Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Ye Xiao did not go home.

He first circled around three alleys, walking along the darkest walls until the collapsed wall at the foot of the city wall was revealed.

The broken beam lay horizontally, like a broken bone. There was a narrow hole in the pile of broken bricks, just big enough for one person to squeeze through sideways.

This is the old place where they used to gather when they were children.

Back then, they treasured this place, and would laugh over dividing a dry biscuit into three pieces. Now, when they come back, it's a place to hide.

Ye Xiao squatted down and touched the crooked mark on the corner of the wall with his fingertips. It was a mark made by three people with nails.

He paused for a moment, suppressed the memory, and raised his hand to lift the broken tiles.

Underneath the roof tiles was a layer of old straw mat, and below the straw mat was the entrance to the hole.

The first sound from inside the cave was a very low gasp, as if afraid that if the breathing was too loud, it would be heard.

Ye Xiao didn't say anything, but instead put two fingers to the edge of the hole and tapped the brick lightly with his knuckles.

This was a secret code they agreed on when they were kids: two taps meant it was me.

The people inside froze for a moment before the rustling sound of fabric brushing against the straw mat could be heard.

A face slowly peeked out.

Lin Yan.

A layer of cold sweat broke out on his forehead, but his eyes shone brightly, like a taut string about to snap. Only when he recognized Ye Xiao did he speak, his voice so hoarse it was almost inaudible:

"Brother Xiao..."

Ye Xiao moved the tile a little further to the side and asked in a low voice, "Where's Ashuang?"

Lin Yan turned to the side, revealing a shadow deeper inside the cave.

Ah Shuang curled up there.

She was wearing the tattered cotton-padded jacket that Lin Yan had given her. The sleeves were so big that they looked like someone else's, making her look even thinner. Her hair was disheveled, the red marks on her face were still there, and her lips were bitten until they were white, as if she was afraid that if she let go, she would make a sound.

But she didn't cry.

Her eyes were dry, her gaze fixed on the dark spot at the cave entrance, and she even breathed very softly.

Ye Xiao squatted down outside the cave entrance, his shoulders and back hunched, keeping his voice as soft as possible:

"it's me."

Ah Shuang's throat bobbed, the sound stuck between her teeth, and she couldn't get it out no matter what she did.

She simply reached out her hand, her fingertips trembling, and pinched the hem of his clothes with two fingers.

They caught it very carefully.

Ye Xiao didn't pry her hands open, but instead placed his palm on the back of her hand to suppress her trembling.

"It's alright now."

His words were like pulling her back from the brink of collapse.

Ashuang's eyelashes trembled slightly, but she still couldn't make a sound, only nodding very slightly.

There was silence in the cave for two breaths.

Lin Yan then moved closer to the cave wall, pressing himself half an inch closer, and lowered his voice even further, as if afraid of disturbing the wind outside:

"Are they still searching outside?"

Ye Xiao uttered a simple sentence, but it was like a piece of iron being smashed into a hole:

"The town's defenses have closed off the streets."

Lin Yan's Adam's apple bobbed, and he swallowed the rest of his sentence, his eyes suddenly brightening with fear.

The appearance of the Town Guardian Division means that the problems of the Green Owl Gang must have been resolved, but the fact that the matter involves the Town Guardian Division makes people uneasy and nervous.

Ye Xiao reached into his pocket and pulled out a packet of oil paper that was still warm.

Once the oil paper was opened, the heat was very faint, but it brought a sense of life to the cave.

Four freshly fried pork cracklings, a few pieces of braised tofu, plus a small bag of hot ginger soup, the bag tied with hemp rope.

He first handed the ginger soup to Ashuang, his voice even softer:

"Take a couple of sips first, don't choke."

Ashuang's fingertips trembled slightly, as if she couldn't believe that the heat was real. She took a sip as he instructed, and the heat went down slowly down her throat.

Ye Xiao handed two pieces of cake to Lin Yan.

Lin Yan was stunned for a moment. He wanted to say thank you, but then he thought of how much he owed Ye Xiao. He just nodded vigorously, took a small bite, and chewed it very lightly, as if he were biting his life.

Only the faint sound of chewing could be heard inside the cave.

The aroma of the pork cracklings wasn't strong, but it was enough to give one the hope of survival.

Ashuang held the bag of ginger soup and drank it very slowly.

The heat traveled down her throat, and her throat finally relaxed a little, though her voice was still very soft:

"You still owe me that bowl of noodles... don't try to get away with it."

"I've made it through, so you can't get hurt either, or I won't be able to get my money back."

Ye Xiao nodded slightly: "Remember, I won't renege on my promise."

Lin Yan swallowed hard, wanting to laugh but not daring to. Her lips twitched, but she suppressed it and asked in a low voice:

"Then... what should we do next? It's definitely not okay for her to go back."

Ye Xiao's voice was calm:

"Let's stay here for tonight."

"Wait until those who were taken away return, then you can go back with her."

"After this incident, the Green Owl Gang and the Qing Brothel will not dare to do similar things again for a short period of time."

……

The night was darker.

Ye Xiao arrived at the North Furnace. The heat waves of iron and coal ash, along with a faint miasma, rushed towards him, like a damp, hot cloth covering his nostrils.

He reached out and grabbed a tattered cloth, covered his mouth and nose as usual, tied a knot, forced his breath into his chest, and then climbed towards the edge of the stove.

The fire in the furnace was blindingly red.

Once he was steady, he stood in the stance as usual, lowered his waist and back, and began to use the Crimson Blood Stance. Then he picked up the shovel and used it to shovel and turn over materials along the force line of the Collapsing Mountain Fist. The whole set of movements was clean and neat.

An old worker stood by the furnace, arms crossed, and clicked his tongue in a sarcastic tone. The sound wasn't loud, but he made sure everyone around could hear it:

"Ye Xiao? He's still alive?"

"I thought you couldn't survive the miasma and had been wrapped in a gray cloth and dragged away, making me happy for nothing."

Upon hearing this, the people around couldn't help but chuckle. They all knew that this guy had bet on Ye Xiao dying in the next few days, but he lost the bet and now he had nowhere to vent his anger.

The old worker wanted to say something more, but Ye Xiao didn't even lift his eyelids. The shovel fell, sparks flying.

The old worker's face stiffened, and he was about to say something even harsher when he suddenly heard footsteps approaching rapidly.

The foreman trotted over, and upon spotting Ye Xiao standing on the edge of the furnace, a smile immediately spread across his face, a smile thinner than coal dust:

"Why didn't you let me know you were coming?"

"If you want to take a break, you can take a break anytime. You can quit if you want, as long as you say the word... I will pay your wages according to the rules, and there will never be any delays."

These words stunned everyone around them.

Everyone who works at the furnace knows what kind of person the foreman usually is. He bosses around the veteran workers and curses at the new ones, but now he's acting like a completely different person when he's with Ye Xiao.

Ye Xiao remained silent.

He simply pressed the stake down a little deeper and steadied the shovel a little more.

The foreman's heart skipped a beat.

She began to ponder whether she had offended Ye Xiao in any way during this period, otherwise why would the other party ignore her?

A quick-witted worker nearby immediately leaned over and whispered:

"Boss... that old bastard just now had a foul mouth, saying that Ye Xiao was still alive and made him happy for nothing. That must be what made Ye Xiao unhappy."

The foreman's smile vanished instantly, replaced by a cold, hard expression. His voice, though not loud, was frighteningly deep: "You, come here."

The old worker was taken aback: "Boss, I was just joking..."

The foreman didn't give him a chance to explain, raising his hand and pointing, his fingertip like a nail:

"A joke? Whose life are you playing with?"

"You think you have the right to joke around? Who do you think you are! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you!"

The old worker's face changed, but he still stubbornly insisted, "He's a newbie..."

"Shut up!"

The foreman interrupted sharply, but his next sentence was even harsher and colder: "I'll deduct your wages for three days this period."

The old worker looked as if he'd been struck by lightning: "Are you crazy? Without this money, my whole family..."

The foreman ignored him, as if reciting a rule:

"If you dare to utter another word, you'll lose three days' worth of credit next time."

The old worker let out a hard sound, as if he was trying to swallow back his tears but couldn't. His face flushed red, and his eyes felt hot from holding back his sobs.

He wanted to plead, he wanted to curse, but all around him were cold eyes, no one stood up for him, because everyone understood... the foreman wasn't just punishing him, he was making a statement to Ye Xiao on the edge of the furnace.