Gaining Recognition, the Captain Saw Him in a New Light

The atmosphere instantly turned tense.

"Mo Sen, have you lost your mind?" Captain Lei Ming's face turned ashen. "Lin Mu performed outstandingly the entire way here. Don't you know that?"

"Captain, you've been fooled by him!" Mo Sen was so anxious he nearly jumped. "This brat's skills are too good. There's definitely something suspicious about him!"

"Suspicious?" Lei Ming sneered. "By your logic, anyone skilled is a spy? Wouldn't that make every soul engineer in the Sun Moon Empire a spy?"

"That's not what I meant!" Sweat beaded on Mo Sen's forehead. "I mean, he's too young. There's no way he could have mastered so many techniques!"

"What's wrong with being young?" Lei Ming thumped his chest. "I became the captain of a merchant caravan at eighteen. Does that mean there's something suspicious about me too?"

The guards around them nodded in agreement.

"That's right, Vice Captain Mo. What you said isn't right."

"We've all seen Master Lin's character. There's absolutely nothing wrong with him."

"Vice Captain Mo, are you jealous?"

Mo Sen's expression grew increasingly unpleasant, but he still refused to give up. "But the extent of his knowledge about our cargo..."

"Wait." Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke, his voice terrifyingly calm. "Vice Captain Mo, you just said I knew the cargo inside and out?"

"That's right!" Mo Sen thought he had found leverage. "You must have investigated our cargo beforehand!"

Huo Yuhao smiled. "Then tell me, when exactly did I show that I knew anything about the cargo?"

Mo Sen was left speechless.

[Thought Palace] rapidly processed the information.

[Analysis: Mo Sen's words just now exposed a fatal flaw—he believed I had detailed knowledge of the cargo, yet I had never displayed such knowledge in front of everyone.]

[Inference: He knows I inspected the cargo last night, which means he has been secretly watching me all along.]

[Conclusion: It is time to strike back.]

"Vice Captain Mo, you said I knew the cargo inside and out. Then can you tell everyone exactly what I know?" Huo Yuhao pressed him step by step.

Mo Sen stammered, "Well... that..."

"Can't say it?" Huo Yuhao sneered. "Then what gives you the right to claim that I know the cargo?"

"I..." Mo Sen panicked.

"There's another question." Huo Yuhao turned to Zhao Tieshan. "Captain Zhao, when you inspected the cargo just now, why did you point directly at those special crates?"

Zhao Tieshan froze. "What do you mean?"

"A normal inspection should be random, but you came straight for the target, as if you already knew there was something wrong with those crates."

"This..." Zhao Tieshan's expression changed.

Huo Yuhao continued, "What's even stranger is that Vice Captain Mo just said I knew the cargo inside and out. But how did he know what I knew? Unless..."

"Unless what?" Lei Ming pressed.

"Unless he already knew this patrol unit and knew what they were going to inspect."

The scene fell completely silent.

Everyone stared at Mo Sen in shock.

"Utter nonsense!" Mo Sen's face went deathly pale. "How could I possibly know them?"

"Really?" Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "Then can you explain why Captain Zhao's detector had been malfunctioning for three days, while you just happened to suggest changing routes yesterday?"

"This... this is a coincidence!"

"A coincidence?" Huo Yuhao looked at Zhao Tieshan. "Captain Zhao, did your subordinates know that your detector was malfunctioning?"

Zhao Tieshan shook his head. "I didn't tell anyone."

"Then how did Vice Captain Mo know that we needed to avoid the main road?" Huo Yuhao pressed on relentlessly. "Unless someone informed him in advance."

Mo Sen completely lost his composure. "You... don't you dare slander me!"

"Slander you?" Huo Yuhao pulled out a small object from his robes. "Then what is this?"

It was a fragment of a communication soul tool—the very one Mo Sen had used last night.

"You thought everyone was asleep last night, but I saw everything clearly," Huo Yuhao said coldly. "You used this thing to send three messages."

"I... I..." Cold sweat poured down Mo Sen's forehead.

Zhao Tieshan's face darkened. "Mo Sen, you'd better explain yourself clearly."

Just then, a sharp cry suddenly rang out from the sky.

"Caw—"

Everyone looked up to see a massive bird-type soul beast circling overhead.

"Wind God Winged Bird!" someone cried out.

This soul beast had a wingspan of ten meters, its feathers gleaming with azure light. It had at least a thousand years of cultivation!

"Everyone, prepare for battle!" Zhao Tieshan shouted.

But the Wind God Winged Bird was too fast. After several dives, quite a few people had been clawed.

"This thing is too nimble!"

"Our soul tools can't hit it!"

"What do we do?"

Just as everyone was scrambling in confusion, Huo Yuhao suddenly spoke up.

"Don't panic, everyone!" His voice was exceptionally calm. "The Wind God Winged Bird has a fatal weakness!"

"What weakness?" Zhao Tieshan hurriedly asked.

"There's a patch of reversed scales at the base of its left wing. That's its fatal spot!" Huo Yuhao analyzed rapidly. "And after every dive, it hovers in the air for three seconds. That's the best time to attack!"

[Thought Palace] operated frantically.

[Analysis complete: Wind God Winged Bird behavioral traits, attack patterns, weak-point distribution.]

[Tactic formulated: exploit its diving habits and concentrate fire on its weak point.]

"Listen to my command!" Huo Yuhao shouted. "All ranged attackers, get ready and wait for my signal!"

The Wind God Winged Bird dove again.

"Now! Attack the base of its left wing!"

Dozens of attacks shot toward that patch of reversed scales at once.

"Chirp—"

The Wind God Winged Bird cried out in pain. Its wing was injured, and it swayed unsteadily through the air.

"One more round!" Huo Yuhao continued commanding.

After the second round of attacks, the Wind God Winged Bird finally retreated, flapping its injured wings as it flew away.

Cheers erupted across the scene.

"That was incredible!"

"Master Lin really is a god!"

"That analytical ability is unreal!"

Zhao Tieshan walked over, his face full of admiration. "Little brother, your tactical command ability has truly opened my eyes!"

"It was just luck." Huo Yuhao replied modestly.

"Luck?" Zhao Tieshan shook his head. "To analyze a soul beast's weakness in such a short time and come up with an effective tactic—how could that possibly be luck?"

Captain Lei Ming was equally excited. "Lin Mu, you're a genius among geniuses!"

He pulled Huo Yuhao aside and lowered his voice. "Little brother, I have an idea."

"Please, Captain."

"I want to take you as my adopted son. What do you think?" Lei Ming's eyes were filled with anticipation. "From now on, you'll be my own son. Everything I have will be yours!"

Huo Yuhao felt warmth in his heart, but he still shook his head. "I appreciate your kindness, Captain, but I still have my own path to walk."

"You..." Lei Ming was somewhat disappointed, but he quickly smiled again. "That's true. A genius like you should have a wider world ahead of him."

"But I'll never forget the kindness you've shown me, Captain," Huo Yuhao said sincerely.

At that moment, Zhao Tieshan also walked over. "Little brother, I've made up my mind!"

"What is it?"

"Not only will I write you a recommendation letter, I'll personally escort you to the Royal Academy!" Zhao Tieshan patted his chest. "With your talent, you absolutely must enter the best academy!"

Everyone around them looked at him with envy.

Meanwhile, Mo Sen was being held under guard by several soldiers, his face ashen.