The entrance was narrow at first, allowing only one person through at a time. After a little over a hundred feet, the passage began to widen. Already wounded, the Old Emperor was utterly exhausted by their desperate flight. Upon reaching the wider stretch, he dropped onto the ground, panting heavily, unable to go any farther.
Hu Xiaotian could still see in the darkness. Long Xuan'en sat slumped against the wall, his expression listless, murmuring, "I... cannot walk anymore... not another step..."
"Then rest a while," Hu Xiaotian said.
Long Xuan'en shook his head. "I am tired. I cannot walk, and I no longer wish to. Leave me here and let me live or die as fate decrees..."
Only then did Hu Xiaotian realize he had misunderstood him. The Old Emperor had already abandoned all hope of survival. "Let me examine you," Hu Xiaotian said. Earlier, they had been too busy fleeing for their lives for him to check the emperor's injuries. Of course, that also had something to do with his indifference to whether the Old Emperor lived or died. A preliminary examination revealed that Long Tingzhen had crushed the bones in both the Old Emperor's arms into fragments. Black blotches of varying sizes covered his body, clearly signs of poisoning. Hu Xiaotian drew in a sharp breath. Long Xuan'en probably had little time left.
Long Xuan'en sighed. "I never imagined that the person who would ultimately bring me to ruin would be Qiqi..."
Hu Xiaotian said nothing. You senile old fool. At a time like this, you're still dwelling on your feelings? Still, putting himself in Long Xuan'en's shoes, he had to admit that the old man had suffered a devastating blow this time.
"I am finished," Long Xuan'en said. "Do not worry about me. Save yourself..."
"We've already