bookrandom Chapter 1320 is not the same
Chapter 1320 is not the same
"Xiao Ce, you brought all of this on yourself..."
...
What they didn't know at the time was...
Xiao Ce had witnessed everything they did outside the door...
On the cold stone bed, Xiao Ce remained seated cross-legged. The heavy stone door blocked out the noise of the outside world and also blocked out the sense of time passing. Only Ling Xu's perception, as smooth as mercury, flowed silently within this small cage, outlining the patterns on every cold stone brick and capturing every slight breath and heartbeat of the guards outside the door.
Just as Rhys's praise, a mixture of triumph and cruelty, Eva's suppressed sobs, and the sound of their departing footsteps completely disappeared into the distance, Lingxu's perception vanished.
Beneath Xiao Ce's lowered eyelids, the seemingly bottomless, calm ice lake finally rippled slightly.
"You acted...well?"
He silently savored Rhys's jarring praise, a chilling smile curving his lips.
There was no warmth in that curve, only a knowing mockery and a cold assessment of Eva's complicated situation.
He "looked" at Eva, and Xiao Ce captured all of her inner struggles, fears, and the guilt that almost tore her apart.
In his eyes, stupidity and wickedness are synonymous...
This did not soften his heart; instead, it made his killing intent even more concentrated and colder.
Using and deceiving one's closest relatives... no matter how high-sounding the reason, it touched his deepest sore spot.
And then there's Reese's true colors; he underestimated the wolfish nature of these Slavs...
Xiao Ce had already decided to kill him...
This nation must set an example.
Otherwise, the entire East Asian Federation would be somewhat weary, and Xiao Ce realized that a major war was bound to happen in the future.
Given the current state of these people in the East Asian Federation, what happens if things change?
Many people are likely to defect to the enemy.
The people of this Slavic empire in front of us must have been bewitched.
Otherwise, even if they have a lot of resentment, they would have to obediently endure this situation...
Regardless of the circumstances, this time, when he returns, he intends to lead his troops to deal with this country.
We initially allowed them to govern themselves, but since they wouldn't listen, we subdued them, and they no longer have any autonomy.
The entire Xiao Kingdom has been transformed...
He appeared to be sitting cross-legged, but his mind was racing...
The next day...
Before dawn, Shahar and Ries stood beneath their castle...
After waiting for a while, the two saw a horse-drawn carriage arrive.
The two waited until the carriage approached, then Shahar took a deep breath and winked at Ries.
Ries immediately stepped forward, straightened his back, but kept a very humble posture, and shouted in a loud voice that was a mixture of awe and flattery: "Welcome to the Slavic Empire, sir! My father and we have been waiting for you for a long time!"
The heavy car door opened silently inward.
The first person to step out of the car was a figure.
This person was tall and straight, wearing a traditional Xiao Kingdom brocade robe that fit him perfectly. The robe was dark blue with intricate cloud patterns embroidered on it, and it shimmered with a restrained luster in the dim light of the day.
This attire stood out starkly against the backdrop of the snow-covered Slavic palace, yet it exuded an undeniable sense of authority. However, what was most striking was the conical hat draped over his face with a fine black veil. The veil was so thin that it vaguely outlined the facial features of a person from the Xiao Kingdom: a straight nose and a well-defined jawline.
However, the details of his facial features were completely hidden in the shadows.
If Xiao Ce were here, he would definitely recognize this person at a glance...
An indescribable, chilling aura, seemingly emanating from the depths of the underworld, instantly spread with the appearance of this person, even causing the howling wind to seem to choke.
Shahar and Rhys felt a chill run down their spines, causing them to shiver involuntarily.
Of course, it wasn't just the cold environment, but a sense of oppression that came from the depths of their souls, causing them to unconsciously hunch over slightly.
Behind this mysterious figure stepped two other beings, also dressed in tight-fitting black clothing, completely covered from head to toe. Their faces were covered by masks that revealed only their eyes, gleaming with a cold, metallic sheen—eyes that were clearly not human!
Two deep, cold, lifeless points of ghostly blue light shot out from the eye sockets of the mask, like two clusters of will-o'-the-wisps burning in an extremely cold land, sweeping across everything before them, including Shahar and the others, without any emotion.
Their movements were stiff yet precise; each step they took left only a shallow imprint on the snow, which was almost instantly smoothed over by the wind and snow.
Upon seeing these two people, a word instinctively came to their minds!
Iron Man!
Shahar was shocked, instantly recalling the intelligence that Yin Weiyong had secretly transmitted regarding the appearance of a mysterious, iron-man force within the Xiao Kingdom.
The two before me, in terms of both their shape and that chilling blue light, perfectly match the description!
This further confirms the unfathomable and terrifying power behind this gentleman.
He felt both nervous and excited.
Because such a legendary iron man would be an absolute savior for Xiao Ce and his companions...
Therefore, Shahar's attitude appeared several times more humble.
"Sir, you must be tired from your journey!"
Shahar stepped forward, his posture even lower than Ris's, his voice filled with absolute respect: "The wind and snow are severe and the weather is bitterly cold. Please, sir, move inside the hall so we can serve you some hot tea and then report to the authorities."
The black veil and conical hat moved slightly, as if nodding, but no sound came out.
The mysterious man strode forward, his pace seemingly slow, yet he instantly overtook Shahar and the others, heading straight into the palace.
The two blue-eyed iron men followed silently like the most loyal shadows. The heavy sense of oppression made the elite Slavic guards standing on both sides feel suffocated, and they involuntarily lowered their heads, not daring to look directly at them.
Shahar and Rhys quickly followed, with Rhys giving Eva a stern look as he turned back, signaling her to follow.
Eva, at the back of the group, took a deep breath and forced herself to move her leaden legs.
The group silently walked through the cold, empty palace corridors, echoing with heavy footsteps, and arrived at a luxurious council chamber that had been prepared in advance, with thick carpets and a roaring fireplace.
The flickering firelight from the fireplace could not dispel the chill emanating from the mysterious figure and the iron man.
Shahar personally led the mysterious man to sit down on a large chair covered with a snow bear skin cushion next to the main seat.
Two blue-eyed iron men stood like two guardian deities behind the mysterious man, one on the left and one on the right. Their blue gazes swept across the entire room, casting an invisible surveillance over the council chamber.
Ries and Eva stood respectfully to the side behind Shahar.
The servants carefully served steaming hot, top-quality Slavic black tea.
The mysterious man merely raised his hand slightly, without touching the exquisite bone china teacup.
Shahar cleared his throat and then reported: "Sir, as per your instructions, the target, Xiao Ce, was brought to the palace three days ago and is currently being held in strict custody in an underground ice cellar."
The woman in the black veil and conical hat turned toward Shahar without saying a word.
But the invisible gaze made Shahar's scalp tingle.
He quickly added, "Please rest assured, sir! The entire arrest process went extremely smoothly and did not alert any forces in Xiao Kingdom or the East Asian Federation. Yin Pan'er and Hu Yidao are still searching in vain in Fan City like headless flies, and there has been no unusual activity in Xiao Kingdom itself."
"Oh?" A very faint voice came through the black veil, devoid of any emotion.
This was the first time the mysterious person had spoken; his voice was deep and steady, without any Slavic or Indian accent, but rather standard Mandarin of the Xiao Kingdom.
Shahar's spirits lifted, and he continued, "More importantly, the target's condition is exactly as expected, even... unexpectedly cooperative."
He deliberately emphasized the word "cooperation".
"Cooperate?"
The mysterious man seemed to have taken a liking to it.
"Yes, sir!"
Rhys eagerly chimed in, his face beaming with pride: "That Xiao Ce, for the sake of his woman and son, is as docile as a toothless tiger!"
"In the ice cellar, Eva's sister put on a little act of self-inflicted suffering, and he was driven mad with heartache, yet dared not speak out—it was utterly ridiculous! In the end, he even personally promised to cooperate with us! His arrogance is nothing but a fart in the face of his wife and children's lives!"
Rhys spoke with great enthusiasm, embellishing Xiao Ce's performance in the ice cellar and emphasizing Xiao Ce's pain, anger, and eventual surrender.
The mysterious man was somewhat surprised to hear this: "Really? This Xiao Ce doesn't seem to be the same person I know."