Chapter 136 Extortion (First Update)
The Chief Instructor Hong, was consistent in her words and actions; judging from her expression, she really intended to beat the other person up.
Aside from the dagger and hand cannon at her waist, she didn't even bring any long weapons; she put them down when she rested and didn't bother to pick them up.
The sinister Great Knight looked her up and down, paused for a moment, and then laughed.
"Why bother? The Weird Domain is right next door—we are human."
"Watch out for a sneak attack," a voice suddenly rang out, wavering and weak.
"Hmm," Hong Yan snorted, seemingly annoyed by the other's talkativeness, and then asked, "Are you leaving or not?"
The sinister Great Knight took a deep breath and slowly exhaled, "With that guy Xia'erzi here, would I be crazy enough to ambush you?"
"Hmm?" Instructor Hong snorted again, raising his eyebrows.
"I'll pay compensation!" The sinister Great Knight frowned deeply. "Why must it all come down to fighting?"
At this moment, he had no choice; his strength was inferior to Xia'erzi's, and he might not even be able to defeat Hong Yan.
Most importantly, his master's family was an earl, and Xia'erzi was Marquis Tanyong!
For the Liang, it is not unusual for the weak to take the initiative to compensate and show weakness when facing the strong.
Those Barbarian Tribe tribes, who could pay money to ransom their people after losing a battle, were operating on the same logic.
However, as Great Knight of equal skill, admitting defeat in public does seem to lack courage.
By this time, quite a few people had been alerted and were watching from a distance. Upon hearing this, someone muttered, " Earl Shengming, he really values business."
In the minds of martial artists in the Liang, who valued martial arts, this statement already sounded like an insult.
"Compensation?" Hong Yan said expressionlessly, "You almost stole Red Pine's Bone Glue!"
The strange creatures come in all shapes and sizes, making them very difficult to identify.
Bone Glue is applicable to the three major systems of Ability User, making it relatively well-known, and its price is also astonishing.
Even so, more than half of the martial artists present had never heard of it.
"Hmm?" The sinister Great Knight raised an eyebrow upon hearing this. "You—"
He initially wanted to accuse the other party of extortion, but according to rumors, Hong Yan was not the type to make trouble out of nothing.
Otherwise, given her fiery temper, she would have offended the wrong people long ago.
He said helplessly, "I was unaware of it at the time."
Hong Yan waved her hand impatiently and said, " Manna, you tell me!"
Upon hearing this, Manna stepped forward, and the sinister Great Knight also called upon another Knight to argue—he could not lower himself too much.
The two sides had barely exchanged a few words when a student from the Tianjing Martial Academy, who was watching, felt a jolt on his wristwatch.
The screen displayed the message, "Mission forcibly aborted. Return to the Martial Academy now!"
After Manna argued with the other party for a while, the onlookers realized that the people from Red Pine had applied Bone Glue.
It's only because Hong Yan is Great Knight and is currently in the military camp, wanting to seek justice for her family; otherwise, she might not have openly admitted it!
Given this situation, it's understandable that she became so enraged that she went to their door to confront them.
Manna's tongue was far more eloquent than her master's.
She pointed out that the four of them originally thought the matter would be over, but they never expected to be threatened again after entering the military camp.
The opposing debater was quite capable, suggesting that Red Pine's people were suspected of framing him.
They not only impersonated the New Army, but also claimed that the people from Anping Trading were involved in a strange affair in Suotu Town.
If we don't pursue this matter, we won't be able to explain it to the Earl!
" Anping Trading's Huo Laer did indeed appear," Manna replied calmly. "We deliberately used vague language to protect ourselves."
This was not a court trial, but it was no less intense than one, as no one dared to lie under the watchful eyes of the crowd.
Hearing this, the sinister Great Knight interjected, "Ambiguous? Heh, it carries a lot of weight!"
With members of the New Army still present, he couldn't explain it any more clearly.
Instructor Hong remained unmoved and listened silently.
By this time, the onlookers had all understood that Red Pine's accusations had frightened Earl Shengming's men.
Well, how should I put it? The robbery of the Earl's mansion failed, and afterwards they were still relentless in their accusations, which certainly went too far, but there were indeed reasons for it.
However, with the two Great Knight at each other's throats, no one dared to interrupt.
However, just a row of houses away, someone calmly remarked, "What did my New Army do to deserve such a bad reputation?"
The sinister Great Knight's lips twitched slightly, and he quickly spoke, "I can't compensate with Bone Glue, but I'll give you six pieces of Resentment Qi Crystal."
He was gambling that Hong Yan didn't want to get involved with the New Army.
He actually guessed right. Hong Da casually said, "No need for six yuan, four yuan will do, one yuan for each child."
That was her attitude: she wasn't there for the money, but to give her subordinates a chance to vent their anger.
She then added, "But next time, it won't be this cheap."
"Of course," the sinister Great Knight nodded without hesitation, "I've long admired Hong Da's reputation; his actions are truly convincing!"
He was prepared to be extorted, but to his surprise, the other party offered to reduce the price by two yuan.
This could be a persona being cultivated, given the presence of so many powerful figures observing from the sidelines.
However, the Earl's mansion was short 10,000 silver dollars, and that was a fact.
If anyone wants to spend 10,000 to create a persona, he will say without hesitation: Welcome, welcome, a warm welcome, go ahead and throw it at me!
However, the wind wouldn't stop blowing, and a figure approached from around the corner in the distance, letting out a soft snort, "I simply can't stand it anymore."
"Commander," several Knight greeted.
The one who arrived was none other than Jeff the Great Knight, one of the Eight Tigers of the New Army.
He said casually, "The people from Red Pine aren't considered to be posing as New Army; they're still in their probationary period. Hong Yan, have you forgotten?"
"Go to hell! "The Great Knight glared angrily upon hearing this. "Why didn't you mention this a couple of days ago?"
He knew very well that he had been tricked again. These guys from the New Army really seemed to thrive on chaos!
"Why are you glaring at me?" Jeff looked at him coldly. "Do you think your eyes are too small?"
"I never told you that there were no New Army reservists in there!"
In fact, he came here intentionally to cause trouble; otherwise, he would have already stepped in.
Unfortunately, he encountered Hong Yan, the Instructor Hong, who wasn't buying it.
She said expressionlessly, " Jeff, it's all in the past. What were you doing the other day?"
Hong Da dislikes intrigue and backstabbing because he finds it tiring, not because he's incapable of it!
However, Jeff was even more shameless than anyone imagined. He said seriously, "I'm watching to see if anyone begs me."
"You—" These words left Chief Instructor Hong speechless. She gave him a thumbs up, "You're shameless!"
"Your words—" Jeff's face hardened, and he asked coldly, "Aren't you going a bit too far?"
" Jeff," a voice spoke weakly and erratically, "Who from the Marquis of Marquis Tanyong's Residence do you want to kill?"
"Intimidation," Jeff's face hardened again, and he chuckled dryly, "It's just intimidation, necessary for the job. Instructors, don't take it seriously."
"Cough cough," the faint voice coughed twice, "Don't be afraid, I'm feeling seriously unwell right now."
"I'm certainly not afraid of you," Jeff said seriously, "But we can't let the instructor misunderstand you; you are Liang."
Xia'erzi remained silent. Hong Yan looked at the sinister Great Knight and asked, "Where were we?"
"Four Resentment Qi Crystal," this person's eyes had become much clearer, and the sinister aura had greatly diminished.
"Lord's second grandson is already fifteen. Hong Da, are you still taking on apprentices?"
"Wow! "Wu Youren was dumbfounded. The Liang really don't understand subtlety!
As the grandson of a count, getting into one of the two top Martial Academy shouldn't be too difficult, right?
"Let's get in line," Hong Yan answered without hesitation.
After a pause, she added, "I mainly accept female disciples, so let him find another master."
"I have my eye on you," the sinister Great Knight declared without hesitation. "Your sixth daughter is thirteen years old—"
"We'll talk about it later," Hong Yan replied without hesitation. "Um, which senior instructor is in Tianwu?"
I have a package here that I need you to claim.
Silence reigned all around, and no one answered for a long time.
At this moment, the Great Knight from the Tianjing Martial Academy was still in the military camp, but the package—was not his.
The truth is, he was somewhat relieved that he had been quick-witted enough to get rid of that annoying fellow.
Instructor Hong waited for a while, and when he realized that the people from Tianwu didn't reply, he turned and left.
But what happened that night was far from over.
Less than ten minutes after the Red Pine men returned, the Great Knight of Tianwu arrived.
" Hong Yan, it's all just youthful stuff, why are you making such a fuss?"
Upon hearing this, Instructor Hong's face darkened. "You mean—I'm old?"
The Grand Instructor Tianwu wasn't intimidated by her. "I don't see you as a woman. You've received the compensation; that's enough."
Instructor Hong took a sip of tea. "That's what the children thought too."
The Great Knight of Tianwu remained silent. Everyone said that Hong Yan was a man of few words, but even a casual remark from him was so sharp.
He felt he had said too much and it was pointless, so he said, "I've already sent someone back."
For single men, nine times nine is enough, no need to add one!
Hong Yan raised her eyelids, looked at him for three seconds, and then slowly spoke, "Is this the style of Tianwu?"
The other person replied dismissively, "He's still a child!"
The Instructor Hong lowered his eyelids and asked casually, "Which senior instructor at Tianwu is so audacious as to try and rob a child?"
The tenth cavalryman of Tianwu was losing face. "That's enough! Didn't you compensate your family?"
Hong Yan didn't respond to that. "Do you really want me to go ask Saixi?"
The expression on the other person's face immediately turned strange. "You can see him?"
That's a pillar of the Tianjing Martial Academy, a being at the half-step Divine Might level, not someone any random Great Knight can contact.
Instructor Hong rolled his eyes at him, then lowered his head to drink his tea, casually asking, "How much do you know about me?"
The head instructor of Tianwu remained silent for a long time before finally speaking, "Four Resentment Qi Crystal."
He was not only worried that the other party would actually approach Saixi, but also worried about the way Red Pine and his gang operated.
If Hong Yan had been more lenient, it would have just been a few Knight acting crazy, and the consequences wouldn't have been too serious.
But if this is the kind of discipline instilled by Chief Instructor Hong, then it's far more terrifying.
Tianjing Martial Academy isn't afraid of trouble, but it's really not worth it for something like this!
Chapter 137 Mutual Restraint (Second Update)
Hong Yan remained silent for a long time before speaking, "Everyone's child is still a child. Tianwu should be more restrained in his actions."
Upon hearing this, the Great Knight of Tianwu completely refused to accept it, saying, "Enough! I've already agreed to compensate."
"How Tianwu does things is none of your business!"
He paused for a moment, then continued, "That one was the one who mentored Instructor Saixi in Tianwu!"
No wonder they dared to leave behind the name "Saixi"; they really have the confidence!
Hong Yan replied calmly, "Above the Great Knight, there are the Divine Might Knight!"
She was also a little angry. "Your Tianjing Martial Academy is acting unethically, and nobody can say anything about it?"
The person on the other end paused for a moment upon hearing this, then actually laughed, "Is it for that psychic Ability User Apprentice?"
The people of Tianwu are indeed used to being arrogant and haughty, even in their way of thinking.
His reasoning was that Hong Yan's strong reaction this time must mean that something sensitive had been touched upon.
Otherwise, there's no reason to go head-to-head with Tianwu like this—even if you could get the Divine Might Knight involved, would it be worth it?
Instructor Hong shook her head speechlessly; what she hated most was the other party's arrogance.
"Do you deny it?" a voice rang out, and it was Commander Jeff walked in.
He said with a smile, "I already said, it would be great to leave the child to me!"
Hong Yan nodded slightly to him, "You're always looking for a good show."
"Alright, it's settled then," Tianwu's head instructor turned and left, no longer criticizing Hong Yan's attitude.
Even though he was at the Tianjing Martial Academy, he kept his distance from the New Army.
After he left, Great Knight Jeff lowered his voice and said, "Don't worry, I won't bother your Red Pine people."
"All I want to know right now is whose child it is?"
Hong Yan stared at him blankly for a long time before shaking her head and sighing.
"You'll find out sooner or later anyway, you're a hostage from Jin!"
"I—damn it!" The New Army finally lost his composure, his eyes widening instantly. "You Red Pine want to betray your country?"
The Instructor Hong looked at him speechlessly, and after a long pause, finally said, "Your habit of labeling people—"
"It really shouldn't be like this," Jeff nodded, readily admitting, "It's an occupational hazard, an occupational hazard."
Then, with a wry smile, he said, "No wonder, he said his family didn't agree; it would be strange if they did."
"If someone rejects you, I won't try to persuade them," Instructor Hong said, unusually adding a few more words, "It's for the good of your New Army."
"Tch, are you saying my New Army is afraid of this?" Jeff scoffed dismissively. "They're just a bunch of cunning bastards!"
"I thought he was some big shot's kid."
He paused for a moment, then asked, "What is this child's background?"
"Are you really not going to stop?" Instructor Hong frowned. She had thought the other party would be somewhat wary.
However, as I said before, even if she didn't say anything, the New Army could easily find out if they wanted to.
She sighed, "The lord's grandson."
"Huh?" Commander Jeff was taken aback. "This can be a hostage? Have those guys from the Court of State Ceremonial gone senile?"
"Don't tell me that," Hong Yan waved her hand impatiently. She didn't want to hear a word of what the New Army was saying about others.
"Go and find out how many hostages the Jin has."
Commander Jeff's eyes darted around. "One last thing: if I can persuade him, will you release him?"
The Instructor Hong looked at him calmly for a long time before finally asking, "Do you think I'm capable of handling this kind of thing?"
Commander Jeff nodded, then turned and left.
The Instructor Hong stared at his retreating figure for five or six seconds before shaking his head and letting out a soft snort.
Wu Youren noticed that after that night, the other teams looked at his four members differently.
Red Pine was originally just an average person in the Zhongwei Martial Academy, unassuming and unremarkable.
Even if some people knew that Instructor Hong knew Xia'erzi, it was nothing special.
This outburst by Hong Da made everyone realize that even within the same Martial Academy, different instructors can be completely different.
The difference between a sheep leading a pride of lions and a lion leading a flock of sheep is striking.
However, Hong Da must have been exhausted from this trip to the Weird Domain. After that night of frantic walking, he had to close the gate and rest for two days.
During this time, people would occasionally come over and strike up a conversation with Manna, Namuzha, or Luo Xi.
In the world of martial arts, this is often the reality; no one wants to associate with the weak.
Many people wanted to talk to Wu Youren. Among the four people, there was actually a Knight Apprentice, which was really eye-catching.
However, he rarely left the house, even his standing meditation was done indoors, and when he did go out, he was always silent.
Two days later, Hong Yan reappeared and announced a new decision.
She needed to return to Red Pine; she had used up a lot of supplies and needed to replenish them. More importantly, she needed to bring back intelligence and the spoils of war.
She was going to take Namuzha away, and Luo Xi was going to follow in his car, leaving Manna and Wu Youren behind.
Instructor Hong specifically instructed you two not to leave the military camp lightly, and if you encounter any trouble, to seek help from the Marquis Tanyong's Residence's residence.
As she left the military camp, she hesitated for a moment, then said to the young man from Jin, "Think things through before you act!"
After seeing Hong Da, the two who remained returned. Manna couldn't help but mutter, "Does Master think I'm not smart enough?"
"Tell us to be careful," Wu Youren replied casually. "Those two incidents may not really be over."
It wasn't that he was being paranoid; Hong Da had already given orders not to leave the military camp—wasn't the implication obvious?
"That doesn't matter, it'll only take two days to go round trip," Manna said dismissively.
In the afternoon, the two of them were chatting outside the door when a group of people walked over.
One of the Knight glanced at Wu Youren and let out a soft exclamation.
After the other person left, Manna asked curiously, "Do you have acquaintances outside?"
She knew the young people of Jin quite well; she came to Red Pine after leaving Jin Garden and rarely left the Martial Academy.
"From the Intelligence Agency," Wu Youren replied expressionlessly. That was the young Knight that Sister Hua had brought earlier.
He gave the other party a water bag with added ingredients—that was provided by Sister Hua; it wasn't that he intentionally harmed anyone.
However, regardless of the circumstances, their relationship was definitely not harmonious.
"Your clothes—" Manna frowned, looking him up and down, "Why are you so troublesome?"
"Do you think I'm willing?" Wu Youren pursed his lips and remained silent.
Not long after, a female Knight from the Earl Shengming's Residence came over and tried to get close to Manna.
It seems the Earl's mansion is genuinely considering sending a younger member to Red Pine; they've been making overtures these past few days.
The female Knight even glanced at the young man from Jin, "We found Huo Laer; he said he wanted to invest in you from the beginning."
"The risk is too great," Wu Youren said, not one to talk much. "His judgment is poor."
The fact that the situation was clarified so quickly shows that the Earl Shengming's Residence's residence is quite efficient.
As soon as the female Knight left, a young Knight from the Intelligence Agency approached and addressed Wu Youren directly, "Come with me."
Wu Youren glanced at him, shook his head slightly, and said expressionlessly, "Sorry, it's not convenient."
"I'm not discussing this with you," the young Knight said calmly, glancing at Manna as he did so. "Understand?"
Manna couldn't help but roll her eyes. Are all the people in the Intelligence Agency this arrogant?
"I'm on a mission involving Red Pine," Wu Youren replied calmly.
A cold smile appeared on the young man's face. "You think you're being rude?"
" The Intelligence Agency doesn't have jurisdiction over the Court of State Ceremonial, does it?" Wu Youren calmly retorted. "It's Hong Da Army Commander leading the team; you're disrespecting her."
This is why Hong Yan could not completely refuse Commander Jeff of the New Army.
Red Pine has an obligation to protect him from doing things he doesn't want to do, but Hong Da has no right to interfere if he does want to.
" Hong Da -Heh—" the young Knight chuckled, "So you want me to invite Sister Hua over?"
These two are worlds apart, Wu Youren rolled his eyes. "Focus on exploring the Weird Domain."
"Very well," the young Knight nodded with a cold laugh, turned and left, "You'd better not regret this."
He had just turned the corner of the row of houses when a large hand landed on his shoulder, and at the same time, an aura enveloped him.
"Kid, keep quiet, understand? Come with me."
" Great Knight?" The young Knight remained relatively calm; being in the Intelligence Agency meant facing far too many unexpected and dangerous situations.
He even calmly asked, "Do you know who I am?"
"From the Intelligence Agency," the Great Knight replied with a smile. "Let me introduce myself, Jeff, New Army."
"The New Army?" The young Knight's eyelids twitched, and his scalp tingled. "I have no connection with them."
"Now we have it," Jeff said with a smile, "I see you're quite familiar with Little Wu."
"Not very familiar," the young Knight said, forcing himself to speak. He suddenly remembered—wasn't this one of the Eight Tigers of the New Army?
He could only honestly reply, "I've had contact with them once before, and now I want to inquire about some information about the Weird Domain."
This trouble he caused Wu Youren was purely his personal act.
The Intelligence Agency was not the main force investigating the unusual activity in the Suspended Bell Mountain Weird Domain; their main task was to collect and analyze information.
Investigating this matter required hands-on involvement, which they couldn't accomplish quickly on their own, so it was distributed among different factions.
However, the Intelligence Agency later concluded that it was still necessary for someone to personally investigate the information on-site, rather than simply interpreting various sources' reports.
The young Knight arrived with his main force and discovered Wu Youren in the military camp.
He longed to achieve great things, and knowing that the young man from Jin was quite remarkable, he kept quiet and quietly came to intimidate him.
As for who the other person came with, it really didn't matter to him. Weren't they just those guys from the Red Pine Martial Academy?
The Intelligence Agency really doesn't take the Mid-Level Martial Academy seriously; functionally speaking, they are designed to restrain them.
But it's a different story when it comes to the New Army. The New Army is a product of court infighting, and the Intelligence Agency is really nothing to them.
"Refusing to cooperate, is that it?" Jeff's face darkened. "I think you know him well; you can tell from his reaction."
"My lord, this puts me in a difficult position," the young Knight said calmly. "I also have superiors."
"Oh ho, being stubborn?" Jeff laughed. "I like stubborn people. You'd better keep it up a little longer."