I become stronger by sacrificing my lifespan, becoming invincible in the world.

"And also," Lin Chen looked at him, "in case... I mean in case, we're exposed, or we get trapped. Survival is the priority. Try to send a message back. I'll bring people to meet you."

Zhao Tiegu grinned, his wrinkles deepening. "Got it. Be careful over here too. Chen Hong and the Fierce Tiger Gang won't just sit idly by."

The two looked at each other and saw the determination in each other's eyes.

The night is deep.

The sound of snoring gradually rose in the barracks.

Lin Chen lay on the bed, not falling asleep immediately.

He repeatedly mentally rehearsed the possible scenarios and planned the training content for the next few days.

The prototype of "Night Shadow" has been formed, but it still needs more honing and... bloody trials to become a truly sharp blade capable of traversing the darkness of the North and tearing open intelligence gaps.

Zhao Tiegu and his team's first reconnaissance mission was their first test.

In the distance, from the city wall, the hollow sound of the night watchman's clapper echoed.

The cold wind rattled against the windowpane.

Lin Chen closed his eyes, his consciousness sinking into his chest.

The divine jade is warm and smooth, and its lifespan reserves flow quietly within it.

The path to becoming stronger is one step at a time; you can't stop.

Two days later, at dusk.

Zhao Tiegu led the first group of four men back to Dingqi's barracks like ghosts.

Everyone was covered in mud and snow, their faces showing exhaustion, but their eyes were frighteningly bright. As soon as Li the Cripple entered, he rushed to the water vat, scooped up a ladle of cold water and gulped it down before letting out a long sigh.

Lin Chen waved for the second group to go out and keep watch, then closed the door.

"How is it?"

Zhao Tiegu sat down by the fire pit, warming his frozen hands, his voice hoarse: "Found it. About thirty miles to the northeast, there's a place called 'Black Stone Village,' which used to be an abandoned small mine."

He took the hot water Lin Chen handed him, took a sip, and continued, "The manor is built in a mountain valley, surrounded by low cliffs on three sides, with only one road leading in from the front. Now it's been taken over by the Fierce Tiger Gang and has become one of their hideouts."

"How many people are there?" Lin Chen asked.

"There are probably thirty to forty people permanently stationed in the village," Li the Cripple interjected, his eyes being the sharpest. "There are visible sentries and hidden agents. The village walls aren't high, but the patrols inside are quite dense, especially at night."

Zhou Dahe added, "We watched from the opposite ridge for two days. We found that every one or two days, a convoy would leave the village and head further north into the wilderness. The vehicles were covered tightly with tarpaulins, so we couldn't see what they were carrying, but the tire tracks were very deep, like heavy cargo."

Wang Chuan continued, "The ones pulling the cart weren't the usual loud and boisterous henchmen from the Fierce Tiger Gang. They were all quiet men who worked silently and didn't talk much. They looked... a bit like coerced laborers. There weren't many guards either, but they were all very capable. We caught a glimpse of the leader once from afar. He had a very strong aura, probably no weaker than Xie Qi the Poison Scorpion from before."

Old Wu, being the most meticulous, lowered his voice and said, "We also discovered an old mine entrance that was sealed off with wooden planks behind the village, near the cliff. But people have been going in and out these past two days, and the planks have been moved. We took advantage of their shift change to get closer and smell it..."

His face showed a mixture of disgust and confusion: "The smell coming from the cave is strange. There's an earthy smell of minerals, and a kind of... indescribable stench, a bit like blood that's been sitting out for a while, but not quite. It makes me a little dizzy after smelling it for a while."

Blackstone Village.

Heavy truck fleet.

Old mine shaft.

It has a strange, fishy odor.

These fragments of information were quickly pieced together in Lin Chen's mind.

An abandoned mine, occupied by the Fierce Tiger Gang, with convoys regularly transporting heavy goods northwards, and a mine shaft with a strange smell...

"They might still be mining something in the mine," Lin Chen pondered. "The convoy is likely transporting goods dug out of the mine."

Zhao Tiegu nodded: "That's what we guessed too. And judging from the way they're doing it, this is a big deal, and it's very well-kept. The guards in the manor don't seem to be there to guard against outsiders, but rather... to keep an eye on the people inside, to prevent them from escaping or leaking information."

"It's like a secret warehouse or a transit point," Lin Chen summarized.

"Yes." Zhao Tiegu pulled out a small, dark object wrapped in rag from his pocket. "We found this on the outskirts of the village; it fell off a cart."

Lin Chen took it and opened it.

It was an irregularly shaped black pebble, about the size of a thumb, with a rough surface and a dull, almost metallic sheen. He brought it closer and smelled it; sure enough, there was a very faint earthy smell, and a hint of... a barely perceptible, unpleasant fishy odor.

It smelled similar to the mineral powder he had previously discovered, but stronger and more "fresh".

"Any other discoveries?" Lin Chen put away the pebbles.

"The people in the village don't have much contact with the outside world," said Li the Cripple. "But on the last day of our stakeout, we saw a fast horse come from the south and go straight into the village. The rider was dressed plainly, but the horse was a good one, and the rider was skilled. It stayed in the village for less than half an hour before leaving, and when it left, it carried a small bundle."

A messenger from the south?

Was it Chen Hong? Or someone else in Guanli who provided information to the Fierce Tiger Gang?

"Well done." Lin Chen looked at the five people in the first group. "Thank you all for your hard work these past three days. Go and rest, have a good meal, and get a good night's sleep."

Zhao Tiegu and his four companions were indeed exhausted, but they did not refuse and went to wash up and eat.

Lin Chen sat alone by the fire pit, his fingertips tracing the black pebble.

Blackstone Village... the secret stronghold of the Fierce Tiger Gang... a mysterious mine... a convoy regularly transporting goods north...

All of this points further north.

Soul Burial Valley?

The place Shi Jianxin mentioned where the Fierce Tiger Gang and the Black Nightmare Tribe traded "magic iron ore"?

If Blackrock Manor was a transit point, then what was being mined in the mines was likely raw "magic iron" ore. The caravans heading north were transporting refined ore, or... other things.

The messenger from the south indicates that the Fierce Tiger Gang still has informants and contacts within the pass.

Chen Hong is definitely involved.

The irrefutable evidence Zhang Heng seeks may be located in this Black Stone Village.

However, there are thirty or forty guards in the village, some of whom may be skilled fighters, and the terrain is easy to defend but difficult to attack. Forcing their way in is impossible.

We need to get closer to see more clearly.

Even...go inside.

Lin Chen's eyes were calm, and he had already made up his mind.

He needed to personally go to Blackstone Village to conduct a close reconnaissance and confirm the specific situation inside, especially the mine and the details of the convoy handover.

This would be far more dangerous than Zhao Tiegu and his team's long-distance observation.

But it is also the only way to obtain key information.

The night grew deeper.

The sound of tired but steady snoring filled the barracks.

Lin Chen carefully put the black gravel close to his body and lay down.

Tomorrow, after Zhao Tiegu and the others have rested, he will make a detailed plan.

A nighttime visit to Black Stone Village.

This first step must be taken steadily and with a clear vision.