Rising from the earth with smoke and flames,
Cutter mech debris, mangled mecha limbs from explosions, and countless broken parts were scattered across the Jin Quan nation.
The scene on the sea was even more tragic.
Mecha pilots who escaped their cockpits could not escape the merciless embrace of the waves, leaving only floating corpses.
Blood mixed with machine oil formed colorful liquids,
Countless alloy armor fragments, surrounded by vast expanses of liquid, bobbed with the waves.
Under the setting sun, it was like the end of days.
The war had raged for two days and one night.
The Black Star Army's internal disarray and infighting gave the Jin Quan army the chance to counterattack.
The defending army surrounded the invaders and annihilated them in one fell swoop.
The soldiers of the Jin Quan nation, who had not experienced war for decades, were all shaken by the cruelty and reality of battle.
As the third day dawned, the first rays of sunlight fell,
On both land and sea, Jin Quan ground crews were everywhere, cleaning up the battlefield.
Gu Ya quickly boarded a medium-sized, multi-purpose mecha, activated its aura, and flew towards the sea.
Bai Ying watched the mecha fly further away, and asked softly, "Mom, what is Dad going to do?"
Ye Ying smiled faintly, thinking that the little girl had gotten into character quite quickly, calling them Mom and Dad so naturally.
"He's going to modify our mechas for us."
Ye Ying took Bai Ying's small hand and walked into the command building.
In the cold and silent morgue,
Tao Na's face was expressionless, her eyes calm, as she looked down at Li Fang in the ice coffin.
The body had been cleaned. Li Fang lay with his eyes closed, as if merely asleep.
"Sleep, my darling..."
Tao Na smiled slightly, tears instantly streaming down her face, tracing paths down her cheeks before dripping onto Li Fang's face.
Tao Na quickly reached out as if to wipe them away, but her hand stopped in mid-air and slowly retracted.
The next moment, unable to bear her grief any longer, she trembled and knelt before the ice coffin.
Outside the morgue, Qiao Weiwei leaned against the doorframe with her arms crossed.
Hearing Tao Na's faint sobs from inside the morgue, she sighed softly.
When Rui Zi had died, she had also stayed in the morgue for a long time,
Until her body was completely chilled, devoid of any warmth, like a corpse, and was eventually carried out by Tao Na.
Time had passed, and she had never expected that it would be her turn to guard now.
Qiao Weiwei sighed deeply again, raising her hand to check the time. An hour had passed, and it felt like enough.
Just as she was about to try and comfort Tao Na, Tao Na opened the door and walked out herself.
Her face was numb from the cold air, but her eyes were clear, revealing a hint of indifference.
"Na Na jie..." Weiwei called out with concern.
Tao Na forced a smile with difficulty and said softly, "I'm alright. Let's wait outside."
The two began to walk, slowly.
Every few steps, Tao Na would pause, hesitant whether to look back again.
But each time, she forced herself not to.
The short distance of a few hundred meters took them a full half hour.
Arriving before the high-pressure incineration chamber,
Staff who had been waiting for a long time handed a delicate small wooden box to Tao Na.
The box was about the size of two cigarette packs stacked together, square-shaped, with faint patterns carved on its surface, and Li Fang's name etched in the center.
Tao Na calmly opened the lid. Inside was a small, square, transparent plaque.
At one end of the plaque was a tiny hole for a string.
The plaque still radiated residual heat from the incinerator.
These high-pressure incinerators could use ultra-high temperatures and pressure to remove impurities, compressing the body into a small, transparent square plaque.
One plaque represented one person.
Tao Na took out the plaque and held it in her hand, gently stroking it.
Suddenly, she let out a mournful laugh, and as she laughed, tears began to fall.
"The big boy who could carry me is now so small..."
Qiao Weiwei softly consoled, "Na Na jie, Li Fang ge is gone, but your path is still long..."
Tao Na threaded the string provided with the wooden box through the small hole of the plaque, tied a knot,
And hung the plaque around her neck.
"Weiwei, do you know?" Tao Na said weakly, "I can understand how you felt when Rui Zi died now."
"No matter how many comforting words others say, they are useless."
"To walk out of sadness, you can only rely on yourself."
Qiao Weiwei nodded in agreement. She truly understood this point, but still couldn't help but comfort her, "Na Na jie, when we win..."
Tao Na covered Qiao Weiwei's mouth with her hand and said coldly, "Don't say such things!!"
At this moment, Ye Ying walked over, holding Bai Ying's hand.
"Have Li Fang's funeral arrangements been made?" Ye Ying asked softly.
Tao Na's face turned cold, and she nodded.
Ye Ying did not dwell on Li Fang's death. She turned to Qiao Weiwei and asked, "Did you agree to marry Little Jin Quan?"
"Just now, the old king fell ill and passed away."
"They are all looking for you now, Weiwei."
She never expected that the old king, who had been full of life just two days ago, would actually die!
With two pieces of bad news in two days, Tao Na and Qiao Weiwei felt numb.
Qiao Weiwei immediately recalled another matter.
The day before yesterday, by the old king's bedside, she had reluctantly, unwillingly, and under duress, agreed to marry Jin Quan Ao Tian.
She had only intended to cheer up the old king and get through it quickly.
To her surprise, he had taken it seriously and immediately gifted a city to Qiao Weiwei.
The name was even signed on the spot under compulsion!
Qiao Weiwei knew she couldn't escape, so she angrily ran out of the royal chambers.
As for what was good about Jin Quan Ao Tian, she wasn't sure. After all, they had met less than ten times.
While there were no communication barriers, it wasn't enough to fall in love.
And now!
With the old king's death,
And the Jin Quan nation in a dire war, needing to resist the Black Star in the future,
No matter how mischievous Jin Quan Ao Tian was, he should think of his people and inherit the throne.
And nominally, Qiao Weiwei was still the future queen of the Jin Quan nation.
By all accounts, Qiao Weiwei had to marry Jin Quan Ao Tian!
Qiao Weiwei's small brain whirred at lightning speed for half a second, then she suddenly turned and bolted!
This left Ye Ying and Tao Na completely stunned.
They watched dumbfounded as her slender legs sprinted a hundred meters before they suddenly realized that Qiao Weiwei was running away from her marriage!!
Almost without hesitation, Ye Ying and Tao Na stepped forward simultaneously, charging towards Qiao Weiwei.
Ye Ying's physical fitness and speed were clearly superior to Tao Na's.
Her long legs moved rapidly, alternating front and back, her elegant running posture like a hunting leopard!
Qiao Weiwei hadn't gotten far before she was caught by Ye Ying's sprint.
Ye Ying's arm instantly transformed into mechanical parts, and she grabbed Qiao Weiwei by the waist, hoisting her onto her shoulder.
Qiao Weiwei frantically pounded on Ye Ying's back, her legs kicking in the air, spitting as she yelled, "I won't marry! I won't marry!!!"
"You can tell Little Jin Quan yourself," Ye Ying said coldly, sprinting back with Qiao Weiwei on her shoulder.
Tao Na arrived, panting, incredulous, staring at Ye Ying as if she were a monster.
Ye Ying, carrying them as if they were sacks of cement, moved with agile grace, even faster than before.
She zipped past Tao Na, scooped up the expressionless Bai Ying with her other arm,
Carrying both of them, she sped towards the Jin Quan royal palace!
"Huh? Ye Ying's stamina is that good?"
Tao Na suddenly remembered a funny anecdote that had spread through the Dong Yong Gu Zhi Lan Academy.
Ye Ying had once grabbed the neck of the class president of Class B with one hand. The seven-foot-tall male student was forced to his knees by her, unable to move!
Tao Na watched their retreating backs, chuckling softly, then sighed immediately.
She touched the plaque on her chest. Her slightly relaxed mood became heavy again.
"Li Fang, if you were still here, how wonderful it would be..."