I am the old, fiery-faced man from the senior department.

"Has Sister seen the military equipment?"

"I've seen it. I didn't realize it had changed so much."

In that year, he saw the weapons that the soldiers were equipped with, weapons manufactured on the mechanical assembly line of the Great Yan's military factory.

"Although the effect is the same, it is still a bit uncomfortable to use weapons that are not forged by hand and tempered by fire."

Although she didn't mind the casting methods becoming more innovative, she was still quite traditional personally.

Although mass-produced products are produced in large quantities, she always felt that those weapons lacked soul.

"It's decided! When I get back, I'll forge a weapon for Xiaobai myself."

By then, he already had a general idea in mind.

"Really? Then I'll leave it to you, sister. I'm really looking forward to it."

Since Tian Sha left, Bai Zhou has rarely engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

Besides possessing formidable abilities that allow him to easily defeat his opponent with a single move and avoid wasting unnecessary energy, another issue is that he lacks the right feel.

He used to enjoy fighting alongside Tian Sha, who would chat with him. Now that Tian Sha is gone, Ao Neng has become a soulless tool, and using it has become boring.

"Hmm, I'll make you jump for joy!"

He patted his chest and spoke with great conviction.

"But are we just going to stay here and watch them fight?"

I've already witnessed three large-scale battles this year.

Ursus once again deployed eight warships and 120,000 troops to fight against the Northern Sea Heavenly Pool of the Great Yan.

However, the difference in scale between land-based ships and mobile cities was too great. Those land-based ships were wiped out one by one by the main cannon of Beiming Tianchi - [Kunyu], so that the wolf pack advantage of these warships could not be brought into play before they were all destroyed.

Ursus's army was roughly the same size as the Great Yan army, but the Yan army had Gundam [crossed out] and Golden Man.

That's right, for this expedition, the Yan army brought four of the twelve golden statues with them.

He only learned that the Golden Man was not just a figurehead after Bai Zhan regained power, when the Red Dragon told him this.

The Golden Man is a replica of the Heaven and Earth model, created after a long period of research by our ancestors, the True Dragon, and many extraordinary individuals.

The golden figure stands six zhang (approximately 18 meters) tall, its entire body a striking gold. Its outer shell is forged from a new, unknown metal created by the Forged Immortal, and it contains Terra's most efficient Originium circuit, powered by pure Originium. It wields a blade as long as itself, its eyes can emit lasers, and it spews thunder from its mouth. It is indestructible and impervious to water and fire. Piloted by a specialized team of mech pilots and sorcerers, its agility is comparable to that of an ordinary person, making it a crucial factor in sweeping through armies and determining the balance of power in war.

"I never expected this thing to still be able to move after all these years!"

This was the immortal's first thought upon seeing the golden man.

"Although victory will surely be ours, the battlefield is ever-changing, and we are here just in case."

Bai Zhou also said:

"Does my sister remember that snow?"

"Of course I remember. The snowfall was so strange. Although it's incredibly cold here, it's impossible for it to snow so heavily in only August."

And also.

Nian nuzzled the cheek of the person in her arms.

During the daytime, it's the height of summer; he knows exactly where it's raining and where it's cloudy.

But this snow...

Returning to the Ten Palaces' Secrets, a Close Friend Returns

"You suspect that this snow was deliberately created?"

The doubts of that year were not without reason.

There are countless Originium Arts of all kinds in this world, and there are also various spirits and beasts that can influence celestial phenomena. That's why Nian suspected that someone was behind the sudden snowfall.

"I heard that the emperor of Ursus recruited a person with prophetic abilities into the palace, bestowed upon him a high-ranking position and generous salary, and showed him great favor."

"Does Xiaobai suspect that guy?"

"Perhaps. I've also heard some unreliable rumors. It's said that the man didn't gain Dalovich's favor, but rather the Empress's."

"Empress? Detailed explanation?"

Nian pulled up a chair and sat down next to Bai Zhou, picking up a plum from the table to eat some melon.

"I heard that a few years ago, Dalovich's son, the Crown Prince of Ursus, contracted a strange blood disease that neither the learned court physicians nor the folk healers in the countryside could cure."

"Then, just as the novel had arranged, when the Crown Prince was critically ill, the man who called himself Rasputin appeared."

"Lapsin?"

Nian muttered something in slight confusion.

"It's Rasputin, sister."

"Hey, foreign names are all pretty much the same. Let's continue."

"After Rasputin appeared, the Crown Prince's illness was miraculously cured. What's astonishing is that only when Rasputin was by the Crown Prince's side would his illness not relapse. As long as Rasputin was away from him for even a little while, the illness would ravage the child's body again. Therefore, the Empress, who loved the child so much, trusted this man so much."

"This illness seems to be related to Lapsin, doesn't it?"

He asked, puzzled.

She couldn't understand why those people not only didn't arrest him, but instead treated him well with good food, drink, and high-ranking positions.

Are all the Ursus people stupid?

"There's nothing we can do. He's the savior of the future king of Ursus and is favored by the queen."

"And... well, it's nothing."

Just as Bai Zhou was about to share another piece of gossip, he remembered something, smiled, shut his mouth, and began to slowly sip his tea.

"Oh, what is it? Tell me, tell me, Xiaobai."

I was happily eating watermelon when the seller suddenly stopped giving me any more. That won't do!

"Hmm... well, that's already half the story, and this is also the other half of why the Empress favored him. Hmm. Don't believe everything you hear, though."

"Okay, okay, hurry up and tell me."

Nian bit into a plum, intending to enjoy it with this melon.

"I heard that Rasputin has a stick as thick and long as a cart axle."

"That's it?"

I paused for a moment.

What's wrong with having a stick that looks like a cart axle? Are cart axles rare? Or is he really that good at wielding a stick like that?

But then she saw Bai Zhou's slightly mysterious smile.

"Sister, this stick is not that stick."

Having already experienced this, she understood.

"……oh."

The year had passed, her voice trembled, and her ears were flushed.

The axle is so big...tsk, you naughty little white rabbit, you've corrupted her.

"Let's not talk about whether this is true or not, Xiaobai. Is the Empress really..."

Nian was even more puzzled. Could that thing alone really make a wife betray her husband?

"So it's just a rumor. Such rumors exist in every country. For example, in the past, a high-ranking official who was favored by the True Dragon colluded with the True Dragon's mother and presented her with a eunuch. At that time, the rumors also described him as being skilled in the art of turning wheels."

"However, later, because that eunuch was too arrogant and even wanted to replace the True Dragon as the ruler of the Great Yan, he crossed the bottom line that he should not have crossed, and was then killed by the enraged True Dragon."

He drank tea during the day and then poured himself another cup.

"As for whether Rasputin was favored because of his great abilities or because of his great abilities... only the two people who have seen him know."

"It seems to be fake."

Nian had some recollection of the eunuch skilled in the art of wheel-turning. However, she only knew that a certain eunuch had become arrogant due to the Empress Dowager's favor and was then crushed like an ant by the true power holder; she had no idea that there was such a secret involved.

"That's why choosing a good wife who suits you is really important."

Nian raised his head slightly and spoke with his chest puffed out.

The smug look on his face made it seem like he was about to reveal who the person was.

“Sister is right.”

He took her hand, pulled the smiling fairy into his arms, and gently pressed his cheek against hers.

"Without the blessings accumulated over three lifetimes, there's no chance of marrying a wonderful woman like my elder sister."

"Hmm. But a certain little guy did it in his very first life. How enviable."

The immortal proudly raised its tail, the tip of which curled around the dragon's tail.

"Yes, it's really enviable."

"..."

The knocking broke the silence.

"What happened?"

Opening the door during the day, one finds the soldiers on duty that day standing outside.

Upon seeing the daylight, the soldier straightened his back and replied loudly:

"Reporting to the Dragon King, someone has presented a visiting card."

"A visiting card?"

Bai Zhou received the invitation and knew who it was even before opening it.

The format of the invitation card, which flows like an arcane script, is used by only one person.

"Where is the person who delivered the visiting card? Quickly invite her in... No, I'll go and fetch her myself."

"Reporting to Lord Long, the guest is already waiting outside the mansion."