The vast wilderness stretched as far as the eye could see, the azure sky like a dome covering the land, the cold wind howled, and the green grass of the grassland undulated like waves.

Chang Lili changed into a pleated skirt, mainly red, worn by the local ethnic group. Her ornaments jingled as she walked towards the "Black City" that Burji had mentioned. With each step she took, the silver ornaments on her head and body made a pleasant clinking sound.

Black City is located on a low hill, surrounded by sturdy walls at its foot, resembling a small city. It actually has a name, Leisi Ridge, but the name is difficult to pronounce and remember. Since the city is built with black soil, over time, everyone has come to call it that.

In the Black City, vendors lined up, each with a sign in front of them. Their goods were covered with cloth, and they sat on the ground wearing hoods, their bodies covered with sand and dust.

The people here are nothing like the people of the Central Plains who would call out to customers. Chang Lili walked around and picked a person from the Central Plains. People from the Central Plains are not uncommon here. They often come to sell goods, food or household items, and many people make a fortune.

"Is this yours? Businesses are always very strict. How could you transport cattle and sheep?" Chang Lili looked suspiciously at the cattle and sheep grazing in the shed.

A few days ago, a tribe was attacked and had little food left for the winter. The cattle and sheep that the people from the Central Plains obtained belonged to that tribe. They were too lazy to waste words with her: "Want to buy? If not, get out of the way."

Chang Lili wouldn't budge, crossing her arms: "How much?"

The man said, "Six hundred taels of silver per head, no credit, no bargaining."

“In the past, the cattle and sheep sold for a maximum of five hundred and thirty taels of silver,” Chang Lili said. “You’re not afraid of overeating and dying by taking other people’s cattle and sheep and selling them at high prices.”

"Get out if you're not going to buy."

The wind rose again, whipping up dust and sand. The man pulled up his hood and raised his hand to shield himself from the wind and sand.

Chang Lili's eyes darted around, and she slashed hard at the man's neck. The man fell to the ground, and she quickly flipped over and jumped into the cowshed, cut the rope, and set off firecrackers. The cattle and sheep were startled and ran in all directions, and some stalls nearby were also affected.

"My cattle and sheep—you little brat! You're asking for it!"

In the blink of an eye, the cattle and sheep disappeared, and the man on the ground got up, clutching his throbbing neck, and lunged at Chang Lili viciously. Chang Lili dodged, her feet barely touching the ground, and slipped into the alley, scaling the wall and running away to another place, quickly shaking off the man.

Once she was sure no one was chasing her, Chang Lili let out a soft "whoosh" and leaned against the wall, panting.

It's done.

Chang Lili waited for a while, then walked out of Black City through another road. On the stone road, five or six men dressed in Central Plains attire blocked her way.

"Where did this wild girl come from, daring to ruin our business? I'll teach you a lesson today! Then you'll know your place!"

Another person said, "You look pretty good. If you just kowtow and admit your mistake, and have some fun with us, we might just take pity on you and let you go."

These men had deep-set noses and striking features; no matter how fluently one spoke their Central Plains dialect, it just didn't quite capture their essence. Chang Lili slowly backed away, staring intently at them: "Don't even think about it!"

The leader sneered, "Let's see how long you can keep up this act. Find her!"

Several people attacked at once. Chang Lili ducked to avoid the swords, but after two or three moves, she was in a losing position.

She only knew a little bit of the basics, and while she might have a chance to win on her own, she was completely defenseless against several people. Just as she was considering whether to use a hidden arrow to escape, a man and a woman descended from the sky, wielding long swords with swift and fierce movements. They grabbed her arm and rescued her from danger.

Having reached a safe place, Chang Lili looked around the earthen wall and realized that she was still in Black City. She said gratefully, "Friends on the grassland, thank you for helping me."

"It's just a small favor. We can save you, but we can't save the people of other tribes."

The man who had sheathed his sword spoke, his voice deep and resonant. Chang Lili's pupils constricted as she recognized him as the same person from the gambling den.

The disappearance of the woman from the North was indeed related to the Three Pages Gate.

Luckily, she was dressed as a man when she went to the gambling den, and she had disguised herself, otherwise she would have been dead.

The man said, "The people from the Central Plains have invaded our northern border on a large scale, driving up prices. How many people are starving? They even make arrogant and provocative statements. Just because of some inexplicable rumor, they have actually harmed my people!"

The woman added, "That's right! They're a cancer on the grasslands. If they don't get their way at the slightest thing, they gather their gang and beat and kick our people. You just experienced it yourself, so you should understand perfectly well!"

They recounted the emperor's many crimes, and Chang Lili listened intently, understanding the implied meaning in their words. She nodded emphatically: "You're right, they've gone too far! Justice must be served."

The woman carefully examined Chang Lili, confirming that she truly hated the Central Plains. She placed her hand on Chang Lili's shoulder and stared intently at her: "We have an organization in the Central Plains that exists to eradicate injustice in the world! If you'd like, please join us and help our people obtain food."

The force on her shoulder was not to be underestimated. Chang Lili guessed that there was a bruise. Her companions were still trying to persuade her: "Don't worry, we don't want anything from you. We just hope that the people in our tribe will be safe and sound."

Chang Lili had already planned to infiltrate the Three Pages Sect, so how could she possibly object? She immediately declared, "Alright! I agree. If you can really bring back food, some members of the clan might not survive the harsh winter."

The two exchanged a glance and nodded almost imperceptibly. Chang Lili introduced them: the woman was from the grasslands and her name was Ji Yun, and the man's surname was Liu.

Chang Lili kept it in mind, but before she could reveal her false identity, hurried footsteps rushed in.

Liu and Ji Yun's expressions changed. They placed their hands on their swords, but before they could draw them, they heard a cold shout.

"Don't move!"

A squad of northern soldiers, wielding scimitars, followed by a line of archers with bows drawn, ready to fire at the slightest provocation. The lead soldier coldly declared, "You have disrupted the trading market, committed murder and escaped, and shown utter disregard for the law. Arrest them all!"

With soldiers layered upon layer, there was no chance of escape. Chang Lili, being pragmatic, urged Liu and Ji Yun to put down their weapons with her eyes.

The two hesitated for a moment, then put their swords on the ground. The soldiers stepped forward, detained them, and took them to the dungeon.

The dungeon was empty, consisting of only walls and sand. The cell door was enclosed by a wooden frame. Chang Lili said with deep remorse, "I'm sorry, I've dragged you all into this."

"I killed him, it's not your fault." Ji Yun looked around the cell. "Now how do we get out? Wait for someone to rescue us?"

Liu shook his head: "It happened suddenly, without any prior notice, so it's impossible for anyone to know we were arrested."

Ji Yun and Liu offered very few clues, and Chang Lili listened for a long time without making any sense of it. She keenly sensed that the two were on guard against her!

The prison doors were crisscrossed, with narrow gaps between the wooden planks, just wide enough for one hand to pass through. Chang Lili reached out and tapped on a piece of wood; it was solid and not so easy to break. She looked at the upper left corner, as if she had thought of something, and hurriedly said...

"I can...we can get out!"