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

It consisted of a dozen or so rough gemstones of varying sizes and colors, and a few crude gold bars. These were the hard currency of the Northern Wilderness and its mines.

Both parties began inspecting the goods.

The Tiger Gang members ripped open the tarpaulins of the other carriages, pulling out groups of people—men, women, and even teenagers—whose hands and feet were bound, their mouths stuffed with rags, and whose eyes were filled with terror and despair. The wolf demon roughly examined each one, pinching their arms and checking their teeth.

The ore was carried down basket by basket. Among the demons, there was an old wolf demon who looked like a priest. He held a glowing bone close to the ore and carefully sensed it.

The transaction is underway.

The atmosphere in the valley was growing increasingly tense.

The members of the Fierce Tiger Gang watched the demon race warily, while the demon warriors made no attempt to conceal the greed and ferocity in their eyes. The civilians, being inspected as if they were cargo, let out suppressed sobs.

On the cliff, Zhang Heng slowly raised his hand.

Fifty crossbowmen held their breath and aimed their crossbow bolts at the crowd gathered in the valley.

Lin Chen gently nocked an arrow, the arrowhead gleaming faintly in the darkness. The "Night Shadow" members behind him also drew their bows to half full.

The time is almost here.

Once both parties have finished checking the goods, the formal handover can begin...

Just then, something unexpected happened!

From the direction of the valley entrance, another rapid sound of horses' hooves came!

Immediately afterwards, three fast horses rushed into the faint light at the valley entrance!

The riders were all dressed in black, their faces covered by masks. The leader, though trying to conceal his identity, had a somewhat familiar figure, but his sinister eyes and riding posture...

Chen Hong?!

He actually came in person?!

Lin Chen's pupils suddenly contracted.

Chen Hong reined in his horse, his gaze sweeping coldly over the two parties trading in the valley before finally settling on One-Eyed Dragon. His voice was hoarse as he said, "One-Eyed, my master sent me to deliver a message."

Trading is suspended.

All eyes were focused on the three uninvited guests.

On the cliff, Zhang Heng's raised hand froze, his brows furrowed.

Lin Chen's heart pounded.

Chen Hong's appearance disrupted the plan.

However, this is also an opportunity—if we capture him on the spot, the evidence of his collusion with the Fierce Tiger Gang and the Demon Clan will be even stronger!

He stared intently into the valley, his fingers gripping the bowstring tightly.

Now, all that's left is to wait for Zhang Heng's signal.

Chen Hong's appearance caused the air in the valley to freeze instantly.

The one-eyed man's expression changed slightly. He took two steps forward and lowered his voice, "Lord Chen, why have you come in person? What are the master's orders?"

Astride his horse, Chen Hong looked down at the bound civilians and the purple-glowing ore, then gave a cold glance at the wolf demon leader. His voice was low but carried an undeniable chill.

"The master said things are tense lately. After this transaction, Blackstone Manor will be temporarily closed. All the goods and materials will be transferred to the Old Cave. As for the Gray Wolf Tribe... please refrain from contacting them for the time being."

The one-eyed man glared with his single eye: "Discontinue use? Then what about these..."

"Trade as usual," Chen Hong interrupted him, "but afterwards, the estate will be emptied out, and the manpower will be scattered. We'll talk about it again after things calm down."

The wolf demon leader seemed to understand part of what he was saying, letting out a low growl of discontent: "The promise... of long-term... supply..."

Chen Hong looked at him, his eyes growing colder: "Leader Wolf Kui, this is the order from above. Your Gray Wolf tribe's activities on the border have been too conspicuous lately, attracting the attention of those inside the pass. If you don't want to provoke a border army crackdown, you'd better behave yourselves."

The wolf demon leader bared its fangs and its green eyes flashed with ferocity, but in the end it did not retaliate, only letting out a heavy snort.

The transaction continued, but the atmosphere became even more bizarre.

On the cliff, Zhang Heng slowly lowered his hand, his expression a mixture of emotions. Chen Hong's appearance wasn't unexpected, but it made the situation clearer. He had to seize this opportunity!

He glanced in the direction of the pile of rocks where Lin Chen was hiding and nodded slightly.

it's time.

Behind the pile of rocks, Lin Chen saw Zhang Heng's gesture.

He took a deep breath, drew the bow to its fullest extent, raised the arrow slightly, and aimed it at the narrow strip of night sky squeezed out by the cliffs on both sides above the valley.

Loosen your fingers.

Boom!

The bowstring twanged!

An arrow with an oil-soaked linen tied to its tail, now ignited, shot into the sky with a piercing whistle and a bright flash!

Like a signal tearing through the darkness!

"kill--!"

Almost at the same instant the rocket lifted off, Zhang Heng's roar exploded from the cliff!

"Patrol Battalion! Slay the traitors! Eradicate the evil!"

"Release the arrows!"

Whoosh whoosh whoosh!

From the cliffs on both sides, fifty crossbow bolts rained down like a sudden downpour! They were aimed directly at the Tiger Gang members and demons gathered in the valley!

"There's an ambush!"

"Government troops!"

Chaos erupted in the valley!

The first volley of arrows felled seven or eight men! Screams, curses, and the neighing of horses filled the air!

"Night Shadow! Attack!" Lin Chen shouted sharply, leaping out from behind the rocks. The bowstring twanged again, and an arrow pierced the throat of a Tiger Gang leader who was trying to grab a weapon!

The ten men behind him appeared simultaneously, their bowstrings twanging in unison!

Their targets were clear—enemies carrying torches, leaders trying to organize resistance, and horses that had been startled and were running amok!

puff!puff!puff!

Torches were extinguished or knocked down one after another, plunging the valley into darkness and intensifying the chaos. Startled horses dragged carts wildly, scattering the crowd!

"Don't panic! Form ranks! Charge towards the valley entrance!" One-Eyed Dragon was an experienced man after all. He slashed away two stray arrows with his ghost-headed saber and roared.

"Warriors of the Gray Wolves! Tear them apart!"

Wolf Demon Leader Wolf Kui reacted, smashing a flying rock with his bone club and roaring an order. The ferocity of the demon warriors was ignited, and they howled as they pounced on the patrol soldiers charging down the cliff.

"Chen Hong is running away!" Li the Cripple had sharp eyes and saw that Chen Hong had already turned his horse around in the initial chaos and was desperately rushing towards the valley entrance with his two followers!

"Stop him!" Lin Chen shouted at Zhao Tiegu as he shot an arrow.

Zhao Tiegu had already led two men to flank the valley and used arrows to block the narrow passage at the entrance.

Chen Hong's horse was grazed by an arrow and jumped back in fright, nearly throwing him off. His face was deathly pale, and a vicious glint flashed in his eyes. He grabbed the water bag beside his saddle and hurled it at Zhao Tiegu, who was chasing after him. At the same time, he spurred his horse and charged recklessly toward the side where the arrows were less frequent!

One of his followers was shot off his horse by Zhao Tiegu, while another was hacked down by the patrol soldiers who rushed up.

Chen Hong himself was also hit in the shoulder by an arrow, but he used the speed of his horse to force his way out of the valley and disappear into the darkness!

"Chase!" Zhang Heng was furious upon seeing this and personally led a team to give chase.

The battle in the valley had reached a fever pitch.

The patrol battalion had a numerical advantage, was well-equipped, and launched an ambush, giving them an absolute advantage at the beginning.

However, the Tiger Gang consisted mostly of desperate criminals, and the demons were even more ferocious. After a brief period of chaos, they actually relied on the carriages and rocks as cover and fought desperately.

One-Eyed Dragon's swordsmanship was ruthless, slaying two patrol soldiers in succession. Wolf Kui's bone club was powerful and heavy, difficult to block with ordinary swords and knives, and also knocked down several people.

Lin Chen calmly observed the battlefield.

"Nightshade, switch weapons! Two people per group, clean up the remaining enemies! Focus on—the one-eyed one, and the wolf demon leader!"