The Fire Thief and the New King

"Father, our unit has boarded the Azure Fleet's command flagship, and the situation is under control."

A Fu report came through the communication channel.

Kang De was overseeing everything on the island, raised an eyebrow. He wanted to go and check it out, but hesitated for a moment and then shook his head. "What's the situation?"

"Sister Nixiyasi suffered some injuries, but they are not in life-threatening danger. She has received field medical treatment," A Fu said in a low voice. "Her father died, presumably to protect her."

Kang De paused for a moment, then said softly, "Ah... this is truly..."

"After initial questioning, we reconstructed the situation... The people on the ship wanted to negotiate and surrender, but Envoy Osko, knowing he was doomed, took advantage of the chaos to kidnap Sister Nixiyasi to coerce her. In the critical moment, Mr. Anthony risked his life to save his daughter, but succumbed to his injuries. He suffered devastating damage to many of his vital organs, and even the extraordinary medical technology of this other world could not save him."

Upon hearing this, Kang De recalled his evaluation and impression of Anthony.

Such a twisted, utilitarian animal actually did such a thing.

He sighed, "I never expected this."

A Fu said calmly, "It makes sense. This shouldn't involve fatherly love... After all, from his perspective, we've won a great victory, the fleet is about to arrive, and Sister Nixiyasi is his greatest hope for his life and the future of his family. Of course, he'd save her at any cost."

The ship girl became good friends with Nixiyasi and learned a lot about the admiral's life experiences and family stories. As a result, she had a very bad impression of Anthony and even felt disgusted by him.

Kang De said softly, "I'm afraid not."

"Um?"

"A Fu, mortals are different. They can't weigh the pros and cons and act calmly in the most critical moments. In a split second, mortals usually act on instinct and have no time to think carefully. They can only realize afterward what caused their choice in that instant. Who can say for sure?"

Kang De sighed, "I'm afraid even he himself couldn't explain it, but I still prefer to believe in good qualities rather than cold calculations... especially when it comes at the cost of one's life."

A Fu was silent for a moment, then said softly, "Yes, but I still think that Father is different from him."

Kang De simply smiled.

"And another thing," the beloved daughter continued, "That Osko was captured by the people on the ship... He had a leg, an arm, and three fingers cut off, and lost a lot of blood. He should have died quickly, but someone used extremely precious magic potions and healing scrolls to save his life at any cost, and then handed him over to us."

Kang De clicked his tongue.

In truth, this special envoy Osko, was rather wronged. He incurred the China's unwarranted murderous intent because of a careless remark he made without knowing the truth, which is quite contrary to Confucius's teaching that punishing someone without teaching is cruelty.

But who cares? I'm neither cultured nor reasonable.

He thought for a moment, "Lock him up first, save his life, and ask Nixiyasi if she's interested in taking revenge herself. This person is no longer important... What I'm more interested in is, who is so clever?"

A Fu replied, "It's that Congressman Aokexindun."

Kang De perked up this time. "Huh? He's still here? Wait, what's going on? Why didn't he run away?"

He had previously gone to the temporary embassy to negotiate with Council, but couldn't find Aokexindun, so he knew that the other party must have gone to the Azure Fleet, which was not surprising.

Strangely, after such a dramatic scene, this guy didn't run away?

A Fu nodded. "The flagship's teleportation array was destroyed for some reason, so they couldn't escape. I asked them what happened, but they were vague, saying it was accidentally attacked by a friendly ship. There's probably another reason."

Kang De chuckled and said, "Then he really got lucky."

"Yes, they're running around like ants on a hot plate, begging to see you."

"Ha, I know what he's thinking."

Kang De quickly realized the awkward situation of Congressman Aokexindun.

The entire Azure Fleet was wiped out, Yilan-Tai'er speculation operation was a complete loss. The Council suffered heavy losses and was humiliated. Everything else was one thing, but the destruction of a main fleet was a huge deal.

Therefore, the Starry Sky Council definitely needs to give the military an explanation.

Originally, the consequences of such a decision made by the entire legislature should be the responsibility of all members. However, if everyone is responsible, then no one will be held accountable. The members will inevitably unite and use all sorts of roundabout arguments to shirk responsibility and deflect blame until the matter is downplayed, leaving all parties helpless and exhausted to accept a compromise, ultimately resulting in nothing happening.

But this is only a last resort.

What is the best strategy?

The best course of action is for a responsible and courageous person to step forward, shoulder all the blame, and pay the full price for this enormous mistake, sacrificing their own reputation and future, so that the Starry Sky Council can remain uninvolved. To achieve this, they must be utterly disgraced to appease the anger of those involved. They must also sacrifice the vast majority of their interests, assets, and wealth to satisfy all the parties who have suffered losses. In this way, the matter can be settled.

In this process, the Starry Sky Council only needs to do one thing.

That is, to get this warrior, who might otherwise be unwilling, to be willing.

Originally, the world was going downhill, and everyone was selfish. It was hard to find such a fearless warrior. After all, the councilors all had the Spark, and they would never do such a foolish thing that would harm themselves for others. But Councilor Aokexindun just happened to be in the Azure Fleet. As the highest-ranking, most responsible, and most prestigious figure in the fleet, he would undoubtedly be targeted by the Starry Sky Council, which would put aside its own interests for the greater good.

With the destruction of his family imminent and the extermination of his entire clan imminent, it's no wonder that Congressman Aokexindun was in a frantic rush, desperately trying to see Kang De... He had to fight for his own life and that of his family.

"Not see."

Kang De laughed, "Suppressing everyone and locking them up to make them anxious for a while is a pleasant surprise. I was just wondering how to Council, and here comes the pillow."

He thought for a moment and added, "Oh, this is a big shot. We need to be careful the Council n't kill him. Let's put him in that 'Damn Man' style mobile prison."

"Good."

A Fu chuckled softly, then his tone changed as he whispered, "Also, Father, Sister Nixiyasi looks very sad and disappointed... Won't you say a few words to her?"

"Ah?"

Kang De scratched his head, looking troubled.

To be honest, his relationship with this admiral is now extremely awkward. At first, they were indeed very close, the kind of people who appreciated each other, but later, this relationship was mixed with the power struggle between the Distant Harbor and the Council, and it gradually turned sour. After reaching a negotiation, when faced with her questioning, he even said some things that sounded like a typical straight man, which seemed to have severely hurt Nixiyasi's self-esteem.

As for what just happened, that's even more outrageous...

"Let's not, what else can I say? It feels weird."

Kang De sighed, "I almost killed her with Forbidden Spell just now. Even though I managed to stop in the end, if she thinks about what happened earlier, she'll know what I was planning... Talking to her will only make things more awkward."

A Fu said in a strange tone, "Father, you..."

Before she could finish speaking, Kang De continued.

"That's settled then. You help me comfort and reassure her. Tell her that I feel sorry for her father's situation and also regret what has happened recently."

"And I hope she can cooperate with us to order and guide the Azure Fleet to complete its surrender, maintain order, and call on all fleet members to complete the orderly surrender process, fully handing over all of the Azure Fleet's military assets and combat units to us. Tell her that this is my request, because too much blood has been shed today. I promise to treat the surrendering officers and soldiers well and guarantee their most basic human rights..."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "The order to surrender was issued in Aokexindun's name. She was only responsible for carrying out the senator's orders, which does not damage her reputation, and I will not treat her as a prisoner."

"After this matter is over, she will be free to do whatever she wants and go wherever she wants. Distant Harbor and I will still consider her a friend. No matter where she is or what she is doing, as long as her actions do not harm our interests, we will continue to provide her with courtesy, preferential treatment, and support to repay her for her upright act and selfless contribution today."

The biggest gain from this operation was the relatively complete control of the legacy of Yilan-Tai'er, but the gains of the Azure Fleet should not be underestimated either.

That's an entire main force of magically transformed fleets.

Kang De had already figured out the purpose of this fleet—to dismantle it into eight pieces, remove all the extraordinary modules, such as the magic core, special crossbows, shipborne attack magic devices, and super magic combat auxiliary magic devices, and so on, and then use them for the magical transformation of the navy's green-skinned modified fleet.

However, this plan is predicated on the Azure Fleet's officers and men surrendering obediently and handing over all of the fleet's military assets intact, rather than activating the self-destruct system and blowing up all the important equipment.

Achieving this goal requires both intimidation and threats of force, as well as patient reassurance and promises. Nixiyasi is the best candidate for the latter task.

Therefore, even though the relationship between the two sides was extremely awkward, Kang De still gritted his teeth and made a final request to her. After this matter was over, everyone would go their separate ways, but he could not refuse this favor. So he made that promise that no matter when or where, she would always be his and Distant Harbor's friend.

Let's end it here.

"... That's it?"

A Fu waited for a while, his voice filled with utter astonishment.

"Huh?" Kang De asked, puzzled. "What? What else?"

"... well."

"What's wrong?"

"Okay, okay, I got it, you silly dad."

A Fu cut off the communication.

Kang De gripped the communicator, his heart sinking. For a moment, he felt a strange sense of oppression.

My daughter hung up on me.

--My sweet daughter hung up the phone on her own initiative.

--My obedient daughter complained and hung up the phone on her own initiative.

Just as he was sinking into this inexplicable melancholy, a message came from his rebellious son.

"Father, the work of taking in the remnants of the Yilan-Tai'er tribe is not going smoothly."

The screen in front of them switched images, showing the ancient people splashing around in the water like ducks that can't swim. Fortunately, although these war machines forcibly shut down their combat functions, they did not cut off their most basic life support systems. The criminals who had previously wreaked havoc and were extremely ferocious were now in a state of panic and screaming.

They also struggled and were extremely uncooperative in the salvage and containment efforts regarding the Broken Isles.

Horus said, "Although the threat is not great, they are difficult to control and inefficient. I tried to make an example of them, but when they saw their companions being killed, only a few retreated, while the majority became enraged."

Kang De frowned and said, "We still need to find their ruling class."

"Nine have been found, and they have been ordered to maintain order. However, due to the language barrier, communication is difficult, but they seem to understand what we mean and are trying their best to appease the surrounding tribespeople."

Iron Son replied, "But I have my doubts. The biggest problem is the language barrier; we have no idea what they're saying. Astolfo and I are trying our best to reverse engineer and analyze their language. Linguists have taken off from the Distant Harbor, but this will take time..."

Kang De thought for a moment, "We still need to find their supreme leader, and the one the submarine officer mentioned, Aifu, and that Yilan-Tai'er that represents the resistance. We can cooperate with them."

"I've been searching, Father."

The screen switches between images, with photos densely packed and overlapping, filling the entire screen.

"I've deployed three hundred drones, which are constantly filming the appearance of all the Yilan-Tai'er in the area. Based on their expressions, teeth, skin, temperament, and the attitudes of those around them, we're judging their social status. At the same time, we're also searching for the Yilan-Tai'er named Aifu, based on the submarine officer's description. She's strikingly beautiful with bright hair, so she shouldn't be hard to find. We'll send photos of all the female Yilan-Tai'er that match the description to the submarine officer for identification."

Kang De nodded.

A short while later, Horus sighed, "Found it."

Kang De's spirits lifted. "Who?"

"They've all been found," Horus said slowly. "Aifu, and the individual suspected to be the supreme leader of Yilan-Tai'er, they've all been found; they're together."

Kang De sensed something amiss in the Iron Son's tone. "What's wrong?"

"That Yilan-Tai'er named Aifu, the brave one who halted all war machines and ended the catastrophe with the Abyss Walker, has ceased all life functions."

An image appeared on the screen: inside the open escape pod, a dazed male held his kin in his arms, tears streaming down his face, his body like a silent statue.

"Judging from his appearance, this male individual had an extremely high social status. When I showed the photos to the survivors, Yilan-Tai'er, regardless of their status, showed expressions of awe and obedience. Especially the lowest-ranking members who had been making the most noise, their attitudes changed in an instant."

Kang De gazed at the photograph, lost in thought.

"We tried to communicate with this male, but whether it was the drones broadcasting messages, soldiers approaching to try and communicate, or even ordering other Yilan-Tai'er to try and persuade him, he ignored everything."

Horus said, "Language remains the greatest barrier."

Kang De stood up. "I'll give it a try."

Iron Son asked in surprise, "Father?"

Looking at that high-resolution photo, the other person's blank and silent expression was clearly visible.

He must have lost the most important person in his life.

The sea breeze is biting, and the surroundings are noisy; this is a world without water on the sea surface.

After countless years of imprisonment, Yilan-Tai'er arrived in the Mortal World, a completely unfamiliar place. The entire race was forcibly thrust into an unknown future without any preparation, and everyone, from top to bottom, was filled with fear and confusion... except for Tuosidiwa.

He lost his whole world; grief overwhelmed him.

Strange flying objects buzzed and hovered around him, emitting sounds in an unfamiliar language.

He ignored it.

Warriors clad in armor roared in a fast small boat and called out to him.

He couldn't understand it either.

The priests came to him tremblingly, calling upon him to guide their people and asking him where the gods had gone.

He looked blank.

There were also people dressed in strange clothes, different from those steel warriors, flying over the sea. The few new Mortal World seemed to know Aifu. After seeing her, they showed extreme sadness and shock. They stared at her silently, then took off their hats, knelt on one knee, and bowed deeply.

It has nothing to do with him.

Arriving in a wider world from a secluded Land of Shelter, with the boundless sea stretching to the horizon, Tuosidiwa did not embrace the joy of freedom. He had lost everything; the body in his arms had lost all its warmth, and he would never hear her speak again. All the beautiful memories, heartbreak, recollections, and recollections in his mind had turned into endless regret and sorrow, tearing at his wounded soul.

As the roar grew louder and louder, the enormous aircraft rapidly approached, hovered in the air, and floated on the sea. He looked up and saw the priests being driven away, the steel warriors gathered there bowing their heads in salute, and those kneeling there to remember Aifu showing complex expressions, their faces flashing with awe.

The hovering aircraft moved to the side of the escape pod.

Someone is walking this way.

Tuosidiwa turned his head blankly. The man was facing away from the sunlight. The huge fireball that Aifu had mentioned, which was suspended in the endless void, was shining behind him, gilding his body with a layer of gold. He came to the escape pod, squatted down, and then Tuosidiwa saw his full appearance.

For the first time, the former high priest's wooden expression showed a flicker of emotion.

He got to know this new ethnic group.

Tuosidiwa murmured, "Fire Thief... have you come to punish us?"

Kang De pointed to himself. "Kang De."

He looked at the person in the other person's arms with their eyes closed. "Aifu?"

Tuosidiwa felt a pang of sadness, nodded, and then pointed to himself. "... Tuosidiwa."

"Tuosidiwa," Kang De said softly, gazing at the departed hero, "She fulfilled her duty, saving lives that should not have died with extraordinary courage. I regret that you have lost a dear friend, but she will remain with you, a part of your soul, I am certain of that."

Perhaps it was the light and the weight in the eyes of the Fire Thief that touched the heartstrings of Yilan-Tai'er, and their sincere souls resonated across the language barrier. Tuosidiwa looked down at his beloved in his arms.

"She was so good, so very good. Never giving up, never surrendering, no matter how much pain she endured, she never abandoned hope, never abandoned responsibility, never abandoned her love for her race..."

Tuosidiwa closed his eyes, tears streaming down his face. "The bravest person who upheld the truth has sacrificed herself, leaving only a liar who muddles through and deceives his subjects... She shouldn't have died, I should be the one who should have died..."

He felt the weight on his shoulders; the Fire Thief patted him gently.

"I am sorry, I used violence to glimpse your people's current state from their souls. The situation in Yilan-Tai'er is terrible; you are being used by the Star Palace..."

He pointed to the turbulent sea. "Your people, your kingdom, your race, your Civilization, Yilan-Tai'er needs to be restored to order and glory after the worst adversity. I hope you can bring order to your people and rebuild order. I am Kang De the Fire Thief, and I invite you to participate in the great cause on Mortal World, for a new threat is imminent. I need the power of Yilan-Tai'er to fight against the Star Palace, but before that..."

Kang De turned back, pointed at Aifu, and looked into Tuosidiwa's eyes.

"Consider it for her sake," he said softly, "Fulfilling your duty."

Tuosidiwa couldn't understand the other person's words, but he could sense something, just like when he was unconscious, he seemed to hear Aifu's last whisper.

With tears blurring his vision, Tuosidiwa choked out, "Kang De."

Kang De nodded and said, "I'm here."

"Can you tolerate Yilan-Tai'er regaining his place in this world?"

Kang De couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Can you allow this once-glorious race to compete with you for the future you might have?"

All we can do is look at each other.

"Can you lead the Mortal World of this era to fight against the Star Palace and achieve victory?"

Just listen.

The high priest took a deep breath and was about to speak when, suddenly, the water trembled violently, and huge waves roared up from afar. Herons spread their wings, sacred pillars spanned the sea, and flames shot out like fire.

"Yilan-Tai'er!"

Bennu's roar revealed the God of the Star Palace's disarray, "I will kill you all!"

Tuosidiwa looked shocked. Having experienced the greatest grief, he had completely forgotten about the God of the Star Palace. He turned to look at the Fire Thief, intending to shout a warning, but found the other's eyes calm.

Kang De raised his hand, and Phase Gate appeared in front of the escape pod. The roaring flames struck the White Mist World and disappeared without a trace. Bennu charged forward, and a golden staff pierced through the air from another dimension, colliding fiercely with the God of the Star Palace. The enormous force abruptly stopped his charge.

In a flash, Bennu burst out of the water, furious, and saw the humans inside the escape pod.

An instinctive fear of predators welled up within him, making him aware of the newcomer's identity.

He looked on incredulously and roared, "Fire Thief! This is impossible!"

With a thought of retreat arising, Bennu flapped its wings and soared into the sky, trying to escape. But as the phoenix wings fluttered in the sky, Malegith raised her halberd, and the Phoenix Fire condensed into a crimson light, flashing with intense flames before suddenly stabbing down.

Below, Dong Tianming swept across the sea, his talisman gathering invisible Qi, which coalesced into a cloud, supporting him as he intercepted from below. The Emperor Tutor of Cathay, his beard and hair fluttering, dressed in white like an immortal, wielded a Nine-Intent Three-Flower Mysterious Steel Blood-Devouring Tiger-Dragon-Slaying Wolf-Tooth Mace, his voice like a thunderous roar, shaking the four seas, as he swept out with the mace!

Several figures engaged in combat sped off into the distance.

Kang De glanced around a few times, then looked down at Tuosidiwa and said, "Let's go somewhere else."

He extended his hand in invitation.

Looking at the earth-shattering battle in the distance and the Fire Thief's peaceful eyes, Tuosidiwa was suddenly overwhelmed with mixed feelings. The God of the Star Palace had driven Yilan-Tai'er into a desperate situation and left him helpless was now at a loss, and even seemed to have fallen into a trap deliberately set by the Fire Thief.

He looked at Kang De.

Although they couldn't communicate verbally, he could sense the other person's sincerity.

Perhaps the Mortal World really is different now.

He sighed softly, then slowly got up. His weak body was extremely tired and unable to support Aifu's weight. He swayed, supporting himself against the escape pod wall, and gave a bitter laugh.

Kang De extended his hands in a gesture.

Tuosidiwa looked at him, hesitated for a long time, then lifted up Aifu from his arms and handed her to Kang De.

Kang De carefully cradled the departed hero, turned, and walked back to the small airship that Horus had transformed into. The machinery shifted, parts rose, and Horus transformed into a small platform. Kang De gently placed Aifu on the platform, and the protective riot shield rose up.

He turned and looked at Tuosidiwa, who had walked to the edge of the escape pod and was staring intently at Aifu.

Then extend your hand and smile.

Meeting his gaze, Tuosidiwa slowly extended his hand.

Smoke and dust filled the air, the sea churned, the fighting ceased, order was gradually returning, and hope, like sunlight, broke through the clouds and shone upon the world once more.

It has endured an era of destruction and loss.

The Fire Thief has once again seized the new king of Yilan-Tai'er.