The brilliance faded, and the young woman with the incredibly healing smile vanished, replaced by Bailu, whose form had shrunk considerably.
Far away, aboard a starskiff, the girl [Qingque] seemed to sense something. With a gesture, she collected the fading mote of light that flowed into her hand.
[She] asked with a smile:
"Is ending it like this really alright?"
"In terms of a Foxian lifespan, your life is really only about halfway through."
"If you depart just like this, your companions probably won't change much either."
"Mm… This is fine." Baiheng's voice, carried within the light, held a trace of regret, but no remorse for her decision.
"For me, being able to see them again like this is already the greatest happiness."
"As a Nameless, I don't have many regrets left in my life."
"As for them…"
"What's past is past. What happened, ultimately, has already happened. Although seeing them like this now makes my heart ache faintly, it has already become a reality that cannot, and should not, be changed."
"My staying wouldn't be good for that child [Bailu]. Similarly, it wouldn't change anything for Jingliu or for Blade."
"Since that's the case, then this should be my final stop."
She spoke with firm conviction.
"The journey ahead should belong to her."
Undoubtedly, Baiheng was a Nameless.
Just as countless Nameless adhered to their creed: arriving when needed, departing when their time came.
This conviction wasn't altered by the limitations of lifespan.
After all, on the scale of the universe, methods to extend life existed far beyond the Xianzhou.
But still, they chose this path.
"The final stop… The romance of the Nameless, hmm." Gazing at the brilliant starry sky, [Qingque] pondered Baiheng's words and smiled.
If one lives despicably merely to survive, this life becomes far too long.
Although the Destruction faction held irreconcilable differences with most life in the universe, weren't the words spoken by that Duke Inferno, in a way, the very creed the Nameless upheld?
"Thank you for everything you've done for us. Unfortunately, I probably don't have anything I can give you in return."
"It's alright."
"For me, this was just an attempt born from a whim."
"Besides, whether as a junior from the Xianzhou fascinated by that turbulent, magnificent history, or simply out of duty, isn't it perfectly normal to try and rewrite a better ending, as much as possible, for the heroes who bled and fought for the Xianzhou in the past?"
"From that perspective, perhaps I should be thanking you instead."
"The traces of your existence are the best gift to me."
"They will become a part of my life, and also become etched into this very body."
The girl lightly touched her chest, feeling the heart beneath, brimming with surging emotions, and chuckled softly:
"Baiheng's Trailblaze truly was conveyed."
---||---
Compared to the eastern front, which bore the brunt of the Legion's main assault, the situation on the western Luofu front was much better.
Because the greatest threat, Lord Ravager Zephyro, was dealt with by Brunhilde, who was also an Emanator, and with the Xianzhou forces inherently possessing higher average combat strength than the Legion, coupled with Glamoth's assistance, the result was the complete rout of Iron Tomb's forces. During this time, perhaps influenced by Iron Tomb's defeat, the highly mechanized Iron Tomb legion naturally suffered severe systemic failures.
Simultaneously, due to Brunhilde's special nature as an Abundance Emanator and Glamoth's highly advanced medical technology, the casualty ratio on the eastern front was suppressed to a remarkably low level.
Following the battle reports from the eastern front, the overall results of the war against the Legion soon reached the Seat of Divine Foresight.
In this war, the eastern Luofu Cloud Knight front suffered total casualties exceeding one hundred thousand. The main forces, Chuihong Guard and Bifang Guard, lost over half their strength. Other units sustained minor to moderate losses.
Iron Tomb Legion casualties: innumerable. Their commander, Lord Ravager Iron Tomb, dissipated during the pincer attack on the western front due to his unique mechanical nature.
Lord Ravager Zephyro killed by Emanator Brunhilde, dispatched by the Glamoth Empire. Note: Glamoth's goodwill is undoubted; their assistance reduced eastern front losses significantly. However, Emanator Brunhilde appears to wield power akin to the Abominations of Abundance and should be treated with caution.
Western Yaoqing front: Foxian Flyers casualties exceeding three hundred thousand. Cloud Knight casualties: two hundred thousand. Total casualties approaching six hundred thousand. Dange Guard and Qingqiu Guard suffered near-total losses. Heyu Guard lost over half strength. All other units suffered over fifty percent casualties; none were spared.
Fortunately, Celenova Legion casualties: innumerable, entirely annihilated. Their commander, Lord Ravager Celenova, killed in this battle.
Flanking Abundance allied forces: over half annihilated, remainder scattered and fled.
A rather grim battle report was thus delivered to the Seat of Divine Foresight.
Although it pained Jing Yuan and the others, compared to previous wars against the Denizens of Abundance, the outcome of this battle could actually be considered a major victory.
Take the Second Abundance War initiated by Shuhu, for example. That conflict severely crippled the Xianzhou Alliance, leaving several Xianzhou fleets devastated. Not only were countless Cloud Knights lost, but the total Xianzhou population plummeted. It was only thanks to the Xianzhou natives' high reproductive rate that the population slowly recovered over a long period.
And the Third Abundance War, even with assistance from the Genius Society, saw the deaths of nearly a million Foxian Flyers and Cloud Knights, with countless civilian casualties. The Vidyadhara suffered the most, driven into seclusion, retreating into their Fanghu abode like turtles, refusing further conflict.
Many of the Luofu's previous woes stemmed from the seeds planted during that Third Abundance War.
Dan Shu, the leader of the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, acted because the drastic population decline from the war pushed the Vidyadhara elders to desperation, pinning their hopes on the forbidden draconic transformation.
The impact of that war lingered even now.
Jing Yuan's deliberate strategy of defensive counter-attack on the eastern front was also influenced by this. After successive major wars, the Luofu's population remained depleted, with a noticeable gap in talent. How could he dare adopt Feixiao's aggressive, effective, but extremely costly tactics?
Feixiao, however, didn't dwell too much on the results. As the 'Victorious' Xianzhou, the Yaoqing was accustomed to such Pyrrhic victories. Although the losses on the western front were severe, striking at muscle and bone, the Yaoqing was predominantly Foxian, and their recovery rate would be much faster than other Xianzhou ships with larger native populations.
Moreover, this battle had thoroughly crushed the ambitions of certain opportunistic elements and eliminated destabilizing factors.
This undoubtedly secured a very stable period of recuperation for the Xianzhou.
From that perspective, she felt the war was well fought.
"Elder Yan, General Feixiao, after this battle, I intend to resign from my position as General."
"Why? Your current condition seems quite good, doesn't it?" Feixiao asked, surprised by Jing Yuan's startling announcement. He nodded in response, "Yes… the medicine that child gave was indeed effective."
Medicine for the heart, and medicine for the body, Jing Yuan thought.
However, perhaps it was precisely for this reason that he felt an even stronger desire to lay down this heavy burden.
Truthfully, the position of Divine Foresight General was never something Jing Yuan truly desired.
As one of the former High-Cloud Quintet, there were many things he wanted to do – perhaps become a Nameless like Baiheng, experiencing her perspective, or maybe live as a free-spirited Galaxy Ranger, righting wrongs across the cosmos.
He had so many choices that would have been far easier, far less demanding than his current reality.
However, the Xianzhou of that era did not permit Jing Yuan such freedom.
For the sake of the Xianzhou his companions guarded, to fulfill the trust placed in him by General Tengxiao, and to live up to the high hopes of Marshal Hua, he could only accept the position under immense pressure.
And once appointed, centuries passed.
His remaining lifespan was almost entirely dedicated to this land, this ship.
Of course, being a General wasn't all bad. While Galaxy Rangers and Nameless were freer, being a Xianzhou General undoubtedly offered greater scope to realize one's political ambitions, a vaster horizon.
But while the position of Xianzhou General held great power and prestige, coveted by many, it also came with immense responsibility.
The people of the Luofu often jokingly called him the 'Closed-Eyes General'.
While affectionate, this nickname also reflected a misunderstanding of the General's role. To them, Jing Yuan seemed to spend most of his time napping with his eyes closed or wandering around the Xianzhou. Didn't that make the General's position seem like a cushy sinecure?
But in reality, Jing Yuan worked himself to the bone almost daily.
Not only did he have to oversee the affairs of the Seat of Divine Foresight, but due to the General's unique status, he also needed to be involved in the matters of the other six commissions…
For Jing Yuan, who held little personal ambition for power, this was undoubtedly torturous.
And now…
Jing Yuan saw an opportunity for change.
Previously, he hadn't dared pass on the mantle because he lacked a suitable successor. Even Fu Xuan didn't quite meet his standards. Reluctantly, fearing problems would arise, he could only continue shouldering the burden himself for a while longer.
But now, there was Qingque. And due to this war, [Qingque] had accumulated sufficient merits and earned the respect of the Six Commissions.
Capable, prestigious – why should he continue to languish in the Seat of Divine Foresight?
Was he looking forward to working overtime until he suspected he was about to become mara-struck the very next moment?
Oho~ A wonderful retired life beckoned.
Rejuvenated, free from the worry of the mara-struck state, if he didn't seize this chance to enjoy life and make up for past regrets, Jing Yuan felt he would be doing himself a grave injustice.
He had toiled for half his life; couldn't he enjoy himself a little now?
"My mind is made up. Afterwards, I will report the situation to the Marshal and recommend [Qingque] as my successor. I hope Elder Yan and General Feixiao will lend their support."
"No problem. I quite like that child too," Feixiao agreed readily.
"Hmm… I disagree." Unlike Feixiao's straightforwardness, Huaiyan now began to object.
This made Jing Yuan pause, surprised, and also wary. "Does Elder Yan feel something is amiss?"
Hmm, it is Elder Yan, after all. Perhaps he sees some issue. The highly responsible Jing Yuan felt he should carefully consider the elder's opinion.
"In this old man's view, although that child is exceptionally outstanding and has achieved great merit, she is ultimately still too young."
"The position of General cannot be decided so hastily."
"Inappropriate, inappropriate."
Jing Yuan felt puzzled. Why was Huaiyan suddenly playing devil's advocate?
While he acknowledged the point's validity, when it came to qualifications, Huaiyan had been Qingque's staunchest supporter.
"Then, in Elder Yan's opinion, what should be done?" Respecting the elder's viewpoint, he asked cautiously.
The next moment, Huaiyan smiled:
"How about this: let that child come to my Zhuming for further training for a while. Hmm, doesn't need to be long, just eighty or a hundred years. By then, she'll be mature, and she can also learn from this old man how to be a good General."
"Wouldn't that be wonderful?"
"That sounds exce—" Jing Yuan, hearing the suggestion, subconsciously thought it sounded quite reasonable and habitually started to agree, but caught himself mid-word. Staring at the slightly mischievous-looking old man before him, realization dawned instantly.
Alright, you old rascal with your innocent looks! I respectfully call you Elder Yan, and here you are, trying to poach talent from my Luofu right under my nose?!
Eighty or a hundred years? Jing Yuan had no doubt: lend her today, and tomorrow the Zhuming would have a new General.
"Jing Yuan treats Elder Yan with sincerity, but Elder Yan's actions are hardly honorable," Jing Yuan said, suppressing the urge to curse, his voice tinged with helplessness and annoyance despite his usual composure.
"Eh? How so? Every word from this old man comes from the heart."
"Since General Jing Yuan's health is now sound, as a pillar of the Luofu, you should naturally contribute more to the Alliance."
"Compared to a fledgling young girl like [Qingque], General Jing Yuan is clearly more suited to bear the heavy burden of the Luofu."
"During this time, this old man can help you train that child, contributing more to the Alliance. It's all in service to the Alliance, what's dishonorable about that?" Huaiyan declared with utmost sincerity, looking every bit the loyal elder statesman caring for the next generation.
However—
Jing Yuan didn't believe a single word!
"Forgive Jing Yuan for disagreeing with Elder Yan's opinion…"
They say with age comes cunning. Huaiyan, who had been perfectly amicable moments before, was now earnestly trying to hoodwink Jing Yuan and poach his successor.
But Jing Yuan wasn't stupid either. He parried back and forth, engaging in verbal sparring with Huaiyan.
He even brought up Huaiyan's granddaughter, Yunli. Would Elder Yan send Yunli to the Luofu then?
He intended to put Huaiyan in a difficult position, knowing how much the old man doted on his precious granddaughter – a complete pushover when it came to her.
However, Jing Yuan seemed to have underestimated the depths of the old senior's shamelessness.
Huaiyan indicated it wasn't entirely out of the question.
This absurd scene, like haggling over vegetables in a market yet constantly citing precedents and classics (that Feixiao completely failed to understand), left Feixiao utterly dumbfounded as she watched from the side.
This…
Recalling [Qingque]'s outstanding performance, she suddenly felt a flicker of temptation herself.
Maybe… I should try throwing my hat in the ring too?