Chapter 120: The Parting (Part II)

Qian Ye pondered for a moment, then said faintly, “Let’s make it here.”

“But…” Song Hu glanced at Qian Ye’s expression and abandoned his protest, helplessly saying, “I’ll just draft the defense plan first.”

After Song Hu left, Qian Ye thought for a while longer, sighing heavily. The Seventh Division was not exactly a cohesive unit; it was more like a half-filled bag of sand. Wei Benian had not even brought a full private guard, and even with the support of the Wei family, it was impossible to transport troops and supplies across several continents.

Wei Potian, young and brash, resorted to ruthless measures after Wu Zhengnan’s death. There were several violent conflicts in Heiliu City, and he took drastic actions, almost wiping out all of Wu Zhengnan’s relatives and close associates. As a result, many veterans dared not show their faces, fleeing to nearby territories. The current Seventh Division might need to recruit half its soldiers anew to reestablish its formation.

Thus, if the dark races’ army truly invaded this region, they would not only be unable to defend two small towns but might even lose Heiliu City itself.

Later that night, Song Hu reiterated the defense plans to another person.

Song Zining, who had just returned after a long absence, couldn’t help but laugh upon hearing Qian Ye’s reaction. He said, “Actually, there is another possibility. Those two towns might just serve as forward posts, not strategic nodes that must be defended at all costs. When the battle starts and the dark races’ forces reach a certain scale, they will likely contract their lines and retreat inland.”

Song Hu appeared perfectly at ease, as if he had already considered this possibility, but simply chose to say what he did.

Song Zining continued, “Uncle Hu, there are some things you don’t have to be too deliberate about. My friend is a simple yet not a simple man. For him, indirect and subtle tactics are often not very effective. You’ve worked hard for a year. From now on, you don’t need to report to me anymore.”

“I shall not fail,” replied Song Hu.

This was also Wei Potian’s last night on the Eternal Night Continent. He pulled Qian Ye out and walked around the streets of Heiliu City, finding a noisy, inconspicuous tavern where they planned to drink themselves into oblivion.

At first, both Qian Ye and Wei Potian drank silently, not uttering a word. In no time, each had downed four bottles of strong liquor.

Qian Ye’s eyes were somewhat hazy, which started with the second glass and remained so even after finishing two bottles. Wei Potian, however, seemed to have an unusually high tolerance tonight, his eyes bright as cold stars, showing no sign of intoxication.

Suddenly, Wei Potian sighed deeply, saying gloomily, “Xiao Ye, why are there so many things in this world that we can’t do as we wish?”

“Because…you and I are different. You are a heir, naturally bound by many constraints.”

“Damn it, what’s the point of being an heir then?” Wei Potian grew irritated, pounding the table and downing his drink in one go.

“It’s not pointless. If you’re on your own, you can do whatever you want, good or bad, it affects only you. But if you’re doing it for the people around you, for the Wei family of the Far East, you have to keep going, and do it well, until you take over as the patriarch and elevate the Wei family. You understand better than anyone the meaning of being an heir—greater power means greater responsibility.”

Wei Potian, rarely thoughtful, mused, “So, the more resources one has, the more one can do what they want?”

“That’s right. If you weren’t an heir, could we have toppled Wu Zhengnan? He’d still be sitting pretty as the division commander.”

Wei Potian nodded, “I get it. It’s the same as what General Bailongjia said. Do you know, on the night you saved me in Dark Blood City, the general said that without the authority to verify, any statement is just a rumor. Back then, my authority only allowed me to kill a few cowards below the rank of major. Now, I can deal with colonels.”

Qian Ye was slightly taken aback, a flicker of light passing through his hazy eyes, but he did not respond.

Wei Potian, however, became excited, patting Qian Ye’s shoulder and declaring, “Then I’ll do my best from here. Being the head of the Wei family or the Marquis of Bowa isn’t the end. I’ll make it to Imperial Marshal!”

Qian Ye smiled, saying, “That’s a good goal.”

“What about you? If it weren’t for your situation, you could join any main legion back in Qin Continent and be a colonel!” Wei Potian, realizing his slip, immediately shut up. Since that night when Song Zining burned Wu Zhengnan’s remains, he hadn’t mentioned it again.

Qian Ye, undeterred, drained his cup and smiled faintly, “I’m doing fine now.”

Wei Potian scratched his head, saying, “It may be so, but it’s still a problem. With your personality…”

Qian Ye laughed, “With my personality, I’m not the type to patiently explain things to someone who causes trouble. You should worry more about yourself!”

Wei Potian studied Qian Ye carefully, saying slowly, “You’ve changed.”

Qian Ye sighed, “When I saw the expeditionary soldiers charging, all humans, in that town…many of my ideas changed.”

Wei Potian visibly relaxed, refilling both their empty cups and smiling, “I was worried you’d get into trouble, but now I feel reassured!”

Qian Ye drank another full cup, glancing at him, “And you, of all people, lecture me!”

“I’m not as…as you are!” Wei Potian thought hard and finally found the right word, “Stubborn!”

To this, Qian Ye opened his mouth but didn’t speak, finding it a rather novel term.

Wei Potian continued, “From a young age, I was taught that the Wei family comes first, myself second. Anyone who stands in my way, regardless of who they are or what noble cause they claim, I’ll kick them aside and maybe even stomp on them twice!”

“Such directness!” Qian Ye was stunned, never imagining that a great family would educate their heirs in such a manner.

“Of course, it wasn’t put so bluntly, but that’s the gist of it.” As he spoke, Wei Potian refilled their cups, only to find the bottle empty again.

Looking at the boisterous crowd, the dilapidated surroundings, and the empty bottles, Wei Potian suddenly felt a wave of sentimentality. He said softly, “Xiao Ye, once we part ways, who knows when we’ll meet again. But I think it’ll be impossible to find a brother like you. Both of us have our own thoughts, but this world is just too damn awful! Only by holding the entire world in our hands can we make it go our way. So, Xiao Ye, let’s do it together, let’s stand at the top of the world and hold all the continents in our hands!”

“Ambitious,” Qian Ye remarked with a smile.

“The bigger the heart, the bigger the world it can hold!” The heir of the Wei family was still brimming with ambition.

Qian Ye said nothing, but his eyes began to burn with a certain fire. The fiery liquor flowed down his throat, sinking into the abyss, then rising as a blazing flame!

When the two emerged from the tavern, the night was deep, the moon high in the sky.

Heiliu City was still bustling with activity, mercenaries, adventurers, and hunters spending their hard-earned coins on alcohol and women, without a care.

In these uncertain times, no one could be sure they would see the next dawn.

The impending war had already spread among the elite, and the common folk had their own ways of sensing it. They saw wealthy people hurriedly evacuating, prices of food and weapons quietly rising, and large military movements, with the usually arrogant and unruly nobles discreetly disappearing.

Eternal Night was the bottom rung of the empire, and those living there had no means or opportunity to leave, leaving their fate to the heavens.

Gazing at the city in its final revelry, Wei Potian and Qian Ye fell silent.

Finally, Wei Potian said softly, “I’m leaving.”

“Take care.”

“Don’t forget our agreement!”

Seeing Qian Ye nod, Wei Potian grinned widely, though silently, and said, “Good, let’s definitely meet again alive! Be careful, or my Thousand Mountain Weight will crush you flat!”

Never one to back down from a challenge, Qian Ye smirked, “A few more times, and I’ll shatter your shell! I told you, worry about yourself!”

As he spoke, Qian Ye subtly released his origin power, and in Wei Potian’s almost bulging eyes, six origin nodes lit up, nearly blinding him!

“You…how are you already at level six?”

Qian Ye smiled, “Just a little slip-up.”

“But you’re actually at level six?” Wei Potian scratched his head, unable to imagine the outcome of another fight with Qian Ye. But he soon grinned, saying, “That’s good, at least I can leave with peace of mind. Those guys need to be at least levels eight or nine to cause you any real trouble.”

Wei Potian spread his arms and hugged Qian Ye tightly before preparing to leave.

As he turned, he suddenly looked up, drawn by a feeling.

On the roof of a nearby building, Song Zining had somehow appeared. Standing on the highest ridge, he stood firmly. At that moment, the leaden clouds in the night sky parted, casting a beam of cold moonlight on him, as if gilding him with a silvery sheen, a faint mist rising.

The scene was exquisite, but to Wei Potian, it was unbearably irritating. He glared at Song Zining, this rascal who should have long gone back to the upper continent. Why was he here now, standing so arrogantly high, not fearing a broken neck?

Song Zining waved to Qian Ye with a smile, but when he turned to Wei Potian, his smile turned to mockery, his lips moving. Clearly, he was mouthing his usual insult at Wei Potian, “Idiot.”

Wei Potian, straightforward as ever, spat on the ground, disdainful of speaking to such a person.

Song Zining didn’t linger, turning and walking away, fading into the moonlit distance. Wei Potian, too, reached the time for farewell, having said all that needed to be said. He waved and disappeared into the night, deliberately going in the opposite direction of Song Zining, one heading east, the other west, clearly refusing to walk the same path.

Watching his friends’ antics, Qian Ye couldn’t help but laugh. He knew Wei Potian would eventually leave Eternal Night, the heir of the Marquis of Bowa’s destiny not meant for this forsaken land. Song Zining’s appearance was a surprise, the elusive Seventh Young Master. When he last said he would help Qian Ye reinstate his identity, it was already a farewell, though he hadn’t yet left the Eternal Night Continent.

In a blink, Qian Ye found himself alone.

And the night, suddenly, grew windy, the chill biting like a knife.

In the deep, cold night, with this unremarkable Heiliu City as the starting point, the three embarked on different paths, each to explore their own world.

Perhaps, years later, when they returned to this place, they would each hold up their own sky. Or perhaps, some would remain on the journey, sending only memories to their friends.

This was the world of the war era, where every parting might be forever, and having something to care about was a luxury, for most people, most of the time, were powerless.