Book 4, Chapter 31 - Banquet Hurts

We walked until we reached the end. At least, it should be considered the end.

On the lawn that gradually narrowed, capsule cabins were scattered all around. Each of the white capsule cabins had a Silver Moon City’s flag resting on top of it.

Looking at such a scene, I felt heavyhearted.

Xing Chuan stopped and raised his right hand. “They are the heroes of Silver Moon City. They are the warriors who sacrificed for our future! Their names will forever be engraved on the stones of history and be remembered by later generations!”

Everyone lowered their heads and mourned for the warriors.

The battle had only just begun. From now on, there would be countless people who would sacrifice their lives in our fight against Ghost Eclipsers for the sake of peace.

I lowered my head too. Before them, I felt extremely ashamed.

I was ashamed that I’d been fed up with my past education in patriotism, back in my original world. I was ashamed that I’d hated patriotic films. I was ashamed that I’d thought holding a memorial ceremony for the martyrs was just a formality.

Because I had never been through a war. Because I had never seen war and death with my own eyes.

If I had the chance to return, I swore that I would beat up any person who laughed during the memorial ceremony!

Looking at the rows of capsule cabins that served as coffins, looking at Silver Moon City’s flags, these people had not been obligated to sacrifice for the sake of the world, yet they had fought heroically for the future generations and for their future!

All humans would naturally fear death.

A platform rose in front of Xing Chuan. He turned to look at me. “You send them off,” Xing Chuan said softly. There was none of his usual gentleness, nor was there any viciousness. There was nothing in his tone at all.

I had once thought that he was a cold person, that he judged people based on their value to him. I thought he wouldn’t have cared if they sacrificed their lives because he couldn’t be bothered by it.

But at this moment, when I saw that he had no expression across his face, I felt the weight he carried at the bottom of his heart. He was the one who’d sent them out to war but he hadn’t brought them back.

He carried so many people’s lives on his shoulders and now he finally revealed his true expression, which was no expression at all.

I glanced at him and walked up to his side, then turned my eyes to the platform before him.

He held my hand and I looked at him. He nodded at me and pressed my hand onto the platform. His hand covered the back of my hand, but his palm felt cold on my skin.

I thought to myself, This should be what he meant by ‘Don’t embarrass me.’

I would have beat him up if it had been during usual times.

But now, I couldn’t.

The light on the platform swept past my palm. The capsule cabins before me began to slant upwards to forty-five degrees, like missiles moving into position. They aimed outwards, at the dark universe.

*Bang!* A capsule cabin suddenly launched, the flag that had covered it slipping off to fall softly to the ground. Then, the capsule cabins launched one after another, the flags fluttering in the air like withered leaves. They flew straight out of Silver Moon City and into the dark boundless universe beyond.

Xing Chuan moved his hand away from mine and took a deep breath. Slowly letting out his breath, he watched the capsule cabins being launched into the dark universe.

“If I were to die one day, I would let you send me off as a chance for you to take revenge.” His soft remark revealed how fearless and calm he was about death. There was even a tinge of disdain in his tone, as though he was scornful of death.

I hated him but my hatred paled in comparison to how important he was to this world.

“Don’t worry. I won’t let you die because both Silver Moon City and this world need you,” I said as I retracted my hand. He glanced at me in surprise but I didn’t look at him. “I, Luo Bing, have always drawn a clear distinction between public and personal interest. Don’t give me a chance to beat you up.”

“Heh,” he chuckled. He turned and raised both hands in the air. “Let the banquet begin!”

“Oh!” Everyone cheered. The solemnity and sorrow in the air instantly vanished. As if all of them were trying to live better and work hard to enjoy their lives on behalf of their comrades who had passed away.

Everyone dispersed, revealing a long buffet table behind the crowd. Melodious music resounded, kickstarting the banquet.

Xing Chuan flashed a gentle smile. He looked at me. “You can…”

“I’m going to eat.” I left decisively before he could finish his sentence.

Moon Dream and Nora glared at me coldly, filled with murderous intent. Blue Charm seemed to have gotten used to my attitude, since she didn’t bother to glare at me. Her eyes held only confusion, like Gale.

Sharjah smiled and shook his head.

Yama crossed his arms, his face turning grave.

“Lil Bing!” Harry ran to me. “Why are you angry? Did Xing Chuan bully you? Let me beat him up!” He rolled his sleeves up.

I stared at him, then stomped on his foot.

“Ah!” He covered his foot in agony, “Why did you do that?! What did I do that made you angry?!”

I glared at him coldly. “I can’t be bothered with you!” I strode to the buffet table and picked up a plate, taking a piece of rose cake. Silver Moon City’s food looked delicious.

“Why are you angry?” Harry caught up with me. He took a plate too. When I glanced at him, his eyes were attracted to the sumptuous spread. “Wow! There is so much delicious food, just like the girls!”

Girls again!

At once I lifted my foot and stomped on his foot again.

“Ah!” He groaned in pain. “You stepped on me again!”

“There are so many girls here. You don’t have to be sad about not having a girlfriend now!” I spat, knocking into him as I walked away while he stood stunned.

“That Harry is so good looking.” The girls on the other side of the table chattered excitedly. A high rack of fruit skewers stood in front of me, which happened to block me from their sight. Of course, if I had Harry’s height, it wouldn’t have blocked me at all.

“Yeah! Much better looking than Major Sharjah!”

“All of you are so easily tired with the old and fascinated by the new! You’ve fallen for a new handsome guy and forgot all about Major?”

“But that Harry is so good looking. Look at his hair! It’s curly and he looks so handsome!”

I gripped my cutlery tightly. Congratulations, Harry! You are as popular among girls here as you were back in Noah City! Plus there are even more girls here! I reckon that on Confession Day the line of girls queueing up to confess to you would stretch all the way into outer space!

“But, Luo Bing is so handsome too!”

Hearing that, I immediately felt better even though I didn’t care much about appearance and compliments.

“But he is a little too short.”

*Poof!* A knife stabbed right into my heart.

“He’s okay. He’s about the same height as Gale. There are many girls who are shorter than him.”

“How tall is that Luo Bing? Is he even five foot four?”

“He can grow taller!”

*Poof! Poof! Poof!* I was stabbed to the point of turning into a hedgehog.

“It’ll do as long as he is good-looking.”

“I know, right? And, he’s so cool. He even dares to speak up to His Highness Xing Chuan like that. He’s so cool!”

“I’m so enchanted by him!”

I finally felt better.

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