Chapter 460: Want to Keep Your Life?

The words had just ended.

Within the teardrop‑shaped groove, a sudden surge of red light rose like a wave of blood, instantly soaking the entire stone gate!

Boom—

A heavy grinding of massive stones came from deep underground, rising slowly, shaking the river surface into ripples, while dust fell rustling from the rock walls.

Xiao Ningyuan's heart surged; the ruin gate finally opened!

But the next moment, the ground beneath his feet suddenly vanished, and the fish bridge completely collapsed!

Hold tight!

He had no time to think further, clutching his sister tightly to his chest, closing his eyes to brace for the bone‑piercing river water.

But the anticipated cold never struck.

Countless tiny fish that had vanished shot upward from the water like silver arrows, as if a star river were reversed, surging to their feet, their scales gathering like clouds, and somehow lifting them upward!

In the next instant, the school of fish thrust upward in unison.

Ah!

The brother and sister were hurled as if by an invisible giant hand, soaring high over the stone gate in an arc, then with a "splash" they fell into the soft mud of the riverbank beyond the gate.

Xiao Ningyuan held his sister tightly to his chest, still fearing she might be hurt, ignoring that they were both covered in black mud, hurriedly rubbing her little arms and legs: "Tuan Tuan? Did you fall?"

Tuan Tuan poked out her tiny head, her big eyes shining astonishingly: "I'm fine! Big brother, the little fish carried us out!"

Turning back, they saw the ruin gate thunderously close, merging with the whole mountain rock, becoming indistinguishable, completely sealing off the dim river channel and the shimmering fish within.

Xiao Ningyuan scooped his sister up and, stumbling on the mud, ran upward.

Only when his feet reached firm, emerald‑green grass did his legs give way, and he collapsed onto the ground.

Long‑missed sunlight filtered through the leaves and fell on his face.

He gasped heavily, his voice still trembling: "We finally made it out."

Tuan Tuan pouted, unhappy: "Big brother, I forgot to bring those shiny little stones!"

Xiao Ningyuan was startled.

Then he lay on his back on the sun‑warmed grass and burst into laughter.

"Hahaha… alright, when we get home, brother will find a house full of glowing stones and pave your little courtyard!"

His laughter echoed through the forest; just as he was about to tease his sister again, a corner of his eye caught shadows among the trees on the right, where a dozen dark silhouettes were faintly appearing.

Xiao Ningyuan's laughter stopped abruptly, and he rolled to shield Tuan Tuan behind him.

The dozen dark figures slowly emerged from the woods.

They were the black‑clothed men who had been ambushing them all along!

The leader's face was full of astonishment; clearly he hadn't expected to run into them here.

"Who are you?" his hoarse voice asked in Zhongyuan dialect with a strange accent, "Did you just come out of a tomb?"

Xiao Ningyuan's thoughts raced; he and his sister were now covered in black mud, their clothes in disarray, making it easy to pull a fast one.

He squeezed his sister's small hand, his face blank: "Tomb? What tomb? Sir, have you mistaken us for someone else?"

"We came to this mountain to gather herbs; we got lost and ended up here."

"Gather herbs?" the black‑clothed men examined the pair from head to toe, their ragged clothes, each with only a tattered bundle behind them, "Where's the medicine?"

"A mountain cat snatched it!" Tuan Tuan instantly understood her brother's meaning, "It was a huge mountain cat, all black!"

"It swooped and stole our back basket, then stared at us! So fierce! See, just like you now!"

Xiao Ningyuan: "…"

Black‑clothed leader: "…"

A voice from behind whispered, "Can a mountain cat really snatch a back basket in these mountains?"

The leader glared at him, then turned to Xiao Ningyuan: "If you could enter Perching Phoenix Mountain, you must be after treasure. Speak! Where is the treasure?"

"Treasure?" Xiao Ningyuan's eyes lit up, then he scratched his head, "Sir, have you also heard about it?"

"We heard this mountain hides the former dynasty emperor's Golden Gong Bucket, so we came to herb‑gather while trying our luck, but after days we haven't even found a dung pit!"

"Golden Gong Bucket?" the leader's eyelids twitched.

"Exactly!" Xiao Ningyuan exclaimed, "It's pure gold! Supposedly it's set with eighty‑one night‑bright pearls; when you use it, you won't need lamps at night!"

Tuan Tuan stifled a laugh and nodded vigorously: "Right! When you use that Golden Gong Bucket to pull out the stinky stuff, even your butt glows!"

From behind the leader came a few suppressed coughs, and several people couldn't help their shoulders shaking violently.

The man furrowed his brows, trying to steer the conversation back: "Nonsense! How could the tomb's treasure be a Golden Gong Bucket!"

Tuan Tuan said confidently, "Then do you know what it is?"

The leader suddenly stammered; they only knew they wanted to seize the treasure, but what exactly it was, they truly didn't know.

He looked puzzled—could it really be the Golden Gong Bucket?

Xiao Ningyuan immediately replied, his face sympathetic: "Sir, were you also deceived?"

"Alas, rumors harm people! I heard some say this mountain hides an immortal elixir for eternal life! Isn't that ridiculous?"

"Ridiculous." The black‑clothed leader blurted unconsciously, then realized and shouted angrily, "Are you trying to trap me?"

"No, no," Xiao Ningyuan waved his hands repeatedly, "I was just saying, there's no treasure in this mountain!"

The leader's gaze swept over the two; the larger one's clothes were torn and caked in mud, the smaller one was so filthy his face was indistinct, grass clinging to his hair—none of them looked like they'd found any treasure.

But he still felt something was off: "There's only the river channel here; we've been on this bank all along. Where exactly did you emerge from?"

Xiao Ningyuan muttered "Oh no" inwardly; aside from the river channel, there truly was no other path, making it hard to explain.

Seeing his brother stay silent, Tuan Tuan raised a hand, pointing behind them, and shouted loudly, "Grandpa! Are you also here to gather herbs?"

All the black‑clothed men turned around in unison, "Who?"

But there was no one behind them.

"You little rabbit brat, you dare deceive me?" the leader roared in anger, turned his head, and saw Xiao Ningyuan already hoisting his sister, sprinting in the opposite direction.

"Chase!"

The black‑clad men moved with lightning speed; in but a moment they were upon us.

Tuan Tuan's small hands had already opened the Embroidered pouch, Xiao Ningyuan gritted his teeth, shielding his sister against his chest, ready to thrust his back into the blade and charge forward.

"Whoosh—whoosh—whoosh!"

The sound of slicing through the air came rushing from the forest like a sudden rain!

Over a dozen feathered arrows lodged precisely on the ground before the black‑clad men, their shafts trembling, forming a stark line of boundary.

Tree shadows flickered as dozens of figures darted out from all directions, each brandishing a Sturdy crossbow, encircling the black‑clad men.

At the head was the white‑bearded, white‑haired Grave‑keeping Elder.

He stood with his hands behind his back amid the trees, his robe fluttering in the wind; his gaze swept the crowd before settling on Tuan Tuan, whom Xiao Ningyuan held tightly in his arms.

"Grandpa!" Tuan Tuan poked his head out of his brother's embrace, eyes crescent‑shaped, "We're out!"

The elder's pupils narrowed slightly.

The black‑clad leader's face turned terribly pale: "This old man, they have an old grudge with us; please do not interfere…"

"Old grudge?" the elder said slowly, "You waged war on my Perching Phoenix Mountain, breaking my rules. Begone!"

Seeing those black‑clad men still standing unmoving, his eyebrows rose: "What, you wish to keep your lives? I will grant you that!"

The leader clenched his teeth, glanced at the people behind the elder—each with a steady aura and sharp gaze, clearly tough opponents.

He said no more, raised his hand and commanded, "Retreat!"

Over a dozen dark silhouettes swiftly withdrew into the forest, vanishing in the blink of an eye.

The elder stepped before Xiao Ningyuan: "Did you find them?"