act15side

Why, I wonder.

I simply did not want him drawn into so many vexing matters, without the slightest self-awareness.

So this bounty hunter really was yours, Assistant Minister Ning.

Hey!

You need not raise your hackles. They are not enemies.

Only...

It was the Sui Regulator who hastened in its conduct; we won't question her deeply. Er... as long as she entered Yan's borders through legitimate means, of course...

Of course.

Go and meet with Tianshi Bai, Blacknight. He awaits you at the agreed location.

Alright. You take care.

You'd seen through both the Sui Regulator and Mr. Liang's schemes.

Not too long ago.

But you seem to not have seen through Mr. Liang's plans to mediate from within.

He may simply have been apprehensive about betraying you, Miss Ning.

Regardless, the Sui Regulator overstepped their bounds in this. We will later address the matter ourselves with the Ministry of Rites.

It is no matter. 'Tis all to plan further for Yan.

'Tis cold outside; may you all rest soon. I will go see young Blacknight; 'tis her first time in Yan, and I cannot rest easy.

Farewell, Miss Ning.

Be safe.

Lord Zuo.

I can only hope this pair in love... aren't shaken by big things to come.

You're young, Lord Zuo. To say such things invites ideas of feigned maturity.

As a Candleholder, I've none of my own ties of the sort.

If I may boldly mention, when you previously passed through that village and dealt with bandits, you did have—

*cough*, *cough*—I trust that girl was only repaying the favor! How can you muddle this with affairs between the sexes?

It was a life saved. If the intent was impure, that would only further serve doubts of advantage being taken.

You presume wrong, Uncle Taihe.

Hmm.

It is as you say, young man.

Not heading back to Lungmen, Mr. Lee?

No. There's still someone I need to find.

Come with?

I'm stopping by the branch office with the funnyman anyhow, and then I've got to get back to the Rhodes Island landship...

It seems we'll be tagging along. But I'd rather not be a nuisance to Rhodes Island again.

No need to stand on honor.

Trust me, it's personal matters.

That codename Nothing operator got drawn into all this mess, had his leg hurt for nothing, and he's still in the hospital now. Don't want to give you all any more grief than that.

That's good, then.

K-Kroos!

Oh, fancy that! Mulberry!

If you're in Shangshu already, I'm guessing Lava got to the branch office a while ago, then?

Y-Yeah... and Lava wanted me to tell you too, it's best you head there quickly. It seems like something else happened...

Ahaha... this trip to Yan sure never takes a breather.

It happens.

It used to just be around Lungmen and stuff... oh, right.

I've been wanting to ask. You said Mr. Liang and Wei Yenwu are real alike, but alike how?

Did I say that?

You did. After we met him, I was even thinking, wait, they're completely different...

Mmm...

Well, after all... both their sweethearts have them by the ears.

You're back.

A hundred and eighty-one black stones. You'll beat Sui to losing your sanity.

While you've already spent all these years in here, in your drunken stupor? No... the years and months mean nothing to you.

That farce of the Xingyu Escort Association was a move planned out by you.

Not totally.

They should be clean of responsibility for me... Why swallow them all into this?

Just as a reminder.

A reminder to me?

Here you dream of all under heaven. Though you know how the universe dwarfs all, the grass in spring still tugs at your heart.

From Jiangnan, up to Saibei, then back to this summit atop the clouds, you've changed a lot. It disturbs me, little sister, so I warn you.

Warn you that the feelings of man are not so pure as those moralists would have you believe.

Sat on equally pitted sides, the brother is in strife, love and disgust and passion and resentment all taken as pieces to the game.

You don't fear them now. Of course you don't. But sooner or later, you will. Nian will, Dusk will. They've become too much like people, so they will come to fear those things.

That is all... this little warning is.

Are you angered?

The cup should only hold wine; wine should not be so wordy.

In that instant, all things halt.

Shangshu's Three Mounts and Seventeen Peaks now have one more peak, and countless more trees, with countless more branches, with countless more leaves.

Wind blows, but the leaves are still.

Shangshu once had a Catastrophe.

The devastating storm loose with sparks, shattered Originium crystals descending like fiery rain.

—Shangshu—once had a Catastrophe!

Someone—offered wine to the heavens, and the black clouds parted, and the people were safe! And yet now, you're going to fling this goblet to the black clouds!

A black goblet. A black piece.

In the face of the most terrifying disaster of all the land, all trace is instantly annihilated.

Are you feeling wrathful? Compassionate? Envious?

Carve these emotions into you—things are soon to come—

Things, soon to come... Certainly, I cannot stay uninvolved... isn't that right.

Phew... haah.

For now, I shall go purchase wine.

I'll be leaving Shangshu.

I won't stop you.

If two people want to kill each other, the feelings aren't too hard to understand.

But if two people want to be killed by the other...

Then we should save the effort. We'd just be wallowing.

I'm planning to retire now.

Du Yaoye still isn't ready for it. And doesn't the girl seem just a little like she wants her own business?

If so, I'll shutter things.

Don't you agree?

I'm not one of the escorts.

Good.

Zheng Qingyue. Our business is only postponed for a while. We're not shaking hands and making up here.

Association custom says you don't talk grudges when you're at the bar. I'll be in Shangshu anyhow, waiting for you.

One last thing.

I hear...

Dad! Master Shang!

What are you charging in here about...?

I've decided! Me and the guys all talked it through!

We're going to Yumen!