With a resounding boom, the stone tomb lid was shoved open with all of Zhou Huan’s might, the gap revealing a sliver of light. Suddenly, he felt the air rush in, the sky outside still beautifully clear.

Zhou Huan let out a long breath. "That was close to death. Every hill is an obstacle; trouble follows no matter how we go!" As he spoke, he scrambled out of the gap between the stone lid sections, immediately feeling a refreshing, subtle current flow inside his body. However, his mind was fixed on one thing: where had that surge of strength come from just now? How was it possible to muster such force to push open that impossibly heavy stone lid? It was incredible. He couldn't help but look at his own hands, truly feeling the sense of having the power to uproot mountains and dwarf the heavens.

"Master, that strength you had just now? We all felt like you had transformed into someone else. When you exerted yourself, your entire body seemed to flush crimson, a red so vivid it was almost blinding!" Shi Bingyuan said this. Zhou Huan felt that seemed to be the case, but he had a nagging feeling that if he tried to exert that strength again, it would be wasted; he had no idea how to summon that internal current to exert force.

Xiao Yun approached Zhou Huan, holding the rabbit he had been carrying. The rabbit sniffed Zhou Huan, then nestled into Xiao Yun's embrace and fell asleep. One thing Zhou Huan noticed, however, was strange about the rabbit: the two long whiskers that had sprouted recently were suddenly gone, and its eyes seemed brighter than before.

"Brother Huan, I don't know what's wrong with this rabbit. Ever since we started climbing the mountain, it keeps sleeping. It used to just follow us when we tugged it along."

Zhou Huan was equally perplexed. He didn't understand what was happening to himself, let alone the rabbit that seemed unrelated to him.

One by one, the group crawled out of the tomb, sitting down nearby to shake the dust off their clothes. Zhou Huan tried to exert himself but found his strength wanting.

"Ah! What was the origin of those two female ghosts last night? How did we end up in the stone tomb without knowing anything?" Xiao Fang asked Zhou Huan.

Zhou Huan didn't answer. He arranged for everyone to eat, then set off toward the mountaintop. But the most distressing thing was that the two streams of energy inside Zhou Huan were causing trouble again, making him feel utterly uncomfortable. Suddenly, the world went dark, and he collapsed.

This collapse nearly broke the rest of the group. They were already exhausted from working all night, and now tending to Zhou Huan, carrying and supporting him, was too much.

"Uncle-Master Tianlang, what should we do?" Everyone was at a loss now, looking at each other with mutual helplessness. In this deep mountain range, what could they do?

Tianlang shook his head. "Come, I'll carry Zhou Huan for the first leg. You all rest for a while." With that, Tianlang hoisted Zhou Huan onto his back and prepared to leave. Tianxiong and Shi Bingyuan supported him from the sides, while Dongzi pursed his lips.

"Why is my master so worried? Why is this happening?" Dongzi had just finished speaking when the rabbit in Xiao Yun's arms suddenly leaped down, hopping near Zhou Huan. It twitched its lips rapidly, but this time it made no move toward Zhou Huan, merely looking at him with an expression of utter helplessness, as if tears were welling in its eyes.

"Strange, what’s wrong with this rabbit? Look, it seems to be crying," Dongzi pointed out, but no one paid attention to him at that moment. Moreover, the rabbit couldn't speak human language, and even its owner didn't know what it meant. Although the rabbit possessed some unusual abilities, no one could fathom its expression or its inner thoughts.

Tianlang carried Zhou Huan up the first major slope. As they neared the summit, he spotted an expanse of open ground beneath the sharp peaks of the mountaintop, where massive stockades were joined together, looking vast and imposing.

It was an ancient mountain village possessing a unique aura, entirely of wooden construction—a marvel even considering the era of the Great Qing, or indeed, any period since antiquity. Every single piece of timber showed signs of being meticulously selected, from the main pillars of the great halls to the posts used for tying the gates; every beam revealed the builder's discerning eye and masterful technique.

"Uncle-Master Tianlang, let Master down. We should go into the large stockade to rest and see if we can find a way to wake Master up," Shi Bingyuan suggested.

Tianlang slowly shook his head. "Let's not. We are merely passing by their doorstep; we shouldn't go in and disturb them. Besides, those folks we didn't see in the great hall earlier might belong here. Let's avoid trouble."

At this moment, the two young women were truly anxious. Seeing Zhou Huan unconscious like this, having climbed nearly to the top of the mountain with no sign of improvement, felt utterly pointless. They insisted on finding a place to rest first so Zhou Huan could have a proper bed to recover, hoping that might bring him around.

"Brother Tianlang, we should let Master Zhou go inside the large stockade to rest properly. We can also look for food inside; otherwise, we probably won't even make it to the capital before collapsing," she said, pulling out the last of her food from her pocket. This mountain was so vast, and all the time had been consumed carrying Zhou Huan up.

Tianlang saw that the two girls only had a few pieces of tiger meat left, barely enough to last until they got down the mountain. He then checked his own pockets—they seemed empty. A sense of bewilderment washed over him. He glanced at the others; it seemed none of them had any food either. He let out a long sigh. "All right, we'll risk it. No matter what, there are so many of us; we have to beg for a meal."

Shi Bingyuan had never dreamed he would have to beg for food; it felt rather embarrassing. But he steeled himself, realizing that entering the stockade might immediately lead to drawn swords and flashing blades. This was difficult, as his own skills were lacking, and the only one who could potentially hold his own, Zhou Huan, was currently useless.

Tianxiong took the burden of Zhou Huan from Tianlang’s back and instinctively felt for his pulse. It was relatively normal, though his body temperature fluctuated drastically between hot and cold, very noticeable. This indicated that Zhou Huan’s life was not in immediate danger, which eased Tianxiong’s mind. At the very least, these energetic young people needed a full stomach, or they wouldn't have the strength to carry or haul Zhou Huan all the way to the capital.

"Let's go, let’s check it out!" Dongzi suddenly felt energized, walking ahead of the others with his hands clasped behind his back, swaying like a distinguished elder toward the large stockade. Upon reaching the first gate of the main stockade, he found it strangely unguarded. Dongzi suddenly recalled what the two men who died by the lake last night had said—that everyone on the mountain was drinking and feasting. Perhaps they were all drunk by now. Seeing no one on guard, Dongzi became delighted, proceeding even more casually into the stockade.

The people behind watched Dongzi swagger into the village as if nothing were wrong, which emboldened them to follow. Their main concern was still lugging the unresponsive Zhou Huan, which weighed heavily on their minds.

"Hey! Anyone in there? Your Grandpa Dong has arrived! Prepare some food for your grandpa!" After shouting this, Dongzi felt his voice boom, and he suddenly darted into a shadowed corner, hiding. He feared someone would emerge, and if he couldn't handle them, it would just cause more trouble. Yet, after shouting three or four times, there was no response. The entire village seemed deserted, eerily silent. Still, judging by the state of the compound, it wasn't abandoned; there were clear signs of habitation—firewood neatly stacked in the yard, buckets filled with water, and weapons gleaming brightly placed to the sides.

Dongzi shuffled out from the corner, scratching his head, muttering to himself.

"What in the world is this place? How can there not be a single person here? Hmph, if no one's here, I’ll find food myself." He turned around and shouted loudly, "Come in, there’s no one here! Let's find something to eat, and then we'll sleep before setting off again!"