act23side

(They work well together... how many of them are there?)

(Growls)

Hey, why did they stop?

Why are they looking for you?

What's your name?

I'm Waai Fu. Even if they read my name like Huai Hu around here.

Waai Fu, Huai Hu... I'll remember.

I'm Jieyun.

I'll come back and find you.

Wait—

Strange girl...

Let's catch some bad people first.

The old man gazes over the map, drawing a course.

His gaze moves slowly. He knows how vast a distance every inch on the paper represents.

The tea on the table has long grown cold.

I didn't think you would enjoy our provincial Yumen tea, Grand Tutor.

Everyone here drinks the same tea. So can I.

This tea is Yin in nature. It's not ideal while the weather is cold.

Your knowledge is vast, but you don't pay enough attention to your health.

The others would be anxious if you fell ill.

Someone better will take my place, if I fall ill. Each generation is better than the one that came before. There is no single person whom Yan cannot do without.

What is important is not one person, one generation, but the legacy.

Such has always been the way.

Legacy.

A difficult concept for us to understand.

You've taught countless people who've contributed to Great Yan.

The army still uses the martial records left behind by the Record Keepers for training. I myself have received military instruction from you.

At the end of the day, I, we, our expertise, it was all learned from others.

Chongyue dumps the cold tea and pours a new cup of hot tea.

Thank you.

Since when have we become strangers?

I've never forgotten the times when we discussed matters of state over candlelight, and drew swords alongside one another.

But where we stand has changed.

Excuse my impudence.

You didn't come just to talk about old times, did you?

You're right.

I came to say goodbye.

Here I am.

Hello, Envoy Lin.

Wasn't it two days ago that we last saw each other?

More has happened in two days than in the twenty years prior.

Now that I think about it, you did what you did that day not to help me, but to stop me from investigating.

I still helped you.

I had heard that the L.G.D. sent an acting inspector to oversee matters of public security when the two cities were docked.

I could not associate the commotion you caused at the market and the Sword Forge with the young girl who stands before me now.

Did you set your sights on me from the beginning?

No, only just now.

I wasn't sure that all this was your doing, until you showed up.

You only suspected?

That was enough.

Your style is... unique.

I've always been like this. Did you want to say 'unscrupulous?'

Could you really call all that you have done scrupulous?

Fair enough. But what specifically did you mean by 'all that?'

Working with the Shanhaizhong, faking the bandit attack on the Messenger, then setting up an attack on me, making the fake Catastrophe data 'real.'

Then you had someone else steal the Grandmaster's sword to muddy the waters.

The theft of the sword was unexpected. Otherwise, last night would never have happened...

But it is impressive that you've deduced the switching of the data.

Good thing you had enough decency to not actually kill the Messenger.

I have a question myself. Why?

I'm sure you already know the answer.

You wanted to cause a Catastrophe and destroy Yumen just because you had a grudge against the Lord Exorcist?

Zuo Xuanliao and us have been through more than hell and high water together. The word 'grudge' is far too light.

And Zuo Xuanliao has taken us too lightly.

You are from Lungmen.

I am.

I've heard it's a good place. A prosperous one. I never had a chance to visit.

You've seen how things are at Yumen. Traveling through the desert all year long, risking Catastrophe to deliver important reports, trekking through nothing but sand for days in search of water... you've never experienced that.

Someone has to protect the borders, protect the nation.

Soldier or civilian, most Yumenites are not local. We left our homes to settle here, without a word of complaint.

Zuo Xuanliao should not forget that there are others who had a hand in Yumen becoming Yan's bulwark! Who does he think he is? Driving away those who have bled for Yumen?!

You misunderstood the Lord Exorcist.

Then why is the Grandmaster leaving Yumen?

...I don't know.

What I can't understand is why you want to destroy the city that you've protected for so many years.

How many Catastrophes do you think Yumen has encountered in its history?

A single Catastrophe won't destroy Yumen. It will only unite its people!

...Madman.

Two young people cower in a corner of a warehouse, looking rather haggard.

The Qis...

Where are the others? What about the soldiers and the Messenger?

Old Meng from the Sword Forge let them go just now.

Thank goodness they're alright.

M-Miss Du...

I'm sorry, we didn't get the job done.

The guys from the Sword Forge knocked us out before we even knew what was going on. We found ourselves in the warehouse by the time we came to.

Why did they do that?

It's a long story.

Come on, stop with the long face!

B-But it's Xingyu Logistics's first job...

We ran into something this big on our first job! That means we're meant for big things!

Now put yourself together and follow me!

I have an idea of where the sword is.

You had an idea from the beginning.

Just a little private interest. I guess I couldn't keep it from you.

Everyone has private interests.

That's fine, as long as it doesn't interfere with duty.

I have an idea whom to entrust the sword to. I just want to see the last trial through.

With your permission, of course.

The goodbye you mentioned, it's more than just this.