Thales's eyes lit up.

Seran.

slave.

Survived.

Escaped.

"That's it."

Xixer smiled softly and shrugged: "That was the encounter between Selan and I. It didn't last long, but it left a deep impression."

"Hope it will help you."

Thales was slightly startled, and felt a sense of disappointment as he listened to the story but had no follow-up: "That's all?"

He was answered by the old crow's greasy smile.

"anything else?"

Thales had doubts and hurriedly asked: "Where did she come from? Where is she from? Where did she go next?"

"How did it get related to my father and the Kingdom of Stars?"

Xixer coughed slightly, interrupting Thales's continuous questioning.

"I would be happy to describe to you my impression of your mother, Thales."

"If I draw well enough, I can even write you a sketch."

"But I'm afraid, this is all I know. I don't know her identity before being a slave, and I can't see her origins." Xixer looked at him with regret and gestured gently to the surroundings: "

And now is not the time for us to sit down and talk about the past."

Facing Xixer's apologetic and helpless smile, Thales was speechless for a moment.

Xixer sighed and rubbed his crutches, unreadable emotions emerging behind the monocle.

"As for Grivet, I can only say that I am really sorry," his voice was hoarse: "Take care of yourself."

Thales seemed to wake up from a dream. The surprise he had just obtained from the information was instantly washed away by the threat in front of him.

The prince paused for a long time.

"No."

"It's me who should be sorry," Thales said with a forced smile: "You took a huge risk to save me. If the Palace of Heroes knew..."

"Don't worry about me, kid," Xixer shook his head: "My channels are normal and will not arouse suspicion that Putilai is worried about his missing prince. However, as a teacher, I came to find out about my old friend out of kindness.

The news...at least, the Yingling Palace, which is too busy to take care of itself, will not doubt it in the short term."

Thales was silent.

"But I'm still sorry that I couldn't send you out," Xixer said sadly with uneasy melancholy, "I suggest you hide around here for a night first, and we'll think about it later..."

Thales forced an ugly smile.

"Anyway, thank you, sir."

He looked at the dilapidated scene around him, and the shocking battle in the Shield Zone flashed through his mind.

Try not to think about the bleak future ahead.

Thales pursed his lips and hesitated for a moment: "I...I will find a way to get out on my own."

Thales was indeed disappointed and frightened when Grivet refused to help him.

After all, facing the heavily blockaded Longxiao City, the Fallen Star Hunters were searching throughout the city...

but……

Xixer has done enough for him.

He has no right to ask for more.

Xixer silently looked at the smile that the prince was trying to maintain and said nothing.

"Of course," Hixer smiled slightly bitterly, but for some reason, Thales always felt that there was something unreadable in his eyes: "Of course you can, then I will..."

The old man didn't say anything else. He bowed apologetically and turned around with his cane.

Walking towards Kevin who was waiting impatiently in the distance.

Thales looked at his back from a distance and suddenly remembered something.

"last question."

Thales' words made Xixer stop.

"Our first lesson, remember?"

Thales rubbed his hands, as if this could drive away the coldness of the night: "The limits of domination."

Xixer paused visibly, then turned completely around to face Thales.

"certainly."

Thales took another look at the desolate scene around him and faced the aging Xixer: "At the end of the day, you told us that in fact, all our speculations and conclusions in class that day were wrong."

The prince took a deep breath, took a few steps forward, and looked seriously into Xixer's eyes: "I originally thought you were going to tell us that history can be interpreted in many ways...but..."

"In the second class, although we have done a lot of homework, I can feel that you are not satisfied with our dá àn."

Xixer looked at him silently and said nothing.

Thales raised his eyebrows at him: "Why?"

"What is the meaning of dá àn in your mind?"

The carriage in the distance and the horse pulling it neighed in boredom.

Under the cover of night, the rickety old man and the boy with his head held high stood in a ruin-like corner, facing each other silently.

The old crow smiled.

"You know, I originally planned to talk about this a long time later, or when I finish school and suspend classes. I even didn't care about anything and let you realize it on your own..."

The old man's words were slightly stagnant: "But given your current situation..."

Thales still stared at him keenly.

"Okay," Xixer smiled helplessly like a grandfather who couldn't bear the annoyance of his children: "Why, why were all our discussions that day wrong..."

"Because times have changed."

Thales frowned.

Hixer closed his hands on the crutches again, tried his best to straighten his stooped back, and coughed lightly.

The old man suddenly became serious: "Let me clarify first, Thales, what we were doing at that time was the following: analyzing and discussing past events more than ten years ago, inferring the development and direction of people and things at that time, and trying to do our best to

Draw conclusions that are truly useful and can be used as a reference for us today..."

Thales nodded slightly.

But Xixer's words changed, and his eyes showed a rare sharpness: "But the problem is, time is different."

"time?"

Doubts arose in Thales's mind: "You mean..."

Xixer raised a hand and pressed his question:

"The world, little sir, our world is complex and changeable."

Seemingly to save time, Hixer did not give him another chance to interrupt:

"Time is moving forward, and the times are changing. People may see that in the past thousands of years, the iron hoof of mankind has created a prosperous age without borders, a powerful empire has ended the division of kings, the church of Mingjin has purified people's hearts, and the turbulent waves have set off

The decay of the imperial family has been overthrown, the division of the church has re-created the gods, and the final battle closest to us has determined the overall situation today."

Xixer's eyes changed: "But many people also ignore: Thousands of years ago, merchants on the earth were just accustomed to bartering, and farmers could only rely on iron and fire to collect crops, and people even

We still don’t know how to tame messenger crows, and communication between city-states can only rely on messengers. The courts of many kingdoms even look like gatherings of barbarians today.”

"Hundreds of years ago, eternal oil and lithium crystals were hidden deep under the sea and underground, and magic guns had not yet appeared in this world. The teachings of Mingshen spread across the continent and were unquestionable. Our voyage ships could only pray for smooth weather and hope for the faith.

The wind takes them far away..."

Thales lowered his head and silently thought about the historical process of this world.

Xixer tapped the cane gently, slightly lost in thought.

"But that's not all. Every year, every month, every day, every minute, every second, every part of the world is changing, not just the politics of the lords, not just the politics of the merchants.

Coins are not just the grain produced by farmers. Some changes are so small that they cannot be detected or even recognized. Some changes are connected to changes in other things and bring about changes in the final result."

Xixer spoke seriously and his eyes were serious. Even Thales unknowingly straightened up in the cold wind:

"But it is these trivial changes that are crucial as history progresses, making it difficult for those of us who try to summarize patterns, learn from experience, discover the truth, and deduce cause and effect."

"When many people talk about history, draw lessons from history, and compare history, they tend to ignore these changes unconsciously. Even if it only lasts for eighteen years, only after experiencing failure can they have enough energy to look back and look for the existence of these changes: Science
To be continued...