Chapter 880: Forgetting

"Why are we leaving?"

Jian Changsheng was briefly puzzled, but seeing the grim expressions on Chen Ling and Sun Bumian's faces, he suddenly seemed to realize something. "Oh, I understand. Wait, does that mean..."If the person outside the door had been Bai Ye, he could have simply opened it to reunite with Chen Ling and the others. Instead, he chose to subtly slide a playing card underneath. This implied he was currently unable to reveal his identity to Chen Ling and the others and could only use this method to hint that there was someone else with him.Coupled with the message left by the Saint of Thieves earlier, Chen Ling and the other two now vaguely understood the situation outside: it was highly probable that other Saints of Thieves were accompanying Bai Ye."Let's go quickly," Chen Ling said, his brows furrowed. "It'll be trouble if that Saint of Thieves discovers us."

He walked directly to Jian Changsheng and Sun Bumian, pulled up Jiang Xiaohua from the ground, and closed his eyes, intending to use his Imperial Fate to harness the power of the ancient vault and teleport them away.One second.Two seconds.Three seconds...After a long pause, Chen Ling slowly opened his eyes, a trace of bewilderment in them."Um..." Jian Changsheng looked at the four gathered together, hesitated, then asked, "What exactly are we doing?"Chen Ling paused, shook his head, and stepped back. "I don't know; I just instinctively came over here... Never mind, let's just go!"

He turned, opened the door to the Imperial Study, and led Jian Changsheng and the others, sprinting at full speed towards the palace gate.The palace was vast, its emptiness filled with an eerie silence. The four of them continued straight along the stone path; no one else was in sight. The palace gate seemed to draw closer, yet for some reason, an inexplicable anxiety welled up in Chen Ling's heart."Damn it, if only there were a way to leave instantly... How long will it take to run out like this? What if we get caught?""Don't we have one?" Sun Bumian asked, scratching his head in confusion."Where would we get a teleportation ability? Do you have one?""...No.""There you have it.""Strange... How did we even get here then?""We walked, didn't we?"Jiang Xiaohua, trailing behind, listened to their conversation, a deep confusion appearing in his eyes.

"Are we finally getting out?" Jiang Xiaohua cautiously asked the question most on his mind."Not yet. We need to find somewhere to lie low first.""Then when will we leave?"Hearing this, Chen Ling and the other two exchanged glances and sighed helplessly.Currently, the "Hidden Dragon in the Abyss" was impassable; even if they wanted to leave, they couldn't. Moreover, the Imperial Dao Ancient Vault opened only once every few centuries, making this a rare opportunity. They had managed to get in with great difficulty, but so far, they had found nothing.Chen Ling, Jian Changsheng, and Sun Bumian were all somewhat reluctant and still wanted to continue searching the ancient vault for a while.Jiang Xiaohua, however, was different; he had no other desire than to leave this place of trouble. Yet, Chen Ling couldn't leave without him.Chen Ling turned back, looked into Jiang Xiaohua's eyes, and said earnestly, "Jiang Xiaohua, I know you're in a hurry... but rest assured, we will definitely take you out, okay?""...Really?" Jiang Xiaohua asked, half-believing."Of course it's true." Chen Ling offered a gentle smile, making himself appear more approachable. "We escaped the first level together; we're companions now, aren't we?"Hearing the word "companions," Jiang Xiaohua paused slightly. His hand unconsciously went to the bandage on his lower back, and his gaze swept over Chen Ling and the other two. After a long silence, he finally nodded.Beneath that bandage, the outline of a playing card was faintly visible.Chen Ling didn't see this. Upon seeing Jiang Xiaohua nod, he knew he had finally managed to calm him down.

Jiang Xiaohua's body was heavy, unlike the swiftness of Chen Ling and the other two. Chen Ling and his companions had to slow their pace, ensuring they remained within the range of Jiang Xiaohua's aura concealment.The four of them rushed out of the palace gate and through the streets of the ancient city. As they crossed the boundary of this historical regression, snowflakes began to drift down from the lead-gray clouds, dusting their clothes.In the distance, seemingly unreachable, a palace stood silently amidst the snow.They had already run out of Li Shimin's dynasty and into the setting of an emperor from another unknown era. Yet, their speed showed no sign of stopping; instead, it grew even faster.No one noticed, in the sky behind them, a figure wearing a bowler hat with a slight upturn at the corners of his mouth."So it's the rumored Six of Hearts... Interesting."Forgetting progress: 10Crushed snow filled the sky.

Jiang Xiaohua trailed behind the three, watching helplessly as Chen Ling gradually accelerated, unable to keep up. His white hair, damp with sweat, fluttered in the snow, his face a mix of confusion and strain.Jiang Xiaohua wanted to call out for them to slow down, but he felt too embarrassed. He could only clench his teeth and push himself to run faster, and faster.His heavy, bandaged legs sank into the snow, leaving dark, deep imprints that spoke of his silence and stubbornness.But Chen Ling and the other two seemed to have completely forgotten him, accelerating to their maximum speed, almost exceeding the range of his aura concealment.It was then that he finally spoke, his lips pale: "Lin Yan... Jian Wubing... You... wait for me..."The next moment, the three figures stopped.A vermilion opera robe, a black leather jacket, an ancient Tang-style gown... The three figures turned back in the snow, their gazes simultaneously falling on Jiang Xiaohua, their brows unconsciously furrowing.In the wailing cold wind, Jiang Xiaohua stumbled step by step, finally catching up to them."You... you ran so fast... I can't protect you..." Jiang Xiaohua propped himself up with his hands on his knees, too embarrassed to look Chen Ling and the other two in the eyes, only silently explaining with his head down.

A few seconds later, Chen Ling's calm voice rang out: "Who... are you?"Jiang Xiaohua froze. He looked up in surprise, seeing Jian Changsheng and Sun Bumian also staring at him with confusion and wariness etched on their faces."Me...?" Jiang Xiaohua was bewildered, but after a moment of hesitation, he replied, "I'm Jiang Xiaohua...""Why are you following us?" Jian Changsheng asked in a deep voice."I..." Jiang Xiaohua didn't know how to answer."Have we met somewhere?" Sun Bumian pulled down a corner of his small round sunglasses, thoughtfully. "Why do you look familiar...""Yes, we met at 'Hidden Dragon in the Abyss'," Jiang Xiaohua immediately replied."'Hidden Dragon in the Abyss'?"Chen Ling and the other two exchanged puzzled glances.Under Jiang Xiaohua's hopeful gaze, Chen Ling's next sentence plunged him into deep bewilderment: "Is there such a place in the struggle for the Heavenly Star positions?"