Don't pretend, everyone knows you're the villain!

Xie Yuan realized that she couldn't keep fooling Xie Sicen any longer. After all, she had seen how hard Xie Sicen had worked to rise to the rank of major general.

And all of this was done to get what he wanted.

Now that Su Yuan has been out of contact, Xie Sicen can't keep it from her no matter how much she trusts her.

“Mother, tell me which battlefield it is? I’ve been to many battlefields over the years, and I haven’t heard a single word from them. Can’t you just have some pity on me? I’m going crazy, I can’t go on. What use is my position as a major general if I can’t find anyone?”

Xie Sicen's knuckles pressed against the table, turning a cold white, as she lowered her head. Every word she spoke was less of a coercion and more of a plea.

Xie Yuan had also lost contact with Yin Zhaoshu for a long time. A year ago, the people stationed at the border sent a message saying that Yin Zhaoshu had entered the forest alone and had not come out since.

Entering the forest at the border of the strange beasts, for those who know that place, the meaning is all too clear: it means death.

Xie Yuan gave Yin Zhaoshu a portable mecha. Unlike other guardians who had escape self-destruct devices, Yin Zhaoshu wore a bracelet that Xie Yuan made an exception for, giving him a spatial storage container with a location tracking effect.

However, Yin Zhaoshu disappeared after entering the forest, and there has been no news of him for many years.

We must always consider the worst-case scenario.

Xie Yuan knew very well that this was a result Xie Sicen could not accept.

Xie Yuan didn't say much, only answering Xie Sicen's question.

"The Boundary of Mythical Beasts".

Xie Sicen looked up abruptly, her eyes filled with disbelief and disappointment.

“The border of alien beasts? That’s not a death row inmate… You know very well that very few people can survive there for a year or two, and three years have already passed. Mother, I always thought you were testing us, but I never imagined you were trying to force us to our deaths.”

Xie Yuan's pupils contracted sharply upon hearing this.

Xie Sichen would never say such harsh words to her parents, because she knew from a young age how much Xie Yuan and Wen Xianling cared about her.

Now, for Yin Zhaoshu's sake, they don't even care about saying things like "forcing the child to death."

Their children are too astute. Just mentioning the borders of the alien beasts, combined with her concealed attitude over the years, is enough for her to quickly grasp the most likely situation and outcome. Perhaps this is the result of years of experience on the battlefield, but Xie Yuan can't smile now.

Originally, Xie Sichen only missed Yin Zhaoshu dearly when he was out of contact with him on any battlefield for three years, because he believed that Yin Zhaoshu had the ability to come back alive, just like him.

The only thing overlooked was the border battlefield of alien beasts, a gathering place for man-eating monsters.

Xie Sicen gave a bitter smile, a smile filled with helplessness and self-mockery. His eyes revealed a deep weariness and powerlessness.

The spirited and promising young Major General Xie lost all his brilliance in an instant.

“I made the wrong choice. The path you told me that summer was not the only one. There was another path to achieve a marriage without constraints, besides becoming General Xie. I should have chosen not to be General Xie’s son, not to be Xie Sicen. But I didn’t choose that.”

“I was afraid of upsetting my mother, afraid that her opinion of Yin Zhaoshu would worsen, and afraid that Yin Zhaoshu would feel guilty because of my choice. I was afraid of too many things, and my hesitation and timidity have led to my current predicament.”

Xie Sicen's self-deprecating laughter grew increasingly desolate.

“I taught Yin Zhaoshu to be himself, but I forgot myself. Why should I care about everyone else’s feelings but not my own?”

Seeing that something was wrong, 0561 immediately returned to the system space to find Lingyi. Indeed, the blackening value and affection value had not fluctuated for a long time. It had never thought that the villain would die. It was too hasty.

“Mother, if I find Ashu, he will still be alive. We will return alive from the border of the alien beasts. I will apologize for what I said before.”

“If he dies, you can lie to Mom for a few years and say I’m very busy, then find an opportunity to tell her that I died in battle.”

Xie Yuan clenched her fists, not out of anger at Xie Sicen's choice, but out of regret for herself.

Xie Sicen wasn't indifferent to the two parents; she only chose this last resort because she had no other choice, and she was the one who forced them into this situation.

Xie Yuan took a deep breath and asked in a low voice, "For Yin Zhaoshu, you're willing to give up everything? Even your own life?"

Xie Sicen had perhaps figured out the next steps, her indifferent and lifeless eyes staring blankly at Xie Yuan.

"My initial intention in getting all this was for Yin Zhaoshu. Without him, what use is all this? You don't know, those two poor souls, they already did their best just to meet him."

“I used to live a hopeless life, every day was endless mental torture, back then it was truly worse than death. Now that I’ve finally grasped my only hope, I won’t let go. Life and death are incomparable to Yin Zhaoshu. Mother, I’ve already made my stance clear, I will always choose Yin Zhaoshu without hesitation.”

Xie Sichen had already made her decision when she was drinking with Yin Zhaoshu and Qi Zhiyu before they ended. This unwavering choice might not be easy for many people, but it wasn't difficult for Xie Sichen.

When news of Xie Sicen's journey to the border of the alien beasts reached the ears of her three bodyguards, they naturally wanted to follow her, but their families had already locked them up beforehand.

The three of them were all together, but none of them were able to go.

Xie Sichen only remembered to ask 0561 about changing mechs after arriving at the border of the alien beasts, only to find that the little sphere was missing.

0561 would cry if she knew how invisible she was, disappearing for so long before being discovered.

Xie Sicen didn't carry a locator; she simply said she was looking for someone and went inside. No soldier on the watchtower would give a major general a hard time. She asked around the guards but couldn't find any information about Yin Zhaoshu. It was only among the last few to return that an older man had seen Yin Zhaoshu a few times, but hadn't seen him since entering the forest.

“He’s been in the forest for so long, he’d be dead by now, there’s no bone left. How could he possibly come out?”

Hearing this, Xie Sicen breathed a sigh of relief; even if they hadn't found it, there was still a point in searching.

It's better to accept the outcome than knowing that you will die in battle on a specific day.

There's still hope if you can't find it.

Without a second thought, Xie Sicen rushed toward the forest, and those who tried to pull him back couldn't stop him.

The figure disappeared into the woods, leaving the remaining people looking at each other in bewilderment.

"Who is that person? He doesn't even have a bracelet."

"I don't recognize it, I've never seen it before. The next batch hasn't arrived yet."

"Who cares what he does? Even a god can't stop a ghost from going to its death. Why bother with such trivial matters?"

The conversation was over in a few words. Death was the least of our worries here, and no one cared much about the life or death of others.

After entering the forest, Xie Sicen began to encounter strange beasts. She quickly dealt with some of them using her guns and knives before running away.

Kill those that are chasing you closely, and leave those that are far away for the time being.

Because she was unfamiliar with the forest, she often found herself surrounded, but Xie Sicen could only take it one step at a time; once she was in, there was no turning back.

There are only two possible outcomes.

Either achieve your goal and leave, or die here.