some flattering words. Although they felt they had been taken advantage of, they couldn't do anything about it. If they encountered any medical problems on the way to the Demon Fortress, they would still need this "Qin" person's help. With this in mind Yilihan and the others felt slightly better.

Nonetheless, Yilihan deeply felt humiliated and vowed to make them pay when they reached their destination. Regardless of how much gold they gained, he would make sure they returned it obediently!

Yan Ge accepted the gold and said, "Black Fleas have a peculiar trait: once one of them bites a person, the others won't bite that person again. So, if someone is bitten, they must stay still in the same spot to avoid the poison spreading too quickly. Then, silver needles can be used to seal the person's acupoints, confining the poison to the bitten area. Until the antidote is taken, the person must avoid strenuous movements; otherwise, they'll die. Once the antidote is ingested, the poison can be completely removed."

Yilihan and Bai Shaobai finally looked relieved.

"No one in our team knows how to treat this poison. In case of an incident, we will have to rely on Physician Qin," Bai Shaobai added.

Yan Ge nodded generously, "No problem. However, as you all know, we are traveling lightly this time, and I didn't carry many medicinal materials. Besides, I am responsible for the safety of our own soldiers. So, except for the Generals, I can only use silver needles to seal the poison on the other people until we find the necessary medicinal herbs to treat them."

This reasoning was both logical and reasonable. Yilihan and the others could not demand more; all they could do was ask their soldiers to be extremely careful.

To avoid unintentionally stepping on Black Fleas' nests again and being chased, the leaders decided to proceed as fast as possible. Although this had its drawbacks, such as tiring the camels and horses and making them hot and in need of water, there was no better option.

The large group continued to travel at a fast pace for another two hours before stopping to rest.

To protect themselves from the Black Fleas and other strange insects, several physicians took out insect repellent powder and protected their troops.

Yan Ge had also prepared insect repellent, but his was not in powder form, but rather a paste.

Yan Jin curiously asked, "Papa, why is yours in paste form? I see others using powder."

Yang Zhuo and the others were also curious.

Yan Ge smiled and explained, "The insect repellent paste I've made maintains its effectiveness for a longer time when kept at the right temperature. Even if the desert heat dries out the paste, it will condense into granules and won't be blown away by the wind, allowing us to reuse it. The next time we use it, we just need to add some water and mix it."

"I see."

Everyone suddenly understood and admired Yan Ge's intelligence and talent. After all, Yan Guiqing was from their Kingdom!

Huangfu Yuchen watched his beloved confidently command the soldiers to set up camp, then instructed them to dig small pits every two zhang (about six meters) to place the insect repellent paste in.

His gaze was so hot that Yan Ge's back felt itchy.

He turned his head and glanced at Huangfu Yuchen.

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled, took a water bottle and walked over, "Drink some water. Just tell them what to do."

"I'm afraid they won't be able to grasp the dose properly and waste the medicine."

Huangfu Yuchen took an umbrella from Gao Feng, and used it to shield Yan Ge from the sun. Despite their profound cultivation, being roasted under the scorching sun for too long was uncomfortable.

Indeed, the desert was not a comfortable resting place and after resting for about two hours, Yilihan ordered them to continue on the journey.

It was now the other kingdoms' turn to lead, and the pressure on the Great Han Kingdom's team lessened.

They encountered the Black Flea again, but fortunately, their fast pace allowed them to escape without any injuries to the people or horses.

At dusk, the guide led them to set up camp on a small hill. Surprisingly, the small hill had a tree as thick as an adult's arm and as tall as an adult's shoulder. There were some scattered rocks around, big and small, and the ground was somewhat more solid.

"This is probably the only place in the entire desert with such big rocks. It's relatively safe to camp here."

Yilihan said, "Then let's camp here, and we'll continue our journey tomorrow morning,."

He arranged for someone to set up the guide's tent first and sprinkle insect repellent powder before managing his own troops.

The Great Han Kingdom's team was under Yang Zhuo's charge, and he dealt with everything. Huangfu Yuchen pulled Yan Ge to the hillside to watch the sunset. The rounded sunset had a clear outline, resembling a huge egg yolk, bathing the entire desert in golden light, as if it were paved with gold. The wind blew the fine sand in layers, like frozen waves.

"What a magnificent sight," Yan Ge couldn't help but praise, "The desert is so majestic, with boundless expanses. Under the setting sun, people's shadows stretch long over the flat ground."

"Great poem!" Huangfu Yuchen hugged Yan Ge's shoulder playfully and teased, "Did you compose it yourself?"

Yan Ge didn't have the nerve to say "Yes". He replied, "That's not important. What matters is that the desert sunset is really beautiful."

Throughout the journey, Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and others had already become suspicious of the relationship between Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen. However, they didn't dwell on it, nor did they have the time to do so, as they were already exhausted just from guarding against the Black Fleas.

By the side of the small hill, everyone was busy with their own tasks, making the surroundings unusually quiet for a moment.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen kept watching the sun set before returning to the others. The desert nights were cold, and after a simple dinner, everyone retreated to their tents to rest early.

The special forces soldiers had great trust in Yan Ge's medical skills. Except for a few who took turns to keep watch, the rest of them quickly fell into deep sleep and slept soundly.

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen cherished their soldiers greatly. They secretly set up a simple formation, enclosing their small camp. If anyone or any beast triggered the formation, they would be alerted immediately.

After setting up the formation, both of them fell into a deep sleep.

Yilihan, Bai Shaobai, and the others had a larger team, so they had more people on night duty, taking turns to patrol around the camp.

In the middle of the night, the entire camp suddenly became noisy with intermittent sounds from a distance. Apparently, it was coming from members of another team.

Yan Ge was enjoying his sleep, and without opening his eyes, he lazily kicked Huangfu Yuchen, who was lying beside him, and asked in a daze, "Zirui, what's going on…"

Huangfu Yuchen looked at Yan Ge's foot that looked fair and tender in the dim light, grabbed it, and kissed it. The foot retracted from the sensitivity, and he lightly chuckled. He bit it playfully, and then let go. "Sleep well, I'll go check it out."

Yan Ge waited until Huangfu Yuchen left the tent before opening his eyes. He looked at his foot and wiggled his big toe; it was even hotter than the scorching desert during the day.

"Messing around with kisses… Thankfully, I washed my feet last night…" He muttered to himself. Unable to fall back asleep, he lay on the ground lazily, his two dark eyes fixed on the tent's entrance.

The campfire outside was still burning, and the moving figures cast shadows on the tent, swaying back and forth.

Huangfu Yuchen emerged from the tent, and found that their soldiers were already awake. Gao Feng, Gao Yun, and two other special forces soldiers surrounded his and Yan Ge's tents from four directions. Their weapons were drawn, and they were on high alert. Yan Jin had also woken up, and was standing outside his tent, looking into the distance.

Huangfu Yuchen asked, "What's going on?"

"Father, there are strange creatures," Yan Jin rushed to answer.

Gao Feng added, "Reporting! Boss, those creatures came from the south. We don't know what kind of monsters they are, but the strange thing is, they don't seem to have aggressive intentions. They are gradually approaching us, and it might take them a while to attack us here. General Yang took two people to help."

"What are those things?" Huangfu Yuchen estimated they were some unknown species.

Gao Feng explained, "We're not sure for now. Those things look a lot like spiders, but even the smallest ones are as big as a nine-pound watermelon. They can also burrow into the sand. They are poisonous too; just listening to the commotion, they've already killed quite a number people."

As the noise drew closer, Huangfu Yuchen quietly lifted the formation. He, Yan Ge, and Yan Jin were knowledgeable about protective formations, but if they used it now, it would raise suspicions among the others. They could just rely on their strength to protect the special soldiers anyway.

Huangfu Yuchen looked into the distance. With his excellent night vision, he saw a black creature, similar to an arrow, springing up from the ground and pounce on a soldier, covering his face. Before the soldier could react, it spat out a thick white fluid, completely covering his face. The soldier desperately tried to wipe off the fluid with his hands, but it was in vain. After a moment, whether due to poison or suffocation, he slowly fell to the ground, motionless. The creature crouched on his face, moving slightly, either eating or doing something else.

Indeed, this was an unheard-of creature. Huangfu Yuchen considered himself knowledgeable about various texts, but he couldn't recall the name of this creature.

"Boss!" Yang Zhuo, Ah Fei, and Jun Xiang rushed over quickly.

"What's the situation?" Huangfu Yuchen knew Yang Zhuo didn't actually go to help.

Yang Zhuo reported, "The thick fluid of these strange spiders is poisonous, but it seems to only cause paralysis. The three of us tried to kill one; they aren't too difficult to deal with as long as you don't get the sticky substance on you." That was the reason he took two people with him.

Huangfu Yuchen nodded. "In that case, send half of the men to help." This way, the team leaders of other kingdoms wouldn't have anything to complain about.

"Yes!"

"Also, find a way to bring a creature's corpse here."

Yang Zhuo set off to fulfill the order.

Not long after, a special forces soldier carried a creature's corpse using a knife and carefully placed it on a rock to avoid its poisonous fluid from staining the sand, in case someone accidentally stepped on it.

Huangfu Yuchen then went into the tent and checked if Yan Ge was awake. As soon as he opened the tent, he was met with a pair of bright eyes.

He smiled as he entered the tent, lowered his head, and gave Yan Ge a kiss on the lips before asking, "Are you awake?"

Seeing his relaxed expression, Yan Ge knew they could handle the situation outside. "Did they bring one of the creatures?" he inquired.

"Yes," Huangfu Yuchen replied as he gently brushed the stray hair away from Yan Ge's face.

"In that case, let's get up," Yan Ge said as he sat up. Inadvertently, he glanced at his foot and remembered Huangfu Yuchen's kiss. His toe itched for some unknown reason, and he gave Huangfu Yuchen a glare.

Huangfu Yuchen looked at him Innocently. "What's wrong?"

"You kissed my foot and then you kissed my lips."

Huangfu Yuchen chuckled, "I don't mind your foot, why should you?"

Yan Ge rolled his eyes helplessly, put on his short boots, and pulled Huangfu Yuchen outside. He saw the creature's corpse placed on a rock and was pleased.

Huangfu Yuchen knew Yan Ge well and immediately asked, "Is it full of treasures?"

"Yes!" Yan Ge said, "According to the 'pharmacopeia,' this creature is called Black Demon Spider. It looks like a spider but can spit a sticky fluid that causes paralysis. However, there is something inside its abdomen, similar to chicken eggs, that can be used in medicine. Quick, let those who have nothing to do dig out the things from the Black Demon Spider. It will be useful in the future." With so many people around, he didn't go into the details of the creature's medicinal value.

Huangfu Yuchen gestured to Gao Yun, and the latter led a team of people over.

Although there were many Black Demon Spiders, they had many soldiers as well. After a few moments, they had killed over a hundred of them.

Except for Great Han, Mai, and Wei kingdoms, who camped to the north and suffered no losses, the other kingdoms had some casualties.

Everyone saw soldiers from Great Han slicing the backs of the Black Demon Spiders with knives to extract what looked like chicken eggs from inside, and they wore disgusted expressions.

Yan Ge could clearly see everything and thought, 'You'll regret this in the future.'

The special forces soldiers worked quickly. After the other teams had finished cleaning up the camp, they had also extracted all the "eggs" from the Black Demon Spiders' bodies. These things were flesh-colored and looked like soft, unripe chicken eggs. They were slightly sticky, and somewhat disgusting to look at.

"Baby, the temperature will rise after sunrise, and these things might start to smell." Huangfu Yuchen reminded him.

Yan Ge didn't care and said, "That's exactly what I want them to do."

Huangfu Yuchen: "…"

Yan Ge glanced at him with disdain, "Once you know their value, you won't make that expression."

Huangfu Yuchen was piqued with curiosity, "What are they used for?"

"You'll find out later," Yan Ge teased, instructing Gao Feng, "Put them in bags and expose them to the sun after sunrise until the smell is gone."

"Understood."

Since they had no bags, a few special soldiers emptied two equipment bags and packed all the "eggs" inside, leaving the bags open.

It was almost dawn by the time they finished these tasks.

The team quickly had breakfast and continued their journey.

Soon, they saw the sparkling water from a distance, and the jungle beyond the river. They all raised their whips and drove their horses forward at full speed.

Finally, they were about to leave the desert!

Yang Zhuo occasionally observed the guide's expression and saw that his solemn demeanor hadn't changed at all. So the journey ahead was probably difficult.

He made eye contact with Wei Hao, and one by one, the special forces soldiers passed on the information to the last person in their teams.

After a day of exposure to the sun, the "eggs" that Yan Ge had the men dig out had become as hard as small stones, and strangely, the smell had completely disappeared.

Yilihan tentatively asked Yan Ge about the purpose of these things, but Yan Ge dismissed him with just a few words, leaving him helpless.

Soon, the team arrived at the riverside.

Even Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen couldn't help but show surprised expressions.

This river was truly bizarre. As everyone knew, any river in the world, regardless of the terrain it intersected, had a transition zone. Even the oases in the desert had this characteristic. But this river was clearly defined, like a deliberately arranged boundary with the desert on one side and the forest on the other. Moreover, the river's water was pure black, flowing as if it were not water but ink.

The river was about fifteen to sixteen zhang wide, which was not particularly wide.

The guide said, "This river isn't wide or deep, but there's something in it." His face showed a trace of anxiety, but when asked what that "something" was, he had no clear answer.

From entering the desert until now, both Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen had the feeling that this area was like something out of this world, it was unlike anything they had seen or known.

Bai Shaobai took out a long spear tied to his horse and had a soldier test the water's depth.

The water only reached two-thirds of the spear's length, roughly around an adult's waist, indicating that it wasn't very deep.

The team leaders all stared at the water's surface cautiously, but after observing for a while, they didn't find anything unusual.

At this moment, it was Wei Kingdom's turn to lead the way.

Yilihan said to Bai Shaobai, "General Bai, why don't you send a soldier to test the path?"

Bai Shaobai wasn't one to be bullied easily, and he responded firmly, "This is Mai Kingdom's territory. How can I take the lead? General Yilihan should go."

Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen watched the spectacle from the sidelines. They weren't in a hurry, after all.

Yilihan was helpless. He didn't want to sacrifice his soldiers. He recalled how the Liao Kingdom had suffered significant losses and lost several horses when they encountered the Black Demon Spiders before, so he spent some money to buy two horses and had them driven into the river.

Everyone nervously watched the two horses.

Once the horses were in the water, it reached up to their bellies, causing them to hesitate slightly. However, there seemed to be nothing amiss in their demeanor. After a moment, they quietly walked to the other side of the river. Due to the rapid flow, their progress was slow, but they showed no signs of distress. After a while, the two horses reached the other side and silently bent down to graze on the grass.

Yilihan breathed a sigh of relief. "It should be fine."

Bai Shaobai then commanded the soldiers to drive the horses into the river.

Yan Ge faintly felt that something was wrong, but after surveying the surroundings, he didn't find anything.

With other kingdoms' teams leading the way, Huangfu Yuchen wasn't too worried. He noticed Yan Ge's subtle movements and asked with concern, "What's wrong, baby?"

"I feel like there's something very wrong," Yan Ge touched his chin.

Yan Jin let out a "huh", and asked casually, "Papa, won't the horses drink some water?"

"That's it!" Yan Ge clapped his hands, "This water must be problematic! Otherwise, why wouldn't these horses drink the water after walking in the desert for two days?"

Bai Shaobai's expression changed suddenly.

Almost as soon as Yan Ge's voice fell, several soldiers who had already entered the water screamed in pain, lifting their legs and feet out of the water.

Upon closer inspection, their legs were covered in densely packed red bugs that wriggled incessantly, a truly disgusting sight.

"Retreat quickly!" Bai Shaobai's face turned pale as he instinctively gave the command.

The soldiers hurriedly pulled on the reins to go back, but it was already too late. The red bugs quickly devoured the flesh on their legs and feet, leaving only gleaming white bones. Several soldiers opened their mouths but couldn't say anything before falling off their horses into the river. Soon, their bodies were covered by the red bugs. They turned into skeletons in the blink of an eye, sinking into the riverbed.

Many soldiers couldn't help but vomit.

Even Yan Ge and Huangfu Yuchen's faces turned pale, and they felt a chill run down their spines.

Gao Feng swiftly covered Yan Jin's eyes.

"General, we can still turn back now," the deputy leader of Youji Kingdom whispered to their leader.

The military's morale was already wavering.

Yilihan raised his voice, "If you're willing to give up the treasure, no one is stopping you."

From his tone, it was clear that he still wanted to move on. Could it be that there really was treasure in the Demon Fortress? The group began to hesitate again.

Yilihan's sharp eyes swept toward the river, and his eyes lit up. "Look! Those horses are perfectly fine!"