"He ran?"
At Shangyang's angry cry, everyone froze for a moment before it sank in.
They waited a long time, but nothing happened. Even the wind and rain had stopped without anyone noticing.
"That powerful enemy didn't even dare fight the Commodore's pet bird?" a Marine said in astonishment.
The Marines all looked at Shangyang. They knew he was no ordinary bird, but Commodore Wuli had been at a slight disadvantage against that invisible enemy just now.
Noticing their looks of disbelief, Shangyang snorted. "What? Don't I look strong? Why are you all staring at me like that?"
"Of course not. Lord Shangyang is very strong."
"Right, incredibly strong. The enemy was so terrified he ran off without a peep."
Now that they had a better idea of Shangyang's strength, none of the Marines dared offend him. They rushed to flatter him instead.
Shangyang lifted his head proudly, looking pleased with himself. He had no idea the Marines were remembering how he stole food every day, trembled before the little girl with pink hair, and played the pitiful victim whenever the Commodore threatened him for acting haughty.
They could hardly believe this bird was so powerful. They no longer understood the world at all.
The Marines began to question their lives. Even together, they were no match for a bird. What had they been doing with themselves all this time?
The frail man who had come to ask for help saw that the invisible lion-man who had left them helpless did not even dare fight Shangyang. He looked at the bird with newfound respect.
"So... he really is that strong. Maybe there's hope for our country." Tears glimmered in the frail man's eyes, and he wept with joy.
The rain stopped, the dark clouds parted, and a ray of