Although the distance between the two jade outposts was only five li, for them, even the slightest carelessness meant walking a path between life and death.

Under the sunlight, the team moved forward slowly but quietly; no one spoke loudly.

Brian Cooper was walking among the crowd when he suddenly heard footsteps beside him. Someone hurried forward a couple of steps to his side, called out softly, and said, “Brother Yin.”

Brian Cooper turned to glance over and saw a round-faced young man beside him. He nodded and said, “What is it, Little William?”

Little William looked a few years younger than Brian Cooper, probably not yet twenty. However, anyone who could work in the inner ring was naturally strong, so he appeared quite sturdy.

Like Brian Cooper, he was also carrying a piece of jade on his back, but at this moment, his expression seemed a bit tense. As he walked, he kept glancing nervously at both sides of the road. After coming up to Brian Cooper, he lowered his voice and said, “Brother, there’s nothing dangerous on this stretch of road, right?”

Brian Cooper smiled, looked at him, and said, “What, are you scared?”

Little William hesitated for a moment, then muttered, “When Da Tou died yesterday, I was right there watching. Just a moment before, he was perfectly fine, and in the blink of an eye… he was dead.”

Da Tou was the one who had his skin scratched by the black poisonous vine yesterday and died instantly from the poison. Brian Cooper naturally knew about it.

In fact, among this group, he had been in the inner ring for three years. Other than the captain, no one had more seniority or experience than him.

“Is this your first time on this road?” Brian Cooper asked Little William.

Little William nodded and said, “Yeah, I’ve only been here a month, and before this, I was always working at Jade Outpost No. 1 and No. 2… This is No. 13 and 14, and it’s my first time going this far in.”

As he spoke, his voice grew a bit lower, as if he was feeling quite uneasy.

Brian Cooper frowned slightly and looked at the young man a bit longer, as if something occurred to him. But he quickly smiled and said, “Of course, it’s a lot more dangerous here than at Outposts 1 and 2, since we’re deeper in the inner ring. But don’t worry—just stick with the team, and at least on this road, nothing will happen.”

After a pause, Brian Cooper added, “Da Tou’s accident yesterday happened because he tripped and fell off the path, landing in a deep pit on the side that no one had cleared. That’s why he was unlucky. You just need to be careful and not make mistakes.”

Little William seemed thoughtful, then nodded repeatedly and said, “I understand. Thank you, Brother Yin.”

Brian Cooper shook his head with a smile and was about to speak when someone behind suddenly shouted, “Hey, kid! Watch where you’re going! Why so much chatter? Do you want to die?”

The voice was fierce and full of menace—it was the Captain who was in charge of everyone.

Little William was immediately frightened, lowered his head, and hurried away, not daring to say another word.

Brian Cooper watched his back, swallowing the words he was about to say. After a moment, a tall figure came up from behind and walked alongside him. It was the Captain, whose face was just as fierce and menacing as his voice.

Everyone around clearly feared the Captain greatly. When they saw him coming, they instinctively moved away, including Little William up ahead, who quickened his pace to get even farther away.

The Captain also carried a piece of jade on his back, but for him, it seemed to pose no obstacle at all, as if he didn’t feel its weight—clearly, he possessed great strength.

He didn’t look at Brian Cooper, his eyes fixed ahead, but after a moment, he lowered his voice so only Brian Cooper could hear and asked in a deep tone, “What did he say to you?”

Brian Cooper’s expression was calm. He also lowered his voice and said, “Nothing much. He just saw how horribly Da Tou died yesterday and got scared, so he came to ask me if there’s any danger here.”

The Captain grunted, sounding a bit disdainful and contemptuous, but his expression clearly softened.

Brian Cooper glanced at him, then after a moment’s thought suddenly said, “Do you know anything about Little William’s background or family?”

The Captain frowned and said, “No idea. There’s so much going on here every day—how could I care where he came from?”

Brian Cooper looked again at the young man’s back up ahead and said, “I think he must have offended someone.”

The Captain said, “Why do you say that?”

Brian Cooper replied, “He’s only been here a month and doesn’t know much. He should have been assigned to Outposts 1 or 2 to get some experience, but instead, he was sent straight here.”

At this point, Brian Cooper sighed and added, “Of the group that came three years ago, it’s probably just the two of us left alive.”

The muscles on the Captain’s fierce face twisted, and he suddenly let out a cold laugh. “Then he deserves whatever he gets. Not my problem. Here, whether you live or die is all up to yourself.”

Brian Cooper shrugged, seeming to have no objection to the Captain’s words.