This time, when Yao Shen blinks his eyes open, he's no longer being a witness to one of his past memories.
He's laying on the dusty floor of the tunnel below the wall. A thick cloying smoke coats the air. He covers his mouth and nose in the crook of his arm and tries to make sense of what happened.
After his eyes adjust to the darkness, he immediately notices Xin Hulei and Tan Liansi laying not far from him -- their eyes also closed.
He gets close to Xin Hulei and notices the rapid movement of his eyes under his eyelids.
But is he relieving the Crown Prince's memories, as Yao Shen had been, or his own? The last time Yao Shen saw the Crown Prince's memories, Xin Hulei was there with him, so it seems unlikely.
As expected, all attempts to rouse him prove unfruitful.
