Ding Yanping now felt extremely exhausted. The countless traps along the way had made him suffer greatly. The wound on his calf was bleeding again. Most of his hair had been burned away by the fierce fire oil on the walls, leaving only a small tuft hanging down his back. Waves of irritability in his chest and abdomen made him want to vomit—this was a sign of internal injury. His internal organs had been struck hard by the wooden stake and were probably already displaced. His clothes had been torn into strips by thorny brambles. Only the two short spears in his hands still gleamed with silver light.

For many years he had met no worthy opponents. Who would have thought that today he would capsize in a gutter? This filled him with even more hatred toward Yun Ye. Glancing at the sparse white hair on his shoulders, he sighed deeply. Yan Niang was young and beautiful, while he was already old. Although a white-haired man with a rosy-cheeked beauty was also a fine thing, every time he combed Yan Niang’s hair and looked in the mirror at one person beautiful as a flower and one with chicken skin and crane-like white hair, he felt awkward in his heart. Although Yan Niang didn’t mind and always comforted him, saying she liked his age and gentleness, the mirror didn’t lie.

Why hadn’t he met such a wonderful woman in his youth? Ding Yanping was filled with great regret. Summoning his remaining courage, he prepared to break through the spirit wall before him, drag Yun Ye out, and after obtaining the jade token, dismember him into ten thousand pieces.

He didn’t even look at those strange characters on the spirit wall—he didn’t recognize them anyway, so what was there to decode? It was just a spirit wall—pry it open and be done with it.

When his spear tip touched the wall, he knew that making a hole in the wall was a pipe dream. Looking up, the wall was three zhang high. Fortunately, there were still some crevices in the wall. He alternately thrust his two iron spears into the wall. This way, there would eventually come a time when he reached the top of the wall.

Heaven didn’t comply with human wishes. Suddenly there was movement in the largest hole at the highest point. Ding Yanping jumped down from the wall and backed against what seemed to be a sturdy low wall, preparing to meet a new challenge.

When he saw three enormous stone balls rolling out of the hole, he was so desperate he even forgot about the iron spikes drilling out from the low wall. The stabbing pain in his back forced him to calm himself down as he searched around for a place to hide.

When the stone balls rolled toward him with the momentum of wind and thunder, Ding Yanping lay on the ground, pressing his body tightly into the corner of the low wall. He didn’t know who had built this vicious mechanism—the low wall was covered entirely with dense iron spikes. To save space, he had no choice but to press his body close to the low wall, letting those iron spikes deeply pierce into his body. When the stone balls rolled over his body, Ding Yanping let out a desperate scream for the first time in his life.

It wasn’t only Yun Ye who heard the commotion—Qiu Ran Ke and He Tianshang also heard it. They heard Ding Yanping’s scream very clearly too. These two fellows who had temporarily formed a partnership were far luckier than Ding Yanping. Though they had encountered countless dangers along the way, they had managed to pass through the perils safely by helping each other.

Now hearing the rumbling sounds and Ding Yanping’s scream, the two exchanged glances, their faces somewhat pale. He Tianshang swallowed with difficulty and said to Qiu Ran Ke, “The old man is finished. Don’t know what formidable mechanism he encountered that even such an expert was destroyed here. We’d better be careful.”

Qiu Ran Ke nodded and said to He Tianshang, “Brother, originally I thought that after this affair, big brother would take you to conquer the South Seas. The realm on land belongs to the Li family—we can’t compete with them. But as for matters on the sea, even Heaven gives me some face. When that time comes, we brothers will enjoy fine wine and beautiful women endlessly. For now, let’s get through this ordeal first. That heaven-damned Yun Ye actually has such vicious arrangements—this fellow really isn’t any good person.”

He Tianshang looked strangely at Qiu Ran Ke and nodded expressionlessly. In his heart, he had already decided that as soon as he got out, he would immediately arrest this maritime bandit and bring him to justice.

The rumbling grew closer and closer, and the two men’s faces grew paler and paler. The instant the stone ball appeared, Qiu Ran Ke let out a strange cry, turned, and ran. After running only two steps, he ran back—behind him followed an even larger stone ball. He Tianshang cried out strangely and stamped his foot on a floor tile that he wouldn’t have touched even if it meant death before. An iron spear shot out like lightning, leaving a wound over a chi long on his thigh.

Qiu Ran Ke saw the large hole in the ground and was overjoyed. With one slash, he cut off the iron spear and jumped into the pit first. He Tianshang also jumped in without hesitation.

After jumping in, he discovered Qiu Ran Ke smiling bitterly at him. At this moment, piercing pain rose from the soles of his feet. The bottom of the pit was covered with iron caltrops—the kind used to stop cavalry when two armies fought.

The two stone balls crashed together above their heads with a boom. Stone fragments flew everywhere, falling on their heads and shoulders. Sharp stone shards cut Qiu Ran Ke’s bald head and also cut He Tianshang’s shoulders and back.

Outside was deathly quiet, as if all danger had passed. Qiu Ran Ke let out a miserable cry, pulled his feet from the iron caltrops, crawled to the edge of the hole, looked around in all directions, and climbed up with difficulty. Then he pulled the already unconscious He Tianshang from the iron caltrops and dragged him up.

Looking at He Tianshang lying face-up on the ground convulsing, Qiu Ran Ke now firmly believed he had once encountered Yun Ye’s master. Only such an immortal expert could teach such an outstanding disciple, and only such an immortal expert could design such an exquisite maze.

He tried hard to remember—what a beautiful autumn that was! A white-haired and white-bearded immortal beckoned to him, asking him to come drink some water. A clever and mischievous youth hid behind the immortal making faces at him.

The water was ordinary, but it could make him forget worldly clamor. Though the thatched cottage was dilapidated, every beam and pillar was so elegant. Why couldn’t he remember what the immortal had said to him? He only remembered the immortal’s kind smiling face.

Regarding the matter of having kicked that little youth, Qiu Ran Ke was now filled with remorse. A mischievous child who had long stayed by the immortal’s side naturally had a heavier curiosity. Rummaging through his pack was really only human nature.

What a pity—he had entered a treasure mountain and returned empty-handed. Asking the immortal about the way of longevity—wouldn’t that have been a thousand times better than blindly rushing about with a jade token?

Removing the jade token from his neck, he smiled bitterly. If Yun Ye wasn’t an immortal’s disciple, he would have long taken this jade token—he didn’t value it at all. How laughable that he had hidden it in so many ways! Even facing that dreamlike scene that day, he hadn’t uttered a word. He still didn’t know how much Yun Ye must have despised him when treating his illness that day.

“Monk, both our feet are injured. The remaining path will probably have to be crawled. This place is full of crises—we shouldn’t stay long. Summon your courage. We two need to fight for our lives now.”

He Tianshang leisurely came to. Seeing the boulder blocking the passage, then turning to see Qiu Ran Ke staring blankly at the ceiling above, he knew it was Qiu Ran Ke who had pulled him from the iron caltrops. A warm feeling couldn’t help but rise in his heart. This time he’d let it go—at most, next time he saw him doing evil, he could arrest him then. Seeing the monk seemed immersed in confusion unable to extricate himself, he hastily awakened him. If he continued being confused, all his blood would drain out.

The two sat facing each other, helping each other bandage their feet. Exchanging a glance, they each crawled past one side of the arched stone balls. Two deep red blood trails were left on the ground…

Ding Yanping was still stubbornly alive. He knew his current situation was very bad. He didn’t know how many bloody holes in his back were bleeding. His left leg was twisted irregularly. The two iron spears that had accompanied him for many years were bent out of shape. But without these two iron spears slightly changing the direction of the stone balls, he would have already become meat paste by now.

One stone ball had deviated from its track and smashed into the spirit wall, making a large hole in that wall. Yun Ye was sticking his head out curiously watching him. Seeing that he was looking at him, he quickly pulled his head back.

Discarding the iron spears in his hands, Ding Yanping grabbed the bloody iron spikes on the wall and stood up. Without catching Yun Ye, this little rat, and dismembering him into ten thousand pieces, how could he vent this foul breath in his heart?

Watching Ding Yanping hop over like a zombie, Yun Ye’s heart beat violently. Even in this condition, the old fellow still wouldn’t let him go? So he was determined to settle this score, was he?

Looking at the ants below constantly waving their antennae, they seemed to smell the scent of blood. For them, this held an irresistible temptation. Sensing there was abundant food, they touched antennae with each other. Some quickly burrowed under the tree roots, while others began waving their antennae searching for exactly where the food was.

Yun Ye simply opened the spirit wall’s gate and stood in the doorway waiting for Ding Yanping’s arrival. After all, he was a dignified man—how could he be frightened by a half-dead old man?

Immediately he knew what a wrong decision this was. Ding Yanping hadn’t arrived yet, but flying locust stones came first, with ear-piercing wind-breaking sounds, striking Yun Ye’s two kneecaps. If not for wearing armor, Yun Ye suspected his kneecaps would have been shattered.

With a thud, he fell to the ground. Below both knees seemed to have lost all sensation. Yun Ye was greatly alarmed. This old bastard just wasn’t fucking human—at this point he still had the strength to throw flying locust stones. Now this old man was in for it.

Fortunately, Ding Yanping hopped very slowly and with great difficulty. Now his entire body was covered with wounds—moving even slightly hurt like hell. Seeing his flying locust stones had worked, he gave a hoarse laugh and continued hopping closer to Yun Ye. He had already decided that regardless of whether he could get the jade token, he would tear Yun Ye into shreds.

No choice—Yun Ye could only drag his two senseless legs and crawl toward the grove. The farther from this old fellow, the safer. He didn’t know whose idea it was, but someone had built many steps here. Each time he climbed a step, his knees knocked against it—the pain pierced to the bone.

Having crawled less than ten meters, Ding Yanping had already appeared in the doorway, paying no attention at all to his twisted and curled calf, letting fresh blood drip on the steps. He revealed a ferocious smiling face, hopping closer to Yun Ye. What a pity—he was out of flying locust stones. Otherwise, breaking Yun Ye’s two arms as well, this hateful little rat would have absolutely no way to escape.

Not picking up a few stones earlier for backup was really a mistake. Now every movement was incomparably difficult. Although there were only a few steps, Ding Yanping still gave up on this idea. Step by step he closed in on Yun Ye, bit by bit watching Yun Ye’s terrified expression—this was already his greatest enjoyment.