"What's all the noise about? If you don't leave, what are we supposed to do?" Chang San's attitude changed drastically, becoming fierce and menacing. "Let me tell you, this is a way for you to enjoy yourself. Others might want to go but can't. Don't push your luck. Just come with us obediently, or we'll have to resort to force."

After saying this, Chang San turned to the masked man for instructions. Seeing that the man nodded, he ordered his men to begin their operation.

The women followed the leader with long faces, not daring to speak or move. Some, however, tried to ingratiate themselves, only to be shoved back with a gun butt. Seeing this, the others dared not risk it again. The children were pushed and shoved along, a stark contrast to their previous well-behaved state. Some were already crying, but after being scolded, they forced themselves to suppress their sobs.

"This is too cruel, Captain Zhao, we..."

"You want to rescue them again, don't you?" Xiang Wan chuckled knowingly. "Okay, go ahead and blend into that group of women. See where they're headed."

"Me?" Feng Yulian pointed to herself in surprise and shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, if I leave, Captain Zhao, you definitely won't be able to handle them alone."

"Knowing you can't handle it, you still want to go for it? Do you have a death wish?"

"No, I just feel that they are too pitiful."

"Didn't you hear what those women were saying? Staying with them is a blessing. The leader even said they're being sent to another place to continue enjoying their blessings. What's so pitiful about that?"

"But they shouldn't be treated like this."

"You know what they're going to do, and you still say things like that? Say one more word, and believe me, I'll throw you into that group of women?"

“You’re not that kind of person, I know that.”

"Go, while they are about to go out, pack some of their food and bring it over for them to eat on the way."

"oh."

Feng Yulian is talkative, but her good quality is that she's obedient. Considering she doesn't eat meat, Xiang Wan added, "Bring more meat."

After sending her away, Xiang Wan left a subtle mark on the spot, indicating the direction she was about to go, and then took advantage of the chaos to return to the second floor of that small building.

The room where the guards were kept had been cleaned. Inside were a table and chairs, and a bed for resting. Animal pelts and horns hung on the walls, but nothing else. Xiang Wan took a few sharp animal teeth from the wall and kept them close to her body, just in case. Next door was the room where she had been captured that day; it had now been thoroughly cleaned, leaving not a single hair behind. She searched everywhere, still unwilling to give up, but found nothing. Could it be that the person who came here that day was just to rest?

With no one around, Xiang Wan circled the room again. As she frowned in thought, she suddenly looked up and saw a pair of eerie eyes staring at her, which startled her. She took several steps back and pressed herself against the wall before she came to her senses. She immediately gripped the dagger in her hand and reached into her bosom with her other hand to pinch the animal tooth she had just taken.

A masked man crouched on the rafters above, having watched her for an unknown amount of time. Seeing Xiang Wan adopt a defensive posture, he leaped down silently. Xiang Wan knew he was a trained fighter, likely stronger than her. Her only saving grace was that she had covered her head with gauze before entering, leaving only her eyes visible; by remaining silent, her identity would remain unknown.

They were all masked, all here searching for something; their paths were different, but their destinations were the same. If they couldn't defeat each other, they wouldn't fight to the death. With a thousand thoughts racing through her mind, Xiang Wan had already considered her escape route. She lowered her voice, speaking in an androgynous tone, "I haven't heard of anyone else being sent. State your names."

The man stood up, a head taller than Xiang Wan, his eyes fixed on her, but he didn't answer. For a moment, it was difficult to tell whether he was friend or foe. This was a dangerous place; it wasn't wise to linger.

"Since you arrived first, I won't bother you any longer. Farewell."

Xiang Wan slowly backed towards the window, gently pushed the window frame, glanced outside and saw no one else. She then turned to slide out.

"Heaven cherishes life."

A deep male voice came from the man's mouth, and Xiang Wan's hand, which was holding onto the window frame, almost slipped. If it weren't for the unusual voice, she would have thought that Feng Yulian had appeared.

Turning her head, she saw that the man's gaze had not left Xiang Wan for a moment, as if he was waiting for her signal.

Xiang Wan was startled, recalling Feng Yulian's murmured words, "Everything has its own way of survival," and the phrase slipped out of her mouth.

After he finished speaking, the man's eyes visibly brightened, his gaze fixed on her as if to burn her. Xiang Wan was startled, thinking to herself: "Oh no, judging from that look, it seems like a successful provocation. Could it be that I've been targeted by him for no reason and am going to have to fight? My wounds have just healed; if they reopen, how will I track down those people?"

"Brother, we share the same goal, there's no need for us to fight to the death. Let's go our separate ways and pretend we never met, how about that?"

The man narrowed his eyes and said in a deep voice, "Let's act together."

Holy crap, how was I supposed to know what you were up to? I was just saying it casually, and you're already clinging to her? Bringing Feng Yulian along would at least give her some background information, and we could handle any unexpected situations. What's this person up to? Is she looking for a helper? She herself wouldn't dare to confront anyone head-on, okay?

"I wouldn't dare, I'm injured and would be a burden."

"It's alright."

The man raised his right hand and gently rubbed his left arm, then shook it back and forth a few times, as if to say, "Look, this is a minor injury that won't affect my mobility."

Xiang Wan's breath hitched, and she swallowed her words. Could she say that she was injured and would be a burden? Comparing their height and build, even if she weren't injured, she probably wouldn't be able to win. So, it was better to let him continue to misunderstand. Holding back some cards would be advantageous for her.

"You, all alone?"

That's enough.

He speaks so little, yet he dares to team up with someone he just met. Does he look down on her, or is he too confident in his own abilities?

"Tell me your purpose first."

"Just like you."

The answer was so perfect, Xiang Wan was speechless. If she couldn't guess, she'd try another way.

“Shidi”.

"Chang San".

"child."

"woman."

"companion."

"Um."

Despite the nonsensical nature of the conversation, Xiang Wan instantly understood. This person wanted to find Chang San, the woman Chang San had kidnapped, and also his companions. This was problematic; too many people could easily cause unnecessary trouble.

What's here?

If you want to travel with her, you should at least show some sincerity, right? If you come in before her, you'll definitely gain something she doesn't know about.

"Secret passage."

Hmm? Xiang Wan looked around. This place was so small, and it was on the second floor. Where was the secret passage?

The man turned to the side and gestured for Xiang Wan to look under the bed.

Xiang Wan slowly crept closer to the wall and indeed found something under the bed.