Long Time No See

"Hong San."

When the maid pronounced the name of the Cathayan in a difficult way, Kang De's face lit up with joy. He swallowed a large bite of the scallion pancake in his hand and patted the crumbs off his hands.

You guys eat first.

Kang De patted A Xing and Tina on the shoulder, jumped up from his chair, grabbed two packets of instant noodles and stuffed them into his pocket. He then darted to the door and disappeared in a flash.

A Xing wolfed down the half-eaten apple, then shouted, "Wait for me!"

The two rushed out the door one after the other. Tina had just put down her chopsticks when the princess gently wiped her lips with a napkin, a look of confusion and subtlety on her face.

In her memory, Hong San was a servant of the Good Family, cowardly and self-deprecating. She still couldn't imagine how such a person could have changed so much that Kang De so well. These past few days, when talking about Hong San, Kang De was beaming with pride and praising him highly, almost as if he were showing off.

This feeling, this mood, has a subtle sense of déjà vu.

She looked at Hilmeria sitting opposite her. "Aunt, do you remember Hong San from Cathayan?"

Sword Saint Cascading Snow's breakfast was Master Kang instant Master Kang, which she devoured with Master Kang. Hearing this, she looked up, slurped a noodle into her mouth, and asked, "I remember, what's wrong?"

Tina asked, "Have you seen him in Valentan?"

"Yes, the change is huge. It's like a completely different person. He stands straight, his eyes are fixed straight ahead, like a gemstone that has been polished clean and is now shining with its true brilliance."

The Sword Saint said, "Without a doubt, Kang De is the one who cleaned up Hong San's mess."

Upon hearing this, Tina seemed lost in thought, and said softly, "It must be an unforgettable memory..."

She beckoned the maids in and instructed them to prepare formal attire for her. She also instructed the head steward to notify the Palace Affairs Office to arrange accommodations for Hong San and his party, as well as the allocation of all supplies. She specifically instructed them to ensure that everything was done properly and without any negligence.

Judging from Kang De's words and intelligence information about Valentan, Hong San has gained Kang De's trust and attention. In other words, for a long time, Hong San will inevitably be Kang De's chief retainer and subordinate. Even if the organization expands and new people join, they will not easily replace Hong San's position. That is to say, as a core figure under Kang De, Hong San's will and attitude will have a profound impact.

Therefore, starting with Hong San, Tina had to establish herself as the mistress of the house and command respect.

Someone led the way, Kang De urged him repeatedly. The maid who was leading the way quickly jogged and led him to the reception room.

The reception room was arranged in a room on the first floor of the west wing of the Maple Leaf Palace. Kang De turned through the corridor and looked at the four guards standing guard in the distance, his brows furrowing slightly.

"Your Highness, please forgive us, but for your personal safety, we must remain here, and we have received your personal instructions." The head guard bowed and then asked, "Besides one Cathayan and two Bayero People, there is also a green-skinned orc inside who claims to be your follower. Is that correct?"

Before Kang De could speak, a deafening shout erupted from inside, "Great--Skill--Domination--"

The double doors of the reception room were suddenly flung open, and a green-skinned character, dressed in bizarre and colorful armor like a video game player, rushed out, with sharp fangs and large eyes, staring at Kang De with an excited expression.

Kan Fantian first laughed three times, then cried three times.

These naive yet ferocious creatures, though seemingly fierce and terrifying, were far more endearing to Kang De than humans. These green-skinned men seemed to regard Kang De as a figure from a prophecy, and believed it wholeheartedly, becoming Kang De's most loyal sycophants. They were so simple-minded that as long as they could conjure up even more powerful and domineering explosions, Kang De would be light, electricity, and the only myth.

Kang De really missed these adorable big guys after not seeing them for so long.

He patted the other person's Hulk-like arm. "What are you laughing at? What are you crying about?"

"Seeing the Big Mek makes me happy, I laugh!" Kan Fantian couldn't help but start howling again, "Crying—I missed out on the hot shit again, I'm unhappy! No fight to fight makes me even angrier!"

Kang De rushed to the aid from Valentan, unleashing a barrage of artillery fire that killed countless enemies. In the Battle of Danfeng Lucerne, he launched an air-ground assault, sweeping through the Twilight Moon Air Force. Finally, he even unleashed Forbidden Spell, nearly annihilating the entire Elf Expeditionary Force —all of which shocked the continent and made him a truly remarkable figure.

In the end, the green-skinned people still didn't get to see it with their own eyes.

I've lost count of how many times this has happened.

Kang De was both amused and exasperated, and could only offer words of comfort, "Next time, next time, for sure."

He said, then turned to the guards. "As you can see, it is indeed my follower. Thank you for your diligence, guards. It's alright now."

A Xing arrived shortly afterward, and the guards left with peace of mind. Several more people came out of the reception room, two men and a woman. The man and woman were siblings from the Crimson Legion, Cassandra and Alexios, Bayero People burdened with the hatred of their country's destruction. The two showed joy upon seeing A Xing and stepped forward to greet him.

After landing in Glittering Sand Town, A Xing rampaged across the continent in search of Kang De, inadvertently forming a mercenary group. The falconer siblings were her staunch followers, and they had a good relationship. She had been feeling stifled in the Maple Leaf Palace these past few days, and seeing her familiar subordinates made her very happy.

Kang De looked at the last person to emerge.

Perhaps due to the long night's journey, his face showed signs of wear and tear, but he still looked radiant and his eyes were bright. Seeing Kang De looking over, he smiled and bowed, saying, "Your subject Hong San has arrived."

Kang De strode over, grabbed Hong San's arm, pulled him close, gave him a bear hug, and patted him hard on the back twice. "Long time no see, you've finally come."

Hong San laughed and said, "It has indeed been a long time. Before the news of the victory reached us, I felt like every day was an eternity."

Kang De paused for a moment.

Ah, that's true.

For Hong San, it had only been four or five days since Kang De left.

But for Kang De, it was a much longer and more tiring story.

Thinking of this, he smiled and asked, "Nothing unexpected happened on the way, right?"

Hong San laughed and said, "It's all thanks to Your Highness's divine power that we had a safe and peaceful journey."

Kang De nodded and said, "That's good. Right now, the whole country is busy suppressing bandits and hunting down slave traders. There are also many rebel armies and war hyenas. Besides... to be honest, I was really a little worried. It's good that everything is alright."

Hong San smiled and nodded in agreement, "Yes, things are indeed not very stable in Goth territory right now, and I'm not entirely at ease with that, so I found an elven army to escort us. When we encounter Goth troops, we just use your banner, and that's how we've had a safe journey. We've had troops escorting us all the way, so you could say we're using your power to our advantage."

Kang De asked in surprise, "An elven army escorting us?"

"Yes, I told the elven general that I was a retainer of His Highness Kang De, and that everyone in Valentan knew I had come to your territory. If I did not return, everyone would know that you were responsible, and my lord Kang De would certainly not let you off the hook—they had no choice but to send troops to escort us."

At this point, Hong San smiled and cupped his hands in a gesture of respect, "Your Highness's ferocity is truly terrifying."

Kang De pointed at him. "What a slut."

"Oh, right," Hong San said solemnly, "I haven't yet congratulated Your Highness on your resounding victory and your worldwide fame. Battle of Danfeng Lucerne, no one dares to underestimate or criticize Your Highness anymore. You have proven with your ironclad record that the Battle of Valentan was no accident... Congratulations, Your Highness!"

"Alright, let's not talk about that now. Have you had breakfast?"

I ate on the way.

"Then let's eat some more."

Kang De handed over the raccoon-shaped toy from his pocket, which smelled of cumin. "Let's go inside and talk."

He beckoned Kan Fantian and A Xing to come inside, but Kan Fantian kept looking around and then shouted, "Big Mek! Where's Little Mek! I miss it!"

"Little Mek" naturally refers to Horus. While searching for his father, Iron Son encountered these greenskins, formed a friendship with them, and earned the noble and valiant title of "Little Mek."

Although it refuses to admit it.

As for Iron Son... well, that's a long story. Kang De could only reassure him, "Not now, he has something to do. We'll talk about it later—I'll take you to see the big bomb later."

Upon hearing this, Hong San's eyes flashed with a thoughtful expression.

After closing the door to the reception room, Kang De called out, "A Xing."

"What's wrong?"

"You guys talk first. I need to talk to Hong San. Keep an eye on things for me, and call me if anything happens."

"Oh."

Kang De pointed to a small room next to the reception room. "Let's go."

Hong San nodded and followed.

A small room next to the main reception room was used for private discussions in the dark. It was fully furnished with tables and chairs. Kang De closed the door, pulled out a chair, sat down, and pointed to the person opposite him. "Sit."

Hong San sat upright and proper, very formally.

"It's good that you're here. Help me think things over. These past few days have been incredibly hectic, and things have only gotten even more complicated since we won the battle. There's no one to discuss things with..."

Kang De snapped his fingers, and a dark portal opened in mid-air on the table, connecting to the White Mist World. Mineral water, Orion, Orion instant noodles, boneless chicken feet, beef jerky, and other snacks fell out and covered the table.

Kang De tore open a packet of almonds. "Let's eat and talk."

Upon seeing this, Hong San was first surprised, then delighted. "Your Highness has made further progress? You seemed unable to do this before... This is truly a cause for celebration."

Kang De looked puzzled, then couldn't help but burst out laughing.

Hong San was puzzled. After thinking for a moment, he asked, "Did I say something wrong?"

Kang De laughed, "It's not that my skills and abilities have improved... Let me give you an example. I played a game, or rather, you could think of it as a story I read. There was a powerful, mysterious, and dark terror who wore a black robe and wielded two powerful shotguns."

"He moved through the Shadow and launched a surprise attack, his dual pistols spewing deadly Flame with fierce and sustained firepower. He didn't need to reload; once the shotgun was empty, he would discard the pistols, and two new guns, fully loaded with ammunition, would appear in his hands, endlessly, magically and eerily."

Everyone was curious about the source of that endless supply of firearms and ammunition. What kind of magical skill or technology did it possess? People speculated, people wondered, people died. The most widely accepted explanation was that he was proficient in some kind of phase technology or spatial skill, enabling him to reconstruct and acquire weapons...

Hong San asked, "But what actually happened?"

Kang De chuckled, "Actually, it's not that high-tech or sophisticated. It's just that the cloak hides a portal to a mysterious space. On the other side of that space, there's a mountain of shotguns, and a group of sweating, untrained workers waiting for his signal to frantically throw guns into the portal."

Upon hearing this, Hong San burst out laughing.

He glanced curiously at the still-open door. "Is this what you meant by 'something else'?"

"Yes, it is, after all, meant to fulfill the mission of a tool... just kidding. In fact, it's not in a good position. I need to develop a systematic plan, and this is just one of the things I need to do next."

Kang De snapped his fingers, closed the portal, and his smile slowly faded.

"In fact, it was severely damaged. We were attacked last night, right here in the Maple Leaf Palace, in full view of everyone, by a powerful assassin of mysterious origin... You wouldn't believe it, would you? At such a momentous time, when we were so powerful and prestigious, such a thing still happened. The war has never ended, and it will never end."

Hong San didn't show any surprise. He pondered for a moment and said, "No wonder. From the moment I entered the city, the atmosphere was off. The guards at the city gate looked at me suspiciously. When I asked them a few questions, they became very wary and showed absolutely no enthusiasm. From the moment I entered the city until my visit to the Maple Leaf Palace, the security was excessively strict, bordering on overreaction. And overreaction is usually an early sign of unexpected changes..."

He shook his head at this point, "I was quite worried at the time, but I never expected..."

"Attack on Horus is not much different from attacking me. In fact, targeting Horus would better demonstrate the other side's cunning and understanding of me."

Kang De said, "They know I have spatial abilities, so it's difficult for them to hurt me. That's why they targeted Horus. After severely injuring Horus, my conventional deterrent capabilities decreased, leaving only strategic deterrent capabilities. The situation and circumstances become delicate... It's really damn bad."

Hong San pondered for a moment, then asked, "Who is the enemy? Do you have any clues?"

"The dragons say they have a way; they captured someone as a suspect last night," Kang De said. "The dragons are looking for a solution. The suspect is being interrogated by Teldrassil, but there are no results yet; it will take time."

He gave a brief account of what happened last night, including the matter of the dragons.

"Judging from the outcome of last night's attack, the dragons benefited the most, making them the prime suspects—but that's not actually the case. It's not that the dragons benefited the most, but rather that they appeared to benefit the most. However, we don't know who else benefited in secret. We can only prepare early and act according to the circumstances."

Hong San said, "Whether the Dragon Clan is innocent or not, whether we can follow the clues, we don't know. Whether we can get anything out of the prisoners from last night, we don't know either. These are all uncertain factors. Before the uncertain becomes certain, let's do what we can be certain of first."

Kang De asked, "What is certain?"

"That is, the worst-case scenario: the dragons are lying, or the clues have gone cold, and the hidden enemy is still watching with malicious intent, plotting their next move."

Hong San said, "Given this premise, we need to take action, and we'll discuss it point by point."

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PS1: Damn it, the power suddenly went out in the middle of the night...