If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

Zhou Yang gripped the black bead tightly.

The beads felt icy cold to the touch, like a piece of cold iron that couldn't be melted.

He stood in front of Qin Shuang, shielding her behind him as she lay injured. But his gaze pierced through the flickering firelight, fixed firmly on the massive figure at the cave entrance.

The stone roller was still blocking the way, like a thousand-year-old, weathered eagle statue. Its dark red eyes flickered in and out of the darkness, showing no sign of yielding.

The wind blew in through the cave entrance, causing the flames to flicker.

Qin Shuang leaned against the stone wall, panting, and whispered, "What do you want to do? Use that thing?"

Her voice was tinged with doubt. This thing had just come off that monster; who knew if it was a trap?

Zhou Yang did not answer.

He closed his eyes.

It wasn't meditation, nor was it breath control. He was feeling that familiar sensation deep within his being—his lifespan.

There aren't many left.

Each burning felt like a piece of the soul being ripped out.

But no way.

He tentatively drew out a tiny fraction of his lifespan. Less than any he had burned before. It was like carefully blowing a speck of dust from a vast granary.

This faint wisp of life force flowed along his meridians to his palm and seeped into the black bead.

hum.

The bead emitted a slight tremor.

It neither emitted light nor generated heat. However, in Zhou Yang's perception, the previously blurry fluctuations of divine sense on it instantly became clear.

On the other end is the cold, strange consciousness in "Stone Roller's" mind.

It's like connecting a telephone line.

"come over."

Zhou Yang issued a simple command in his mind.

He opened his eyes.

The massive stone roller blocking the cave entrance trembled violently. Its dark red eyes flickered intensely, like two oil lamps with malfunctioning contacts.

He made a strange gurgling sound in his throat, like metal rubbing against each other, full of a feeling of struggle and resistance.

The invisible pressure blocking the hole has noticeably weakened.

effective.

Zhou Yang was overjoyed.

He focused his mind, channeled another wisp of life force into the command, and the command became even clearer.

"I told you to get out of my way!"

The "Stone Roller" twisted stiffly. It seemed unwilling, every muscle resisting. But in the end, the forceful command from the bead overwhelmed its instincts.

He moved away.

His movements were slow, stopping every few steps, and he painstakingly created a gap just wide enough for one person to pass through.

The night breeze outside could finally blow in smoothly.

"Walk!"

Without further hesitation, Zhou Yang helped Qin Shuang up.

Qin Shuang's weight was mostly on him. He could smell the blood in her hair, along with a faint, cool fragrance.

His back was still throbbing with pain. Every movement felt like a new wound being torn open. But his steps were steady.

The two stumbled and staggered as they squeezed through the gap created by the "stone roller".

The moonlight outside was cold and clear.

The traces of the fierce battle were still vivid in my mind: broken stone beams, shattered ground, and the lingering smoke and burnt smell in the air.

"Lord Baihu!"

A suppressed shout of excitement came from not far away.

Several dark figures emerged from behind the pile of rocks. They were dressed in the tight-fitting uniforms of the Imperial Guards, and the leader was a man with a resolute face and an old scar on his eyebrow. His name was A-Si, and he was Qin Shuang's most trusted subordinate.

Ah Si rushed over and saw Qin Shuang leaning heavily on Zhou Yang, her expression instantly changing.

"Sir! How are you?"

"I won't die." Qin Shuang's voice was still cold, but it sounded weaker. "Clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded."

"Yes!" Ah Si replied, his eyes filled with rage as he stared intently at the "stone roller" that had just slowly emerged from the cave entrance. "This monster..."

"He's our 'ally' for now," Zhou Yang interrupted him.

He released Qin Shuang, letting her lean against A Si. He then turned around to face the "stone roller".

"Stone Roller" stood there quietly. It wasn't as aggressive as before, but it wasn't a docile pet either. It was more like a tiger on a leash, silently awaiting its master's next command. Its dark red eyes remained fixed on the black bead in Zhou Yang's hand.

Qin Shuang was helped to sit on a rock, where she tore off a corner of her clothes to hastily bandage her wound. She looked at the scene before her, her brow furrowed.

"How long can you control him?"

"I don't know," Zhou Yang said honestly. "This bead is like a remote control; it can issue commands. But the batteries inside are my lifeline. Every time I use them, they're gone."

He didn't go into too much detail, but the meaning was quite clear.

Qin Shuang understood.

She looked at Zhou Yang's pale face, at his still-bleeding wound, and fell silent. This man always solved problems in the most extreme ways.

"We still have twelve men who can fight," Qin Shuang quickly decided. "Where are your men?"

Zhou Yang shook his head: "My unit consists of only me."

The men he brought from Anyang County were almost all lost in the subsequent pursuit.

Qin Shuang took a deep breath. Her gaze swept over her subordinates, then looked at Zhou Yang beside her, and finally landed on the ominous "stone roller".

A bold formation took shape in her mind.

"Ah Si, you take six men and form the left flank. Li San, you take the rest and form the right flank. Stay alert and provide alternating cover."

"Me, and you," she looked at Zhou Yang, "we'll be in the middle providing support."

She paused, then turned her gaze to the "stone roller".

As for him… let him go first. Clear the way.

This is a simple, direct, yet extremely effective formation.

The "Stone Roller's" physique and strength are the best shield and battering ram. Qin Shuang's elite Imperial Guards are the sharp blades on both flanks. And she and Zhou Yang are the brains of the entire team.

Thus, a temporary and strange "alliance" was formed.

Zhou Yang had no objections. He needed Qin Shuang's people to protect him, and Qin Shuang needed his power. This was a new deal.

"Let's go," Qin Shuang ordered.

With a thought, Zhou Yang gave the "stone roller" a command.

"Move forward and explore the way."

The massive "Stone Roller" moved. He led the way, each step causing the ground to tremble slightly. The iron rod in his hand dragged on the ground, making a grating sound as he cleared a path for the small group.

The team did not choose to return the way they came.

Zhou Yang found another place from the chaotic memories left by the "stone roller".

A forgotten secret passage.

They walked through a scene of devastation and came to the edge of a cliff. The bottom of the cliff was bottomless, and only the wind howled.

On one side of the cliff, there is an extremely hidden cave entrance, concealed by vines and rocks.

"The Heavenly Star Rift Valley secret passage," Zhou Yang explained, "allows us to bypass the blockade set up by the Heavenly Principle Sect outside."

Qin Shuang glanced at the deep cave entrance, then at Zhou Yang. She didn't ask him how he knew. In a place like this, asking even one more question would be a waste of time.

"Go in."

The group filed in.

The passageway was pitch black.

The Imperial Guards took out tinderboxes and lit torches.

The light dispelled the darkness and illuminated the entire passage. It was a man-made tunnel, with traces of chisels still visible on the walls. The air was damp, carrying the earthy smell of soil and the slippery feel of some unknown moss.

The path beneath our feet was narrow, allowing only two people to walk side by side.

"Stone Roller" walked at the very front, his figure almost blocking the entire passage. Any ambush would hit him first.

The procession formed a long line and moved forward in silence.

Only the sounds of footsteps, dripping water, and the friction of the stone roller dragging the iron rod echoed in the narrow space.

Zhou Yang walked in the middle, one hand holding onto the stone wall, the other tightly gripping the bead. He could feel the emotion emanating from the other end of the bead. It was a cold, numb hunger.

The thing inside this "stone roller" is not a simple consciousness. It's more like an ancient, parasitic entity. The bead is some kind of token that controls it.

They walked for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn.

Suddenly, a crisp "crack" sound came from ahead.

"Stop!" Zhou Yang shouted immediately.

The stone roller at the front stopped abruptly.

The line in front also stopped, and everyone instantly went on alert.

"What's going on?" Qin Shuang's voice came from behind.

"The ground has cracked." Ah Si's voice was a little strained.

Zhou Yang took a few steps forward. In the firelight, he could see a spiderweb-like crack in the stone pavement beneath the "stone roller." The crack was bottomless, and a chilly wind was blowing through it.

It's a trap.

There are ancient mechanisms in this secret passage.

"Step back," Zhou Yang ordered the "stone roller."

The stone roller took two steps back. The heavy footsteps made the already loose ground crack even more.

"There's no way to go that way," Ah Si frowned. "We have to take a detour."

"There's no way around it," Zhou Yang said decisively. "This road is only this wide. If we take a detour, we'll have to turn back."

Going back would be like walking into a trap.

Everyone fell silent.

Although Qin Shuang's men were all skilled, they were not adept at dealing with such traps and mechanisms.

Zhou Yang stared at the ever-expanding crack, his mind racing.

He suddenly asked, "Qin Shuang, do you still have any rope?"

"have."

"Have your men secure the ropes to the stone walls on both sides."

Qin Shuang immediately understood his intention. Without the slightest hesitation, she immediately gave the order to A Si.

Soon, two Imperial Guards took out grappling hooks and secured the ropes firmly to the relatively stable rocks on both sides of the crevice, thus building a simple rope bridge.

But no one dares to attempt such a suspension bridge lightly.

Zhou Yang looked at the "stone roller" again.

He took a deep breath and poured more of his lifespan into the bead. This time, he needed to issue a more complex command.

"Go over there. Go to the other side. Walk across the crack."

Stone Roller's red eyes flashed even more intensely. A strong will to resist surged within its body. That ancient consciousness told it that danger was imminent.

But the beads' commands are more forceful.

Under everyone's watchful eyes, "Stone Roller" moved his heavy body to the edge of the crevice. He looked down at the bottomless ravine, then stretched out one foot and stepped on the taut rope.

The rope was instantly compressed into an exaggerated arc, groaning under the strain.

The other foot of the "stone roller" stepped on it as well.

His massive body was suspended in mid-air.

He walked forward steadily, step by step, as if walking on flat ground. His weight became the most severe test for the rope.

Everyone held their breath.

Only when the giant feet of the "stone roller" firmly touched the ground opposite them did everyone breathe a sigh of relief.

"In the past," Zhou Yang ordered.

The Imperial Guards were nimble and agile, quickly crossing the suspension bridge one by one. Soon, everyone had safely reached the other side.

Zhou Yang and Qin Shuang were the last to arrive.

Zhou Yang walked in front, with Qin Shuang following behind. He could feel the ropes swaying beneath his feet, and the bottomless darkness below.

After crossing the suspension bridge, he looked back.

The rope that had been stepped on by the "stone roller" was covered with tiny burrs.

Let's continue forward.

The secret passage seemed to have no end.

Just when everyone was about to lose patience, the view ahead suddenly opened up.

They emerged from the secret passage.

Before us was a huge underground cave.

The cave's dome is so high that its top is invisible, and it is inlaid with countless minerals that emit a faint blue light, illuminating the entire space like a starry sea.

The center of the cave is not the exit.

Instead, it was an enormous circular stone gate. The gate was carved with intricate and ancient patterns, exuding an exotic charm. The entire gate emanated an aura of deathly stillness and ancient desolation.

There is no handle and no keyhole.

All paths were blocked.

"Is this a dead end?" A look of despair appeared on Ah Si's face.

Qin Shuang also frowned deeply. They had gone through so much trouble to get here, only to find a wall. This was even more frustrating than being ambushed by the enemy.

Zhou Yang did not speak.

His eyes searched the stone gate.

He noticed that there were three stone platforms, each more than half a meter high, arranged in a triangle on the ground directly in front of the stone gate.

On the stone platform, there is a groove on each side.

Above the stone gate, corresponding to the three recessed positions, are three enormous lamp pillars: one crimson, one snow-white, and one azure blue.

All three lampposts were off.

Just then, the black bead in Zhou Yang's hand suddenly became slightly hot.

At the same time, the metallic scraping sound from the "stone roller's" throat rang out without warning.

This time, the voice was no longer simply cold, but carried an indescribable sense of vicissitude and weariness.

"The lamp of three colors. The key to bloodline."

"King's blood, cursed seal, shadow's body."

"When the three are united, the door opens."

Zhou Yang suddenly looked up at Qin Shuang, then at the "stone roller" beside him.

King's Blood... Seal of Curse... Body of Shadow.

The mystery of an ancient mechanism was thus presented to them in the most straightforward way by a monster.