Tomb Cluster, No-Return Road of Yellow Springs

To be played for a fool by a woman—of course William Wang Jinling was angry, anyone would be. But Su Wan alone wasn't enough to truly enrage him. Only when William discovered that, in just one year in Eastlyn, Su Wan had maintained ties with several high-ranking ministers, and even had a number of noble sons as her lovers—all of whom aided her escape—did his fury finally erupt.

He couldn't believe that, under his own administration, such filth could exist...

William Wang Jinling, livid, sneered: "If you can't control your lower half, then you don't need it at all."

With one command, he had all of them made into eunuchs, their homes confiscated, thrown into prison... Ruthless measures that shocked the entire court and froze those who had just tried to cozy up to Prince Jason.

William knew Su Wan's escape was no small matter—especially since she had taken Night Yale's child. He immediately ordered a search for Su Wan's whereabouts and sent word to Ninth Royal Uncle, but...

Ninth Royal Uncle was destined not to receive the message—he and Serena Feng had already reached the outskirts of the Former Dynasty tomb-cluster, and for three days now, no news from the outside could reach them.

Serena and her party arrived at the Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum at dusk. Seated on horseback, Serena gazed from afar, stunned by the view before her.

It was nothing like the graveyard Serena had imagined—the Former Dynasty mausoleum had none of the gloom or heaviness, and was so beautiful it hardly seemed a burial ground at all.

Towering green mountains, lush and vibrant, birdsong and flowers, the sunset painting the sky fiery red—beauty like a living landscape...

"It's like a paradise on earth." Serena pulled the reins, not moving forward.

She was completely captivated by the scenery before her. Over the years, she had traveled to many places, but never had she seen anywhere so beautiful.

The Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum was ringed by mountains on all sides, forming a world of its own—cut off from outside chaos and splendor, tranquil and lovely as a forest-dwelling immortal.

The mausoleum sprawled so vast you couldn't see its edges; only the distant mountain peaks were visible, shrouded year-round in clouds and mist, like a fairyland.

"Legend has it that immortals descended to earth, moved mountains and filled seas, and created this feng-shui treasure ground for the Former Dynasty—to protect its descendants and ensure an eternal reign." Sean recited the kind of stories he knew.

"Immortals descending? That’s just propaganda from the Former Dynasty—meant to scare the people into obedience." Serena knew emperors loved to claim heaven’s mandate and auspicious omens, so everyone would believe they were chosen by the gods and never dare rebel.

"As long as you know that, there's no need to say it out loud—no point in making the Former Dynasty look bad." Sean said this, glancing at Prince Nolan out of the corner of his eye.

But Prince Nolan didn’t respond at all. He swung off his horse, walked over to Serena, and, with utmost care, helped her dismount. Only then did he turn to the Eighteen Riders and say, "Make camp—we enter the tomb tomorrow."

Everyone sobered instantly, putting away any hint of playfulness; their expressions grew grave.

The only road leading to the Former Dynasty tomb was called Yellow Springs Road, lined on both sides with legendary underworld flowers—two-world flowers!

Two-world flowers, also known as red spider lilies, bloomed blood-red on both sides of Yellow Springs Road—said in legend to guide souls into the underworld.

Both Sean and the Eighteen Riders had heard the stories about the Former Dynasty Imperial Mausoleum—and knew just how terrifying Yellow Springs Road was. Once they stepped onto it, they might never return...

The No-Return Road of Yellow Springs—it’s not just an empty phrase!

Except for the Snow Wolf, no one was in the mood to joke; everyone quietly prepared themselves for tomorrow, bracing their hearts.

"Afraid? You can choose not to go." Prince Nolan said to Sean by the fire.

Before leaving, he’d asked Sean and the Eighteen Riders—they could opt out if they were afraid.

The Eighteen Riders hesitated, then nodded firmly. Sean didn’t even pause to consider—he immediately decided to go. If not for Feng Jin holding him back, Left Shore would’ve come along without a second thought.

The Former Dynasty tomb-cluster was deadly, but for people like them, it was also irresistibly tempting. To challenge it once in a lifetime—well, that alone made life worthwhile.

"Afraid? What do I have to be afraid of? I’m a solitary man with nothing to lose—I can afford to gamble. But you?" Sean turned the spit in his hands, then wordlessly passed the first piece of roasted meat to Serena.

Serena was startled for a moment, then silently accepted it and began to eat...

Prince Nolan didn’t answer Sean’s question. He just stared at the half-raw meat in his own hands, silently grumbling: Why is it that Sean’s meat is cooked and mine is still raw?

"Awooo... awooo." The ignored Snow Wolf howled at the side: Hey, you two, don’t just eat by yourselves—spare a thought for me!

That lively meal scattered much of their worry about facing Yellow Springs Road.

"Tonight, let the Snow Wolf stand watch. Everyone, rest up and save your strength for entering the tomb." Serena patted the wolf’s big head, signaling it to take on the night’s duty.

"Awooo... awooo." The Snow Wolf cried twice, assuring them it was fine—leave it to me. But by the second half of the night, everyone was awake anyway...

"So cold." Even the Eighteen Riders were shivering, let alone Serena—her fingers were nearly frozen stiff.

"Why did it suddenly get so cold?" She knew some places had big temperature swings, but had never seen such a drastic drop between early and late night.

"Light the fire." Prince Nolan and Sean were fine—their deep reserves of inner energy let them ward off the cold.

"It won't catch..." The Eighteen Riders tried for ages, but their fire-starters and flints only sparked weakly. The dry wood they'd gathered was somehow damp now—impossible to light.

"Awooo awooo..." Even with its fur, the Snow Wolf was cold too. Quietly, it squeezed up next to Serena; human and wolf huddled together—much warmer.

"Let me try..." Once she warmed up a bit, Serena’s brain started working again. She fetched an alcohol lamp from her tent, poured alcohol over the woodpile, and placed the wick in the middle.

"You try." Serena tapped the flint a few times, but couldn’t even spark. Silently, she handed the flint to Prince Nolan.

Crack... crack... Prince Nolan quickly struck out sparks, but they weren’t enough to ignite the alcohol.

Crack... crack... Nolan struck again—the sparks grew, a chain of them fell onto the alcohol, and with a sudden roar, the fire caught and blazed up...

Tongues of red flame leapt upward; the Snow Wolf yelped in fright and scrambled backward. The next instant, it let out a sharp, terrified cry—like its tail had been stepped on...