Ella glanced at Shen Qi, but her gaze lingered on He Yining.
The others' movements were synchronized, all fixed on He Yining.
Their eyes were filled with deep terror and... reverence.
He Yining felt completely innocent!
What had he done?
Just because that mysterious man shared his face, they couldn't project their fear—or rather, their dread—onto him, could they?
It wasn't until Shen Qi called out several times that Ella finally spoke with difficulty: "I'm fine. Thank you."
The others remained silent, not a single word of gratitude. They picked themselves up from the ground and staggered away without looking back.
Ella glanced at the rest and fell into silence as well.
"Aunt, what else happened inside?" He Yining pressed.
Ella shook her head. "I can't say. If I do, I'll die."
A chill ran down everyone's spines.
"It's only because we didn't touch anything recklessly that we survived," Ella offered a brief explanation. "But we can't speak of what happened inside. If one person lets it slip, we'll all die."
Shen Qi refrained from asking further.
Ella stared blankly at He Yining, as if searching for something in his face.
But in the end, she only shook her head in defeat. "I have to go."
"Aunt, where will you go?" Shen Qi couldn't help asking. "Why not stay with us?"
"Do you think I can live with that face of his?" Ella pointed at He Yining. "I'd have nightmares every day."
Shen Qi paused.
That... seemed to be true.
Ella waved her hand. "I teach at a university in the U.S. Come visit if you have time."
With that, she gave a brief wave to everyone and limped away.
It seemed the mystery beneath the ground would remain unsolved.
Having witnessed the entire event, everyone felt conflicted.
Even though they hadn't been involved—just standing by, eating, drinking, and watching—their backs were still crawling with chills.
Especially the moment that man opened his eyes, the overwhelming pressure transmitted through the camera was truly bone-chilling.
Yet He Yining's feeling was entirely different.
He sensed that the man had noticed him but bore no ill will...
Well, since the spectacle was over, it was time to head back.
This place was too eerie.
Everyone agreed unanimously.
Without even resting, they immediately boarded the vehicles and set off.
As the convoy departed, Shen Qi looked back at the hill where Lin Yuxiang was buried.
Whether by coincidence or not, a cloud drifted over the hill, resembling a smiling face.
Shen Qi withdrew her gaze and suppressed the tremor in her heart.
No matter the truth, she didn't want to dwell on it.
Better to live healthily.
Leaving here and returning to her own world, she still had many responsibilities.
She couldn't lose sight of the big picture for the sake of small gains.
The convoy returned to the town, now eerily quiet.
The earlier ground collapse had been visible here too.
Seeing them return safely, the townspeople showed expressions of surprise.
The hotel owner who had once tried to swindle He Yining was equally stunned, blurting out, "You actually came back alive?"
He Yining and Shen Qi both looked at him.
Realizing his slip, the owner quickly added, "I mean, you're truly blessed. With all that commotion over there, you came out unscathed!"
He Yining gave him a cold glance. "You seemed to know those people wouldn't return?"
At He Yining's words, the surrounding crowd fell silent.
It seemed they knew things others didn't.
Shen Qi said to He Yining, "I'm a bit hungry. Let's eat at the usual place."
He Yining immediately caught her meaning and nodded. "Sure, the same room as last time."
The owner's face turned pale.
Before he could react, a crowd had already taken over the entire restaurant.
The bodyguards occupied the main hall, filling all the nearby seats.
Shen Qi, He Yining, Feng Manlun, and Shen Wu went upstairs to the room they'd used before. The assistants stayed next door, ready to be summoned.
The owner followed with a grimace. "I misspoke. Please don't take it to heart, honored guests!"
Shen Qi chuckled lightly. "The same dishes as before, please. We're tired from the run. Your food is decent, and the chef keeps it clean."
The owner couldn't help boasting, "Of course, of course! Our restaurant's quality is guaranteed. People who come here have seen the world, so if the food were subpar, we'd have no business."
"But you also said most don't come back," He Yining cut him off. "Tell us your story. If it's good, you'll get a reward."
The owner's face twisted into a bitter grimace. "Can't I just take back what I said?"
He Yining gave him a knowing smile.
Refusing to talk wouldn't end well.
Unable to withstand He Yining's pressure, the owner finally explained, "Fine, I'll tell you. But you can't spread it. We're all blessed by the Great Emperor. If he finds out, we'll be punished."
Shen Qi pursed her lips in a smile.
These people were quite superstitious.
Still, it was worth hearing.
"Legend has it that over two thousand years ago, there was a kingdom here. Back then, China was divided into different factions, and this was just one of them. They say the Great Emperor passed through here and fell in love with a girl washing clothes by the river. He proposed, but she said she wouldn't leave her homeland. The Emperor replied, 'If you won't leave, I'll stay and be with you for eternity.' And so he stayed, building his empire here."
Shen Qi thought this sounded more like a myth, like the tales of Zhurong and Gonggong—heard of but never proven.
A man building an empire for a woman?
That was too fantastical.
If it were for power or wealth, it might make sense.
But for a girl...
It was almost impossible.
"The girl's family refused to marry her to the Emperor, betrothing her instead to a neighboring kingdom. Enraged, the Emperor used his entire nation's strength to conquer that kingdom, bringing back immense wealth and creating a glorious empire. But the girl grew weaker day by day, until she was bedridden and near death. She told the Emperor she didn't want to leave her land, and if she died, to bury her in her hometown. The Emperor agreed."
"After she died, the Emperor built a grand, lavish tomb for her here. The next day, a mountain rose from flat ground, and a dragon-shaped river appeared. Some say it was the Emperor's profound love that moved the heavens—since they couldn't be together in life, they were entwined in death."
Shen Qi felt these people would make excellent novelists, especially of romantic cultivation stories.
They narrated with such passion!
"Why weren't they buried together?" Shen Qi asked.
"Because the girl never married the Emperor," the owner replied matter-of-factly. "So the Emperor's tomb is beside hers, to guard her and her homeland."
Shen Qi covered her face. Fine, she shouldn't argue with a villager who believed in myths.
He Yining, however, seemed lost in thought.
If he were that Emperor, he thought, he'd build an empire for Shen Qi too.
If it could ensure her lifelong peace.
After the story and the meal, they refueled and restocked supplies, preparing to leave.
Others would likely continue exploring here in the future, but that had nothing to do with them.
If the myth were real, with the Great Emperor protecting the area, the locals might live in peace.
The convoy set off along a different route.
They didn't retrace their steps because He Yining had received a call to pick someone up at a nearby airport.
That someone was Cui Yuelan, the adopted sister his parents had asked him to look after.
Cui Yuelan's parents were friends of He Yining's parents.
Years ago, they died on the battlefield shielding He Yining's father, He Guoxiang.
After that, He Guoxiang adopted the little girl, raising her as his own daughter.
So, though Cui Yuelan didn't bear the He surname, she enjoyed the treatment of a He family princess.
Even He Yining and He Yiqi doted on her.
Now that the He family matriarch had relented, allowing her son and daughter-in-law to return, Cui Yuelan was the advance scout.
If she could win the matriarch's favor, He Guoxiang's return would go smoothly.
He Yining couldn't defy his parents' orders, so he detoured to the airport.
Early that morning, Shen Qi noticed He Yining seemed off, but she wasn't one to pry. Since he didn't mention it, she didn't ask.
Feng Manlun, still with the group, had already sensed something.
It seemed He Yining's troubles were about to arrive.
Just then, Shen Wu received orders and had to leave the group.
Shen Qi saw him off.
Shen Wu ruffled her hair. "Xiao Qi, remember: no matter what happens, the Shen family has your back."
He had also noticed He Yining's unusual demeanor lately.
He was worried.
Shen Qi nodded. "It's fine. I know what I'm doing."