Meanwhile, inside a courtyard in Donghai City.

Zhou Huai's consciousness returned to his body in an extremely weak state, like a withered leaf swaying in a raging wind.

His body felt as if it had been poured full of lead.

Heavy.

Stiff.

He couldn't even move a single finger.

His consciousness felt even more like floating and sinking in a dark deep sea; every time he tried to float up, he was dragged back down by a deeper sense of exhaustion.

It was a feeling of utter depletion from overexerting his soul to the absolute limit.

He didn't know how many times he had passed out along the way.

Finally, he had conveyed everything he needed to entrust through Yasuo's mouth.

As for the rest, he could only leave it to fate.

"...Young Master! Young Master, wake up!"

A faint, muffled cry came from beside his ear.

The voice was aged, filled with a panic and sobbing that could not be concealed.

It was Uncle Fu.

Zhou Huai's consciousness became slightly clearer.

He had probably noticed something wrong with his body.

He really caused this old man too much worry.

Zhou Huai wanted to open his mouth to offer a few comforting words, but found that his throat felt as if it were stuffed with cotton, unable to utter a sound.

So tired.

Really so tired.

Even breathing had become a form of torture.

Right at that moment.

A small, ice-cold hand trembled as it grasped his palm.

The touch was very soft and delicate.

Zhou Huai felt a bit surprised in his heart.

Were Uncle Fu's hands always this small?

He hadn't paid attention before.

Immediately after.

*Patter.*

Something warm and liquid fell onto his cheek, sliding down his face.

Is someone crying?

Who is it?

Exhausting the last bit of strength in his whole body, Zhou Huai controlled his heavy eyelids and barely forced a slit open.

His vision was a complete blur.

But he could still see it.

A graceful figure was standing beside the bed.

Wearing a light green dress, her shoulders were twitching violently.

Is that... Ye Xi?

Zhou Huai's thought process was somewhat sluggish.

This silly girl.

She's finally willing to come see me?

Seeing me in this half-dead state, she must be very sad, right?

What a pity.

Now I don't even have the strength to sit up and hug her, or wipe away her tears.

"Zhou... Brother Zhou Huai..."

A tearful call filtered into his ears.

Zhou Huai's heart twitched slightly.

Don't cry.

Silly girl.

I'm just... too tired.

Ever since the first day of Transmigration into this world.

I haven't had a single night of peaceful sleep.

Every day spent calculating, plotting, repeatedly jumping back and forth on the edge of life and death.

That string had been pulled taut all along.

Never daring to relax even a little bit.

Now it's good.

That mountain crushing down on my heart has finally collapsed.

Kujo Naruya is dead.

Great Xia's crisis is resolved.

I can finally... get a good rest.

This feeling actually isn't bad.

It feels as if a thousand-pound burden has been lifted.

Zhou Huai felt his consciousness sinking continuously.

The surrounding sounds grew farther and farther away.

Ye Xi's sobbing, Uncle Fu's shouts, all felt as though they were separated by a thick layer of glass, becoming distorted and ethereal.

Darkness surged like a tide.

Devouring everything.

Nothing could be heard anymore.

Nothing could be thought anymore.

Only endless tranquility.

On the bed.

Zhou Huai's eyes, which had barely opened a crack, slowly closed.

His chest, which had still been faintly rising and falling, came to a complete standstill.

Inside the room, Ye Xi's cries had turned hoarse.

"Brother Zhou Huai! Wake up! Look at me!"

She called out repeatedly, her tears falling like broken strings of pearls, pattering down.

Sacred healing halos surfaced in her hands, merging into Zhou Huai's body one after another.

Yet it was like falling on dead wood, failing to stir even the slightest ripple.

"No... It can't be..."

Ye Xi's tears pattered down, soaking Zhou Huai's collar.

"Wake up! Don't scare me!"

"I'm very strong, I can definitely save you!"

"I beg you... don't leave me behind..."

Until her mana was instantly emptied out.

Until her face turned pale as paper, her healing spell never stopped for even a single moment.

"Young Miss Ye! Stop!"

Uncle Fu reached out with a trembling hand and pressed on Ye Xi's shoulder.

Tears streamed down his old face.

He falteringly extended his finger to test Zhou Huai's breath.

Then he felt the carotid artery that had already stopped beating.

Finally.

His body shuddered violently.

As if his spine had been pulled out, he collapsed limp onto the ground.

"The Young Master... he's gone..."

These five words were like a bolt out of the blue.

The Holy Light in Ye Xi's hands extinguished.

She stared blankly at the serene face of the man on the bed.

Just like he had fallen asleep.

Only he would never wake up again.

"Waah—!!!"

Ye Xi threw herself onto Zhou Huai's chest and burst into sorrowful wailing.

Her cries were heartbroken and agonizing to hear.

"I'm sorry... Brother Zhou Huai, I'm sorry..."

"I came too late..."

"I'm useless..."

...

Meanwhile, in Sakura Country.

A squad that had just finished a fierce battle was cleaning up the battlefield.

The ground was covered with the incomplete corpses of the Akagi.

A middle-aged man wearing the uniform of a Great Xia Military Department general patted the shoulder of a soldier who was bandaging a comrade's wound.

"Well done!"

The general's eyes were full of unreserved admiration.

"Which unit does your squad belong to? You fought bravely, I like it very much!"

The soldier grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth, his face filled with unhideable pride.

"Reporting, sir! My name is Qin Ming!"

"We are not military soldiers, we belong to the Evernight Guild!"

"Evernight Guild?"

The general paused for a moment, somewhat surprised.

He looked Qin Ming up and down, as well as the surrounding Classer who also exuded a fierce aura.

"I didn't expect you people from a civilian guild to perform even better than the regular troops of our Great Xia Military Department."

"You really fought with your lives during that charge just now."

Hearing the officer's praise, Qin Ming immediately puffed out his chest, feeling comfortable all over.

"Of course! Not a single person in our Evernight Guild is a coward!"

The general nodded and praised, "It seems your guild leader raised you all very well."

"It's Lord Master!"

Qin Ming immediately corrected him, the expression on his face incomparably serious and devout.

"Without Lord Master, there would be no current us, let alone the current Evernight Guild!"

Upon hearing this, curiosity flashed in the general's eyes, and he was just about to ask further.

However, right at that moment.

A sudden change occurred.

The proud smile overflowing on Qin Ming's face suddenly froze.

He stood stunned in place as if a body-freezing spell had been cast on him.

It wasn't just Qin Ming.

On the battlefield, all members belonging to the Evernight Guild—whether cleaning up the battlefield, treating the wounded, or standing guard on patrol—

stopped their actions in the exact same instant.

The expressions on their faces instantly turned from excitement and pride to astonishment and bewilderment.

Finally, it transformed into complete, utter disbelief.

"What's wrong?"

The general noticed something was wrong and asked with a frown.

No one answered him.

The next second.

*Swish—!*

All the members of the Evernight Guild present—at least a hundred people—

stood straight up in unison, as if receiving a silent command.

Then, in unison, they turned toward the same direction.

That was... the direction of Donghai City in Great Xia Nation.

Their faces were filled with shock and panic.

An ominous premonition instantly seized everyone's heart.

"No... impossible..."

Qin Ming's lips trembled as he muttered to himself.

That link imprinted in the deepest part of their souls, closely connected to their lives...

That spiritual brand they took pride in and regarded like a deity...

Vanished?

Lord Master... has fallen?