In the cold winter, a gentle breeze occasionally blew through the Yan Mountains. Though it was just a breeze, it felt bone-chillingly cold against the skin. In such conditions, enjoying a hot meal would undoubtedly be a moment of great happiness.
In a sheltered spot within the Yan Mountain range, a barbecue party was underway. It was originally a farewell banquet organized by Xiao Sheng and others for Shen Feng. However, uninvited guests arrived at this very moment: three hundred battle-hardened veterans appeared, ready to escort the Plant Heart back to Yanjing.
Shen Feng had thought he had no further connection with these people. To his surprise, the young man leading the troops plopped down beside him and began eating the stew he had made without a word. Shen Feng was at a loss for what to say. He couldn't possibly drive the man away; doing so would seem too heartless.
He Qiuan, while eating the fragrant wolf meat, remarked, "As the saying goes, 'Three boils of dog meat, and even immortals can't stand still.' Although this is wolf meat now, wolves and dogs are quite similar. It really does taste good."
Seeing He Qiuan's demeanor, Shen Feng couldn't help but ask, "Do scions of prominent families also eat dog meat? I thought you all disdained such lowly food."
Shen Feng's remark immediately made He Qiuan a little annoyed. "What are you talking about? As long as it's edible, there's no class distinction. Don't tell me only poor people eat spicy food. I can't believe I'm hearing this from you, Feng Shen."
He Qiuan brought this up because of persistent rumors. Malicious individuals online had linked eating spicy food with poverty. Chili peppers were first cultivated in Guizhou province, and due to a lack of salt there, chilies became an important substitute. This eventually led to the conclusion that only the poor enjoyed spicy food, and the stomachs of the wealthy were delicate and couldn't withstand the onslaught of chilies.
This notion was, in fact, fabricated by those with ulterior motives. Anyone who truly believed it was foolish. Yet, in this world, there were indeed people with dim wits who genuinely subscribed to this theory, widely proclaiming that food also had noble and lowly distinctions. Consequently, those who ate dog meat were naturally deemed low-class.
He Qiuan's words immediately gave Shen Feng a favorable impression of the young man. "I don't think that way at all. But I'm glad you think so, Young Master He. However, aren't you supposed to be escorting the Plant Heart back now?"
Shen Feng was subtly trying to usher him out. Shen Feng had fallen out with the headquarters, and He Qiuan was a descendant of the headquarters' founder. It was too awkward for them to discuss matters together, and Shen Feng didn't want to be persuaded to reconcile again.
Upon hearing this, He Qiuan showed a look of confusion and asked, "Mr. Shen Feng, do you dislike me that much? To want to drive me away so quickly? I'm not threatening your safety, after all."
Shen Feng quickly explained, "It's mainly because your headquarters harmed me before. They went to great lengths to have me help them salvage meteorites at sea. But when I returned, they actually sent people to seize Yuzhou, which is my foundation. Moreover, their methods were extremely despicable. How could I possibly like the headquarters?"
He Qiuan immediately showed a wry smile. "Mr. Shen Feng, actually, this matter was the Tianlong Bureau acting on their own initiative. We only found out later. The headquarters was also a victim. Furthermore, I have always hoped that all of China would unite."
"Unite? What do you mean?" Shen Feng immediately asked.
The word "unite" was not unfamiliar to Shen Feng. After all, he often saw slogans like "unite" when watching videos online. However, those were just slogans. Shen Feng now wanted to know what He Qiuan meant by unite.
He Qiuan glanced around and noticed several people paying attention to them. He then directly stated, "Currently, all of humanity is facing the crisis brought by the apocalypse. It's impossible to remain aloof. The only way to end the apocalypse is through unity. Although China is still nominally unified, it is actually fragmented. The most typical example is the rift that has formed between the north and the south. If this continues, the result will be that the south faces the threat of natural disasters, and people flee north. When the north is threatened, people flee south. The turmoil will continue. Only by uniting, sharing resources, and jointly confronting the crisis can the apocalypse truly end."
He Qiuan's words were impassioned. Even Shen Feng was almost moved by them. However, Shen Feng was also well aware that what He Qiuan was talking about was merely a beautiful fantasy.
"Then I wish you luck. Talk to me again after you've united everyone in Yanjing. I'll observe for now," Shen Feng said with a smile.
The so-called unity sounded noble, talking about resource sharing and collective wisdom, amplifying words like "group" and "unity" infinitely. In reality, it was just for show. If there truly was resource sharing, why would there be a poverty-stricken ring around Beijing and Tianjin in the north?
Logically, the areas surrounding Beijing and Tianjin, two direct-controlled municipalities, should have become prosperous due to their radiation. However, the reality was that Henan and Hebei were constantly being drained by these two municipalities. Although they appeared to be doing alright on the surface, their average income was truly low. They were even criticized for building a university town, let alone anything else.
Therefore, Shen Feng still believed his own eyes. This so-called unity was merely a seemingly good cake. But when you wanted to eat it, you would discover that the cake had long been divided. During the unity, you thought you would get a slice of the cake, but when it came time to divide it, you would realize that the cake had already been distributed long before the unity.
Seeing that his grand ambition had failed to impress Shen Feng, He Qiuan couldn't help but ask, "Why is Mr. Shen Feng unwilling to unite? I always thought Mr. Shen Feng had a farsighted perspective, but now you've become timid. How can this be?"
Shen Feng shrugged and said lightly, "Who told you I have a farsighted perspective? To be honest, I'm a short-sighted fellow. I have a teacher named Chu Yangtian, and his goal for me was to guard the southwestern gateway, and then I would naturally achieve something. So, I'll just focus on my own small patch of land."
Seeing Shen Feng like this, He Qiuan still wanted to persuade him. After all, the crisis of mutated birds was no longer something a single faction could resolve. Only by uniting the entire nation, or even the world, could there be a chance to eliminate the mutated birds.
However, at this moment, a soldier approached to urge He Qiuan. "We need to depart. Also, Professor Li, you should come with us."
He Qiuan stood up helplessly. He hadn't expected that their first meeting would result in a disagreement. In He Qiuan's opinion, Shen Feng should have been the one to understand him the most, but the reality was completely different. Shen Feng hadn't been moved at all.
"Mr. Shen, I hope you will seriously consider my words. The natural disasters are constant, and only by uniting can we end the chaotic times and the apocalypse," He Qiuan said before leaving.
Shen Feng smiled and replied, "Since you are so confident in your ideals, why don't you try to unite other factions, especially those in the southern regions? If everyone else agrees to unite, I naturally won't cling to the old ways. But if you can't even persuade others, then don't talk to me about ideals."
Afterward, Shen Feng looked at Li Keyi and asked, "Aren't you leaving yet?"
Li Keyi smiled and said, "I'm not in a hurry. I'm an ability user, and I have the ability to protect myself in the wild. I plan to stay here tonight. What do you think?"
Shen Feng shrugged and said, "As you wish."
Just then, He Qiuan returned. "Mr. Shen, I almost forgot something important. I brought you a gift, but I almost forgot to give it to you. Do you like it?"
Saying this, He Qiuan handed a wooden box to Shen Feng. The box was long and narrow, not particularly exquisite. When Shen Feng opened it, he discovered a dark, black Kanglong Jian placed inside. It was clear that this belonged to Yue Hengyi.
"Alas, another memento," Shen Feng said helplessly.
Shen Feng was increasingly feeling the impermanence of life. As his friends died one by one, only a few mementos were left behind. Zhang Jue was like this, and now Yue Hengyi was also like this. Shen Feng could only take these mementos back to their families.
"Mr. Shen, I requested this gift from the Tianlong Bureau. Do you like it?" He Qiuan asked afterward.
"Thank you very much. But if possible, please try to find Yue Hengyi's body. Even if only ashes remain, I hope to be able to bury him," Shen Feng said immediately.
Shen Feng was quite familiar with this Kanglong Jian. After all, they had forged weapons together six months ago, and it was made of the same material as the long sword at his waist. However, Shen Feng still hoped to find Yue Hengyi's ashes for burial.
However, when this matter was brought up, He Qiuan said helplessly, "Mr. Shen Feng, this matter has become an unsolved mystery in Yanjing. No one knows where Yue Hengyi's body went. The Tianlong Bureau accuses Xun Yan of the Tianxuan Bureau of stealing the body, while the Tianxuan Bureau believes that the Tianlong Bureau was negligent in their custody. Neither side admits to the incident, so I am powerless to find Yue Hengyi's body."
Receiving this answer, Shen Feng was immediately filled with helplessness. He hadn't expected that Yue Hengyi's ultimate fate would be that his body couldn't even be found. It was truly lamentable.
Later, the army escorting the Plant Heart was about to return to Yanjing. Li Keyi took the opportunity to ask Shen Feng, "When you passed through North China with Yue Hengyi before, why didn't you come to see me? Do you think I'm not important?"
Previously, there were too many people around, and it wasn't convenient for Li Keyi to ask about this. Now that the camp was much quieter, Li Keyi finally found an opportunity to inquire.
Shen Feng quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand. It's not that I think you're unimportant, but I was worried about ruining your reputation. You still have to get married in the future. If I visited you often, it would damage your reputation."
Shen Feng's explanation immediately dispelled most of Li Keyi's annoyance. Then Li Keyi directly said, "What kind of man is one who is overly cautious? The next time you pass through Yanjing, you must come to see me, understand?"
Shen Feng had no choice but to nod helplessly. "I understand. Next time, if I have the chance, I will definitely visit you."
In fact, Shen Feng also understood Li Keyi's intentions, but he dared not accept them. There were too many reasons, the most important being: what place would she occupy if he accepted her? Bring her home? What if they fought? If he ignored her, wouldn't he seem like a scumbag?
Therefore, at such times, Shen Feng could only play dumb and pretend to be an unfeeling block of wood.
Afterward, Li Keyi asked Shen Feng by the campfire about his journey at sea. The only people who knew about the sea journey were Shen Feng and Yue Hengyi. After all, the two had been inseparable since they were stranded on the deserted island. Now that Yue Hengyi was dead, the only way to know about Shen Feng's sea journey was to ask Shen Feng directly.
Shen Feng did not hide anything and recounted the exciting parts, satisfying Li Keyi's curiosity.