The wedding guests arrived in Kazdel one after another.
They were all family members and friends of the brides, and they were accommodated in a large hotel beside the Capitol Building. Many of them had never visited Kazdel before, so they took this opportunity to tour the city together with the brides.
In addition to the Terrans invited to the wedding, the players also returned to Kazdel. They, too, had received wedding invitations from the King of Dawn. Almost all of them regarded the wedding as the perfect ending to patch 3.0.
And truly, if this were an RPG, then after uniting the nations of Terra and defeating the demons, what could be more fitting than a grand wedding as the final curtain?
Aside from the professional players who were still training day and night for the World Championship, everyone else had completely relaxed. They did their daily tasks, then spent the rest of their time wandering around, chatting, and enjoying themselves.
Ever since receiving the wedding invitation from the King of Dawn, Xiyiye had begun to suspect that Captain Yanfei was showing signs of falling to the dark side. During training, she had become increasingly ruthless, as though she were venting some kind of emotion. Nor was Yanfei the only one. The female players of Yanyu Pavilion were the same, making life miserable for the other teams scrimming against them.
Wait, this is only training. Why is it this brutal?
The players spent every day leading up to the wedding in a lively, bustling atmosphere.
A week before the wedding, the Lungmen couples finally arrived. Having just reached Kazdel by sea route, Wei Yenwu was left speechless by the sight of the vast modern city before him, a city no less magnificent than Lungmen.
This was Kazdel?
He clearly remembered ancient texts describing Kazdel as a tiny, ruined village. Even if Felix had vigorously developed it, this pace of progress was simply too fast.
Still, he quickly thought of Felix's mechanical army and drones, then shook his head as if trying to force the doubt away. During the Demon War, Kazdel had produced the greatest number of landships and warships. He had heard the total was already in the triple digits. Even now, they were not left to gather dust. Instead, they were used as part of Kazdel's defensive network, as research vessels, and as transport ships for Tomorrow's Development.
Sigh. Looking at it another way, it was a good thing Little Ch'en had found someone so capable.
Although that was what he thought, what he actually said was, "Little Ch'en has also contributed greatly to the rapid changes in Kazdel."
Old Lin shot him a sideways glance. "What contribution are you talking about?"
"Heh. Little Ch'en once served as the Chief of Criminal Enforcement in Kazdel City Hall. Old Lin, you don't know this, but Kazdel's excellent public security today is inseparable from Little Ch'en's hard work."
Old Lin's beard quivered. His eyes widened.
"You old fool, do you even know what my Yühsia is doing in Kazdel now?"
"What?"
"Hmph. Have you heard of the Scar Market in Kazdel? It was, is, and will always be a symbol of the Sarkaz spirit. In the past, it was a market for mercenaries. Now it handles the underworld, both legal and illegal, protecting Kazdel's underground world and even the surrounding countries. It lends a hand to the oppressed and bares its fangs at its enemies. And my Yühsia is now the manager of the Scar Market!"
"Hmph!"
"Oh?"
The two old men glared at each other, while Fumizuki and Madam Lin sighed helplessly.
These two were already old men, and in just a few years they might even be holding grandchildren, yet they were still this childish.
Just as the two of them continued forward with soft snorts, the arrival of Ch'en Hui-chieh and Lin Yühsia finally calmed them down.
Wei Yenwu turned to look at Ch'en Hui-chieh. She now carried herself with calm confidence and wore a poised smile. For a moment, he was dazed. Then, at last, a satisfied smile slowly appeared on his face.
Lin Yühsia was dressed in a professional black suit, looking as though she had just stepped out of an important meeting. Old Lin became more and more satisfied the longer he looked at her. Stroking his beard, he thought proudly that in both temperament and bearing, his daughter had already surpassed Ch'en Hui-chieh.
"Uncle… with your current status, it really isn't appropriate to be arguing here."
Ch'en Hui-chieh's smile never faded, but she smoothly changed the subject.
"Aunt Fumizuki, your hotel arrangements have already been made. Yühsia and I took two days off to accompany you around Kazdel and help you relax a little."
"Little Ch'en, that's wonderful."
Fumizuki stepped forward and held Ch'en Hui-chieh's hand, looking her up and down. Seeing how graceful and beautiful Little Ch'en had become, and knowing she had finally found someone of her own, Fumizuki's eyes slowly filled with tears. She pulled Ch'en Hui-chieh tightly into an embrace.
Although Ch'en Hui-chieh had long since grown into an adult woman, in that moment, she still felt as though she had returned to the past. Nestled in Aunt Fumizuki's embrace, she closed her eyes and quietly savored the warmth of family.
"Dad. Mom."
Lin Yühsia's greeting sounded calm, but the smile on her face betrayed her true emotions. She looked fixedly at old Lin and her mother, her eyes already glistening with tears.
"Oh, don't cry, my child." Old Lin became a little flustered the moment he saw his daughter tearing up. He had always doted on her, so he quickly added, "Now it only takes a few hours by train to get from Kazdel to Lungmen. If you ever want to come home, you can return anytime. And if Felix ever bullies you, don't keep it to yourself. Come back and tell me, and I'll stand up for you."
Hearing that, Lin Yühsia burst into laughter through her tears. Madam Lin playfully smacked Old Lin on the shoulder and said, "The young couple is doing just fine. Don't spout nonsense here."
"Yes, yes, I won't say nonsense anymore."
Back when they were still in Lungmen, Ch'en Hui-chieh and Lin Yühsia had been like oil and water. It could be said that merely hearing the other's name was enough to irritate them. Now, although their circumstances had changed, their rivalry had not. It was no longer so extreme that they bristled at hearing each other's names, but they still wanted to outperform one another in work and achievement.
Wei Yenwu listened as Ch'en Hui-chieh casually recounted her work and gave a slight nod. Then, on the way to the hotel, he asked in an offhand tone, "By the way, where's Talulah?"
Ch'en Hui-chieh did not react much at the mention of the name.
"My sister is dealing with the aftermath of the mining accident in Rim Billiton. I heard that some unscrupulous nobles, afraid of contracting Oripathy, abandoned the miners trapped in the mine instead of sending in rescue teams. They simply left them there to die."
Wei Yenwu let out a soft snort.
"Don't worry. The matter is almost resolved. My sister said she should arrive in Kazdel in about three days. Right now she's just handling the last bits of follow-up work in Rim Billiton." Ch'en Hui-chieh smiled as she spoke, and there was no trace of gloom in her tone.
Fumizuki quietly wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes. To see Ch'en Hui-chieh and Talulah walking side by side in the sunlight, hand in hand, toward the future… it felt wonderful.
"Is Talulah still the leader of the Ranger Guild?" Wei Yenwu asked.
"Yes. My sister is still the guild leader of the Ranger Guild under Tomorrow's Development. She travels all over Terra, delivering both her own message and the will of Tomorrow's Development through their intelligence network. She says it's a job that suits her very well." Ch'en Hui-chieh answered with a smile.
On the other side, Old Lin looked at his graceful daughter standing beside him, stroked his beard, and smiled.
"I originally planned to have you inherit my position and become the next 'Lin' of Lungmen, but now it seems your choice has turned out even better than I imagined."
"Father, if I inherited your work, then in the future I would only ever become Lungmen's Lin."
Lin Yühsia glanced sideways at Ch'en Hui-chieh and let out a soft laugh.
"I wasn't born just to become a Lin of Kazdel either."
Old Lin's eyes widened for a moment, and then he burst out laughing.
"Good! Good! You've got ambition! Yühsia, you will definitely become Terra's 'Lin'!"
Lin Yühsia maintained her smile, but there was something she did not say aloud, because only the core decision-makers of Tomorrow Development knew of that plan.
Lin of Terra?
Perhaps.
But what she truly wanted was to become the Lin of an entire galaxy.
The Sarkaz city guards maintaining order glanced at the passing crowd and then whispered to one another.
"It feels like there are a lot of guests from Yan."
"Indeed," the other replied quietly. "In all of Terra, if we're talking about the country with the closest and best relationship with Kazdel, wouldn't it be Yan? Did you forget that the Emperor of Yan personally visited Kazdel not long ago?"
"Wow, we really have a lot of face!" the city guard said happily.
"Of course! Don't you know who our king is?"
Just as the two guards were whispering to each other, three young lungs walked past them without attracting any particular attention.
The sinister-looking man glanced around, curled his lip, and said nothing.
"Second Brother, over here! Eldest Sister already sent us her location." Ji curiously fiddled with the smart device in his hand. He had heard that his sister had gotten it from Felix. The device contained a specially customized merchant module that allowed him to check logistics and prices throughout the whole of Terra. For someone like Ji, who loved business, it was practically perfect. "Little Brother, what are you staring at?"
Yu was looking longingly at a restaurant not far away.
"I've never tasted Kazdel's cuisine before. I wonder what the food here is like."
"Oh? Little Brother, you've already tasted delicacies from almost every kingdom in Terra, and yet you never had the chance to try Kazdel's food?"
"Well, Kazdel was always at war."
The three of them walked toward the hotel and soon spotted eight other figures waiting outside, all dressed in the traditional clothing of Yan. Apart from their third sister, who had been devoured by the Sui Beast, everyone was present.
When Dusk saw Wang and Ji, she frowned immediately, her expression less than friendly. Wang let out a cold snort.
"I never thought all of us siblings would be reunited because of a wedding."
Ji ignored the murderous look directed at him and smiled toward Ling, Shu, and Nian.
"You've already tried on the wedding dresses, right? How do they feel? Are they suitable?"
Ling and Shu looked very satisfied.
"Third Brother, your craftsmanship is as exquisite as ever."
Nian clicked her tongue.
"It always feels weird wearing clothes you made."
Ji smiled brightly at Ling and Shu, pretending not to hear Nian at all. Instead, he leaned closer to Dusk and said with a grin, "All your sisters have become brides. Guess who got left behind?"
Without a word, Dusk drew out a massive ink-painted sword and slashed down at Ji.
Still smiling, Ji raised the silk thread in his hand and blocked the strike.
Bang!
"Are we really going to start fighting the moment we meet?" Chong Yue rubbed his head in pain and coughed lightly. "Alright, we've come from far away, and food is the most important thing in life. Let's eat lunch first and talk about the rest afterward."
Ji put away his embroidery with a smile, then paused in front of Shu and asked, "Elder Sister, how did I do?"
Shu let out a soft sigh.
"You went too far."
Ji raised an eyebrow, said nothing more, and went off to chat with Wang.
Shu glanced helplessly at Dusk, who followed behind in silence like a small, withdrawn creature. Anyone with eyes could see that Dusk was genuinely fond of the Venus. Ever since Nian had taken Dusk there, she had never really left Venus behind. She had even chosen to stay in the wall right next to Felix's. Lately, because Felix had been focusing on Kazdel and Talos-II, he had spent less and less time aboard the Venus. Dusk had grown a little depressed because of that, though she never showed it outwardly and simply continued living quietly in her painted world.
Dusk was wonderful in almost every way.
She was just too socially awkward.
If she had been even a little more straightforward, she probably would have entered A long ago.
Shu glanced at Nian, who was chatting and laughing with Dusk, and quietly wondered how she might help Dusk get past this hurdle. After all, Ji had made one extra set of clothes, and the measurements happened to fit Dusk perfectly.
Yu stared at the Kazdel Emperor No. 1 Hotel with shining eyes and swallowed hard. He could feel his culinary soul burning fiercely. Once the group entered the hotel and reached the private room that had been reserved for them, Yu immediately grabbed the menu and opened it eagerly.
"Kazdel's cuisine blends pre-Gaulish flavors with Victorian style, while still preserving its wild edge," the waiter explained politely. "The dishes here clearly draw inspiration from the banquets of the Sarkaz, with complex and refined preparation. At the same time, because Kazdel has long had a strong mercenary culture, meat has always been a dietary staple…"
Yu looked over one item, then another, then said decisively, "Mm, except for this and this, bring us one of everything else."
"Certainly."
While Yu happily discussed what drinks they should order, Wang turned to Chong Yue and said, "You know why I came here."
Chong Yue nodded.
"Felix told me about it beforehand, and I also personally felt that power of purification. He now possesses purifying abilities no weaker than Seaborn's. If Seaborn were to appear during the ritual, it might even further strengthen Felix's combat power."
"You fought him? What was the result?"
"In terms of martial skill, I'm superior. In terms of ability, I'm inferior. So I lost."
Chong Yue chuckled softly.
"That's why I believe him."
Wang gave a cold snort.
"Fine. If it really comes to it, I'll step in myself. I never like asking outsiders for help."
"Felix said he wants to meet us tonight," Chong Yue said. "When that happens, you can talk to him directly about the Sui Beast. On this land, he may be the only one who can kill the Sui Beast without forcing us to pay with our own lives."
At that moment, Shu gently squeezed Dusk's hand.
Dusk looked up.
"What is it, Sister Shu?"
"It's nothing. I'm just… a little happy that I'll get to see Felix tonight."
"Oh…"
Dusk's response was so flat that Shu felt a headache coming on. How had her sister become this socially withdrawn? Who could help her? Waiting reply online, very urgent.