The stone wall of the cave slowly rose again.
Xianan's body tensed instinctively, her eyes fixed on the opening.
This time, however, what stepped inside was not another creature from the darkness, but the captain of the Golden guards.
"I must admit," he said with a faint smile, "I did not expect you to survive four days."
Xianan let out a quiet, bitter laugh. Her gaze was unfocused, as if she were looking through him rather than at him.
"You've killed so many people," she said hoarsely. "What for?"
"That is not your concern." The captain's tone was calm, almost indifferent. "Instead, let us play a game. If you win, I will release you immediately—no need to wait until tomorrow. I will even help you capture the two people you seek. But if you lose…"
He paused, his eyes settling on her. "You will remain here. Forever."
Xianan lifted her head, brushing aside the damp strands of hair clinging to her forehead. "What game?"
The captain raised a hand.
A guard stepped forward, carrying a bundle of arrows and a tall, narrow-mouthed metal jar.
For a brief moment, the tension in Xianan's chest loosened.
Pitch-pot?
So that was all.
She had grown up playing similar throwing games. Tossing stones, roots, anything she could find—landing them cleanly into a target had long since become instinct. Though she had never used arrows before, the principle was no different.
The jar was placed at a distance. A line was drawn across the ground.
The arrows were handed to her.
"You will stand behind this line. Ten arrows. Land four, and you win."
Xianan nodded.
She adjusted her stance—feet apart, body slightly leaning forward—and held the arrow between her fingers, steadying her breath.
Don't rush. You've done this countless times.
Her eyes locked onto the center of the jar.
She threw.
The arrow slipped cleanly into the opening.
A perfect hit!
She exhaled slowly, wiping the sweat from her forehead.
One down. Three more would be enough. If she maintained the same angle and force, she could finish this.
But just as she reached for the next arrow—
"Stop." The captain's voice cut through the air.
He smiled faintly, murmuring something under his breath.
A moment later, the ground trembled.
With a sharp hiss, a ground serpent burst forth from behind him, splitting the earth as it surged forward.
Its body was lined with cold, metallic plates that glinted faintly in the dim light. Its tongue flickered, red and restless, and its presence alone carried a suffocating sense of danger.
The captain leaned in and spoke softly to the serpent.
At once, the serpent shot forward and coiled tightly around the jar.
Xianan's fingers trembled.
So… this is the real game.
She forced herself to steady her breathing. Don't panic. Just throw like before.
She struck her own arm sharply, grounding herself, then raised the arrow again and threw.
The moment the arrow left her hand—
The serpent moved.
Dragging the jar with it, it slid swiftly to the left.
The arrow missed.
A thin stream of sweat ran down Xianan's temple.
So it won't stay still.
Eight arrows left.
Still possible.
She threw the third arrow.
The serpent shifted again—this time to the right.
Missed.
Xianan narrowed her eyes. The two movements formed a straight line with the jar's original position. If it only moves along that line…
Then all she needed to do was predict where it would go next.
Left?
Her grip tightened.
Seven arrows remaining. She bit down on her lip and threw the fourth arrow, aiming slightly to the left.
The arrow cut through the air.
The serpent reacted—
But not the way she expected, it slid to the right again.
Xianan's heart lurched, like a rope bridge swaying violently over a chasm.
She could not read it.
She could not predict it.
For a brief moment, she froze.
No. She could not afford to freeze. If she kept playing by its rules, she would lose. Her thoughts raced.
There was only one way.
She inhaled sharply and raised the fifth arrow—
Not toward the jar, but toward the serpent.
The arrow shot forward, aimed directly at its head.
The serpent dodged effortlessly.
Not even a scratch.
The captain watched her with interest.
"You do have some sense," he said lightly. "But unfortunately… I doubt you can pass this trial."
Xianan did not respond. Instead, she moved. In a sudden burst of speed, she rushed forward.
Now.
Before the serpent could react, she drove an arrow straight into its head.
The creature writhed violently, loosening its hold on the jar.
Without hesitation, Xianan grabbed another weapon—a wasp-tail stinger—and struck again and again, pouring every ounce of strength into each blow.
Moments later, the serpent collapsed, its body going still.
The captain frowned slightly. "You…"
Xianan stepped back, breathing hard, forcing herself to steady her hands.
Then she lifted her arm—
And threw again.
The seventh arrow.
The eighth.
Both landed cleanly inside the jar.
She closed her eyes briefly.
Two arrows left.
Just one more.
She wiped the sweat from her face and raised the ninth arrow.
But before she could throw—
The light dimmed.
The moon-seeing grass clinging to the cave ceiling dimmed one by one, until the entire cavern was swallowed by darkness.
Xianan's breath caught.
The jar was no longer clearly visible—only a faint silhouette remained.
She did not throw.
Instead, she crouched down and picked up small stones from the ground.
One by one, she tossed them forward, listening carefully to the sounds they made as they struck the ground.
Adjusting.
Estimating.
Feeling.
Time passed slowly in the darkness.
At last, she stood again. She raised the ninth arrow and threw.
Missed.
Her body trembled. Sweat poured down her face.
She sank to the ground, clutching her head.
One arrow left.
Only one.
For a long moment, she remained there.
Then, slowly, she stood up again.
Her hands were still shaking, but her eyes had steadied.
She drew a breath.
And threw the final arrow with everything she had.
The arrow arced through the darkness—
And dropped cleanly into the jar.
A perfect hit.
For a second, she could hardly believe it.
Tears streamed down her face as her strength gave out beneath her.
She collapsed to the ground. "…I did it."
After that, Xianan followed the guards out of the dungeon.
Before leaving, she turned back for one last glance at the place where she had spent five days.
A strange heaviness settled in her chest.
Hundreds of people had died here. They would never return home.
Uncle Wei… would never return either.
This filthy, suffocating place had become their final destination.
And yet, for reasons she could not explain, her heart began to pound faster. It felt as though something still lingered within those walls—something unseen, something that refused to let her feel at ease.
The Kou couple was soon brought over.
They were forced to kneel at the entrance of the dungeon, struggling as they shouted,
"What are you doing?!" They shouted.
"Throw them in," the Golden guard captain ordered flatly.
"My lord—why are you arresting us? We haven't offended you in any way..."
Kou's voice quickly lost its force, turning pleading.
At that moment, Xianan stepped forward.
Her gaze was cold. "You hurt Grandpa Feng."
The Kou couple froze, then lowered their heads.
The next instant, they crawled toward her, clutching at her clothes as they wept.
"Xianan… we watched you grow up… please, beg the lord to spare us! We won't harm anyone again—we swear!"
Xianan hesitated.
For a brief moment, her resolve wavered.
She closed her eyes and let out a slow breath. If I spare you… Who will answer for Grandpa Feng?
"…Please let them go," she said at last.
But the captain did not even glance at her. "Throw them in."
Xianan's eyes widened in disbelief.
The captain's expression remained unchanged. "A move once made cannot be undone."
"Xianan! You wretched girl! When we get out, we'll kill you!" The couple screamed hoarsely as they were dragged away and thrown into the dungeon.
Xianan pressed her lips together and turned her back.
Their curses gradually faded behind her—
light, thin, like smoke dissolving into the air.
The captain handed her a banknote worth one hundred taels of silver.
He then made her swear an oath and leave her mark, forbidding her from ever revealing what had happened in the dungeon.
"If you speak of it," he said, "not only you, but those around you will suffer the consequences."
Xianan nodded. She complied without protest, accepted the silver note, and murmured a brief word of thanks.
Then she turned and ran.
By the time she arrived at Grandpa Feng's house, he had already regained consciousness after taking the ginseng.
He lay on the bed, breathing heavily. His complexion had improved, no longer as pale as before.
But although his life had been saved—
his legs were paralyzed.
From now on, he would likely never walk again.
Xianan hurried to his bedside, relief washing over her.
She clasped his hand tightly. "Grandpa… please get better."
A tear slid down from the corner of Grandpa's eye. He opened his mouth, struggling to form words. "The money… in the cabinet… give… to Xian… give… to Xian…"
"Grandpa, just get better—I don't want anything!" Xianan broke down completely.
Her father was missing.
She had endured the horrors of the dungeon.
And now Grandpa Feng was like this.
Everything seemed to press down on her at once, leaving her breathless.
In a sudden burst of emotion, she threw the silver note violently onto the ground. "It's all because of this money! All because of this!"
Jin Zhou bent down, picked it up, and spoke gently. "Xianan… Grandpa will recover. Don't be too upset."
Xianan covered her face, leaning forward onto the bed as quiet sobs shook her shoulders.
She refused to believe that her father was gone.
Refused to believe that Grandpa Feng would remain like this forever.
She hated—
Hated that she had gone to the market that day.
Hated that she had not stayed home with her father.
Hated that she had not stopped Grandpa Feng from lending money to the Kou couple.
If everything could start over…
If only…
But what had happened could not be undone.
After a long while, Xianan finally lifted her head.
She wiped away her tears and looked at Jin Zhou. "Golden Academy."
Jin blinked. "…What did you say?"
"Golden Academy. We're going to Golden Academy." Her voice was steady now.
She had made her decision. If she wanted to find her father, there was no other path left. Perhaps she could uncover clues about him there.
And at the same time—
find out what had truly happened to Dianmo Feng.
Xianan drew a quiet breath.
She did not know what awaited her in the Golden Realm.
But she knew—
once she stepped onto that path, there would be no turning back.