Chapter 914 Axuo

Jiang Xiao and Catherine flew northeast, crossing a stretch of mountains and forests, following the rolling river towards the coastline.

Dusk was approaching, and the setting sun cast its glow.

Deep red sunset clouds painted the distant horizon, adding a special charm to the beautiful peninsula scenery.

It was at this time that Jiang Xiao and Catherine saw a small wooden house standing on a sea cliff.

The wooden house faced the sea, and the backyard was a sea of flowers.

Amidst the sound of waves crashing against the reefs, Jiang Xiao and Catherine slowly stopped in mid-air, looking down.

In their view, behind the slightly dilapidated wooden house was an extremely beautiful ocean of flowers.

In the flower bushes, an old woman with white hair was standing with her head lowered and her hands behind her back.

Her clothes were ordinary and somewhat masculine.

The light-colored checkered shirt, like a men's style, seemed to have been worn for many years. Although it looked a little old, it was washed very clean.

Anyone who saw this old woman at first glance would have the first impression of her being: skinny.

She was so thin, like a bamboo pole, as if a gust of wind could blow her down...

A gentle breeze carried the fragrance of flowers in the air, and the waves rose and fell, bringing the salty and humid breath of the sea, mixed with the floral fragrance, creating a special scent.

Such a scene was beautiful enough.

What made this scene even more desolate was that in front of the old woman, who was standing with her head lowered and her hands behind her back, was a tombstone.

And next to this tombstone, there was another special grave. This grave seemed to have been dug out recently, with a pile of dirt next to it, empty.

The old woman turned around, raised her head slightly, and looked at Jiang Xiao and Catherine standing in the sky. After looking back and forth at them for a while, she locked her gaze on Jiang Xiao and said, "You've come."

"Yes, I've come." Jiang Xiao nodded lightly and slowly landed in this flower-filled courtyard.

The old woman turned her head again and looked at the tombstone in front of her, saying, "You're here to take my life."

Jiang Xiao also looked at the tombstone and said, "Did Hopkins promise you that as long as you kill me, he would give you freedom?"

The old woman shook her head and said, "I don't need that."

Jiang Xiao frowned slightly. After Troy's deceptive behavior just now, Jiang Xiao certainly knew what the goal of this group of people was.

The old woman said, "Judging from the direction you flew from, you seem to have come from Sparta and Troy."

Jiang Xiao couldn't understand the words on the tombstone, and just made a nasal sound, "Mmm."

Old woman: "Are they all dead?"

Jiang Xiao: "Mmm."

"Oh..." The old woman shook her head slightly, a bitter smile on her face, and said, "It's time to go and accompany him."

As she spoke, the old woman turned around to face Jiang Xiao. Her wrinkled old face was etched with the marks of time.

She suddenly said, "Can I ask you for a favor?"

Jiang Xiao raised his eyebrows slightly, without responding.

She pointed to the empty grave next to her and said, "After you complete your task, can you bury me here?"

Jiang Xiao was still vigilant in his heart and said in a deep voice, "What did Hopkins say to you?"

The old woman smiled, with a hint of disdain between her eyebrows: "He said he found a kindred spirit.

The new god always has to ascend the throne by stepping on the bones of the old god."

Jiang Xiao silently shook his head and said, "I am not the same kind of person as him. I wasn't before, I'm not now, and I won't be in the future."

"Whatever." The old woman was noncommittal, just smiled, walked to the empty grave, silently closed her eyes, and said, "You can do it."

The afterglow of the setting sun shone on the old woman, coating her skinny figure with a layer of orange-red.

Jiang Xiao looked at the tombstone and said, "Who is he?"

She replied, "My lover."

Jiang Xiao: "What happened?"

The old woman opened her eyes again and looked at the tombstone next to her, saying, "He was old, the time had come, and he didn't want me to extend his life anymore.

I spent my whole life with him, and I have always respected him.

In fact, I have always regretted that perhaps, that last time, I should have been more willful."

Jiang Xiao pursed his lips and said silently, "When I met Sparta, he said he wanted to sprinkle my flesh and blood all over his courtyard.

When I met Troy, he invited me to a card game, trying to control me and exchange my life for his freedom.

But you, you dug a grave for yourself."

The old woman looked at Jiang Xiao's young face and said lightly, "I don't need freedom. In fact, I don't have anything to miss in this world.

I just promised him that I would live on. Otherwise, what you would see here would be two tombstones.

Now, you are here, with the victories of the shield warrior and the magic system in front of me.

Obviously... I can't survive, I'm just a healing type."

Jiang Xiao smiled and said, "It's a coincidence, so am I."

The old woman's expression was slightly surprised, and after a while, she shook her head and smiled, "Okay, it doesn't matter anymore, do it."

Jiang Xiao was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Sorry, Madam, I'm afraid it will be difficult for me to fulfill your wish."

"Oh?" The old woman was obviously stunned, her cloudy eyes looked at Jiang Xiao, and said, "You have to consider the consequences. I don't know the extent of your abilities, but if you disobey Hopkins's will, he will make your life worse than death."

Jiang Xiao shook his head and said, "You misunderstood. I am not his believer, nor his disciple, nor his subordinate."

Hearing this, the old woman's eyes widened slightly, as if she had heard something incredible.

After a long while, she said, "If you are not here to kill me, then please leave here now. He likes quiet."

Jiang Xiao said, "Are you willing to talk to me about Hopkins?"

As he spoke, Jiang Xiao turned to look at Catherine in the distance and said, "I heard you have hot tea and pastries."

"Yes, sir." Catherine immediately understood what Jiang Xiao meant, hurriedly opened the space door, and walked in.

The old woman frowned deeply, with a hesitant expression on her face. Jiang Xiao had already walked to the grave of the old woman's deceased husband. With a wave of his hand, a space door opened.

Jiang Xiao stretched a hand into it, as if grabbing something, and when he took it out again, it was a bouquet of lilies produced from the Flower Sea Ranch.

Jiang Xiao bowed slightly, placed the white flowers in front of the tombstone, and said softly, "Sorry, sir, for disturbing you."

Aside, the old woman stared blankly at this scene, and also saw Jiang Xiao straightening up and turning his head to look over.

That look contained a hint of exploration, giving her full respect.

The old woman was silent for a long time, bowed slightly, turned and walked out of the courtyard.

......

On the sea cliff, a small table, two wooden chairs.

Catherine brought a plate of exquisite pastries and a pot of steaming flower tea.

Jiang Xiao looked at Catherine and said, "Go change your clothes, I see you're uncomfortable."

"Yes, sir." Catherine didn't hesitate at all. In front of the Little Prophet, she seemed to have left all the requirements of the Old Prophet behind, opened the portal, and walked in.

Jiang Xiao looked at the old woman and said, "Jiang Xiaopi."

She replied, "Axuo."

Axuo?

It seems to be the god of medicine in ancient Greek mythology?

Jiang Xiao said with a smile: "Your team's code names are very interesting. It seems that clues can be found in story books. This Axuo... seems to be the name of a goddess?"

Axuo nodded, but changed the subject and asked, "What is your relationship with Hopkins?"

Jiang Xiao casually picked up a pastry and threw it into his mouth: "It's a bit complicated, but in general, it's an enemy rather than a friend."

Axuo was slightly puzzled and asked, "Since you are enemies, then why did you come here according to his request? Were you threatened by him?"

Jiang Xiao said: "Like you, I should also be considered imprisoned by him.

When he threw me in, Hopkins gave me a map. I'm idle here anyway, so I'll come and see them one by one.

It's just that Sparta is very unfriendly, and Troy is very insidious and cunning. They wanted my life, so I killed them."

"Hehe." Axuo smiled dumbly and said, "They are so old, and they are still blinded, and they still think they can regain their freedom."

Jiang Xiao asked curiously: "You... as Hopkins's close comrades-in-arms in the southern and northern wars, why were you imprisoned here?"

Axuo: "In your heart, what kind of person is Hopkins?"

Jiang Xiao thought for a while and said, "Superficially gentle and easy-going, but in fact unscrupulous and ruthless."

Axuo sighed softly, with a hint of reminiscence in her cloudy eyes: "At the beginning, he was a sincere, kind, and ambitious young man.

We followed such a leader, fought in the south and north, and finally came to the alien planet.

But as time went by, he slowly changed. He no longer respected life. Maybe... he was stained with too much blood, so he no longer cared.

He no longer listened to people's opinions, and there could only be one voice in the team. He became arrogant and conceited, and until the end, he established an empire and ruled the entire European continent..."

Axuo looked at Jiang Xiao and said, "That was the beginning of the nightmare."

Jiang Xiao: "Why?"

Axuo: "Maybe he thought that this world could no longer bring him any challenges.

His personality became more and more eccentric and moody.

Until the third month after the establishment of the empire, he raised the butcher knife against the Golden Feather Clan because of a trivial matter."

Golden Feather Clan?

The Golden Feather Walkers of the Lancy Kingdom?

Axuo: "Under our intervention and persuasion, he did not exterminate the Golden Feather Clan, but only a small part of the Golden Feather Clan was left, and he was also thrown into this Sea Ridge Space as prisoners.

Similarly, those of us who intervened to persuade him were also thrown in here.

The Golden Feather Walker is a star beast group of the founding elders of the empire. Hopkins suddenly became violent and slaughtered this race... In this way, the newly established empire went to the road of disintegration."

Speaking of this, Axuo smiled and said, "You know, Sparta, Troy, and Poseidon are all team members who firmly followed the leader.

They did not participate in persuasion and obstruction, but like our other team members, they were thrown in here with the same fate."

"50 years? 60 years?" Axuo sighed softly, "I don't know, I have been imprisoned here for a long time, and I don't know what the outside world has become."

Jiang Xiao pursed his lips and said, "If there are no accidents, after he throws you in, he will personally destroy the empire, but most of the races are still there, the only thing missing is the Golden Feather Walker Clan...

It seems that there are also some mysterious sea giants?

Those star beasts that followed Hopkins's ascension on the murals of the altar?"

Axuo: "Minions of the Dead Sea?

If you continue to move forward, you will see them. After so many years, the Minions of the Dead Sea, who were almost exterminated by Hopkins, have slowly recovered their former population."

Jiang Xiao nodded silently and said, "Why did Hopkins become violent?"

Axuo shook her head and said, "It is said that... the elders of the Golden Feather Walker Clan wanted to expand the territory of the empire and advance towards Asia along Eastern Europe.

I don't know how many times of requests and negotiations, Hopkins suddenly became violent and made such an unbelievable move. When he slaughtered the Golden Feather Clan, he kept repeating a sentence in his mouth."

Jiang Xiao's heart moved: "What?"

Axuo: "Everything is no longer important."

Jiang Xiao: "......"

Behind him, a space door opened, and Catherine, with her long hair loose, walked out in a black dress.

Although it still looked like she was dressed up, compared to the previous expensive evening dress, it was considered a reduction in specifications.

Axuo glanced at Catherine and said, "She is your servant."

Jiang Xiao shook his head and said, "She is Hopkins's servant, sent to my side to monitor me."

Axuo raised her eyebrows slightly, looked at Jiang Xiao's calm appearance, and couldn't help shaking her head and smiling, "You are an interesting person."

Catherine picked up the teapot and added tea to Jiang Xiao, but did not refute. She knew what to say and what to do.

Axuo said, "According to your current route, you will have another enemy."

"Hmm?" Jiang Xiao beckoned to Catherine.

Catherine took out the map and handed it to Jiang Xiao.

Jiang Xiao opened the map and looked at it. Six locations. If the Axuo couple were counted, Jiang Xiao had already visited four "old gods."

How do you count... there are still two left? Why is there only one enemy?

Could it be that there are also dead people in those two locations?

Axuo leaned over and looked at the map in Jiang Xiao's hand and said, "It looks a bit old. According to the locations marked on it, my husband and I have not yet established a relationship and have not moved here to live together."

Jiang Xiao: ???

This map... is actually a map from 60 years ago?

Axuo looked carefully, moved all the way along the coastline, and pointed at the red x on the Alps and said, "Maybe you should go to the end and visit her first."

Jiang Xiao: "Who is she?"

Axuo: "She was once Hopkins's lover, now she is Hopkins's prisoner, and also an enemy who turned against him.

She knows Hopkins better than any of us.

If Hopkins is also your enemy, she will be very willing to help you, I mean, in any way."

Jiang Xiao: "What's her name?"

Axuo: "Gaia."

Jiang Xiao couldn't help grinning and said, "You guys really dare to name people!?"

Axuo looked at Jiang Xiao seriously and said, "Believe me, she deserves this code name.

Although she is also a member of this team, the gap between her strength and the others is unimaginable.

How do you define Hopkins's strength?"

Jiang Xiao thought for a while and said, "Very棘手, and even a bit of a feeling of not knowing where to start." (The term 棘手 is kept as pinyin due to lack of perfect English translation.)

Axuo nodded, pointed at the red x on the Alps, and said, "You will find the same feeling in her."

Jiang Xiao nodded, picked up the teacup on the table, drank the flower tea in one gulp, and said, "You can survive in my space. One day, when I leave this Sea Ridge World, I will let you out."

To Jiang Xiao's surprise, Axuo shook her head and refused, and shook her head very decisively.

"Hmm..." Jiang Xiao thought for a while, stood up and said, "If that's the case, I won't bother you."

"Good luck to you." Axuo just nodded and didn't say anything else.

"Let's go." Jiang Xiao gestured to Catherine next to him, and with a flash, went directly to the Alps.

And Axuo silently sat on the chair, listening to the sound of the waves crashing against the reefs, as if she had turned into a Wàngfū Shí. (Wàngfū Shí : rock resembling a woman waiting for her husband to return. Can be used figuratively.)

I don't know how long it took, she picked up the teacup on the table and drank the cold flower tea in one gulp.

She stood up, her body as thin as a bamboo pole, making people worry about whether she would be blown down by the sea breeze.

She left the cliff and walked back to her wooden house courtyard.

In this sea of flowers, she stood in front of her husband's grave again and said softly, "I once promised you to continue to survive in this world.

And the news of his coming gave me hope and saw the dawn.

But I didn't want to... I waited bitterly for many days, but I couldn't wait for the ending I wanted.

Sorry, maybe... I'm going back on my word.

You know, I have repeatedly rehearsed in my mind for a long time, imagining the scene of reuniting with you again.

But he is not here to kill me, you can feel the disappointment in my heart, you must be able to..."

As Axuo spoke, she walked to the empty grave and turned around to lie down.

"Bang!"

A cloud of dust splashed everywhere.

In the empty grave, a dry palm stretched out, and a gust of wind blew, and the dirt pile on the ground kept pouring into the grave.

"Just like I said before, I should be willful once..."

The soil kept pouring into the grave, burying and filling it up...

Under the afterglow of the setting sun, accompanied by the sound of waves crashing against the reefs, the sea breeze blew.

The sea breeze swept across the sea cliff, swept across the cold tea on the table, blowing away the crumbs of the pastries...

Gusts of sea breeze passed through the wooden house, blowing into the courtyard, mixed with the fragrance of the flower sea in the courtyard, surrounding the two graves.

Two quiet graves.