The Price of Retirement and a Fateful Encounter

Ming Yu gently closed the bedroom door, then walked to the balcony. Leaning against the railing, she yawned, a clear sign of her dwindling interest.

“Old Man Jiang, I’m not sure if you’ve seen it, but my medical report clearly states that my physical functions are steadily declining. Soon, I’ll lose the ability to fight at sea.”

“But you can’t retire, can you? If you do, how am I supposed to brag about you to my old buddies?”

“…”

“Ahem, of course, that’s secondary… The main thing is, you need to think this through. If you truly retire, everything you were meant to receive will be lost.”

“I won’t be expelled anyway… Besides, I still have some savings.”

“Heh heh, have you ever seen anyone leave the Association unscathed? If people could just leave voluntarily, who would bother with a job where your life hangs by a thread?”

“What do you mean?” Ming Yu narrowed her eyes.

Hearing her, Jiang Chen chuckled.

“While you meet the criteria for medical retirement, given your current S-rank assessment, if you truly retire, you’ll have to pay a hefty fee to withdraw from the Association.”

“A buyout fee, then? How much?”

“Uh, one hundred…”

“One million? Then I can just…”

“Hundred million.”

“…”

Ming Yu’s eyes widened, and she gasped sharply.

“Old Man Jiang, are you joking with me? Can you even come up with that much money? Can anyone in all of Pharos?”

“Subjectively, no. Objectively, perhaps.”

“Stop, don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes here.”

“I know you’re anxious, but try to stay calm for a moment.”

“…”

“You must understand, every S-rank hunter is a core resource for the Association, the city districts, and even Pharos itself. They won’t be easily allowed to walk free.”

Jiang Chen said with considerable admiration,

“On another note, you really do make me proud, kid. It’s been years, and you’ve improved so much that you even secured an S-rank assessment.”

“…”

Regardless of whether it was praise or slander, Ming Yu had no desire to respond. Her mind was solely preoccupied with figuring out what to do.

It was a miscalculation.

She should have anticipated that the management would never let go of such a valuable asset, surely intending to exploit every last usable resource.

The genetic disease was like a ticking time bomb buried within her body, its detonation time unknown.

Ming Yu was certain that if she went out to sea one more time, she might never return.

Tsk, this was troublesome.

She needed Old Man Jiang’s help.

“Um, well, Old Man Jiang… Mr. Jiang, how have you been feeling lately?”

“Me? I’m no different than before, still quite robust… Kid, your tone has changed. Are you scheming something?”

“Ahaha, how could I be… As you said, I can’t retire, but you’re also aware of my physical condition. Could you make an exception and let me step down from the front lines?”

“Now, that’s an idea.”

“By the way, do you have some time recently? I was hoping you could help me with something…”

“So you were waiting for this, huh? What kind of help? Speak.”

“Because of the genetic disease, my physical condition has undergone some changes. I need to update my registered identity information.”

“Changes? Are you referring to… your voice?”

“…More than that.”

“No problem, I’ll submit the application. You just wait to re-register… And while I’m at it, I’ll try to arrange a second-line position for you.”

“Thank you.”

“Alright then, I’ll hang up if there’s nothing else.”

“Wait,” Ming Yu suddenly remembered something and quickly spoke up. “Oh, Old Man Jiang… er, Mr. Jiang, how much do you know about Sky City?”

At the other end of the communication, as soon as the question reached his ears, Jiang Chen frowned.

“Sky City? Where did you get that information?”

“Huh? What do you mean, ‘where did I get that information’?”

“…Never mind. Why are you asking about this?”

“Curiosity.”

“Child, you are invincible.”

“…”

****

After hanging up the call, Ming Yu felt goosebumps erupt all over her body, her mind filled with Jiang Chen’s utterly insincere courtesies.

Had she not needed his help, she would never have chatted so politely with Old Man Jiang. Instead, she might have unleashed the Six Arts of a Gentleman to counter his passive-aggressive antics.

When it came to verbal sparring, Ming Yu didn’t believe she would lose to the old master.

‘Disciples are not necessarily inferior to their masters, nor are masters necessarily wiser than their disciples.’

‘Knowledge comes at different times, and skills have their specializations.’

Old Man Jiang was responsible for sorting out her identity and position.

As for the news about Sky City, Ming Yu had more or less discerned some clues. Old Man Jiang clearly had reservations, even speaking vaguely and deliberately, as if trying to conceal certain information.

It was definitely connected to Sky City.

Ming Yu’s spirits lifted, and she felt a surge of motivation.

She finally had a breakthrough, a path to restore Little Nightingale’s sight. Though she didn’t know the specifics, she estimated that Old Man Jiang had likely had some contact with Sky City.

In that case, she couldn’t retire so easily. She needed to find an opportunity to pry some information from the higher-ups.

****

Inside the washroom.

Ming Yu wiped the water from her face, gazing at the woman in the mirror whose skin was as fair as alabaster. She couldn’t help but lower her crimson eyes, avoiding her own reflection.

After tidying herself, she donned a black mask and left early. She purchased a full set of textbooks on basic knowledge, then returned to sit alone in the living room, deep in thought.

Her memory might not be as sharp as in her youth, but her cognitive abilities were undeniably stronger than before. Many concepts, when revisited now, were understood with virtually no effort.

‘Language is the bridge of thought…’

‘Odd changes, even doesn’t; signs depend on the quadrant…’

‘The economic base determines the superstructure…’

‘Forces act in pairs…’

‘Chemical reactions follow the law of conservation of mass…’

‘Genes are DNA segments with hereditary effects…’

Dormant memories began to stir.

Time flowed like water, and Ming Yu was completely engrossed, so much so that she didn’t even notice Little Nightingale emerge from the bedroom and approach her from behind.

Little Nightingale held her “eyes” and curiously observed Ming Yu.

‘What is Big Sister Ming Yu doing?’

As she pondered, she silently stood behind Ming Yu, gently placing Luna on her head, and carefully watched the books in Ming Yu’s hands.

Luna, too, was remarkably well-behaved, not making a sound throughout. Her gaze followed her little owner’s wishes, resting on the mistress.

Ming Yu was utterly absorbed when a “grumble” suddenly sounded by her ear.

Turning her head, she saw Little Nightingale with Luna perched on her head, the two of them doing something peculiar behind her.

The grumbling sound had come from Little Nightingale’s stomach.

“Meow~ (๑•̀ㅁ•́ฅ)”

“Oh, good morning, Big Sister Ming Yu.”

“Morning.”

Ming Yu nodded, then smiled as she closed the book, rose, and walked over to Little Nightingale, taking her hand.

“It’s not easy to find your way here in the dark… Have you already grown familiar with the room?”

“Mm-hm…”

“I’ll go prepare breakfast. You can sit down for a bit.”

****

Ming Yu had never known her own parents, nor did she know how to be a competent guardian. She could only rely on her life experiences, striving to ensure Little Nightingale felt sincerity and kindness.

Since the beast tide receded, her life had settled into tranquility. Even the occasional bothersome incident couldn’t shatter this peace.

With Old Man Jiang’s help, she re-registered her S-rank hunter identity. From then on, she would be known publicly as “Silver Kite,” and information such as her gender, appearance, height, and weight had all been altered.

Beyond the changes to her identity, Old Man Jiang had also arranged a stable position for her: relocating to the inner city to serve as an instructor at the First Training Camp.

Thus, at home, Ming Yu became Little Nightingale’s tutor; at the training camp, under the guise of “Silver Kite,” she taught survival skills to less fortunate children.

Days passed, and two months flew by like a white colt flashing past a crevice.

“Ding-dong!”

The doorbell rang.

Little Nightingale, barefoot and with Luna perched on her head, scurried to the door and announced cheerfully:

“Welcome home, Ming… Who are you?”

Upon opening the door and seeing the person outside, Little Nightingale’s expression instantly froze.

Qing Shui Ling Yin stood at the doorway, holding a bag of fruit.

Just like Little Nightingale, Qing Shui Ling Yin was stunned for a moment upon seeing the other girl. She quickly recovered and politely nodded.

“Hello, I heard Ming Yu moved here… My name is Qing Shui Ling Yin. May I ask who you are?”

“You know Ming Yu? What’s your… relationship?” Little Nightingale asked, her face cold and brows furrowed.

Seeing her reaction, Qing Shui Ling Yin also frowned slightly.

“I am his fiancée.”