The next morning, sunlight filtered through thick, dust-covered glass, reflecting off the cold concrete floors of the Duong Nam Safe Zone. Thuong Sinh walked at a steady pace—each step light but firm, carrying a sense of absolute determination.
Ly Hong Quan's Supreme Commander's office was spacious but simply decorated, with a few maps spread across the center. The silver-haired man with sharp eyes sat behind his desk, reviewing data on a map.
Hearing the knock at the door, he focused his attention. His voice rang out from within, calm yet authoritative.
"Come in."
Thuong Sinh pushed the door open, turned to close it behind him, and walked to the front of Ly Hong Quan's desk.
"Is there a matter?" The Commander asked, slowly looking over the figures on the paper.
Thuong Sinh went straight to the point: "I am here to request permission to leave the safe zone."
Ly Hong Quan stopped writing. He didn't look up immediately; he simply set the pen on the edge of the desk and tapped his fingertip lightly once.
"Reason."
Two words dropped into the air, not heavy in tone, yet requiring no repetition.
Thuong Sinh didn't beat around the bush. "My family is in Nam An."
Only then did Ly Hong Quan raise his head. His aged but blade-sharp eyes looked directly at him. "I've had people check."
"In the recorded list of survivors, they are not there."
"I stated this clearly in the letter, and I made it clear—"
Thuong Sinh answered immediately, his voice calm: "Not having a name on a list doesn't mean they are dead."
The room was silent for a few seconds. Ly Hong Quan leaned back in his chair, fingers interlaced across his chest.
"You know what lies outside the safe zone."
"I know."
"You know, yet you are still going?"
"I'm going because I know."
The answer carried no hesitation and no emotion.
Ly Hong Quan looked at him for a long time, as if searching for a crack in his resolve, but found none. Before him was a man who had made his decision long before entering this room. Those eyes belonged to someone who had decided on a course of action he would see through to the end.
"You are vital personnel," he said slowly. "Not everyone can leave as they please."
"I am not leaving as I please," Thuong Sinh replied. "I am going for my own business."
Ly Hong Quan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do you understand what that signifies?"
"I do."
"You might not return."
"I never said I would return."
The atmosphere in the room turned cold. After a while, Ly Hong Quan let out a long sigh, as if he had heard an answer he had long anticipated.
"When?"
"Shortly."
Ly Hong Quan gave a very slight nod. "I will not hold you anymore." He paused for a beat, then continued, his voice lowering. "But from the moment you step out of the safe zone gates, you are no longer on the active combat payroll."
"I understand."
"There will also be no backup teams."
"None needed."
Ly Hong Quan looked at Thuong Sinh one last time, his gaze complex but not obstructive. "If you find them... your relatives... survive."
Thuong Sinh looked up.
"And if not..." The Commander didn't finish the sentence.
Thuong Sinh nodded, took out the Commander's passage tag, placed it on the desk, and turned to leave. As his hand reached the door handle, he spoke: "Thank you for the letter."
The door closed.
Ly Hong Quan remained alone in the room. The lamplight shone down on the map of the Nam An area—a road stretching over a hundred kilometers with no point of return.
Thuong Sinh stepped out of the building, watching the people around the safe zone, their laughter and the bustling activity. He looked up at the deep blue sky; it was finally time to leave.
Before departing, he needed to say goodbye to those he knew. He walked slowly toward the dormitory area. Standing before his door, he heard the voices of Van Binh and two others, Minh Thong and Thanh Tien.
He turned the handle and entered.
Van Binh was leaning against the desk, spinning a soda can. Seeing Thuong Sinh enter, he laughed reflexively. "Where did you head off to so early?"
Minh Thong was wiping a weapon, and Thanh Tien sat on the floor checking magazines. Both looked over simultaneously.
Thuong Sinh closed the door. He didn't speak immediately. He stood still for a few seconds, then said directly: "I am leaving the safe zone."
The air in the room froze.
Van Binh let out a laugh, shaking his head: "This kind of joke isn't funny."
Thuong Sinh looked at him calmly and replied: "I am not joking."
The smile on Van Binh's face vanished completely. The room became so quiet that the faint sound of metal clinking in Minh Thong's hands was clearly audible.
Minh Thong was the first to speak: "When are you leaving?"
"In a bit."
Minh Thong stood up, walked into his own room, and returned a moment later holding an old saber. "Follow me."
Thuong Sinh said nothing and followed him. The other two followed without question. Thus, the four left the dormitory.
The training ground behind the dormitory was empty now, devoid of people. Wind blew over the dirt and sand. This was the place where they had first faced off, and it might be the last.
Minh Thong stood opposite Thuong Sinh. No one spoke. The other two stood aside, watching in silence. Minh Thong began to draw his saber. Seeing this, Thuong Sinh unwrapped the white bandages from his sword.
They stood facing each other. Previously, they had fought with wooden swords; this time, it was the real thing.
"I'll go first."
The moment the words left his lips, Minh Thong initiated the attack. It was identical to the first time they met—he took the initiative, forcing Thuong Sinh to dodge an upward slash.
Miss!
The sound of the saber tearing through the air cut across the paths it traveled. Following the momentum, he took a step forward, channeling his strength into a vertical overhead strike. Thuong Sinh raised his sword to block horizontally.
Clang—!
The saber blade and sword body pressed tightly against each other, a small spark flying in an instant.
Minh Thong didn't try to keep pressing. He pushed off his toes, retreated half a step, flicked his wrist, and the blade slid to the side before slashing diagonally upward. Thuong Sinh tilted his body to avoid it, his sword tip sweeping across to block the spine of the saber.
Clang—!
The impact was stronger this time. Both retreated simultaneously. No one said a word.
Minh Thong took a deep breath, his gaze sharpening. He stepped forward again, his rhythm decisive and without hesitation. His saber technique was not flashy; every move was direct and fast.
Thuong Sinh responded with his sword. He stopped dodging as much; his sword swung neatly and accurately. Every block landed precisely on the point of impact—neither too much nor too little.
Clang! Clang!
The sound of metal rang out continuously in the empty training ground. Van Binh stood aside with arms crossed, his familiar smile long gone. Thanh Tien narrowed his eyes, tracking every footstep and breath of the two.
Minh Thong suddenly accelerated.
One slash, two slashes, three in a chain, forcing Thuong Sinh back two steps. For the final strike, he gathered all his strength, slashing straight down from above without holding back.
Thuong Sinh stopped retreating. He took a step forward. He held his sword vertically.
CLANG—!!
A heavy impact sound echoed, the residual force causing both to freeze. The sword tip and saber blade were locked tight; the distance between them was less than an arm's length.
Minh Thong quickly retreated a distance, took a deep breath, and lowered his center of gravity. All his energy was concentrated in his saber arm; the muscles on his hand bulged, veins clearly visible. The aura around him rose steadily.
Thuong Sinh sensed and understood what his opponent intended to do. He slowly raised his sword, the body held straight, the tip angled slightly forward. The surrounding wind seemed to be drawn toward the blade.
One... two...
On the third second, both moved simultaneously. Minh Thong let out a low roar as his arm swung out. The saber stance unified all his power into a straight slash, carrying a weight that seemed ready to shred any obstacle in its path.
"Phantom Shadow Slash"
Thuong Sinh's sword moved at the same time. A hurricane of wind seemed to gather on the blade, roaring as it pierced straight forward.
"Blade Wind"
Dust and smoke billowed, blinding the two observers. As the shockwave dissipated and the wind died down, the dust settled back onto the ground.
Minh Thong stood motionless for a long time. His saber arm trembled slightly, veins still protruding, but the strength had drained away. A faint click sounded from the blade in his hand. A thin crack ran along the spine of the saber.
Minh Thong looked down at it, neither surprised nor regretful.
At the other end, Thuong Sinh stood straight, his sword lowered. The blade wind vanished, and the air around him settled. Minh Thong looked directly into Thuong Sinh's eyes.
"You're really going."
Thuong Sinh answered softly: "Yeah."
Minh Thong let out a short laugh, neither happy nor sad. "That's enough then."
Thuong Sinh also lowered his sword and began slowly re-wrapping it with white bandages. The atmosphere in the training ground settled. Minh Thong turned his back and gave a light wave of his hand: "Go."
Van Binh watched Thuong Sinh's departing back and finally spoke in a low voice: "Don't die."
Thuong Sinh paused for a beat but did not turn around. "I still have unfinished business."
He walked away, leaving the training ground behind.
Thuong Sinh passed the dormitories and all the places where he had practiced and lived. The time felt both short and long.
He made his way to the parking area of the Duong Nam Safe Zone and pulled out the keys to the Jeep he had arrived in. He went to find his vehicle. Although he had previously handed it over to Ly Hong Quan to have it brought inside, quite a lot of time had passed.
The car before him was now covered in thick dust. He let out a soft sigh, grabbed a hose nearby, and began washing it. After a long while, it was finally done.
Thuong Sinh stepped inside and started the engine. He was about to drive off when a figure appeared in front of him—wearing a backpack and ordinary clothes, her hair tied high in a ponytail. It was none other than Lam Thanh Moc.
Thuong Sinh hit the brakes. The engine sputtered and then died. He stared at the person standing before the hood for a moment before opening the door and stepping down.
"You shouldn't be out here."
Lam Thanh Moc stood still, her hands gripping her backpack straps, her gaze unflickering. "If I didn't come out, I wouldn't have made it in time."
Thuong Sinh was silent. The wind blew through the lot, swirling the scent of metal and dust. The sunlight glinted off the freshly washed Jeep.
"When are you leaving?" she asked.
"Now."
Lam Thanh Moc nodded, as if she had already anticipated that answer. She walked around to the side of the car, opened the trunk, and placed her backpack inside.
"I didn't say you were coming with me."
Thuong Sinh watched her movements, his voice deepening: "Outside is not like the safe zone."
"I know."
"It's also not like what you imagine."
"I know that, too." She turned to look at him, her gaze so calm it was unsettling. "But if you go, I am not staying."
Thuong Sinh looked at her for a long time. In that moment, he saw again the desolate roads and the fireless nights. He wasn't sure how dangerous the path ahead would be. "I can't protect anyone."
Lam Thanh Moc pursed her lips and then said slowly: "I don't need you to protect me."
"Did you get permission to leave?"
Lam Thanh Moc looked at him and shook her head. Thuong Sinh frowned. "Then how do you think you're getting out?"
Lam Thanh Moc didn't answer immediately. She reached into her pocket and pulled out a thin metal card, placing it on the hood of the car. On it was a broken seal.
"I didn't ask for permission," she said bluntly. "I only gave notice."
Thuong Sinh glanced at the card, then back at her. His gaze held no reproach, only a deeper solemnity. "Ly Hong Quan won't like this."
"He didn't like it to begin with." Lam Thanh Moc gave a very slight shrug. "But he didn't stop me, either."
Thuong Sinh remained silent. He knew that given Lam Thanh Moc's status, if they truly wanted to keep her, she would have no way to leave the safe zone. Her standing here meant only one thing: someone had turned a blind eye.
"Do you understand what you're choosing?" he asked.
"I do."
"You might not return."
"I understand that, as well." Lam Thanh Moc looked straight at him, her voice neither high nor trembling.
Thuong Sinh stared at her for a few seconds before letting out a sigh. He reached out, opened the car door, and sat in the driver's seat. He didn't say yes, but he didn't say no. Wind blew through the lot, rolling dust along the ground.
One second.
Then the passenger door opened. Lam Thanh Moc sat down, buckled her seatbelt, and looked forward.
Thuong Sinh started the engine. It roared, echoing through the quiet space. The Jeep slowly began to roll, heading toward the outer gate of the Duong Nam Safe Zone.
At the gate, the guard didn't ask questions. He looked at Thuong Sinh briefly and nodded; it seemed Ly Hong Quan had already authorized his departure. However, seeing another person in the car, the guard immediately asked:
"Who is the other person?"
Lam Thanh Moc held out the thin metal card. It was engraved with internal Headquarters symbols, with a tiny fracture where the seal used to be. The guard glanced at it, and his pupils contracted slightly. He didn't take the card immediately, but looked at Lam Thanh Moc once more, his eyes performing a quick scan before retracting.
"This card... has been invalidated."
Lam Thanh Moc said calmly: "But the order has not."
The guard was silent for two seconds. Wind blew through the massive metal gate, and the watch flag atop the pole fluttered. In the distance, the concrete road stretched away from the safe zone, mottled with old cracks.
He reached out to take the card, examined the recessed markings on the back, and returned it. The guard's gaze shifted to Thuong Sinh. Without needing a word, Thuong Sinh gave a very slight nod.
The gate barrier slowly opened, the metal grinding with a heavy shriek.
The Jeep rolled forward, crossing the final boundary of the Duong Nam Safe Zone. As the car passed through, the iron doors slowly closed behind them, blocking out all familiar sounds. No more human voices, no more defensive lights—there was only the sound of the wind and the empty road ahead.