Chapter 32: Gathering
Three Sunlight Night Watchers had lost their stars, and a whole bunch of high-level combatants were still out cold. Welcome to the current state of affairs in Yun Chang City’s Night Watchers.
If a star eclipse were to pop up here again, well… good luck with that, folks!
All six star eclipses were gathered together, including two supernova star eclipses. Without collaborations from multiple cities, there was no way they’d get dealt with.
This called for more Night Watchers.
Stars could team up for greater synergy, and the same went for star eclipses. The eclipses from the Tragic Shadow Theater alone could activate over ten Sunlight Night Watchers.
As the leader of the Yun Chang City Night Watchers, Xiao Jin wasted no time sending out a distress signal to neighboring cities, and he soon got a reply.
Mo Tu quietly observed the scene without saying a word, then straight up left.
“Interesting, the instability of the city has just skyrocketed. Too bad I can’t foretell anything without any stars on hand. Ah, a little break never hurt anyone, right? I’m not anyone’s babysitter, after all!”
And so, with a cheerful disposition, Mo Tu walked further down the road until he gradually vanished from sight.
……
In a fancy high-end hotel.
A blue-haired, blue-eyed girl sat quietly on a couch, watching the news on TV.
The headline read, “Violent Gang Launches Terror Attack in the Entertainment District.”
The report basically warned that the situation was still unstable, so no important missions should take place outside.
Is it really that serious?
Qing Liao didn’t get it. Being a firsthand witness to the whole event, she thought she was the most qualified to judge—it was no terror attack; it was just too bizarre.
Moreover, she couldn’t shake off one particular memory: a girl with long, creamy white hair singing on stage. That voice… truly unforgettable, the kind that etched itself into your soul; it could easily rank among the best of songstresses.
Who is she?
“Why am I so fixated on this…? If that voice really exists, it should’ve left a mark in my memory…”
Qing Liao gradually zoned out, the ethereal notes from that moment echoing in her head, the melody, the tune, the voice; crystal clear.
In this fleeting moment of remembrance, she easily sank into a deep reverie.
Since reaching the pinnacle of songstresses, she hadn’t thought another voice could draw her in like this.
Just then, a mature woman approached from behind—it was the songstress’s manager.
“Qing Liao, the situation in this city seems unstable; let’s leave tomorrow.”
“Not a chance.”
The manager looked perplexed.
“Why? You went to the entertainment district all alone earlier today, and I was worried sick! I almost had a heart attack after hearing there was a terror attack! If anything happened to you, I wouldn’t know what to do! The concert’s over; is there any reason to stick around?”
“I have something I need to find out, so I’m not leaving.”
“But…”
“Shut it!”
“Ugh.” The manager choked on her words.
Qing Liao stood up, brushing past her and heading back into her room.
Bang.
After slamming the door, she slid down the door frame to sit on the floor, a dejected expression on her face.
“Ugh… I messed up again. She clearly cares about me the most…”
Qing Liao curled up, burying her face in her knees, radiating an aura of melancholy.
Just then, a knock came from behind her, followed by her manager’s voice.
“Qing Liao, I support your decision.”
Qing Liao lifted her head slightly, parted her lips to say something, and ultimately managed only two words.
“Thank you…”
…..
Time flowed like a gentle stream, and before anyone knew it, the next day arrived on schedule.
Night Watchers from various cities gradually converged on Yun Chang City, making the atmosphere in the base grow heavier, as if they were about to face some catastrophic battle.
Meanwhile, while casually hanging out with White Fish at the base, Night Lan noticed plenty of unfamiliar Night Watchers passing by, and the tension in the air was palpable.
“White Fish, have we really seen a surge of random strangers around the base lately?”
White Fish nodded, replying, “It’s not your imagination! Other cities’ Night Watchers have arrived! My sister mentioned that we’re critically short on Night Watchers, so the higher-ups reached out to other cities for help. Those people you’re seeing are from elsewhere.”
“Oh~ I see.”
Since yesterday, Night Lan had indeed felt the base was quieter, thanks to the Night Watchers who had participated in the star eclipse and remained unconscious.
With more people coming in today, the flow of traffic in the base returned to normal, but the atmosphere was decidedly tense, giving her a constant feeling of unease.
At this moment, White Fish sighed, worry etched across her face.
“Dad’s also passed out. I wonder when he’ll wake up?”
“Ugh, he’ll be okay…”
Speaking of which, White Fish’s dad was also at the scene, out there fighting alongside White Paint; talk about a father-daughter action team!
Night Lan wanted to help Bai Yuan wake up, but the doctor wouldn’t let her—this “little kid” was kept at a distance from veteran Night Watchers, which really ticked her off.
And this cowardly loli couldn’t even reveal her special star eclipse Life Blessing power; all she could do was sulk away.
Sigh, being a useless mascot isn’t so bad after all.
Just then, Night Lan spotted a few vaguely familiar figures, although she couldn’t quite place them.
“Who are those people…?”
Passing nearby were a grey-haired man and a red-haired man.
Since this had only happened recently, Night Lan quickly recalled their identities.
They were Sunlight Night Watchers from Shanghe City—Yan Que and Chi Hao.
Were they also coming to Yun Chang City to deal with the Tragic Shadow Theater?
“Hm~ I remember Lan Feng Su Yu said she was coming to find me in Yun Chang City. I wonder if she’ll show up during this operation~”
Night Lan mused.
But wait.
Now wasn’t the time to worry about that. According to the intel from the Night Watchers’ base, there’d be a whole bunch of big shots coming from other cities.
As the Night Star, she had to ensure the group leader at the theater wouldn’t just wander off for an impromptu “performance.” First, she needed to keep them settled within the theater.
To keep them in line, Night Star was even willing to become the audience for an entire day, sacrificing all her leisure time for the cause.
As the saying goes, if I don’t dive into hell, who will?
Luckily, she had two bodies. While Night Star watched the performance, Night Lan could do whatever she wanted, essentially gaining an extra day of time compared to others.
For everyone else, a day had twenty-four hours, but for Night Star Lan, it felt like she had a whopping forty-eight hours. Truly unbeatable!
