Chapter 50 — ILK Chapter 50

After Returning to Base

On the day they returned to Black Tower's main base, the snow in the mountains unexpectedly stopped. It was a perfect day for a homecoming.

The mission at the Snow Mountain sub-base no longer included a defense component; moving forward, efforts would focus solely on mining. Consequently, only a fifty-person squad remained to ensure operations, rotating every three months. Everyone else withdrew to the main base. Small warships flew back into the bellies of the carriers as Sentinels prepared for departure.

Under the lingering, reluctant gazes of the Sentinels staying behind, Sang Ye finished prepping a warehouse full of ingredients. Without a hint of regret, she followed Asu Ment toward the boarding ramp.

Lin Changli stood nearby, looking up at something in the sky. Sang Ye followed his gaze curiously but saw nothing. When she looked back down, she locked eyes with him again. They blinked at each other.

"You want to see?" Lin Changli suddenly asked.

"?" See what? Sang Ye’s mind was full of question marks. She realized it was truly difficult to hold a normal conversation with him.

Lin Changli didn't move, but he slightly condensed his mental power. A streak of fire flashed across the sky, staining the clouds with the colors of a sunset—layered, brilliant, and dazzling. A clear, resonant cry echoed through the heavens as a massive shadow emerged from the clouds, diving toward the base. Its tail feathers burned with an eternal flame, and its body was draped in golden light.

Across two lifetimes, this was Sang Ye’s first time seeing a real Phoenix. The Phoenix clan lived in secluded mountains, at the peaks of the nine heavens, rarely interacting with the outside world. Over time, they had become myths. Du Yuan had seen one before—she had even brought back a set of knives for Sang Ye—but that was because of a youthful adventure where she picked up a Phoenix egg about to hatch, nearly causing a furious Phoenix mother to burn down all of Shifang Grotto.

Sang Ye watched, eyes wide, as the massive creature landed on the tarmac, radiating a scorching aura. This heat was literal; the ground temperature spiked instantly. Many Sentinels, while awestruck by the beautiful spirit, scrambled into their cabins to avoid the high heat.

Feeling the heat herself, Sang Ye was speechless. The Phoenix lowered its head affectionately. Its gold, hook-like beak—nearly as big as Sang Ye’s head—nudged her frozen cheek. Fortunately, the beak itself was cool to the touch. It opened its beak as if to speak.

"Shut up," Lin Changli said, slapping the wing it was trying to show off. "You're too big. Shrink down."

The Phoenix looked at him with some defiance but obediently shrank until it was small enough to perch on Sang Ye’s shoulder. Yes, Sang Ye’s shoulder.

Sang Ye was numb. What is going on? Also, do you think getting smaller makes it much cooler? The little Phoenix had only lowered its heat to a level she could barely tolerate.

Lin Changli looked down at Sang Ye as she tried to tilt her head away from the Phoenix’s affection. He let out a small laugh, then strode past the crowd and boarded the ship first. Sang Ye’s head was once again full of questions. Hey, you're just going to leave this here?!In the mental landscape, Lin Changli sent a warning to the Phoenix: Don't talk, or I'll never let you out again. Though indignant, the Phoenix wisely shut its mouth, looking at Sang Ye with watery, soulful eyes.

Sang Ye was the last to board, but she saw this as a chance to test her theory. She quietly extended a thread of mental energy toward the little Phoenix. It vanished instantly, like a drop in the ocean, and the Phoenix’s gaze grew even softer. After a brief staring contest, Sang Ye gave up. She looked back at the base where she’d spent nearly half a month; it felt like a lifetime ago.

Waving goodbye to the remaining Sentinels, she officially began the journey home. Without realizing it, she had begun to think of the renovated West Building as "home."

…Eve had set the base weather to a cloudless, sunny day. The moment they entered the dome, sunlight melted the thin frost on the warships, reflecting a warm glow. Sang Ye felt as if she had been born again. Beside her, Du Yuan wore a similarly complex expression. As a Guide, Du Yuan wasn't worried about her future treatment, especially since she was technically a free citizen.

However, when Du Yuan heard the length of Sang Ye’s remaining sentence, her vision went dark. Sang Ye was more concerned about how much her sentence would be reduced this time, but the application would be written by Asu Ment, and there was no telling what the hard-to-please Executive Officer was thinking.

As the ships landed, Jiang Sili stood tall on the tarmac, his black hair fluttering in the landing drafts. He wore a pair of half-rimmed glasses with a tassel and a black suit to welcome the returning General.

"Oh, he's so handsome," Madam Sophia sighed with satisfaction through the porthole. Only she could get away with saying that. Asu Ment heard it but didn't react; her thoughts seemed miles away. Lin Changli, however, let out an enigmatic, silent laugh.

"Welcome back, everyone," Jiang Sili said as warmly as ever. A mist rose from his shoulders, and a three-meter-long Ink-Jade Black Snake appeared, its head held high as it happily shook its tail, making a tinkling sound.

In a flash of insight, Sang Ye peeked at the pig-nosed snake embroidered on Asu Ment’s cuff. She felt she had discovered yet another secret.

"Madam Sophia, was the trip alright?" Jiang Sili asked familiarly as they walked.

"The Marshal’s spirit looks much better this time," he added, nodding to Lin Changli.

"Better than before," Lin Changli replied easily.

"It seems our new Guide is extraordinary," Jiang Sili praised, glancing at Sang Ye. "And we have a new companion." Du Yuan greeted him frankly.

Finally, Jiang Sili slowed his pace to walk side-by-side with Asu Ment. Sunlight filtered through the gallery as a breeze blew past. "Were you badly hurt?" Jiang Sili asked, his voice lower than when he spoke to the others.

Asu Ment thought for a moment before giving an answer Jiang Sili never expected: "Quite badly. I almost thought I wouldn't make it back."

Jiang Sili looked down. Influenced by his spiritual form, he looked somewhat delicate—almost pitiful—beside the robust Asu Ment. Asu suddenly laughed, a rare, bright sound. "I was thinking, if I died in the Snow Mountain, you’d be the only one with the ability—and the heart—to come and collect my body."

The people walking ahead seemed to collectively speed up. Sang Ye, clutching the little Phoenix, practically started running. The group split off at various junctions, heading to their respective management areas. Only Sang Ye and Lin Changli continued down the long gallery toward the West Building.

Asu Ment patted her chest lightly. "Only you know where I keep Charlene." Jiang Sili’s eyes were full of sorrow.

"I saw a lovely little girl in the mountains, about the same age as Wu Jianing. It made me think of Charlene when she was little," Asu said, a rare moment of sentimentality. "I don't know if you remember, but back then we were always apart. Charlene used to travel back and forth between our Legions. She was just as brave as that little girl. At seven, she piloted a ship across galaxies just to find you."

The brave Charlene had died at fifteen during one of Asu’s expeditions.

"My mother often tells me that if I had another child, I wouldn't be so trapped in the past," Asu mused. "I couldn't understand it before—another child couldn't replace Charlene. But now I think, it’s not about replacement."

She suddenly turned to Jiang Sili, who paused abruptly. Asu Ment raised an eyebrow and laughed heartily. Behind them, the tails of the Gu-Eagle and the Black Snake quietly entwined.

…

"Slow down. Even if you heard her, she wouldn't silence you," Lin Changli said lazily behind the sprinting Sang Ye and Du Yuan. "I'm still here, after all."

Sang Ye didn't care; she didn't stop until she reached the West Building. The little Phoenix shook its ruffled feathers and preened itself with its beak.

"It’s not exactly a secret," Lin Changli caught up, his smile mischievous. "Besides, they are legally married."

Seeing Sang Ye’s stunned expression, he feigned surprise: "Oh, so you didn't know."Freak. Sang Ye rolled her eyes. While the little Phoenix wasn't looking, she shoved the spirit—which had been clinging to her—back to Lin Changli.

Du Yuan stood by, smiling. The base hadn't made arrangements for her yet, and her identity was a question mark, but Black Tower never lacked people of unknown origin. As a Guide, she would be taken care of. For now, she would stay with Sang Ye.

The West Building, which originally belonged to Lin Changli, had somehow become Sang Ye’s home. Du Yuan, who was used to the leisurely life of Shifang Grotto, blinked her eyes and asked, "What are we having for dinner?"

"Cake," Lin Changli interjected. "Lemon flavored. Sweet and sour."

"Who has cake for a main meal? That’s a snack," Du Yuan countered immediately. "Dinner is one of the three proper meals. We should have Hot Pot. A good day deserves hot pot! And it has to be a spicy pot!"

Sang Ye walked between them and rolled her eyes. "Are either of you planning to help? Don't just order dishes."

The two of them shut up instantly, looking pitiful as if Sang Ye were bullying them. Sang Ye ignored them because her terminal had just pinged with a message from the Imperial Court and a bank deposit notification.