Underwater Reconnaissance Mission

"Of course I'm not the same person I was five thousand years ago. I'm already so much stronger than I used to be..."

After Fu Hua slapped him, Xu Yanwu tried to explain himself, but the look in Fu Hua's eyes left him unable to say anything more.

"Calm down. We both need to calm down."

Fu Hua pressed a hand over the wrist that still bore a red handprint and hurried away from Xu Yanwu, leaving him standing there alone, clutching his cheek in a daze.

Not long after Fu Hua left, Yae Sakura's head peeked out from nearby.

"Master... what happened?"

Yae Sakura's face was still sleepy.

"Little Sakura?!"

Xu Yanwu jumped at Yae Sakura's voice. "Little Sakura, why... why are you awake?"

"I heard you shouting earlier, Master, so it woke me up."

Yae Sakura rubbed her eyes. "What's wrong, Master?"

"Nothing... Um... Little Sakura, did you hear anything?"

"No. I just came downstairs."

Yae Sakura answered honestly.

"Oh... That's good..."

Xu Yanwu let out a sigh of relief. "Little Sakura, go back to sleep first."

"Huh? Oh..."

Hearing Xu Yanwu's words, Yae Sakura yawned, then went back to sleep.

Once it was quiet again, Xu Yanwu sat down on the sofa.

"Why... can't I control my temper..."

Xu Yanwu regretted it somewhat.

Then he remembered the slap Fu Hua had given him, the disappointment in her eyes, and what she had said.

"I'm already... no longer the person I was five thousand years ago... am I?"

Xu Yanwu murmured those words and sighed. "If I were still the person I used to be, how nice would that be?"

"But, I'm sorry..."

"I'm sorry... I really have no way left."

The night passed. The next morning, the sound of an airship arriving outside the villa woke