051 Farewell, Icacia

Liang Yin, utterly speechless, dragged a certain someone clinging to her out of the room, her hand still gripping that person's oversized luggage bag.

Lance was a little surprised, yet maintained his usual smile. "Quite a lot of luggage, isn't it?"

Liang Yin looked at Lance as if it was only natural. "With you as a laborer and my dear companion joining me, it's only right to bring more. Surely you’re not telling me you can’t carry all this?"

Lance met Liang Yin’s gaze with a smile, offering no reply.

Had anyone paid close attention to these two, they might have noticed the silent conversation passing between their eyes:

"If even a single hair is missing from her on this journey, I'll hold you solely responsible."

"Yes, yes."

"She looks tough and talks well, but she lacks all sorts of knowledge—especially common sense. You need to guide her, understood?"

"No problem…"

"This road is perilous. I don't care what happens; if you come back alone, I’ll hunt you down. Do you hear me?"

"I understand. But are you sure you can defeat me?"

...

While Lance and Liang Yin quarreled with their eyes, that certain someone paid them no mind, standing upright and proud, prepared in spirit to greet Huan Luo and Xia Kui’s arrival.

She was certain that if she threw herself, teary-eyed, into Huan Luo’s arms to act spoiled, Huan Luo would frown seriously and say, "Then let me go instead. I’m ready to depart at any time!"

Ah, she sighed inwardly. Huan Luo, you really don’t understand the slightest bit about romance. How will you ever find someone to marry?

As expected, seeing Liang Yin and Lance locked in silent argument, Huan Luo frowned at her and said, "Why don’t I go with you? I’m ready to leave at any time!"

Without even needing to look, she could imagine Huan Luo’s frail state, wrapped in bandages. So, moving quickly, she threw an arm around Lance’s waist (because she wasn’t tall enough to reach his neck, not that she’d admit it) and laughed loudly, "No need, no need! I’ve wanted to visit the Imperial City with Lance for ages—ha ha ha… right?"

Dragged before Huan Luo, Lance hurried to agree, "Yes, I’m also very curious about what the Imperial City looks like. I’d love to see it."

"If you two were just going sightseeing, I wouldn’t object. But this journey is dangerous; you don’t need to risk your lives for it," Huan Luo’s frown seemed unlikely to ease anytime soon.

She quickly declared, "I volunteer to join the Ecasia army and am willing to dedicate my life to the cause of Ecasia’s liberation. Any responsibilities for my actions rest with me, now fully of age, and I will never regret it!" Saying this, she bumped Lance.

Lance, receiving the cue, could only respond helplessly, "Same here."

Huan Luo could only bow her head in resignation. Ever since Dragon Tooth failed to be sealed, she had lost all sense of connection with it—as if the bond of ownership had never existed. Dragon Tooth refused anyone’s approach, especially Huan Luo’s. If her hand touched it, the powerful murderous aura it released would injure her. Only Liang Yin, wielding the Eternal Staff, could barely touch Dragon Tooth and hide it in Xia Kui’s storage chest.

With Dragon Tooth severed from her, Huan Luo thought she’d be allowed to go to the Imperial City, but was still firmly prevented.

In a sense, her companion’s sealing attempt had succeeded, at least enough to transform the passionate romance between Dragon Tooth and Huan Luo into the tragic phase of a breakup. So really, there was no need for such pessimism.

Xia Kui stepped forward to help tidy her companion’s collar. Under Liang Yin’s violent threats, Mo Mi had finally shed the gray robe she’d worn for years, donning a red plaid cloak, long sleeves, and shorts. She was certain this outfit was bought on discount the day Liang Yin and Huan Luo went shopping, together with Huan Luo’s own change of clothes.

Once her collar was fixed, Xia Kui signaled her to follow, leading her away from the group. Only after they’d walked several steps did Xia Kui speak. "I know this journey is asking a lot from you…"

She was about to protest, but Xia Kui covered her mouth, not allowing the denial. "Don’t say it’s not difficult. We both know how dangerous this mission is. If Huan Luo and Andy were in better shape, I wouldn’t ask you. Ecasia could be attacked by magical beasts at any moment—I must stay here."

She nodded in understanding.

Xia Kui sighed, knowing further words were futile—she herself couldn’t replace them on this journey. "This is a false imperial decree the king once issued to solve Huan Luo’s problem. Who would have thought it would prove useful now." With that, Xia Kui took out two small silver badges. "These are your and Lance’s identification tags now. Don’t lose them."

She took the badges with both hands. The first was her own, clearly inscribed with her name, purpose, and a precise portrait.

The second was more surprising. The badge boldly bore the name "Liang Yin," the same purpose as hers, but the portrait was unmistakably Lance’s gentle, handsome smile.

She wiped her brow. She could never associate the name "Liang Yin" with the man before her; who knew whom Liang Yin’s old record would trip up this time…

Having obtained the final crucial items, she was about to return to Lance when Xia Kui stopped her with a low warning, "Be careful of Lance." She turned back in surprise, but Xia Kui didn’t repeat her cryptic whisper. "Remember the diplomatic etiquette I taught you? Don’t forget—go to one city before another. The formalities between nations are fixed; don’t wander off and draw unnecessary suspicion. Remember, your main task is to find the king or Huan Luo’s father, learn exactly what’s happening in the Imperial City, and return safely. Understood?"

She nodded, then asked, "If I do meet the king or General Li Yi, what reason do they have to trust me?"

Xia Kui glanced toward Huan Luo, smiling mysteriously. "For that, you just need to get a couple of secret phrases from Huan Luo."

Like an NPC fetching a quest, she diligently ran over to Huan Luo. "Quick, tell me the secret phrases for gaining trust!"

A rosy flush suddenly colored Huan Luo’s pale face, yet she stifled her shyness and whispered a few words in her ear. The more she spoke, the redder her face became. When she finished, she pressed herself against her companion’s shoulder, unwilling to move for a long while.

Her companion, however, felt a surge of excitement, jaw dropping wider, gossip radar fully activated, scanning the information gleaned from Huan Luo, a wicked smile curling her lips.

Such a juicy start—this, truly, is my kind of story.