We agreed to set sail, so you'd become the ruler of the deep sea?

Chapter 363 The Dark Ice of the Past, The Method of Infiltrating the Royal Palace

Only by losing something can you truly appreciate it.

For someone like Anbing, who represents a fallen kingdom, the chance to see the former Great Yan Kingdom again and live there as before is truly inspiring.

How could it not move her?
Humans are such creatures.

Sometimes, even when you know it's an illusion or a falsehood, you can't help but get caught up in it.

However, to prevent Dark Ice from turning into a situation where "what's wrong with a world of illusions?", Shane still spoke up to remind him.

“Ms. Dark Ice, please don’t forget that this is just a memory scene recreated by [Great Flame].

"Dreams will end..."

"Don't worry, I'm not so bad as to not be able to distinguish between memories and reality, I just feel a little nostalgic."

Anbing sighed softly: "And you're right, dreams do end."

"All of this will vanish like a bubble when the Great Yan awakens."

Hearing Anbing say that, Xia En breathed a slight sigh of relief.

He then changed the subject, asking, "Do you have any clues about that crucial juncture?"

Although the Great Yan Kingdom seems prosperous and bustling right now, Xia En knows very well that he did not come here to be a historical tourist.

Their goal for this trip was to eliminate those five key nodes and completely destroy the Great Yan.

When the topic turned to business, Anbing suppressed her earlier sadness and straightened her expression as she spoke.

"The [Spark] is not reacting at the moment; its detection range of key nodes should be limited."

"We will only give feedback when we get close enough."

"I see."

Xia En looked enlightened.

Strictly speaking, the "Spark" is like a radar that can search for key nodes.

However, the radar's range cannot cover the entire city of Fan Yan.

It is necessary for Shane and others to actively search for them.

At this point, Dark Ice added.

"However, I also have a rough guess about the possible locations of the key nodes."

Xia En raised an eyebrow: "Please speak."

"If I'm not mistaken, the so-called 'Great Yan' node is probably the obsession of the Great Yan people."

"Therefore, it is very likely that it is located in a place that they highly value or identify with."

"For example... the royal palace of the Great Yan Kingdom!"

Upon hearing this, Xia En's heart stirred.

He had not previously given careful consideration to the relationship between the key nodes and the Great Yan Kingdom.

But now, after hearing what Anbing said, I realize that it is indeed possible.

However, there was one more thing that made Xia En curious.

That is--

In what specific form will this node appear?
Is it a thing, a person, or some other indescribable existence?

However, this question can probably only be answered when one sees the node in person.

After gathering his thoughts, Xia En asked.

"So, shall we head straight to the palace now?"

Anbing shook her head: "I'm afraid that won't work. Actually, I already went to survey the area around the palace before."

"Right now, it is the eve of King Cin's wedding, and the palace is under extremely tight security."

"There were even several legendary-level auras patrolling nearby."

"Neither infiltration nor forced breakthrough is realistic; we must think of another way."

"legend……"

Upon hearing this, Xia En couldn't help but frown.

In the past, the Great Yan Kingdom naturally had legendary powerhouses.

But Xia En didn't expect that these people would also be replicated by [Da Yan].

Thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The power and realm of the Great Yan are far above ordinary legends, and it also has the remnant souls of these legendary powerhouses as raw materials.

Simulating what they looked like in history is not that difficult.

on the other hand.

【Da Yan】simply does not allow legendary outsiders to enter.

The existence of a legendary being within Him is actually a normal phenomenon.

Even if the legendary powerhouses He reappears are weaker than their historical counterparts.

However, for Xia En and the others, this remains an insurmountable barrier.

It can be said that from the very beginning, this was not an equal battle.

"This is going to be difficult."

Xia En muttered to himself.

This combat suit might be able to deceive the senses of ordinary secret travelers.

However, to infiltrate the palace unchallenged in front of a legendary powerhouse is undoubtedly a pipe dream.

As for confronting legendary powerhouses head-on?
Are they still in the Great Yan King's palace, his old lair?

Even Xia En felt that this was too reckless.

However, when Xia En looked at An Bing's expression, he found that she was not nervous or anxious, but rather seemed confident.

Xia En's heart stirred, and he asked.

"Ms. Dark Ice, have you already come up with a solution?"

"Yes."

Anbing readily admitted it.

Since we can't infiltrate or launch a direct attack, we'll just have to walk into the palace openly.

"……what?"

Hearing this, Xia En was stunned.

"What do you mean?"

"Wait, do you mean..."

Just as Xia En was beginning to guess what was going on...

Ringing——

The wind chimes at the entrance of the coffee shop rang out with a clear and melodious sound, and the door was pushed open.

A young girl walked in from outside the door.

"Boss! The usual, a cup of Earl Grey tea and your best-selling freshly baked cranberry cookies."

"Okay!"

The young woman was clearly a regular at the coffee shop, as the female owner, dressed in a purple dress, greeted her warmly.

"But Xiaobing, your seat today..."

The girl turned her head and saw Xia En and the other person not far away, and was immediately surprised.

After hesitating for a moment, she walked towards the two of them.

at the same time.

A considerable wave of emotion also surged within Xia En's heart.

He was extremely familiar with the girl's appearance.

Because... this was none other than An Bing, who was several years younger!

Compared to the Dark Ice he knew.

The person before me is clearly a young girl in her prime, even more innocent and lively, giving off a youthful and vibrant feeling.

They don't have that cold, icy demeanor.

In terms of charm, the princess version of An Bing, who has now fully grown up and matured, is both noble and elegant, and has a touch of mature womanhood, is perhaps superior.

But anyone who sees such a young and cheerful girl will be surprised.

They would probably all feel that "the lividity has faded".

The moment Xia En saw the girl, he understood what Dark Ice's plan was.

"you……"

Before Xia En could speak, the girl An Bing had already walked up to the two of them.

Looking at the coffee on the table, she sniffed and exclaimed in surprise.

"Huh? It's Earl Grey tea too?"

"You have excellent taste!"

The girl, Anbing, smiled and looked at Anbing, who was sitting in a hooded seat.

"I originally thought that not many people knew about this hidden gem of a shop!"

"We don't usually have many customers, so I didn't expect to meet someone who, like me, enjoys drinking Earl Grey tea here today."

"We even wanted to sit in the same spot, we really are destined to meet..."

Xia En's lips twitched slightly. Wasn't it fate?

You two are the same person!

However, Xia En also knew that the girl in front of him, An Bing, was not the real An Bing from history.

It is merely an existence born from the cognition and memories of [Da Yan].

Even because the real Dark Ice did not die in the disaster, it lacked the remnant soul after death.

Her behavior patterns and personality may also deviate to some extent from the original.

Xia En glanced at An Bing beside him but did not say anything.

In his view, this was ultimately Anbing's private matter.

Whatever Anbing intends to do to the Anbing in front of her, that should be decided by Anbing herself.

This silence did not last long.

Seeing that the two did not reply, the girl Anbing was not discouraged. Instead, she blushed slightly and said shyly.

"Actually... I'm getting married tomorrow."

"I don't know if I'll have the chance to come to this coffee shop again, so I want to have one last coffee in this old spot."

"Could you two please do me a favor?"
Upon hearing this, the first person to react was actually the coffee shop owner not far away.

"What? Xiaobing, you're getting married?"

"When did this happen? Why didn't you tell me first?"

The young girl, Anbing, said somewhat shyly, "Actually, it's because my situation is rather special."

"It was an arranged marriage within the family."

"To this day, I still haven't met my fiancé!"

"Huh? Such a thing actually happened? That's outrageous."

The female boss looked indignant: "Isn't this treating your marriage like a joke?"

"What if your fiancé is some good-for-nothing spendthrift? Your whole life would be ruined!"

The girl, Anbing, whispered, "I don't think so, do I?"

Everyone says that my fiancé is a truly good man.

"Even his enemies show admiration when they mention his name."

The coffee shop owner shook his head dismissively.

"Rumors based on hearsay are unreliable; who knows if it's just someone saying good things about him?"

"Even if these reports are true..."

"Marriage is not about a man's strength, but about how good he is to his wife and how much he cares about his family."

"What if he has many mistresses outside, and he's always flirting with other women? How can he possibly have a good life?"

Upon hearing this, the girl Anbing seemed somewhat hesitant, but still spoke.

"He shouldn't be that kind of person."

Xia En's expression was somewhat strange.

He was curious about how the boss would react if he knew that the person he was evaluating was the current King of Salary in the Great Yan Kingdom.
"Hmph, they're not even married yet, and they're already speaking up for him like this."

"Xiao Bing, your future days are probably not going to be easy."

The female boss had clearly been heartbroken, and declared confidently, "In short, no man is reliable!"

"I came to the Great Yan Kingdom to escape my original fiancé."

"If you also want to elope, you can contact me."

"I will help you find the safest possible route to the Southern Continent."

"No, no, no, that's not necessary!"

The girl, An Bing, quickly waved her hand.

"Boss, I appreciate your kindness, but this is also a responsibility I must fulfill."

Seeing this, the coffee shop owner stopped trying to persuade him and quietly left.

The girl, Anbing, looked at Xia En and the other girl, waiting for their reply.

At this moment, Dark Ice spoke up.

"We really do have a connection, why don't we sit down and have a chat?"

"This……"

The girl, Anbing, hesitated for a moment.

She certainly wouldn't have agreed to such a request if it were a complete stranger.

But for some reason, the girl felt an inexplicable sense of familiarity and warmth towards this unusually mysterious woman.

So, after hesitating for a moment, the girl Anbing sat down and said.

"What do you want to talk about?"

"Let's talk about your engagement."

Anbing said, "If I were to say that you and your husband are meeting for the first time..."

"But after you get married, your husband treats you very well, takes care of you in every way, and meets your needs."

"He will also take you for a walk in the snow and show you the beautiful scenery of various places in the Great Yan Kingdom. Will you fall in love with him?"

The girl, Anbing, looked at her with a strange expression.

"Of course, he's so good to me, and he's my husband, why wouldn't I fall in love with him?"

Dark Ice continued.

"What if, later you discover that his behavior towards you was to stabilize your family and for the sake of the overall situation of the Great Yan?"

"Will you still love him?"

The girl, Anbing, paused for a moment: "I think...it still will, right?"

"Although I feel a little uncomfortable, I believe that actions speak louder than words."

"Why should I expose this fact as long as he continues to treat me well?"

Dark Ice's next problem followed immediately.

"Then let me ask you, what if one day you suddenly discover... that your husband is taking action against your family?"

"Even your mother could die at his hands. What would you do?"

At this point, the girl Anbing finally realized that something was wrong.

"what are you saying?"

"How could such a thing be possible?"

Anbing said in a cold tone, "Just consider this as me making a bold assumption."

"So, what's your answer?"

A hint of struggle appeared on the girl's face, but she still spoke.

"I would probably question him: Why did you do this? What is the truth of the matter?"

"very good."

Dark Ice nodded and spoke in a slightly cruel tone.

"After you did this, your husband not only didn't give you an answer, but instead put you in the cold palace and refused to see you again."

"You will grow old alone like this, until the end of time..."

"My question is, if things really turn out this way in the future, will you regret not running away from your wedding today and leaving this city that is destined to bring you sadness?"

This question caused the young girl, Anbing, to fall into deep thought.

A look of struggle and inner conflict flashed across her face.

After a somewhat long silence, she spoke.

"I think... I probably won't regret it, right?"

Even if the final outcome is a tragedy, how can there be an ending if you don't even begin?

"Moreover, I believe that even if that situation were to occur, there must be a reason for it."

"Or rather, there's something I didn't do well enough."

"If I had noticed the problem sooner and solved it, things would have turned out differently!"

The girl, Anbing, spoke with unusual seriousness.

Those bright, large eyes seemed to be sparkling, making Xia En and An Bing beside him feel a little blinded.

"How could this happen..."

Anbing muttered to himself in a daze.