Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

After leaving the martial arts school, Ye Xiao did not return to the Silent Alley.

He followed the old road and turned into the North Furnace District.

The fire in the stove had not yet died down.

The rows of bright red furnace openings shone like eyes buried in the ground.

After he spent a few days at the North Furnace, the foreman stopped scheduling him for shifts, because his working hours and efficiency at the North Furnace were unmatched by any other worker.

In the foreman's eyes, he was the most durable and efficient worker, so there was no need to schedule shifts for him.

"This kid doesn't look like he's about to die."

"I bet he won't live past the end of the month; it looks like the money's gone down the drain."

"How does he manage to work such long hours and still act like nothing's wrong?"

The workers started talking amongst themselves when they saw Ye Xiao appear.

Ignoring the others, Ye Xiao steadily climbed up the edge of the furnace despite the impact of the cold wind.

As soon as he took his place, waves of heat, accompanied by miasma, pressed up layer by layer.

Crimson Blood Stakes Rise.

This time, he didn't stand as close as he usually did.

It's not fear.

Instead, they clearly understand that tomorrow's winning tickets are fraught with crisis.

He must ensure that he is in the best possible condition at that time.

As Ye Xiao began practicing Zhan Zhuang (standing meditation), he steadily completed each circle of Zhan Zhuang energy. Then, he picked up the iron shovel and began to exert force in accordance with the force lines of the Beng Yue Fist.

After blinking, there is pain and heat, but it is all within the range of recovery.

【One certificate for life】Patch back the tiny tears, inch by inch.

My body was subjected to shocks of hot and cold, but my mind was unusually clear.

He noted the rhythm of each breath, the feeling of each rush of blood.

It's not just about making a breakthrough, but also about avoiding mistakes tomorrow.

[Red Blood Stake·Dacheng: 80/1200]

[Collapse Mountain Fist - Minor Mastery: 480/500]

As night deepened, Ye Xiao glanced at the growth indicated by the "Light" character in his destiny chart and then climbed down from the edge of the furnace.

My clothes were soaked through, then dried by the wind from the stove, and clung to my body, stiff and tight.

The foreman glanced at him and said only one sentence: "Closing up so early today? Not planning to continue?"

"I have other work to do," Ye Xiao replied.

The foreman didn't ask any more questions, but just watched Ye Xiao's departing figure.

It was still dark.

The red slip of paper is very thin.

So thin that when folded up and tucked into the collar against the heart, it feels like a cold piece of iron.

Before dawn, people were already waiting outside the side gate.

A small cart, its shaft worn smooth and oily, with a flag hanging from the rear, not fully unfurled... red background with black stripes, only half an inch visible, as if afraid of being too eye-catching.

There were three wax-sealed wooden boxes on the vehicle, with the seal of the pharmacy pressed down by wax, and a thin imprint on the edge of the seal.

It wasn't a box that was being pressed.

It's about betting on the hour.

It's a gamble with your life.

A distant drumbeat sounded softly; the sound was faint in the fog, yet it seemed to urge people on.

The person who came to meet us was a manager-like figure from the pharmacy; his cuffs were clean, but his hands were rough. As he bowed, he made it clear from the start:

"Brother Ye, this red-label trip is a short-distance route within the same city, avoiding long distances and only taking the fast route."

"Leave at dawn and you must arrive before dusk. If you are late, the pharmacy will treat your goods as waste, and waste goods will be thrown away. You will have to pay compensation."

"The box contains medicinal herbs that will lose their medicinal properties if they are not kept for an extended period."

He didn't say how much he would lose; it was all clearly written on the red slip.

Ye Xiao didn't ask what the goods were, nor who was watching them.

The more questions asked on the red slip, the more trouble it will lead to.

The route through the western entrance of the inner city came to mind. The distance wasn't far, but there were too many turns.

Ye Xiao raised his hand and pushed, and the wheel rolled into the fog.

As the wheels turned, the fog was broken up, and the lights receded bit by bit.

As they reached the first alley, the manager whispered a reminder: "Brother Ye, if anyone blocks our way, we won't interfere, nor do we have the ability to."

Ye Xiao hummed in agreement, but his eyes never left the eaves and walls along the roadside.

The most dangerous thing about red slips is that by the time you see the danger, it's already too late.

Sure enough, at the second bend, two more figures appeared in the fog.

It wasn't the kind of brazen robbery where they openly block your way.

An old man carrying a basket on his back and a thin man carrying a load on a shoulder pole seemed to have been waiting there all along, just acting out the fact that they were just passing by.

The load contained charcoal.

The basket on his back was filled with grass.

But the person carrying the load was unusually light-footed, and the load didn't make a "thud" when it hit the ground, as if they were deliberately trying to mute the sound.

The old man tied the knots in his basket with practiced ease, his technique resembling that of someone who regularly sheathes a knife.

Moreover, the veins on the backs of their hands were bulging, while their palms were clean, unlike the hands of someone who does manual labor.

The steward's breathing visibly faltered, and his hand had already reached for the short stick at his waist.

Ye Xiao did not move.

He only pushed the half-inch corner of the flag at the rear of the car outward a little, allowing the red pattern to show a little more in the fog.

The two men saw the flag pattern but did not retreat.

His gaze, however, grew even colder, as if confirming something.

The skinny man spoke, his voice hoarse like sandpaper, yet his tone was as if he were asking a casual question:

"Who's the one escorting the truck?"

The steward's lips turned pale, and he was about to speak when Ye Xiao calmly spoke first:

"You're a member of the Azure Dragon Inner Sect, your name is on the red slip. You think you can block my way?"

He didn't raise his voice, nor did he say anything unnecessary.

Only the obvious rules are presented.

The two men exchanged a glance.

The old man suddenly chuckled, but the smile didn't reach his eyes: "I was just curious, nothing more. We were just passing by."

The skinny man's gaze shifted from Ye Xiao's face to the corner of the flag at the back of the car, then back to Ye Xiao, as if he were weighing something.

The next moment, he suddenly reached out, his fingertips tracing along the shaft of the carriage, seemingly only wanting to touch it casually.

The manager tensed up immediately upon seeing the other person's actions.

Ye Xiao had already raised his hand, his palm positioned horizontally in front of the carriage shaft.

"Red slips are issued with flags and seals."

Ye Xiao's tone was calm, but he made it clear: "Checking people and inspecting goods are both fine, but first reveal your identity."

"Without identification, it's not an investigation, it's a test."

"Take one more step, and you'll be responsible for your own life and death."

A moment of stillness fell over the fog.

The two men's expressions changed slightly.

If they can't kill Ye Xiao here, they might leave a trail, and someone could follow that trail to dig out their entire hideout.

The old man patted the skinny man on the shoulder, his smile fading: "Young man, you're joking. We really are just passing by. We'll be on our way now."

The skinny man stared at Ye Xiao for a moment, then whispered to the old man:

"Not that one."

The next moment, the two people, one on the left and one on the right, shouldered their loads and carried their baskets, as if they were just passing by, and then turned around and disappeared into the fog.

The manager finally breathed a sigh of relief; his back was soaked with sweat.

"Turns out they were just passing through; I was worried for nothing."

The manager breathed a sigh of relief.

Ye Xiao didn't answer, but simply gently turned the corner of the flag back.

He already understood that this red-card task seemed to have been prepared in advance, just waiting for the right person to come and collect it.

These two people aren't here to steal the goods; they're here to inspect them.

To verify if he is that senior brother from the inner sect.

If so, they will turn around and leave without any thoughts or intentions.

Otherwise, they will go back to get reinforcements, and that's when the real danger of this red-card mission begins.

What he needs to do now is deliver the goods to the designated location before the people they called arrive.

"Speed ​​up!" Ye Xiao shouted in a low voice.

Although the others were confused, Ye Xiao, as the person in charge, immediately did as he was told.

The wheels accelerated.

There were no further obstacles on the road.

Upon reaching his destination, Ye Xiao realized that it wasn't that the journey was without danger, but rather that he had taken advantage of the time difference.

There were already people guarding the entrance to the pharmacy at the west gate of the inner city.

Verify the flag, verify the seal, reconcile accounts, and affix the seal.

"Smack."

The sound of the ledger being stamped could be heard.

The steward handed over the silver bag, which slumped heavily at the top, and fifty taels of silver were paid in cash on the spot.

Ye Xiao did not count on the spot.

He simply tied the bag tightly and tucked it deep inside his clothes.

When he returned to the martial arts school, there was a person standing in the shadows by the side door.

Brother Zhan didn't lean against the wall or go any closer; he just occupied the spot by the door, as if he were on night duty or waiting for a response from this visit.

His gaze first fell on Ye Xiao's sleeve, then swept over the empty carriage's axle, confirming there were no gaps, before he said calmly:

"Smoothly?"

Ye Xiao thought for a moment... If he was even a step behind, the journey would be difficult, but he still answered, "Smooth."

Senior Brother Zhan's eyebrows twitched slightly, but he didn't press the matter, only giving a curt "hmm," as if to tuck the word into an account book:

"If a winning ticket is issued smoothly all the way, it's probably not because the road is clean; there must be other factors involved."

Ye Xiao looked up.

Senior Brother Zhan looked at him, his tone still calm: "Is someone watching your journey?"

Ye Xiao nodded: "Someone wanted to check it halfway through."

"That's right."

Senior Brother Zhan finally let out a slow breath, as if confirming a most critical matter:

"It's not that they're afraid to act, it's that they're checking if you're qualified first."

"If I'm not mistaken, you were able to deliver the goods today because they didn't have time to act. But being able to do this still takes skill and ability from you."

Ye Xiao did not deny it.

Senior Brother Zhan placed the money bag on the table and loosened his fingers:

"Here's your payment."

"Remember, winning tickets can't always be so easy. If you can hold out until next month, I suggest you stop taking them."

Ye Xiao accepted the money pouch, turned and left, his steps slow but steady as nails.

He understood the warning in the other person's words, but he didn't care, or rather... he had no other choice.

From the moment his name is written on the red slip, he will indeed become prey in other people's eyes.

But fifty taels is the real deal.

That's enough for him to take a few more steps forward.