Volume 1, Chapter 133: When it comes to setting off on a journey, the sooner, the better.

The little white snake listened in silence, nodding slowly. If she could grasp the opportunity Jiang Chen had bestowed upon her, her future would be boundless; perhaps even a little snake protected by all the righteous sects would emerge.

"Cultivate diligently. If fate allows, I hope we meet again." Jiang Chen viewed this as a promise unlikely to be kept, but the little white snake took his words to heart with absolute sincerity.

"Let’s go. I suspect we need to prepare ourselves now," Jiang Chen said, his thoughts darkening. Severing a dragon vein was no minor feat, and the process of locating and breaking it would be time-consuming.

Returning from the tunnel, the two headed back to the guesthouse. Inside, the three girls were already playing cards, marked with paper strips. Liu Li had a few on her face, Shen Huaizhu had five or six, but Ye Zhi was covered from head to toe—had Jiang Chen arrived any later, her head would likely have been entirely plastered over.

Seeing Jiang Chen, Ye Zhi ran over happily. "Brother Jiang Chen, did you find anything on your trip?"

Jiang Chen patted her head. "We found something, though not as much as hoped. Regardless, we must stick to the plan: split into pairs. If you encounter any of the Japanese agents, send me a signal. There is no time to waste; we must move now."

They had already been delayed too long. Institute 509 had entrusted this task to Li Changsheng partly because he was already on-site, and partly because they had no one else to spare.

Liu Li and Li Changsheng would search the northern side, while Shen Huaizhu and Ye Zhi covered the east. The moment there was news, Jiang Chen would use the "Earth-Shrinking" technique to arrive swiftly. The Lingqin mountain range spanned over a hundred kilometers north to south and five hundred east to west. Had it not been for the vast distance, Jiang Chen would have attempted a carpet search using his technique, but at his current level, he would be forced to stop halfway. It was truly a testament to the sheer scale of the Great Xia territory—it was nearly impossible to cover it all.

Jiang Chen drove them to the foot of the mountain. It was unnaturally quiet, and even at night, thick fog obscured all light.

"I will leave you here. Split up to search. I will head in another direction. If you find them, tear the talisman I gave you, and I will arrive as soon as possible," Jiang Chen said, distributing the talismans. "Stay safe. Tear the paper first; do not act on your own. Remember that."

Everyone nodded with solemn expressions.

The winter wind was bone-chilling and howling. Jiang Chen watched them without speaking further. Everything was understood without words.

Liu Li broke the silence. "No time to waste. Changsheng and I will go first. Take care, everyone."

Li Changsheng and Liu Li moved quickly, disappearing into the mountains in the blink of an eye.

Shen Huaizhu turned to Jiang Chen. "Take care of yourself. We are going, too."

Jiang Chen looked up as Ye Zhi walked over and hugged him. "Take care, Brother Jiang Chen." She then obediently followed Shen Huaizhu into the forest.

In the Lingqin region, the mountains were densely packed with trees. If an ordinary person wandered in, they would likely never find their way out. Unless a team of dozens was assembled, no one dared to enter the Lingqin area alone.

The defense of the Great Xia dragon veins had ultimately fallen to their young generation. There was a vein in Lingqin, and others in the Kunlun Mountains—though the Japanese could not reach those—and on Xilang Peak, but those areas were under military jurisdiction. It was likely that young people were heading to the smaller, unprotected veins.

Jiang Chen sat on the ground, using withered branches and fallen leaves to cast a divination. A dry leaf crumbled in the wind, splitting into three and seven parts.

"Three parts peace, seven parts peril." Jiang Chen looked toward the direction where the four had disappeared and prayed silently. It was not a good omen, but it was a task that had to be done.

...

In a narrow cave entrance, five Japanese soldiers in black were exploring the depths.

"Corporal Ozawa, do you feel like something is wrong here?" Sakamoto Tanaka asked, staring at the cave wall.

"Lord Sakamoto, I feel nothing of the sort. Your nerves must be wound too tight," Corporal Ozawa replied, continuing to lead the way.

Sakamoto Tanaka rubbed his chin. "Perhaps. My sleep has been poor lately; it’s all the fault of these people. Let us finish this quickly and return to the Empire. I am already craving the rice balls back home."

Hiding in a corner, Ye Zhi whispered, "What’s so good about those rice balls? Wrapped in seaweed—not as good as plain white rice. And that sashimi? It’s just frozen fish, not tasty at all."

Shen Huaizhu whispered back, "Hush. This isn't the time to talk about food. Let's finish them off."

Sakamoto Tanaka, still exploring ahead, didn't notice anything wrong, though he felt as if animals were moving nearby. The wind whistled past. Just as he was about to speak, he felt his throat lock up. Blood choked him, and as he clutched his neck to signal his men, they ignored him, continuing to walk forward as if he didn't exist.

With a thud, Sakamoto Tanaka fell to the ground, and the others turned around.

"You Japanese bastards, it’s time for your penance!"

Ye Zhi had snuck behind them while Shen Huaizhu unleashed her sword technique from the front. Ice pillars erupted from the ground, binding the men so tightly they could not break free. Ye Zhi flicked her sleeves, slicing through their arteries with effortless precision.

Her white sleeves moved like a swimming dragon, weaving between them. With their feet trapped, not only could they not escape, but their very ability to think seemed to plummet.

Shen Huaizhu finally regained her confidence. She had been defeated instantly when she fought Jiang Chen, which had left her spirit shaken, but she realized that was only because Jiang Chen was an otherworldly monster. Against these Japanese agents, her ice-element sword style was formidable.

Together, the two women extinguished the lives of all five men. Four were frozen in place, blood pooling across the floor, the stench of iron filling the cave.

"We must hurry. The faster we finish this, the better," Shen Huaizhu said.

Ye Zhi retracted her pristine sleeves. "If we weren't in such a hurry, killing them this quickly would have been too merciful."