So Cheerfully, Yet So Sorrowfully

For a critical top-tier incident that had embroiled Azure for days, the final decision took less than five minutes. Throughout the entire decision-making process, Chen Buer was daring enough to propose it, and Han Qingyu was daring enough to accept it. Just like that, the matter was settled cheerfully. With official business concluded, they worked through some details of the prison break and short-term arrangements for the aftermath. Once they were finished, Wen Jifei brewed a fresh cup of tea for the chief of staff, pulled up a stool beside him, and said in a teasing tone, "To be honest, when the legion commander started off earlier by saying he'd 'stake the honor of the Huaxia Front,' I thought he was planning to march this entire force straight over and flatten the Alphonse family." The old chief of staff looked up at him and burst into laughter. "Smash first and talk later, is that it? From the perspective of this incident alone, that wouldn't necessarily be out of the question. But looking at the big picture, if we ever did that even once, the various fronts of Azure would very likely lose all sense of trust and security in one another. The fallout would be catastrophic for Azure and for humanity as a whole. So no matter how badly Old Chen wants to take action, his position means he must have evidence first." Wen Jifei nodded as he listened, a thoughtful look in his eyes. "If he were still the roughneck herding sheep on the grasslands back then, there would be no need for words. He'd put on a mask and take you boys to take care of business himself," the old chief of staff added. "Makes sense." Wen Jifei asked curiously, "Can the legion commander definitely take Alphonse down, though? That old dog hasn't made a serious move in decades, and on top of that, he's very likely been absorbing life source energy all this time..." "Under this dome, there is nothing Chen Buer cannot cut down." The old chief of staff said this with utter calm, making no mention of whether the legendary "Final Slash" actually existed. After a moment, he shifted his tone and returned to the earlier topic. "I know you feel wronged this time. Azure has its flaws; of course we know that. But I have always believed that a perfect organization cannot exist in the human world. Looked at from another angle, we still have to recognize that the present state of human resistance exists precisely because Azure built it. Humanity's future must depend on Azure as well..." The two of them were discussing grand, lofty principles. On the other side of the tent, Han Qingyu grabbed hold of Chen Buer. "Legion Commander, now that we've decided to break out, I just thought of a very urgent problem." "Speak your mind," Chen Buer said, patting his chest. "In the days ahead, we'll only be able to rely on ourselves, right?" Han Qingyu watched Chen Buer's expression closely. "Things will be very tough for us..." Chen Buer nodded in agreement. "Give us some supplies for the run, then," Han Qingyu said. "..." "Not too much. Fifty metal blocks and five hundred source energy blocks will do. Or all in metal blocks—metal blocks are easier to carry, and I know there are places in the outside world that can refine them." Chen Buer stared at him, frozen stiff for about five seconds. Finally, he pulled Han Qingyu to sit down, leaned in close, and said earnestly, "Why don't we go back to discussing marching the troops over to chop Alphonse to death?" Han Qingyu thought it over. "That works too. His family definitely has plenty of metal blocks and source energy blocks anyway." "Get lost!" Chen Buer cursed, then paused, pondered for a moment, and muttered, "Actually, they really should have quite a lot, shouldn't they?!" "Of course they do!" Han Qingyu grew excited. "Aiya!" Chen Buer smacked his lips and turned his head. "Old Xu, Old Xu, what if we change our minds and just march the troops over to trample the Alphonse family?!" This was the first time Han Qingyu and the others had ever heard the old chief of staff's surname. It seemed that contrary to outside rumors, he did have a name after all. Old Chief of Staff Xu glanced at Chen Buer, rolled his eyes without a word, and turned back to Wen Jifei. "You see? How dangerous and fragile Azure is right now?" At that moment, Wen Jifei understood. From explaining why Chen Buer's position required evidence before taking action, to what he could have done back when he herded sheep, to this final remark—from start to finish, the old chief of staff had been hinting at one single thing: *Once you get out, run as wild as you please.* That was likely the real reason he had ultimately agreed to Chen Buer's terrible idea. It wasn't that he truly had no other options. Rather, considering the circumstances of Azure and the four young people themselves, he had decided to release them for two to three years, allowing them to grow far more freely outside Azure's system. In the end, Han Qingyu managed to squeeze out only ten metal blocks and a hundred source energy blocks. The supplies would be delivered alongside their weapons and gear after they escaped. Adding in their own reserves, they would have roughly thirty metal blocks and over six hundred source energy blocks on hand. It looked like a vast fortune, enough to sustain an entire regiment for a period of time. However, Han Qingyu, Wu Xu, and Rusty Sister all had massive daily consumption rates, and Han Qingyu's combat consumption was even greater. In truth, it was still critically insufficient. "That's it, truly all gone! I've given you my coffin fund! Go on, get out of here, dawn is almost breaking, and you have a prison break to stage! Scram!" With great effort, Chen Buer finally chased them out of the tent. It was approximately 4:40 a.m. on September 15, 1991. The night remained pitch-black, and today would most likely be overcast. The old man's gaunt silhouette stood at the tent entrance, quietly watching the backs of the four youths disappear around the corner of the camp. The old chief of staff stepped up beside him. After watching for a while, he said, "What, having second thoughts? Once they're out, we truly won't be able to rein them in. If you regret it, we can change our minds right now, and I'll find another way to resolve this." Though others might not know it, the old chief of staff knew full well: to a certain extent, Chen Buer had already come to view Han Qingyu as his most likely successor. A Grade A source energy fusion degree paired with an Ultra Grade S source energy perception was an unprecedented combination in history. Han Qingyu's potential was something that a mere Grade A could never define. The old man had noticed this long ago, which was why he had sealed Han Qingyu's test results from the outside world, placed him in the Sub-Sequence, and waited, watching him closely. Han Qingyu's subsequent growth and performance had proven that the old man had not misjudged him. Now, they had decided to let him go. Once gone, he might never return... "Second thoughts? Like hell I am!" Chen Buer paused, then said, "Azure doesn't need another Chen Buer." "True enough." Showing no tact whatsoever, the old chief of staff nodded, his gaze sweeping into the night. "Then aren't you worried he might become the next Ye Jian?" Chen Buer shook his head immediately. "I'm not worried about that at all. He never will." Seeing him so certain, the old chief of staff asked with curiosity, "Why?" "Because he never thinks about humanity." Chen Buer smiled like an old peasant. "He only thinks about living, surviving, and going home." *** Meanwhile, the four had returned to their "cell." "By the way, Qingzi, why did you agree to the legion commander's terrible idea so readily?" Wen Jifei asked as he packed his things. "This way, you can't even go straight home—at best, you can only sneak back for a quick look." "Because it just so happens that I need to look for bone sources," Han Qingyu said, stowing away the counted metal blocks. It was the first time he had ever used the term "bone source." The other three in the tent looked over in confusion. "The three Bones of Eternal Life from last time," Han Qingyu reminded them. "I consumed them... fused with them. Without that, I couldn't possibly have survived against Sean." There were more than three Bones of Eternal Life—perhaps far more than the seven Shang Nianhua had mentioned. Han Qingyu was now entirely certain that the greatest, most direct enhancement he could achieve in the foreseeable future lay in acquiring more Bones of Eternal Life. "No wonder. I knew there had to be something particularly enticing, or you wouldn't have been so eager." Wen Jifei smiled, and Wu Xu and Rusty Sister smiled along with him. As they finished packing, they began comparing notes about their interrogations. Han Qingyu's performance came as no surprise to Wen Jifei, nor did Wen Jifei's surprise the other three. But Wu Xu's attempt at lying had the rest of them rolling with laughter. "What about you, Rusty Sister? What did you say?" Wen Jifei pressed. Shen Yixiu hadn't made a peep since the topic started. In truth, he could roughly guess how it went. She was just a young girl after all, and fiercely protective of Han Qingyu; she had almost certainly made a fool of herself. "I... I didn't say anything." Rusty Sister stole a glance at Han Qingyu, then quickly turned away, hesitating for a moment before adding, "Oh, right, the legion commander said we'd be shot dead in this prison break. When we get out, won't we need new identities to operate under? Especially Qingzi..." Han Qingyu glared at her fiercely. "I planned ahead with divine foresight! I already laid the groundwork for you!" Rusty Sister backed away as she timidly confessed the existence of Han Qingyu's twin brother, Han Qingwa. Then, feigning composure, she said, "You can pretend to be him from now on! See? Isn't that great?" Beside them, Wu Xu began chuckling uncontrollably. "Hahahahaha!" Wen Jifei clutched his stomach. "Oh, stop, my stomach hurts! Rusty Sister, you're vicious! Han Qingwa is way too much! If you ask me, he should be called Han Qing... Han Qingting!" Han Qingyu: "..." *Clang! Clatter, thud!* The iron armor was knocked over, seized by the leg, swung into the air, and slammed into the ground. Immediately after, an intense commotion erupted outside the tent. "Not good! The King has broken out! Major Qing has escaped!" "Quick, stop him!" The fierce clash of dead iron rang out. "Careful! Thank goodness they're holding back..." "Yeah, but we can't hold them off like this!" "General Jiang! General Jiang is here..." "General Jiang! Don't! General Jiang!" "..." Wu Xu swung his pack onto his back. Wen Jifei walked over and bumped the back of his hand against Han Qingyu. "All right, Qingting... they're calling for us outside. Let's go, Rusty Sister." Shouldering their gear, the four slashed open the side of the tent, ducked through the slit, and plunged into the night. Just like that, they broke out of prison.