Darkness arrived earlier in the north than in the south. Evening came and went quickly, giving way to night. The reason was that the snow didn’t like the sun, and the dome of heaven didn’t like dusk. As a result, the sky turned pitch black very quickly. And the night was long.12

Xu Qing stood outside his tent in the garrison, looking into the night in the direction of South Phoenix. The continent was very, very far away.0

I wonder how Chen Feiyuan is doing. And Tingyu. With them around, Teacher’s grave will be well-attended to. [1]3

Xu Qing stepped into his tent. Sitting down cross-legged, he sighed and closed his eyes. After calming his heart, he took out the clay bottle.0

I hope this works. Placing the bottle to the side, he took out the black iron skewer that had been with him for so long. He was intimately familiar with every angle and line of the skewer.1

Back in the slums, one of his scholar teachers had said, “The older people get, the more sentimental they are.”6

Xu Qing didn’t completely agree with that. After all, he wasn’t very old, yet he was very sentimental. Whether it was people or things, as long as they lent him a helping hand, he would never forget them. Feeling a bit emotional, he put the iron skewer into the clay bottle. Then he cast his senses into the bottle as well, to...5