Blackness, a bottomless abyss! His gaze couldn’t reach the end, and there wasn’t a single sound in his ears. It was like an endless void of darkness, concealing infinite unknowns and fears, enveloping him completely.
When Xiaoming Yuan regained consciousness, this was the scene he faced. As his awareness slowly returned, he realized that the back of his neck was throbbing with pain. He reached back with his hand, gradually recalling everything that had happened. From falling into this pit in the room to being attacked from behind, then slipping into unconsciousness until now.
The wound he felt in his hand seemed to have scabbed over, startling him. A wound taking at least one or two days to scab over meant he must have been here for over two days.
Two days is more than enough time for many things to happen. He vanished from his room without reason. How would his guards act? Or had they fallen into an ambush as well?
The darkness and thirst were enough to numb and confuse him. Xiaoming Yuan’s mind was flooded with chaotic thoughts, but he couldn’t make sense of anything. He had always been cautious, never expecting to fall into an ambush at this crucial moment. Blaming his carelessness, he had been too confident that Xiao Yunjing wouldn’t dare to openly attack him in the Marquis’ Mansion.
But he still couldn’t understand Xiao Yunjing’s purpose. If something happened to him in the mansion, Xiao Yunjing would inevitably be implicated. What benefit would that bring him?
After pondering for a long time, he only confirmed one thought: he must find a way out of this place first. But all he could see was the dense darkness, making it impossible to determine his location.
He began to carefully feel around, sensing some dry grass. The ground was hard and cold with no seams. Trying to feel further, he suddenly felt a sense of relief. He seemed to have found a matchstick!
Excitedly, he tried to light the matchstick, ignoring the possibility of it being another trap. Being trapped in this darkness was worse than death.
With a “click”, the matchstick gradually ignited, illuminating the surroundings. The sudden light caused his pupils to contract. After adjusting to the light, he looked around. It seemed to be a cellar with stone walls on both sides and no end in sight in either direction.
Turning around, he noticed some dried bloodstains on the hay where he had just been lying. Xiaoming Yuan carefully examined them by the degree of blood dryness. He must have been lying here for over two days.
Suddenly, he shuddered, breaking out in a cold sweat. He remembered the elite soldiers ambushed outside the Marquis’ Mansion. If they hadn’t received any news from the mansion for two days, would they rush in regardless? If his soldiers acted first, Xiao Yunjing would seize the opportunity. Could this be their purpose?
Xiaoming Yuan became increasingly anxious as he thought about it. He couldn’t just wait for death. He had to find a way out before anyone arrived. He took a deep breath, trying to keep his mind clear. Eventually, he decided to use the light from the matchstick to look for obstacles ahead and then move forward in darkness after extinguishing it. Between the flickers of light, he managed to move forward.
But no matter how he walked, he still saw the same bare walls in front of him. He couldn’t tell how long he had been walking or whether he was making progress or just going in circles.
With no hope ahead and the torment of an unseen endpoint, each breath felt like a knife in his chest. Xiaoming Yuan felt his will slowly being worn down, but he couldn’t give up. He had faced strong enemies all his life and had never retreated. How could he give up so easily now?
Thinking of this, he felt a surge of strength returns to his body. However, just at that moment, the matchstick suddenly burned out. As he was swallowed by darkness again, almost on the brink of collapse, he heard a low growl nearby.
It was the growl of an animal, coming from the depths of the darkness, slowly approaching him…
Xiaoming Yuan trembled violently, trying hard to squint and look ahead. The darkness seemed to hide countless monsters, ready to pounce on him at any moment. At this moment, the string that had been tightly stretched in his mind finally snapped. His legs felt like lead, and his body trembled uncontrollably. He had only one thought left: to escape, to not die here!
The will to survive spurred his last bit of potential. He lifted his legs and ran desperately backward, but the growling seemed to be slowly following him, neither too close nor too far, as if it wasn’t in a hurry to catch him, but rather enjoying the pleasure of playing with its prey.
After running for who knew how long, the sound was finally left far behind him. Xiaoming Yuan’s strength had reached its limit. He collapsed to the ground, panting heavily, greedily inhaling the scant remaining air in the cellar. But that heart, which had never considered giving up, sank into deep despair at this moment.
Just as his consciousness was gradually fading and he was about to pass out, the brick above his head suddenly opened.
The long-lost light pierced the darkness, bringing a glimmer of hope to the desperate situation. Xiaoming Yuan was both excited and wary, unsure of what he was about to face.
At this moment, an arm reached in. Bathed in the faint light from above, he could barely make out the color and embroidery on the sleeve. It was the symbol of the mansion guards!
Xiaoming Yuan struggled to sit up, eager to grab that hand, but he quickly realized it was covered in blood. The person above was too weak to pull him out.
A thick smoke poured in, and the person above, hoarse, coughed and said, “Your Highness, we’ve been ambushed. The outside is engulfed in flames. I’m afraid we won’t be able to escape.”
Xiaoming Yuan’s heart sank, and he quickly asked, “What about Han Kun? How is he?”
The person choked and said heavily, “He’s badly injured. I don’t know if he’ll wake up.”
After enduring the recent series of trials, Xia Mingyuan was already overwhelmed. Now, struck by yet another blow, he could barely muster any hope. He couldn’t believe Xiao Yunjing could be so ruthless. Amid the despair, he managed to grasp onto a sliver of hope and asked in a trembling voice, “What about the elite soldiers brought by Han Kun? Are they still outside the Marquis’ Mansion?”
The man was taken aback, his voice filled with sudden excitement. “Han’s guards hadn’t briefed us yet. If there’s truly a rescue force, I’ll rush out immediately, even if it means risking my life to save you, Your Highness.”
Relief flooded through Xia Mingyuan, but his body and mind were nearing their breaking point. He didn’t know how much longer he could hold on. Then, he heard footsteps returning from above. The man hesitated, “Han’s guards can’t leave. My position is inconspicuous, and the guards outside might suspect a trap. Could Your Highness provide me with a token to prove your peril?”
Despite the smoke clouding his senses, Xia Mingyuan managed to dig out a jade seal from his pocket. With his last ounce of strength, he tossed it up and weakly said, “The Qilin Seal. They’ll accept your command when they see it. Hurry, take it and go. Our lives depend on this final effort.”
Strangely, the sounds from above suddenly ceased, as if everything had vanished into thin air. Xia Mingyuan slipped into unconsciousness in this eerie silence.
When he woke again, it was to the sound of urgent knocking at the door. Startled, Xia Mingyuan sat up abruptly, realizing he was lying in the same bed he had slept in earlier. The dawn light filtered through the window, casting a surreal glow over everything. Despite the brief moment of disorientation, the parched feeling in his throat, the sweat-soaked clothes, and the overwhelming sense of exhaustion reminded him that it wasn’t a dream.
As the knocking grew louder, someone outside shouted worriedly, “Your Highness, are you alright?” It was Han Kun’s voice!
Xia Mingyuan’s heart raced with uncertainty as he stared at the door, unsure which side posed the real threat. Finally, unable to contain themselves any longer, the door was flung open, revealing Han Kun’s pale face accompanied by several guards, all looking anxious. Xia Mingyuan’s relief was short-lived as Han Kun asked with concern, “Your Highness, are you alright? Why didn’t you respond to our knocking? You look pale, what’s happened?”
Xia Mingyuan’s hands trembled slightly as he asked, “What time is it now? How long have I been asleep?”
Perplexed, Han Kun replied, “It’s past the hour of Chen. Your Highness, you’ve been sleeping in this room all night. We grew worried when you didn’t wake up, fearing something might have happened.” Suddenly recalling something, he added, “There seemed to be a fire in the distance last night. We were afraid it might be a trick, so we didn’t go to investigate, choosing instead to stay here and keep watch.”
With a frustrated sigh, Xia Mingyuan closed his eyes, finally understanding the extent of his predicament. He reached into his pocket, hoping to find the Qilin Seal, but it was gone. How could this be? He had spent two days in the cellar, yet it had only felt like one night. And what about the fire and the guards? Nothing made sense.
Just then, a guard burst into the room, breathless with urgency. “Your Highness, Marquis Xuanyuan… Marquis Xuanyuan requests an audience!”
Xia Mingyuan’s head shot up in shock, hardly daring to believe it. “Xiao Du? Is he awake?”
He motioned for Han Kun to help him to the courtyard, where he saw a figure standing under the ginkgo tree, tall and imposing, dressed in black robes and a jade crown. Despite his slightly pale complexion, his eyes sparkled with mischief as he waved gently and said with a smile, “Apologies for my tardiness, Father-in-law. Please don’t be upset.”