Chapter 357 The gift of [Secret], the curse against King Xin!


    The information flashed before his eyes made Xia En''s pupils shrink.


    "Did An Bing''s words contain key information about [Secret]?"


    "The research center hidden underground...the frozen town...[the people of ice and snow]..."


    Xia En vaguely felt that there was a thread that could connect these information together.


    But he was still missing some crucial clues that would prevent him from discerning the truth hidden in history.


    And as the [Secret] solution density increases, Xia En can clearly feel—


    An indescribable mysterious force descended on him from somewhere.


    This power is somewhat similar to the wash of secret power brought by the [Secret Sea] during promotion. It is an improvement from the inside out, originating from the soul.


    However, compared to the gift of the [Secret Sea], it appears to be more profound and dangerous.


    It feels like something hazy hidden behind the fog.


    Just catching a glimpse of its outline can make people feel uneasy and panicked.


    And this is exactly in line with the so-called concept of "secret"!


    A realization came to Xia En''s heart.


    "Is this...a gift from [Secret]?"


    Just like [Storm Reaver] can seize secret power from the storm, [Deep Sea Devourer] can seize secret power while hunting the behemoths of the deep sea.


    [Secret Keeper] The characteristic of this profession is that you can obtain unique gifts from the process of deciphering secrets.


    At this time, with the increase in [decryption density], although this [secret] has not been truly cracked, it still brought Xia En a lot of benefits.


    A feeling of coolness flowed through Xia En''s mind.


    Make his thinking sharper and more active.


    -This seems to have enhanced his soul strength and mental power to a certain extent.


    This makes Xia En''s resistance to certain mental attacks and pollution improved, and he will also be more comfortable in controlling the secret power.


    Not only his spirit, but his body was also baptized by this mysterious power.


    [Comprehensive quality: 30 → 31! 】


    Although the increase is not too large, considering that this is only a gift brought by a 10% increase in [decryption density], it is quite considerable.


    If this momentum continues, when Xia En cracks these [secrets], his own strength will be greatly improved.


    The growth in strength is certainly gratifying.


    But at this time, Xia En''s mind was not focused on this aspect.


    What concerned him even more was the history mentioned by An Bing and its relationship with the [Mystery of the Destruction of the Great Yan Kingdom]!


    Xia En calmed down and asked.


    "Are you sure...those people are the real [Black Flame Walkers] and not someone else pretending to be someone else?"


    An Bing nodded solemnly: "I''m sure."


    "Because I once asked a tribesman to deliberately stay alone and use it as bait to set up a trap, which in turn caught several of them!"


    "And when they were about to be captured by me, those guys chose to commit suicide without hesitation."


    "I used the secret power of [freezing] to forcibly save one person''s life."


    "On them, I found tokens that belong exclusively to the [Black Flame Walker]."


    "As for the only prisoner, he refused to answer my questions, even if I threatened him with torture."


    An Bing''s expression was gloomy and he said, "In fact, this further proves their identity as [Black Flame Walkers]."


    "With that terrifying willpower, unshakable loyalty, and...the complex look in his eyes when facing me, who else could it be besides [Black Flame Walker]?"


    "In the end, the man acquiesced to his identity, and when I asked him why he did this, he said-"


    "[We are on the right path.]"


    "[From now on, there is reserved for us a crown of righteousness.]"


    "After saying these words, he died in front of me."


    After hearing these words, Shane and Joey looked at each other, and they could see the surprise in each other''s eyes.


    If it is true as An Bing said, the identity of the person who kidnapped [People of Ice and Snow] is [Black Flame Walker].


    So, the mastermind behind this incident seems to be ready to be revealed.


    The [Black Flame Walkers] in the past were different from now. They were a group of secret path walkers who were absolutely loyal and obedient to King Xin.


    They will only follow King Xin''s orders.


    It is not an exaggeration to say that they are a group of dead soldiers.


    Doesn’t this mean that the order to capture the [Ice and Snow People] came from King Xin?


    To be honest, Shane still couldn''t believe it.


    Because, in his impression, Yan Yan would never do such a thing.


    but…


    Although Yan Yan and King Xin are essentially the same person, they have different personalities and behavioral habits due to their memories and experiences.


    Whether he would do such a cruel and indifferent thing, Xia En was not sure.


    But inexplicably, Xia En felt that there seemed to be some hidden secret that An Bing didn''t know about in this incident.


    Thinking of this, Xia En''s eyes suddenly looked a little complicated when he looked at An Bing.


    He can now somewhat understand An Bing''s mood back then.


    On one side is the family who gave birth to her and raised her, with a blood-thicker-than-water relationship.


    On the other side is the person you love.


    No matter which side you are on, it is so important.


    The feeling of being caught in this is obviously not pleasant.


    And from An Bing''s perspective, this is even more betrayal by her lover!


    The purpose of the marriage is obviously to ease the relationship between [Great Yan] and [People of Ice and Snow].


    But King Xin was secretly attacking the people of the [People of Ice and Snow].


    If there is no anger and resentment in An Bing''s heart, it is obviously impossible.


    Not to mention, there is also the death of An Bing''s mother...


    Xia En sighed softly in his heart and asked: "What happened after that?"


    An Bing took two deep breaths before getting rid of the sadness and anger and said.


    "After that, I went straight to the salary and confronted him face to face."


    "This is the only thing I can do."


    "After all, the entire [Great Yan Kingdom] belongs to him. If he is really determined to attack the [People of Ice and Snow], we have no ability to resist."


    "And the scene at that time, I will never forget."


    "After listening to my questioning, Xin''s reaction was much calmer than I imagined."


    "He sighed and said, [Sure enough, did you still find out?]"


    "[But even so, I have a reason to continue. It doesn''t matter how much you resent me.]"


    "After saying that, he turned around and left the palace, never looking back at me again."


    An Bing''s eyes turned slightly red and he said, "I never thought that his reaction would be so cold."


    "Even if he makes any excuse, even if he is trying to trick me? I might still believe him..."


    "But Xin didn''t even want to give me an explanation."


    "It was then that I gave up completely. All his past performances turned out to be his hypocrisy."


    An Bing whispered sadly to himself: "It turns out that I was the only one who was being sentimental all along."


    Both Xia En couldn''t help but fell silent.


    Just listening to An Bing''s words, King Xin''s behavior is indeed chilling.


    Even if there is a factor of impending disaster behind this, it still seems a bit too cold and inhumane. "Since then, I have been under house arrest in the palace and not allowed to go out even half a step."


    "That palace was really cold...even colder than the [Eternal Coffin] later."


    "In the end, I made just one request of him."


    "That means returning my mother''s relic, this [Snap of Time], to me."


    A bitter smile appeared on An Bing''s face: "But, even for such a simple request, he still wants to make fun of me."


    "Originally, in the letter, he had already agreed to the request."


    "But within a few days, he said that [the moment of time] was taken away by an unknown legendary strongman."


    "But he is the salary king. Who can **** [the moment of time] from his hands?"


    "At that point, you still want to deceive my feelings...it''s really, really bad!"


    "It is precisely for this reason that I have such a big obsession with [Instant Time]."


    Hearing this, Xia En raised his eyebrows and said after thinking.


    "Ms. An Bing, regarding this matter, perhaps... King Xin did not lie to you."


    An Bing was stunned: "What do you mean by this?"


    Xia En replied: "Actually, I found this [Snap of Time] in the ruins of a royal capital called [Shoton Kingdom]."


    "And this kingdom is not in the [Ultra North], but in the southern continent which is quite far away!"


    "I think... it might have been snatched away by someone, and then it appeared in the [Shorten Kingdom] after being displaced."


    An Bing''s expression changed slightly, and after a moment, she sighed.


    "Maybe that''s the case..."


    "But now, this kind of thing is meaningless."


    "Even without [Instant Time], it is an undoubted fact that Xin deceived me several times and attacked my people."


    An Bing looked at Xia En seriously: "Captain Xia En, can you return [The Moment of Time] to me?"


    "This can be regarded as my last memory of my mother, the [people of ice and snow], and that past time."


    At this time, Xia En really understood the reason for An Bing''s unusual attitude towards [Instant Time].


    However, even so, this pocket watch has irreplaceable meaning to him.


    Giving it to An Bing is obviously impossible.


    "Really...I understand."


    Looking at Xia En''s expression, An Bing also understood his resolute attitude, so he no longer insisted on asking for [Instant Time], but said.


    "No matter what, [Snap Time] is now yours. It was me who made things difficult for Captain Shane."


    "I can stop asking for it, but at least...please let me take another look at it."


    Seeing An Bing''s reasonable reaction, Xia En also breathed a sigh of relief.


    If she continues to insist, the relationship between the two parties will undoubtedly be completely broken.


    But Xia En can still satisfy the request of "taking a look".


    Soon, An Bing took over [The Moment of Time] from Xia En.


    But after just looking at it for a few times, An Bing''s expression suddenly changed and he murmured in shock.


    "This secret power...this curse..."


    "But how is this possible?"


    Hearing this, Xia En frowned: "Ms. An Bing, what''s wrong?"


    "What curse?"


    Xia En originally thought that An Bing was surprised because of the special secret power of time and space in [Instant Time], but listening to her words, it seemed that this was not the case?


    An Bing said firmly: "You can''t be wrong, this pocket watch carries the curse of our [people of ice and snow]!"


    "curse?"


    Xia En was very surprised: "But why didn''t I notice it when I was using it?"


    An Bing''s eyes were filled with confusion and confusion, but he still answered subconsciously.


    "Because...this kind of curse is set against the bloodline."


    "Only people of a specific bloodline will be inspired by contact with them."


    At this time, Xia En also vaguely noticed something and asked.


    "Then, the bloodline it targets is..."


    An Bing said very difficultly: "It''s salary."


    Upon hearing this answer, Xia En''s expression changed slightly.


    "A curse against King Xin?"


    [The Moment of Time] is an important relic of the [People of Ice and Snow], and is even the certificate of being the leader of the clan.


    Why is there a curse directed at King Xin on such a thing?


    But if you think about it for a moment, the answer is actually self-evident.


    This marriage only eased the conflicts, but did not completely eliminate the conflicts between the [People of Ice and Snow] and the [Great Yan Kingdom].


    Just as King Xin would be suspicious of the [People of Ice and Snow], [People of Ice and Snow] obviously did not really regard King Xin as one of their own.


    In fact, they may even be planning an assassination against King Xin!


    It is different from the [people of ice and snow] who naturally adapt to the environment of [the far north].


    The reason why [Great Yan Kingdom] was able to establish a country here was that King Xin accounted for at least 80% of the credit.


    Apart from King Xin, there is no other secret person or successor who can take power in the Great Yan Kingdom.


    That is to say.


    As long as King Xin dies, [Great Yan Kingdom] will fall into turmoil and quickly fall apart.


    The people of [Great Yan Kingdom] will also return to their previous state of being refugees.


    For some [people of ice and snow], this means that [the Far North] has been purified.


    And this curse on [Flash of Time] is undoubtedly the most direct evidence.


    At this time, Xia En also suddenly understood what the secret that he had vaguely discovered before was.


    From An Bing''s perspective, it was King Xin who betrayed his trust and took the initiative to attack the [People of Ice and Snow].


    But what if…


    Is the order of things reversed?


    It was the [People of Ice and Snow] who intended to attack King Xin.


    After the failure, King Xin could not tolerate the offense committed by the [People of Ice and Snow] and took revenge.


    The attitude towards the enemy must be as cold as ice.


    It seems understandable that the [People of Ice and Snow] should be captured for some kind of research.


    Obviously, not only Xia En, but An Bing was also aware of this possibility.


    She is a very smart woman, but her emotions cover her eyes, making her unwilling to think about the truth of those things.


    "Could it be that..."


    An Bing''s expression changed back and forth, as if he was undergoing some kind of intense psychological struggle.


    "But if that''s the case, why didn''t he tell me personally?"


    "The truth...what is it?"


    At this moment, an officer''s voice came from outside the barracks.


    "Captain Shane, General Moritz has orders—"


    "Those who have obtained the ''Quota'' for the secret journey must gather at the military headquarters now!"


    (End of chapter)