The military vehicle started slowly. Tang Haofeiâs eyes were unfocused as he watched its engine hum to life and then looked at Wen Yuâs expressionless face inside.
Images from not too long ago in the Deep Sea Cave unexpectedly flashed in his mind.
Tang Haofei began to speak slowly, his voice a focused thread, reaching Wen Yuâs ears directly.
"Wen Yu, remember what I said today, remember what I did today."
"If, one day, I die and you become Sequence Number 1, remember this!"
"What you live for, what you fight for. And for what reason you claimed the position of Sequence Number 1."
"I am for the Earth. And you?"
"I am for myself."
Wen Yuâs responding Spiritual Fluctuation was, as always, affirmative and persistent.
Tang Haofei sighed.
"You just havenât met the person or thing youâre willing to fight for yet..."
"Then, I hope I will never meet them!!!"
The military vehicle moved further and further away until Tang Haofeiâs figure in the distance became blurry and unclear.
Wen Yu let out a deep sigh.
The conflict between ideals and reality is always an unsolvable problem. This clash of ideologies has also become a deep chasm between me and Tang Haofei.
Was what Tang Haofei did wrong? Perhaps from his own perspective, there was nothing wrong with any of it... But I, Wen Yu, disagreed! This time, Tang Haofei betrayed Qin Tian for his so-called responsibility and mission. So, next time, for these illusory things, would Tang Haofei betray me? Not necessarily, or rather, the possibility is high.
So... I should go, just go... The farther away from these people, the better!
Having thought this, Wen Yu knew what he needed to do.
The atmosphere in the military vehicle was oppressive.
Wen Yu sat in his seat without saying a word, and the other three were also too hesitant to interrupt Wen Yuâs contemplation.
Perhaps Qin Tian felt guilty. No, âguiltyâ was too strong a word; at most, he probably just felt a little awkward.
After a while, Wen Yu raised his head, glanced at Qin Tian and the others beside him, and slowly began to speak.
"You should understand what kind of trouble youâve caused this time, right?"
Qin Tian nodded.
"The Sea Clan problem is difficult to resolve. Once the wanted order is issued, given your identity and actions, the bounty wonât be low. With such a high reward, those Bounty Hunters will swarm you like flies, along with the Sea Clanâs forces."
Wen Yu sighed softly. "When Lin Haifeng asked for my help, the price he offered wasnât low. Even so, I didnât bother with him, simply because the reward wasnât proportional to the effort required. If it was like this even for someone with my strength, what more for Qin Tian."
After a moment, Qin Tian spoke calmly, "I understand the consequences of these actions. I just had no choice."
Just like Tang Haofei, Qin Tianâs unspoken difficulties were even clearer and more obviousâWen Yu felt he had nothing to say to that.
"Do you need anything from me?"
Qin Tian shook his head. "No need. Iâll take Qin Shiyuan and Arthur to an unknown place. Meeting you this time was actually to bid you farewell."
Wen Yu interjected, "If you stay with me, your safety will have countless additional guarantees."
"No! Being with you offers no guarantee for our safety at all!"
Hearing Qin Tianâs words, Wen Yu lifted his head in astonishment.
Qin Tian shifted slightly in his seat and said to Wen Yu in a serious tone, "Do you know? Although the time I spent with you was short, I noticed something."
"All sorts of problems always seem to happen around you. This might be related to your personality."
"You act as you please, and you happen to love chasing profitsâbut the things that can bring you profit are not good for usâthe danger is too great!"
"Itâs like thereâs an invisible whirlpool around you, constantly stirring up all sorts of trouble. Youâre powerful, you can get through it, but weâre different."
At this point, Qin Tian sighed. "My strength is considered quite formidable in this world. To put it bluntly, I lived comfortably before, and so did Qin Shiyuan! But since we joined you, our lives have done a 180-degree turn; weâre constantly in danger."
"Iâm so tired..."
Hearing Qin Tianâs words, Wen Yu was left speechless.
Strictly speaking, these things couldnât be blamed on me. But it was an undeniable fact that the danger Qin Tian faced had increased exponentially since he started following me. In many matters, there truly is no right or wrong.
After a while, Wen Yu slowly extended his right hand.
"Well then, I wish you a safe journey."
Qin Tian smiled and took Wen Yuâs offered hand.
"By the way, what about Nicole?"
"After we leave the city, Arthur will go pick up Nicole."
Wen Yu nodded. "In the future, if thereâs anything you canât resolve, find me. Iâll help you."
"Likewise. If you need manpower, Iâm at your beck and call."
"Also, a friendly reminder: leave this place quickly. Itâs like a black hole that will grind everything to pieces and swallow it whole. You wonât have a good end if you stay here!"
"I know. After seeing you off, Iâll arrange a few things, and then Iâll leave too."
"Where will you go?"
"What do you think about becoming a treasure land hunter? The kind that specializes in exploring treasure lands and finding treasures."
Qin Tian laughed. "I was thinking the same thing! Perhaps weâll meet again in a treasure land in the future!"
The military vehicle slowly drove out of the Yanjing Assembly Site and continued for a long, long way.
Seeing that it was getting late, Wen Yu didnât intend to escort Qin Tian and the others any further.
"Goodbye!"
"Goodbye."
Those two words of farewell buried all the gratitude and grudges, the rights and wrongs, that had occurred during this period.
Stepping out of the military vehicle, Wen Yu watched it recede into the distance and let out a heavy breath of turbid air.
The small group, formed on a whim, was now completely disbanded.
Wen Yu couldnât quite tell if he felt annoyed or relieved.
Reflecting on this series of events, I couldnât find anyone or anything to vent my anger on. Blame Lin Haifeng? Lin Haifeng was indeed at fault. Blame Tang Haofei? Tang Haofei also made mistakes. But, was I faultless? Ultimately, I never treated these people as my equals; I viewed them more as tools. One only reaps what one sows. When Lin Haifeng said that âten thousand physique pointsâ could solve Qin Shiyuanâs problem, my attitude at that moment was the fundamental factor that decided how events unfolded.
Wen Yu gave a self-mocking smile.
When did I even learn to self-reflect... Perhaps this is what growth feels like.