Above the Galaxy
Chapter 54 - 54 41 Princess Your Highness!

54: Chapter 41, Princess Your Highness!

54: Chapter 41, Princess Your Highness!

“My homeland wrenches my gut, willow branches fresh day and night.”

“Wild geese fly south under the gloomy moon, rumored to return upon reaching this place.

I have yet to finish my journey.

When will I return?”

“Glancing back at Purple Gold Peak, rain soaks through a haze of smoke.

In a river of spring waves, confoundingly sobering up.

I’ve kept the tears from the day before on my robe, to share with the migrating swans.”

——

In the ambiguous night, the mountain forest was eerily still.

The entire Mount of Regret was shrouded in darkness, except for the high platform where several large trees held torches made of pine resin oil.

The flames roared fiercely, sizzling and crackling as if they were the background music to the verses being chanted.

Unbeknownst to all, it had started to rain, adding a layer of sorrowful departure.

The rain fell like fine needles, landing on the face and body of each mourner.

It didn’t prick the skin; it pricked the hearts saying farewell.

As the wind blew, the gauze on the platform and the leaves overhead rustled.

Ghost Energy enveloped the area as if those who had passed were reluctant to leave, making their final responses to the living relatives.

The old man had started singing at twilight, and several hours had passed.

His voice was hoarse, his melody mournful.

After taking a big gulp of fruit wine, it seemed less like he was bidding farewell and more like he was mourning himself.

Little Fatty watched the old man on stagewide-eyed and said, “Brother, Godfather is truly amazing, knowing so many poems.”

Tang Fei glanced at Little Fatty and said, “He recited all night yesterday and woke up this morning with eyes like a panda.”

“That’s still pretty impressive.” Little Fatty held his ground and said, “I recited all night, and when I woke up, I’d almost forgotten everything.”

“Almost forgotten?” Tang Fei retorted irritably, “You remembered the name of the poem but forgot the author…

is that what you call almost?”

“…I had already tried hard just to remember the name of the poem.”

“That’s true,” Tang Fei patted Little Fatty on the shoulder and said, “So, you better stick to stone-smashing.

Everyone has their specialty, and we’ve got to find a skill to feed the family.”

“Don’t worry, brother, I’m really good at stone crushing now.

Even Godfather said I’m better than him.”

Tang Fei looked at Little Fatty thoughtfully.

“When has he ever crushed stone?

Over the years, it was first the two of us, and now he sends me hunting while you crush stone…

He just stands there giving orders.

When has he ever done it himself?”

“Godfather said it’s to give us more opportunities to learn.

He said he can’t be with us forever…

he wants you to learn hunting and wants me to learn stone-clad building so that we both won’t starve to death when he’s gone.”

“You believe those shameless words?”

“Big brother, I think what Godfather said makes sense.”

“…”

“Big brother, are you sad?” Little Fatty asked.

Tang Fei nodded and replied, “Sad.

The teacher died, all those familiar people died…

it’s really upsetting.”

“We’ll never hear the teacher narrating books again, never learn how to write from him, never hear him speak reasoning…

and his fruit wine, so delicious.

We’ll never taste it again.”

“I’m not sad,” Little Fatty declared.

Tang Fei stared at Little Fatty incredulously, wondering if he had an antisocial personality.

So many people had died, and yet he claimed not to be sad?

“Brother, you are alive, Godfather is alive…” Little Fatty glanced at Phoenix, then continued, “Sister Phoenix is alive too…

As long as you’re alive, I won’t be sad.

Even if I died, I wouldn’t be sad.”

“…”

Phoenix sighed softly and remarked, “Little Fatty is very naive, so naive that he can’t bear to hold too many people in his heart.”

“I’m the same,” Tang Fei said.

Phoenix shook her head and replied, “You just genuinely have neither heart nor lungs.”

Phoenix didn’t know who Tang Fei really cared about, but those he did care about must be very few indeed.

“That is severe defamation, a disgrace to my reputation.

I’m telling you, if Old Land had judges, I would’ve sued you long ago.”

“Pfft, I’m merely telling the truth,” Phoenix retorted with proud defiance, then challenged, “Otherwise, tell me who you care about most?”

“Little Fatty, Old Man An Ning…” Tang Fei looked at Phoenix seriously and said, “And you.”

“Huh?” Phoenix felt a sweet satisfaction inside but tried to look as if she didn’t care at all and asked, “Me too?”

“Of course.” Tang Fei nodded.

“What if something happened to you?

All the supplies and weapons you promised me would fall through?

I feed you, kill for you—that’d be all for nothing.

I’m not into making such losing deals.”

“Tang Fei…” Phoenix pinched Tang Fei hard on the waist in annoyance and protested, “I was right, wasn’t I?

You really are heartless.”

Tang Fei cried out, pleading for mercy, “How am I heartless?

I just said you’re the one I care about most…

let go, it really hurts.

Pinch Little Fatty, his touch feels better.”

Feeling sorry for his brother, Little Fatty offered his plump arm and said, “Sister Phoenix, pinch me instead.

I have more flesh…”

How could Phoenix bear to pinch Little Fatty?

She glared at Tang Fei and said to Little Fatty, “Are you silly?

He tells me to pinch you, and you just offer your hand?”

“Yeah, Big Brother hates pain the most,” Little Fatty said.

“…”

Phoenix looked helplessly at Little Fatty, feeling that there was no hope for the foolish boy.

Even if Tang Fei sold him out, he would still naively count the money for others.

At that moment, a bright light shone in the sky, as if a sun had suddenly risen above everyone’s heads.

The “sun” moved at an incredibly fast pace, appearing in a distant place one moment and descending right before their eyes in the blink of an eye.

It was only then that everyone realized that this was a massive, pitch-black object.

The supposed “sun” was a beam of light emitted from its base, a natural reaction when energy burned.

Its appearance was oval, resembling a thick, large disc.

On its body, a golden bird with outspread wings soared.

It was Phoenix, the Phoenix reborn from flames.

It searched the sky for a while before finding an open area next to the stage.

Three solid supports, resembling claws, slowly extended and snapped onto the ground with a “click.”

Star Disc!

This was a Star Disc!

Tang Fei had never seen a Star Disc before, but he had heard descriptions of it.

As the government and corporations on New Star developed and utilized Old Land and excavated the Great Tomb, the frequency of Star Discs arriving on Old Land had increased.

Whoosh…

The black metal hatch opened, and rows of tall soldiers wearing dark brown uniforms with Phoenix totems embroidered on their chests marched out.

They held standardized silver Pulse Guns, which looked quite expensive.

Of course, their attack power was also astonishing.

After exiting, they immediately split into two columns, one to the east and one to the west, quickly moving to enclose the area around the stage.

They were surrounded.

The audience at the scene fell silent, all eyes drawn to the suddenly appeared Star Disc and the impressively powerful soldiers.

People could speak up when facing the Flame Shrine or the Predator Organization.

However, facing a fully armed group of extraterrestrial guests left them feeling helplessly weak.

Such an enemy was not something ordinary citizens of Old Land could contend with.

Thus, under the siege of these soldiers, not a single person spoke out in resistance.

Of course, their lack of resistance was also because Tang Fei did not resist.

Now Tang Fei was the most respected man in the village, his word was law, and no one dared to defy any of his decisions.

If he didn’t resist, what was the point of anyone else resisting?

Little Fatty turned to look at Phoenix.

Even as slow as he was, he understood the purpose of these people’s visit.

They were here to pick up Sister Phoenix.

Sister Phoenix was leaving.

Heh…

Phoenix’s feelings were even more complicated, a mix of excitement, joy, relief, yet mostly sadness and melancholy.

“My people have come for me!”

“I’m leaving!”

“Leaving Old Land, returning to the place that bore and raised me, back to the New Star I know best…”

“But why does my heart feel so heavy, as if I can hardly breathe?”

“Why can’t I feel happy about something I’ve looked forward to every day?”

She turned to look at Tang Fei’s profile, only to find that he was completely unconcerned with her feelings.

He was intently staring at the Pulse Guns in the soldiers’ hands, his eyes shining brightly, almost frighteningly so.

“Damn it!”

Several men in high-ranking officer uniforms then emerged, each standing on either side of the hatch, followed by a stout middle-aged man with a square face in a General’s uniform, appearing before everyone.

He stood on the silver stairs, sweeping his gaze through the crowd, quickly locking onto Phoenix at the back.

The middle-aged man strode toward her direction majestically, his demeanor fierce.

The high-ranking officers on either side followed closely behind, their boots clicking uniformly and loudly on the somewhat hard stone pavement.

Bang!

The middle-aged man stopped in front of Phoenix, knelt on one knee, bowed his head, and said in a deep voice, “Your Highness Princess, the Undying Army has come to take you home.”

Whoosh…

All the soldiers knelt down, their heads bowed, not daring to look directly into Phoenix’s eyes, and said in a deep voice, “Your Highness Princess, the Undying Army has come to take you home.”