Gray Harbor had long been jointly controlled by the Outer Sea Forces and the Mercenary factions! With constant skirmishes erupting, every resident of Gray Harbor had developed the habit of carrying a personal weapon.

According to a recent random sampling survey conducted by relevant agencies, Gray Harbor’s weapon saturation rate ranked among the highest of the hundreds of space cities in the Asteroid Belt, reaching 220 percent—an average of over two guns per person.

“Outsider, flashing weapons in Gray Harbor? That’s like showing off your skill before Guan Gong himself. If you want to intimidate me, you should at least bring a Sodium Cannon.” The gang leader postured like a proud rooster, as if he were some big shot. He glanced back and called out, “All of you, put your gear away. Don’t scare the young ladies.”

The thugs immediately closed their outer garments and circled the trio in a crescent formation.

“Why don’t we take a stroll? Gray Harbor has plenty of great spots you absolutely must see,” the leader said, reaching out to cup the faces of the two young women.

“You dare?” Wen Yang instantly gripped the leader’s wrist, drawing his pistol and pressing the muzzle against the man’s mouth.

The thugs instantly drew their weapons, aiming them at Wen Yang’s head.

Then, the two young women also drew their guns from behind, pointing them at the gang members.

“You… you bastard, how dare you point a gun at me! I’ll make you pay!” the gang leader stammered, a searing pain shooting up his wrist as if it were bound by a steel clamp.

Pedestrians on the street gradually gathered around. A standoff between two armed groups, clearly, was worth watching.

Yang Ying, who had been standing nearby, finally couldn't bear it any longer. He stepped between the two groups and said, “That’s enough. Put your weapons away.”

The gang leader, seeing that his group had more guns, assumed he had the upper hand and waited for Wen Yang and his companions to back down. Seeing Yang Ying interfering, he immediately roared, “Who the hell are you, meddling where you don't belong? Don’t you want to live anymore!”

Yang Ying shook his head, swallowing dryly. “Truly, the ignorant fear nothing.” As he spoke, he casually flipped open a corner of his outer garment, revealing the hilt of a Lightsaber at his waist. “Recognize this?”

Upon seeing the Lightsaber hilt, the thugs simultaneously recoiled a step, clearly understanding what that short metal rod signified.

The gang leader swallowed hard, his eyes wide as bronze bells. In a voice barely a whisper, he mumbled, “S-Senator… Sword, you are the legendary Blade…”

He tried to articulate the name of the Blade, but his legs had gone weak, and his voice trembled, utterly unable to finish the sentence.

The fact that the Blade was an Awakened had gradually spread; many in Gray Harbor had heard the rumors. Because of this, the thugs stared harder at the man before them, increasingly convinced he resembled Gray Harbor’s highest commander, Colonel Blade.

Wen Yang’s eyebrow twitched. He slowly retracted his sidearm and released the gang leader’s wrist.

Due to their angle, Wen Jing and the ponytail girl hadn't seen the Lightsaber hilt, nor had they heard the gang leader’s muffled sounds. They only saw a figure position himself between the groups, display a weapon, and cause the thugs to immediately retreat.

The ponytail girl let out a soft “Whoa,” and whispered to Wen Jing, “That man, does he have a Sodium Cannon strapped to his waist? Why are those thugs so scared?”

“It’s a Lightsaber,” Wen Jing said calmly. “Only a Lightsaber carried openly commands more deterrence than even a hidden Sodium Cannon.”

“You mean… that man is a Psionic?” The ponytail girl’s eyes instantly sparkled with excitement, appearing quite interested.

“Not all Awakened are Psionics,” Wen Jing murmured softly, her gaze fixed on the Blade’s back. Thoughts began to surface in her mind…

“Dawn of Hope,” the ponytail girl said with an expression of sudden comprehension. “Just looking at your face, I knew—you’re definitely thinking if he’s that one, aren’t you?”

“No,” Wen Jing denied instantly.

By this time, Yang Ying had concluded the confrontation with the thugs. They dared not resist in the presence of Gray Harbor’s highest commander.

Led by their leader, the thugs retreated backward with bows and scrapes. After a few steps, they frantically turned and fled, quickly disappearing around the street corner.

They were just about to slow down when everything suddenly went dark before their eyes. A line of heavy troopers appeared, leveling Gauss rifles at them.

The gang leader gaped in terror. “The Patrol!”

The leader of the heavy troopers ordered, “Drop all weapons and surrender.”

The thugs instantly threw all the guns from their waists onto the ground, raised their hands above their heads, and yelled, “We surrender! Don’t shoot!”

David pushed through the crowd, walked forward, scanned the thugs once, and told the patrol team, “Take them away. Let them understand the severity of the mistake they’ve made.”

Outside the cosmetic shop, after the thugs were led away, Yang Ying glanced toward Wen Jing, Wen Yang, and the ponytail girl, murmured, “Be careful,” and started to turn to leave.

“Wait a moment!” Wen Jing called out urgently.

Yang Ying paused mid-stride, turned back, his face showing a natural composure that didn't betray any prior recognition of Wen Jing. He asked, “What can I do for you, Miss?”

Wen Jing stepped forward and scrutinized Yang Ying. The man looked increasingly familiar, prompting her to ask, “Have we met before?”

At this question, both Wen Yang and the ponytail girl gasped in surprise. They had never seen Wen Jing be so forward with a strange man, asking a question so akin to an opener.

Yang Ying considered for a moment before replying, “No.”

Wen Jing lowered her head listlessly and managed a faint smile. “I apologize. You look very much like someone from my past…”

The ponytail girl coughed, stepped forward, eyed Wen Jing strangely for a moment, then spoke graciously to Yang Ying. “Hello, my surname is Fan. These two are my friends, both surnamed Wen. Thank you for helping drive those thugs away just now.” She extended her right hand toward Yang Ying in a gesture for a handshake.

“No need for thanks.” Yang Ying shook her hand.

The ponytail girl withdrew her hand and asked curiously, “May we know how to address you?”

“You can just call me Blade,” Yang Ying replied.

“You are Colonel Blade, the supreme commander stationed in Gray Harbor sent by the Trant Mercenary Group?” Wen Yang asked in astonishment. “Your name is widely spread within our Thirteenth Fleet.”

“Are all three of you from the Thirteenth Fleet?” Yang Ying understood that this reputation must have spread casually by Master Merlin and the few Quasi-Masters who had dealt with him.

“Yes,” Wen Yang nodded.

“That you encountered such a situation in Gray Harbor—as Gray Harbor’s supreme commander, I sincerely apologize,” Yang Ying told the trio earnestly.

“They were just a few punks, and they’ve been dealt with now, haven’t they? We weren’t truly wronged,” Wen Jing stated placidly. Having confirmed that Blade was not the person she had hoped for, Wen Jing adopted a façade that was outwardly polite but inwardly distant.

Seeing her demeanor, the ponytail girl breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. She smiled at Yang Ying and said, “Colonel Blade, you must be very busy managing Gray Harbor. We won’t take up any more of your time. Thanks again for your help.”

With that, she tugged on Wen Yang’s arm with one hand and Wen Jing’s with the other, and the three began to slowly retreat backward.

“I hope you enjoy your time in Gray Harbor,” Yang Ying nodded once and turned to leave.

Once Yang Ying was far enough away, the ponytail girl looked at Wen Jing with immense surprise. “Jingjing, are you trying to get yourself killed? You actually hit on him! Has your brain overheated?”

Wen Jing countered, “I just thought he looked quite similar to…”

The ponytail girl teased, “You stubborn girl, you’re just being defensive. Isn’t it just Yang Ying? What’s the harm in saying it out loud? Don’t pretend no one here knows your feelings. Colonel Blade is Yang Ying’s subordinate! Birds of a feather flock together; it’s perfectly normal for him to share some resemblance with Yang Ying.”

Wen Jing was so overcome with shame by the ponytail girl’s blunt language that she instantly shot out her hands and pinched the girl’s cheeks. “Keep talking, and I’ll tell my brother you have a crush on him!”

The ponytail girl started crying out, “Surrender, surrender! I surrender, Jingjing! Let go, it hurts!”

Wen Jing pressed her advantage, leaning in close to the girl’s ear and whispering so only they could hear, “Next time you dare make fun of me, I’ll tell my brother you like him.”

The ponytail girl was shocked. Her eyes darted toward Wen Yang. A few steps away, Wen Yang stood perfectly still, gazing at his nose with his nose observing his heart, looking like a statue.

The ponytail girl, relieved that Wen Yang seemed not to have heard, mumbled through her clenched jaw, “You are so venomous.”

Wen Jing smiled and released her cheeks. “Remember that. No more teasing me.” She turned to Wen Yang and said, “Brother, let’s continue our walk. Since we finally made it to Gray Harbor, we should make the most of it.”

For some unknown reason, Wen Jing felt her spirits lift considerably after meeting Colonel Blade.

The three continued their shopping, laughing and chatting, completely unaware that Yang Ying had immediately dispatched several Ghost Agents to follow them after he left, ensuring their safety in Gray Harbor.

A short while later, Yang Ying piloted a fighter craft toward the flagship of the three imposing warships anchored thousands of kilometers outside Gray Harbor.

On the bridge, he met Major General Howard.

“Colonel Blade, we are ready to depart at any moment,” Major General Howard reported.

“Then let’s depart now. Are we late?” Yang Ying inquired.

“No, based on the route we selected, we can arrive at our destination about half an hour ahead of the scheduled rendezvous time,” Howard replied.

“Excellent. We cannot keep Master Merlin waiting long,” Yang Ying said, taking his seat.

Since Yang Ying had presented intelligence during the meeting that the Pirate Coalition Fleet was closing in on the Ceres Base, everyone at the conference table had taken it with the utmost seriousness. Soon, a plan to ambush Heralt was gradually formulated through collaborative discussion.

The general outline of this plan was that the various members of the Mercenary Coalition Fleet would first dispatch their respective fleets on missions to specific locations under various pretenses. En route, they would change course, maintain radio silence, and loop around to assemble in a specific star sector.

Once assembled, the Mercenary Coalition Fleet would strike directly at the Pirate Coalition Fleet, catching them completely off guard.

Due to the short notice, the Mercenary Coalition Fleet largely existed only on paper. Dozens of major mercenary groups had not yet decided whether to join the coalition, so they were deliberately excluded from the plan. Speed was essential; they couldn't wait for them.

To counter the overwhelming decapitation capabilities of a peak master like Heralt, Randolph had even invited Master Merlin to join the operation.