Chapter 417: Where is His Highness? (Third Update)

“The exit is closing!”

Elder Lian Ning let out a low cry. He exchanged a glance with Situ Xingchen, and the two immediately rushed forward!

However, they were ultimately a step too slow!

*Clack!*

Just as the two were about to take their next step, the disc closed completely, slow and steady!

All light was instantly cut off!

Darkness descended upon them once again!

Situ Xingchen pushed against the stone wall with all her might, trying to force it open again.

But no matter how much strength she exerted—even as if she were using every ounce of energy she possessed—the disc did not budge an inch!

“This thing is closely linked to the entire Imperial Tomb; it cannot be opened by brute force alone,” Elder Lian Ning said with a grim face.

“Then what do we do? Does this mean we are trapped here?” Situ Xingchen looked at him anxiously. “Even you have no way, Elder?”

Elder Lian Ning took a step forward, placed his hand upon it, and felt it carefully.

After a moment, he slowly shook his head.

“Unless there is a matching key...”

Situ Xingchen’s heart sank.

“Does that mean only Emperor Jiawen and the others have the chance to open it?”

Elder Lian Ning did not speak, but his silence explained everything.

The surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

Situ Xingchen struck the surface violently, gritting her teeth as she said, “The replica key taken from the Empress is in Rong Jin's hands, but he didn't even use it! If I had known, I would have been better off keeping it!”

After all this tossing and turning, she never expected it to end in nothing but a hollow effort!

To think she had even gone through the trouble of feigning sincerity with Rong Jin for so long!

Thinking back on those scenes now made her feel so nauseated she almost wanted to vomit!

Elder Lian Ning sighed and consoled her, “Who could have predicted such a thing? Your Highness, do not waste your time and energy on such a person; it is truly not worth getting angry over him. In fact, let alone you, even His Majesty...”

Situ Xingchen bit her lip hard.

Her Imperial Father had planned so meticulously for so long; if he knew all of this was merely a scam and that Rong Jin was not the so-called "Chosen One," there was no telling how furious he would become.

“The Chosen One is clearly someone else. But in this old man's view, Rong Jin likely only found out today as well. If I am not mistaken, the Empress must have been mistaken from the very beginning,” Elder Lian Ning said thoughtfully.

Situ Xingchen had been in a fit of rage earlier, but having calmed down a bit, she realized that it was indeed a possibility.

The Empress had labored so hard for so many years; she must have truly believed Rong Jin was the real Chosen One.

She knew what the Empress looked like in her final moments.

The Empress must not have known about this.

“It only benefited her...” Situ Xingchen murmured under her breath, unwilling to accept it.

If the Empress had known that all her years of hard work were merely a joke, who knew how she would have reacted.

Unfortunately, once she obtained the replica key, she had killed her.

“To die early is to be reborn early. If she had continued to live, she would surely have brought a heap of trouble. Your Highness's decision was correct,” Elder Lian Ning said.

But this did not improve Situ Xingchen's mood.

“But we have no way of getting out now! If they catch up to—!”

Before her voice could fade, a chilling aura suddenly drifted from behind!

Elder Lian Ning's expression turned fierce. He immediately stepped in front of Situ Xingchen to shield her, while simultaneously striking back!

*Boom!*

A burst of flame erupted violently!

Elder Lian Ning's pupils contracted!

Within the surge of primal force from Elder Ye earlier, a spark had actually been hidden. As the two forces collided violently, it ignited instantly!

The flames leaped wildly, illuminating the surroundings as bright as day.

Elder Ye and the others finally saw clearly the appearance of the two standing opposite them!

The old man's face was very unfamiliar, but the young woman behind him who hadn't had time to hide...

If it wasn't Situ Xingchen, then who could it be!?

Emperor Jiawen was filled with shock: “It's actually you!?”

There was no look of surprise in Elder Ye's eyes; instead, he gave a low chuckle.

“This old man was indeed not mistaken.”

Thinking it over, the person most likely to do such a thing was her!

Rong Jin opened his mouth, but he could not say a word.

Situ Xingchen had truly deceived him!

Not only had she followed him in secretly, but she had also brought another person! Clearly, this had been planned from the very beginning!

Situ Xingchen's expression was extremely unsightly.

The others were one thing, but this Ye Zhi Ting was particularly difficult to deal with!

It was simply impossible to deceive him!

Both sides fell into an eerie silence, the atmosphere freezing cold.

Just then, the sound of something rotating drifted over.

Situ Xingchen instinctively turned her head, her eyelid twitching violently!

The exit, which had been motionless and tightly closed, was now actually rotating slowly once again!

A beam of white light shone in from the outside!

“Situ Xingchen, don't you think you owe me an explanation!?”

Emperor Jiawen suppressed the rage in his heart and shouted in a heavy voice.

If he still didn't understand Situ Xingchen's intentions by now, then there was no need for him to sit on the dragon throne anymore!

The hand inside Situ Xingchen's sleeve slowly clenched into a fist, her teeth nearly grinding to dust!

***

While Sijin Peak was in a state of internal and external chaos, Chu Liuyue and the other two had already left noiselessly.

Hearing Jian Fengchi's words, her footsteps paused: “Are you saying that Rong... Prince Li has also come?”

A wicked smile curled at the corner of Jian Fengchi's mouth.

“Your fiancé is quite nervous about you. As soon as he heard you followed Mu Qinghe, he came looking for you immediately. He actually arrived even before this young master. What, did you not see him?”

Chu Liuyue's mind raced, but she showed nothing on her face, merely offering a faint smile.

“Prince Li's health has always been weak; it is normal for him to arrive a bit slowly...”

Jian Fengchi suddenly let out a sneer.

“You truly think so? In my eyes, his health is quite excellent!”

Chu Liuyue's expression remained unruffled.

“Prince Li is my fiancé. I naturally know his health better than anyone.”

Jian Fengchi only laughed, resting his hands behind his head, clearly unconcerned.

Chu Liuyue's mood became inexplicably anxious, but it wasn't because she was worried about Rong Xiu's strength being exposed.

Jian Fengchi had always been extremely sharp; it was no surprise he could sense something was off with Rong Xiu.

What she was actually thinking about was something else.

—According to Jian Fengchi, Rong Xiu had arrived at Sijin Peak even before him, yet until now, there was no sign of Rong Xiu.

This was absolutely abnormal.

She vaguely felt that something was wrong, but her mind felt like it was filled with a tangled mess of hemp, unable to sort it out.

After walking for a short while, a sound suddenly came from ahead.

The three of them looked up simultaneously.

A carriage appeared before their eyes.

Chu Liuyue immediately spotted Yu Mo sitting at the front of the carriage.

It was a carriage from the Prince Li Mansion.

Her heart suddenly hung in her throat as she stared intently at the door curtain of the carriage.

Seeing her, Yu Mo immediately jumped down from the carriage in delight

“Miss Liuyue! You really are here!”

Chu Liuyue's eyes flickered as she asked, “Where is His Highness?”

A hand with clear, fair, and slender knuckles suddenly reached out from behind the curtain, gently lifting it.

A face that was noble and elegant, yet peerlessly enchanting, appeared before her eyes.

He looked at her, a smile playing on his lips, his gaze clear yet deep, like a starry night, making one lose themselves in it.

“Yue'er.”

(End of Chapter)