With one precise strike, Hundred-Flower Immortal drove the Wall-Breaking Awl straight into Niu Xi's vulnerable point in his rear.
Right behind her, Ren Ye, Big Fat Dragon, and Ghost-Headed Saber carried Niu Xi together, following Poison Wine Flask out of the illusion and leaping into the tunnel with him.
Once all five had left the Inner Courtyard, Poison Wine Flask, who knew the tunnels well, brought up the rear. Using an earth-burrowing technique, he fled while drawing together the tunnel's earth, sand, and stones, sealing the entrance shut.
That way, even if the soldiers coming to reinforce the temple discovered the tunnel, they would have no way to jump in and pursue them.
As they withdrew, Big Fat Dragon asked with some curiosity, "Where did Weng Sanren go? Wasn't he with you?"
"...His mother suddenly dropped dead, and his father hanged himself. It was an emergency. His parents came to him in a dream, so he went home for their funerals," Poison Wine Flask replied through gritted teeth.
The others did not understand what had happened, but they could all tell that Poison Wine Flask was absolutely furious.
All five were injured, and they still had to escort Niu Xi, whose vulnerable rear had been penetrated. They dared not let their guard down, burrowing through the tunnel as fast as they could in the hope of reaching safety sooner.
Fortunately, despite the scares along the way, they encountered no real danger. In less than a quarter of an hour, they emerged from the tunnel and left the grounds of Crouching Tiger Temple.
As they fled through the wilderness, Ren Ye looked back and saw that military signal fires were already burning around Crouching Tiger Temple, with warhorses, torches, and banners everywhere.
Clearly, after Niu Xi had been captured alive and