Mausoleum Schemes and Calculating Serena

The news that the Nine Provinces Treasure Map had finally been assembled was known only to Prince Nolan, Serena Feng, and Vincent Su. Storm Cloud Bu, far away in Liancastle, had somehow been excluded from this inner circle.

There were many things that Prince Nolan and Vincent Su tacitly chose not to tell Storm Cloud Bu—not because they distrusted him, but because they couldn't trust a man blinded by love.

Storm Cloud Bu had done far too much for Bella Qin—things they could neither understand nor accept. They no longer dared to put their faith in him.

"This place seems to be the mountain behind the Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum. That mountain covers a vast area with no visible boundaries, surrounded by dense forests and filled with danger. When the Four Kingdoms were first founded, their emperors all sent people to search for it, calling it a feng shui treasure land—the source of the Former Dynasty's dragon vein, and the secret behind their thousand-year rule over the Nine Provinces."

Vincent Su, though not as learned as the great scholars, knew far more about these practical matters than most. The moment Prince Nolan described the map, he realized where it pointed. That was why the place seemed so familiar to Nolan.

"So it's near the Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum." Prince Nolan nodded thoughtfully. It really was the perfect place to hide a treasure.

Never mind the dangers lurking in the forest—even surviving entry into the mausoleum cluster itself was no simple feat. As far as they knew, no one had ever succeeded.

The Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum spanned a territory as large as several cities, containing hundreds of tombs—each covering hundreds or even thousands of mu. The clusters of tombs were tangled and complex, riddled with traps. Except for those who designed the mausoleum, no one could survive to the end, let alone make it out alive.

As for the designers and builders of the mausoleum, they were all buried alive as funerary victims. No living soul remained in the Imperial Mausoleum; anyone who entered would never come out again.

Over the years, countless people had set their sights on the mausoleum’s burial treasures, but every last one died a miserable death. Not a single person had ever made it out alive—be they master tomb raiders or top martial artists, stepping into the mausoleum was a death sentence.

Some joked that the road to the Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum was the path to the underworld—once you set foot on it, there was no turning back. You could only walk straight to the tombs and become a burial companion for a dead emperor.

"The route marked on the Nine Provinces Map is probably meant to guide people through the mausoleum. As long as you cross the mausoleum, the dangers in the forest aren't much of a threat." With the mausoleum guarding the way, no one had ever set foot in those woods. If Prince Nolan truly wanted to seek the Former Dynasty treasure, he had to prepare thoroughly—otherwise, it could be a one-way trip.

"It's far too dangerous. I don't recommend you go in person." After careful thought, Vincent Su voiced his opinion: "Let Storm Cloud Bu and Brandon Bu go together. As long as Bella Qin isn't involved, Storm Cloud is reliable. The two of them are highly skilled; if trouble arises, they can protect themselves."

"No. Storm Cloud Bu must stay in Liancastle and cannot leave." Prince Nolan didn't approve of Storm Cloud mixing with Ghost Hall, but now that Storm Cloud had infiltrated and gained their trust, Nolan wouldn't let him quit so easily.

Storm Cloud Bu had endured much hardship to penetrate Ghost Hall’s inner circle, and they had invested tremendous effort. Giving up now would be foolish.

As for Brandon Bu, last time he took Lance Quinn’s place and suffered in his stead. Though his body had mostly recovered, his strength was only seventy percent of what it once was. Sending Brandon would mean slim chances of survival.

Vincent Su knew Prince Nolan’s logic was sound. After thinking it over, he suggested another candidate: "What about Sean Xuan? Recently, people from Moonvault Palace have reached out to him. He must know the sect’s ties to the Former Dynasty. If you show him the Nine Provinces Token, he’ll surely obey you."

"Sean Xuan? No." Prince Nolan refused without hesitation.

Prince Nolan had seen firsthand how well Sean Xuan treated Serena Feng—and Sean was also a witness to Lance Quinn’s death. If Nolan approached him with the Nine Provinces Token now, Sean would easily deduce his true identity.

Still, the fact that Moonvault Palace was courting Sean Xuan deserved attention. "Have someone inform Sean Xuan that the Nine Provinces Token exists." That way, even if Sean couldn’t be used, he wouldn’t fall into Moonvault Palace or Jason Lan’s hands.

Vincent Su felt it was a shame, but faced with Prince Nolan’s cold gaze, he could only obey. Still, he ventured one last suggestion: "The wars in Northlyn and Chu City aren’t over yet, so there’s no rush to hunt for treasure. Let’s wait and see if we can find a more suitable candidate." The mausoleum was simply too dangerous; Vincent truly feared something might happen to Prince Nolan there.

"Agreed." Prince Nolan accepted the proposal for now. The treasure hunt would have to wait until spring—winter was coming, and it wasn’t the right season for such a journey.

The ongoing wars Vincent mentioned did trouble Prince Nolan. The weather was turning cold, and Northlyn soldiers were used to ice and snow—they didn’t fear the cold at all. But Eastlyn’s troops were another story.

They couldn’t keep fighting between Northlyn and Eastlyn.

"Have the embedded spies in Northlyn begin their moves. Tell Serenity to cooperate. Once it’s done, I’ll bring her back and allow her to see Prince Rowan." Prince Nolan tapped the table, issuing orders to destabilize Northlyn’s internal politics.

This move was years in the making. To pull it off, Prince Nolan had paid a steep price—buying the smuggling routes between Eastlyn and Northlyn from William Wang, and using vast sums of money to bribe Northlyn nobles.

"Understood." Vincent Su nodded solemnly. He knew all too well how much chaos this operation would unleash in Northlyn.

"I’ll send troops to the Southlyn border. Notify our agents in Southlyn to do everything possible to stop Southlyn from sending reinforcements to Tyre City. I don’t want outside forces interfering in Tyre City’s war with Shandong." Prince Nolan lowered his gaze, hiding his thoughts. Vincent Su was startled and blurted out, "No reinforcements? Tyre City has already increased its troops—the Phoenixfield Clan is under enormous pressure."

Prince Nolan said nothing, just glanced coldly at Vincent Su. Vincent nearly dropped to his knees in fright, but Nolan soon withdrew his imposing air, letting Vincent regain his composure.

After that scare, Vincent Su didn’t dare say another word. For the rest of their conversation, no matter how incomprehensible Prince Nolan’s commands seemed, Vincent kept silent.

Prince Nolan cared deeply for Serena Feng, but when it came to the struggle for power, he was just as willing to scheme against her clan—ignoring their lives and deaths.

He could have sent reinforcements, but instead watched as the Phoenixfield Clan and Tyre City ground each other down—squeezing every last drop of strength from Serena’s forces.

Serena Feng probably understood this perfectly. So—even though the intelligence from Shandong was grim, she never begged Prince Nolan for help.

Both Serena and Victor Phoenixfield knew full well that the Phoenixfield Clan’s private armies were far too large, and Prince Nolan regarded them with suspicion. The fact that he merely watched their losses instead of orchestrating their destruction was already a kind of near-benevolence. They couldn’t ask for more.

Of course, there was another important reason…

Both Serena and Victor Phoenixfield were proud. This was the Phoenixfield Clan’s battle, and no matter how bitter or difficult, they had to fight it themselves—win glory for the clan, prove their worth, and make Prince Nolan see their true value. Only then would he truly rely on them!