The core area of the Imperial Capital Cemetery.
Rows of tombstones met the eye, like a formation, neatly arranged.
Mu Hanqi held Ye Longlin's hand, following his steps as they walked deeper.
On the central shaded path, soldiers stood guard every meter, protecting the slumber of heroes.
"General Ye, this way."
Dedicated soldiers were responsible for leading the way, a sign of respect for military families.
"No need, you may go."
Ye Longlin waved his hand. The soldier who was leading the way nodded slightly and then left.
Upon reaching the deepest part, dozens of tombstones stood tall, marking the resting places of all four-star generals who had fallen in recent years. Counting them, there were as many as fifty!
"Woody~"
Mu Hanqi looked at the numerous tombstones, her heart trembling. It was hard to imagine that all these people were fallen generals. The sheer number of four-star generals who had sacrificed their lives in recent years was simply incredible.
The Hall of Glory, the highest department, and their official accounts had never revealed any information, nor had they spoken of these matters.
Their names were like taboos, never mentioned.
Besides former comrades-in-arms and family, who else would remember them?
Born unknown, dying unrecognized, this was their life.
"Great Xia, no matter the generation, there will always be a group of people who remain unknown. Aside from their closest loved ones, no one knows their names, no one knows they existed. Yet, no one can deny their contributions.
It is precisely because of them that the backbone of the Great Xia military can stand tall. It is precisely because of them that Great Xia has been able to build a Great Wall of flesh and blood generation after generation, letting the barbarians know that Great Xia cannot be violated!
Those who offend Great Xia will be punished, no matter how far away. This is not just a slogan, but something we can truly achieve. They have illuminated countless people, and in the future, countless more will appear here, illuminating others once again.
One day, I too will be here, becoming one of them."
Ye Longlin spoke slowly, causing Mu Hanqi to instinctively tighten her grip on his hand.
Stopping, Ye Longlin looked down at the tombstone. Five large characters read: Tomb of Ye Guohui.
Below, a plaque detailed his life.
"Dad, I've come to see you."
Ye Longlin's voice was low. He crouched down, wiped the photo, and managed a faint smile.
"Uncle Ye, I am Ye Longlin's girlfriend and fiancée. It's a pleasure to meet you."
...
At the entrance of the cemetery.
A convoy of cars suddenly stopped. From each vehicle, bodyguards in black suits with earpieces emerged.
From the central vehicle stepped out a middle-aged man in a long robe, holding two walnuts and walking with a measured pace.
"Hello, sir."
Two sentries stopped him.
Ye Nantian presented his family identification, and was then allowed to enter.
Normally, the core area was very quiet, with fewer than two families visiting per day. Only during Qingming Festival, National Day, or before the Lunar New Year did it become a peak period. Today, with two families arriving at once, they found it quite unusual.
Ye Nantian walked along the path towards the deepest part.
At this moment, Ye Longlin and Mu Hanqi were sitting cross-legged on the ground, with a bottle of wine placed before them. Three incense sticks burned straight towards the sky.
"Earlier, I said I would capture all the war criminals within three months, but the time has passed. Only one SSS-class war criminal has been captured. You won't blame me, will you? Well, even if you did, you can't scold me anymore. But with so many brothers accompanying you, you shouldn't be lonely. Though, thinking about it, you never got to enjoy life.
You spent almost half your life guarding that desert, needing special flights for food and supplies, completely unaware of the outside world."
"Dad, Mu Hanqi is my fiancée. I plan to marry her after all matters are settled. By the way, the Ye family cannot be dealt with yet. We need to tackle the Martial Arts Association first. Only after the Martial Arts Association is destroyed can we have the freedom to deal with the Ye family.
The revenge for what happened back then, I will definitely get it. Don't worry, even if you're anxious, it won't help. Do you remember the Second Elder? The Second Elder's health isn't very good either."
As Ye Longlin spoke, sitting on the ground, a figure suddenly appeared beside him.
Ye Longlin looked up and saw Ye Nantian standing on the steps, hands clasped behind his back, wearing a long robe.
He subconsciously frowned and stood up, his aura turning grim and killing.
"I was planning to visit Big Brother, but I didn't expect you to be here too. What a coincidence."
Ye Nantian said with a smile, a hint of playfulness on his lips. He stepped forward, turned to look at Ye Nantian's tombstone, his eyes devoid of any emotion.
"You are not welcome here."
"This is also your last time entering here. Say whatever you need to say, all at once."
Ye Longlin spoke indifferently, with no emotion in his voice.
Ye Nantian ignored him, instead looking at Mu Hanqi and smiling, "The little princess of the Murong family, you are indeed very beautiful. If you had grown up in the Imperial Capital, countless people would want to pursue you."
Mu Hanqi's gaze was equally cold and unfeeling. She replied without politeness, "What does that have to do with you? Don't tell me you want me to have an arranged marriage with someone from your Ye family?"
Mu Hanqi was the one to speak sarcastically.
She was stirring the pot, bringing up the most sensitive issues.
The matters of the Li family had only just concluded, with even people like Han Qingshan imprisoned. Fifteen former big shots were imprisoned in the same batch.
And all of this stemmed from an arranged marriage.
If it weren't for the arranged marriage, so many things wouldn't have been exposed.
It could even be said that Ye Nantian was the one who personally created this situation.
Ye Nantian laughed heartily, "Naturally not. They say it's better to tear down ten temples than ruin one marriage. I wouldn't do something like that."
Mu Hanqi scoffed disdainfully, "Who knows? As the head of the Ye family, your hands are far from clean. I think you should clean yourself up before coming here, otherwise, you'll pollute the air here. It stinks, big shot."
Ye Nantian felt immense anger, his smile stiffening on his face. However, this was not a place where he could afford to lose his temper.
"Ye Longlin, is this your fiancée? I see her demeanor isn't great either. Truly a little princess raised among the common people, lacking any etiquette or manners."
Ye Longlin chuckled, "That's none of your concern. However, I think my fiancée is quite right. You shouldn't come here anymore. It really stinks."
Ye Nantian warned, "The Ye family has a heritage of over a hundred years. It's not something you can shake."