Severing ties with family to marry the young marshal, his whole family chases me to the crematorium.

"Senior Sister, Si Jingnian, you really don't need to be so worried about me. I'm not the kind of woman who can't even kill a chicken. You should go and protect Secretary Chen."

Shen Qingyao spoke with a rather helpless expression.

Despite her words of helplessness, a warm current involuntarily welled up inside her.

Upon hearing this, Ruan Hongshuang turned to look at Si Jingnian, then nodded slightly in agreement, before walking toward where Secretary Chen was.

However, Si Jingnian stood firmly in place like an indestructible mountain, showing no intention of moving away from Shen Qingyao's side.

"Si Jingnian, aren't you going?"

Shen Qingyao raised her delicate eyebrows, her beautiful eyes fixed on Si Jingnian, revealing doubt and inquiry.

She originally thought that after she said those words, Si Jingnian would obediently go to Secretary Chen's side to protect him, just like Ruan Hongshuang. Unexpectedly, Si Jingnian shook his head firmly.

“Your senior sister has already gone to protect him, so it’s better for me to stay here with you.”

Si Jingnian answered with a serious expression.

Seeing Si Jingnian's resolute attitude, as if he was determined to stay by her side, Shen Qingyao felt somewhat helpless. She didn't want to force him to leave, but she still casually made a joke:

"Believe it or not, once we successfully escape, you'll probably be dismissed from your post."

Upon hearing this, Si Jingnian's lips curled up slightly, revealing a calm and composed smile. The smile was like a gentle breeze in spring, soft and peaceful, as if the words he had just heard were merely insignificant dust, unable to stir even the slightest ripple in his heart.

Although he didn't respond verbally, his body language betrayed him as he subconsciously glanced at Secretary Chen beside him. In that brief moment of eye contact, a fleeting, almost imperceptible hint of disdain flashed in his eyes, like a shooting star streaking across the night sky.

He dismissed me? With his abilities, he's far from capable!

Si Jingnian pondered to himself, but his expression remained calm and composed.

Normally, he was happy to give Secretary Chen some face, since they were both in the same officialdom and would run into each other often.

However, he knew very well that Secretary Chen posed no real threat to him whatsoever.

However, Si Jingnian felt there was absolutely no need to tell Shen Qingyao about these thoughts.

After all, the affairs of officialdom are intricate and unpredictable, and their intricacies cannot be explained in just a few words.

Rather than letting her get caught up in this vortex of right and wrong, it's better to keep her away from these disputes and preserve her innocence and tranquility.

After the team was reorganized, they lined up in neat formation and embarked on their journey again, slowly moving into the deep, boundless darkness.

At this moment, everyone's heart was enveloped by that distant, deep, and terrifying sigh, and fear followed them like a shadow.

Everyone walked silently, their hearts heavy.

The endless darkness before them resembled a colossal beast with its jaws wide open, waiting to devour them completely.

With each step forward, the feeling of fear grew stronger.

Time passed second by second, and the group had no idea how long they had walked. All around them was still endless darkness, with no end in sight and no way out.

Gradually, some people began to back down, and their originally firm and powerful steps became increasingly slow, as if they were carrying a heavy burden.

"Why haven't we arrived yet? How much longer is this road? When will it ever end?"

Someone complained anxiously, their voices echoing in the quiet, dark environment.

"Yes, it feels like we're constantly moving forward, but we can never see the end, as if this road has no end at all."

Another person chimed in, their tone filled with helplessness and confusion.

"Do you think... we might be stuck in a maze? Otherwise, why can't we find the end?"

Suddenly, someone trembled as they raised this possibility, instantly making the atmosphere around them even more tense.

"No way, maybe it's just an illusion, like before."

Someone immediately objected, but it sounded like he himself wasn't entirely sure.

"..."

As the discussion deepened, everyone shared their guesses, and their unease grew.

My already heavy mood became even more oppressive, and even my steps became slower and slower without me realizing it.

In the darkness, Shen Qingyao felt her right hand suddenly being tightly held by a warm and generous hand.

She was slightly taken aback, and her body involuntarily stiffened on the spot.

After a moment, she seemed to realize something, hesitated for a long time, and finally gently grasped that hand back.

Although it was pitch black all around and she couldn't see the other person's face, the warmth from her palm gave her a strange sense of peace.

However, this tranquility did not last long. Just then, a shout suddenly came from ahead.

"arrive!"

These two words were like a ray of dawn piercing the darkness, bringing hope to everyone.

At the same time, Ruan Hongshuang appeared in front of her and was walking quickly towards Shen Qingyao.

Upon seeing this, Shen Qingyao seemed startled, abruptly releasing Si Jingnian's hand and quickly turning to greet Ruan Hongshuang.

"Senior Sister, what happened?"

Ruan Hongshuang blinked her big eyes, staring at Shen Qingyao with a suspicious look, her gaze sweeping back and forth across her face.

In the dim light, Ruan Hongshuang vaguely sensed that Shen Qingyao's face seemed to have an unusual blush.

Could it be that she was seeing things because she was in such a dark and gloomy place? She couldn't help but wonder to herself.

"It's nothing, I just came to tell you that we've reached the outside of the tomb."

Ruan Hongshuang gently shook her head, trying her best to make her voice sound calm and normal, but the slight trembling tone still betrayed her inner unease.

As they spoke, the group arrived at the entrance to the tomb chamber. The two heavy stone doors were tightly shut, as if sealing away endless secrets and dangers within.

"Going in from here leads to the true ancient tomb. But... Yaoyao, have you really thought this through? We both know perfectly well that this ancient tomb is extremely dangerous; it's not called the 'most ominous tomb' for nothing. Once we step inside, none of us will likely escape unscathed, and we might even all perish!"

Ruan Hongshuang frowned deeply, her face grave. Her words were heavy and serious, each syllable like a hammer blow to everyone's hearts.

Standing to the side, Shen Qingyao silently turned her head and looked at Si Jingnian.

At this moment, she secretly hoped that Si Jingnian would step forward and persuade Secretary Chen to abandon this risky mission and lead everyone back to the ground safely.

However, faced with the unknown fears and immense temptations, what choice will Si Jingnian make?