"Lord. You can't expect people to stay and fight for a lost cause."
"Have you not fought here, against the tides, against that Demonic fiend, because of such terrible odds?!"
"That is why I can not accept fighting this third tide. We lack manpower, and my battle strength is crippled. There is no hope in winning against these impossible odds."
"You say there is no hope, but I can request aid from a neighbouring Settlement, whether Immortal or Mortal, we still have a chance."
"Lord..."
Sighing with exasperation, Silver Extreme held a palm to his brow.
"Lord, you are being too stubborn! To give up the people to retain your Iron Mountain, this move is completely selfish!"
"So what? To defend my Iron Mountain, I will be selfish. If it means retaining the home my family, my ancestors have defended and lived within for several periods, I will even be demonic. Oh, Silver Extreme, do not doubt a man's pride and beliefs; defending my home is what I believe in!"
"..."
"If you are only here to argue with me, then leave and resume your recovery. I can not afford to waste time"
"So be it."
With a sigh, the Settlement Lord dismissed Silver Extreme.
The latter returned to his room, lying in bed while deep in thought.
'If he wishes to be a fool and die for his Iron Mountain, fine, I will leave him to die. However, I can not overlook the transgression of his willingness to sacrifice his own people, and my people, for a lost cause...!'
'I will not overlook this, Lord. To the people who do not wish to give up their lives to this Settlement, I will simply remove them from your control.'
...
Having cleaned herself, Dawn saw herself to a Medical Expert to request medical attention.
Due to her Dao Arts preserving her body's vitality, every wound scarring Dawn was only of minimal threat.
The deepest wound was on her face, stretching from above her left brow to her left collarbone, a clean, straight line as if drawn by an artist.
This was a wound she earned from that 'Second Heir' of Immortal Blade, among many other wounds, of course.
It was not too deep, mostly a superficial wound, but it did tear into her left eye.
Fortunately, it could be healed, but her vision would be highly impaired due to such a significant wound, unless she sought a higher level of healing.
With the treatment taking an hour of her time, the scar on the left side of her face was faint, but not wholly gone.
Stepping outside of the Medical Complex, she looked at the world under the radiance of Early Hour.
Holding her hand to cover her right eye, Dawn sighed to herself inwardly.
'The vision of my left remains blurry, I can't seem to make out anything with clarity... Like everything had been smudged. This is annoying.'
'I will seek a greater method of healing after the tides are finished. With Immersion, this impaired vision is not too much of a hindrance.'
'For now... I should see if there are any roles regarding the Settlement's response to the third tide.'
'Should I pay Silver Extreme a visit? After hearing the information stored within the Jade Slip, he blew up furiously. Now, it should be fine to see him...'
'Hmm...?'
There was a faint tingling in the back of Dawn's head.
"Dawn, are you listening?"
"Senior?"
Dawn halted in her tracks. She looked around out of instinct, but resumed her walk at an unhurried pace.
Silver Extreme was speaking right into her mind. Of course, Dawn is able to reply.
"I must discuss with you about the Settlement's current situation. This is also something that I am discussing with the other Third Foundation Cultivator, Heart Teathering Maiden and Wolf King Lan when he returns."
"I see... What is the issue, Senior?"
"It regards the retreat of Iron Mountain Quarry Settlement's Denizens. I wish to evacuate as many as I can to seek refuge at Union Settlement."
"Union Settlement? But it is... in ruins... I thought the original plan was to seek reinforcements from neighbouring Settlements. Why has the plan changed?"
"That Settlement Lord, he only wishes to defend his ownership of Iron Mountain. He cares not for the people. Such behaviour is not only stepping on the border of demonic selfishness, but also threatens the safety of the people.
"What do you mean?"
"There is little hope for our survival if we remain here. With Union Settlement's fall, and the likelihood of Mortal Settlements being attacked, there is no chance for us to receive reinforcements."
"I had explained this to him, yet he remained stubborn. That damned Settlement Lord wishes only to defend his Iron Mountain, not the people!"
"..."
These words left Dawn astonished; she paused for a while before replying in her mind.
"So... what you are proposing, Senior, is to abandon the Settlement and take away the people?"
"Yes. I am lacking battle strength, so I can not defend such a large group by myself. Heart Teathering Maiden has already agreed to aid in my cause."
"Would this not leave Iron Mountain Quarry Settlement at its weakest? This would result in the Settlement Lord facing everything alone; this would be wishing death upon him!"
"Yes... But such arrogance is leaving him to die, not us. We are saving the people from his stubborn actions."
"..."
Dawn paused her steps once again, unconsciously looking towards the sky as she lost herself in her thoughts.
'To sacrifice everything to save what is his? To save his Iron Mountain, he not only wishes to give up his own life, but his people's lives.'
'This was not merely selfishness; a low worldview would not have led a man so far in his life. Such petty ambition would not lead someone to the Third Foundation of Cultivation.'
'To give up everything, not only for what you desire, but for what is important to you.'
'Those are his intentions. Relentless ambition. Pursuing what you believe in. That is what drives him.'
"Dawn."
Allowing her attention to the voice in her head, which was not her own, she responded.
"Senior."
"I am not only offering you a chance to help defend the people who wish to retreat, but a chance for you to retreat yourself."
"..."
"To leave with us and escape this dire situation, or stay here and face the situation alongside the Settlement Lord alone."