An hour ago, the very moment Han Qingyu learned there were so many people outside the jungle, the thought had crossed his mind that there might be emissaries sent by the Azure Alliance to talk him out of it, which had left him somewhat irritated.
Yet now, those people simply stood there, showing none of the reactions he had anticipated at their arrival.
"If they're only onlookers, fine. That's acceptable."
Han Qingyu had no desire to put on a grand spectacle of a fight before the whole world. But beneath the unreasonable thirst for vengeance, the Huaxian trait of wanting peace of mind, of having things done properly and justified by right, was present in him just the same.
Or at least, it surfaced occasionally.
Beyond extinguishing his breath, Alphonse's crimes needed witnesses. Han Qingyu had once promised Shu You that he would let the world know what Azure owed them.
A figure walked toward him.
It was Ashleia.
Standing behind her, Ian watched her back as she strode toward Major Qing, already at a loss for words. His partner was normally a strong, composed woman, but...
You had to understand: three years ago, it was she who had penned that famous article titled *Stars No More*. At the end of the piece, she had written:
["I don't give a damn about any unspeakable truths, right or wrong, rules or choices. I just want to see him again—to see Major The Qing again, and his dead iron war blade destined for invincibility."]
And so, now that she was finally seeing Major Qing again after three years, she was acting completely foolish.
*This is ridiculous. If she bursts into tears on the spot, am I even going to admit I know her?* Ian thought, though he didn't worry too much. Major Qing should recognize Ashleia.
"Welcome back, Major Qing," Ashleia said, doing her best to stay calm. She raised a hand and spoke in English the words she had wanted to say for so long.
"...Thank you, but please stop and stay where you are." Over two years in the City of Iniquity had improved Han Qingyu's English considerably.
As for this reaction...
Ashleia looked innocent for a moment. It wasn't that she insisted on stepping closer, but...
"I'm Ashleia, a war correspondent. Over three years ago, I interviewed you at the summit of Xilang Peak... Well, just one line. You were injured back then, and the lighting wasn't great."
She tried hard to jog Han Qingyu's memory.
Han Qingyu thought back for a moment and nodded.
*He remembers!* In that moment, a glimmer shone in Ashleia's eyes like sparkling stars, and a joyful smile broke across her face.
"But who's to say you haven't turned bad in three years?" Han Qingyu said.
*...Crack!*
No actual sound was made, but Ian was certain he had heard the sound of a heart breaking. That was the lovely Ashleia's heart—shattered to pieces.
The rumors about the "dead iron straight man" paled in comparison to the real thing.
Just then, Han Qingyu tilted his head slightly. His warm gaze cut through the crowd to rest on a figure who had just stood up from the ground.
The entire line of companions was looking at her.
It was a girl with Eurasian features. Clad in combat gear, she was covered in blades of grass, her hair disheveled, and across her back was a war blade quite massive compared to her petite frame.
"It's Yin Caixin, her Chinese name." Ashleia recognized her; they were friends.
The reason Yin Caixin had stayed crouched in the grass hollow over the past few days was her special identity; she risked being recognized by either Alphonse's people or Azure's men.
She had run away from home...
"I've reached top-tier," Yin Caixin said before any of them could speak, gazing at them with tears welling in her eyes, as if terrified she might be rejected.
Over the past three years, countless reports of the deaths of Han Qingyu and the others had circulated throughout the world, and he had even vanished from every leaderboard. For a time, Yin Caixin had believed this vengeance would fall solely upon her shoulders.
So she had trained and fought in live combat like a madwoman, becoming just as greedy for source energy as Han Qingyu...
With a Grade B+ degree of fusion, she had reached top combat power.
The little princess of the Swiss Front Army, who once knew only how to perform the Invincible Wind-Fire Wheels and easily spun herself dizzy, was now a top combat power.
Yin Caixin had come here to go with them and kill Alphonse.
He Tangtang: "..." *Why bring that up? When friends meet, who cares about combat power!*
"Impressive, Caixin. Tangtang hasn't even made top-tier yet," Wen Jifei said with a grin.
He Tangtang: "..."
"Caixin, I missed you!" Rusty Sister called out excitedly as well.
Even so, Yin Caixin still turned an uneasy gaze toward Han Qingyu... Her understanding of him ran far deeper than Ashleia's. After all, she was someone who had confessed her feelings to him and been rejected!
Though she had said bizarre things back then about sacrificing herself to take him as a husband or whatever, it should still count, right?
As a girl, you could never predict what Han Qingyu might do to you—except for anything romantic or tender, which was strictly off the table.
"Come over here, Caixin," Han Qingyu said with a bright smile, waving her forward.
"Mmh." At those words, Yin Caixin lowered her head, wiping away her tears in excitement. Sniffling, she managed a smile and walked toward them.
When she arrived in front of Han Qingyu, he smiled and reached out, ruffling her hair.
Ian: "..."
Ashleia: "..."
She was consumed with envy.
Yet Milla and Rusty Sister standing nearby felt none of that envy, for they knew all too well that this warmth was fleeting. At most it would last a day, and after that day, Caixin would be reduced to the exact same miserable state as them.
"In short, never trust Han Qingyu's tenderness, just as you can never trust snow in summer or the song of cicadas in winter."
Such was their conclusion. After all, not long ago, he had held Milla's hand amidst an army of ten thousand, only for Milla to be sent flying multiple times later just for pestering him.
...
They set out.
"Can Major Qing defeat Alphonse?" As He Tangtang walked past, Ashleia asked hesitantly, worried.
He Tangtang turned to look at her. "One-on-one?"
"Yes!" Ashleia nodded gravely. In truth, many people cared about this. Over the past few days, the hottest topic in the source energy world had been the duel between The King and Alphonse.
Alphonse was ranked fifth on the Dome Leaderboard, but his actual combat power was quite murky; after all, he was at least over a hundred and twenty years old. And The King had only recently suffered a narrow defeat in Xiongzhanli at the hands of Butcher Ivan, who was tied for fifth with Alphonse.
"But we brought so many people, including super and top-tier combat powers. Why would we fight one-on-one? We're going to swarm him together and hack him to death," He Tangtang said as though it were the most natural thing in the world.
...
Night. Nepal, the Third Fixed Exploration Site.
The underground city, which had previously been sealed off, was reopened. This place was like a tomb; the entire Third Fixed Exploration Site was like a massive grave.
Alphonse lay back on a bed-like chair, appearing only about fifty years old, his face sleek and glistening.
Before him, an enormous life source energy refining apparatus was running.
Hundreds of iron-skinned corpses used for source nourishment slowly tumbled in viscous fluid. Pipes connected directly to Alphonse's chest, through which death-laden fluid—blue mingled with pale red—surged frantically into him.
A hurried rush of footsteps sounded. It was Gilles, Alphonse's son.
The ninety-five-year-old Gilles looked under sixty, bearing an uncanny resemblance to Alphonse though appearing slightly older than his father. Following the deaths of Denis, Eric, and Charles, he was the sole direct descendant Alphonse had left.
Boundless evil was hidden within the Alphonse family's unbroken line of single heirs, though none of that concerned Gilles. He halted before the massive bed and said in some panic:
"The exterior defenses have been set, Father. But shouldn't we destroy all of this as quickly as possible? Why did you restart them instead?"
"Because even if we destroy them, other things will betray us. Fleeing is meaningless now, isn't it?" Alphonse opened his eyes, looked at him, and said, "The only thing that matters now is the outcome of that battle."
"So, Father, you're ready to face him in battle?! I know you'll win; you are so powerful."
Though Gilles said this, he appeared somewhat surprised. Over the past few decades, his father had not always possessed such resolve and courage.
"..." Just then, a sound drifted in.
The roaring sound passing through the mountain was distinct in its sheer magnitude, like a raging wind, yet the chants accompanying it were muffled.
"What is that?" Alphonse asked, listening intently.
Gilles activated an apparatus, straining to listen. "It sounds like some slogan... 'Xian... ling... le...' I don't know what that specifically is."
Gilles spoke no Chinese and didn't understand what it meant, but it was abundantly clear that war had arrived. There were no reinforcements, no intervention, and Han Qingyu didn't seem to have the slightest intention of even exchanging preliminary pleasantries.
"Father, you..." Gilles saw Alphonse sit up, looking at him with a paternal gaze he hadn't felt in a very long time.
This made Gilles somewhat uneasy, and he asked, "Father, do you have a plan? Or are you heading out to face him now?"
"No!... Become me, Gilles. Become me, and then die," Alphonse spoke in a gentle, benevolent tone.
Chapter 564