Fan Peiyao smiled, calm and gentle: "Forget it, let's go to Taibai Stockade; I wonder how things are over there." Li Muzhan sighed: "You’ve brought ruin upon us!" Had he known the chieftain was so formidable, he would have stopped the Commandant from sending troops, no matter what; if he hadn't intervened, the Flying Cavalry Camp would already have suffered casualties.

Though there were past grievances, when facing life and death, they were still comrades in the same camp.

He suddenly shed his iron armor, tore strips from his outer robe, and bound Fan Peiyao to his back, saying: "You are a young woman; better come with me!"

"Mm." Fan Peiyao nodded softly, allowing him to act without struggling.

She understood Li Muzhan’s implication—he trusted no one else, fearing misconduct toward her—and inwardly marveled at his thoughtfulness and meticulousness, making her wonder all the more who he truly was.

With her soft, delicate body pressed against his back, Li Muzhan felt strangely light, as if his power had doubled. His internal energy flowed vibrantly throughout his body, brimming with vitality.

He sighed internally; it seemed the saying lonely yang does not long endure, lonely yin does not give life was true—only the union of yin and yang provided the endless path of genesis.

While musing, he floated out of the woods. Passing below, he requested two quivers of arrows from the men of the Flying Cavalry Camp, handed them to Fan Peiyao to carry, and turned toward the woods opposite.

The men of the Flying Cavalry Camp watched him leave, murmuring among themselves.

A strong wind brushed past her face, setting Fan Peiyao's hair fluttering. Resting on Li Muzhan’s back, she felt the warmth and solidity emanating from his chest, her whole body growing pliant and completely relaxed.

She held a quiver in each hand while Li Muzhan held the bow, flashing through the woods like a phantom, appearing and disappearing every twenty yards or so.

In this short time, Li Muzhan continuously practiced the Tianyuan Breathing Technique, feeling his internal strength grow richer than before, as if his acupoints and meridians had expanded slightly.

He was pleasantly surprised; it seemed the two martial arts complemented each other.

It was a pity that every time he used the Canghai Divine Art, he had to sacrifice his military internal energy, which was truly troublesome, with no apparent solution. Could the Sarira be integrated with the military internal energy? Could the two rise and fall, mutually beneficial?

He was eager to try, resolving to test this theory later.

He utilized his movement technique, moving with extreme speed, traversing the woods in a blink. He spotted a group of twelve men, fully equipped with shields, spears, bows, and sabers, moving cautiously.

He swept past them like a gust of wind, startling them into suspicion. They stopped, looking left and right, finding nothing, and slowly continued upward.

Li Muzhan slightly narrowed his eyes, using his Void Eye to observe all directions, and saw the chieftain had already entered a stockade, slipping into a house.

His spirit focused, the Void Eye darted forward, following him inside. He saw the chieftain sitting on a couch, tearing open his outer garment to reveal bronze-colored skin. On his back was a palm print, black as charcoal, seemingly branded there.

Li Muzhan sighed inwardly; the Void Eye was truly miraculous, able to pierce walls and view whomever he wished. It was fortunate that he was the one using it, lest another might lose control.

However, Fan Peiyao's second grand-uncle was powerful; this palm strike was clearly poisonous. To leave such a solid print on the chieftain’s back meant the chieftain must have taken a strike in return.

A palm for a palm—no wonder he fled. He was likely severely wounded and struggling to save himself. Looking at it this way, Li Muzhan realized he had misjudged him.

Severely injured, running first rather than trying to save others was sheer, irrational folly—such a foolish act would rarely occur in someone as seasoned and calculating as the chieftain.

While contemplating, he saw the chieftain take a porcelain bottle from a small bedside cabinet, pour out a pill, swallow it, and then begin sitting in meditation to regulate his breathing and heal his wounds.

Just then, two figures drifted into the room, dressed in gray robes, standing motionless near the door against the wall, hidden in the shadows—two middle-aged men.

The chieftain didn't lift his eyes, continuing his healing meditation while the two acted as protectors.

Li Muzhan frowned inwardly. With the chieftain inside, he couldn't get the ginseng. Such an opportunity was lost—what a pity!

The chieftain’s martial arts were profound; if he were at full strength, Li Muzhan couldn't defeat him. Now that he was injured, it was the perfect moment to strike. Missing this chance, once the chieftain healed, obtaining the ginseng would be nearly impossible.

He urgently thought of a plan, then sighed after a moment. Things being as they were, he could only risk an attempt—sneak in quietly and pluck the ginseng right from under their noses.

He turned and said: "Miss Fan, let's go in and see if we can snatch it." Fan Peiyao hesitated; she felt she was now a burden, and if a fight broke out, she would only be in the way.

"Let's wait for the main army to arrive and attack the stockade together!" she advised.

Li Muzhan shook his head: "The army is too slow; by the time they break in, it might be too late... The chieftain is injured now; this is a fleeting chance to seize the ginseng!" Fan Peiyao nodded softly.

Li Muzhan inwardly praised her decisiveness, admiring her even more. Truly a heroine who yields to no man; looking delicate, yet acting decisively—truly rare.

He moved swiftly like a ghost, suddenly veering left, not heading straight up the mountain, but circling it, like a python coiling around the peak.

Taibai Stockade was located in a valley on the mountainside, a narrow pass—truly a place where one man could hold off ten thousand. To conquer this stockade would be incredibly difficult.

Li Muzhan looked down with his Void Eye, seeing through its strengths and weaknesses, avoiding the solid and striking the weak spots. He went directly to a precipice, stood facing the wind, and looked down into the bottomless abyss.

Li Muzhan stepped onto a massive boulder; beneath his feet was the bottomless chasm, shrouded in faint mist, resembling the gaping maw of a monstrous beast, dark and unplumbable, with only gusts of powerful wind rising like the beast's breath.

The harsh wind whipped his face, making his lapels billow. He turned and smiled: "Miss Fan, we are about to jump down here. Whether we live or die is hard to predict!"

Fan Peiyao pursed her lips and smiled: "Master doesn't look like someone who seeks death!" Li Muzhan chuckled, shaking his head: "I am merely deducing the stockade's location based on the terrain. Whether it’s truly there, we have to jump to see. If I'm mistaken, we'll be a pair of mandarin ducks sharing the same fate!" Fan Peiyao’s beautiful face flushed, and she glared at him: "Master, why say so much? Let's just go down!"

Li Muzhan laughed: "Then close your eyes!" "Master underestimates me too much!" Fan Peiyao chuckled.

Li Muzhan burst into loud laughter, suddenly leaping off. Fan Peiyao cried out in alarm, then promptly used her arrow quiver to tap Li Muzhan a few times. Her hair flew up, her bright eyes widened, and she stared fixedly downward.

.....................................................

With a dull thud—"Peng"—Fan Peiyao felt a jolt, and her downward momentum abruptly stopped.

Turning, she saw they were standing on a platform. On one side was the abyss, and on the other, a sheer rock face faintly covered in moss.

She looked up into a curtain of mist, unable to see the mountaintop.

She let out a long breath, realizing they had found the spot. Then she frowned; having landed here, getting up would be difficult. The rock face was slick with moss, offering no purchase for lightness skills; they could only use the Wall-Swimming Skill.

But Wall-Swimming consumed internal energy too rapidly. It was manageable over three or four zhang, but difficult over ten. If they climbed halfway and fell, they would truly become mandarin ducks sharing the same fate.

She felt a bit doubtful; this didn't look like a place people could traverse. She whispered: "Master, is this really it?" Li Muzhan nodded: "Yes, it should be correct." He pressed his hand against the stone wall, ignoring the moss staining his hand, remaining still for a moment before nodding again: "This is the place!"

Fan Peiyao frowned: "But how do we open it?"

She had guessed it: even if this was the place, the mechanism must operate from the inside out; it couldn't be opened from the outside. The stone wall was incredibly solid; trying to force it open was unlikely.

Li Muzhan smiled: "We can only break it open forcibly; there is no mechanism."

"This..." Fan Peiyao drew a breath and looked up. The mist obscured the sky. If they couldn't open this, ascending would be immensely difficult.

"I really have become a burden," she said with a wry smile.

Li Muzhan laughed: "No matter. Watch me!"

He pressed both palms against the stone wall, remaining motionless, deep in thought. His spirit flowed through his palms, completely analyzing the wall's composition—its solid and void aspects.

Everything possesses yin and yang, solid and void aspects. With yin and yang, transformation and change are possible. Applying internal force can cause these changes, leading to destruction. This required a spirit keen enough to perceive yin, yang, solid, and void, and mastery over internal force precise enough to manipulate it at will, coupled with sufficiently immense and focused internal energy to pierce ten thousand layers with a single probe.

………………………………,……………………

The fierce wind roared past, exceptionally cold. Fan Peiyao shivered, quickly settling down, remaining perfectly still, her breathing slowing, afraid to disturb Li Muzhan.

She stared at Li Muzhan's face, unblinking. Suddenly, she felt he wasn't ugly; his focused expression was quite captivating. The warmth rising from his chest reached straight to her heart. Her beautiful face flushed, and she quickly turned away.

"Peng!" A dull thud sounded. Li Muzhan's palms pressed into the stone wall, creating two holes.

Fan Peiyao was overjoyed, looking at Li Muzhan excitedly. Li Muzhan's expression remained placid. He pressed next to the first hole; this time it was easy. Both palms sank in immediately, as if pressing into tofu.

In moments, Li Muzhan had carved a hole tall enough for a person. He stepped through into darkness, blacker than night, where he couldn't see his fingers.

Li Muzhan closed his eyes, moving freely. The Void Eye was unaffected by the darkness. Before him was a tunnel leading directly out to a stretch of woods.

Because the mechanism opened from the inside, it was unguarded. When he emerged, he found himself in a pine forest, faintly hearing shouts from outside.

Fan Peiyao stared at him in astonishment: "Master, how did you know about this mechanism?" Li Muzhan smiled slightly, shaking his head: "Heaven's secrets must not be revealed!" Fan Peiyao looked surprised: "Master, have you been here before?"

Li Muzhan shook his head: "First time here; just dumb luck." Fan Peiyao looked at him, shaking her head in disbelief, a seed of suspicion growing: Could it be that he was also one of the Taibai Stockade people, and she had walked into the tiger's lair?

Li Muzhan glanced at her, shaking his head with a wry smile: "Don't worry, I am not with Taibai Stockade!"

Fan Peiyao blushed and quickly said: "Master's ability to discover this mechanism is incredible; I couldn't help but wonder. Please don't be offended!" Li Muzhan chuckled: "I cultivate Buddhism and possess the Heaven Eye." "Master truly has supernatural powers?!" Fan Peiyao's bright eyes widened, sparkling.

Li Muzhan smiled and nodded: "Yes, I have cultivated stillness from the beginning and possess some minor abilities, but attachment to such powers means becoming bound by form, unable to achieve liberation."

"Yes, I understand." Fan Peiyao nodded quickly, staring at him with shining eyes: "I never thought that Buddhism could truly cultivate supernatural powers. I never believed it."

Li Muzhan surveyed their surroundings and smiled: "Some things seem incredible simply because you haven't seen them; in reality, they are quite ordinary."

"But this is a supernatural power!" Fan Peiyao exclaimed excitedly.

At this moment, she seemed like an ordinary girl rather than the calm and decisive Eldest Miss of the Fan family. Li Muzhan found her more endearing.

Li Muzhan smiled: "Supernatural powers are not everything. They don't count as food, nor as martial arts... When in danger, they are less useful than martial arts; when hungry, they are less useful than a meal... So, supernatural powers are not omnipotent; their use is actually limited."

"Master has the Heaven Eye Vision?" Fan Peiyao asked excitedly.

Li Muzhan nodded, smiling: "Yes, still at a shallow level; I can only see farther, nothing else."

……………………………………………………………………………… "So Master saw this mechanism!" Fan Peiyao suddenly understood, her tone filled with awe.

Li Muzhan smiled: "Enough about that. Let's go; the chieftain is not simple to deal with." "Where did Master see him?" Fan Peiyao asked.

Li Muzhan floated forward and nodded: "He is in the room, healing."

"Then that’s perfect; we can sneak attack him," Fan Peiyao suggested.

Li Muzhan shook his head: "He has two protectors; a sneak attack is impossible. These two are no slouches either."

"Then can Master see where the ginseng is hidden?" Fan Peiyao asked again.

Li Muzhan nodded slowly: "Yes, it is in his room. If you want the ginseng, you must defeat him; there is no other way." "Then what are we waiting for? Let's fight!" Fan Peiyao said with a smile.

Li Muzhan moved like a ghost, saying with a wry smile: "I fear we cannot win. If that happens, escaping will be difficult; this venture is fraught with uncertainty."

"With Master here, I am not afraid," Fan Peiyao replied with a small smile.

Li Muzhan said: "I might not be able to protect your life myself."

Fan Peiyao smiled sweetly: "Master has achieved success in cultivation; you will surely ascend to the Western Paradise. I plan to go along with you."

Li Muzhan shook his head, smiling, and walked out of the woods, passing through the empty stockade. By now, everyone had gone to the valley ahead to stand guard; the elderly, women, and children had also gone to watch the excitement. The stockade was quiet.

The small houses were built along the mountain, stretching up the slope. Li Muzhan arrived at the smallest courtyard at the highest point and floated inside.

"Who goes there!?" a cold shout rang out. A middle-aged man in a gray shirt floated out of the room and stood before the doorway, staring coldly at Li Muzhan and the other person.

Li Muzhan said nothing, drew his bow, and shot. "Chii!" a sharp whistle sounded as an arrow of black light shot out.

"Peng!" A dull thud. The gray-robed man struck the black light with a punch and was immediately sent flying, crashing heavily against the wall, which seemed to shudder slightly.

The gray-robed man spat out a mouthful of blood. When he tried to climb up, his internal organs were displaced. The exertion brought on intense pain, and his vision swam.

"What..." The second gray-robed middle-aged man flew out, meeting three streaks of black light coming toward him.

He suddenly retracted his body into a ball and plummeted straight down, narrowly dodging the three cold arrows. Li Muzhan uttered an 'Eh' of surprise and followed up with the continuous-fire arrows.

"Chii!" Three more streaks of black light shot out.

The ball swelled, reforming into a man. He swiftly darted three feet to the side, narrowly avoiding them again, but suddenly trembled and collapsed, his eyes wide open, staring at Li Muzhan with unconcealed resentment.

............................................ Li Muzhan smiled. After shooting his arrows, he pointed a finger, the sound of the arrows masking the sound of the finger force piercing the air. This gray-robed man had fallen for the deception and collapsed unwillingly.

Li Muzhan didn't stop moving his feet. He shot another arrow, and with a "Peng!" a window shattered, revealing the chieftain sitting on the couch.

The chieftain opened his eyes and sneered: "How bold! I didn't kill you, and you came delivering yourself!" He flung out a hand. Li Muzhan quickly dodged to the side while simultaneously flicking his index finger—"Chii," a soft whistle sounded.

The chieftain thrust out a palm while whipping his other hand, sending another point of cold light shooting out, flickering in and out of visibility, quite strange, yet incredibly fast. If Li Muzhan hadn't instantly dodged upon seeing the movement, he would have been struck by the dart.

Li Muzhan glanced behind him: two needles, fine as hair, were embedded in the wall, yet they were lethally sharp.

Looking at these silver needles, flawlessly white, they were easily overlooked. If he hadn't possessed the Heaven Eye Vision, he would surely have been hit. This needle was practically invisible while flying through the air—impossible to evade.

"Peng!" A muffled sound. The finger force collided with the palm force, and the chieftain staggered slightly.

Li Muzhan retracted his bow and extended his fingers, sending five streaks of finger force straight toward the chieftain. The chieftain couldn't block so many simultaneous strikes and was forced to the ground.

While using his fingers to suppress the chieftain's movements, Li Muzhan glanced down at Fan Peiyao, his eyes sweeping the room, and mouthed a shape: "Bedside cabinet." Fan Peiyao bit her lip and nodded. Although seriously injured, slight movement was fine. They had only known each other briefly, but she felt a sense of understanding, grasping Li Muzhan's gaze and lip movements.

She felt the bonds behind her loosen, the strips of cloth breaking. She dropped to the ground, and at the same time, a surge of internal energy flowed into her body—a hot current rolled, and strength instantly returned.

She saw a gray-robed middle-aged man trying to struggle up. She walked over and gently kicked out, hitting an acupoint. A slight pain bloomed in his chest, and he quickly let out a small breath, circulating his internal energy.

Li Muzhan stood outside the window, extending both hands, his finger force spreading everywhere, causing debris and scraps of cloth to fly inside the room. The chieftain looked rather disheveled, dodging left and right.

The furnishings in the room were simple: only a couch, a table, and a chair, nothing else to use as cover. Gritting his teeth, he cursed his misfortune at being bullied by dogs while a tiger lay grounded, grabbed the chair to shield himself, and charged toward the window.

Li Muzhan quickly retreated, firing his finger forces as he backed away, forcing the chieftain to use his movement technique, dodging wildly while desperately rushing toward Li Muzhan.