You see, I had built up momentum when I ran to catch Old Li; now, with nowhere to push off, I couldn't guarantee I’d land safely, or avoid tumbling into that red substance below.

“Master Luo… Master Luo…” Old Li worriedly started, his words trailing off as he seemed unsure what else to say.

My concern was entirely focused on how to reach solid ground safely, leaving me with no inclination to ponder what Old Li was hesitating about.

For a moment, both Old Li and I fell into a heavy silence. Soon, faint sounds of fighting drifted from the distance, mixed, it seemed, with the sharp tones of a woman scolding. That must be Zhuoma Yangjin and her group. I wasn't worried about Zhuoma Yangjin’s safety at all; she was elusive, and she had four or five men calling her 'Princess' who were more than enough to protect her. In contrast, Old Li and I were unarmed. Setting aside any discussion of destructive power or offensive capability, just surviving this ordeal would be difficult enough.

And yet… reality quickly proved I had overestimated Zhuoma Yangjin and her retinue. Not long after the sounds of fighting subsided, the Germans—Hans, Liske, Staffar, and Matias—came marching through, escorting Zhuoma Yangjin and her entourage. It appeared the Germans had lost their nerve; for dealing with a mere fragile woman, they were fully armed. Hans and Liske each held one of Zhuoma Yangjin’s arms, while Staffar watched her with a tense expression, eyes unblinking, a gun pressed tightly against her side. Matias remained relatively inactive, occasionally glancing back at the Tibetans following behind, likely fearing a sudden ambush from them. What struck me, however, was how overly compliant Zhuoma Yangjin’s guards seemed; not a single one made a move to intervene.

“Hans, you truly live up to your reputation as noble men, taking three grown men to hold one delicate woman captive. Truly heroic,” I sneered, all the while calculating how I could leap across to rescue her.

Hearing my words, Hans stopped dead in his tracks and stood firm. He stared intensely at me for a moment, then shifted his gaze to appraise Zhuoma Yangjin. Liske waited patiently until I finished speaking before slowly and deliberately saying, “Luo Lian, this is the good friend who has been secretly saving you. Don't you think… that now she is in trouble, it’s time for you to step in and help?”

As his voice faded, Old Li quickly interjected, afraid I would act rashly: “Master Luo… let’s observe the situation first.”

I saw right through the Germans’ scheme; they were undoubtedly cooking up another trick to blackmail me—though Zhuoma Yangjin’s sudden capture did feel slightly suspicious.

“Speak, what terms do you propose,” I said, lightly kicking the fiery, flickering rock behind me. I realized I could still use it for leverage. With that small assurance, I felt more in control.

“Very simple. The map,” Liske said, glaring at Zhuoma Yangjin, his eyes seemingly spitting fire, though he dared not unleash it, appearing deeply frustrated. Zhuoma Yangjin, meanwhile, was agitated, shouting, “Don’t give it to him! Absolutely do not give it!”

Hans let out a cruel grin and tightened his grip. Zhuoma Yangjin immediately let out a sharp cry, and her followers began to stir restlessly. The old woman, Zhuoga, and the smiling young girl instantly drew the Tibetan knives from their waists, ready to strike. Staffar aimed his gun directly at Zhuoma Yangjin’s head, silent, not even turning back. But Zhuoga and the young girl immediately checked their impulse, quietly tucking their blades back in.

Taking advantage of their momentary distraction, I pushed off backward and lunged forward, only to lose my balance completely, crashing onto the ground flat on my back. Old Li immediately jumped down after me without hesitation, but he was luckier; he didn't fall. As soon as he found his footing, he reached out to haul me up.

When I stood, my head still swam a little. I wondered why the Germans hadn't just rushed us, tied us up, and then forced Old Li to hand over the map. Behind me, the rock still glowed with that vivid, almost liquid red flicker. I felt tired and leaned back against it. The instant my back touched the rock, Zhuoma Yangjin screamed in alarm, “Don’t! Don’t!”

I looked at her, bewildered. “You mean don’t me?”

Zhuoma Yangjin struggled violently, trying to break free from the Germans’ hold. At the same time, she said, “Yes, don't lean on it!” Then, with concern, she added, “Are you hurt? Are you bleeding?”

I shook my head, completely lost, but I obeyed, refraining from touching the rock. This strange place made me feel as if I were walking on thin ice.

Just then, the little girl who was always smiling ignored the Germans entirely, walked right up to Zhuoma Yangjin, and respectfully said, “Princess?”

The Germans didn't try to stop them, allowing them free communication. But the girl spoke very little. After those two words, she stood quietly looking at Zhuoma Yangjin, as if awaiting an order. Staffar subtly shifted his gun to the side, pointing it at the girl, clearly wary of her making a sudden move. Matias seized the opportunity to offer a ‘helpful’ reminder to the girl: “Don’t move recklessly. See? The gun is aimed at you. Staffar can take you out in one second, and then turn the gun back to guard your leader.”

The girl paid no mind to Matias and asked again, “Princess?” Her tone suggested a major action was imminent.

Zhuoma Yangjin slowly shook her head, saying nothing. The little girl pouted sullenly, turned, shot me a look of resentment, stamped her foot a few times, and went back to muttering with Zhuoga.

Zhuoma Yangjin looked at the Germans on either side of her with an expressionless face, her lips tightly sealed, silent.

Liske began to grow frantic. “We’re running out of patience! Either you!” He pointed at Zhuoma Yangjin, “or you guide us out properly! Or…” He then turned and gestured toward me and Old Li, “or you two pull out the map right now. Staffar has a bad temper; he might accidentally let the safety off!”

“Don’t give it! If you give it, none of us will get out alive,” Zhuoma Yangjin maintained, her face stubbornly set.

Old Li looked to me for direction. The map was on him, but he understood Zhuoma Yangjin’s feelings for me perfectly. Whether to save her or not was a decision he would respect mine on.

“Yangjin…” I hesitated, unsure how to phrase it. “I… you…” What I wanted to ask was why her strong guards—three men and two women—were incapable of protecting her, and why only she was captured while everyone else was fine? But sensing that question was unwise, I shook my head and changed tack, asking why handing over the map would lead to everyone’s death.

Zhuoma Yangjin looked at me strangely, then suddenly smiled, as if she wasn't being held at gunpoint at all. She said casually, “Perhaps the map is flawed, or perhaps whoever gets the map won’t leave a single survivor.”

Just the Germans, along with the opportunistic Matias, numbered only four. We had seven or eight people; were we really afraid of them?

And as I spoke, I was continuously searching for an opening to act against Zhuoma Yangjin. After careful observation, I hesitated to make a move. There were several moments when Liske and Hans were careless, but Staffar was terrifying. His eyes told me he was an absolutely lethal marksman; his shooting was too precise to risk any rash action.

“Fine,” I sighed, mimicking Zhuoma Yangjin’s nonchalance, completely ignoring the Germans as I asked her, “So, what do we do now?”

Zhuoma Yangjin suddenly flashed a mysterious smile and offered a completely unrelated statement: “I intentionally brought them here to find you.”

I was utterly amazed: “You led them here? What do you mean?”

Zhuoma Yangjin smiled again, offering no immediate answer, instead asking me, “Luo Lian, do you believe it? Actually, since you entered the Dry Corpse Cave, all the monsters have been concentrating here?”

Her words sent a prickle of goosebumps racing over my entire body, and my hair seemed to stand on end. No way. I thought we were finally past the worst of it; I never expected this…

“Don't scare me! I can’t take any more turmoil,” I pleaded, almost begging.

Zhuoma Yangjin remained composed, ignoring my fear. “Look to your left. Do you see a large, black, circular platform?”

Hearing this, the Germans immediately followed my gaze to the left. Sure enough, not far off, there was a dark platform.

Zhuoma Yangjin paused, calculating that I had seen it. Then, with an inexplicable air, she asked me and Old Li, “Luo Lian, Li Zeng, are either of you injured or bleeding?”

It was the second time she had asked that question. Old Li and I both froze, unsure of her intent. I suddenly recalled her ashen face on Qiangbake Mountain, yet smiling as she told me that if we weren't injured, we should seek out the successor of Master Banqin. She clearly had a deeper meaning then, which I hadn't grasped. I thought for a moment and replied, “Just some insignificant scrapes.”

Zhuoma Yangjin frowned, looking somewhat disappointed. “Only minor scrapes?” Her tone suggested we should have been seriously wounded.

“I… I don’t understand what you mean,” I began to feel an inexplicable fear creeping toward Zhuoma Yangjin. Her actions and words were utterly baffling.

“Master Luo, you know that Traditional Chinese Medicine emphasizes the roles of Monarch, Minister, Assistant, and Envoy, right?” I felt close to collapse; her leaps in logic were too extreme. What did this have to do with anything?

I had no idea how to respond. I nodded blankly. Zhuoma Yangjin ignored my confusion and continued, “For example, some monsters are the ‘Monarch’; to lure them out, you need a medicinal catalyst. Do you understand?”

I was beginning to catch on—so the goal was to lure out the monsters, but she was using obscure references to Traditional Chinese Medicine because she feared the Germans would understand otherwise.

Looking at the Germans, I saw that Zhuoma Yangjin’s meandering explanation had indeed left them all utterly bewildered.

Zhuoma Yangjin smiled triumphantly. “Your blood can serve as the ‘Minister’ to draw out the ‘Monarch.’ Do you grasp that?” I nodded, then paused and shook my head, asking, “Where do we draw it from?”

Zhuoma Yangjin looked around quickly, glanced dismissively at the Germans holding her, then turned back, completely unconcerned by the gun at her head, and signaled to her subordinates.

Zhuoga immediately understood, nodding in agreement. The perpetually tight expression on the young girl’s face shifted back to her usual gentle smile.