The ox-head officer scratched his head and hesitantly replied, "I don’t know. This is the first time I have met a mute soul."

Now that they believed this group couldn’t speak, the horse-face officer looked at them with pity in his black, beady eyes.

Bai Hanyun shuddered when she saw the way he looked at her. Realizing it was useless to continue trying, she took out a piece of paper and a pen and began writing.

When she finished, she showed it to the two officers.

[We want to go to the Gui Clan’s secret realm. Can you show us the way?]

After reading her words, both officers swallowed hard.

Exchanging glances, the ox-head officer sent a telepathic message. [Old Horse, how could you fail to recognize members of the Gui Clan? What if they get angry and tear down the palace again?]

Hearing this, the horse-face officer looked like he wanted to cry but had no tears. His face crumpled as he forced a smile at Bai Hanyun, one that looked uglier than a cry.

"So you are members of the Gui Clan. Please forgive our earlier offense."

Looking at his grimacing face, Bai Hanyun waved her hands and pointed at the note she had just written.

Seeing this, the horse-face officer quickly said, "Oh, oh. Since you want to go to the Gui Clan’s secret realm, you can’t pass through this Dark Mansion."

Pointing to another road whose end couldn’t be seen from where they stood, the horse-face officer continued, "That is the path to the Naihe Bridge. You can find your way to the Gui Clan’s secret realm by asking Meng Po."

Bai Hanyun looked at the long road, then nodded. Before leaving, she bowed slightly to the ox-head and horse-face officers.

Receiving her bow, the two underworld officers were stunned. By the time they came back to their senses, Bai Hanyun and her team had already walked far down the dark road.

Staring at their disappearing backs, the ox-head officer muttered, "Hey, Old Horse, don’t you think that person seems familiar?"

The horse-face officer shook his large head and replied, "I couldn’t see her face. How would I know who she is?"

The ox-head officer said nothing more, but his gaze lingered on Bai Hanyun’s back until she disappeared into the darkness.

After leaving the Dark Mansion, Bai Hanyun and her team followed the direction given by the horse-face officer. They walked for a few more hours until a long queue came into view.

Craning his neck, Bao Shengjie tried to look at the front, but failed. Turning to the others, he made a hand sign.

[The line is so long I can’t see the front.]

Reading the sign, Bai Hanyun replied, [Since this leads to the Naihe Bridge, Meng Po must be at the front. Let’s hurry so we can leave this place quickly. I feel the talisman won’t hold much longer.]

Sensing the increasingly cold air, the others nodded and quickened their pace.

Another hour passed before they finally saw a woman wearing shabby clothes. From her appearance, she looked to be in her mid-twenties.

Watching her hand bowls of light-green soup to the transparent souls, Bai Hanyun gestured to her companions, and they approached Meng Po.

As if she had been expecting them, Meng Po calmly said, "This bridge is not for you. There is a small alley nearby. Go there, and you will find your way home."

Hearing this, Bai Hanyun clasped her hands and bowed to Meng Po.

Just as she turned to leave, Meng Po suddenly added, "The lamp is flickering; time is running out. Goddess, you should hurry, or everything will end in empty wishes."

Bai Hanyun was confused, but she had no time to think about Meng Po’s cryptic words. Turning back, she gave Meng Po one last glance before hurrying toward the small alley.

As they walked down the narrow path, the air grew colder by the second. Realizing the talisman was losing its effect, Bai Hanyun signaled for the others to move faster.

When a familiar black portal came into view, Hua Yuyu grabbed Bai Hanyun’s hand and rushed toward it. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his arms and leapt into the black, swirling portal, followed closely by the others.

As they disappeared into the black portal, the dark alley distorted and vanished along with it.

Meanwhile, a heavy atmosphere shrouded the imperial capital of the Yu Empire.

Outside the city, the Feng Army had set up a temporary camp.

While the soldiers trained, patrolled, and carried out their duties as usual, inside the commander’s tent, Wu Ruizhan and the other generals waited anxiously.

Lying unconscious on the bed was Feng Xiyan. His face was pale, and he was so thin he looked almost skeletal.

Sitting on a stool beside the bed, Yan Bingyang pulled out the last silver needles from Feng Xiyan’s body.

Seeing him put the silver needles away in his medicine box, Wu Ruizhan asked worriedly, "Physician Yan, how is the Great General’s condition?"

Yan Bingyang closed the medicine box and shook his head heavily.

Seeing his grim expression, Wu Ruizhan and the other generals felt their hearts sink.

Standing beside Wu Ruizhan, Fan Wanming clenched his fists and asked, "How much time do we have?"

Yan Bingyang hesitated for a moment before answering softly, "Six days at most."

The moment his words fell, the tent sank into heavy silence.

Knowing they needed time to process the news and prepare for what was to come, Yan Bingyang picked up his medicine box and left the commander’s tent without saying a word.

After he left, Wu Ruizhan looked at Feng Xiyan. Clenching his fists, he heavily said, "Great General, you can’t leave us with this mess. You can’t break your promise." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

While the Feng Army’s camp was shrouded in sorrow and heavy atmosphere, in the Celestial Realm, Gui Ying was being held captive by the Gui Clan’s ancestors.

In a spacious hall bathed in golden light, a golden cage stood at its center.