Sui Yun-Mars

The temperature dropped sharply in late autumn, and frost began to creep onto the roadside vegetation. Disguised as traveling merchants, Starlight didn't dare to use magic at will.

Unlike the elves, he couldn't simply ignore the environmental changes and was forced to endure the plummeting temperature alongside Po Kong.

The group waited for a long time in boredom until the break of dawn, when they finally heard a different sound.

Accompanied by the crisp sound of horse hooves echoing through the morning mist, a deep red carriage slowly approached and stopped not far away. Curiously, there was no driver at the front to guide it.

“Hmm?” Seeing the carriage stop nearby, Po Kong instinctively looked up. Just as he was about to ask what they wanted, his gaze suddenly froze on a pattern at the corner of the carriage door.

It was an embossed crest featuring two ornate golden swords crossed over each other. Anyone with even a basic knowledge of the nobility or the military of the House of Leon would know that this seemingly understated pattern was the family crest of the War God family—the House of Mars.

“It really is you, little brother! I thought the contact had gone wrong!” With a creak, the carriage door opened, and a man jumped down from the cabin. His voice was resonant and carried a clear tone of joy.

“Little brother??”

Hearing this, Starlight and the others looked at the newcomer in surprise. He was a blond man slightly shorter than Po Kong, appearing to be in his thirties. His facial features bore a clear resemblance to Po Kong’s, though he looked more mature and weathered.

A long scar ran across the man’s face from his left forehead down to his chin. His left eye was blind due to the terrible wound, adding a touch of ferocity to his otherwise handsome face.

Even more surprising to Starlight and the others was that the man’s right sleeve was empty; he had clearly lost his entire right arm.

“Bi... Big Brother... You really are still in the Crimson City-State...” Seeing the man’s appearance, Po Kong rarely lowered his head, his voice becoming much smaller as he spoke with a rare trace of unease.

“Of course. Where else would I go?” The man laughed, patting Po Kong’s shoulder with his remaining left hand. “Good lad, it’s been over a year since I last saw you. You’ve grown quite a bit; you’re sturdier than your big brother now.”

Po Kong scratched his head, looking quite flustered. “Alright, Big Brother, can you stop treating me like a child? I’m almost an adult, okay?”

“Hahaha, alright, alright~ But in my eyes, you’ll always be that little kid.” The man laughed heartily, then turned his gaze toward the others behind Po Kong with curiosity. “And who are these people? Aren't you going to introduce me?”

“Oh! Right, sorry!” Po Kong snapped out of it and hurried to introduce them. “This is Starlight, the mage of our team. These are the sisters Moen and Xia Duo, our healer and archer. As for this one...” He paused, glancing at the dazed, half-asleep Little Gold. “His name is Little Gold. He’s a child we met on the road; he seems to be lost.”

“Hmm, not bad. It seems your eye for teammates is decent...” Following Po Kong’s introduction, the man’s gaze swept over everyone, and he nodded in satisfaction. Then, using his single arm, he performed a standard noble salute. “Since you are my little brother’s friends, I welcome you to the Crimson City-State on behalf of the House of Mars. I am his eldest brother and the representative here—Sui Yun-Mars. If you like, you can just call me Brother Sui Yun like he does.”

Starlight and the others quickly returned the salute with respect. After all, this was the first time they had met Po Kong’s family, and they couldn't afford to be lax with etiquette.

However, Sui Yun’s personality was somewhat similar to Po Kong’s. Although he had a mature aura, he was equally informal and didn't care for the tedious formalities of the nobility. After a brief exchange of pleasantries, he said straightforwardly:

“Regardless, everyone should get in the carriage first. This isn't the place for a conversation.”

Since the invitation had been extended, the group quickly packed their things and boarded the carriage before they could attract any attention from nearby travelers.

Although Sui Yun’s carriage wasn't luxuriously decorated, it was very spacious. From the thick walls and the exquisite interior design, it was clear that it was highly comfortable and likely had excellent soundproofing.

Once the carriage door was closed, Sui Yun, sitting in the primary seat, immediately dropped his casual demeanor. His expression became serious. “Now then, little brother, you can tell me why you’ve come. Did something happen? To think you’d use the emergency contact channel... And as far as I know, you were the one in the family most reluctant to come to the Crimson City-State.”

Po Kong let out a long sigh, exchanged a look with Starlight and the others, and began to recount their experiences over the past month or so.

Seeing Po Kong begin his story, Sui Yun pressed a metal button next to his seat and gave it a gentle twist. The carriage began to move slowly.

As the carriage traveled, Po Kong summarized everything from the battle in the Violet City-State to the attacks within the elven territory and the conflict with Sima’s team a few days ago. He hid nothing, laying out the entire situation for Sui Yun.

“Missing elves... dragon movements... and a strange team from the Crimson City-State, is it...” After listening to Po Kong’s description, Sui Yun muttered to himself while turning his gaze toward Moen and Xia Duo. “It seems these two are the elf sisters you mentioned, right?”

Seeing that there were no outsiders present, Moen and Xia Duo gracefully removed their hats and veils, giving Sui Yun a slight nod.

“Not bad, little brother. With two such beauties in your team, no wonder you don't want to go home at all~”

Seeing the peerless beauty of the two women, Sui Yun looked at Po Kong teasingly, a playful smile on his lips.

Under his brother’s teasing, Po Kong’s face turned a rare shade of crimson. Even Xia Duo’s expression became unnatural as she slightly turned her head away.

Seeing this, Po Kong quickly explained, “It’s not like that! We’re talking about serious business! For various reasons, we need to enter the city to gather information. Big Brother, you should be able to help us, right?”

“Oh?” Sui Yun raised an eyebrow slightly, carefully sizing the two of them up with a half-smile. “But that doesn't sound like the attitude of someone asking for a favor~”

Hearing this, a fawning smile immediately appeared on Po Kong’s face. In a low voice and a tone Starlight and the others had never heard before, he whispered, “My dear big brother, please help us! This is the request of a lifetime! I’m begging you!”

“Ugh... fine! I get it! Get that disgusting look off your face; I still can't stand it!” Laughing, Sui Yun pushed Po Kong away and then turned serious. “Alright, I have a general understanding of the situation. Since it’s my little brother’s request, I will naturally see it through.”

“I know that fellow Sima. Although he’s always been a rather paranoid and aggressive person, he wouldn't just suddenly self-destruct... He must have been trying to cover something up.”

“However, none of that matters now. The focus is how to get you all inside.” Sui Yun nodded slightly, his tone steady. “As you’ve seen, because of what you did—plus a few other reasons—the entire Crimson City-State is currently sealed tight. The conventional routes definitely won't work...”

“If there’s really no other way, then we can only consider looking for an opportunity to force our way in.” Hearing Sui Yun’s words, Starlight’s heart sank, and he prepared for the worst.

However, Sui Yun quickly looked up, a faint smile playing at the corners of his mouth. “Young man, don't misunderstand. I only said the conventional routes won't work, but that doesn't mean you can't get in.”

“While the Crimson City-State isn't our Mars family territory, with my methods, bringing a few people in is no problem at all.”

Sui Yun’s tone was filled with confidence, as if this task presented no difficulty for him at all.