'Twas One River That Gave Us Drink

Hey, kiddo! See these super runes? I'll trade them for the balloon!

No way! Your runes are super buggly.

'Cos you got no idea what it can do! These are runes of protection! They're real expensive, you know!

Mama warned me about nice strangers! Thieves and cheats!

Your Mama is wrong! I'm the Chief of Qingbo! A true hero!

Ugh... Am I that bad? And why does Darkmask get more popularity points while wearing that mean-looking mask?

When did you arrive?!

You're supposed to be my underling! How could you just stand by and watch?

Hmph.

Thanks a lot, Darkmask! I already got my eyes on this cute chubby thing! Always wanted to steal one for myself whenever I visit the city.

Hee. I didn't sneak here. I actually got an invite from the mad woman.

Yes she did. Mad woman got some really important biz for me!

I ... uh ... rushed here ... and skipped my lunch...

But ... this is also my very first time not sneaking around the city. BRRR —

YEH!! Mi Fu told me everything's on her tab! Let's grab a real feast and bankrupt that angry pink mop!

This doesn't feel right at all.

WAIT! No! NONONO! Not this place —

Endmin! Oh ho! And you brought guests again!

Hmm. I think I saw this girl before... AH! She's the one who mistook me for someone else!

NO! It's not me! I was never here... NEVER...!

It was you! You also mentioned the Darkmask too... Now I know you were talking about the Endmin!

Let's not keep you waiting. Come on in! I'll serve you in an instant.

*Sniff*! DELISH!

PERFECT! Mi Fu is a spice-simp, but I'm a Super Spice Chief!

I'm not a baby! Give me the spicy side!

Hssss... Whoo... Weee... Hssss...

I'M BURNING!!!

Damn you, mad woman! You lied to me!

Hssaaa — Hssaaa —

Who told me that Wuling Heat is child-friendly?!

*Glug-glug* I'm gonna ... hssss — hssaa — Beat up that evil woman...

Hnggh... It still burns...

Are Wulingers built different? What's wrong with their taste?

It's all because you're always dressed in black! Once we get back, I'll paint your mask red!

......

......

Eh... I, uh, heard Mi Fu saying that you like Chubby Lung so I got this nice balloon. Plus some sweet rice cakes. Mi Fu recommended the resto.

I have you to thank for foiling the Stockade residents' attack on Wuling. I intend to provide some supplies as a token of our gratitude.

I'm also promising to keep my people in line. No more stupid idiots are gonna cause any more trouble.

I don't intend to give up on them... And I don't remember them as traitors, but people of my Fam.

Even if we got a ton of bad blood against Wuling, the only thing I want is the entire Stockade to live together as a fam.

I accept your terms of parley, Tangtang.

Are you treating us as a charity case?

No... Just a gesture of my goodwill. I'm extremely happy that someone from Qingbo Stockade visited Wuling City for an amiable discussion.

Hmm... If that does happen, my job might get a lot easier.

That being said, I'm actually very curious about your views on Qingbo City... Please have a seat, Chief. The tea has been brewed.

Big Madam... I mean ... Big Zhuang... Pffft. Viceroy! Yes! Viceroy Zhuang! Your Chief... PFFFFFT! Ahem. Your humble and nice little Tangtang...

Ahem...

Mi Fu told me you're just a child. But I see instead someone with the dignity and bearings of a true leader.

That's why you're Mi Fu's Chief. She lacks your vision and foresight.

Supplies? If you're willing to give, then I don't see any problem taking some.

But I'm here to parley about some serious biz.

I'm listening.

I know you've been raising an elite force for some major fight.

The Landbreakers messed up my place. I'm the Chief, so I'm gonna thrash them really hard. You don't even have to ask.

So in exchange, can you ... let those stupid Stockaders go? I'll knock some sense into them.

Are you talking about the Stockade residents who joined the Landbreakers? But didn't they just betray you and Qingbo Stockade?

They called me Younger Dame, Tangtang, and baby girl... And they always had something for me when they came back to the Stockade. Candies, toys, and little red fins...

Can you really bury the hatred between Qingbo Stockade and Wuling?

Did you just accept everything? I thought you'd ... start haggling like an angry skinflint or something!

Wuling is a lot more generous than that. We are willing to provide the Stockade with both technology and supplies...

But aren't you worried about me? Give Chief Tangtang a few years and Wulingers like you would be begging my Stockade for protection! When that day comes, I'll name this place as Qingbo City!

This is it, Darkmask. I'm feeling much better already. Don't worry, I can walk myself back to my Stockade.

She said Wuling also lost plenty of people in that incident ten years ago... Was she lying to me?

You ... are not trying to defend her, right?

...I can't help but keep thinking about this. So many things have changed overnight. Why?

Right things start going wrong. Real stuff starts feeling fake. Even love got turned into hate...

I'm a Chief. And that means I can't leave my Stockade. Ffft. This won't work —

You're cheating!

To answer your question, Tangtang, you must embark on a long journey of learning and first-hand experiences.

Will Endfield give me that answer?

But what if ... if I didn't really feel like answering the question?

I know I'm not that bright. I can spend an entire lifetime pondering, and only end up answering a single question.

And even if I traveled a bit, saw plenty of stuff, and earned tons of experience ... I'll still carry the Stockade in my mind.

I will rename Endfield as Qingbo-Field! And I'll be your Chief Endmin! Once your Chief, ALWAYS your Chief!

Dark... Ugh. Welp, I guess I'll call you Endmin. For once!

Ooof. Do clever people always talk like that? Sounding smart is so tiring. It feels worse than getting into a fight.

I gotta think about Big Madam's every word. Is she for real? Is she out to rip me off?

No matter how I try, I could only see a tiny part. If I look at the same thing from somewhere else, it turns into something super different.

But ... Endfield is definitely on my list of destinations.

I'll buff my Stockade with Endfield tech!

See you tomorrow, Endmin.