Chapter 266: Finally, It

The ghost doctor staggered two steps, hadn't steadied himself, and another person seized the chance to push hard.

"No—!"

The ghost doctor let out a startled cry and fell off the high stone platform!

"Bang!"

A deep, muffled thud.

Xiao Ran reached out and covered Tuan Tuan's eyes, and Xiao Ningxun pressed her little head onto his shoulder: "Ugly, don't look."

"Mm hm." Tuan Tuan obediently perched on her brother's shoulder.

The onlookers looked down and saw the ghost doctor collapse onto the hard ground in a twisted posture, a pool of bright red slowly spreading beneath him, twitching twice before falling silent.

The spreading blood attracted the ant swarm from earlier; soon, tens of thousands of ants crawled up and engulfed him completely.

Xie Guzhou said softly, "You take pleasure in controlling his life and death; dying at the hands of your own people is, after all, a fitting end."

On the high platform, a few people leaned over to glance down, their faces turning deathly pale.

One of them shouted quickly, "Upper right corner of the stone gate! There's a protrusion!"

After speaking, the group turned and vanished into the shadows of the platform, fleeing for their lives.

Lu Qi reacted the fastest, lunging in a single arrow step to the stone gate that had just fallen.

Xiao Er followed closely behind, and the two together carefully fumbled at the upper right corner of the stone gate.

"Found it!" Xiao Er shouted low, pressing his palm onto a round protrusion.

"Grr—grr—grr—"

The stone gate slowly rose upward.

"Go!" Xiao Ningxun scooped up Tuan Tuan, entered first, and Xiao Ran followed closely behind.

Lu Qi and Xiao Er supported Xie Guzhou, and the group swiftly passed through the passage, returning to the ruins of the Lost Soul Formation.

The others dared not delay, sprinting out through the hole they had carved.

Fresh air rushed into their nostrils, and Xiao Ran shouted loudly, "We're out! This time it's really out!"

He flopped onto the grass and said, "So this is what wandering the jianghu is like—thrilling!"

Xiao Er handed the Water Bag and dry rations to Xie Guzhou.

"Thanks. I haven't yet asked who you all are?" Xie Guzhou took them, not being polite, first gulped half a Water Bag of water, then slowly tore open the biscuit and chewed it carefully.

Xiao Ningxun recounted honestly how they had unexpectedly rescued Xuan Fu Weng, how they came here at his request, and even how they left the secret passage of Changfeng Inn and the Treasure Map, revealing everything without concealment.

"I see, you came for the iron wire wood."

After eating and drinking their fill, Xie Guzhou's spirit noticeably improved: "Those iron wire woods were indeed handled by me, but they were never shipped out of Xibei."

"What?" Xiao Ran exclaimed.

"Take it easy!" Xiao Ningxun slapped Xiao Ran's arm, glared at him fiercely, "Tuan Tuan just fell asleep."

"Oh, oh, my fault, my fault, I didn't wake them up, right?"

Xiao Ningxun shook his head, and, feeling tender, pulled his sister tighter.

Xiao Ran looked at him: "Hey! I'm at least a prince, and your look just now seemed as if you wanted to slash me with a knife."

Xiao Er lifted his head and looked at the two.

Xiao Ningxun gave a slight smile: "No matter who you are, my sister is the most important."

Xiao Ran curled his lip, looking at the sleeping Tuan Tuan: "Indeed, a sister like Tuan Tuan is truly endearing; why don't I have a sister like that?"

Lu Qi asked further: "Brother Xie, the iron wire wood originates from Xibei; since this batch is still in Xibei, whose hands did it ultimately fall into?"

Xie Guzhou replied: "It's not some shady place; it's the Qingyunguan of our Qingzhou Prefecture."

"A Taoist temple?" Xiao Er was surprised, "Brother Xie, have you ever asked why a Taoist temple would need so much iron wire wood?"

"I asked once, and Daoist Priest Qixiazi said the temple needed it to renovate its buildings."

Xiao Er asked: "Brother Xie, what about the wound on you?"

Xie Guzhou shook his head: "I fell into the ghost doctor's trap and was imprisoned by him, but I wasn't injured; I was just buried in that sand pile for a few days. Now that I'm fed and rested, a day's sleep will restore me fully."

Mentioning sleep after such a night of turmoil, Xiao Ran kept yawning repeatedly.

Xiao Ningxun, seeing this, said: "Let's just return to the mountain cave by the creek and get a good day's rest, recuperating our strength."

Everyone had no objection and returned together to the cave; the horses were still standing at the entrance, and upon seeing the group, they whinnied.

Xiao Ran hurried over and gave each horse a few pats: "Quiet! Don't disturb Tuan Tuan's sleep, or Brother Xiao San will stew you all!"

The group rested for an entire day and recovered.

Tuan Tuan's spirit returned, and she ran joyfully across the hills: "Third Brother, let's go back and find Grandpa, tell him we rescued Uncle Xie!"

Xiao Ningxun was about to nod when Xie Guzhou spoke first: "No rush; don't you have a Treasure Map? That place isn't far from here; let's go treasure hunting first."

Tuan Tuan thought for a moment: "But Grandpa is very anxious."

The child is good; she doesn't value the treasure but remembers others' requests.

Xie Guzhou smiled faintly, took out a whistle, blew it hard, and bird calls instantly rang through the valley.

He put away the whistle and listened attentively.

Everyone felt a bit strange, wondering who could recover here?

After a while, the clatter of hooves grew nearer.

Following the sound, they saw two dark‑red steed horses galloping over.

Xie Guzhou approached them, patted the hindquarters of one horse, saying, "Go back," then flipped onto the other horse.

That horse galloped toward the mouth of the ravine.

Tuan Tuan asked: "Where is it going?"

"Old horses know the way!" Xie Guzhou said, looking at her, "It went back to inform your Grandpa; once you see it, you'll understand."

Tuan Tuan widened his eyes: "Wow! Uncle Xie's horse is amazing!"

Xie Gozhou smiled, looked at the crowd: "Let's go, everyone, let's see what that treasure actually is!"

Xiao Ran was the most excited: "Great, I've wanted to go treasure hunting since I was a kid!"

"Every time I'm told by Father Emperor and my older brothers that it's just a frivolous waste of ambition! This time I can finally have my wish!"

Everyone mounted their horses and followed Xie Gozhou toward Falling Eagle Gully.

After just an hour, the scene before them suddenly changed.

Only two steep, knife‑cut gray‑white cliffs rose up from the ground, forming a narrow, deep chasm between them.

Inside the gully, the trees were extraordinarily dense, their twisted branches intertwining, blocking out the sky.

Xiao Er exclaimed: "So close! No wonder Chief Xie said we'd come here first and then go back."

Xiao Ran reined in his horse, his neck instinctively shrinking: "This place, even in broad daylight looks more sinister than Black Wind Gully."

"Surely there aren't another bunch of deadly traps waiting for us?" He'd been traumatized by the series of mechanisms along the way.

Xie Gozhou shook his head: "There are no mechanisms here. The danger of Falling Eagle Gully lies in its complex, changeable terrain, and many ferocious beasts and poisonous insects lurk in the gully."

"It's said that even the most skilled hawks and eagles, upon entering this gully, lose direction, break their wings, and fall—hence its name."

Xiao Ningxun took the Treasure Map from his bosom and handed it to Xie Gozhou: "Chief Xie, thank you for your trouble."

Xie Gozhou took the map, studied it carefully for a moment, lifted his head to compare it with the terrain, and already had a plan in mind.

"Everyone, please follow me closely."

He led the way by dismounting, tethering his horse, and the others followed suit.

Xie Gozhou, map in hand, led the group into Falling Eagle Gully.

Indeed, the gully proved to be another world—there was no path underfoot; relying entirely on Xie Gozhou's map guidance, they wound their way between massive tree roots, slick moss‑covered stones, and hanging vines.

The light was dim, and from time to time came soft rustling sounds and the low growls of unnamed beasts, adding a gloomy feel.

Tuan Tuan was very excited, curiously looking left and right as he walked.

Finally, Xie Gozhou stopped before a cliff face covered in thick green vines.

This cliff looked no different from its surroundings; were it not for the map's indication, nobody would have given it a second glance.

Xie Gozhou pointed at the cliff with his whip: "The entrance is right here."