However, the message that Kexiao relayed to him couldn't be ignored. Could it be that the guy had something foolproof up his sleeve? This kind of person wouldn't dare to engage in battle without certainty, and for a moment, Feng Yi was plunged into deep thought... What reason could the other party possibly have for seeking him out?

Meanwhile, the matter had caused a huge stir in the media outside. As it turned out, Revenge Shadow Rider's influence was even more terrifying than rumored. On the day the news broke, workers skipped work, students played truant, and tickets for the dark ships heading to Mardis sold out in an instant. There were even scalpers raising prices on the spot, but none of that stopped people's enthusiasm to rush towards Mardis...

Setting aside whether Revenge Shadow Rider would be up for the battle or not, if you didn't go, you'd definitely miss the rare chance to witness Revenge Shadow Rider in person. Such opportunities come once in a lifetime and might be the only chance to encounter Revenge Shadow Rider. Stepping back, even if Revenge Shadow Rider didn't show up, there was still Athena's concert. Although Athena's singing could be heard anytime and her concerts were more frequent than Revenge Shadow Rider's fights, there was no denying that Athena was also a major highlight for the public.

As for why everyone chose to ride the dark ships, this couldn't help but be seen as a sad fact. Mardis was considered a semi-Colonial Planet, and regular passenger shuttles barely flew there at all. Not to mention space pirates, plus Mardis was not originally peaceful. Even if the imperial army collapsed, it couldn't guarantee with absolute certainty that local rioters wouldn't cause some other disturbance. This was also the reason why Athena had come to Mardis to perform for charity. However, normal shuttles took several days to reach Mardis, and even using subspace warp travel wouldn't be fast enough. Those who made it here did so by using antimatter propulsion to jump directly from the Dragon Gate space station.

Because of the new song, Athena was also somewhat worried. Standing on the deck, she gazed at the vast land, her hair dancing with the wind...

"What are you thinking about?" Feng Yi had, at some point, come to stand not far from her, his gaze also stretching towards the distant sunset as if he was looking into the infinite unknown beyond...

"Is it Feng Yi?" Athena exclaimed in surprise, though her reaction was not as exaggerated as others upon seeing Feng Yi. She answered, "I'm just thinking about some personal matters. Do you often come here, Feng Yi?"

"Occasionally, just like you, I come here when I have something on my mind."

"Why do you come here?"

"I'm used to looking up at the starry night. The stars have a way of calming the mind. Heh, it seems I'm a bit early today."

The dying sunlight spilled like blood and illusion through her fingers, casting a glow on Athena's delicately beautiful pupils. She wore light makeup, her eyes reflective in contemplation. She seemed to have guessed something and said, "Everyone has their worries. If they're happening to Feng Yi, I think they must not be so simple. Can you tell Nana about it?"

"This... it's about a battle."

"It's a duel with the Saudi soldiers, isn't it?"

"It seems you already know."

Athena nodded, "Actually, Feng Yi, you are that person, aren't you?"

"Heh, what difference does it make whether I am or not?" At least, Feng Yi believed it didn't matter much. Currently, he was a soldier. However, Revenge Shadow Rider was different; Shadow Rider was a warrior, a reflection of another side of himself, craving battle itself, doing everything in his power for what he believed in, existing beyond the reach of law—an aspect a soldier wouldn't have.

"Feng Yi..." Athena said thoughtfully as if sighing.

The term 'Feng Yi' took him by surprise and almost made him stumble. Being addressed as 'brother' felt somewhat awkward to begin with, and now she was saying 'Feng Yi' repeatedly.

Athena, realizing she might have been a bit too informal or perhaps lost in thought, felt her cheeks heat up. Still, she couldn't help but sneak a glance at Feng Yi and noticed he didn't seem to mind much, just tilting his head slightly and smiling at her, which made her even more embarrassed.

Luckily, it was time for dinner. Wonderful Sound Girl called out to Athena punctually from the battleship, "Nana, time to eat."

"All right, all right, see you brother." Athena bowed deeply and then fled without looking back...

Only then did Feng Yi let out a long sigh of relief, taking a deep swig from his flask. As the saying goes, "Grand visions and bold aspirations are casually discussed over drinks, intoxicating one to the core of life." Drinking fine wine alone under the setting sun had a charm of its own.

On the way back, Wonderful Sound Girl looked puzzled, "Who was that person just now? I've never heard you mention relatives from afar. How did a brother suddenly appear out of nowhere?"

"Eh, didn't Wonderful Sound Sister see?"

"Nope, I only saw a silhouette from behind, and the only thing I smelt was a faint aroma of wine," Wonderful Sound Girl pondered with her delicate chin rested on her palm... Her mature and healing visage, contrasted with her dazed and cute demeanor, made her exceptionally adorable.

Athena was even more surprised this time, "Eh, eh, eh, Wonderful Sound Sister really didn't see him!?"

"Really didn't." Not having mentioned it was one thing, but now that Athena brought it up, Wonderful Sound Girl's curiosity was piqued, "Tell me about it quickly."

Seeing her eager look and thinking about the purpose of Sweetheart Group's arrival at Mardis, Athena suddenly felt a bit uneasy. After all, half of the reason Sweetheart Group came to Mardis was because of Feng Yi. It was well known that Feng Yi didn't only save Athena; during the Wind Thunder's school performances, he saved the Sweetheart Group as well, and the upper echelons hadn't mentioned expecting the Sweetheart Group at the charity performance.

The difference was that Athena had been saved by Feng Yi more than once, so she harbored special feelings for him, feelings that even faintly surpassed other things.

"Yes, it's Brother Feng Yi..." Although somewhat embarrassed, Athena eventually confessed.

"Woo..." Wonderful Sound Girl blinked her dazed, large eyes repeatedly, but it did not seem to elicit much reaction, "Why didn't Nana say so earlier." She heaved a sigh, a sheer failure, an utter defeat.

"If, if Wonderful Sound Sister wants an autograph, Nana will find a way," Athena offered.

Wonderful Sound Girl paused before gently shaking her head, "Whether or not I get the autograph isn't really important."

"Then, then why..."

Why indeed? That was quite the question. Wonderful Sound Girl didn't explain, but instead flashed a mysterious smile.

In fact, rather than an autograph, she was more eager to uncover some details about the hero. After all, she had seen the profile of Feng Yi, specifically, a certain composed smile on his face, one brimming with confidence. Unfortunately, the glaring light prevented her from recognizing that it was Feng Yi. She could sense that behind Feng Yi's smile, bathed in the afterglow of the sunset, there were countless untold stories.

Even if she had recognized Feng Yi, she wouldn't have approached him rashly. Often, Wonderful Sound Girl saw these four as little sisters, accompanying them, but she knew, or perhaps had just learned the true identity of the Revenge Shadow Rider. After all, her ears were so good that she overheard their conversation.

It was only when she was alone after dinner that her gaze was filled with a subtle longing, the kind that every girl supposed to have—a hero complex.

The next day, at the break of dawn, the bugle of the Blazing Flame base woke up the travelers from their slumber...

The inns in nearby towns were packed to the brim, with most of these travelers coming from different star sectors, having taken overnight shuttles to arrive, with some just reaching.

The fervent fans clearly didn't want to miss Revenge Shadow Rider or Athena. Perhaps a single song from Athena couldn't cause them to go to such lengths, but any event linked to Revenge Shadow Rider was no small matter.

Of course, there was no shortage of reporters from various weekly magazines, entertainment media, outdoor live commentators, and an array of studios. Among them, the most notable was undoubtedly Hans, the head of Star Wars Company. Hans traveled on his private shuttle, and even two famous commentators were invited along.

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