Chapter 446 - 181: "Find a wife, farm some land, wouldn’t that be a pretty good life?

Chapter 446: Chapter 181: "Find a wife, farm some land, wouldn’t that be a pretty good life?

"Of course, you’ll need to offer some form of payment in exchange."

"Fair enough."

Chen Fan nodded.

"I almost forgot." Qiu Yisi suddenly remembered something and pulled a Token and a Mother and Child Stone from his robes, handing them to Chen Fan. "In Tian Yi’s report, he mentioned you have a way to open a supply line to the frontline."

"This is a Token from the Eternal Night Hall."

"Holding this Token signifies that your faction is affiliated with the Eternal Night Hall."

"It doesn’t grant any special authority."

"It’s more of a status symbol. You’ll need it when you go to the frontline."

"The Yellow Springs Coastal Defense Line has been hastily constructed, but... if you plan to transport large shipments of supplies, remember to report directly to me through this Mother and Child Stone. Otherwise, if the Ghost Race gets wind of it, they might break through the defense line again."

"Mm."

Chen Fan took the Token and the Mother and Child Stone, hesitating for a moment before asking, "With the Yellow Springs Coastal Defense Line destroyed, the Yellow Springs Mountain Range Area must be half-overrun. Ghost Objects can move about in broad daylight, so how were they cleared out?"

"..."

Qiu Yisi paused for a moment before saying softly, "The Western Eternal Night Xuanwu No. 1 Frontline sent reinforcements and cleared out the Ghost Tide active in the Yellow Springs Mountain Range Area. The Eternal Night Hall then sent people to rebuild the defense line and reclaim the region."

"Most of the Ghost Tide fell at the Yellow Springs Entrance Defense Line."

"Reclaiming it wasn’t that difficult."

After some more discussion, Qiu Yisi turned and walked toward the Flying Ship, which hovered in the air, level with the City Wall. His task for this trip was complete.

His main mission this time, in place of Tian Yi, was to establish contact between the Mortal Realm and the Eternal Night Hall.

He was also to provide the Mortal Realm with some cover.

It was just...

This trip hadn’t required him to come in person. He came because he wanted to see the world his son—and his most valued subordinate—had seen before death. He wanted to walk the path his son had walked, see the people his son had seen, and feel the wind his son had felt.

Now, he had walked the path.

He had seen the people.

And he had felt the winds of Jiangbei.

And that was enough.

Just then—

Chen Fan’s voice came from behind him.

"Elder Qiu, why not stay for a meal before you leave?"

Qiu Yisi froze. He looked out at the people bustling about on the Jiangbei Defense Line as the aroma of food drifted to his nose. He stopped, turned back to Chen Fan, and said with a smile.

"Did Tian Yi and his men eat when they were here?"

"They did."

"Alright then. I’ll have a taste."

...

The food was served quickly. They were in the same small hut on the Jiangbei Defense Line, and Chen Fan sat in the same spot as last time. Only now, the person sitting across from him wasn’t Tian Yi and the heavyset, black-robed man, but a white-haired elder.

"The food on the Jiangbei Defense Line is really quite good."

Qiu Yisi smiled as he picked up a piece of a pork rib and placed it in his bowl. "What did they eat before they left?"

"The same as today. Steamed Pork Ribs with Fermented Black Beans."

The hand Qiu Yisi used to hold his chopsticks trembled slightly. He kept the same smile on his face, but his eyes had, at some point, become bloodshot. He put the rib in his mouth. "Excellent cooking."

His gaze then fell upon a plate of brown sugar buns on the table.

He involuntarily picked one up and took a bite.

Sweet.

’It seems,’

’he must have tasted something sweet before he left. My son loved sweets; he would never have passed up these brown sugar buns.’

"Alright, that’s enough."

Qiu Yisi took a deep breath and stuffed the half-eaten brown sugar bun into his robes. As if suddenly remembering something, he rose and started walking unsteadily toward the exit in a hurry, patting his head and muttering, "Look at my memory... I almost forgot I have urgent business to attend to. I must be going."

"I’ll see you out."

Chen Fan stood and escorted Qiu Yisi to the edge of the City Wall.

After stepping onto the Flying Ship, Qiu Yisi seemed to remember something and turned to look at Chen Fan. "By the way, Domain Lord Chen, that Night Watcher who was with Tian Yi... was his final contribution significant?"

"..."

Chen Fan paused for a moment before nodding slightly. "Very."

"His sacrifice bought enough time for the Mortal Realm’s reinforcements to arrive."

"He held the Yellow Springs Entrance Defense Line, saving many lives."

"That’s good."

Qiu Yisi smiled. Standing on the Flying Ship Deck and leaning on his Dragon Head Staff, he waved at Chen Fan. "I’m off. But let me give you one last piece of advice before I go."

"Don’t mind my rambling. That’s how it is when you get old."

"You can put your full trust in the Eternal Night Hall, but you also shouldn’t trust it completely."

"Protect yourself first, then protect the Mortal Realm, then West Desolate Island, and only then can you protect the Eternal Night Continent."

"The prerequisite for protecting the Eternal Night Continent is to first protect yourself."

"Too many people make it their mission to protect the Eternal Night Continent, but they forget that they must first protect themselves."

"Survive."

"Even if the road ahead is full of hardship, you must strive to survive. As long as you live long enough, you will eventually see the day the dawn arrives."

"And one day—"

"Our children will stand beneath a sky full of stars, gazing upward."

"And they, in turn, will become stars, smiling down upon all of you."

The Flying Ship ascended.

It shot into the distance at an incredible speed.

Standing on the Flying Ship Deck, Qiu Yisi gazed down at the Jiangbei Defense Line as it shrank in the distance. It stretched across the entire Jiangbei Coastline. From the air, that defense line looked so very small.

And yet, it protected all of Jiangbei.

It protected countless people.

The members of his Outgoing Action Team on the deck tactfully slipped into the ship cabin, leaving their leader by himself.

And now,

for the first time, Qiu Yisi finally allowed himself to truly look down upon all of Jiangbei.

Upon all of West Desolate Island.

His son had died here.