After finishing up, Chi Li went to the palace to meet Luo Yu again.
The moment he entered, Chi Li was startled by the overly lavish luncheon. Emperor Luo Yu warmly beckoned him over to sit.
Most of Chi Li's memories were of the mercenary corps and local military forces. One of the most important people in his life had been his uncle, a member of the mercenary corps who had raised him.
It was not until he was sixteen that he met Luo Yu, who hugged him with red-rimmed eyes.
When he was little, Chi Li had repeatedly asked where his parents were and who they were. His uncle had only vaguely told him that although they were gone, they had once been remarkable people.
A long stretch of Chi Li's memories was blank, and he had forgotten most things. It was as if he had opened his eyes and already been inside the mercenary corps. As he grew older, he rarely asked about his parents as he had in childhood.
Only after meeting Luo Yu did Chi Li learn that his omega father had been the director of the Luolan First Research Institute, while his other alpha father had also been an outstanding researcher. His grandfather had once been a great general whose name was etched into Luolan's history.
His grandfather had served the former emperor and had watched the current emperor, Luo Yu, grow up. Chi Li's omega father had also shared a close relationship with Luo Yu.
Chi Li knew very little about his two fathers and could not help asking a few more questions, but Luo Yu only said, "They were both important and exceptional researchers in Luolan. In the end, they sacrificed themselves for scientific research. They were great."
Luo Yu had once said to Chi Li apologetically, "I failed your father. I should have found you sooner."
Luo Yu's way of treating Chi Li well was equally straightforward: wealth, power, status.
Chi Li refused them all.
Luo Yu liked Chi Li. Perhaps it was not only because of Chi Li's father—he admired Chi Li. He even found all sorts of excuses to contact him, and in the end, starting with what Chi Li did best, got his wish and had Chi Li remain with Luolan's Central Military Command.
The mercenary corps Chi Li belonged to had an excellent reputation and, as a result, maintained good cooperative relations with the local military forces.
Because Chi Li was extraordinarily gifted and capable, local military forces had once tried to recruit him away. But his uncle had refused. Yet after Chi Li met Luo Yu, his uncle unconditionally supported his joining the central military.
Over the next nearly ten years, especially after his uncle's death, Chi Li's relationship with Luo Yu grew increasingly close. Perhaps Luo Yu truly did make him feel another kind of familial affection.
Luo Yu was extremely imposing before others, but in front of Chi Li, he always acted like an unreasonable child. Like now—he had clearly done nothing, yet the look he gave Chi Li was especially aggrieved, as though Chi Li had bullied him.
Luo Yu wanted to hear Chi Li tell the story of going undercover beside Si Jinyan. Chi Li said helplessly, "You already heard them tell it once, didn't you?"
"Hearing Xiao Li tell it himself is different... At my age, I don't even have anyone by my side to talk to. And now even you don't want to pay attention to me anymore. Do you think I'm old and nagging...?" The emperor's appearance was flawless; judging by his looks alone, no one would believe he was already in his forties. Yet he truly had remained alone all this time.
Chi Li had no way of dealing with Luo Yu like this and could only compromise and begin telling the story.
Over the past few months, at Qi Yan's request, Chi Li would sometimes go to the military to help train people.
Chi Li remained with a special central dispatch department, in more of a cooperative arrangement. Whenever the military needed manpower, he would come over to provide support. Because of Luo Yu, Chi Li held a privileged position in the military, but his abilities were outstanding, and no one objected.
The three neat rows on the training ground consisted of elite unit members selected this year. The thirty-two people were the finest soldiers chosen from various divisions.
Today's class was on hand-to-hand combat. Several officers teaching the soldiers knew Chi Li, and two of them were on good terms with him. They had Chi Li choose a few promising recruits first and take them aside for instruction.
Chi Li selected five people and personally taught them practical techniques. One of the skills he excelled at most was close-quarters combat.
"Sir, I'm starting." One of the soldiers spoke, pulling Chi Li back to his senses. This was the third soldier Chi Li had been instructing one-on-one.
Chi Li realized he had drifted off again. "Mm. Go ahead."
He had always slept very little, yet lately he had overslept several times, dreamed frequently, and had little appetite. Even during the day, he would occasionally lose focus.
The soldier was called Ruan Ying. He had long heard of Chi Li, and since this was their first meeting, he could not help feeling somewhat excited.
After a few exchanges, Ruan Ying was knocked down by Chi Li within a few moves, but his spirits rose even higher. During their close combat, he could not resist sneaking several more glances at Chi Li.
At first sight, Ruan Ying felt that Chi Li was different from the alphas in their unit. All the alphas in the military were built the same way—tall and burly.
Although Chi Li was also an alpha, he carried an entirely different air about him. He had muscles, but they were not exaggerated; his build was perfectly balanced, his figure upright, and his features were not as rugged as those of the military's alphas.
To Ruan Ying, he was so good-looking that there was simply no way to describe it. If he had not learned about Chi Li beforehand, Ruan Ying might have mistaken him for some pampered young master raised in a scholarly family.
Because he was staring at Chi Li, Ruan Ying lost focus and was knocked to the ground by Chi Li in two moves.
Chi Li nudged his thigh with his foot, his gaze sharp. "What are you staring at me for? Is there something on my face?"
When fighting and speaking, Chi Li gained an extra edge, his expression becoming even more bold and distinctive.
Ruan Ying's face abruptly turned red, and he hurriedly got up to apologize. "Sorry, sir."
Chi Li reprimanded him, "Focus. Again."
After several rounds, Chi Li seized the soldier's wrist and drove his knee into the soldier's back, pinning him to the ground. "A little improvement," he assessed.
Chi Li offered several suggestions. The soldier listened attentively while mimicking the movements Chi Li explained. After listening, he could not help saying, "Sir, let's do it again."
Chi Li nodded. He explained as he guided the soldier's movements, and the soldier became increasingly adept.
Just as the soldier clenched his fist and swung it toward his abdomen, Chi Li reflexively tensed his abdominal muscles and moved to deflect the attack. A sharp, twisting pain suddenly shot through his stomach.
The soldier had not expected that his punch would actually land on Chi Li's abdomen. Chi Li dropped straight to his knees, and the soldier's face went pale. "Sir!"
The commotion drew the surrounding officers and soldiers over. Several officers jogged up. "What happened?"
The soldier explained what had occurred.
Chi Li came back to himself and waved off the offered support, getting to his feet on his own. When he looked up, he saw that the soldier's face was pale.
Meeting Chi Li's eyes, the soldier snapped back to his senses and immediately bent at the waist to apologize. "Sir, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..."
Chi Li cut him off. "I'm fine. It wasn't your fault. You did well. Go train on your own first."
One of the officers followed Chi Li to the resting area at the side. "What happened?" He did not believe an ordinary soldier could knock Chi Li down.
Chi Li shook his head. "I lost focus."
The officer relaxed and teased, "You can't underestimate them that much either, even if they're still young."
As he spoke, the officer looked toward the trainees on the training ground. "They are the future pillars. Train them well—one of the future successors might be among them."
Chi Li smiled. Seeing that Chi Li's complexion was somewhat off, the officer asked worriedly, "Are you really all right?"
Chi Li had been caught off guard earlier. Now, enduring the twisting pain in his abdomen, he waved at the officer. "I'm really fine. Just stomach trouble."
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