The nursery rhyme rang out again at such a critical moment, bringing a tremendous impact to everyone.

Especially for those who had been working almost all night, the nursery rhyme almost completely broke down their mental defenses.

This time, not only Su Su, but everyone fell completely silent.

At such a crucial moment, Yue Qi became even calmer. His focus remained on questioning Guo Hu.

"Explain yourself more clearly. Was there anything wrong with Yan Qing at the time? And what was that man's reaction?"

Guo Hu trembled as he tried to recall, "The man was standing on the rooftop across the square. The house looked very special; it had no door and looked a bit like a simulated cave."

"In the square opposite him, the people inside those coffins were kneeling and kowtowing to him, but I couldn't hear what they were saying. Later, the man seemed a little angry, and with a slight wave of his hand, all the coffins in the square exploded, and the people inside were reduced to ashes. None of them came out."

Guo Hu felt a lingering fear; that scene had been incredibly shocking for him. It was the first time he had witnessed the man's terrifying power.

"You know this person—?"

Guo Hu was also quite adept at reading people's expressions. He could clearly see a gritted-teeth look on Yue Qi and Yan Che's faces, which had turned ashen in an instant.

However, the two were somewhat different. Yan Che seemed to have more of a sense of sorrow at the impending doom, while Yue Qi was more openly angry.

It seems like something's up with these two!

Yue Qi didn't answer his question, but instead continued, "And then? How did you get out?"

"It was Yan Qing. She told me to leave directly. That man—he didn't object, so I came out."

"That's all?" Guo Hu's words were indeed hard to believe. "That person just let you go like that?"

The person asking the question suddenly became Yan Che, whose face looked a mix of red and blue, and who exuded an indescribable sense of complexity.

Guo Hu said helplessly, "That's true, I really didn't do anything."

"What were Yan Qing and that man doing when you came out?" Yan Che's focus seemed to be a little different, and his question unsurprisingly drew attention from Yue Qi.

Guo Hu scratched his head. "I remember that the man seemed to have come to Yan Qing's side, but I don't know anything else."

The atmosphere fell silent once again.

Time ticked by, and there were less than ten minutes left. Wen Jiajia, who had suddenly quieted down, finally couldn't hold back any longer and dropped a bombshell.

"Don't even think about it. That man is a mysterious Gold-rank title holder who can control all the rules here. So, if he doesn't agree, we won't be able to get out."

Although Wen Jiajia looked somewhat discouraged, she had great confidence in someone.

"Don't worry, that brat Yan Qing won't let us just sit here and wait to die—she's definitely trying to find a way to save us."

——————

Wen Jiajia was right; Yan Qing was indeed fully aware of everyone's situation.

At this moment, she and Chu Jiang found themselves back in the cave where she had come from.

Looking at the empty, pitch-black space before her, where she couldn't see her own hand in front of her face, she knew that she was standing on the edge of the cliff where the Azure Dragon carrying the coffin had stopped.

Chu Jiang stood right opposite her, only an arm's length apart. Yan Qing could clearly feel his breath on her face, cool and lifeless.

Chu Jiang didn't speak, nor did he explain why he brought her here. He just stared at her quietly, his gaze unwavering.

The two stared at each other for a while, and Yan Qing finally gave in – there was no other reason than that time was running out.

"You'll let them go, won't you?" Her tone held a hint of expectation.

In the darkness, she couldn't see his expression, but she seemed to hear him chuckle softly.

"Why are you so sure I'll let them go? I'm sorry, I don't plan to at the moment."

here we go again.

Yan Qing had lost all patience with this man's fickle nature. "These people are victims in the first place; they were just innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. Besides, they pose no threat to you, so why bother?"

"Yes, you're right." Chu Jiang expressed his strong approval of her words, and just when he thought she had agreed, she suddenly changed the subject...

"But what if I just don't want to let them go? Qingqing, what will you do?"

Chu Jiang's tone softened and became tender. Yan Qing felt his hand caress her face, carrying a long-lost affection.

"Qingqing, will you go against me for his sake?"

Chu Jiang lowered his body considerably, and in the darkness, she saw his face for the first time. It was still a face so strikingly beautiful that she couldn't look directly at it, yet for some reason, it carried a hint of sadness, softening her heart and making her want to give in to him.

However, her mind was extremely clear.

Along the way, Chu Jiang's special treatment of her has become something she can no longer pretend to ignore and ignore.

This person's attitude towards her was not that of an elder towards a junior, nor that of a friend or relative, but rather that of a man towards a woman.

That possessiveness was too strong; she simply couldn't continue pretending to be completely unaware.

However, this also gave her some inspiration. Could it be that Chu Jiang's refusal to let those people outside go was because—

"Your goal is to kill Yue Qi, isn't it?"

Although Yan Qing asked this question, she was absolutely certain of the answer.

Sure enough, Chu Jiang only paused for a moment before readily admitting it.

"That's right, as expected of our Qingqing, she's so smart." He even clapped his hands in praise, and added at the end...

"In that case, you can guess why I won't let him go. There's a prize for the correct answer!"

Pshaw, that sounds like he's trying to coax a child, but Yan Qing won't be fooled.

It's almost midnight, and this person is still deliberately stalling for time.

"If I answer correctly, you can open the protective barrier and let them leave," Yan Qing added, observing the other person's expression.

"Of course, in exchange, I'll grant you one request."

Chu Jiang had initially been noncommittal about her earlier words, but her last sentence seemed to have a magical power that completely changed his attitude.

"Okay, I promise you."

"It's a deal." Yan Qing quickly clapped her hands and gave him a high five, afraid he might go back on his word. Then she thought for a moment before saying...

"You should know Master Yijing of Famen Temple, right? If I'm not mistaken, you and he are the same kind of people, aren't you?"

"Oh?" Chu Jiang raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"