At first glance, they seemed almost identical, but upon closer inspection, many differences could be found. Although the alien ghost girl before her looked almost exactly like Cecilia, there had to be some connection between them. Thinking back to Cecilia’s mother vanishing years ago, and the crest on Ke Xia Er, Lita couldn’t help blurting out the thought in her mind.
“Could she be your mother?”
“Of course not! Mother isn’t that short!”
Cecilia denied it outright. The alien ghost girl floating in the air twitched the corner of her mouth slightly.
Oh, so that’s not it. In a situation like this, a mother-daughter reunion scene, then pouring out their hearts to each other, only to part ways in the end because though their paths differ, she still can’t bring herself to hurt her daughter. The purpose of calling me here would also be clear—everything’s fine! Isn’t that great? The crisis would be resolved, and Aierteer…
“But I know who she is.”
Cecilia swallowed hard. The cold air she inhaled felt like it was freezing her vocal cords, making her voice hoarse.
The girl floating in midair narrowed her eyes. Her rich expressions alone made it clear that she was different from Cecilia.
“Then who is she?”
“You have many titles: Ruler of the Kingdom, Dictator, Protector of the Realm, Commander-in-Chief, the Last Tyrant. But the one everyone knows best is this: the Mad King of the Golden Tree, Kaisa.”
An answer Lita had never heard before. Cecilia stared straight into the girl’s eyes and spoke each word clearly.
“Who… who is that?” Lita asked, looking confused, not wanting to break the atmosphere but extremely curious, lowering her voice.
“Do you remember how I once told you that a hundred years ago, a rebellion made the granting of Golden Blood extremely strict?” Cecilia asked.
A prince had launched a rebellion, overthrew the then-king, and established the current dynasty. Although the throne merely transferred from one Golden Blood holder to another, it must have greatly impacted the situation back then.
Cecilia had already said this much; Lita was no fool.
The girl before her was undoubtedly the empress who was overthrown at that time.
If that were the case, then her guess would be completely reversed. It wasn’t that she bestowed Golden Blood upon the alien ghost, but rather that Ke Xia Er was already a Crest Knight before becoming an alien ghost. And unless she was mistaken, this one was no ordinary Crest Knight—she was her personal knight. She was truly an old-timer in the real sense.
But regardless of her past identity, now she was just an alien ghost. As long as it didn’t escalate to the point of her meeting Cecilia’s mother on the battlefield, what Lita had to do wouldn’t change at all.
Lita lifted her sword again and thrust it deep into the ice. Holding the hilt with both hands, she looked up, staring straight at Kaisa in the sky.
Before Lita could speak, Cecilia had already stepped out from behind her, standing shoulder to shoulder with Lita, also raising her head.
“My predecessor, Kaisa Julius. Now you’ve chosen to become an alien ghost, united with the alien ghosts of the Everfrost Wasteland, once marching upon the Great Wall. Is it to reclaim the throne you lost?”
Kaisa’s eyes, burning with ice flame, flickered. Instead, she lifted her chin even higher, a playful expression crossing her face.
“As the heir of the usurper, is that the only boring question you can ask?”
She didn’t deny it. Cecilia thought, clenching her fist secretly, staring at Kaisa inscrutably.
Kaisa’s eyes curved into slits: “You know who I am, yet you don’t rage at my existence, nor do you fear the fact that I stand here before you.”
“As a continuation of my bloodline, good, very good.” Kaisa nodded approvingly, still looking down on them. “You’ve come all the way into the Everfrost Wasteland just to see me, haven’t you? Now that I’m right before you, how do you plan to bring the information back?”
“We have our ways.”
“No, you don’t. If I so choose, you have no chance of survival.”
This was not a threat, but a statement of fact. The power of a king who had become an alien ghost should be no weaker than in life.
“Heir of the usurper, the Golden Bloodline will eventually be severed. The last monarch will die at the hands of his own blood kin. This is also an unchangeable prophecy. Pointless struggles are futile. What I do is beyond your ability to stop.”
“The struggle for the throne has nothing to do with our conversation right now. I’m not here for your revenge or ambition.” Cecilia stepped forward, bearing that immense pressure.
“Oh?” Kaisa let out a light, intrigued sound. “Then what did you come for? Setting foot on this lifeless frozen earth—surely not to enjoy the scenery. So, make excuses. Let me see just how eloquent the heir of my bloodline truly is.”
Cecilia glanced at Lita beside her, who was tense and ready to strike. She gently patted Lita. “She needs to prove her loyalty and worth. Only then can she become my personal knight. As the one who chose her, it’s only right that I accompany her.”
“This is a trial!”
“Hah. Swear loyalty to the order established by the usurper? Don’t you find that ironic?” Kaisa laughed, not hiding the mockery in her smile. “As the heir of my bloodline, you willingly become a slave to order? Instead of burning that boring order to ashes like I did? When I saw you bestowing Golden Blood upon a dream demon, I thought you and I were alike in disregarding order.”
“I am not the heir of your bloodline. The Golden Bloodline has never belonged solely to you…”
“No, you are. Look at your golden hair, look at your face that resembles mine. Even if the blood in my veins has long frozen, I would not mistake it. Your bloodline never came from the usurper’s descendants—you share the same lineage as me.”
Cecilia fell silent. Though she didn’t know whether Kaisa was telling the truth or if she had an ulterior motive in deceiving her, Kaisa’s words left her unable to refute them.
But Lita realized their conversation had gone off course.
“Bloodline or order—neither is the topic we should be discussing!” Lita shouted in rebuttal. “All we’re doing is accepting Aierteer’s assessment and making a trip to the Everfrost Wasteland! That’s it!”
“Aierteer, the loathsome traitor.” Kaisa dismissed with disdain. “Very well. Then you continue, heir of my bloodline. Let me hear what else you’ll say to persuade me to let you go back.”
Cecilia paused briefly, her golden eyes fixed on Kaisa. “Because killing us would harm you more than benefit you!”
“Oh, keep spinning your sophistry.” Kaisa watched with interest. “For the sake of a favorable competitor in the Royal Selection, go ahead and try. I don’t know how much intelligence the alien ghosts have gathered, but for a princess to lose her life in the Everfrost Wasteland during the Royal Selection—how much turmoil would that cause in the Kingdom? And what sort of retaliation would it invite? Surely you must be aware.”
“For your sake, the Kingdom would go to war with me?”
“Don’t think too highly of the factions backing you. Once you die, they’ll quickly switch allegiance to other powers. Answer me—after my death back then, how long did the Kingdom remain in chaos?”
Not long at all. There was barely even a major upheaval. Most people defected to the new king soon after Kaisa’s death. The so-called turmoil was largely over by the time she died.
“But my death could also incite chaos. Don’t forget—this is Aierteer’s intention. Perhaps they don’t care whether I live or die. But I could easily become the spark that ignites war, dragging the flames beyond the Everfrost Wasteland.”
“You’ve already sacrificed at least two squads of alien ghosts. To secure your position as the ruler of the alien ghosts, your sacrifices will only be greater. If you wage war against the Kingdom in this state, I’m afraid your forces will face only defeat.”
“Are you questioning my command ability?”
“No. I’ve heard many of your exploits. But even you would find it difficult to withstand a full-scale counterattack from the entire Kingdom. As a former ruler, have you never considered bringing the lands beyond the Everfrost Wasteland under the Kingdom’s control? In all these years, hasn’t anyone in the Kingdom plotted such an endeavor?”
Cecilia seemed to have grasped something, her voice growing louder. “If we die here, the Kingdom will inevitably launch a counterattack. Once the Kingdom commits significant forces, they won’t easily withdraw. Excessive sunk costs will only strengthen their resolve to unite the Everfrost Wasteland. Kaisa, with your intelligence, surely you understand that?”
This was far too risky—entirely fabricated by Cecilia on the spot. First, Cecilia wasn’t a strong contender in the Royal Selection at all. She had no real faction backing her, and the Kingdom was unlikely to send troops to the Northlands just because she died there. If Cecilia died, Aierteer would simply use her identity as a dream demon to suppress the entire affair. There might be some unrest, but the hatred would be directed at the alien ghosts. It would also rid the Kingdom of a major nuisance—the only ones dead would be a dream demon and an unpopular cursed princess.
This entire gamble was based on Kaisa being completely unaware of the Kingdom’s internal affairs. If she knew more, everything Cecilia said would become nothing but a blustering excuse.
Kaisa’s lips curled upward, then broke into wild laughter.
“Ha, hahaha! Very good, very good. You silver-tongued little girl. Well said.”
Kaisa laughed, wiping away nonexistent tears.
“But I won’t kill you. I can’t bring myself to kill my only bloodline heir.”
“Only?” Cecilia’s eyebrow twitched sharply. Though she tried to hide the shock caused by Kaisa’s words, every move she made on this vast snowfield was visible to Kaisa’s eyes.
But Kaisa simply descended slowly. The icy blue flame began to burn beneath her feet, instantly engulfing her and the giant-sword-wielding knight at her side.
When the flames receded, both had vanished without a trace.
Only the girl’s teasing voice echoed in the air.
“Take a good look at your golden hair and think carefully. Why was the Golden Tree crowned…”