Hong Nianyi pondered for a moment. "What’s his strength like?"

"Frankly, not great," Pan Yan said, not holding anything back. "His Life Energy Level is 38. Plus, due to an old injury, the circulation of his Qi and Blood is sluggish. His actual combat power is probably weaker than an ordinary person at Great Success in Heart Image. His right arm is gone, so he can only fight with his left, which means he can’t use many of his Martial Techniques."

The tea room fell silent once more.

After a long while, Hong Nianyi spoke. "I want to meet him."

"Of course." Pan Yan stood up. "He’s in Xingjing right now. I’ll arrange a meeting."

...

The meeting took place in an ordinary residential area.

In Xingjing City’s East District, it was an old six-story building with a mottled exterior and cluttered hallways. Pan Yan led Hong Nianyi and Xu Wuyi to the third floor and knocked on the door of apartment 301.

The door opened.

An old man answered.

He was indeed very old. His hair was graying, his face was covered in wrinkles, and a deep scar ran down his left cheek from the corner of his eye to his chin.

He wore a faded gray t-shirt, its right sleeve hanging empty at his side.

But what stood out most were his eyes.

They weren’t cloudy at all. In fact, they were bright—almost piercingly so.

It wasn’t the aggressive brightness of youth, but a sharpness that had settled after bearing witness to too much. Like a well-used blade, its edge worn white but its keenness undiminished.

"Major Pan." You Sicheng’s voice was hoarse, but steady.

"Elder You." Pan Yan stepped aside to introduce them. "These two are Hong Nianyi and Xu Wuyi. You’ve probably heard of them."

You Sicheng’s gaze fell upon the two, sizing them up for a few seconds before nodding. "Come in."

The apartment was small, just a single room and a living area, and the furnishings were simple to the point of being spartan. The living room contained only an old sofa, a coffee table, and a single chair.

A photograph hung on the wall. It showed a young woman in her twenties, dressed in a university uniform, smiling brilliantly.

You Sicheng pointed to the sofa. "Sit."

Hong Nianyi and Xu Wuyi sat on the sofa, Pan Yan took the chair, and You Sicheng pulled over a small stool for himself, sitting opposite the coffee table.

"Major Pan should have told you about my situation." You Sicheng got straight to the point. "Sixty-two years old, severely injured, my realm fell, and I lost my right arm. My current Life Energy Level is 38. My actual combat strength is stronger than an ordinary person at the Heart Image Prototype stage, but weaker than someone at Great Success in Heart Image."

He spoke calmly, as if stating facts about someone else.

"I want to join your team, go to the Celestial Wolf Four Star Realm, and get my revenge." You Sicheng looked at Hong Nianyi.

His voice remained steady, but Xu Wuyi noticed that his left hand, resting on his knee, was clenched so tightly that the knuckles had turned white.

"Elder You," Hong Nianyi said, looking at him. "I can understand how you feel. But you have to understand, this mission is almost certain death. Your strength..."

"I know my strength isn’t enough," You Sicheng interrupted her. "In a head-on fight, I probably won’t be much help. I might even be a burden."

He paused, then continued, "But I have my uses."

You Sicheng said slowly, "First, I’ve participated in seventeen Star Realm campaigns. My ability to adapt to battlefield conditions is better than you young people. When operating behind enemy lines, experience is sometimes more important than strength."

"Second, I’m familiar with the military’s tactical systems, and I’ve studied the combat habits of the Celestial Wolf Civilization. I can help you analyze the situation, formulate plans, and avoid traps."

"Third..." He fell silent for a few seconds, his voice growing quieter. "I don’t plan on coming back alive."

He said the words softly, but they carried immense weight.

"If we hit a desperate situation, if someone needs to cover the rear, if someone needs to trade their life for time, I’ll do it." You Sicheng looked at Hong Nianyi.

"You’re all still young. You have futures ahead of you. I’m sixty-two, my daughter is gone, and I have nothing left to tie me down. Trading my old life for a chance for you to complete the mission... it’s worth it."

The living room was quiet.

The sound of traffic from a distant street drifted in from the window, faint and far away.

Hong Nianyi stared at You Sicheng for a long time.

She could see the resolve in the old man’s eyes, a calm that could burn everything to ash. It wasn’t an impulse, not a hot-headed rush, but a choice made after careful consideration.

Trading the rest of his life for a single chance at revenge.

She turned her head to look at Xu Wuyi.

Xu Wuyi was also looking at You Sicheng. He was reminded of the look on Teacher Han Mo’s face when he lost his arm, of Grandmaster Yue’s calm demeanor when he gifted him the wooden carving, and of Old Cat’s final words in the recording.

’Some things really can’t be measured by whether they’re ’worth it’ or not.’

"I agree," Xu Wuyi said.

Hong Nianyi took a deep breath and looked at You Sicheng. "Welcome to the team."

You Sicheng nodded. His face was expressionless, but Xu Wuyi could feel the tension in his rigid body ease slightly.

"Thank you," he said.

...

「One day later.」

Outside the military’s seventh jump point in the western suburbs of Xingjing City.

This was a restricted military zone surrounded by high walls. From the outside, one could only see gray concrete walls and barbed wire.

Inside was a wide tarmac and several low-slung buildings. A silver-white metal tower stood in the center, its peak emitting faint blue Energy ripples.

Hong Nianyi, Xu Wuyi, Chen Yuan, Lin Jue, and You Sicheng—the five of them—stood at the edge of the tarmac, waiting to depart.

Chen Yuan was a gaunt middle-aged man dressed in a dark gray Stealth combat suit. He carried a rectangular tactical backpack and had two short blades hanging from his waist.

He looked ordinary, but his eyes were sharp, like a cheetah ready to pounce at any moment.

Lin Jue, on the other hand, wore a simple set of work clothes under a multi-pocketed tactical vest, and carried a silver briefcase.

You Sicheng had changed into an old-style military combat uniform, the sleeve of his left arm bearing the insignia of the Seventh Corps.

He wasn’t carrying much equipment—just a standard-issue military short knife tucked into his belt and a simple pack on his back.

Hong Nianyi and Xu Wuyi were both dressed in black Star Martial combat uniforms.

Hong Nianyi had her signature Long Saber strapped across her back, while Xu Wuyi carried his Meteor Iron Long Spear, which was wrapped in black cloth.

Pan Yan walked out from a nearby building, holding a datapad.

"Everyone’s here." He walked up to the five of them and handed the datapad to Hong Nianyi. "This is the detailed intelligence on the Celestial Wolf Four Star Realm. It includes maps, defensive layouts, patrol routes, and resource point coordinates. It’s already been uploaded to your personal terminals."

Hong Nianyi nodded and took it.

"The jump point is calibrated. It will activate in three minutes," Pan Yan continued. "You will be transported directly to the ’Gray Rock Hills’ area on the periphery of the Celestial Wolf Four Star Realm. It’s a relatively weak point in the Celestial Wolf Civilization’s defenses, but don’t let your guard down. Find cover immediately after you land."

He looked at the five of them, his expression serious. "Remember, this operation has no official record. You are infiltrating on your own. If you are captured, the Federation will not acknowledge your identities."

"Understood," said Hong Nianyi.

"One last thing." Pan Yan paused. "Come back alive."

The five of them nodded.

Pan Yan turned and walked toward the control tower.