newbobooks Chapter 231 Old Friends at the Martyrs' Cemetery
Chapter 231 Old Friends at the Martyrs' Cemetery
The order, specially approved by higher-ups, had already been issued, and the entire first squad was required to take three days of paid rest.
"Three days!"
Zhao Leiguang was the first to jump down the gangway. He slammed the two Taotie shields into the ground, making two muffled thuds.
He strained his voice, as if he wanted to shout out all the weariness of his life.
"I need to take a bath, no, I need to live in the bathhouse and scrub myself clean for three days and three nights to get rid of all this bad luck!"
His exaggerated movements made everyone laugh, and their tense nerves finally relaxed.
Su Yunqing and Lin Chuxue huddled together, whispering something to each other.
"That new shopping mall that opened in the east of the city..."
"Yes, I heard they've released a lot of new styles."
"This bonus seems enough to clear out several department store counters."
The two girls had a relaxed look on their faces, as if they had survived a disaster, and even the topics they discussed became more down-to-earth.
They had just finished a major war, and the time in between was the peace they longed for.
The atmosphere in the group was unusually lighthearted, and everyone prepared to disperse.
Xiao Qianyu silently walked to the end of the line.
She took off her combat uniform stained with divine blood and changed into a simple black casual outfit.
Her long hair, which was always tied in a high ponytail, making her look capable and sharp, was now loose and softly draped over her shoulders, making her look less like an assassin and more like an inexplicable sadness.
"team leader."
She walked up to Lu Yan, her voice lower than usual.
"I need to leave the team for a day or two to take care of some things."
Zhao Leiguang casually approached, about to make a joke, but then swallowed his words.
He looked at Xiao Qianyu, scratched his head, and unusually remained silent.
Everyone realized something was wrong.
The Dragon King Halberd on Xiao Qianyu's back, with its solid dragon shadow on the blade, now seemed somewhat dim, as if it were emitting a low lament in response to its owner's emotions.
Lu Yan looked at her.
I didn't ask why, I just nodded.
"Go."
"be safe."
Xiao Qianyu seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, turned around, and walked alone into the base's garage.
Watching her lonely figure, Lu Yan gestured to Wen Yue beside him with his eyes.
Wen Yue understood, hung the World-Destroying Thunder Crossbow back on her back, and her aura instantly faded, like a drop of water merging into the ocean, silently following behind.
Lu Yan waved to the others.
"Go and rest, everyone. We'll meet again in three days."
After saying that, he followed her, maintaining an excellent support distance from Wen Yue's figure.
……
Rain began to fall from the sky over Jincheng.
It wasn't heavy, just a fine, continuous drizzle that enveloped the whole world in a hazy, misty atmosphere.
A black SUV drove out of the city and stopped in the suburbs.
Xiao Qianyu, holding a black umbrella, got off the car alone.
Her destination was the Jinjiang Martyrs' Cemetery.
Lu Yan and Wen Yue hid behind a row of pine and cypress trees in the distance. Rain dripped down the leaves, hitting their combat uniforms and sliding down silently.
The cemetery was quiet, with only the soft patter of raindrops falling on the stone path.
Rows of neat tombstones stand like silent soldiers in the rain.
Xiao Qianyu's steps were slow and steady.
She walked through rows of tombstones and finally stopped in front of a joint burial tomb.
She folded her umbrella, letting the cold rain soak her hair and shoulders.
She bent down and gently placed the bouquet of white chrysanthemums she had prepared in front of the tombstone.
Her fingers traced the cold inscriptions on the monument.
Lu Yan's gaze passed through the rain and landed on the tombstone.
Xiao Tianyu.
It's a very sunny name.
The young man in the photo is smiling brightly, and his features bear a striking resemblance to Xiao Qianyu.
He is her brother.
Lu Yan understood and finally realized the source of her sadness.
He was about to signal Wen Yue to leave, giving Xiao Qianyu some space, when his gaze unconsciously swept towards another tombstone next to him.
In that instant, Lu Yan froze completely.
He thought he had seen it all before and was hardened by iron, but when that familiar name came into view, his heart was still struck hard by an invisible hammer.
Chen Liguo.
In the black and white photo on the tombstone, there is a middle-aged man in a police uniform with a kind and gentle smile on his face.
It's him.
It's Old Chen.
Lu Yan's thoughts were as if struck by lightning, instantly returning to the day he had just become a Halo Master.
Back then, he was a support player whom no one believed in.
When I registered my profession at the police station, I was met with strange looks from all around me, some dismissive, some puzzled, and some regretful.
Only the old policeman named Chen Liguo didn't look at him like that.
Old Chen walked up to him, carrying an enamel mug filled with goji berries, and patted him heavily on the shoulder with his large, fan-like hand.
"Young man, an Aura Master? That's good!"
"Don't listen to their nonsense. Every profession has its uses."
"Our China needs young people like you with all kinds of skills."
"Keep it up!"
That simple and unpretentious kindness and encouragement from a stranger was one of the few moments of warmth Lu Yan received during that period of confusion.
But now.
This warmth has turned into a cold tombstone, standing right next to his teammates and loved ones.
How could this happen?
Lu Yan looked at the two tombstones side by side, one for his comrade's older brother and the other for the old policeman who had given him warmth.
Two seemingly unconnected lifelines intersected at this moment in the most poignant way.
The rain was getting heavier and heavier.
Xiao Qianyu stood quietly in front of the tomb, like a sculpture.
She didn't cry, and her expression didn't even change much.
But Lu Yan could feel that the mournful cry of the Dragon King's Halberd had become even stronger.
After a long while, she slowly opened her mouth, her voice so soft it seemed to be drowned out by the sound of rain.
"elder brother."
"Uncle Chen."
"The fighting on the southern front is over."
"We won."
"That monster was huge, bigger than any of the ones recorded in the files."
"But we still won."
She sounded like she was giving a work report, but also like she was chatting with her family.
"The team gave me three days off."
"I didn't know where to go, so I thought I'd come and see you all."
"Brother, you used to say that when the world is at peace, you would take me to travel around the world."
"It seems like it'll be soon."
"Uncle Chen, you always say that being a policeman is about protecting everyone so that everyone can live in peace."
What we're doing now, I guess it counts too.
There was a hint of confusion in her voice that she herself was unaware of.
Rainwater slid down her cheeks, indistinguishable between rain and tears.
Lu Yan watched from a distance without moving.
He suddenly understood.
Where does Xiao Qianyu's decisiveness and ruthlessness come from in every flash attack and every swing of her halberd?
That wasn't cold-bloodedness; it was burying all his tenderness and weakness, along with his brother Xiao Tianyu, in this cemetery.
All she left the world was a silhouette codenamed "Assassin".
In the distance, Wen Yue quietly moved to Lu Yan's side.
Behind everyone lies a past they'd rather not talk about.
Lu Yan slowly withdrew his gaze and gestured to Wen Yue to leave.
This is not the time for them to bother us.
Some wounds can only be licked by oneself.
Some tributes belong only to her.
The two turned around and quietly disappeared into the rain.
Before leaving, Lu Yan looked back one last time.
In the rain, the usually aloof and icy older sister was reaching out and carefully wiping the rain and dust off the two tombstones with her sleeve.
Her movements were so gentle, as if she were afraid of erasing any trace of his existence.