Setting Sail

"Well? Didn't expect it would be this fast, did you?" Carrying Yuan Xiaoxin, who had already grown quite familiar with everyone, He Tangtang stepped aside to let a hurried pedestrian pass, then turned with a smile to Yuan Youque. He was currently escorting the grandfather and granddaughter back to pack their bags. Yuan Youque nodded, then turned his head slightly. He had thought it would still take a very long time, and that in the end, only his granddaughter would be able to go, while he would be buried right here. *Maybe I can be buried in Huaxia after all,* the old man thought to himself. For someone of his generation, that truly meant the world. "Wow, there are so many people on the street today!" Yuan Xiaoxin said, looking left and right, completely unaware of how monumental this whole matter was. Throughout the entire day—from morning to afternoon, and now into dusk—the whole city had remained bustling. Every street was packed with people hurrying along or gathered in animated discussion along the roadsides. Major Qing was leaving. And he was taking ten thousand people with him. This was an unprecedented event in the history of the City of Iniquity. For a city of sin belonging to exiles, this was the first time they could leave so freely, in broad daylight—or for some, return home. Thus, this commotion would likely continue all through the night and into tomorrow evening, right until the departing fleet cast off. *** As the sun dipped below the horizon, inside the headquarters of the Mingyue faction in the 21st District. Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet sat quietly on the sofa, a conflicted expression on her face. The message she had been waiting for since months ago had never arrived. Then this morning, after returning from outside the city, she had been waiting in this very room... Moving from the balcony to the window, and finally to the couch. "Looks like he really isn't coming," Luna muttered in annoyance. Even if he had thought it over and decided to decline, he should have at least come to say something—he was about to leave! This was Mingyue's first time opening her heart, after all... In short, that guy was simply too much. "Nonsense. They haven't left yet, have they? They aren't leaving until tomorrow," Chunying said as she stood up. "Should I go check the window again?" Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet reached out and caught her arm. Chunying turned back, about to speak. "Don't go! It was just a momentary impulse. I don't care anymore anyway. Since he doesn't feel the need to say anything to me, there's no need," Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet said after a pause. "Besides, they're already about to leave..." "What if he asks you to go with him?" Chunying suddenly asked. Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet froze for a few seconds. "I won't. Of course I won't go. If I leave, what will happen to all of you?" "We could just come along with you." "Nonsense! Then what about the rest of our people? Even if faction wars are unlikely to break out in the City of Iniquity given the current situation, the scramble for source energy will definitely continue, and outside forces might very well meddle..." Even as she was speaking— *Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud...* A frantic burst of footsteps sounded from the stairs outside. "Lady Mingyue, Lady Mingyue!" The subordinate delivering the report was naturally a close confidante, calling out from afar. Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet tensed up. "Could it be Lieutenant Wu Xu?" Chunying asked. "It won't be," Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet said. Just then, the door was shoved open. "Lieutenant Wu Xu is here! He's downstairs, saying he wants to see you!" the reporter said excitedly. Luna and Chunying exchanged glances. "...Mm," Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet said, getting to her feet. *Whoosh!* She was at the door in an instant. She halted awkwardly and said, "Don't you dare laugh." Then, she forced herself to slow down. Chunying and Luna waited until the sound of her footsteps reached the ground floor before jumping up in excitement, dashing over to the window, and leaning out to look below. "Where is he? Where?" "Over there." Down below, in the dimming twilight, Lieutenant Wu Xu stood beneath a large tree in front of the headquarters, clad in black with a black spear and heavy sword strapped to his back. "So handsome." "Mm, and so strong too." "Too bad I hear he's a complete block of wood." "Is he, though? He still knew to come looking for Mingyue. So Mingyue is pretty amazing after all..." "So, should we start packing her bags?" The two had barely finished muttering when Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet's figure appeared below. Even from several stories up, both girls held their breath. They strained their ears to listen. Downstairs, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet spotted Wu Xu at a single glance. She subtly adjusted her stride; she had nearly walked with the same arm and leg swinging together just now. Lieutenant Wu Xu saw her too and took a few steps forward to meet her. "H-Hello," Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet said, stopping about seven or eight paces away. "Mm." Wu Xu made an effort before saying, "I'm leaving." Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet replied, "I know." Then she looked at him, waiting. "So, what you asked me to think about last time... I think we should just forget it," Wu Xu said. *Forget it? Just like that, forget it?* Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet tilted her head away, falling silent for a moment. "All right. Then I wish Lieutenant Wu Xu smooth sailing." "Thank you." Wu Xu turned around. Hearing his departing footsteps, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet gritted her teeth, turned around as well, and walked toward the building. "Hey, Lady Mingyue," a voice called from behind. "What is it? Say it!" Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet whirled back around. At this moment, if Wu Xu were to ask, "Do you want to come along?"... As long as he spoke the words, she would immediately pack her bags, even if she truly shouldn't leave. Instead, Wu Xu asked, "Which way do I take to get back?" Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet stood dumbfounded, then said aggrievedly, "You... you managed to find your way here..." "Someone else brought me. They had business, so they left early," Wu Xu explained earnestly. "Oh." *Why does he have to explain so earnestly?!* After grunting a reply, Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet thought it over, then suddenly stiffened her neck. "Why should I tell you?!" With that, the girl stormed back into the building and headed upstairs. *Be angry, Mingyue! Be furious!* she told herself. Yet it was so hard. Because right now, all she wanted to do was laugh. *That idiot...* When she returned upstairs, Chunying and Luna were standing at the door, holding her luggage. It had been packed so quickly because Chunying had already finished packing most of it beforehand. "If you really can't bear to let him go, I can go register my name, and then you... you can secretly follow along to see how it goes. If it doesn't work out, you can just come back," Chunying said, standing by the doorway. "Yeah, you aren't Shu You, so it might actually work," Luna chimed in. Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet hesitated for a moment, but ultimately shook her head. She walked between the two of them. "From now on, whenever there's any news about him, make sure to report it to me immediately." *** The following afternoon, by the sea, the setting sun cast its glow across the waters. Nearly twenty large ships were anchored across the surface of the sea, near and far. The gangplanks had already been set up. A formation of ten thousand people stood lined up on the sandy beach, waiting to board. A bit farther off stood a crowd of well-wishers and onlookers. There were no hunting squads on the beach today; or if there were, they were huddled trembling in some far-off corner. Boss Dao and Pang Jinghe sat behind a sand dune, lighting each other's cigarettes, keeping their heads down. During this time, Shu You's people had come by once, delivering promised relief supplies onto the ships. "Prepare to board." With everything in order, Wen Jifei raised his hand from a high vantage point. Just as his words fell— *Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...* A fierce burst of source energy erupted, echoing along the flank of the beach. A commotion rippled through the crowd; both the ten-thousand-strong formation and the onlookers were caught off guard. "Who's that?!" "Look at their uniforms... the Azure Alliance." Amid low murmurs all around, a squad of a dozen or so Azure Alliance personnel appeared in sight. They came to a halt and glanced around. "Where is Major Qing?" asked the white colonel leading the squad. The gazes of the entire crowd collectively turned toward Han Qingyu. At that moment, he was standing at the bow of the ship closest to the shore. Following those gazes, the white colonel spotted Han Qingyu. "Major Qing," he called out. Han Qingyu said nothing. "I'm sorry, but you cannot leave. No—you may leave, but you cannot take these people with you." The colonel gestured with his eyes toward the ten-thousand-strong formation on the beach, continuing, "Many of them are criminals. Among them, there are very likely members of Snow Lotus, Pure Purgatory, and other organizations... This will create enormous problems." Following his declaration, the ten-thousand-strong formation, which had just been boiling with excitement, began to fall silent. The Azure Alliance was intervening directly... They felt stifled and indignant, but even more so, deeply anxious. Until— "Board the ships!" Han Qingyu shouted from the distance. The crowd looked up, just about to move. The white colonel sprinted over, attempting to obstruct them. From the sea—*whoosh!* A massive column sword radiating blue light and starlight came flying through the air, plunging into the ground right before him and standing upright. The colonel halted, staring at the column sword, hesitation flickering in his eyes. "Board the ships!" Wen Jifei shouted. *Swish!* The white colonel pulled a sheet of paper from his pocket and unfurled it toward Han Qingyu from afar. "This is an urgent dispatch from the Alliance... Azure does not approve of what you are doing! The Alliance will never permit you to take so many people away from the City of Iniquity!" His tone was unyielding. The crowd froze once more. It was an order from the Azure Alliance Council. Although Major Qing had stated he did not intend to return to Azure, in this world, even enemies might have to consider the Azure Alliance's reaction... Tens of thousands of gazes, near and far, landed upon Han Qingyu. His head was lowered, as if he were deliberating in hesitation. *The pressure really is too immense...* people thought. Under their watchful eyes, Major Qing slowly raised his head. He had made his decision. "However, I never agreed to or permitted the Azure Alliance to issue orders to me ever again either," he said slowly. His tone was not fiery, yet it was inexplicably resolute and unshakeable. The white colonel stood dumbfounded. "Do not cross that sword. I don't know you," Han Qingyu added. The colonel gritted his teeth once, twice... but in the end, he did not dare step across that sword. Because the man opposite him was Major The Qing—the man who, two years ago while still top-tier, had avenged his squadmates by single-handedly executing three generations of a first-generation Star of Azure's family... So, do not push him! The scene fell dead silent. After a few seconds of silence, Han Qingyu turned his gaze toward the crowd. "What are you all hesitating for?" He broke into a brilliant smile and declared, "I don't care about your backgrounds, what pasts you carry, or why you were exiled. As long as you board these ships today... you are the same as me. We are called the Stream Vanguard." The crowd froze for an instant. Then, all at once, ten thousand voices roared as one: "*ROAR!*"