When Wei Shengnan asked about our situation, I shook my head: "We were in the same situation as you. We got two tokens, but we gave one up to save our lives. After we got here, we heard that you were in danger, and before we could even leave, we met you."

When Wei Shengnan heard that things weren't going well for me either, she couldn't help but sigh: "My grandfather is right. The previous leaders of the four sects all passed down their positions from father to son. Only our generation entered the martial world without any practical experience. We were indeed too arrogant."

"At least we're still alive. It's already quite an achievement to have emerged victorious from this group of experts."

I comforted Wei Shengnan for a moment, then continued, "I just saw the winning contestants. Besides the person who took our tokens, the other team only had one person, a middle-aged man with a small braid. Was he the one who took your tokens?"

"No, our token was stolen by a group of people."

Wei Shengnan shook her head: "The first token we found was located in a crevice in a valley. A group of people cut our ropes while we were going down to retrieve it and threatened to throw stones at us to death. To protect ourselves, we had no choice but to hand over the token. The middle-aged man you mentioned probably got it from these people... You arrived here before us. Did you sense anything unusual about the other two groups?"

“We arrived only three hours earlier than you. We didn’t speak with that middle-aged man. As for the people who stole our tokens, they were a brother and sister surnamed Wang. They were very cunning and skilled in using poison, making them difficult to guard against.”

I couldn't give a definite answer to Wei Shengnan's question either: "I can't see anything about the Wang siblings for the time being, and I don't know who their master is, but the Duan family doesn't use poison, so these two shouldn't be Duan Jinyan's disciples."

After we chatted for a while, the man who was leading the group came over to Wei Shengnan and said, "The doctor said your friend's life has been saved, and he will be sent to Fengmen Village to recuperate."

Wei Shengnan was somewhat surprised: "He was only sent up less than ten minutes ago. Are you sure he won't be in any danger?"

"Fengmen Village gathers talented people from all over the world. It is no exaggeration to say that we have the world's top-notch doctors."

After answering Wei Shengnan's question, the man continued, "You will be sent to Fengmen Village separately. Once inside, you can contact each other on your own."

After answering the man's question, Wei Shengnan said to me, "I originally thought that if we could get four spots, we could push Duan Jinyan to the brink. But now it seems that we have no choice but to enter Fengmen Village to continue our investigation! He entered Fengmen Village for the Miao Jiang Immortal Palace. If the other two teams have their people, they will definitely try to find out more. We should each keep an eye on one team and keep track of each other's information."

I made the choice myself: "I'll keep an eye on the Wang siblings. We've dealt with them a few times and we're not enemies, so it'll be easier to get in touch with them."

Wei Shengnan stared at me for a while, then nodded seriously: "Duan Shenxing, thank you for being willing to give up your spot in the competition for us. I hope we can achieve our respective goals through cooperation and also clear up any misunderstandings between us."

Seeing that I was still chatting with Wei Shengnan, Jiang Man came over, grabbed my arm, and pulled me away from the scene: "We're about to enter Fengmen Village, and we have a lot of things to do. We don't have time to chat with you. Let's go!"

According to the plan Wei Shengnan and I had previously devised, if we could acquire all the tokens, we could use this method to force Duan Jinyan to show himself.

As it turned out, we clearly underestimated the abilities of the contestants, and Wei Shengnan almost lost her life.

Although the final result did not meet our expectations, both teams successfully advanced, and we still occupy half of the spots. Even if Duan Jinyan is among the winners, our chances of successfully identifying him by keeping an eye on him are much higher.

Shortly after dinner that evening, several men came to our room. One of them said, "Congratulations, everyone, on becoming the winners of this competition and gaining the right to enter Fengmen Village. However, I must remind you that although all the winning teams can enter Fengmen Village for a visit, only one person can become a permanent villager."

I came to this competition representing Tianxia Group, so upon hearing what they said, I pointed to Jiang Man without hesitation: "She is our boss."

The man nodded, then handed us a bag of bottled water: "Before entering Fengmen Village, I must remind you of something. According to the rules of Fengmen Village, white lights mean you go out, red lights mean you stop. No matter where you are, as soon as you see a green lantern, please return to your lodging as quickly as possible. If you don't have time to return, you can rest temporarily in the houses with white couplets. Once the red light is on, you absolutely cannot appear on the street, or you will surely die!"

"What's with all this red lanterns and white lanterns? Does Fengmen Village have so many rules?"

The monkey scratched its head: "What if we're in a place without lanterns, or if we don't notice this situation?"

The man responded, "As I said, anyone lingering on the street when the red light is on is doomed. So, when you're in Fengmen Village, always keep an eye on the lanterns. Also, remember, although Fengmen Village has no laws, you absolutely cannot kill innocent people indiscriminately."

If you have a personal grudge against someone, you must sign a life-or-death agreement under the old banyan tree in the center of the village. After signing, the life and death of both parties will be irrelevant to Fengmen Village. If you encounter any troublesome opponents, as long as you do not sign the life-or-death agreement, Fengmen Village can absolutely guarantee your safety.

Finally, let me say this: Fengmen Village is a black market, where all kinds of transactions are permitted. However, aside from official auctions, we are not responsible for any transactions. Therefore, whether you cheat others or are cheated yourself, it's none of our business. Do you have any further questions?

Jiang Man asked the man, "After we enter Fengmen Village, will we be able to contact the outside world?"

“Fengmen Village is isolated from the world, and there are no channels for it to contact the outside world.”

"Once we're inside, when can we leave?"

"Anytime! At the westernmost part of Fengmen Village, there is a Bridge of Helplessness. As long as you drink Meng Po's soup, you will be sent out of Fengmen Village and transported to a designated location. However, each villager only has four opportunities to enter Fengmen Village in a year."

From what the man said, I felt that the "Meng Po soup" he mentioned must be the same kind of sleeping potion we drank.

Jiang Man had already asked all the questions I wanted to know. I took a deep breath and then drank the mineral water in one gulp.

Based on their usual practices, I estimate that when I wake up again, I will already be in Fengmen Village.