The safety of the plank bridge is beyond doubt.

The whole process of inviting someone here wasn't meant to result in them cleanly and neatly falling off a cliff.

After Feng Jiakang walked over, the two women who had been acting as handrails followed him inside. The rest of the people suppressed their smiles, waved their hands expressionlessly, and followed the rules by instructing the people appointed by the VIPs to hurry up and follow.

Fang Niang nimbly darted onto the plank road and slipped inside the gate.

Tian Sanlang gritted his teeth in distress. With his swaying physique, he was likely to be blown off by a gust of wind if he really stepped onto the plank road. He smiled gently and turned to Cheng Shuang: "Little Shuang, I'll hold your hand so you won't be scared!"

Cheng Shuang looked over as well. The boy's lips were ashen, but his skin was still fair and smooth, making the purplish-blue ring around his neck even more noticeable. His dark, calm eyes revealed no complex emotions; he seemed genuinely worried that she might be frightened.

The reality was that the boy's slender legs were trembling.

He's afraid of heights!

The little girl let out a haughty nasal sound and took a step forward... Wow, the wind is really strong!

A strong wind blew, causing the hem of her skirt to flutter and sway.

She lowered her head, her mind wandering inappropriately to the thought that the 'City of the Abyss' truly lived up to its name, but she wondered how deep the valley below was.

Standing on the wooden boardwalk, you can feel the wind speed even more. A gust of wind blows from below, squeezing through the gaps in the wooden planks, causing the bridge to sway even more violently. If someone is already afraid, they might be scared out of their wits.

Cheng Shuang, however, was different. When she shrunk to the size of a hair, she had experienced extreme climbing and quite enjoyed it. Therefore, she didn't have much imagination about places where the height was not visible. She wiggled her little feet a couple of times, grabbed the door frame with her hands, and safely entered the door.

She turned her head and quietly looked at Saburo, whose lips were tightly pursed.

Because they were of similar age and Cheng Shuang were about the same height, Tian Sanlang was very thin, comparable to Cheng Shuang's frail body before coming to the Gate of Reincarnation.

With thin arms and legs, one might easily trip and fall if not careful while walking on the wooden boardwalk.

Even at this point, Tian Saburo did not back down. He slowly squatted down, intending to crawl over, when he heard the greeter behind him urging, "Hurry up! Do you want to keep the VIPs waiting?"

He was already halfway down the bridge when his turning around caused him to lose his balance, and the bridge swayed violently a few times.

Tian Saburo dared not lower his gaze, keeping it fixed on the vermilion gate on the opposite bank, pretending not to see the bottomless abyss below. His lips were pale, his fingers gripping the cracks in the wooden planks tightly, pausing with each step to steady himself. What should have been a mere meter's distance felt like a perilous climb for him.

"Ah? So you're afraid of heights!" Fang Niang's figure appeared from behind the door. She leaned against the other side of the door frame with her arms crossed, a pipe in her mouth, and gloated as she kicked the bridge plank.

The bridge swayed even more violently.

Tasaburo's lips had faded to be as white as his face.

Fang Niang seemed to be enjoying herself, stomping heavily on the bridge with her embroidered shoes, turning it into a cradle, while grumbling in a sinister tone, "Come on over here!"

Enraged, Tian Saburo's eyes shone brightly, as if washed by water, yet burned like flames. No matter how turbulent his emotions, he dared not move an inch, remaining perched on the bridge like a puppy stuck at the mouth of a well, unable to go up or down, trembling with fear.

The howling wind stung his skin, and his bony hands gripped the wooden board with all their might. He hated it so much—why wasn't he an adult…

"Tsk!" The little girl's impatient voice drifted on the wind, carrying a hint of arrogance and impatience. "Can't you hurry up? Reach out and grab me!"

Tian Sanlang and Fang Niang looked up at the same time. Tian Sanlang immediately noticed the other's fair and tender arm, while Fang Niang scoffed and maliciously blew her cigarette into Cheng Shuang's face, "What, you've decided to go against me?"

Cheng Shuang childishly blew away the cigarette smoke. "The VIPs are designated as three people. You said two children died. Will he pick two more adults from among them?"

Upon hearing this, everyone except the little girl's expression changed.

Although Tian Sanlang was grateful to Cheng Shuang for saving him time and time again, he couldn't help but mutter under his breath: "Idiot!"

Fang Niang let go of her foot, but several of the greeters behind her couldn't resist reaching out their hands.

At this moment, as the wooden bridge gradually stabilized, Tian Sanlang grabbed Cheng Shuang's arm and, using the force of Cheng Shuang pulling him back, rushed into the doorway, bumping into Fang Niang's stomach.

Fang Niang clicked her tongue, rubbed her belly, and took a few steps back to let the two children come in side by side.

The two children took two steps and then turned around together.

Cheng Shuang: "Brothers and sisters, you've been wantonly hurting the people serving the VIPs. I wonder if this will cause the VIPs to be dissatisfied?"

Despite his stiff face stinging from the wind, Tian Sanlang smiled faintly, "Ah, once we enter the central city, fighting among us is against the rules! You've finally managed to stay here and make a living, are you planning to move to the outer city to coast along? I'm really looking forward to seeing that!"

No one is unaware of the risks involved; it's just that the fleeting hope is truly captivating.

After warning the person behind him, Tian Saburo was not as composed as he appeared. He lowered his eyes and murmured softly, "Twice!"

Cheng Shuang's ears twitched, but she pretended not to hear anything.

The city center is much more beautiful than it appears on the outside.

After passing through an antique-style corridor, Cheng Shuang saw the city in the sky.

Calling it a city in the sky is not quite accurate. The city is filled with carved and painted houses, red arched bridges, silver waterfalls, and shopping malls, all stacked up from bottom to top around the central city.

Neon lights weave through the interior, illuminating the space day and night as if it were daytime.

A flirtatious beauty sat casually by the bridgehead and window, her singing and music lingering in the air.

The young girl saw several protectors enjoying themselves with beautiful women in twos and threes. Even those who still looked wary couldn't help but feast or drink wine.

There were far more natives than maintainers here. On the suspended steps formed by the arched bridge, many beautiful young women walked briskly with their bare white feet. They wore flowing robes and skirts, which contrasted sharply with the uniform sportswear worn by the maintainers, adding a beautiful scene to this fairyland.

But their attitude was exceptionally respectful, each of them looking at the protector with eyes full of admiration and worship, no matter how slovenly the protector's appearance was.

She had seen more than once the handsome older brothers and sisters feeding certain protectors fruits and pastries with care and gentleness, just like coaxing children. She was so moved by a word of praise or a smile from a protector that she would burst into tears.

At this moment, Cheng Shuang could somewhat understand the meaning behind Du Lushui's words: compared to other death zones, this place was a paradise for protectors.

The little girl felt she hadn't yet been corrupted by sweet words; she was still mindful of the endless abyss beneath heaven, and remained very vigilant.

Well, it's not because she herself concealed her identity as a protector and couldn't enjoy the right to be kissed, hugged, and lifted up by pretty girls, that I'm envious and jealous!