We Can't Turn a Blind Eye to Terra's Tomorrow / Ishar-mla's Reflections

"That's right. All of us fragments will lose ourselves, disappear from here, and become part of that vast existence again, just like in the beginning."

That year revealed the cruel truth.

"In fact, we are like a dream, a bubble. The shadow cannot resist the main body. Once the main body awakens, we will all be erased."

"And..."

Nian paused for a moment, then continued:

"As you know, 'Sui' was treated by the Great Yan's true dragon back then. For a god, that was the ultimate insult. Once its true form awakens, the entire Great Yan will face the raging fury of a god."

——

"Hey, is it really okay to tell us something like this?!" Talulah and Alina trembled with fear.

Well, of course, that's a bit of an exaggeration.

However, this secret, which is difficult for ordinary people to access, still shocked the two onlookers.

For a large country, this would be a catastrophe, and it is indeed a big secret.

"Oh, let's leave it at that. Just pretend you never heard anything about it, otherwise the officials from the Great Yan might come knocking on our door," Nian reminded them.

Gladiia frowned as well:

"It seems that the problems on land are no easier than those in the deep sea."

"Although some of us do not wish for this to happen, some of us have already gone mad. They cannot resist the oppression of the will of the original body on themselves; their ego has been annihilated, and all that remains is chaotic destruction."

"Hmm, and... guys who can't understand attitudes."

Nian rubbed his temples, looking a bit overwhelmed.

"Yes, I'm aware of the current situation, and it's indeed urgent—Da Yan himself should be aware of this matter, right?"

"That's natural." Nian counted on his fingers. "One of the original responsibilities of the Ministry of Rites was to handle matters related to the 'year'. Later, through institutional reforms, one of its agencies, the 'Si Sui Tai', was separated and made independent."

"The Si Sui Tai is a special agency established to monitor and handle matters related to the Sui Beast and other Great Beast."

"At the same time, a large number of experts are constantly monitoring the movements of us fragments. Some of them are no match for even us, the avatars of Great Beast."

As he spoke, Nian shrank his neck. For someone as fearless as Nian to show such an expression, it was clear that he had suffered at the hands of those powerful figures.

"So you secretly escaped before?" Bai Ye suddenly realized.

Nian nodded:

"I used to be the caretaker of the mausoleum, which was also my prison, but I still managed to sneak out."

He laughed smugly.

Bai Ye narrowed his eyes—

"Ouch, ouch, ouch... you bastard!"

Nian covered her head; it turned out that Bai Ye had hit her.

"Stop pretending, it doesn't hurt. By the way, I've mastered a way to hit someone that makes a lot of noise but doesn't hurt much," Bai Ye said irritably.

No wonder a group of people from Da Yan rushed to Lungmen right after the last year.

"Well, after all, Lungmen is part of the Great Yan, so of course they can go there freely; as for here, it probably won't be so straightforward," Nian explained with a smile.

"I hope so." Talulah sighed, rubbing her forehead in frustration.

No wonder Bai Ye let her and Alina eavesdrop on this kind of thing.

Chapter Ninety: We Cannot Ignore Tomorrow's Terra

"Don't worry, I'll be very careful this time, I definitely won't show my true colors," Nian said with a grin.

However, given this guy's consistent behavior, Bai Ye would definitely categorize her as unreliable, meaning he wouldn't believe Nian's one-sided story.

"Sigh... what a perfect opportunity." Bai Ye sighed.

In other words, the Core City not only has to deal with the void left by the Players' lack of attention, but also has to be wary of the officials from Da Yan who may come to investigate Miss Nian's whereabouts.

"Given the current strength of the Great Yan Dynasty, what will be the outcome when facing a resurrected Sui Beast?" Bai Ye turned to Nian and asked.

"Hmm... let me think about it."

As he spoke, he started counting on his fingers.

After a long pause, she shook her head:

"It will probably be a very tragic battle. If the Sui Beast awakens, the Great Yan will prepare a city to fight it. The Great Beast will die, but three out of ten of the army will be gone."

Nian was quite familiar with the Great Yan Dynasty. If Zuo Le, the official from the Si Sui Tai who had met Bai Ye once before, were here now, he would probably come to a similar conclusion.

"If it were to be exploited by those with ulterior motives, or if it were to launch a sudden attack while the Great Yan is preoccupied with other matters and unable to attend to its own affairs, it would obviously cause even greater damage," Bai Ye said thoughtfully.

Nian nodded:

"If the Sui Beast were to appear directly in the capital or in a key location in the Saibei, it would be an absolute disaster."

Bai Ye understood.

Whether from his personal perspective or from other considerations, he had reasons to intervene.

Nian forged his weapon, thus incurring his kindness. If the Sui Beast awakens, the individual named "Nian" will cease to exist, all traces of her past will be erased, as if she had never existed—something Bai Ye cannot accept.

If the Sui Beast were to truly appear, the Great Yan would inevitably suffer a devastating blow. Although sacrificing one city could suppress the Great Beast, the loss would be irreparable. Moreover, the fate of this nation is intertwined. Demons lurk in the Saibei, while the southern frontier borders the sea. Generations of soldiers, generals, and celestial masters have fought valiantly to protect the Great Yan. If any one region falls, the others may be affected, leading to even more terrible consequences, and potentially even shaking the very foundations of the nation.

However, getting involved does not necessarily mean a positive direction.

Because interfering could also be a betrayal.

For example, Bai Ye could become the villain with ulterior motives.

Bai Ye suddenly thought of a question.

If Bai Ye is purely a Earth sympathizer, or rather, if his vision is rather short-sighted, then for the benefit of his homeland, he might deliberately stir up trouble and use various methods to weaken the power of the major forces of Terra's native inhabitants, so that his homeland can gain a significant advantage and establish a dominant position when it arrives.

It can also reduce various potential conflicts in the future.

According to this theory, perhaps Bai Ye would allow the Sui Beast to appear, or deliberately steer the situation in that direction. In any case, the Great Yan's foundation is there; it won't collapse no matter what, at most it will be in a half-dead state. Eventually, the matter will be resolved, and it seems there won't be any major problems.

This is another possibility for what is called "intervention".

But Bai Ye saw further ahead. He could foresee the future crisis, at which time his homeland might also need to rely on the strength of the indigenous people.

At this moment, Bai Ye suddenly understood the intention behind the courses he had set up at the Zhongsi Academy.

A captain possesses supreme command authority, and when encountering an alien civilization, all choices must ultimately be made by him. He must also bear the ultimate consequences of these decisions.

Peace, or war?

Conquest and colonization, or cooperation and establishing diplomatic relations.

If peace is chosen, how should one deal with the possibility of being betrayed later?

One choice could even lead to crew casualties or the destruction of the starship.

When you are far away from your hometown and have no one to rely on, you have to depend on yourself for everything.

Only now did Bai Ye gain a deeper understanding of these issues. No wonder when he chose to leave Squad Five, the old instructor said that he was only a third of the way there and far from being qualified.

After a moment's thought, Bai Ye made a decision.

"We cannot ignore Terra tomorrow."

He stood up and looked at Nian.

The strength of the Great Yan must be preserved to cope with various crises and disasters that may be encountered in the future. We need a strong and reliable ally, so the Sui Beast crisis must not occur.

"Besides, you've helped me a lot, and I won't allow you to just disappear like that."

Bai Ye gave his own answer.

There were some unexpected events that year.

As agreed, she could indeed get help from Bai Ye.

However, to her surprise, Bai Ye immediately agreed after she explained the whole story.

After all, this could cause misunderstandings with the Si Sui Tai or even the Da Yan government, and might even attract terrible enemies.

Bai Ye and Nian also need to confront the conspirators hiding in the shadows.

As far as I know, making enemies for no reason is not Bai Ye's style.

"Don't you need to think about it some more?" It was Nian, who had made the request, who spoke first.

At heart, she was a kind person. Bai Ye's straightforward answer made her feel a little embarrassed. It felt like she'd dragged him onto her pirate ship.

However, Talulah and the others were already used to this.

"As expected of Bai Ye, he made this choice as predicted."

"Back then, for our sake, he chose to stand against the entire interest group of the Ursus Empire all by himself. Even though he was just a partner who could be discarded at any time..."

"They might even gain more by betraying us."

Talulah said with a smile.

The Abyssal Hunter were equally unsurprised. Skadi and Laurentina were extremely familiar with Bai Ye.

Through all the previous events, Gladiia had already seen through Bai Ye's personality.

Bai Ye is indeed capable of making such a choice.

Nian turned to look at Bai Ye.

"Hmph, don't overthink it. A stable and secure Great Yan is more in my interest. Helping you is just a side benefit."

Bai Ye crossed his arms over his chest.

——

"... and this stubborn way of talking hasn't changed even now..." Alina laughed from the side.

Laurentina and Skadi couldn't help but laugh, and even Gladiia's expression became a little awkward.

Bai Ye:...

He didn't quite understand why it always ended up like this at the end.

He's really not the kind of guy who's all talk.

Bai Ye thought to himself.

Chapter Ninety-One Ishar-mla's Thoughts

"The Great Beast on land... their aura is somewhat different."

In his dream, Bai Ye saw Ishar-mla again.

She seemed to have completely adapted to coexisting with the Bai Ye, and although she was severely restricted, like a prisoner, she looked quite at ease.

Perhaps there was no anxiety involved for Seaborn and the Firstborn.

"There's a saying that you sea gods were driven off the land," Bai Ye said.

Ishar-mla shook her head:

"The Swarm has no memory of this."

"They could also be native gods of the sea, similar to the group that Sunset Fleeting."

"They are younger and more complex than we are," Ishar-mla sighed softly. "We are pure, representing a single concept. Therefore, we are more powerful, but also influenced by our own power, becoming foolish and blind. Power has become an instinct, and our own consciousness has long since degenerated."

The Swarm, the Swarm.

No one can dominate the Swarm.

The Firstborn can influence the Swarm, but conversely, they can also be influenced by the will of the Swarm.

Unless some kind of spiritual force can suppress the entire massive the Swarm, it can not truly retain its own identity; otherwise, it will eventually be assimilated by the entire species.

"Having lost my physical body and weakened my connection with the Swarm, my self-awareness slowly revived; living in symbiosis with you, I learned what you call emotions."