The Great Song Dynasty's Soul-Forging in Progress

Chen Shimei's thoughts went far beyond that.

Wang Zhonghua, that soup-selling boy, has recently been secretly in close contact with Di Qing, supposedly tinkering with some kind of "divine weapon." If he really succeeds, how will Chen Shimei (Chen Shimei) maintain control of Chenzhou? Qin Tiehua is merely bait; the real target is the big fish, Wang Zhonghua and even Di Qing. As for the woman herself… he recalled their first meeting at Longsheng Ferry: "Though a rustic village girl, she possessed a certain heroic spirit." His fingertips gently caressed the rim of his cup, as if lightly stroking Qin Tiehua's beauty mark.

If she's truly interesting, taking her into my room as a plaything wouldn't be so bad. Wang Zhonghua, oh Wang Zhonghua, I'll let you know that in this Chenzhou territory, without actively seeking my help, you can't even protect your own woman.

He picked up the now-cold tea and drank it all in one gulp, as if he were drinking a cup of unparalleled fine wine—yes, a wine even more exquisite than "Drunken Eight Immortals."

……

The poplar by the east gate has lush, green leaves.

Dusk is the appointed time, and the stars shine brightly.

The poplar by the east gate, its leaves are lush and green.

The time was dusk, and the stars shone brightly.

Qin Tiehua, filled with joy, descended the mountain with light steps. The ore in her arms felt heavy, yet it gave her a sense of peace. She even hummed an old folk song, her voice hoarse but cheerful. She imagined Wang Zhonghua's surprised expression when he saw the ore, imagined his focused face illuminated by the furnace fire, imagined the sparks flying as the hammer struck—like their shared future, bright and passionate.

As we reached the mountainside, a flock of startled birds suddenly took flight in the forest, a dark mass, as if driven away by something invisible.

Her heart tightened, and her singing stopped abruptly. The experience of fighting and killing the leopard sent a chill down her spine—it was too quiet; even the cicadas had disappeared.

This is not a wild beast; a wild beast would not make all the birds flee at the same time.

This is a human being, a human being with murderous intent.

Without hesitation, she turned and plunged into the dense thicket of thorns. The sharp thorns instantly pierced her skin, leaving long, thin gashes on her arms. She gritted her teeth, weaving through the thorns like a slippery fish. She didn't even bother to protect her face, letting the thorns leave red marks on her cheeks.

Because she heard a dangerous howl—

"call out!"

A crossbow bolt was embedded in the tree trunk she had just passed, its fletching vibrating with astonishing force. Had she not reacted quickly, the arrow would have pierced her heart by now.

Overwhelming hatred caused Qiu Laohu to lose his mind, and he no longer cared about Qin Tiehua's life or death.

"Chase her! Don't let that woman get away!" Qiu Laohu's rough voice came from behind.

Qin Tiehua's heart sank to the bottom. She knew this rogue—Qiu Laohu—of course, the most vicious scoundrel at Longsheng Ferry in Chenzhou, with countless henchmen, a ruthless bully who committed countless atrocities and killed countless people. If it weren't for Lü Sanjun's rescue, Brother Zhonghua would likely be one of those wronged souls at the bottom of Laomentan. She dared not look back, only desperately moving forward. The stream, the bushes, the fallen trees—all became her cover. She even walked against the current, letting the water carry away her scent, and set up makeshift vines as tripwires along her path.

Shouts and curses came from behind, and the pursuers indeed slowed down.

But soon, even more rapid footsteps pressed in.

"Shoot the arrow! Shoot her in the leg! The master wants her alive, or crippled, but you'd better drag her back!" Qiu Laohu's voice grew closer, filled with bloodthirsty excitement.

The sound of arrows whistling through the air was like a swarm of locusts. Qin Tiehua dodged left and right through the woods, her body almost taut like a bow. A crossbow bolt grazed her side, tearing a bloody gash. She groaned, but dared not stop. Another arrow shot in; she dodged to the side, but a tearing pain shot through her left shoulder—a crossbow bolt had sunk deep below her collarbone, the arrowhead lodged in the bone.

Blood quickly stained her clothes, and warm liquid flowed down her armpits, soaking the oilcloth bag in her arms. The excruciating pain made her vision blur and her steps falter. She drew her short sword, gritted her teeth, and severed the arrow shaft, but dared not pull out the arrowhead. She continued to flee forward, each step aggravating her wounds, like a knife twisting inside her bones.

Ahead lay a precipice, with clouds swirling below like a boiling, milky-white cauldron, its depths unfathomable.

With a dead end ahead and pursuers behind, Qin Tiehua had nowhere to retreat and was trapped in a perilous situation where he was fighting tigers, leopards, wolves, and jackals alone—human cruelty can sometimes be far worse than that of beasts.

Without hesitation, she jumped off the cliff. In her last moments before losing consciousness, she seemed to see Wang Zhonghua standing before the blacksmith's furnace, holding up the piece of ore, turning back to smile at her. That smile was as bright as ever, enough to illuminate the eternal darkness she was falling into.

Huluwan Winery.

Wang Zhonghua looked at the transformed "Dark Arrow" team members, a hint of relief appearing on his face, when Zhao Shun, supporting Lao Qin, charged over like a mad bull. Lao Qin grabbed his arm, his voice trembling: "Zhonghua! Tiehua... Tiehua is missing! It's been over ten days! Huang Daniu and the others said Tiehua went into the mountains to look for minerals, but... but the hunters in the village said they saw a group of people with guns and knives follow her into the mountains!"

"What?!" Wang Zhonghua's smile froze instantly, as if a bucket of boiling water mixed with ice shards had been poured over his head.

After listening to Lao Qin's incoherent narration, Wang Zhonghua's fists clenched so tightly they cracked, his knuckles turning bluish-white from the excessive force. A chilling fear and a burning rage surged through his body, colliding and tearing wildly in his veins, almost burning his reason to ashes. But he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing these turbulent emotions, his eyes instantly becoming sharp as an eagle's, his unfathomable pupils filled only with pure and primal killing intent.

When Qin Tiedan first heard the news, he was struck dumb.

"What did you say? My sister... is missing? She went into the mountains? And there are people with knives following her?!" He turned around abruptly, his dark face instantly losing all color, his eyes bulging as if they were about to pop out, his lips trembling, unable to utter a second word for a long time.

The next second, like a mad tiger whose tail had been stepped on, he let out a low, inhuman growl and turned to rush out! He forgot all about the longsword and the iron rod; only one thought remained in his mind: Go into the mountains! Find a girl!

"Tiedan! Stop!" Wang Zhonghua's voice was like an ice pick, instantly freezing his steps.

Qin Tiedan turned around with red eyes and saw Wang Zhonghua walking quickly from the winery. His face was no longer gentle, but only had a chilling calmness, and his eyes were frighteningly cold.

"Zhonghua! My sister, she..." Qin Tiedan's voice was choked with sobs. This man, who could tear tigers and leopards apart, was now as flustered as a child.

"I know," Wang Zhonghua interrupted him, his voice not loud, but carrying an undeniable force. "Tiedan, listen to me. If you rush out now and search the whole mountain, you'll only exhaust yourself, scare away any potential leads, and might even fall into their trap—it'll be completely useless!"

"What about my sister?! What if she..." Qin Tiedan stomped his feet anxiously, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Precisely because she might be in danger, we can't afford to panic!" Wang Zhonghua pressed down on his violently trembling shoulders, his gaze fixed on him. "Tiedan, you're her brother, the one who most wants to save her, and the one she needs to rely on most right now. But you have to use your strength wisely!"

He spoke quickly and clearly: "First, the village must not be thrown into chaos. Tiehua has gone missing; the other side could be after her, or it could be after me, or even our village. You immediately take men and thoroughly check all the entrances and exits, the walls, and the watchtowers of the village. Strengthen security. No one is allowed to enter or leave without my order! Especially those unfamiliar faces, those who have been loitering around the village these past two days—don't let a single one escape! Protect the elderly and children in the village!"

Qin Tiedan was panting heavily, his teeth clenched, but Wang Zhonghua's words were like a bucket of cold water, slightly clearing his raging mind.

Yes, if Zhuangzi falls into chaos, even if my sister is found, we'll have no home left.

Tiehua, my dear sister, you must never get into trouble!