The Great Hong Dynasty’s stone quarrying techniques were quite accomplished. The excavation of the ominous stone vein was carried out with meticulous care. The support shafts, load-relief shafts, and ventilation shafts in the mine were all constructed without the slightest negligence, and the method of layered advancement was used—each section of the tunnel had its own independent reinforcement. Fortunately, because of this, the mine did not completely collapse during the explosion.

N/A led Henry Lang and Isaac Lowell to carefully inspect the area nearby, where they found two dying giant toads. N/A mercilessly crushed their skulls with a single stomp...

After a while, Henry Lang’s mood gradually calmed, but countless questions welled up in his heart. He didn’t dare disturb N/A, whose face was still full of murderous intent, so he gently tugged at Isaac Lowell, who looked just as troubled, and whispered, “That fire thunder... why was it so powerful?”

These days, Henry Lang had seen plenty of fire thunder. Although they were quite potent, even stacking over a dozen crates together wouldn’t cause such a massive explosion.

Although Isaac Lowell was a member of the Jiulong Qingyi, he was easygoing by nature, and now that they were sharing hardship, he no longer put on airs: “First, these fire thunders were specially issued by the department—they’re much more formidable than the ones you use for blasting mountains. Second, the place where we set the fire thunder was right at the main structural point at the mine entrance. With one blast, the initial section of the tunnel was bound to collapse. This was all pre-designed!”

To have a blast point designed during the excavation, and to have special fire thunder prepared in advance—Henry Lang was slightly startled. “So you were planning to blow up the mine all along? Then... why dig it in the first place?”

N/A, who had been facing away from Henry Lang, turned around and answered his question: “This ominous stone vein appeared under strange circumstances. There was concern that evil forces might use it for mischief, so the Grand Preceptor invited experts from the Zhuli Daoist Temple to suppress it. As for the plan to blow up the mine, that was just an extra precaution. No one expected it would actually be needed.”

Henry Lang nodded, half-understanding, and suddenly caught sight of N/A’s face, instantly stunned: “You, you, how did you...”

As he spoke, Henry Lang rubbed his eyes hard. N/A’s features hadn’t changed at all, but he looked much older than before. Now, he appeared to be at least in his forties, with fine wrinkles spreading across the corners of his eyes and forehead, and his gaze had grown much more clouded.

“Gotten old, have I?” N/A reached up to touch his own face, his tone full of helplessness, and patted the longbow on his back: “This bow has a name—‘Black Hair, White Hair, No Return!’”

N/A looked somewhat weary, found a stone to sit on, and, surprisingly patient with Henry Lang, explained: “I can only shoot three arrows with it. The power of these three arrows is indeed great, but the price the wielder pays is steep!”

Seeing N/A’s condition, Henry Lang vaguely understood the situation with the bow and couldn’t help but ask, “The price is your lifespan?”

N/A nodded. “Exactly—lifespan! After the first shot, the bow takes away a third of the wielder’s life. The second shot takes half of what remains. If the wielder is still alive after that, there’s a third shot, which costs all the remaining lifespan. This cursed bow is called ‘Lifespan’! That was my first time using it. Because my family has a special cultivation method, I can shoot three arrows. If anyone else used it, they’d turn to bones after just one shot.”

As he spoke, N/A couldn’t help but reach up and wipe the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes and brows, sighing, “Truly a wicked treasure!”

Black hair, white hair, no return—Lifespan, the cursed bow, three arrows for a lifetime!

And each of these three arrows was more explosive than the last.

Only now did Henry Lang understand why N/A cherished the bow as his life, and why, even in such a desperate situation outside, he had only fired a single arrow.

At this moment, Isaac Lowell furrowed his brow, glanced at Henry Lang, then at the commander, his mouth moving as if he wanted to ask something.

N/A shot Isaac Lowell a sidelong glance. “If you have something to ask, just ask. Who taught you to be so hesitant?”

Isaac Lowell grinned. “I just think... sir, you seem to value this kid a bit too much. You saved his life, explained things to him, and even when he punched you earlier, you didn’t hold it against him...”

Henry Lang and N/A both changed expression and said in unison, “He didn’t hit me!”

Isaac Lowell quickly shook his head as well. “Didn’t hit, didn’t hit...”

N/A looked at Henry Lang again and asked calmly, “Your ghost servant—is it called Evelyn Wynn? Liang, Evelyn Wynn!”

Chapter Six: The Crime of Treason

Henry Lang let out a cry of surprise. “How did you know?”

“Skinny as a skeleton, shifty-eyed, timid and cowardly, always fawning,” N/A sneered coldly. “And with such a big coin-shaped birthmark on his face—he’s hard to miss.” Even back when they were outside the mountain, N/A had not only recognized Evelyn Wynn, but also realized that Henry Lang was the little ghost’s master.

Without waiting for anyone else to ask, N/A continued, “Other than the coin birthmark, there’s nothing special about Evelyn Wynn. There are countless little ghosts like him in the world. But this Evelyn Wynn has another identity: three hundred years ago, he was the ghost servant of Lord Edward Lang. Now he serves you, and your surname is Liang, and you’re a criminal. Heh, how could I not guess that you’re Lord Liang’s descendant?”

“Ah!”