The Stone Carver.

Summary

The narrator expresses confidence in the authenticity of the Dao Yan secret manual they transcribed, noting the ease with which Fang Ying relinquished it. Luo Ping Yi appears unaffected by recent events, while the narrator contemplates escape with Zhao Xiao Min. Tension escalates when the four city folks claim the manual is fake. As the situation intensifies, Zhao Xiao Min is urged to flee, but Fang Ying's grip tightens around the narrator's throat. Amid threats and the emergence of snakes, Fang Ying negotiates the manual's exchange, using the narrator as leverage. The narrator feels relief when Zhao Xiao Min escapes, but is soon thrown off Fang Ying's back, enduring humiliation. They reach the tree vine dry well, exhausted, where Fang Ying prepares to tie the narrator up, highlighting their precarious situation.

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