Chapter Sixty-Seven: Taking a Gamble

After Lan Dao stood up, the three men in black behind him opened their eyes and glanced around. Once they were sure there was no immediate danger, they helped each other rise. Seeing Jiang Pingchuan and Lan Dao, the three were shocked. The leader tightened the black cloth on his face, afraid Jiang Pingchuan might catch a glimpse of his true appearance.

“Senior, what’s going on here?”

The leader of the black-clad men stepped forward to Jiang Pingchuan, casting a fleeting glance at Lan Dao beside him. Though he harbored murderous intent toward Lan Dao, he knew he lacked the power to carry it out, and so let the matter rest.

“It’s an illusion array,” Jiang Pingchuan replied, patting the neck of the Listening Cloud Horse. The horse reared, neighing, and suddenly dashed away, leaving everyone momentarily stunned.

“If you don’t want to die, follow me!”

Seeing the Listening Cloud Horse sprint off, Jiang Pingchuan hurried after it. Noticing the others still standing foolishly in place, he shouted, somewhat irritated.

Lan Dao and the others snapped to attention and quickly followed. The man in black ran alongside Lan Dao, the two occasionally exchanging disdainful glances as they sped through the forest.

The Listening Cloud Horse galloped straight for a time, then abruptly turned and ran back in the original direction. Jiang Pingchuan did not follow it immediately, but instead stopped at the direction where the horse had turned, paused, then chased after it again. Lan Dao and the others, wary of being lazy, mimicked Jiang Pingchuan’s actions, stopping at the right spots and then continuing after him.

The horse turned again, running in the opposite direction, and Jiang Pingchuan simply followed as before, saying nothing.

After this back-and-forth repeated a dozen times, everyone was utterly exhausted. When the Listening Cloud Horse finally stopped, Jiang Pingchuan walked to its side, looking toward where its head was pointed.

“Huff, huff, I’m exhausted. Master, what are we doing?”

Lan Dao bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily. The black cloths on the faces of the three men in black were soaked with sweat. Their breathing was labored, the cloths rising and falling with each breath, making it hard to get enough air, their eyes bloodshot.

“Finding the array’s core,” Jiang Pingchuan replied, glancing back before walking forward a few steps. He pressed his foot into the ground, then crouched and swept aside the decaying leaves. Slowly, a square, ancient copper box was revealed beneath the earth.

Lan Dao and the others gathered around. The leader of the black-clad men visibly changed when he saw the copper box. Jiang Pingchuan sensed their reaction but said nothing.

“Senior, is this box the core of the array?”

The black-clad man’s voice trembled slightly. He had seen this box before—how could it appear here? He looked at Jiang Pingchuan and suddenly noticed a strange look in his eyes, causing him to fall silent.

“The box is not the core. The infant’s head inside is the array’s core.”

Jiang Pingchuan took out the box and tapped it. A baby’s whimpering cry echoed from within, sending chills through everyone present. Moments ago, there had been no sound at all.

Now, with Jiang Pingchuan revealing that there was an infant’s head inside, the baby’s plump and adorable features should have inspired affection, but in this eerie forest, the sight of a baby’s head was downright terrifying.

---

“Master, how did you know there was a baby’s head here? Don’t scare me,” Lan Dao clutched his robe tightly, glancing nervously around the woods.

“I have no interest in frightening you. I’ve never seen this array and don’t know how to break it,” Jiang Pingchuan said, shaking the ancient copper box. Something inside thumped as if it rolled around—the box was large enough that it was hard to imagine anything fitting inside except an infant’s head.

“Senior, why not open it and see?” the black-clad man suggested, his gaze fixed on the box in Jiang Pingchuan’s hands.

“Heh, open it? If you’re willing to remove your veil and show your face, I’ll let you see what’s inside,” Jiang Pingchuan said, licking his lips and reaching to pull the man’s mask. The black-clad man recoiled in fear. Jiang Pingchuan’s hand paused in midair, his expression darkening, though he quickly returned to his usual demeanor and smiled awkwardly.

“Senior, in our line of work, there are rules. Revealing our faces invites endless pursuit. Please understand,” the black-clad man said, bowing deeply. After he spoke, he glanced at Lan Dao. Lan Dao looked thoughtful, shifting his gaze between the black-clad man and Jiang Pingchuan. He felt Jiang Pingchuan’s words held a deeper meaning.

“I’ll reluctantly accept that excuse. But if you want to see, either tell the truth or open it yourself. Let me warn you: if you don’t speak honestly, we’re all doomed to die here,” Jiang Pingchuan said, tossing the copper box to the black-clad man. The man hunched over, clearly fearful of the box. Jiang Pingchuan took no further notice, clapping his hands as the Listening Cloud Horse trotted up beside him. Jiang Pingchuan mounted the horse.

“Ouch... Master, why did you kick me?” Lan Dao complained, rubbing his backside, but then his face lit up and he hopped onto the horse behind Jiang Pingchuan.

“Senior, what do you mean by this?” the black-clad man asked anxiously as Jiang Pingchuan and Lan Dao rode away.

“Nothing. You’ve already been abandoned. If you insist on showing loyalty, stay here and wait for death,” Jiang Pingchuan replied, stroking the horse’s mane. The Listening Cloud Horse snorted softly and walked oddly toward the depths of the forest.

The three men in black exchanged glances. Seeing Jiang Pingchuan about to disappear into the darkness, they grew agitated. The leader gazed at the copper box in his arms, torn by indecision.

“Big brother, is that kid telling the truth? The fourth and fifth are dead. Are we being sacrificed by the priest...?”

“Shut up!”

The leader snapped at his companion, tearing off his black cloth. The other two followed suit. All three bore a dragon-shaped mark burned into their right cheeks.

The leader was square-faced with a beard and dark complexion. The other two looked about his age, with thick brows and large eyes. Their temperaments were similar, drawn together by mutual affinity.

“Big brother, what do we do now? If we don’t figure something out, we’ll die here,”

“Big brother, second brother is right. If we can’t get out, we’re finished. Fourth and fifth are dead. If we all die here, it’s over.”

---

Another black-clad man’s expression was equally anxious. None of them wanted to die, especially men like them, who valued their lives above all.

“Defect, and I can lead you out,”

Somehow, Jiang Pingchuan had circled back behind them, smiling pleasantly. The trio were stunned, and the leader sighed.

“Senior, I am Long Da. These are Long Er and Long San. To be honest, we cannot defect—if we do, our brothers outside are doomed,” Long Da said, handing the copper box to Jiang Pingchuan, his face full of apology and inner conflict.

“Let me ask you: If you fail your mission, can you survive?”

Jiang Pingchuan took the box, his expression grave. The three remained silent. They were here to hunt Lan Dao.

Now, not only had the mission failed, but two of their brothers were dead. If they returned without completing the mission, they’d die; if they succeeded, they’d be dogs for others.

“Big brother, Senior is right. You know if we fail, we die outside; if we stay here, we die anyway,” Long Er said urgently to Long Da. He saw that Jiang Pingchuan was their only hope—either way, death loomed.

Since Jiang Pingchuan hadn’t killed them at the outset, it meant that as long as they followed him, there was still a sliver of hope; otherwise, death was certain.

“Nonsense! If we defect, we might survive, but what about Seventh and Thirteenth? They’re still outside—they’ll die, do you understand?” Long Da’s face flushed with anger as he glared at Long Er. Long San patted Long Er’s shoulder; they all knew their situation was dire, caught between a rock and a hard place.

“Heh, you don’t have to defect. But you can gamble with me—I can still lead you out,” Jiang Pingchuan said, tossing the box to Lan Dao, smiling at Long Da. The three were incredulous and uneasy, uncertain what kind of gamble Jiang Pingchuan was proposing.

“What’s the bet?”

Long Da asked in a low voice. At this point, gambling was better than waiting for death.

Jiang Pingchuan, seeing Long Da willing to bet, smiled with satisfaction.