Meng Zhelan sat on the edge of the bed, gently stroking Li Xi's hand, her eyes filled with worry.
Xiaoxi's maternal grandmother has already returned to the ancient tribe to search for medicinal herbs.
Huang Banxian knew of a herb called 'Jie Youlan', which, when refined, could stimulate Li Xi to regain consciousness.
"I hope they wake up soon," Meng Zhelan said softly.
Sweetie brought in the ginseng soup she had prepared, and Li Yang returned to Tongfu Inn.
Nowadays, Li Xi and Qin Xiaolin need to use century-old ginseng every day to replenish their qi and blood.
Using his previous connections, Li Yang managed to obtain a considerable amount of nourishing medicinal herbs.
Five days before Lunar New Year's Eve, Qi Yu sent several urgent letters urging them to return to the capital.
On the 29th of the year, a grand banquet will be held in the palace to mark the eve of the Lunar New Year.
Li Xi, a general of the second rank, and the future Princess An had already received invitations.
Meng Zhelan knew that the palace was pressing for an answer, but Xiao Xi was still unconscious.
She didn't tell Qi Yu about Xiao Xi. Now that Xiao Xi could get out of control at any time, she was afraid that someone would take the opportunity to cause trouble.
It had started snowing heavily outside, as if trying to join in the festivities before New Year's Eve.
Meng Zhelan sat by Li Xi's bedside, gently tucking the blanket around her, her eyes filled with worry.
Snowflakes fluttered outside the window, and the world covered in silver should have brought peace and tranquility, but her heart was stirred up by the wind and snow, unable to find peace.
"Xiaoxi, you must wake up soon." She murmured softly, as if afraid of disturbing the sweet dreams of the person in bed, or as if she were praying to fate.
The two people who fell into the desolate land seemed to be in a world isolated from the outside world, completely losing their sense of time.
The surroundings were deathly silent, without a sound or any sign of life, as if time had stood still here.
After a long time, the two finally woke up from their coma, but their bodies still felt heavy and weak.
When they opened their eyes, the sight before them made them gasp – the land was utterly desolate, devoid of any life, and as far as the eye could see, there was only decay and withering.
The ground was cracked and dusty, as if it had experienced an endless drought; the surrounding mountains were bare and the rocks were exposed, as if they had been eroded by time and were riddled with holes.
What was even more unsettling was the stench of blood and decay that filled the air, mixed with the smell of scorched earth, which assaulted their senses.
They looked around, trying to find some clues as to how they had left.
There seems to be no day or night here; only the endless haze obscures the sun, shrouding the whole world in a depressing and gloomy atmosphere.
Occasionally, a cold wind blows by, stirring up withered leaves and dust on the ground, making a whistling sound, as if this desolate land is silently telling its story of loneliness and despair.
Qin Xiaolin struggled to sit up, his hand touching a sharp piece of gravel, the pain bringing him back to his senses. He pulled Li Xi up beside him, "We...we have to find a way to get out of here."
He spoke with difficulty, his voice hoarse and weak, as if his throat had not been used for a long time.
Li Xi nodded and stood up as well.
They followed a path that seemed to have once been a road, though the so-called "road" had long been buried and blurred by the sands of time.
Along the way, they discovered abandoned ruins, and the stench of blood and decay in the air grew stronger, making their hearts leap into their throats.
Just as despair filled their hearts, a faint glimmer of light suddenly appeared ahead. That light stood out starkly in the gray world, like a ray of hope in the darkness.
Finally, when they emerged from the gloom, a breathtaking view unfolded before them—a forgotten city.
"This place..." Li Xi felt a sense of familiarity upon seeing the scene before her. "I... I feel like I've seen this before..."
Her voice was weak and trembling, each word seemingly squeezed out with difficulty from the depths of her throat.
Upon hearing this, Qin Xiaolin immediately looked at the city in front of him.
The city walls were covered with vines, and the dilapidated city gates were half-closed, as if time had stood still here.
"Xixi, where did you meet her?" He gently held Li Xi's hand, trying to steady her slightly trembling body.
Li Xi shook her head, trying hard to recall, her brows furrowed: "In my dream, in my dream..."
"In a dream? Is this yet another dream?" A sense of doubt arose in his heart. His gaze swept over the city that was sleeping in time again, trying to find an unusual clue.
“No, it’s different.” Li Xi interrupted his thoughts, her eyes gradually hardening. “This feeling is more real, more…heavy, than a dream.”
He gently patted Li Xi's back, "Don't think about it if you can't remember. Let's go look for any clues."
The two carefully passed through the half-open city gate.
Behind the city gate was a narrow stone-paved road lined with dilapidated shops. Faded signs hung on the doors, creaking occasionally in the wind like a low sigh.
They arrived at a square that appeared to have once been the center of a market. In the center stood a dilapidated fountain, the water long since dried up, with only a few withered leaves swaying at the bottom.
The square had long been ravaged by war, and most of the surrounding buildings had collapsed, but the tall tower still stood there.
Despite the numerous cracks covering its surface, the tower still exudes an extraordinary aura.
"There's such a unique building here..." Qin Xiaolin said, pointing ahead.
However, Li Xi looked at the fountain square in front of her with a puzzled expression and asked, "This is just an ordinary fountain square, what's so surprising about it?"
"But I've never seen such a unique building during my travels!"
Qin Xiaolin frowned, feeling utterly puzzled.
Upon hearing this, Li Xi paused for a moment, then began to think carefully.
Indeed, this fountain plaza is quite different from the architectural style they are familiar with.
This architectural style, which combines features of ancient Rome with delicate carvings reminiscent of ancient Eastern aesthetics, appears quite jarring and out of place in this era.
She looked around and found a formation diagram on the ground that looked like it had been drawn with a sword. She touched it and smelled it; it seemed to have a bloody smell.
Upon closer inspection of the array diagram, it was discovered that no other special materials were used in its arrangement; it was merely composed of marks made by swords, giving it an exceptionally primitive and crude appearance.
Li Xi's heart began to race involuntarily, and an indescribable sense of tension welled up inside her.
Just then, she accidentally cut her finger on a stone slab, and a drop of blood fell into the center of the array diagram.
Instantly, the array diagram emitted a faint light, as if it had been activated.
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