Becoming a god starts with one certificate becoming eternal.

Shen Sheng's steps were the lightest, like an extra layer of shadow in the fog.

Yan Quan walked on the right, his shoulders and back taut like a bow, as if he were about to burst into battle at any moment.

The resentment in his heart had not truly subsided; it was like a fire hidden in his bones, yet it had not truly erupted.

Ye Xiao stopped in the shadow of the piled materials on the side of the bridge, looked up at the narrowest part of the bridge, and then at the gate of the old gate at the bridgehead, mentally going through the whole sequence again.

Given Du Wanjun's personality, once he sensed something was wrong, his first reaction wouldn't be to chase after the goods, but to change his mind and guard the truck to stabilize the situation.

What they had to do was take what they were entitled to before he could consolidate his power.

Ye Xiao raised his hand, slightly bent three fingers, and made a very light gesture.

Shen Sheng nodded silently, his figure flashed, as if swallowed by the mist.

Yan Quan also moved, not venturing forward, but following the plan to stick to the position at the back of the line where it was easiest to form a formation. The second-in-command at the back of the line was standing there; if he made a mistake, the back of the line would fall apart.

Ye Xiao advanced along the low wall on the side of the bridge, getting into the shadows in the middle of the bridge. From this position, he could watch the team switch positions in front of the bridge and also cut to the back of the line with one kick.

The next moment, the sound of wheels grew closer... not loud, but deep.

Three cars.

The first vehicle arrived first, its tires screeching over the wet stones like cold iron scraping against bone. Two riders followed, their hooves pounding lightly.

Behind them came the main force... eight to twelve bodyguards, sturdy and with synchronized steps. The leader, walking beside the carriage, was the most conspicuous. He looked as ordinary as could be, but those who recognized him dared not underestimate him... Du Wanjun.

Although he was not tall, he seemed to be able to overpower the entire team on his own.

His eyes remained focused, his breathing steady, and as he walked to the bridge and raised his hand, the entire group stopped in their tracks.

The vehicle must stop before the gate.

The two riders who had gone ahead immediately retreated, and the main force began to rearrange itself. During this period, the vehicles were at their most chaotic and the riders were at their most scattered.

Just then.

An inconspicuous, thin bodyguard reached into his sleeve, seemingly ready to make a move at any moment.

His fingertips weren't touching the whistle body, but rather a tiny whistle ring, a movement so subtle it seemed ingrained in his very being.

This is precisely the kind of key figure that experienced teams hide behind signals at the beginning and end of a formation. Without careful observation, they are completely undetectable.

The moment the skinny镖师's fingertips touched the whistle ring, a hand emerged from the mist and firmly pressed down on his wrist.

Shen Sheng.

The skinny bodyguard shrugged, trying to break free; his muscles tensed, and he prepared to roll over and call for help.

But as soon as he moved, something cold and hard pressed against the side of his neck, like a needle tip pricking his flesh.

Shen Sheng held a short dagger hidden in his sleeve, the blade barely visible, pressed against the side of his neck. He wouldn't cut, but if he shouted, blood would be drawn first.

The skinny bodyguard swallowed back the words that were about to come out of his throat, his pupils contracting little by little.

The other person hadn't said a word, yet it filled him with fear.

The bodyguard at the bridgehead had already blew his whistle. He vaguely sensed the commotion but didn't rush to blow it. Instead, he waited for the third person to whistle, and could only raise his hand to subtly urge the group to move closer.

If the hand signals are slower than the whistle, the formation will be half a beat behind.

This half-beat is the gap that Shen Sheng created.

the other side.

The second-in-command at the back of the line is like a nail driven into the ridge of the formation. He stands inconspicuously, yet he can see the entire team's route at a glance... As long as he is there, he can twist the back of the line at any time.

Yan Quan has already posted it.

He didn't draw his knife; instead, his shoulders and back sank, and three muffled groans rose from his bones, the force shooting from his heels to his shoulders.

He should have delayed.

But the fire in his heart had been suppressed for too long, and it exploded when he got the chance... He wanted to win in front of Ye Xiao, and didn't want to just be a stalling tactic.

He shoved the second-in-command aside, trying to push the back of the line away and loosen things up.

The second-in-command seemed to have anticipated this. He shifted his feet slightly, his movements slow yet steady. Six muffled cracking sounds rose from the folds of his clothes in succession: "crack, crack, crack, crack, crack, crack," a series of short, sharp sounds like muffled thunder rolling through his bones.

Yan Quan rammed into him, and the second-in-command also stepped in, the force of the impact making his shoulder blade go numb.

Before he could even be shocked, his second-in-command raised his elbow and thrust it directly into the crevice of his sternum.

"Thump!"

The energy was instantly dissipated, Yan Quan's vision went black, and he almost lost his footing.

The pain brought out his ferocity. He completely forgot his purpose and threw a punch in retaliation.

The second-in-command's eyes turned cold, and with a flick of his wrist, his five fingers hooked Yan Quan's right hand joint.

With a snap of his fingers, Yan Quan's entire arm felt as if it were bound by an iron band, and his energy flow was instantly cut off in half.

In the next instant, that hand was about to bend upwards, enough to cripple Yan Quan's arm and cause a commotion that Du Wanjun would surely notice.

Yan Quan's heart pounded. He tried to draw his sword with his left hand, but he was stuck at the wrong angle.

He knew it was all over.

But just then, a shadow crept up from the fog.

There was no shouting or yelling.

Ye Xiao pressed down on the second-in-command's hand with one hand, forcefully breaking the opponent's strength and power.

The pressure felt like a hot iron hitting the back of his hand; the second-in-command's fingers went numb, and the force dissipated on the spot.

The second-in-command's pupils constricted sharply, and he instinctively pulled his elbow back.

Just as the elbow was raised, Ye Xiao raised his arm and rammed it, deflecting the blow. This caused Ye Xiao to stagger back half a step before his elbow could strike.

Ye Xiao gave Yan Quan a push, not a hard one, but enough to push him away from the threat.

The second-in-command felt a chill in his heart. The six fists rang out again, and he threw a punch straight at Ye Xiao's face... He didn't seek victory, but only to force him to retreat.

Ye Xiao advanced instead of retreating.

As the crimson pillar struck, heat surged up from the soles of his feet, like molten iron being poured into his spine. The next instant, he raised his arm and rammed into it.

"Bang!"

With a thud, fists collided, and a muffled sound exploded against the mist.

The second-in-command's punch felt like it had hit a hot iron; it didn't hurt, but rather felt blocked. His force couldn't move forward; instead, Ye Xiao's force pressed him back along his arm bone, causing his arm to go numb and his knuckles to tighten.

In the same instant, Ye Xiao pressed forward.

The Mountain-Crushing Fist was unleashed, but instead of striking the throat or the heart, it struck the second-in-command's shoulder.

The second-in-command's entire right arm went numb instantly, and the shout in his throat felt like it was stuck.

He raised his knee and thrust it out, trying to create distance.

Ye Xiao saw through his intention at a glance. Instead of confronting him head-on, he made six sounds from his bones, lowered his waist, leaned his shoulder, and pressed his whole body against him like a hot iron, preventing the opponent's strength from truly exploding.

Immediately afterwards, he delivered a short punch to the ribs, and the second-in-command broke his breath on the spot, his legs buckling.

This blow, while not fatal, is most likely to knock someone unconscious.

The second-in-command felt a tightness in his chest, his vision went white, and just as he was about to shout, he exhaled a breath of stale air and collapsed.

Ye Xiao didn't let him make a sound, grabbed him, and dragged him into the shadows by the wall.

Yan Quan was panting, his chest was still tight and painful, but a little cold sweat seeped from his forehead.

Only at this moment did he realize that his desire to win had almost ruined the entire robbery mission... or rather, it had already been ruined. If Ye Xiao hadn't intervened in time, they would have been wiped out.

He can't handle being the second-in-command.

However, he never expected that as soon as Ye Xiao arrived, the second-in-command was defeated before he could even catch his breath.

Yan Quan's throat was dry.

It turns out that he was the one competing alone from beginning to end. Ye Xiao's strength far surpassed his, and he only had the mission on his mind.