Chapter 463: Guard the Key
Upon returning to the Golden Palace, Xi immediately went to see Anuo.
Xi entered the palace where Anuo lived, but did not find her. With the help of a maid, Xi went into the courtyard and saw the girl sitting on a chair with her knees drawn up, leaning against the railing of the balcony, looking outside.
Fei stood silently behind her, watching over her.
As soon as Xi approached, Fei lowered her head and respectfully addressed her, "Your Majesty."
"Is she injured?" Xi asked.
Fei Mei lowered her eyes and said, "Your Highness suffered a minor hand injury, which has already been bandaged."
Upon hearing this, Xi frowned slightly.
She sat down next to Anno, took her right hand in her own, looked at her bandaged hand, and asked, "The Zerg have always had strong self-healing abilities, but you are a Firefly, and you can't use your abilities here."
Xi sighed, her eyes showing heartache, "I'm sorry you've suffered."
Anno looked at their hands and said calmly, "These minor injuries could have healed instantly in the past, but I can't use my core energy. Once my abilities are sealed, I'm no different from an ordinary person."
Upon hearing this, a strange glint flashed in Xi's eyes. "Why can't you use your core energy?"
Anno looked into the distance; it was getting dark.
“Your Majesty, do you remember what I told you before? I’ve only been back living with the Zerg for a few years now.”
“I remember.” Xi looked at Anuo’s expression and said, “So, Your Highness, can you finally open your heart to me and tell me your story?”
Anuo shifted her gaze from the two people's hands to Xi's face, and after looking at Xi for a while, she slowly began to tell her about some of her past experiences.
However, many details have been omitted, and only a brief summary has been provided.
After listening, Xi remained silent for a long time. She probably never imagined that the Queen Insect, which was the most important insect to the insect race, would have such an experience, growing up alone without any companions, living a precarious life.
She had many guesses beforehand, but she really didn't expect it to turn out this way.
Anno looked at her silent expression and smiled slightly, "Don't you believe me?"
"That's right. No one else would believe it either. It's unimaginable that someone would dare to steal the Queen Egg, which represents the continuation of the Zerg, and then lose it."
"And I am still alive and well."
Xi gently stroked her head with her hand, her eyes filled with affection.
"Of course I believe you are a child who is not good at lying. If you want to do something, honesty is your best weapon."
Upon hearing Xi's words, Anuo thought to himself that Feixing's evaluation of Xi was truly insightful. Xi was indeed perceptive and capable.
If she were to meet Xi after her rebirth, it would be difficult for her not to be deceived by Xi's gentle demeanor.
She's always been someone who responds better to kindness than force; she cherishes those who treat her well.
Anuo gently brushed the stray hairs behind Xi's ear and took her hand.
Xi paused slightly as she watched her movements.
This was the first time in a long time that Anno had taken the initiative to touch her.
This subtle change brought her a barely perceptible joy.
"I miss my mother."
Anuo held Xi's hand, pressed her cheek against Xi's palm, and her beautiful blue eyes were filled with loneliness and unease.
"If my mother were here, she would definitely not let me get hurt."
Xi immediately pulled her into her arms. "I'm sorry, I failed to protect you."
Anuo rested his head against her chest, and for a moment his eyes were cold when Xi couldn't see him.
Xi could feel the girl's body stiffen for a moment before slowly relaxing. She heard the girl say, "Your Majesty, I think I can feel my mother's presence in you."
As she spoke, she sniffed at her like a small animal.
Xi couldn't help but chuckle and said, "You felt it?"
Anno looked up at her. "Hmm, the energy seems somewhat similar. The energy in each of us Zerg is slightly different. Our energy is fused with pheromones, which allows us to distinguish different members of our race."
Xi took out an energy stone from her tightly wrapped clothes. "This is an energy stone that your mother gave me in the past. The energy you feel comes from this stone."
Anno looked at the energy stone in her hand with curiosity and asked in surprise, "Did my mother give it to you?"
Xi's eyes held a gentle smile. "You seem surprised that your mother gave me something?"
Anno opened her palm to Xi, "Your Majesty, may I take a look at this energy stone?"
Xi took the energy stone off and placed it in Anuo's palm: "Just call me Xi, there's no need to call me Your Majesty. They call me that every day, and I hope someone can call me by my name."
Anno took the energy stone, then hesitated, "But wouldn't that be too disrespectful?"
"Respect?" Xi chuckled and pinched Anuo's nose. "You are the most esteemed King Insect of the Insect Clan. The Insect Clan has always had a strict hierarchy. Apart from your parents, is there anyone else in this world who can command your respect?"
"Of course there are. My parents' friends are of the same rank and generation as them. I should be respectful to my parents and respect their friends in the same way."
Anno touched the energy stone in his hand and said, "This is made from the best energy ore of our insectoid race. The fact that my mother gave it to you as a gift shows that you are a very important friend to her."
Xi was touched upon hearing this. "Your mother never mentioned it when she gave me this energy stone. I always thought it was just an ordinary energy stone."
Anno glanced at the blue ripples on the stone, her eyes flickering slightly before she quickly concealed her gaze. She returned the energy stone to Xi, but a hint of longing lingered in her expression as she looked at it.
Then her expression fell again, and she stared blankly at the scenery outside.
Seeing her like this, Xi said, "Shall I take you out for a walk?"
Anno shook her head, then glanced at her energy stone before looking away.
Xi wanted to say something more, but seeing her condition, she had no choice but to give up. She patted Anuo's head and said, "You should rest well. I'll come see you later."
Just as Xi was about to leave, Anuo suddenly reached out and grabbed her skirt.
Xi turned her head and met Anuo's clear, jewel-like blue eyes.
His eyes revealed a fragile vulnerability, and a sense of dependence.
Like a fawn that has lost its mother, it is filled with anxiety and a desire for protection.
"Your Majesty, may I come to see you later?"
Xi looked slightly surprised when she heard her question, then smiled and said, "Of course you can. I told you, you can do whatever you want with me."
After leaving Anno's palace, the peace and gentleness in Xi's eyes turned into indifference.
Caius approached from a distance. "Queen, is she alright?"
"He was injured."
"Injured?" Caius frowned and was about to walk towards her palace when Xi stopped him.
"Let her be by herself for a while; this is the most anxious time for her."
Caius was puzzled. "Wouldn't that make her need more company?"
Xi smiled and said, "When a person is afraid and uneasy, they often want to get close to the people they are closest to. This is also when their psychological defenses are weakest."
Xi placed her hand on the energy stone in front of her chest. "The fewer people around Anunu, the better. That way, she will want to get close to me and rely on me."
Caius said, "We still haven't been able to catch the people who came with her."
Xi's expression calmed down. "It's alright. They'll eventually give up. We'll wear them down slowly. Just keep your key safe."
Caius snorted coldly, "They think we don't know what they're up to. So what if they have a lot of keys? They're being too clever for their own good. As long as we don't open the passage, they won't be able to open it even if they collect all the keys."
"They are nothing but playthings in Your Majesty's hands. Once they enter the City of Heaven, they will be at our mercy and will never be able to escape our grasp."
Xi said calmly, "Go and see Fei Jue; his injuries are quite severe."
Caius wanted to say no, but seeing the look in Xi's eyes, he left reluctantly.
After watching Caius leave, Xi waved away the servants who followed her and walked alone in the empty golden palace.
As she gazed at the magnificent hall, several fragments of memory flashed through her mind.
"This place is very similar to my palace, both spacious and grand, but it's much more lively here than my palace."
Do you like it here?
"It's alright. Although my palace is desolate, I still miss it whenever I come out and often want to go back."
"Why? The Zerg's kin are nothing more than machines that carry out orders. In such a vast race as yours, only one or two Overlords share the same soul as you. Sevier, you need a friend like me. I will make you happy, and you will no longer feel lonely."
“You don’t understand us Zerg. My kin are not machines as you imagine.”
More than 700 years ago, there was an identical golden palace on the main planet of Leica.
Their home planet was destroyed in that great war, and everything was gone.
After the city of heaven was built, they rebuilt the Golden Palace.
The Golden Palace was exactly the same, but at that time, she was the only one left in the Golden Palace.
Xi walked to the middle of the hall and looked up at the empty throne.
She hasn't sat there in a long time; she only sits there symbolically during celebrations that happen every few years.
This throne was something she had always longed for, and Séville had told her, "If you want it, you have to fight for it."
She didn't fight for the throne. The high-ranking officials of Lyca launched a war, resulting in countless deaths and injuries in the royal family. In the end, she was the only one left to inherit the throne.
They handed over a crumbling empire to her, leaving her to clean up the mess.
Above the throne is an energy stone, a rhombus-shaped blue energy stone that records the energy that sustains the City of Heaven and the silence. Now, the light of the energy stone has dimmed and is about to disappear.
To continue, new energy is needed.
Xi clutched the energy pendant around her neck and called out to Mo in her mind.
"Stop pretending to be asleep, Mo. I know you've been here the whole time. I didn't want to call you out on it so I could see if you could break free from my grasp."
Her eyes darkened, and she removed her white gloves. Energy patterns spread along her slender and beautiful palms, and a ball of light gathered in her palm. Then she squeezed hard, and a burst of energy burst out from her hand.
A muffled groan echoed in her mind.
Xi's lips slowly curved into a smile, and she said softly, "I'm sorry, it must have hurt a lot."
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