act23side

I have a brother who may be able to do it.

Take care while I'm away.

You're not a doctor. Why don't you ask what the patient wants?

My days may be numbered, but I want to see other places with the ones I have left.

All I've seen in my years at Yumen is sand as far as the eye could see. I want to travel, while I can still ride a burdenbeast.

To see Shangshu's famous mountains, taste Jiangnan's famous fresh water chestnuts...

With someone, hopefully.

You're sick. You need to stay put...

What do you know about being sick? You've never been sick or injured, have you?

Not only that, we've known each other for so long, but I've never seen a crease appear on your face.

We're not the same.

I'll be leaving. Don't think too much. Get some rest...

Is this a dream?

She draws the sword.

I...

The ancient sword leaves its sheath.

Its shape is somewhat unusual, but otherwise it is an ordinary sword, not even sharp.

Through the blade, she sees the clouds in the sky, and the shadow of the sun.

So this is how you separated yourself from It.

So obvious it was hardly worth thinking about.

You are the one who became most like Man.

The sliver of the ghost leaves quietly.

He has found the answer.

I must go.

I need to return the sword... and ask him face to face.

Why are you sleeping on the walls, Miss Ling?! A Catastrophe is coming. Get down and get to a shelter.

Leave this to us.

What's the situation?

The Four Guardians have been deployed, as have the sand filters and Originium scrubbers. They are Yumen's first and firmest line of defense.

Given the size of the cloud formation, however, the Four Guardians will not be able to completely shut the storm out. Dust and Originium particles that get through will form a secondary storm.

The scale would be equivalent to a small Catastrophe.

Following the evacuation, all the plates on the east side have been retracted to avoid impact, but the plates of the inner city are immobile and will be impacted by the secondary storm directly.

How many are you?

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau has twelve casters stationed at Yumen.

How are you deployed?

Six here, six in the inner city.

Are six enough to protect the inner city?

The Lord Exorcist has deemed both locations critical.

The Imperial Astronomical Bureau will do its best.

Go to the inner city. Leave this place to me.

The danger is the same. Go.

Last time I saw a scene like this was decades ago, when I first came to Shangshu.

Yumen doesn't have brews as refined as Husong and Guixing, but Liedaozi is good stuff. Heavens, look at the scene you're treating me to.

A toast to you too, Heaven.

Ack, there's no goblet for me to throw right now.

A crack of thunder, so close it makes everyone's heart skip a beat.

The dark clouds are above the city in an instant.

Thick masses of air pull the sky down, while the darting arc lightning looks almost alive.

Raindrops evaporate the moment they form. The air is so dry that the slightest contact could set something on fire.

Yumen serves as the flint.

A single sight as far as the eye could see. How overwhelming, how terrible, how magnificent!

Come!

The lantern lights. The poet stands up, and drinks her fill from her flask.

The sandstorm and thunder rage, as earth and heaven become one stage.

Throw a goblet to the setting sun, toast the tower with sand overrun.

All of Heaven and earth, in the flask.

Increasing output.

Keep it up! The dams must run at maximum power.

The sand sluices have never been asked to churn so much sand, even with Yumen at full speed. With the city stationary right now, running the sluice dams at full power without the normal offloads would result in very high wear...

No time to think about that!

If all the sand and Originium dust that the Wind Aegis block piles up in front, it's going to swallow Yumen's foundation, jamming the whole city.

Maybe you should worry about yourself right now.

What the?!

The sky is unrecognizable.

Mr. Jing? Why are you here? Everyone should have evacuated to the west side.

I came back.

Those Shanhaizhong wangbadan are using the chaos to sabotage our Catastrophe defenses and harass the people. We caught them in the act a few times.

That's a job for the Patrol Battalion.

Can the Patrol Battalion deal with the Catastrophe and the Shanhaizhong at the same time?

Why do we carry swords, if all we do is hide at a time like this?

Hey, I help.

You're a tourist. There's no need to...

Yan saying, repay drop of water with river.

You buy me many drink. I repay.

I like your spirit. Alright, hop on.

But...

What's most important to Zuo Xuanliao? Protecting Yumen.

Catch.

Freshly brewed Liedaozi! The old man said to give you guys a treat.

Mr. Meng was...

No need for any of that.

All we need to know is that he died at the hands of these wangbadan.

Pah, these Yumenites didn't forget to take all their valuables, even when they're fleeing for their lives.

But there are a few jewelry shops on this street. They can't very well have taken all of it...

You just can't pass up a little looting, can you?

The other team has gone to close the sand sluices. Don't forget the mission.

I would never.

But they're ready for us.

A bunch of ruffians who haven't had a real fight in twenty years, satisfying themselves with fighting in the ring for show.

Useless rabble.

Here they come.

An impressive-sounding name won't change the fact that they're just a bunch of thieves and bandits.

Useless rabble.

They're spreading out and trying to cause as much chaos as possible. Don't let them get away!

I need a group to cut off Kangqing Street! It leads to the west side where the civilians are!

I go!

We'll have a drink and kill some bad guys.

Why does the trip back feel so far...?

The wind and sand are getting...

Found you... good thing your footprints weren't completely wiped away.