In Fenglong'ao, the village was in chaos. The villagers were terrified and helpless, yet none fled their homes. They had no idea where they could go or how they would survive if they did, so they could only choose to believe that life would eventually improve.
Perhaps things would be turbulent for a few days, but even while gripped by fear, they would still follow the seasons—planting rice seedlings into the soil, drying the harvest, and packing their granaries full.
Han Youshan and Zhang Jiexia searched high and low. As they ran along the mountain ridge shouting, they glanced down at their little shop below, and both froze.
Beside the shop stood a woodpile. The old monk in his monastic robes sat right there, perched on the wooden stump used for chopping firewood.
"Looks like our Master was home the whole time and never went anywhere."
"Yeah, blame us. The moment we panicked, we rushed outside to look without even checking the house first."
The couple and the villagers helping them breathed sighs of relief, caught between tears and laughter as they made their way back to the shop.
"Master, Master, what... what are you doing?" Zhang Jiexia asked from a short distance, speaking as if coaxing a child.
Jiang Longchi turned to look at the Han couple, then at the villagers. He gave a dissatisfied chuckle and said in all earnestness, "Me? I'm chopping firewood! What were you all rushing about for?!"
As he spoke, he looked down at the small axe in his hand.
The axe rose and fell...
The upright log split open effortlessly, like a sheet of paper.
At this moment, Master Longchi had not forgotten once more that he was Azure General Jiang Longchi, one of humanity's peak combat powers.
It was only that moments ago, just as he finally found his small axe, a middle-aged man wearing a source energy apparatus had appeared before him, accompanied by two soldiers clad in familiar combat suits.
The three stood at attention, saluted, and offered a choked greeting: "General Jiang."
Jiang Longchi looked at them and asked, "You know me?"
"...Yes. We were all your soldiers once," the man replied, gesturing to the serial number on his apparatus.
"My soldiers... my soldiers... So, are you here to take me back?" Jiang Longchi asked. "How long have I been here?"
"Over three years... No, we're not here to take you back."
The leading officer's eyes reddened instantly. He paused before continuing:
"A little over two years ago, someone entrusted me with a task. He told me that if the day came when General Jiang put on his apparatus again, I was to ask you whether you still remembered a man named Chen Buer."
"Chen... Chen... Bu... er..." Jiang Longchi thought for a moment, then looked up. His eyes were somewhat cloudy and his voice strained as he said, "I remember him. Is he doing well?"
"The Legion Commander is doing well. He said that if you remembered him, he would be very glad."
"That's good, then."
"Yes. That year, he came to visit you."
"Is... is that so?"
"Yes. The Legion Commander said that if you remembered us on the day you put on the apparatus again, whether you returned or not would be General Jiang's own decision. But if you couldn't even remember us..." Agony seemed to seep into the officer's voice as he said, "Then that would mean even if General Jiang went back, you would be of no use."
"Me? I'm no use?" In the memories Jiang Longchi had just recovered, he was immensely powerful. Given the state of the world right now, they should need him desperately.
Yet the officer said resolutely, "Yes. Azure Huaxia has no need for you anymore."
Jiang Longchi looked at him, stared at him, and the hand gripping the small axe trembled faintly. "...Oh. I see."
"Then that is all. The Legion Commander said that if it turned out this way, please remain here, General Jiang, and live out your days."
Finishing his words, the officer saluted once more, turned around, and let his tears fall.
Gritting his teeth, he led the two equally weeping soldiers away from the shop.
For three years, they had guarded this place day after day. With their own eyes, they had watched the commander they once most loved and revered—Azure's peak super, one of humanity's top ten, General Jiang Longchi—gradually become like an innocent child in the twilight of his glorious, battle-hardened life.
For instance, there was a time when the couple had tried to help him quit drinking.
The old man had thrown tantrums, crying and clamoring for wine, only to be tricked with children's milk. He had slurped down the little white bottle before grumbling that it wasn't what he wanted.
Heartbroken by the sight, the soldiers had shed tears; yet they had also laughed warmly many times over his new life, his muddled foolishness, and his endearing antics.
And today, just now...
On the day General Jiang finally put on his apparatus again and took up his weapon, they had appeared before him for the first time, telling their former hero—the Sole Witness Legion's Super General who would forever live in their hearts—to his face:
"We're sorry, you're of no use... Azure Huaxia has no need for you anymore."
***
Having departed, the soldiers lay concealed in the woods by the roadside.
In silence, they looked down at the old monk, who was now surrounded by the caring shopkeeper couple and villagers.
"Has General Jiang really grown that weak? Or is it because he can't remember people or things, so even if he went back, it would be hard for him to make a difference?" someone asked.
No one answered.
In truth, if Jiang Longchi returned, he would certainly still be of use—great use. That use would be slaying the enemy... and then dying.
Caught in endless cycles of remembering and forgetting, lost in haze and confusion, he would fight on, killing, killing, killing, until draining the last ember of his life, dying amid an indistinguishable sea of enemies.
That was why Chen Buer wanted him to stay.
Perhaps it was the Legion Commander's personal selfishness, wanting to let an old comrade live out his remaining years in peace... nothing more than that.
Down below, General Jiang seemed to have already forgotten what had just transpired.
He seemed to believe he had merely come out to chop firewood. He sat there splitting logs, chatting away with the Han couple and the villagers.
"To tell the truth, we thought you'd been frightened off by the monsters just now," Zhang Jiexia said, caught between tears and laughter.
"Monsters?" Master Longchi asked.
"The ones on television! You saw them too, didn't you?" the villagers chimed in, talking over one another.
"Oh, those things. What's there to be afraid of? No need to worry. If they dare come, I'll slaughter every last one of them for you," the old monk said, a trace of bitterness in his eyes even as a smile curved his lips.
"Oh, that's right! I almost forgot, Master really does have true kung fu!"
"Yeah, that's right!"
The villagers chattered excitedly.
***
Linzhou.
The two-person Needlefish-class craft circled back over the long street flanked by towering buildings. The "train" trailing behind it pulled roughly twenty shuttle craft.
"Qingzi," Yang Qingbai, who had insisted on keeping Han Qingyu quiet all this time, suddenly spoke up.
"Hmm?" Han Qingyu turned his head.
"Get ready."
"Alright. Remember to come over and let down the chain. No need to drop speed too much."
"Yeah, got it. Hey... something just crossed my mind. You know how I always used to tell you guys that I was one of the best pilots in the world? Honest truth, did you believe me back then?"
"Yeah, I guess. I don't know whether Plague Chicken and the others bought it, but I did... Otherwise, would they have let you test-pilot the craft?" Han Qingyu figured he was just nervous and making conversation, so he played along.
"Yeah. I really am... the best."
Yang Qingbai truly possessed exceptional piloting talent, but that was only one part of the equation. Because his degree of source energy fusion was practically nonexistent, reaching this stage—becoming one of Azure's first test pilots for source energy craft, becoming one of the very best—had cost him far more blood and sweat than any other pilot.
"Because after meeting you guys, I had to be."
Having said that, Yang Qingbai pulled the craft into a straight trajectory...
And pressed the ejection button.
Chapter 619