The Fall of The King

To the north of the plateau, in a remote corner over a hundred li from the frontline command headquarters of the Perimeter Xilang Peak battlefield, Han Qingyu and the other three waited for a while in the designated area. Following the heavy intervention of elite squads, the mop-up operation in the northern area of Xilang Peak had concluded over the past two days, and the main force was currently sweeping south. It was a little past five in the morning, and the sky had just begun to grow faintly light. Only one person came to see them off: Lao Jian. Aside from him, not even Regiment Commander Li Wangqiang of Regiment 425 would know about this. Of course, Rusty Sister's grandfather was within the circle of those permitted to know. "Captain Lao." Seeing him approach from the distance, the four of them greeted him one after another. "Hey, hey," Lao Jian answered warmly with a chuckle. Han Qingyu thought for a moment, and once the man stepped up to them, he said somewhat apologetically, "We..." "As long as you're all right, that's what matters. What's two or three years? It just so happens that those of us left behind will shoulder the burden once we head back, so we can grow a bit faster." In truth, because he hadn't known the details before, Lao Jian and the entire Squad 1777 had been worried sick during the two days the four had been detained... Blisters covered his lips right now, yet he said with a grin: "In the past, I always felt like you barely cared about anything. Who knew that once you did start to care, you'd pull off something this huge... As expected, I didn't misjudge you. A bandit is a bandit. "Oh, right. The recruit graduation this year was delayed because of the two consecutive battles here at Xilang Peak. After I head back, I'll have to return to corps headquarters to recruit new blood. The regimental commander even asked if you'd be going with me..." Captain Lao had brought the metal blocks and source energy blocks promised by Chen Buer, along with the rest of their combat uniforms, and had also tracked down several changes of everyday clothes. Speaking calmly, he handed over the clothing, food, and the four's weapons. "One of your blades was broken, so you only have this one and the column sword left. They said they'll give you a new one in two months. By then, He Tangtang's injuries should be completely healed, and he and Yang Qingbai will come find you along with people from higher up. They said they'll give you a car and a helicopter. There might be other things too, but they didn't tell me," Lao Jian said to Han Qingyu as he handed over the blade. Han Qingyu took the blade and nodded. "Understood." "And then there's this." Lao Jian set down an armful of items onto the ground and squatted down to peel back the canvas wrapped around them, revealing two brand-new, long wooden cases, one large and one small. "Knowing you lost your old ones and having nothing to do these past two days, I threw together a couple for you." With nowhere to paint them, the newly crafted wooden cases remained raw wood. Lao Jian squatted on the ground and opened the cases. Inside lay two blue starlight column swords, one large and one small... Looking up, he said, "Strap them on. It's about time to leave. The plateau locals rescued this time will pass by shortly. Higher-ups arranged for you to travel with them to conceal your trail. Along the way, you can help escort them back before heading off on your own." "All right." Wen Jifei paused suddenly and said, "Wait, Captain Lao, are they just releasing them back like that? Don't they need to keep things confidential?!" "They do, but supposedly there's always been a living base over there. They won't be locked up; a widely revered leader leads them to live their normal lives." Empty-handed, Lao Jian stood there, watching Han Qingyu and Rusty Sister strap the wooden cases onto their backs. Soon, all four had their gear and weapons fully equipped. He seemed to want to say something more, but after thinking it over, he didn't know what to say. Captain Lao waved his hand and said, "Go on, wait up ahead. Get going." "Yeah." The four turned around. A pang of sorrow struck Lao Jian's heart. With soft footsteps, Wen Jifei turned back. "Captain Lao." "What is it? Go ahead," Lao Jian quickly said. "Let me give you a hug." Smiling, Wen Jifei stepped forward without waiting for an answer, hugged Lao Jian tightly, and whispered into his ear, "Captain Lao, when you go back this time, win over Shang Nianhua." "Huh? Wh-what nonsense are you talking about?! You're still fooling around at a time like this?" Lao Jian was caught off guard and a little embarrassed. "I'm not joking. I've already laid the groundwork for you over there. Win her over, make her our squad's sister-in-law, and get her released. The four of us plan to use her connection and Zhu Jiaming to take our next step. Otherwise, things will be really tough for us—we won't even have a foothold." Finished speaking, Wen Jifei let go, turned, and walked away, giving Lao Jian no chance to hesitate or refuse. This way, if Lao Jian didn't win Shang Nianhua over, it was as if he would be at fault. "I want a hug too," Rusty Sister said. Clang-clatter-thud, her iron armor hopped over, and spreading her arms, she hugged Lao Jian tightly. With an armful of sheet metal, Lao Jian smiled wryly while his eyes reddened slightly. He raised a hand and gently patted the shoulder of the armor. "You have to stay safe out there. You're the one I worry about most." "Mm." Rusty Sister was a girl after all; her voice choked up slightly as she said, "I'll miss everyone so much. They don't know we're still alive, they... Captain Lao, try to act a bit more relaxed. Even if it makes them suspicious, at least it'll keep everyone from being too heartbroken." "All right," Lao Jian nodded, his own voice growing choked. Then Wu Xu stepped forward. He started to make the gesture for a hug, but in the end he couldn't bring himself to do it; his hands hung in the air, so he patted Lao Jian's shoulder instead. "Captain Lao, we're leaving. We'll come back in the future." "All right." Lao Jian's gaze unconsciously turned toward Han Qingyu. Only he was left... This kid had resented him for a long time, and he knew it. "Well then, sorry to trouble you for the next three years, Captain Lao." Han Qingyu stepped forward, his movements somewhat stiff, and gave Captain Lao a hug as well. In a low, resolute voice, he said, "Three years at most, two at least—I will definitely return. What belongs to me and to our 1777, I will take back... including Alphonse's life." Lao Jian struggled to steady his emotions, but rather than dissuading him, he said, "I know." Han Qingyu, on the other hand, offered a word of advice: "Remember not to push yourself too hard in the future. Don't die." Having said that, he let go, turned, and walked straight into the distance to wait up ahead for the convoy of plateau locals. The silhouettes of the four gradually vanished into the hazy mist. Lao Jian watched for a while until they were no longer visible, let out a deep breath, and turned around. Starting today, he would guard 1777 and wait for their return. ... Major The Qing had broken out of prison. After being interrogated last night, perhaps out of sheer disappointment, grievance, and rage, the four had ultimately chosen to stage a jailbreak. They were spotted along the outer perimeter of the camp tents, where others fought desperately to stop them. They had held back, but even with several elite squads joining forces, they still couldn't hold them back. The fugitives fled to the edge of a cliff, on the verge of escaping. Fortunately, General Jiang Longchi, a super combat power of the Huaxia Front, arrived in the nick of time and intervened. "All five leapt from the cliff, fighting fiercely all the way. Because their strength drew too close, General Jiang could not hold back... and by a fatal misjudgment of force, he struck all four dead on the spot." A squad leader who had taken part in the battle last night finished his report. In the room, Howard, Arthur, and Jackson slowly turned their heads, casting cautious glances toward Chen Buer and the old chief of staff sitting to the side. "I wonder where General Jiang..." "We're looking for him too." The old chief of staff's tone was layered with complex emotion, yet one could clearly feel the old man's grief and forbearance. "Makes sense," Jackson nodded. The Azure brass were well aware of General Jiang Longchi's forgetfulness. Two years ago, during an Alliance Super Martial Force conference, he had stepped out to use the restroom... and then forgot to return. When Azure finally got wind of him, half a year had already passed. "Actually, finding him wouldn't help anyway. If we didn't tell him, he probably wouldn't even know this happened." Liu Yiwu knitted his brows, his eyes brimming with anguish. Seeing this, Jackson and the other two looked over at Chen Buer; the old man kept his head bowed without uttering a word... The three dared speak even less, no matter the myriad questions churning within them. "Indeed. The gravest issue now is no longer this. Rather, Major The Qing of the Huaxia Front's Sole Witness Legion, the star of Xilang Peak, The King... has fallen. "He did not die at the hands of a Red Shoulder, but under the unresolved frame-up, conspiracies, and one-sided interrogative coercion of his own people." ... The news was temporarily suppressed from the outside world. Yet at least here at the Xilang Peak command post, it could no longer be concealed. War correspondents Ashleia and Ian were also here. They had arrived filled with great anticipation, only to find... Tears streamed down Ashleia's face, splashing onto the tabletop. On the table lay a photograph, one she had risked her life deep on the battlefield to take with her own hands. In the photograph, Major The Qing stood alone, covered in wounds upon a snowy precipice; amidst the wind and snow, Azure's banner fluttered over his shoulder.