Xue Yao held the large man down to prevent him from moving too much and reopening his freshly bandaged wounds. In a serious tone, he asked, "Who are you, and why were you being tortured here?"
The man let out a deep sigh. His eyes, clear and filled with a sense of righteousness, met Xue Yao's. Deciding there was no reason to hide the truth, he began to explain in a hoarse voice, "My name is Sha Zhongping. Thirty years ago, I rebelled against my master in a moment of youthful arrogance. Back then, I was brash and overconfident, challenging masters across the land to prove my skill. Unfortunately, I crossed paths with that despicable villain, Xu Zhen. He used underhanded tricks to defeat me and drained me of all the skills I had spent a lifetime mastering. How tragic!"
"Then why didn't he just kill you?" Xue Yao narrowed his eyes, sensing that the man was omitting something important.
At the question, Sha Zhongping's gaze flickered. He coughed violently, spitting up a mouthful of blood, and suddenly seemed much weaker, as if speaking any further would be too much for him to bear. Xue Yao, now suspicious, grew cold toward the man. He pursed his lips and fell silent, turning his attention to Ji Chun and Su Ran, who were still searching for Ouyang Yixun.
"Do you know where Ouyang Yixun is being held?" Xue Yao asked Sha Zhongping.
Sha Zhongping answered quickly, "The Ouyang Yixun you're looking for—is he a boy of about fourteen or fifteen?"
"Yes, that's him. Do you know where he is?" Xue Yao pressed urgently.
"There's a mechanism three meters high on the south wall. Knock on it three times, and a secret door will open. The person you're looking for is inside," Sha Zhongping explained, pointing toward the wall.
Xue Yao immediately called out, "Ji Chun Dashi! Ji Chun Dashi!"
Ji Chun and Su Ran emerged from the secret passage, puzzled by Xue Yao's sudden shout. "This man says that if we knock three times on the wall over there, three meters high, a secret door will appear, and Young Master Ouyang is inside!" Xue Yao explained, gesturing toward the dark, towering wall.
"Understood," Ji Chun nodded. He picked up three stones from the ground and prepared to throw them at the wall, but Su Ran stopped him with a sharp gesture.
"Have you lost your minds?!" Su Ran snapped coldly. His disdain for Ji Chun was evident, and he sneered inwardly, This bald fool dares to show such a face to me? If I don't kill him, I don't deserve to be called Su Ran!
"What are you talking about?" Xue Yao shot back, pointing angrily at Su Ran.
Su Ran, visibly annoyed by what he saw as their stupidity, grabbed his hair in frustration. He then pointed at Sha Zhongping, who was struggling to stand, and said coldly, "You don't even know this man, yet you're so quick to believe him? What if this is a trap? Hmph! I'm not going to die with you fools!"
Though harsh, Su Ran's words carried a ring of truth. Xue Yao hesitated, then turned to Ji Chun, waiting for his decision. Ji Chun, however, remained silent.
Without waiting for a response, Sha Zhongping pointed at Su Ran and cursed, "You're slandering me! How can you be so vicious and suspicious? I'm already in this state—why would I lie to you?" He paused to catch his breath, then added, "Fine. If you don't believe me, find a hidden corner and wait. I'll open the secret door myself."
Xue Yao, usually eccentric, was now cautious after Su Ran's warning. Seeing Ji Chun's hesitation, he carefully moved to a safe corner and hid. Ji Chun frowned, conflicted. If they hadn't arrived in time, Sha Zhongping would have been tortured to death. It seemed unlikely that he was a bad person. But Su Ran, with his twisted mind, judged everyone by his own standards and saw deceit everywhere.
Just as Ji Chun was about to speak, Su Ran grabbed his wrist and pulled him aside. "He said he'd open the door himself. Why are you meddling?" Su Ran hissed, his voice low and threatening, barely containing his anger.
"Ji Chun Dashi..." Xue Yao's voice came from the dark corner, urging him to find a safe spot quickly. Reluctantly, Ji Chun joined them, holding his breath as they watched Sha Zhongping's every move.
Sha Zhongping bent down, picked up a few stones, and focused his energy. With a sharp motion, he threw the stones at the wall three meters away. Three loud thuds echoed through the chamber, and a crack appeared in the tightly fitted stone wall. Though irregular in shape, it was unmistakably a secret door.
At that moment, everyone noticed circular stone mechanisms embedded in the walls on either side of the secret door. Sha Zhongping reached in, twisted the mechanism twice, and the stone door creaked open.
"Come out!" Sha Zhongping called, breathing heavily. He leaned on a nearby table to steady himself, clearly struggling to stay upright. Ji Chun hurried over to support him, his voice filled with concern. "Benefactor, your condition..."
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Sha Zhongping assured him with a weak smile. "Go in and see if he's there."
Xue Yao stepped forward to check Sha Zhongping's injuries, while Ji Chun cautiously entered the secret chamber. The space inside was small and dim, the air thick with the nauseating stench of blood. Ouyang Yixun's frail body was chained by the wrists, rendering him immobile. He wore a thin, bloodstained shirt, its original color now indistinguishable beneath the dark, mottled stains. His head hung low, his long, disheveled hair obscuring half of his face. He looked lifeless.
Ji Chun's heart clenched at the sight. The last time he had seen Ouyang Yixun, the young man had been dignified and elegant, despite his illness. Now, in just a few days, he had been reduced to this pitiful state. The cruelty of it was unbearable. Ji Chun carefully broke the iron cuffs binding the boy's wrists, cradling his frail body in his arms. As he turned to leave, Su Ran's voice cut through the silence.
"Is he still alive?" Su Ran asked, his tone laced with annoyance. He stepped forward, glancing at Ouyang Yixun with indifference. "Since we've found him, I'm done here. I'm leaving."
Just then, Xue Yao entered the chamber. His eyes widened in shock at the sight of Ouyang Yixun in Ji Chun's arms. He rushed over to check the young man's pulse, his expression darkening when he confirmed he was still alive. "How could they do this to him?" Xue Yao muttered, his voice trembling with anger. He had worked so hard to save Ouyang Yixun, only for him to end up like this. Xu Zhen, that damned old man...
"We need to leave now," Ji Chun interrupted, his voice urgent. "They'll come looking for us soon."
The two quickened their pace, but when they returned to the main chamber, Sha Zhongping was gone. There was no time to investigate further—they had to get Ouyang Yixun to safety and tend to his wounds.
As they made their way out of the forbidden area, they chose a hidden path to avoid detection. However, they soon encountered a large group of people approaching aggressively. Leading them was Xu Sheng, one of the Tiangang Sect's masters. His eyes immediately locked onto Ouyang Yixun in Ji Chun's arms.
"Capture them!" Xu Sheng barked, signaling his men. Over twenty fighters surged forward.
Ji Chun held Ouyang Yixun with one arm and wielded his Zen staff with the other, fending off the attackers. But the odds were against him, and he began to tire. Xue Yao, meanwhile, was screaming and dodging, his body already marked with several bloody wounds. The two were forced to retreat step by step, eventually finding themselves backed into a dense thicket.
Suddenly, they bumped into something—or someone—hidden in the bushes. It was Su Ran, still disguised as "Shangguan Li." He had chosen this path to escape but had hidden when he heard the approaching commotion. Now, caught in the middle of the fight, he had no choice but to join the fray.
Su Ran, unable to use his internal energy due to his injuries, relied on his fists and feet to fight. But his strength was fading fast. He edged closer to Ji Chun and hissed, "If you ditch the kid, we can all escape!"
Ji Chun ignored him, focusing on the enemies in front of him.
"Damn monk!" Su Ran cursed under his breath. Then, reluctantly, he added, "Fine! Let Xue Yao carry the kid. We'll cover him. The South Gate is ahead. While it's still dark, we can buy them time to slip away!"
Ji Chun considered the suggestion and nodded. "Alright." With a powerful swing of his staff, he knocked down several attackers and turned to Xue Yao. "Take Young Master Ouyang and go. We'll hold them off."
Xue Yao hesitated but finally hoisted Ouyang Yixun onto his back. With Ji Chun and Su Ran providing cover, he made a break for the South Gate. However, Xu Sheng noticed the escape and immediately disengaged from the fight. Using his Qinggong, he leaped after Xue Yao.
Ji Chun's heart sank. He was about to abandon the remaining attackers and chase after Xu Sheng when Su Ran, quick as ever, thrust three needles into his hand. "Not poisonous!" Su Ran said hurriedly.
In that moment, Su Ran's motives were clear. He wasn't acting out of mercy for Xue Yao or Ouyang Yixun—he simply didn't want to be left alone to face the mob.
The situation was urgent. Ji Chun no longer hesitated. With a swift motion, he shot the needles Su Ran had given him, striking Xu Sheng in the back and legs. Instantly, Xu Sheng collapsed to the ground. By then, Xue Yao and Ouyang Yixun had already vanished into the darkness. Ji Chun finally allowed himself a moment of relief before turning to assist Su Ran in dealing with the remaining attackers.
As the last of the enemies fell, the two prepared to head toward the South Gate. But before they could take more than a few steps, another group of pursuers emerged from behind, charging at them with weapons drawn. Ji Chun, a man who rarely showed emotion, couldn't help but feel a surge of anger. If they continued toward the South Gate, the pursuers would surely follow, risking Xue Yao and Ouyang's safety. Their efforts would be wasted.
Ji Chun quickly made a decision. He turned away from the South Gate, leading the pursuers in a different direction. Su Ran, sharp as ever, immediately understood Ji Chun's plan. Though he was clearly annoyed, he didn't waste time arguing. Instead, he snapped, "Head east! There's a path up the mountain!"
Without hesitation, the two sprinted eastward. The sound of their pursuers grew louder, but they pressed on, finally reaching the foot of the mountain. They began climbing the rugged, overgrown path without looking back, their breaths coming in ragged gasps as they pushed themselves upward.
After about half an hour, the voices of their pursuers faded into the distance, eventually disappearing altogether. Exhausted, the two men finally stopped to catch their breath. They collapsed onto the damp, dirty ground, too tired to care about the discomfort.
For a while, they sat in silence, their faces cold and distant. When their eyes met, there was no camaraderie—only mutual wariness. A cool breeze swept through the trees, causing both men to shiver. Without a word, they pushed themselves up, using the tree trunks for support, and continued up the mountain in unspoken agreement. Their goal now was to find a cave or shelter where they could rest for the night and plan their next move.