"Before Commander Zuo left, he gave orders to send him back to his original squad's station for a proper burial and posthumously award him a personal 'Starlight' Medal. His family will also receive a substantial pension..." Fang Zuo lowered his head to look at the corpse lying on the stretcher and gave a bitter smile.
"Well, now he's the most glorious among us brothers from the first batch who volunteered to defend War Pass..."
Lin Qiye stared at the corpse for a long time before speaking hoarsely. "Did he... have any final wishes?"
Fang Zuo froze. "He did... He only hoped I could help look after his son. We were close friends, and when his son was little, he used to call me Uncle Fang. But he's in his rebellious phase lately, so he was worried."
"His son?" Cao Yuan asked. "What's his name?"
"Lu Baoyou."
Lin Qiye nodded and silently committed the name to memory.
After the others carried the stretcher away, Lin Qiye sat back down on the city wall and gazed blankly at the distant horizon.
"What are you thinking about?" Cao Yuan asked curiously.
Lin Qiye took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. The setting sun and sea vanished from his vision, replaced by boundless darkness.
He reached toward the sky as though trying to grasp something.
"I'm thinking... perhaps one day, I'll make this night cover all of Great Xia."
Somewhere in Great Xia.
Inside a vast abandoned warehouse, a figure in a gray cloak and vortex mask pushed open the heavy doors and stepped inside. His footsteps echoed dully through the dim warehouse.
He walked to the center of the warehouse and stopped.
"Captain, Commander Zuo's side sent word. The crisis has been resolved, so there's no need to travel through