Zhang Xiaobo froze again. Why was the conversation going in circles, leaving him behind while others left? What was the point of him staying and enjoying things alone? In the past half year, everyone's contact had been sparse, and gatherings had become rare. Making the effort to travel across borders, they had hardly spent a few days together before someone was already clamoring to go home, without even rekindling the camaraderie among the old brothers.

Sigh, life really does feel increasingly dull.

Tonight, everyone had drunk quite a bit. Perhaps due to Zhang Xiaobo indulging in a few extra cups, as he pondered, he suddenly felt an ache in his heart for the first half of his life. It had been bitter in its own way. In these past six months of uneventful days, he realized they felt far less fulfilling than the days spent fighting on the battlefield. So plain and so lackluster.

Because on the battlefield, you'd face enemies of all kinds while surrounded by comrades, each with their unique personalities. They'd chat and joke with you, talking about women or life and the future, sometimes indulging in lavish revelries. Together, they had organization and action, as if the barracks were one big family. Even stepping onto the battlefield never felt lonely, and looking back now, those dangerous, adrenaline-filled days seemed thrilling in retrospect.

But now, time flies, and things change. Today, Zhang Xiaobo was retired, completely disconnected from the Normandy fleet. Looking back, was this truly the life he had wished for?

Perhaps it was. At least, the younger version of himself would have chosen this. After all, Zhang Xiaobo had always been a pacifist. Unless forced by circumstances, he disliked charging ahead into battle and didn't want to risk his life fighting on the frontlines.

But as he grew older, broadened his horizons, he began to realize—what he missed wasn't the act of soldiering or the quiet life thereafter. What he missed were the people, the landscapes, and the lingering emotions of the past. Those moments etched deep into his memory mostly came from the bonds shared among comrades, whether it was the brothers fighting side by side in the war or the group who traversed the Parallel Dimension with him half a year ago.

Indeed, the beauty of life is often found in the journey itself. Unfortunately, our hurried steps make us overlook the sights along the way. Yet, when we pause and take the time to reflect, we so often discover that beauty exists everywhere around us.

Whether in the past or now, perhaps they truly ought to treasure this fleeting reunion. Even though this gathering lacked Roland, Kexiao, Feng Yi, Sky Shadow, Feng Yi the youth, and many other friends, many people were absent. Still, wasn't Blade Warrior here?

It was because of Blade Warrior's plan that they reassembled again. Back when Feng Yi was there, he was the centerpiece. But ever since Feng Yi left, Blade Warrior had become the thread tying everyone together.

Thinking about this, Zhang Xiaobo grinned at everyone, "Since you've all made up your minds, I don't plan to stay much longer either. Let's head home tomorrow. And you two kids," Zhang Xiaobo addressed Kevin and Xiu Yi, "don't forget we need to continue our game of 'Dou Dizhu.'"

"Dou Dizhu? What is that..." Wu Tian asked, looking a bit puzzled.

Sitting nearby, Mingfei explained, "Sir, Dou Dizhu is a type of card game—a form of entertainment."

Wu Tian flushed, embarrassed. He quickly replied, "You've all traveled such a long way; why hurry to leave? At least allow me to properly act as host."

"Wu Tian, you're far too kind. We came here this time specifically to see the two kids. How could we continue imposing?" Blade Warrior remarked. Now that they had seen the children and fulfilled their purpose, there was no reason to linger further. There were many matters needing attention back home, so it had been decided—leaving the next day would be most fitting.

Speaking of which, Blade Warrior suddenly remembered the issue of her gift. Truthfully, she had never neglected the matter of the gift but had refrained from bringing it up aloud since it was intended for the children. The kids were still too young, so she opted to delay the mention of it.

Of course, it wasn't inappropriate to talk about it at the dinner table. Amid the laughter and conversation, Blade Warrior mentioned she originally planned to grant each child one wish—anything they wanted, as long as it was within her ability to fulfill. Yet, because the children were so young, waiting for them to grow a bit older seemed better. Thus, the matter was temporarily set aside without issue.

Upon hearing this, Wu Tian finally understood. No wonder Blade Warrior had said nothing at the time; she had plans like this tucked away all along. This… this was wonderful news indeed.

And so, after a bit more chatting, the group finally settled into the guest rooms of the Jade Clear Sect for the night...

Next morning, everyone woke up quite early—Fatty included. Perhaps it was because of the bird-song and floral fragrances of the Jade Clear Sect or the refreshing air, but they all woke up invigorated, with energy radiating from each of them.

One hour later, Wu Tian led numerous senior figures from the Jade Clear Sect out to see them off. From the mountain to the outer gate, they watched the group descending the hill before finally turning back.

After all, Blade Warrior was a major shareholder and had played a key role in rebuilding the sect. Both sentimentally and pragmatically, Wu Tian had to extend the most sincere hospitality. However, in order to avoid attracting undue attention, as the sect leader, Wu Tian could only accompany them as far as the outer boundary. Any further, and people might gossip. On this point, everyone clearly understood.

Returning to the shuttle, without missing a beat, Zhang Xiaobo rallied the group for another round of Dou Dizhu. Never mind the heavy losses he had sustained before; wasn't there an old saying? First losses don't count—it's only later losses that hurt. Who benefited from those losses could remain a mystery, perhaps summed up as a matter of accumulated experience. After countless rounds of trial and error, Zhang Xiaobo was determined to recover his losses and more.

With Blade Warrior, Xixi, and Iman joining, they rounded out the group to six players. As for why Red Ghost opted out, it was because she felt her chances of winning were slim. "Knowing when to quit" had always been Red Ghost's mantra. After all, the unpredictability of card games was simply too great. No matter how seasoned you are, you can never know your opponent's hand. Sure, at the start you might guess their mindset. But after playing for long enough, who wouldn't figure each other out? These past few days, since everyone had been playing, even a single movement from Fatty was enough for everyone to deduce whether he was bluffing or hiding a winning hand.

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