Chapter Thirty-One: The Arrival of Huaye

Chapter Thirty-One: Hua Ye Descends

After Yunyang departed, Qiangwei and Wei Qi silently stepped off the vehicle, their eyes fixed on the towering mushroom cloud. In Qiangwei’s view, such a devastating nuclear explosion could only be targeting either the Xiongbing Company’s stationed forces or a city itself.

Regardless of which was struck, the consequences would be catastrophic—countless lives lost and unimaginable destruction. The thought of her comrades or an entire city being obliterated filled both Qiangwei and Wei Qi first with anger, then with a deep and abiding grief—the sorrow born from the passing of life itself.

To be a soldier yet fail to protect one’s comrades and the people—that was a pain and shame that could not help but enrage and sadden them.

Inside the command center of Demon One, the Demon Queen, Morgana, was monitoring Qiangwei as usual. Watching Qiangwei’s rage dissolve into grief, seeing her crouch to the ground and weep in silence, Morgana too felt a surge of inexplicable anger and sorrow.

“Ato, where the hell are you?” Morgana shouted, her tone edged with fury.

“I... I’m here,” replied Demon Ato, cautious and wary upon sensing her wrath.

“What’s going on? Haven’t I commanded that nuclear-level weapons are forbidden on Earth? The authority of the demons is being trampled so brazenly—you know what to do.” Morgana’s voice was sinisterly cold. As the ruler of a civilization, it was her duty to lead her people to survival in this frigid universe—where only strength and authority ensured existence.

A civilization without strength would be bullied by all, just as Earth was now. Without authority, it would be coveted by many, just as the Angelic Civilization was after losing Kaisa. Now, under Angel Yan’s leadership, the Angels faced a massive anti-angel alliance, for they no longer had Kaisa’s might to uphold their authority.

Now, for a mere Gluttonous to ignore the words of the Demon Queen was a direct challenge to demon authority, and it must be met with thunderous retaliation. Otherwise, other civilizations would see the demons as easy prey, just as the angels were now beset.

As Demon Ato neared the wormhole, Morgana called out suddenly, “Ato, Qiangwei weeps for her nation’s city. I want you to use your machete and cut the culprit into pieces.”

“Yes, my queen!” Demon Ato replied loudly, then plunged into the wormhole without a backward glance.

For a demon civilization that had survived three millennia of war with the Angels, even while weaker overall, their escape technology was unparalleled—rooted in their advanced spatial manipulation. Thus, it was no surprise that in so short a time, Ato could locate the culprit’s ship and open a wormhole directly onto it.

Having given her orders, Morgana changed into her Liang Bing persona, even altering her makeup, though the massive mechanical wings at her back remained unfolded. Since Yunyang had survived her failed attempt on his life, she believed there was still room for maneuver between herself and Qiangwei. Now, she intended to comfort Qiangwei, to speak of Earth’s circumstances, and to assure her of the help she could offer.

Qiangwei crouched on the ground, weeping in silence. Wei Qi, standing nearby, did not shed tears; he had once sworn to bleed, but never again to cry. He would not break that vow. Though his heart brimmed with sorrow, he channeled it, purposefully, into boundless rage.

As he struggled to hold back his tears, he suddenly noticed a figure appear behind Qiangwei. Looking closely, he realized it was the Demon Queen herself, dressed in civilian attire, standing behind Qiangwei with unknown intent—a harbinger of nothing good, surely.

With this thought, Wei Qi ignored Liang Bing’s gesture for silence. He raised his gun and shouted, “Don’t move, Demon Queen Morgana! Stay away from Qiangwei.” He knew well enough that his weapon was likely useless against her, so he did not bother with threats to shoot—he simply shouted a warning of the danger at Qiangwei’s back.

Qiangwei heard his shout, realizing that Morgana was now behind her. The fact that she had not sensed the Demon Queen’s approach at all only deepened her helplessness—first, the world-shattering force of a nuclear blast, and now Morgana’s silent arrival, all left her feeling utterly powerless. Her emotions, pushed beyond the brink, erupted into a reckless attack on Liang Bing, with no thought for her own safety.

Liang Bing, however, faced Qiangwei’s fierce onslaught without a hint of evasion; she caught Qiangwei’s fist with calm ease. Qiangwei tried instinctively to withdraw her hand but found it impossible—Liang Bing’s grip was unbreakable, and she wore a faint, enigmatic smile.

Seeing Qiangwei subdued, Wei Qi acted without hesitation. He pulled the trigger, unleashing a burst of gunfire. Liang Bing released Qiangwei’s hand, spun around, and wrenched the gun from Wei Qi’s grasp, then rubbed her own back where she’d been struck, exclaiming loudly, “Damn, what kind of weapon is this? It packs a hell of a punch—hurts like hell!”

Freed, Qiangwei wasted no time—she activated a micro-wormhole and leapt to Wei Qi’s side, staring vigilantly at Liang Bing. “What do you want? Are you here to kill us? I won’t let you succeed. Wei Qi, get in the car—go, now!”

Morgana, being a fourth-generation god-body, had a remarkable capacity for recovery; with just a few words, the pain from Wei Qi’s attack faded. She stood and replied, “Of course not. I would never harm you. You, he, and the warriors of Huaxia will all become my soldiers one day.”

Before Qiangwei could answer, Wei Qi snapped, “As warriors of Huaxia, our loyalty is to our country and people. We would never fight for some alien—especially a demon. Give up that fantasy.”

Liang Bing, unbothered by his words, replied with an ambiguous smile, “Who can say what the future holds? Best not to be too hasty with judgments—you might embarrass yourself later.”

Wei Qi wanted to retort further, but Qiangwei tugged at his arm, signaling him with her eyes to get in the car—they were no match for Liang Bing. Wei Qi took the hint, said no more, and quickly climbed into the vehicle, starting the engine.

Just as Liang Bing was about to speak again, she suddenly sensed a presence entering the atmosphere—a presence she remembered all too well. Her expression became exaggerated, “There’s a super-powerful, pitch-black dark energy approaching Earth—damn, it’s already in the atmosphere? That fast?”

Facing off with Liang Bing, Qiangwei heard this non sequitur and couldn’t help but ask, “What are you talking about?”

Before Liang Bing could reply, a grand voice echoed from the sky—though its words were anything but dignified.

“Liang Bing, it’s been so long. I caught your scent as soon as I entered the solar system.”

Before the words had faded, a blazing firebolt plunged from the heavens, its shockwave throwing Qiangwei and the unbelted Wei Qi to the ground. Only Liang Bing remained standing.

When the wind died down, Qiangwei and Wei Qi looked toward the landing site of the firebolt. There, kneeling on one knee, was an angel. The ground around him was cracked and shattered from the impact.

Examining him closely, they realized he was a male angel—after all, the wings were always the first identifier. He wore a golden, intricately patterned circlet—perhaps a crown—and was clad in purple and gold Gothic armor, the ornate silver and gold filigree so elaborate as to seem almost excessive. His noble bearing was unmistakable; wherever he went, he would draw every eye.

Seeing this male angel descend, Liang Bing’s tone was both certain and confused, “Hua Ye?”

Hua Ye ignored her question, speaking to himself, “Liang Bing, you destroyed the one I loved most. You owe me for that.” His voice was arrogant, with a hint of amusement playing about his lips.

Liang Bing, clearly annoyed, shot back, “Didn’t you run off with Ruoning? What’s this—here to avenge your ex?”

Again, he ignored her, pointing instead at Qiangwei and Wei Qi, who were just getting up off the ground. “What are these two? There’s dark energy in their armor—yet this is a pre-nuclear civilization. How could they possibly possess such technology?”

“I don’t care who you are, but the way you arrived on Earth was extremely rude.” Qiangwei, angered by the insult to herself and her comrade, replied with open hostility.

Her words were met only with a string of wild laughter. The male angel’s effeminate gesture of half-covering his mouth with his hand only made his demeanor more repulsive.

When he finished laughing, Hua Ye pointed at Qiangwei and asked Liang Bing, “Was she talking to me? Seriously, Liang Bing, have you fallen so low? Making friends with these creatures and giving them dark energy?” His voice was dripping with mockery and disdain, eliciting nothing but revulsion.

Hearing that undisguised contempt, Wei Qi, as a man, felt compelled to speak up. “Who the hell are you, coming to Earth and spouting this nonsense?” But again, he was ignored completely. The male angel’s personality was truly impossible to like.