Her Highness the Princess!

"My homeland, my heart breaks, day and night, the willows are new."

"The geese fly south in the dark moon, and legend has it they return here. My journey is far from over, when will I return?"

"Looking back at Purple Gold Peak, the rain moistens the dense mist. A river of spring waves, drunk and awake. The tears from yesterday remain on my collar, to be shed for the migrating geese."

The night was hazy, the mountains and forests were dense.

The entire Hate Mountain was shrouded in darkness, with only torches made of pine resin placed on the walls of the trees on either side of the high platform. The flames burned fiercely, making crackling sounds, like the background music to all those poems being sung.

It started raining at some unknown time, adding another layer of sorrow and parting.

The rain fell like fine needles, landing on the faces and bodies of every mourner.

It didn't sting the skin, but the hearts of those seeing them off.

A gust of wind blew, making the gauze on the high platform and the leaves overhead rustle. Ghostly energy permeated the air, as if the deceased were reluctant to leave, making their final responses to their living relatives.

The Old Man had started singing in the evening, and it had been several hours now. His voice was hoarse, his tone mournful, and after a large gulp of fruit wine, it didn't sound like he was seeing someone off, but rather grieving for himself.

Little Fatty looked at the Old Man on the stage, his face full of amazement, and said, "Brother, Godfather is too amazing, he knows so many poems."

Tang Fei glanced at Little Fatty and said, "He recited poems all night yesterday, and his eyes were like a panda's when he woke up this morning."

"That's still amazing," Little Fatty insisted on his point, saying, "I recited all night, and by the time I woke up, I had forgotten most of it."

"You call that forgetting most of it?" Tang Fei said irritably, "Besides the names of the poems, you don't even remember who the author is. Is that 'most of it'?"

"I already tried my best to remember the names of the poems."

"That's true," Tang Fei patted Little Fatty's shoulder and said, "So, it's better to just focus on hitting stones. Everyone has their own specialty, we need to find a trade to support ourselves."

"Don't worry, Brother. I'm really good at hitting stones. Even Godfather praised me, saying I hit them better than him."

Tang Fei looked at Little Fatty and said faintly, "When did he ever hit stones? For so many years, it was the two of us hitting them together. Now he has me go hunting, and you hit stones while he just stands there and barks orders. When has he ever done it himself?"

"Godfather said it's to give us more learning opportunities. He said he can't accompany us forever, so you learn to hunt, and I learn to hit stones to build houses. That way, when he's gone, we'll both have food. We won't starve."

"You actually believed such shameless words?"

"Big Brother, I think what Godfather said makes sense."

"..."

"Big Brother, are you sad?" Little Fatty asked.

Tang Fei nodded and said, "Yes, I'm sad. Teacher is dead, and it's still very sad when people you know die."

"I'll never hear Teacher lecture again, I'll never learn calligraphy from Teacher again, and I won't hear him talk about principles, and the fruit wine Teacher brewed was so delicious. I won't be able to drink it anymore."

"I'm not sad," Little Fatty said.

Tang Fei's eyes widened as he looked at Little Fatty. Did this kid have antisocial personality disorder?

So many people died, and you're saying you're not sad?

"Brother, you're alive, Godfather is alive..." Little Fatty glanced at the Phoenix beside them, "Sister Phoenix is also alive. As long as you're alive, I'm not sad. Even if I die, I won't be sad."

"..."

Phoenix sighed softly and commented, "Little Fatty is very pure, so pure that he can't hold too many people in his heart."

"Me too," Tang Fei said.

Phoenix shook her head and said, "You're simply heartless."

Phoenix didn't know who Tang Fei held in his heart, but the people he cared about must be very, very few.

"That's serious slander, it's an insult to my reputation. I'm telling you, it's fortunate that Old Earth doesn't have judges, otherwise I would have sued you already."

"Hmph, this young lady is just speaking the truth," Phoenix puffed out her full chest and said proudly, "Otherwise, tell me yourself, who is the person you care about the most?"

"Little Fatty, Old Man, An Ning..." Tang Fei looked at Phoenix, his expression serious, "And you."

"Ah?" Phoenix felt immensely sweet and satisfied in her heart, but her face remained calm and indifferent. She asked, "And me?"

"Of course," Tang Fei nodded. "What if something happens to you? Wouldn't all the supplies and weapons you promised me go to waste? I've been feeding and clothing you, and killing for you, wouldn't that all be for nothing? I don't do business at a loss."

"Tang Fei..." Phoenix said in a somewhat girlish tone, pinching the tender flesh on Tang Fei's waist hard, and said angrily, "Didn't I say it right? You're a heartless fellow."

Tang Fei cried out in pain and begged for mercy, "How am I heartless? I already said you're the one I care about the most. Let go, let go, it really hurts. Pinch Little Fatty, Little Fatty has a good feel."

Little Fatty, concerned for his Big Brother, offered his chubby arm, saying, "Sister Phoenix, pinch me. I have more flesh..."

How could Phoenix bear to pinch Little Fatty?

She glared fiercely at Tang Fei and said to Little Fatty, "Little Fatty, are you stupid? He's asking me to pinch you, and you're offering your hand?"

"Yes, Big Brother is most afraid of pain," Little Fatty said.

"..."

Phoenix looked at Little Fatty helplessly, feeling that this silly kid was beyond saving. Even if Tang Fei sold him, he would still be foolishly counting the money for him.

Just then, a bright light appeared in the sky, like a sun suddenly rising above everyone's heads.

That sun moved very quickly. It had been in an extremely distant place just moments ago, and in the blink of an eye, it had fallen right before them.

Only then did everyone realize it was a colossal, jet-black behemoth. The so-called "sun" was a pillar of light spewing from its underside, a natural reaction of burning energy.

Its exterior was oval-shaped, resembling a thick, large disc. On its hull, a golden bird with outstretched wings soared.

It was a Phoenix, a Phoenix reborn from fire.

It scanned the sky for a moment, then found an empty space beside the stage. Three claw-like, sturdy supports slowly extended, clicking into the ground with a "snap."

A Star Disc!

It was a Star Disc!

Tang Fei had never seen a Star Disc before, but he had heard descriptions of them. As the government and corporations on New Star developed and exploited Old Earth, and excavated ancient tombs, Star Discs had been arriving on Old Earth with increasing frequency.

Rustle.

The black metal hatch opened, and rows of tall soldiers in dark brown uniforms, with a phoenix emblem inlaid on their chests, marched out in formation.

They carried standardized silver pulse guns, which looked expensive. Of course, their offensive power was also considerable.

Upon exiting, they immediately split into two columns, one to the east and one to the west, moving rapidly to surround tens of meters around the stage.

They were trapped.

The audience was silent, everyone's attention drawn to the sudden arrival of the Star Disc and the imposing, powerful soldiers.

When facing the Flame Shrine or the Predators organization, they could still step forward and argue.

But facing this group of fully armed visitors from beyond the stars, they felt a helpless weakness.

These were enemies that the ordinary people of Old Earth could not contend with.

Therefore, under the soldiers' encirclement, not a single person dared to resist.

Of course, the reason they didn't resist was also because Tang Fei hadn't resisted.

Tang Fei was now the most respected man in the village, his word law; no one dared to defy any of his decisions.

If he wasn't resisting, why should anyone else?

Little Fatty turned to look at the Phoenix. Even with his slowness, he understood the purpose of these people's arrival.

They were here to pick up Sister Phoenix.

Sister Phoenix was leaving.

Heh.

The Phoenix's emotions were even more complex. Excitement, joy, a sense of security, but more than anything, sadness and melancholy.

"The people who came for me are here!"

"I'm leaving!"

"Leaving Old Earth, returning to the place that bore and raised me, returning to New Star, which I know best..."

"But why does my heart feel so heavy? Like I can barely breathe?"

"Why can't I be happy about the thing I've longed for every day?"

She turned to look at Tang Fei's profile, only to find that the guy wasn't paying any attention to her emotions at all.

He was staring intently at the pulse guns in the soldiers' hands, his eyes shining, eerily bright.

"Bastard!"

Several more men in high-ranking officer uniforms emerged, standing on either side of the hatch. Then, a burly, square-faced middle-aged man in a general's uniform appeared before everyone.

Standing on the silver ladder, he swept his gaze across the crowd, instantly locking onto the Phoenix standing in the back. The middle-aged man strode forward with imposing presence, heading straight for her.

The high-ranking officers standing on either side followed closely, their boots stomping in unison on the somewhat hard stone pavement, making clanking sounds.

Bang!

The middle-aged man reached the Phoenix, knelt on one knee, lowered his head, and said in a deep voice, "Your Highness the Princess, the Undying Army has come to take you home."

Whoosh!

All the soldiers knelt down, heads bowed, not daring to meet the Phoenix's eyes, and said in unison, "Your Highness the Princess, the Undying Army has come to take you home."