Patron of the Spring I

Thank you... I'm Du Ming, born and raised in the Stockade... I suppose you want to know why I was locked up here.

*Sighs* A few days ago, I was still in the Stockade. I had an altercation with Brother Ruan, and he locked me up here to "simmer down"...

But if you ask me, he's the one who needs to "simmer down"...

Once I get back to the Stockade ... I'm gonna teach that stubborn Forte a real lesson!

What do you mean by that? No longer around? What happened to Ruan Yi...?

Damn that Forte... I knew his stubbornness would be the death of him!

What about the Stockade fam? How's the Chief...? Is she alright?

Most people stayed in the Stockade, but a few of them ... joined the Landbreakers. As for Tangtang...

Yeah. She's super busy! Always rushing about and taking care of business for the Stockade.

Poor little girl... Can't believe she has to shoulder so much when she's still so young...

Enough talking! Let's get you back home!

Thank you, but I can't return to the Stockade right now... I need to pay a visit to the Ancestral Spring...

That's right. You probably haven't heard about this story. The founding of Qingbo Stockade would be impossible without the protection offered by the Spring.

But doing it alone ... might be too dangerous.

Yeah. Those Landbreakers are not a joke!

Okay... I have a question I need to get off my chest. You're working for Endfield Industries, right? I thought you were a manufacturing company. How did you get so good at fighting?

But from what you said, the brigands calling themselves Landbreakers are still loitering around the Ancestral Spring. I'm worried they might do something to it...

As guardian of the Spring, it's my duty to watch over it. I must see for myself that the Spring is all right.

I told him so many times... Never go head-to-head against Wuling... But I guess he never listened...

Through all these years, the Ancestral Spring has already become our spiritual refuge. Everyone believes that the well-being of the spring is tied to that of the Qingbo Stockade...

Well, this isn't exactly a peaceful world. A manufacturer's gotta learn some self-defense, you know!

That's true... Well, I shall entrust my life to your dependable hands.

They appeared after Ruan Yi left...

The Ancestral Spring ... our fount of protection... How did it end up like this...?

They've already ruined the places around the Ancestral Spring... Don't tell me that the source of the spring itself...

My good people ... help bring me a flask of fine brew. I intend to make an offering ... and appease our ancestors.

Fine brew? Dude, this place has nothing but grass, rocks, trees, and bamboo.

There should be another altar nearby... You might find some brew or kohlic beverages left there by the Stockade family.

I intend to prepare for the rites. It should be done when you return.

What is this ... this abominable growth? What happened here?!

If our ancestors learn of this, they would curse our ineptitude. How low the young generation had fallen! We couldn't even keep the Spring safe! Ugh...

Du Ming! We're back with some kohlic drinks...! Wait. Where did he go? Did he run out of patience and go around looking for us?

Probably not.

We would have run into him if he had left this area...

Maybe he went to a nearby cave or grove... Let's investigate the surroundings, Endmin.

That's impossible! He can't simply disappear into thin air!

Hey, maybe there's some hidden mechanism. Let me look around!

Hmm. This is so weird... The wall sounds really solid and has nothing behind it...

He is missing, but there weren't any Landbreakers or signs of fighting along the way.

That sounds like the smartest thing to do! Tangtang's got a huge fam behind her! They'll find Du Ming in no time!

Agreed. Let's head to Qingbo Stockade.

If the Landbreakers didn't get Du Ming, then...

This is where the trail ends. No more clues around here.

Unfortunately, we're unfamiliar with this area. Searching for him will be quite a challenge...

Okay, he's really dead, but the body is still warm... Guess he died very recently.

It's a possibility... The scene tells me that this Landbreaker fell into an ambush.

And the attack was pretty vicious. Really underestimated the dude. So he tried to avoid us, and then killed a Landbreaker. What is he planning?

The cave really smells... Did the Landbreakers blast it open with their explosives? Does that mean the Ancestral Spring...

He was probably preparing for the rites when he saw the Landbreaker, and secretly followed the raider all the way here...

Then he saw the huge cave that the Landbreakers blasted with explosives ... got super pissed and smashed the Landbreaker, right? Okay. So what happened next? Where did he go?

Chen, if you returned home and saw the gates of your house blasted wide open, what would you do?

What?! I'll charge right in and see if they stole — Ah! I got it! Du Ming jumped into the cave to find the source of the spring, right?

Oh dear. We should get down there right now! It'd be bad if anything happens to him...

Yeah. Qingwu mentioned that before. Stockade residents are more than willing to defend the Spring with their lives!

Yeah. He Lao also referred to the Ancestral Spring as the roots of Qingbo Stockade. The residents depend on the spring for livelihood. They even treated it as a symbol of faith... Perhaps Du Ming feels the same as well.