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The second page contained a few lines of elegant calligraphy, written in a strict couplet structure that felt more like a lamenting poem than a historical record.

Woe unto the world that cast me into the abyss, for their righteous light is but a blinding shroud.

Woe unto this fractured soul, for seeking the warmth of their acceptance only forged these iron chains.

Woe unto the heavens that judged my ambition a sin, while their angels bathe in the blood of the innocent.

Woe unto the legacy I leave behind, for my crown shall rot alongside the truth they desperately buried.

Solomon read the profound, bitter verses twice, absorbing the heavy sorrow and arrogance woven into the ink. Eager to read the actual diary entries or the forbidden martial arts manuals hidden within the text, he eagerly flipped to the next page.

It was completely blank.

Solomon frowned and flipped to the next page. Also blank. He quickly thumbed through the entire thick tome. Every single page after the opening poem was entirely empty.

"What the fuck is this?" Solomon complained aloud, shaking the heavy book as if the words might fall out. "Why would the supposedly legendary ’Property of the Heavenly Demon’ contain exactly one edgy poem and absolutely nothing else? Did he just get bored and stop writing?"

He inspected the thick parchment closely. ’There has to be some kind of hidden mechanism, a spiritual trigger, or an illusion obscuring the actual text,’ Solomon deduced. ’I will take it with me and figure it out later.’

He quickly stuffed the heavy leather book inside the deep folds of his sect uniform, ensuring it remained completely hidden from sight.

Solomon walked out of the hidden throne room, navigating back through the sprawling crypt and the optical illusion door until he reached the dark cellar corridor.

Prince Ryu was pacing frantically near the obsidian doors, visibly freaking out about the prolonged darkness and the eerie silence. The moment Solomon stepped back into the corridor, the prince rushed forward, letting out a sigh of relief.

"What did you find in there?!" Ryu asked, peering into the pitch-black void beyond the doors.

"Absolutely nothing good," Solomon lied smoothly, dusting off his hands. "It is incredibly dark, and it just looks like an endless maze of old, crumbling tombs. It is super creepy. I honestly do not want to go back in there again. Let us just find another way out of this basement."

Solomon pretended to search the immediate area for a few minutes to maintain the illusion of a thorough investigation. Eventually, they abandoned the dead end, navigating back through the debris until they found a partially collapsed servant stairwell that led them back up to the surface.

They emerged from the ruins and quickly reunited with King Shen and the two panicked royal knights. After a brief scolding from the king regarding reckless exploration, the royal party finally departed the Ruined Azure Kingdom and made the long trek back to the military encampments.

A while later, they reached the military encampments and reunited with Pavilion Master Yue and Sir Gideon.

"The Holy Knights have officially begun dismantling their tents and packing their supplies," Gideon informed King Shen, gesturing toward the bustling white camp across the valley. "I have ordered the Azure Moon vanguard to do the same. We are loading the supplies and breaking camp immediately."

King Shen nodded in profound relief. "You did well, Sir Gideon. We need to leave this cursed place."

By nightfall, the Holy Knight vanguard had completely evacuated the valley, marching back toward the Western borders. Shortly after, the massive Azure Moon army also began their long trek home.

Solomon walked over to the paladin. "I will climb back down the mountain pass and meet up with Commander Feng and Sir Kulbro. We can probably head back alone through the same forest."

Solomon shook the paladin’s hand, entirely satisfied with the arrangement.

Gideon offered a firm nod and extended his gauntleted hand. "I will escort His Majesty and Prince Ryu safely back to the Azure Moon Kingdom. You may officially consider your escort mission finished, pavilion master. I will discuss your payment and commission with King Shen personally, and the funds will be sent to the sect."

Yue snapped her jade fan closed and stepped up beside the teenager. "I will accompany him down the mountain pass, Sir Gideon. Now that the royal family is secured, it is time for me to return to my duties at the Azure Dragon Sect."

Solomon and Yue parted ways with the royal army. They approached the sheer cliff face and began their descent under the moonlight. Climbing down the rocky crags proved significantly easier and faster than scaling them.

They utilized the natural ledges and roots, reaching the base of the mountain in record time.

When they arrived at the established base camp, they found Commander Feng snoring loudly inside the luxurious carriage cabin, while Sir Kulbro slept peacefully on a bedroll near the dying embers of the bonfire.

Solomon felt a pang of guilt. He personally hated it when people woke him up from a deep sleep, but there was no other choice. They needed to get moving.

They nudged the two men awake and quickly briefed them on the situation.

Solomon explained that the four of them were heading back to the Azure Moon Kingdom immediately, while Gideon was escorting the royal army down the opposite, winding side of the mountain, a longer route that would take the vanguard a full day to complete.

Sir Kulbro efficiently broke camp. He tethered Gideon’s riderless warhorse to the back of the carriage and mounted his own armored steed. Yue and Solomon climbed into the spacious cabin, leaving a grumbling, exhausted Commander Feng to take the driver’s seat once again.

Feng glanced at Sir Kulbro and then back at the carriage and asked, "Can’t we just sleep for the night and move in the morning. And maybe we can join the army and leave with them?"

"Their route is different from ours, and they will likely also visit the places they visited during their march here. So it is much better if we leave separately through the same route we came from," Sir Kulbro responded.

Feng rubbed his face as he mumbled something and shook his head, completely reluctant to pass through the whispering wilds again.

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