It felt like a poisonous snake was climbing up her back, its cold and sticky body tightening around her neck. Xie Yinxing’s mind went blank, and she found it hard to breathe.
Why was Mom crying? Why was His Excellency Laurent here? She didn’t understand what he was saying…
The girl pressed her back tightly against the hard wall. The immense fear made her teeth start to tremble, and she bit her own finger to prevent herself from making a sound.
She touched her arm with her other hand and felt a small hard object.
Her chest felt as if it was filled with ice shards, cold and painful.
Xie Yinxing didn’t know when she was put into this situation.
In the past, His Excellency Laurent always played with her. She could even take a sweet nap in the Prime Minister’s Mansion, and when she woke up, there would be a joyful afternoon tea waiting for her.
But everything now seemed like a sudden nightmare.
“Yes, why indeed…”
In the middle of the western hall, Donna started to laugh bitterly. She wiped the tears from her face with the back of her hand, “I should have known how foolish this is.”
She had already succumbed to the threat, discarded her loyalty to the empire, and was no longer a good person. But she didn’t dare to do bad things to the end, and secretly left such a gem.
She had left the gem, and when Audrey really reached out to her despite the danger, she didn’t dare to hold his hand.
Looking back on her life, she seemed to have always been like this.
Wavering, contradictory, weak.
“I’m sorry,” Donna said, trembling as she took a deep breath and stepped back, “But at least…I can’t… I can’t lose Amelia.”
——Bang bang bang bang!!
The sound of Audrey decisively firing his gun drowned out the end of Donna’s words, but there was no expected burst of blood on Laurent’s body.
The bullets were deflected all over the place, and a sharp indigo crystal bone spread out, its color was a chilling dark blue.
“The ‘Entwined Cloud’ made by the Glorious Autonomous Star Territory, a very good matching gun, it’s just a pity…”
Laurent curved his lips and smiled, fine crystals pierced out of the skin surface and crawled onto his face, “Your luck is not good.”
The middle-aged nobleman slowly took out a few pieces of real crystal ore from his pocket. His crystal bone was like a giant snake, picking up the real crystal ore, biting it into pieces, and grinding it quietly.
As the real crystal ore was crushed, a surging flow of crystal particles was released, and Laurent’s crystal bone quickly grew two circles larger, and its shape became more twisted, weird, and terrifying.
Audrey’s eyes twitched, and cold sweat slid down his forehead.
What is this thing, he is absorbing the energy of the real crystal ore, strengthening his own crystal bone?
Can this kind of thing be done too!? Why has the empire never…
But there was no time to think at this moment, Audrey gritted his back teeth, quietly loosening the folding mecha on his wrist. It couldn’t start, it’s malfunctioning.
She was careless, Jiang Jianming had told her about the interference wave, with the ability of the Lance family, she could have installed an anti-interference system on her own armor at the first time…
It’s just that no one expected that the enemy would come back so quickly.
“Of course, Your Excellency Lance.” Laurent turned around and walked towards Audrey, half of his face covered in crystal, and the crystal bone hanging in the air cast a huge shadow, like a non-human monster.
“You still have a choice,” but he reached out his hand, and his expression was surprisingly sincere, “If you are willing to become our companion…”
Bang bang bang!!
The response to him was the sound of gunfire again. Laurent’s face suddenly darkened, and the crystal bone behind him swept away and smashed down at Audrey!
After the loud noise, the floor of the West Hall burst open, Donna screamed, and the marble bricks were smashed into the air in the dust—
Suddenly, Laurent raised his head and his face changed dramatically, and he quickly retreated.
The dust was cut through by two silver-white cold lights, and only heard a clang, the harsh sound of metal collision, Laurent’s shoulders sank, and severe pain came from the crystal bone!
Did the other side also release the crystal bone?
No, this is…
The dust dispersed to both sides, Audrey held a pair of cross sword handles in both hands, the front end extended a silver sharp crystal, only the sword tip was dyed with a very light touch of rouge red, the shape was like a slender knight sword in Western classics.
“Eh,” Laurent’s eyes lit up, like a hunter seeing something new, “This is not an ordinary new crystal mechanical cold weapon…it is a crystal bone weapon?”
The crystal bone weapon made from the crystal bone of a living person, besides the emperor’s saber, is a forbidden item strictly prohibited in the empire!
Unexpectedly, Audrey Lance would carry such a pair of crystal bone weapons as a trump card…
“Yes, crystal bone twin swords ‘Blood of the Moon Goddess’… Congratulations, Prime Minister, you are the first person to see its true face.”
Audrey’s pupils were cold, he turned around and danced his sword, the silver-red twin swords drew two dazzling bright arcs, and hit the indigo crystal bone again.
With a crackling sound, a crack broke out on Laurent’s crystal bone!
“New crystal mechanical matching gun, crystal bone weapon…haha, I understand, so that’s how it is.”
Laurent’s eyes burst out with an unusual light, he suddenly laughed out loud. “Your Excellency Audrey, hehe…hahaha, I didn’t expect it!”
“You surprised me too much, I really don’t know how to express my admiration, no wonder you always wear a pair of gloves, so…so that’s how it is.”
Laurent took a deep breath, smiled and looked at Audrey, his lips and teeth grinding out the words. “You’re a non crystal race, aren’t you?”
“…” The silver-haired youth’s face sank. He was panting slightly, and more and more fine cold sweat appeared on his forehead.
Even though she had already taken three doses of tranquilizers on the way here, now that she was fighting against a crystal bone at close range, she was beginning to feel bouts of discomfort.
The situation had already gone terribly wrong.
The mecha couldn’t start, Donna Sekt was also forced to obey Laurent’s orders, even though she had some basic skills in physical firearms and top-notch crystal bone weapons, but as a non crystal race…she couldn’t hold on for long.
The military’s support should arrive soon, she had to find a chance to escape.
She had to get out, otherwise…she would die here!
However, contrary to her wishes, Laurent’s interest seemed to be even more aroused, the second crystal bone was solidified, attacking Audrey like a storm from both sides.
Like a cruel game, Laurent’s crystal bone began to emit a strong chaotic and disordered crystal particle fluctuation, teasing the air around it.
Under such stimulation, every cell in a disabled human body would tremble in pain!
After a few minutes, Audrey’s face had already turned pale.
His vision was blurred, and he could hardly hold the sword. The ground was scattered with the remains of the crystal bone that he had chopped down, but the crystal particles that escaped from those crystal bone fragments were like indigo poison, slowly eating away at his life…
The next moment, Laurent pulled out the third crystal from behind him and struck it down fiercely.
Audrey hurriedly blocked it with his twin swords, only to feel a huge force coming like a landslide, shaking half of his arm to lose sensation!
“Uh…!” He was thrown back, countless valuable vases and jade sculptures were knocked over and smashed, making a clattering sound.
Laurent stepped forward and chased after him, Audrey clumsily rolled over to avoid the first strike, then swung his twin swords to fly the two crystal left and right. However, his abdomen was in severe pain, and he was kicked out by Laurent!
Madam Donna screamed again, Audrey’s body was slammed to the ground and bounced up, splattering blood droplets.
When the momentum finally stopped, he collapsed on the messy ground and retched, his mouth and nose were bleeding uncontrollably, and his hands and feet were convulsing uncontrollably.
“Enough!” Donna seemed to have finally completely collapsed, she howled and pounced on Laurent, “I listened to your orders! I’ve already sent someone to do that thing, haven’t I! You’re satisfied, let him go, please…let him go!”
The world was spinning, sometimes bright, sometimes dark. Audrey lay on the ground, breathing hard, trying hard to prop up his body.
No…she can’t die here…
But then, with a sound of tearing flesh and bone, Laurent’s indigo real crystal pierced through Audrey’s back without warning!
“Ah!!”
The silver-haired youth let out a scream, the intense pain exceeded the limit he could bear, his eyes flickered and then closed, and his head drooped down.
Laurent didn’t look at him, the former Prime Minister looked at the crying Donna with a gentle expression, “Madam, you seem to have misunderstood something. It was you who tried to deceive me first, which led to the current situation, wasn’t it?”
Donna shook her head repeatedly, sobbing, “I dare not, I dare not anymore…please.”
“Well, there’s no way, then I’ll give you another chance to prove your loyalty.”
Laurent pointed to Audrey in the pool of blood with his hand, “Go, kill him with your crystal bone.”
Donna’s face was bloodless, it took her a full three seconds to react to the meaning of it, “What…”
“What did you say!?”
She roared, “No, I can’t do it!”
“Your daughter’s life is in my hands, Madam.” Laurent calmly put his hands behind his back, “But as long as you do this, I promise you, I will take out the dead crystal inside Xingxing’s body.”
Donna’s eyes were red, and she said in despair, “Devil! Kill me, kill me!!”
She rushed at Laurent like a madwoman, raising her hand, but was thrown to the ground by the indigo crystal bone with a strong wind.
Laurent looked down at her from a high position, his posture as always elegant, “This is nothing, Audrey’s death is already destined. I just want you to prove your loyalty, Madam Donna.”
“For the future where you and little Amelia can live happily, muster up a little courage, you can close your eyes, there’s nothing to be afraid of…”
Donna was shaking like a sieve, she was pressed by Laurent’s crystal bone to turn around, and looked at Audrey in horror.
At this time, Audrey’s eyelids trembled, he coughed twice, it seemed that he had woken up from a short coma, but the serious injury had almost made him lose the ability to resist, he could only look at Donna in a daze.
Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Suddenly——
Bang!
A gunshot broke the silence, and the bullet clanged against Laurent’s crystal bone.
Subconsciously, the three of them simultaneously turned their gaze towards the direction of the gunshot in the depths of the west hall.
…Xie Yinxing was standing there.
“Oh God, no,” Donna suddenly turned pale, screamed sharply, and turned to run, “Xingxing, don’t——”
But Xie Yinxing was still standing there.
That little girl, she was holding a gun, tears streaming down her face.
Her whole body was trembling, as if the weight of everything in the world had turned into shackles pressing on her soft and delicate body.
Xie Yinxing bit her lip, her eyes filled with tears and hatred as she looked at Laurent, looking at the “Prime Minister” who had once held her like a loving father.
In this absurd nightmare, she seemed to finally realize that she should do something.
—“Don’t let your hand shake, don’t let your eyes slant.”
A cold voice emerged from her memory.
“Fear and hesitation are normal, so you need to be clear. Only when you understand why you want to pull the trigger can you overcome the resistance in your heart, understand?”
On several idle afternoons, she had sneaked out of the house, ran far, far away, to find the young brother of the Silver Big Dipper to teach her how to use a gun.
When the three o’clock afternoon sun gently adorned the golden sun wheel uniform on her big brother’s body, Xie Yinxing raised her face that had been wet with sweat after practice.
“I don’t hope you will use this gun.”
At that time, Jiang Jianming’s expression was light, and he stroked her head and said, “But if a long time later, you need to use it to protect something, don’t forget what I told you.”
When you pull the trigger, you have to…
In an instant, Xie Yinxing suddenly opened her eyes wide, she screamed hoarsely—
“Mom! Your Excellency Lance! Run!”
Bang!
Xie Yinxing fired the second shot.
She was enduring the pain, but still strong.
****
[Sensing violent fluctuations of crystal particles ahead, pilot pay attention, pilot pay attention…]
Inside the cockpit of L- Gyrfalcon, the smart intelligence Tyr issued a warning.
The large mecha in flight mode spread its wings, like a small hill in the air, quickly approaching the Sekt’s Mansion.
Jiang Jianming’s expression was solemn. “Crystal particle fluctuation…it’s a crystal bone, it’s already started fighting, the location is in the west hall.”
From a distance, one could see that most of the people in the mansion were shocked by the crystal particle fluctuation in the west hall, and they ran to the backyard from all over.
Star City prohibited the release of crystal bones in public places, they panicked as if they had been terrorized—in fact, it was indeed the case.
The trembling old head of the Sekt family was surrounded by servants and guards and hid on one side, calling out the names of his daughter and granddaughter like an old duck stretching his neck.
“Donna, Emilia!..Oh God! My Donna, my little Emilia!”
All of this fell on the screen of the mecha Gyrfalcon, the old marshal hummed, and said leisurely. “Little friends, sit tight.”
In an instant, the body and gun muzzle of Gyrfalcon tilted at the same time, the angle was locked at an almost impossible precision, and a laser cannon was fired with a bang!
The explosion sounded and the fire rushed into the sky, the rubble flew obliquely, and the roof of the west hall building was completely overturned by the bombardment.
Suddenly, the scene inside was in full view.
The hall was a scene of horror.
Audrey was pierced by a real crystal bone in the pool of blood, and the small gun in Xie Yinxing’s hand was naturally dropped on the ground. The crystal bone like a giant snake wrapped around the girl, slowly lifting her into the air!
Donna cried out and tried hard to throw out her crystal bone, wanting to take back her daughter. However, she was just a pampered noblewoman, and the next second she was flipped far away by Laurent, falling headlong and bleeding.
Diana’s face turned pale instantly, she tore off her seat belt, “Brother——!!!”
Ryann was quick and alert, he held the little girl’s hand with one hand and shouted sternly. “Don’t move!”
Diana kicked and struggled like a mad rabbit, crying and shouting. “Let me go, let me go! Brother is being…!”
Ryann decisively chopped her neck, directly stunned Diana, and threw her to Kevin who was frozen in fear. “Watch her, you can’t play a combat role, stay quiet.”
Jiang Jianming had just given himself a shot of tranquilizer, threw the empty syringe with a flick of his hand, and looked down with pursed lips.
A flash of platinum color appeared before his eyes, it was His Highness the Crown Prince who came to his side, seemingly afraid that he would mess around, and put his hand on his shoulder.
Jiang Jianming took a breath, still maintaining the calmness of his voice, and asked Ryann in a low voice. “The distance is too far, isn’t it?”
He was referring to the distance to manipulate the real crystal in the air and attack Laurent.
Ryann shook his head and said in a deep voice. “Too far, at least half the distance needs to be reduced.”
Laurent obviously knew this too, perhaps no one in this world dared to engage in close combat with His Royal Highness. The indigo crystal bone suddenly lifted Xie Yinxing very high, it was a glaring human shield.
He spoke in a gentle and loud voice. “Old Marshal Chen, General Xie’s daughter is here, please don’t let the mecha get any closer!”
Old Marshal Chen dug his ears and shouted loudly. “Ah? What?”
“…”
Laurent’s face twitched fiercely, and he cursed “old immortal”.
Old Marshal Chen: “What did you say? The wind is too strong, I can’t hear clearly in this mecha——”
As the old man said this, he was merciless, and the muzzle of Gyrfalcon had already aimed at Laurent!
“Old Marshal Chen, don’t pretend to be confused.”
Laurent suddenly tightened his crystal bone, and Xie Yinxing immediately had difficulty breathing, her cheeks flushed.
The girl who was held high by the crystal bone was kicking her legs hard, even though her face was smeared with tears, she was still sobbing and shouting. “Quickly fire mecha, fire quickly!..Xingxing is not afraid of death!”
Xie Yinxing stared at Laurent fiercely, and said in a hoarse voice, “Dad said, brave people will become white birds after they die…fly to a far, far place in the universe…so Xingxing is not afraid of you!”
“Xingxing will become a bird to find Dad, and let Dad beat you, the big bad guy!!”
Suddenly, the main cannon of L-Gyrfalcon gathered light!
Donna screamed miserably and fainted directly. Laurent also changed color, who would have thought that even when holding Xie Yinxing in front of him, Chen Hanke would still fire the cannon so unhesitatingly!?
In the blink of an eye, almost at the same moment that the beam was shot out, a sharp red-gold true crystal condensed out of thin air.
Bang!!
The dazzling fire burst open, it was the laser energy hitting the real crystal, the two canceled each other out, the energy dispersed, and the shattered red-gold true crystal also dissipated in mid-air.
Inside the mecha, Jiang Jianming almost had a heart attack, and even His Highness the Crown Prince was shocked and sweated, and turned back and said, “Old thing, you really fired.”
Old Marshal Chen smiled cunningly, hehe twice. “Isn’t His Highness here?”
Below the west hall, Laurent was indeed scared and his face went pale. Looking up in the sky, there were vaguely countless black spots approaching, thinking about it, it should be the mecha army of the Golden Sun Wheel.
He dared not entangle any more, called out the folding mecha, knocked Xie Yinxing out and threw her in, and he also got on the mecha and flew away.
Jiang Jianming reacted quickly, immediately pushed open the door of the mecha on his side, held the Snow Dove on his wrist in the strong wind, and was about to go down to save Audrey and Madam Donna.
A voice suddenly stopped him. “Little Excellency, please wait.”
The chief, not knowing when she stood up, seemed to be looking in the direction of Audrey, and said in a low voice. “It doesn’t seem very good..”
****
Inside the dilapidated west hall, there were broken walls everywhere, Audrey moved and struggled to get up.
He pulled the real crystal out of his chest, and a large amount of blood spurted out.
The silver-haired youth hung his head, panting, pressing on the wound, and stood up with trembling knees.
Audrey was covered in blood, he picked up one of his swords, leaned on it and walked out step by step, stepping out a trail of bright red prints.
The door of the west hall was close at hand, Laurent seemed to be gone, and the roar of the mecha came faintly from his ears. Has the army arrived?
Audrey opened his eyes that were already blurred, just now he vaguely heard Diana’s voice, he didn’t know if it was an illusion.
She can’t die. If she dies, what will happen to the Lance family, and what will happen to Diana?.. How much would the little sister cry if she couldn’t wait for her brother to come home?
It’s right in front of her, Audley reached out to the door. She wanted to go out… to… return to… Diana’s side…
That hand was about to grasp the metal door handle, but it fell at the last moment.
The silver-haired youth’s legs softened and he knelt on the ground, as if some curse took effect at this moment. His skin began to crack and bleed, and the crystal tore open the flesh and grew out.
Acute crystal chaos…had begun.
