star calendar year 6321.
The Xianzhou's New Year's Day.
Every household hung couplets, and banners bore the four bold characters for "Peaceful New Year" written in ink.
These four characters were also the Xianzhou Alliance's prayer for the future.
May every year be peaceful, and may they suffer no more from the fires of war.
Unfortunately, that day still seemed far out of reach.
No matter how many Abominations of Abundance the Xianzhou hunted, their numbers across the galaxy's habitable zones didn't seem to change much, as if an invisible scale were controlling everything to maintain a balance between the two sides.
Certain disreputable factions once claimed that it was precisely because of war that the Xianzhou was spared the population explosion caused by immortality.
Such a hellish argument would never be met with a kind look from the Xianzhou.
Not drawing swords against them was already the greatest restraint.
Some time had passed since the war in which Jingliu's expeditionary force suffered heavy casualties.
All participants, except for the reinforcements who arrived later, were granted a three-year long leave following the major campaign.
Many elderly Cloud Knights fell into mara affliction; most of those over four hundred years old chose to retire.
The shadow looming over their hearts was not something everyone could face and overcome.
Qi Zhimu never took the initiative to mention that war, and Sleeping Snow and Clear Cold also tacitly avoided the subject.
The losses in that battle were so great that they cast a dark cloud over the entirety of Yaoqing.
Even in the campaign to reinforce Azure City years ago, Yaoqing had not lost nearly as many people. It took two years for the oppressive atmosphere surrounding the Yaoqing Cloud Knights to gradually dissipate.
Now, coinciding with the New Year, the streets and alleys were overflowing with festivity.
Children dressed in new clothes darted through the crowds, their smiles innocent and pure.
Even the Alchemy Commission, whose atmosphere was usually dull and serious, was touched by the New Year's spirit.
Most people coming for medical treatment would show a smile when greeting others.
Except, that is, for Qi Zhimu.
He held a bouquet of simple flowers that bloomed most brilliantly during the New Year season, yet deep in his eyes was an inescapable gloom.
He walked slowly through the long corridor and pushed open the door to the intensive care ward.
The life-support equipment emitted a monotonous and cold ticking sound, exceptionally clear in the silence.
Bright sunlight spilled in from the window, casting shadows on the sleeping figure on the hospital bed; the light and shadow shifted, yet she never woke.
Qi Zhimu walked to the bedside and changed the flowers.
He had repeated this action many times: flowers withered and were replaced, replaced and withered again, just like the endless rotation of day and night.
But the person on the bed seemed to remain forever on the battlefield of Sipusa Star two years ago, never having woken up.
"It's very lively outside."
Qi Zhimu pulled over a chair and sat down, his voice low and sounding somewhat hollow in the room.
"It's another new year, Jingliu."
There was no response, nor would there be.
The fierce soldier who had once used her body as a sword to tear through wolf packs now had a calm face, like a sleeping beauty.
Only that ice-colored long hair scattered on the pillow no longer possessed its former supple luster.
Qi Zhimu reached out and gently placed his hand on Jingliu's slender, pale wrist, his brow gradually furrowing.
Her pulse was still the same, getting worse day by day.
The condition inside Jingliu's body was so bizarre that all the famous doctors of the Alchemy Commission were at their wits' end.
The vitality that the Long-lived Species took pride in had not directly vanished; it was being frantically devoured by a black hole.
That black hole was precisely the organ unique to the Xianzhou's Long-lived Species: the elixir organ.
What should have been the primary organ supplying longevity was now no longer outputting energy. Instead, like a greedy infant, it endlessly absorbed energy from Jingliu's limbs, bones, and even every single cell, just to sustain its own existence.
Jingliu's prolonged sleep was not due to injury, but because even the energy required to maintain conscious function had been completely devoured by her own elixir organ.
Qi Zhimu withdrew his hand.
In the ancient texts of the Xianzhou, only the precursors to falling into mara affliction or a curse targeting the genes of the Long-lived Species would result in this.
Although Jingliu's sea of consciousness was closed off, it was perfectly clear, without a single trace of the chaotic turbidity of mara affliction.
If the cause could not be found, she would continue to sleep like this until she died.
But in her current state, it was not much different from being dead.
Jiao Ling entered the room carrying a basin of warm water. Seeing the figure by the bed, she bowed slightly.
"Lord Zhimu, you're here."
"Thank you for your hard work in caring for her."
"You are too kind."
Jiao Ling's fluffy ears perked up, and she shook her head repeatedly.
"Not only is this part of my duty as a healer, but in that brutal battle, if Jingliu hadn't saved my younger brother back then, the Jiao family line would have ended."
She only had her younger brother left as family.
"Jiao Xu... he seems to have retired. How is he now?" Qi Zhimu asked.
"He started a family with a woman nineteen years his junior. She is now heavily pregnant and due to give birth soon."
Jiao Ling set down the water basin, soaked and wrung out a towel, and removed Jingliu's hospital gown to wipe her body.
"She should have been invited to the wedding feast, but alas, fate is unfair... I only hope she is blessed by heaven and can wake up in time for my nephew's full-moon celebration."
"I hope your words come true." Qi Zhimu looked away.
Seeing him so calm, Jiao Ling felt a twinge of unease in her heart.
As a healer, she knew very well how difficult Jingliu's current situation was.
She had searched through all the ancient and modern medical texts of the Xianzhou, but found no record of a similar condition; the day of a cure seemed far off.
Taking advantage of her position as a healer, she had already learned the background of the master and disciple.
Poor survivors of Azure City.
In the entire Xianzhou Alliance today, no one's background was more tragic than that of the Azure City survivors.
Not to mention they were former Azure City Cloud Knights who were still walking the path of the hunt to protect the Xianzhou.
In her hope for Jingliu's awakening, she shared the same feelings as Qi Zhimu.
Suddenly, a knock came from outside the ward.
"Please wait a moment."
Jiao Ling carefully finished wiping Jingliu's body and changed her into a clean, pure white garment before speaking.
"Please come in."
The door opened, and a tall figure stepped inside.
"Greetings, General."
Recognizing the visitor's identity, Jiao Ling bowed respectfully and then left the ward.
Wind of Evil nodded casually, his gaze falling on Qi Zhimu.
"As expected, I didn't even have to guess to know you'd be here."
"..." Qi Zhimu remained silent.
"I have contacted the Zhuming Xianzhou for you. Lord Yanting's medical skills are the best among the Vidyadhara High Elders; perhaps he will have a solution."
"Thank you, General, for keeping my worthless disciple in your thoughts."
"If she is worthless, then there are no Cloud Knight rookies who can be called worthy."
Wind of Evil chuckled, but noticing Qi Zhimu's persistently low atmosphere, he couldn't help but let out a long sigh.
How could he not know that no one was more satisfied with this disciple than Qi Zhimu, and that he knew she was the person the latter cared about most.
She should have been a rising star; given time, her future achievements would certainly not be inferior to her master's.
He could only sigh at the impermanence of the world.
"General, I have a request. I wonder if you would grant it?"
"Speak," Wind of Evil said, startled for a moment.
Qi Zhimu stood up and looked him straight in the eye.
"I wish to see the Marshal. I request the General to submit a letter of recommendation."
"For Jingliu?"
"Yes."
Wind of Evil furrowed his brows for a long time before finally nodding slightly.
"I can do that, but I cannot guarantee the Marshal will see you."
"Zhimu is deeply grateful."