"Master, my hands are not clean. In this matter, you can still choose to back out," Kanzaki said in a low voice.
"I only want you, Master. I don't care about anything else!" Jingliu blurted out.
Kanzaki nodded slightly without saying much. He reached out and gathered a lock of her ice-colored hair, slowly running the comb through the strands.
Jingliu could not feel the warmth of her master's fingertips, but she could sense him gradually pulling back his oppressive aura.
He was combing her hair with careful, somewhat clumsy movements.
The gazes of the countless people around them seemed to disappear from her world. All that remained was the soft sound of breathing behind her and the gentle rustle of the wooden comb passing through her hair.
Her long hair was styled into a neat, capable bun, yet it carried dark bloodstains.
Still, no one saw those bloodstains as something that defiled the young girl's coming-of-age ceremony.
That was the blood of the Xianzhou's greatest enemies. To the younger generation, it served as a different kind of honor.
Using the blood of their foes to pass on the will of the Cloud Knights.
Kanzaki picked up a hairpin from the tray and carefully inserted it into Jingliu's coiled bun.
The ceremony was complete.
But he did not stop there. He took out a neatly folded dark blue satin ribbon embroidered with flowing cloud patterns.
Bending down slightly, the scent of blood on his hands brushed past Jingliu's face.
He tied the blue ribbon beneath the hairpin. Its long streamers fell among her hair, adding a sense of capability while softening some of her former fragility.
Jingliu could not help but turn her head, her eyes shimmering with moisture.
Looking at the girl who had grown up so much and seeing the changed look in her eyes compared to when they had parted, the corners of Kanzaki's mouth twitched in an extremely stiff manner. His face had remained expressionless for over two years.
He seemed to want to smile, but it did not quite look like one.
Perhaps after two years of bloody battles, he had forgotten how to smile.
"Blue suits you."
At that moment, Jingliu felt a warm current flow from the top of her head straight down to the bottom of her heart.
All her waiting and worry finally found their place within the knot of that blue ribbon.
"...Thank you, Master."
She closed her eyes, letting her tears slide down and fall onto Kanzaki's blood-stained combat boots.
And welcome back, Master...
That night, at the Alchemy Commission.
Several doctors were performing the tedious post-war examination on Kanzaki while Jingliu stood quietly to the side.
General Sha Feng was also present.
After listening to Kanzaki's detailed battle report, they finally understood why the expeditionary team had been gone for two years.
The reason was not complicated. On their return journey, they had passed through an unknown star system and captured a large amount of imaginary energy from the Path of Abundance.
After entering that star system, the expeditionary team discovered a new species of Abominations of Abundance.
These creatures looked like a mix of horses and oxen. They had thick hides and flesh, and their healing speed was nearly identical to that of the Borisin.
A single horn grew from the center of their foreheads, possessing a strange ability to interfere with communication frequencies and emit electromagnetic pulses that destroyed communicators.
Not only the Xianzhou's Jade Abacus system, but even the IPC's interstellar communications would be disrupted.
This completely unknown new species had caught the expeditionary team slightly off guard.
If they had not been massive, lacking in agility, and rather unintelligent, exterminating them would have been extremely difficult.
A species capable of interfering with communication equipment posed a massive strategic threat.
The Xianzhou Yaoqing cooperated closely with the IPC. These Abominations of Abundance had now been added to the IPC's hostile list, and the two sides were working together to research ways to counter their abilities.
Unable to maintain contact during battle, many tactics could not be executed efficiently.
To preserve their combat strength as much as possible, the expeditionary team had chosen a relatively conservative approach, slowly encircling and hunting down the Abominations.
After some study of these creatures, Kanzaki had temporarily named them Siluo.
He also discovered that the single horn of the Siluo seemed to possess an even stronger ability. It could unilaterally block certain hard-to-describe deep connections.
For example, the connection between brain commands and limb movements.
During the extermination battle on their return journey, many Cloud Knights had inexplicably become half a beat slower in their movements, clearly affected by the Siluo.
"General, in addition to the abilities mentioned above, I suspect the Siluo also have an impact on Synesthesia Beacons," Kanzaki said with some uncertainty as he recalled the battle.
"But there is no intelligent civilization in that world, so it cannot be verified."
"Have any live specimens been captured?" Sha Feng asked.
"Yes, but we did not bring enough containment equipment when we set out. We only brought back fewer than two hundred specimens. They have already been delivered to the Alchemy Commission's Abomination Research Department."
"The sample size is too small..."
Since no intelligent civilization existed in that world, there was generally no urgent need to completely exterminate these Abominations.
The exception would be if the threat they posed was immense.
Many thoughts flashed through Sha Feng's mind. He asked tentatively, "Do the Siluo cause great damage to the world's ecosystem?"
"Yes. Based on the speed at which different Abominations destroy ecosystems, I am afraid that in less than half a year, that world's biosphere will be completely destroyed, leaving only the Siluo as the sole species."
No wonder.
Upon receiving Kanzaki's confirmation, Sha Feng showed a look of realization.
Kanzaki continued unhurriedly.
"The expeditionary team's equipment and navigation resources suffered severe losses in battle. It was impossible for us to thoroughly investigate whether more Siluo or other Abomination species still exist in that star system."
"At the Xianzhou's current cruising speed, we can reach that star system in twenty-six days."
"As for how to arrange the subsequent hunting operation, I will leave that to you, General."
"Hmm. Let the Alchemy Commission study the Siluo for five days and wait for their initial conclusions before we decide," Sha Feng said. He already had a plan in mind.
Having served as General for nearly a hundred years, he was well experienced in handling such matters.
"In the next two months, the only place near the Xianzhou's route that has Abominations is the unknown star system you mentioned. There is no need to rush."
As he spoke, he turned to look at the silent girl and sighed inwardly.
Too few people had survived from Cangcheng.
A person always needed something to rely on in order to keep living. The girl had not yet truly faced cruelty with her own eyes.
With her relatives long gone, her only support was her master, Kanzaki.
"You have performed a great service by leading the expedition this time. According to regulations, Cloud Knights must take leave after major combat operations. You shall rest for two months and spend more time with your disciple."
"Thank you, General."
"Thank you, General, for your concern for my master."
Master and disciple spoke one after another.
Sha Feng waved his right hand lightly. "I am simply following regulations. I still have important matters to attend to, so I will take my leave first."
Jingliu was very sensible and saw the General off in place of Kanzaki.
Another half an hour passed before the tedious post-war examination finally came to an end.
"Lord Kanzaki, there is nothing unusual with your body. You may go."
"Thank you for your trouble."
"You are too kind. It is my duty."
Master and disciple boarded a star skiff. On the way home, Jingliu activated the autopilot and looked at the stream of star skiffs passing by outside the window. However, her peripheral vision kept drifting toward Kanzaki.
She wanted to say something but did not know where to begin.
As they drew closer and closer to home, the words Jingliu had been holding inside for so long changed into something else when they finally reached her lips.
"Master, when will I be able to join you on an expedition to hunt Abominations?"
...I actually wanted to say that I missed you very much, Master...
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Bonus chapters
200 - Stones
400 - Stones
600 - Stones
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