"Let me go..." Feng Ling struggled, trying to rush out, but Wen Yu Xi held her back tightly.
Seeing the Grand Elder collapse on the ground, a subtle glint flashed in Feng Xian's eyes. She turned to the King of Northern Territory, "Your Highness, shall we go in!"
The King of Northern Territory nodded. Feng Xian waved her hand, and the barrier disappeared. They walked inside.
It was only then that Feng Ling rushed out, reaching the Grand Elder's side. "Grand Elder, Grand Elder..."
The Grand Elder, with only a few breaths left, propped himself up and said, "Protect... protect the tribesmen..." With that, his head drooped.
Feng Ling's trembling hand reached out, tears streaming down her face. "Grand Elder..."
"Miss Feng, please accept my condolences!" Wen Yu Xi said slowly, his voice faint.
Feng Ling closed the Grand Elder's eyelids, stood up, and clenched her fists tightly. "I will not let them go, I will not..."
Inside the carriage, Xue Zi Ning lifted the curtain. Seeing that they had left the desert, she looked at Yan Jin Chao, who was calmly seated beside her, and couldn't help but ask, "Didn't you realize they deliberately led us out?"
Yan Jin Chao looked up, his eyes bright. "Your Majesty has discovered this?"
Xue Zi Ning blinked. "Discovered what?"
Feng Wu, who was beside them, said, "Your Majesty has finally discovered it."
Xue Zi Ning frowned, a little annoyed. "You all knew, and you let me be kept in the dark?"
Seeing her anger, Feng Wu quickly said, "Your Majesty, your subordinate did not mean it that way."
"Ah Kui, we're almost out of the desert, where are we going?" Xue Zi Ning stopped asking Feng Wu and Yan Jin Chao and directly questioned the person outside.
The carriage stopped. Xue Zi Ning stepped out and looked at Ah Kui. "What exactly is going on, can you explain it to me?"
Ah Kui scratched his head. "Your Majesty, I don't know. It was... it was the Third Elder and Fourth Elder who told me to take you away."
Xue Zi Ning frowned. "Why?"
Ah Kui shook his head. "I don't know either, but..."
"But what?" Xue Zi Ning pressed.
Ah Kui said, "But I think I heard the Third Elder and Fourth Elder mention that the King of Northern Territory has arrived."
Xue Zi Ning's gaze turned cold as she looked at Ah Kui. "Did the Third Elder and Fourth Elder instruct you to do anything else?"
Ah Kui nodded. "Yes, the Third Elder and Fourth Elder said that after I brought you out, I didn't need to return and should find a place to survive."
Xue Zi Ning frowned. "It seems they've prepared for mutual destruction."
Ah Kui was taken aback. "Mutual destruction? What mutual destruction?"
Xue Zi Ning looked at Ah Kui and said sternly, "If you don't want your tribesmen to suffer, take us back immediately."
Ah Kui shook his head. "I promised the Third Elder and Fourth Elder that I would definitely lead you out, I cannot break my word."
"We can leave, but what about your tribesmen? Can you bear to watch them all die?"
"How... how is that possible? You're lying to me..." Ah Kui couldn't believe it.
"Ah Kui, as the Empress of Chang Jiu Kingdom, would I lie to you?" Xue Zi Ning asked, word by word.
Ah Kui frowned, took several steps back, and covered his head. "Who should I believe? The Third Elder and Seventh Elder asked me to take you away, but you're asking me to take you back."
Xue Zi Ning stepped forward and said slowly, "Ah Kui, take me back, and I will protect your tribesmen."
Ah Kui was stunned and looked up at her. "Your Majesty, you..."
"Take me back, or I will go back myself," Xue Zi Ning said coldly.
Ah Kui frowned. "Why? Why would you choose to help our Feng Yin clan instead of leaving?"
"Because you are also subjects of my Chang Jiu Kingdom," Xue Zi Ning said, word by word.
Ah Kui trembled all over. "You... you consider us your subjects?"
"Yes, from now on, you will no longer have to live beneath this desert."
"Can... can I believe that?" Ah Kui still found it hard to believe.
"If you cannot even trust the Empress of Chang Jiu Kingdom, who always keeps her word, who else can you trust?" Xue Zi Ning asked coldly, word by word.
Ah Kui fell silent. At this moment, Yan Jin Chao, who had been silent all along, spoke, "The Empress has always kept her word. You can rest assured. Moreover, if she truly didn't want to help you escape this place, why would she have returned to the Feng Yin clan?"
Ah Kui trembled all over. "You are right, Your Majesty. I will take you back."
Xue Zi Ning glanced at Yan Jin Chao and whispered a thank you as she passed him.
Watching her figure move past him, Yan Jin Chao's heart began to pound. He knew that ever since she appeared, his heart had been following her.
He was becoming more and more convinced that he was indeed the stunningly talented Crown Prince.
Otherwise, why would he have fallen in love with a stranger, and why would his feelings grow stronger and stronger, as if they were etched into his very bones?
When Xue Zi Ning and the others arrived at the entrance of the Feng Yin clan, Feng Wu immediately saw the Grand Elder, who had no breath left.
Feng Wu rushed forward, gently lifted the Grand Elder's head, his eyes filling with tears. "Grand Elder, you..."
"Grand Elder..." Ah Kui also couldn't believe that the Grand Elder was already dead.
Feng Wu looked up at Ah Kui and said, "If we hadn't returned, more tribesmen might have died here. Ah Kui, how can you bear it?"
Ah Kui took several steps back, shaking his head. "I didn't know it would turn out like this, I didn't know..."
"Now is not the time to talk about this. We must enter quickly," Xue Zi Ning said.
Feng Wu nodded. He glanced at Ah Kui. They didn't have the skills of the Grand Elder and others, so they couldn't open the entrance alone.
Ah Kui nodded. This time, without any hesitation, the two quickly opened the entrance.
Xue Zi Ning walked in.
As she stepped inside, Xue Zi Ning immediately smelled a strong scent of blood, indicating that a battle had already taken place here.
Feng Wu and Ah Kui also entered. Yan Jin Chao was the last to walk in. Seeing the scene before them, everyone was shocked.
Ah Kui looked at his once-living tribesmen lying motionless before him. Regret filled his heart. If he hadn't left, he could have at least fought alongside them.
But now, they were dead, and he was left alone.
Xue Zi Ning looked at the ground, drenched in blood, and felt a deep sorrow. She had made her decision too late.
If only she had been faster.
"Don't linger here, there are people inside we need to save," Xue Zi Ning said in a low voice.
Ah Kui wiped his tears and rushed forward.
Soon, they heard the sounds of fighting nearby. Xue Zi Ning and the others quickly moved towards the sound of the battle.
Xue Zi Ning knew that the sound was coming from the clan temple.
"Third Elder, Fourth Elder, you are no match for me, so stop. As long as you agree..."
"Delusional..." the Third Elder retorted coldly.