Changling listened silently in the corner to all those words, truly unable to sort through the intricate complexities. She could only speculate that this iron-masked man was a notable figure in the Yan Kingdom. For some unknown reason, he had been quietly sent here, fitted with an iron skull, and rendered mute so he couldn’t seek help from anyone.

That person had left long ago, yet he stood there motionless the entire time, lost in thought.

Due to the dim lighting, from Changling’s angle, his silhouette appeared extremely oppressive in the faint shadows.

Changling pondered for a moment and handed the porcelain bottle in her hand to that person: “The antidote for Three Souls and Three Spirits Scatter.”

That person turned around, raised his eyes to look directly at her, then glanced at the porcelain bottle in her hand. Changling said: “Old Lady Chu knew you were poisoned. She lured the enemy and allowed herself to be struck by the same poisoned arrow, then formulated the antidote dosage based on the symptoms. You can rest assured—after taking it, she’s already fine.”

The iron-masked man glanced at her with an ambiguous meaning, the corner of his mouth abruptly curling into a cold smile. He had no intention whatsoever of accepting it. But he didn’t block her way. Instead, he sat back on the edge of the bed, assuming a posture of allowing her to come and go freely.

Changling felt slightly surprised. She could sense the hostility from the iron-masked man, but it didn’t seem directed at her—he harbored resentment toward Old Lady Chu, which was why even with the antidote in hand, he remained indifferent.

For someone as proud and arrogant as Changling, she had no spare interest in caring about the ins and outs of this grandmother-grandson pair, much less the patience to earnestly persuade. Since this person didn’t even want to save his own life, why should she meddle in such affairs and trouble herself?

She placed the antidote on the table, walked to the cell door, and cleanly picked the lock. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly heard the iron-masked man groan dully and fall onto the wooden bed, convulsing and trembling.

Changling’s fingertips paused on the cell lock.

She hesitated for an instant, then turned back, grabbed the antidote, and forcibly poured it into that person’s mouth.

She executed this series of actions with flowing ease. By the time the iron-masked man came to his senses, she had already left the dungeon, leaving only that woven grass python on the ground.

The iron-masked man bent down to pick it up, holding it in his palm for a long, long time. His pupils were dark and profound, transparent with not a glimmer of light.

When she returned to the cave, dawn had already broken. Chu Tiansu, seeing Changling return safely, asked with anxious urgency: “How did it go?”

“He’s already taken the antidote, only…”

“What?”

Changling asked: “Is he truly your grandson?”

Chu Tiansu was confused by the question. “Why would I lie to you?”

Changling hesitated for a moment, then succinctly recounted everything she had heard and seen in the prison.

After listening, Chu Tiansu’s face turned deathly pale, her entire person more gloomy than the sky outside. She trembled as she walked to the cave entrance, looking at the layers upon layers of clouds, the wind and rain about to come.

“I… caused the death of Azhou’s mother. I never thought that even after all this time, he still hates me.”

Chu Tiansu lowered her head, her withered hands clutching her sleeves as she began to recount a lengthy past.

Changling sat to the side, listening to the end, feeling that this was clearly something that could be explained in just a few words—

Chu Tiansu had once borne a son and a daughter. When the two children were around seven or eight years old, they encountered a flood. To save her son, she watched helplessly as her daughter was swept away by the torrent. Unexpectedly, many years later, she reunited with her daughter, who had married a highly prestigious person in the Yan Kingdom—the so-called “when one person attains enlightenment, even chickens and dogs ascend to heaven.” Not only did her daughter not hold a grudge, she brought her parents and brother together to share in the glory and wealth.

Who knew they hadn’t enjoyed a few years of good life before Chu Tiansu’s physician son got into trouble and caused the death of an imperial noble. As a result, the two of them along with their children and grandchildren were all exiled to Mu Wangbao at Yan Huishan.

Later, she heard that her daughter had also been implicated and died in depression, leaving only her grandson alone and desolate.

This was essentially a story of thinking one was raising a son for old age support, only to end up raising a son to attend one’s funeral.

Chu Tiansu had thought she would never be reunited with this grandson in this lifetime, but she never expected that heaven would actually give her another chance to meet again.

Truly a matter of time, fate, and fortune.

Changling, listening to the end, didn’t know what to say for a moment.

Originally, she thought Chu Tiansu’s grandson refusing to drink the antidote over these old grievances was truly petty and indecisive. But thinking of how he had been sent here through despicable means, calling to heaven and earth without response, she felt a trace of sympathy for him in her heart.

Chu Tiansu sat in a daze silently for a while, then suddenly turned around and knelt before Changling, saying in a trembling voice: “With my strength alone, it’s truly difficult to rescue my grandson. Right now, this old woman can only beg for your help.”

Changling helped her up. “This life of mine was saved by you, Old Lady. There’s no need to use the word ‘beg.'”

Seeing her agree readily, Chu Tiansu’s face showed joy, but soon her eyes grew heavy again. “It’s just that Mu Wangbao is filled with traps and mechanisms. Escaping is already as difficult as ascending to heaven, not to mention your body hasn’t recovered and you can’t engage in combat…”

“In the prison, I heard that person say your grandson has loyal generals, and that many people in the capital are searching for him. What exactly is your grandson’s status in the Great Yan Kingdom?”

Chu Tiansu’s expression was somewhat strange. “He… I heard he’s a general.”

Seeing her speak evasively, Changling assumed she was out of touch with news after more than ten years in the fortress. “Since he has a certain amount of power in the Yan Kingdom, can’t he find a trustworthy person to help deliver a message out, letting people outside know he’s here?”

Chu Tiansu blurted out: “No, absolutely not. The lord of Mu Wangbao hates him to the bone.”

“Why?”

Chu Tiansu didn’t answer, only saying: “Even if we tried to find someone now, it would be too late. Those poisoned with Three Souls and Three Spirits Scatter will go mad for two days before dying of exhaustion. After tomorrow passes, that Ming… that person you saw in the prison will have his informant in the fortress verify the facts. If they discover Azhou is still alive, how could he still be merciful?”

That person had never been merciful to begin with.

It was only due to some unknown reason that he hadn’t struck a killing blow against Chu Tiansu’s grandson.

Changling sighed with some amusement. “If that’s the case, tonight is our only chance to act.”

Chu Tiansu nodded helplessly and at a loss. She seemed to realize that for one old and one weak person to break out of the heavily guarded Mu Wangbao with someone wearing an iron skull—this kind of rescue couldn’t even be called thorny, it was simply fantastical thinking.

But how could she watch helplessly as her last living relative in this world also died violently in Mu Wangbao?

She only felt sorry for this child Changling… If not for her bitter pleading, why would Changling have to seek her own death again after barely surviving a great disaster?

Chu Tiansu, both pained and guilt-ridden, turned her head back, wanting to say something to Changling. But when she turned around, she discovered that Changling was actually sitting calmly by the stone table eating a steamed bun. Chu Tiansu’s tongue rolled several times in her mouth as she widened her eyes and asked: “Where did you get the steamed bun?”

“I swiped it from the kitchen on the way back.” Changling said while eating: “There are two more. Help yourself if you’re hungry.”

Chu Tiansu: “…”

Yan Hui Cliff, a thousand zhang of ice and frost forming a celestial tower.

Changling sat on a rock at an extremely high place. After finishing appreciating the scenery of the rising sun, she turned around and pointed to a majestic mountain range in the distance, asking: “What mountain is that?”

Chu Tiansu looked. “That’s Luming Mountain.”

Changling pointed to the mountain peak bordering Luming Mountain. “And this one?”

“Beiyu Mountain. This is the highest mountain in Mu Wangbao besides Yan Huishan. Why are you asking about this?”

“Between Luming Mountain and Beiyu Mountain, there’s a suspension bridge.” Changling pointed to a vague black line between the two mountains. “That should be a bridge, right?”

Chu Tiansu understood Changling’s meaning. “If two or three rotten iron chains can also be called a bridge, but wanting to leave Mu Wangbao by passing through there is absolutely impossible.”

“Hmm?”

Chu Tiansu shook her head repeatedly. “The military roll call point is set at the foot of Beiyu Mountain, guarded by several thousand soldiers. It can be said to be the most heavily guarded place. If we rush there, aren’t we seeking our own death?”

“After we rescue your Azhou, no matter which way we flee, we’re seeking our own death.”

Chu Tiansu choked, but saw Changling jump down from the rock. “We absolutely don’t have the ability to leave silently… No matter which checkpoint we break through, Mu Wangbao can easily catch up. Beyond Luming Mountain lies an endless expanse of mountain ranges and rivers—for fugitives, it’s the perfect hiding place.”

Seeing her confused, Changling drew and explained the escape steps and routes on the diagram for quite a while. In fact, Chu Tiansu had no concept of these things at all. After listening for a long time, she suddenly asked: “What are the chances of success?”

Changling pondered: “Ten percent.”

Night fell.

Deep in the Tiger’s Den, cold as a tomb.

A black-clad person slowly paced into the deepest cell of the dungeon. Seeing blood stains dotting the bed, the iron-masked man “Azhou” lying motionless on the wooden bed with eyes wide open, the black-clad person was immediately alarmed.

He’s dead?

The black-clad person took out a key to unlock the door, entered the cell to check his breathing. But the moment he leaned close, the iron-masked man’s ten fingers suddenly moved. The long chain abruptly rang out, suddenly wrapping around the black-clad person’s neck.

The black-clad person reacted extremely quickly, spinning to dodge. With a swoosh, he drew his blade and slashed directly at the iron-masked man’s face. The iron-masked man dodged in time—the blade extinguished the oil lamp on the table, and instantly the cell plunged into darkness.

That person laughed coldly: “Who cured you of the Three Souls and Three Spirits Scatter poison?”

Naturally, there was no response.

“You think you can hide?” The black-clad person’s long blade swept horizontally, sharply bringing up a whistling through the air. The iron-masked man instinctively tried to dodge, but the chains were pulled to their limit—for a moment he couldn’t break free. Seeing the blade tip accurately piercing toward his throat—

Just at this moment, he suddenly felt a gust of wind sweep past, then heard the metallic “tch” sound of insertion into flesh. The iron-masked man only felt the black-clad person seem to freeze for an instant, then fall to the ground with a thud.

In another blink, the oil lamp on the table was lit again. Someone stood by the table, a handsome profile appearing and disappearing in the dim light.

That person was naturally Changling.

She hadn’t expected someone to infiltrate the dungeon before her. Seeing that black-clad person carrying a blade walking toward the Tiger’s Den, she guessed this person was sent by that “Second Brother” to silence witnesses.

She didn’t know the depth of this person’s martial arts and had no confidence in silently taking down the opponent. She could only let him make the first move, then from a distance extinguished the oil lamp with her finger technique. Taking advantage of the pitch-black darkness, she thrust a dagger through that black-clad person’s heart.

The iron-masked man, upon seeing Changling, his entire body suddenly trembled, his eyes full of undisguisable astonishment.

Previously, he had thought Changling was a soldier of Mu Wangbao, entrusted by someone to deliver medicine. But in just this brief moment, seeing Changling standing there so calmly before him—even wearing soldier’s clothing couldn’t conceal that imposing aura—he couldn’t help but feel shocked in his heart.