Wang Jue thought this way as he and Hou Dayong reached a three-way fork. The path to the left and the path to the right were both lined with crystals. The crystals on the left were slightly larger, most of them as long as an arm. The crystals on the right grew from geode-like stone bases, as if someone had deliberately sawed open these bases and inlaid them into the tunnel walls, creating the appearance of an artificial crystal cave.

Without a second thought, Hou Dayong bolted toward the right. Wang Jue shot out a hand and grabbed the back of his tunic. "Why aren't we going left?"

"Didn't you see the meter-long crystal pillars everywhere on the left? Every one of those pillars is a weapon. If you and I got into a conflict there, we'd most likely be impaled on those crystal spikes," Hou Dayong explained.

"Doesn't that fit the principle of defense? If I were the enemy, I would definitely set up my main base on the side with the crystal pillars. That way, one man could hold off ten thousand." Wang Jue countered.

Hou Dayong rolled his eyes at him. "You even know that idiom? Then we definitely shouldn't go that way. We should at least head for the less dangerous area first, gather more intelligence, and then strike at the heart of the enemy, shouldn't we?"

At these words, Wang Jue immediately fell silent. Undeniably, in terms of military strategy, Hou Dayong possessed richer experience than he did and never took unnecessary risks. Just now, Zhang Yuqiu had been captured the moment she emerged from the pool, yet Hou Dayong was unscathed and had somehow procured an oxygen tank to solve Wang Jue's breathing problems. Based on this alone, Wang Jue knew he should follow Hou Dayong, letting him take command and lead him through this deceptively beautiful yet incredibly dangerous crystal cave.

Thus, the two turned and ran toward the right. Most of the crystals growing in those geodes were thumb-sized, looking utterly enchanting at first glance. Several times, Wang Jue wanted to stop and carefully admire the marvelous creations of nature, only to be pulled back by Hou Dayong turning around and urging him forward. The two ran for an unknown length of time, feeling as if the tunnel were endless, stretching on forever. The crystal geodes embedded in the walls on both sides numbered perhaps ten thousand. If some unscrupulous merchant discovered this place, these beautiful treasures would be cut out and carted off for high-price resale in the crystal market within a month or two. By then, the stunning cave and its kaleidoscopic corridor would cease to exist.

Just as Wang Jue was lost in admiration of the crystals’ beauty, Hou Dayong suddenly halted. With two swift motions, he grabbed Wang Jue’s trouser leg and sleeve and instantly scrambled up onto his shoulder, crouching there. Before Wang Jue could process what was happening, he looked up to see a man wrapped in a blue headscarf standing at the tunnel's apex, hands crossed over his chest, staring intently at them.

Wang Jue did not recognize this man, but Hou Dayong did—it was Fan Jia, the one who had sparred with Xiao Shu in Qinxin Park. He stood there motionless, as if he had been waiting specifically for their arrival. Hou Dayong had calculated every possibility, but he had not anticipated Fan Jia waiting for them here. He shot Wang Jue a look tinged with apology, as if to say: Perhaps you were right; we should have taken the other route.

Fan Jia saw Hou Dayong’s expression clearly. Before either of them could speak, he began first: "Don't feel guilty. Even if you had gone the other way, the result would have been the same. Once you enter the enemy's camp, you must be prepared to be captured at any moment. I think the smartest of the three of you was that woman—Zhang Yuqiu, wasn't it? She surrendered immediately upon leaving the pool. That was the best possible move; she neither sustained any injury nor failed to be brought by our people to exactly where she wanted to go."