When Zhe Qiuhong returned from Milla's side, Tu Zi had already left with the people from the Huaxia Front.
"How is Milla's hand?" Han Qingyu asked upon seeing her.
"...Not bad. It's stable for now. We'll do further treatment once we're back on the ship." Zhe Qiuhong did not mention the reconstructive surgery on the spot, afraid it would worry Han Qingyu, and the matter itself was not urgent right now.
If they were truly to perform that surgery, both she and Milla would need to do plenty of preparation, and it seemed they would need Han Qingyu's consent.
"Mm, that's good." Unaware of the true situation, Han Qingyu nodded, then asked, "What about the old man's body? How is his condition?"
He was asking about Chen Buer. Zhe Qiuhong turned her head and parted her lips... but said nothing.
The gazes of everyone in the tent suddenly turned eager as they looked at her—even though not long ago, they had been discussing teaming up to try hacking the old man down.
"The Legate refused to undergo any further examination, saying it was unnecessary. So my assessment is largely based on deduction."
Zhe Qiuhong laid the groundwork first.
Matters that required such groundwork were generally never good news.
"Speak," Wen Jifei said in a deep voice.
"First, my initial assessment: the Legate is very likely not a Yanxiu... His existence is probably another special case entirely," Zhe Qiuhong said.
Clatter! Before she even finished speaking, He Tangtang shot to his feet.
Because this assessment was truly astonishing.
They had already witnessed the might of Yanxiu through Han Qingyu and Wu Xu, and had internally assumed that the various formidable figures standing at the pinnacle of this world were all related to Yanxiu—such as Shu You, Ivan, and even Alphonse.
If that existence who had been invincible in the mortal realm for over thirty years wasn't a Yanxiu...
How could one even describe him?
He Tangtang broke out in goosebumps.
"Don't get agitated yet. I'm not actually certain about this point. I say this based on my second assessment," Zhe Qiuhong explained, pausing... before asking, "You know that when the body of a super combat power is on the verge of death, they can use life source energy to temporarily lock in their vital force, right? You all know that, don't you?"
The few people in the tent nodded. Of course they knew; they had killed supers before.
Zhe Qiuhong gathered her thoughts, as though the words that followed were difficult to utter... She said, "Following this logic, I suspect that the Legate is actually already dead."
"He died at least ten years ago."
Perhaps because it touched upon her professional domain, her tone inexplicably turned cold and detached again.
Crash! The wooden plank Wen Jifei was using as a bench gave way under him. He fell backward onto the ground, looking up, in no hurry to get back up.
Ten years! At least ten years ago, Chen Buer was already dead?
So he had used life source energy to lock in his vitality for over a decade?!
One had to know that from what they currently knew, that trick could last at most a few hours.
Over a decade! There was actually someone in this world—that guy named Chen Buer—who had locked in his vitality with life source energy, living, fighting, and supporting this world like a normal person... for over ten years.
The tent fell numb.
A faint sorrow lingered in the air.
"Th-this is too exaggerated, isn't it? Who knows, maybe one day he'll just..." murmured the Little Prince standing to the side.
The iron armor whirled toward him with a clatter, glaring at him.
The entire circle of eyes shifted to him, their gazes filled with immense fury.
Zhu Jiaming quickly realized his mistake. With an apologetic look, he awkwardly lowered his head and kept silent.
"Probably not," Zhe Qiuhong said, answering the Little Prince's question. Having answered, her eyes shifted, and she continued, "The actual situation might not be as bad as you imagine. According to my deduction, the Legate very likely carved out another path because of this... Only this can explain why he clearly doesn't seem to be an inheritor of Yanxiu, yet is powerful to such an extent."
Zhe Qiuhong's gaze drifted past the shocked iron armor.
"In short, it's an entirely different situation. He is alive. On the way back, I thought about it—the Legate's life and death is no longer defined in the same way as the rest of us."
She continued, "He stands independent of this world. To him, that is simply normal living. Until one day, his life source energy is exhausted..."
Zhe Qiuhong finished.
This seemed to explain the legend—the one about how Chen Buer had one strike left that could tear through the firmament, slaying anyone under heaven he wished... and after that strike, he too would die.
That strike would likely be a complete burning away. Han Qingyu felt fortunate that he had fought in the old man's stead today; that way, the old man could live a little longer.
Of course, none of this had conclusive evidence. Whether they believed it or doubted it, there was nothing they could do.
***
Late April 1994. The rebellion of the Xiongzhanli Splinter Faction within the Azure Coalition had been suppressed, and without widespread fratricide—a cause for celebration.
Butcher Ivan was nowhere to be found.
The Huaxia Front had already returned home.
And Major Qing and his Stream Vanguard once again vanished into the boundless sea.
Over the next two to three days, these reports spread rapidly across the source energy world—Azure, the City of Iniquity, Snow Lotus...
Many were heartened and cheered. Major Qing, whose return had been long-awaited, had finally appeared. In the battle of Xiongzhanli, he had suffered a narrow defeat, but had severely wounded Butcher Ivan, ranked fifth on the Dome Leaderboard.
The manner of his return was even more formidable than anything those who had missed him over the past two years had imagined.
"I think it's time the Coalition returned the Star of Azure they owe him. They should have given it to him three years ago. Three years later, he appeared and helped quell the rebellion in Xiongzhanli."
"Yes, I think so too. But he said he won't come back."
"Then the Coalition ought to feel ashamed. Toward Major Qing and toward the world, they should start repenting and weeping right now."
"Exactly. They messed everything up."
"Because of their stupidity, we might very well lose the next being invincible under heaven."
On the other side of the excitement and fervent debate, the Coalition had still not released any official information regarding Han Qingyu and his comrades.
Azure, Coalition Headquarters. An emergency extraordinary meeting of the Council.
The representatives of France and Huaxia had both been excluded.
"The reports from the Xiongzhanli battlefield are accurate. Just as before, Major Han Qingyu has a formidable force, and is resolute about seeking revenge against Mr. Alphonse. Furthermore, everyone must understand one thing: right now, he is very likely capable of doing so. What I mean is, if we truly do nothing, he and his army might soon appear at the Third Fixed Exploration Site, and he might kill the first-generation Starlight," a councilor said.
"So what you mean is that we should stop him?" Another councilor stood up, paused, and asked, "Then will you go?"
"I..." The former stammered. "I believe what we are discussing now is rules and jurisprudence."
"Since you want to talk about rules and jurisprudence, I'd very much like to know what the investigative committee has been doing all these years! Just when will you be able to produce a definitive, credible report to either give Major Qing an explanation or clear General Alphonse's name?" yet another councilor stood up, saying emotionally, "If you cannot, you have no standing to demand that the wronged party keep waiting... after he struggled to survive and finally grew powerful."
"So are you promoting such actions now? Promoting internal blood vendettas?" a councilor slammed the table and questioned.
"No, of course this cannot be promoted! So during the more than two years he was being hunted down, you tacitly condoned that behavior!" a fifth person stood up, impassioned and furious.
"Don't forget that he just fought until he was grievously wounded for us at Xiongzhanli!"
"Yes! And as early as three years ago, he fought to the brink of death for humanity more than once!"
The fierce debate raged for over an hour.
Knock, knock!
The sound of knocking came from the back of the hall.
People looked back.
A general of the French Front, who was also their councilor stationed at headquarters, stood there.
"Pardon the interruption; I am not attempting to come in," he said. "However, I would like to offer a reminder. Please make no mistake, gentlemen: the current situation is that someone who is no longer part of Azure is threatening to kill our first-generation Starlight."
Chapter 549