Awarding Medals, Ten Years Later

The next morning.

Dawn had barely broken, yet the lingering warmth of the celebration still hung in the sea breeze above Sandao Island. Empty bowls and wine jars from the night before lay scattered across the parade ground, the temporary lamp posts had gone dark, and the cooks were busy cleaning up.

Yang Wenqing took a walk in the morning light, occasionally stopping along the way to exchange a few words with the soldiers tidying up.

By the time he returned to the temporary command headquarters, it was already eight in the morning. He immediately gave Yang Yutian an order. "Inform the two commanders. Have every regiment return to camp according to the original plan."

The order was quickly passed down, and the island, which had only just quieted down, became lively again. Soldiers from each battalion lined up to board their ships under the leadership of their respective officers.

Within two hours, the camp parade ground was empty again. Transport flying vessels rose one after another from the Port District before flying toward their respective garrisons.

By ten in the morning, Sandao Island had returned to being an ordinary military garrison.

The clutter on the parade ground had been cleared away, and more than half the port berths were empty. Ao Yuan's Dragon Palace fleet had departed for Hollow Island even earlier.

Yang Wenqing did not remain on Sandao Island for long. At noon that day, the Zhenhai rose into the air again and resumed his inspection of the blockade zone, which had been interrupted for several days.

Ten days later, he returned to the Fengle Island command headquarters.

That evening, after returning to Fengle Island, Yang Wenqing first sat cross-legged in the quiet chamber in the rear courtyard and completed his regular qi-nourishing practice. Once his breathing had