Chapter 142 Trouble (Third Update)
"Okay," Manna was defeated by Ailin's attitude. She was really young and full of vigor.
She changed the subject, "Do you need me to pass this package on for you?"
Ailin hesitated for a moment before replying, "Then I'll trouble you. It's just some common supplies."
"Don't worry, I won't touch your things!" Manna smiled slightly.
Ailin thanked her and left in a hurry.
Later that afternoon, Wu Youren emerged from the room, looking refreshed and in good spirits.
" Little Wu," Manna called out, pointing to the package under the eaves, " Ailin left this for you; she has to go back temporarily."
"I gave it to my sister," Wu Youren waved his hand dismissively, "Why would a grown man like me want a woman's things?"
"Don't talk nonsense," Manna replied seriously, her expression hardening. "You'd give away something a girl gave you?"
"That's fine too!" Wu Youren nodded, picked up the package, and went back to his room.
The next moment, he reappeared, holding a book in his hand—the book of materials and knowledge that the Earl Shengming's Residence had given him.
He sat by the door and started reading. Manna's gossipy nature was piqued again. "Did she leave something behind?"
"It's not open," the boy replied casually. "I'll give it back to her when she gets back."
He was also a little curious—what man wouldn't be curious in this situation?
But he restrained himself; there might be something bad inside, like the food and water Sister Hua had once provided him.
Even if it weren't true, he didn't want to further increase their intimacy, even if the other person might not be Yanzi.
He's not in a position to even consider these things right now, let alone possibly fall into a trap.
The following evening, Instructor Hong Yan finally appeared.
Besides Namuzha and Luo Xi, she also brought six Knight with her, four men and two women.
We also have an extra vehicle, mainly because there are a lot of supplies, and two vehicles aren't enough.
Of the four Knight, one of them was someone he had met once before.
That same disciplinary inspector once questioned him, "Why do you farm?"
When the patrolman saw him, he was slightly taken aback; the student had left a deep impression on him.
He was filled with deep doubt. Was there some mistake? Knight Apprentice?
Then he noticed that the other person's gaze lingered on him for a moment, clearly recognizing him as well.
The Knight's heart skipped a beat: Would this young man hold a grudge?
He went to great lengths to get into this team.
Why didn't anyone tell me on the way here that there was actually a Knight Apprentice?
However, now was not the time to ask questions; he could only keep his doubts to himself.
When Hong Da comes back, the first thing he'll definitely ask about is how things have been going recently.
Upon learning that the strange phenomena in the Weird Domain were due to the recent continuous rain, she nodded slightly. "Normal."
It is reasonable for the military to request that various units go to provide support.
Instructor Hong stated decisively, "Take a good rest today, and we'll enter the Weird Domain tomorrow. You've come at the perfect time."
The danger in the Weird Domain has increased, but so what? Once you've accepted the mission, don't think about anything else.
The truth is, the bigger the waves, the more expensive the fish.
Seeing her apprentice hesitate, she asked, "Is there anything else?"
Manna smiled. "I'll report to you privately later."
Hong Yan raised her chin and addressed the others, "You all go inside and settle the supplies."
Wu Youren hesitated for a moment before speaking, " Hong Da, could you give me another room?"
Including the four Knight, there were seven people in the male warrior's room.
It wasn't a problem when he lived with Luo Xi and Namuzha, but with four more—
"You?" Instructor Hong glanced at him, paused for a moment, then a slight smile appeared on her lips, as if she had thought of something amusing.
Then she nodded slightly, "Okay, Manna, come with me to apply."
Six male Knight entered the house and began arranging various supplies, while Wu Youren stood outside, staring blankly at the rain.
The disciplinary inspector was busy with his hands, but he couldn't help asking, "That trainee?"
Not only him, but the three Knight were also puzzled.
Knight Apprentice is one thing, but having a private room in the military camp? Who the hell is this young master?
The key point is that Hong Da actually went to help him fight for it, without even asking why.
Namuzha and Luo Xi exchanged a glance, and finally the latter replied, "That guy doesn't sleep soundly!"
"What kind of bizarre answer is this?" another instructor spoke up, " Namuzha, tell us?"
The two were already quite familiar with each other from their time in Red Pine, and they were going to team up together to fight the monsters, so there was nothing they couldn't ask each other.
Namuzha paused for a moment, then laughed. "He does indeed sleep restlessly—well, he even has a special ability."
Special Ability – The four instructors immediately understood: Wasn't that Ability User?
The disciplinary inspector's lips twitched slightly as he carefully recalled the events of their last meeting.
Then he secretly breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that his actions at the time were fairly fair, and in the end he let go.
Wait a minute, which bastard reported this guy?
Unfortunately, so much time had passed that he couldn't quite remember.
After they settled in, Instructor Hong returned with Manna, and they did indeed ask for another room.
This situation is quite rare in military camps. Despite having hundreds of rooms, housing is still in short supply.
Although there are quite a few empty houses, we must leave room for maneuver.
Fortunately, Hong Da had already made a name for herself by going on a rampage, so no one wanted to mess with her.
However, their new room wasn't in the same row as theirs; instead, it was in the row next to the Earl Shengming's Residence.
"Stay here if there's nothing else to do," Instructor Hong instructed. "Go to sleep first, then you can go over there."
"Hmm," Wu Youren nodded slightly, still maintaining his taciturn demeanor.
Before they knew it, it was dark. After everyone had eaten, they began to plan their actions for the next day.
They're carrying a lot of stuff this time, so someone will definitely need to stay behind.
Instructor Hong arranged for Manna and Luo Xi to give the newcomers some opportunities.
The key is those four; they caused quite a stir last time, so it's best not to bring them all in this time.
The plan was agreed upon, and it was still early, but Hong Da had already started to urge everyone to leave.
"I've been traveling all day. Even if I wanted to chat, I'd go back inside and lie down on the bed!"
Everyone went back inside, leaving only her, Manna, and the Jin boy outside.
Wu Youren also wanted to go back next door, but he guessed that Hong Da wanted to say something to him— Manna had definitely gone to tattle.
So he could only sit silently under the eaves, looking at the gloomy sky.
However, Instructor Hong didn't actually talk to him; instead, he chatted casually with Manna.
Through their conversation, Wu Youren roughly understood why Hong Da had taken so long to arrive.
In short, it's a series of troubles. The Weird Race in the Suotu Town area is becoming increasingly unruly, rushing out one after another.
Among them are many Great Knight of the Weird Race, and occasionally two or three Great Knight will appear together.
Thanks to the military reinforcements, a large number of the Barbarian Tribe arrived and held their ground along the ridgeline. Several smaller groups also rushed in to eliminate the monsters.
In short, the situation is much more serious than before.
The Barbarian Tribe also caused a lot of trouble. They were extremely disorganized, would scramble for treasures, and would run away if they saw anything suspicious.
This resulted in significantly higher casualties, and when the military demanded discipline, they were met with strong resistance.
Instructor Hong returned late. In addition to going through the procedures for adding Knight, he was also invited to join the Great Knight to intimidate the Barbarian Tribe.
Furthermore, the recent rain has exacerbated the eerie situation; otherwise, she could have summoned twelve Knight.
Manna was somewhat taken aback. "I didn't expect it to be safer here."
" Divine Might Knight has already gone in," Instructor Hong said casually, without elaborating further.
However, given her status and position, she probably wasn't just making things up.
Before we knew it, the light rain that had paused started falling again.
Hong Da finally glanced at Wu Youren. "Go back and rest. You don't need to listen to our conversation."
The boy silently got up and left. Only after he turned the corner and disappeared from sight did Manna ask, "Aren't you going to say anything to him?"
"That's his life," the husky-voiced man replied casually. "I mentioned it before I left, and that's enough."
That's more than enough. She's already done everything she could. Most Liang martial artists let their students learn on their own, but she's gone even further.
Wu Youren was not only not her student, but also a hostage from the State of Jin. Given that she had already achieved this, what was so difficult about it?
"His suggestion—" Manna trailed off, not daring to continue, because her master turned to look at her.
Instructor Hong stated calmly, "Curiosity should be used in the right way."
She was not lacking in intelligence and encouraged her disciples to maintain a spirit of inquiry; however, a martial artist's energy is limited.
Not to mention, this is a huge mess; why should we get involved?
Wu Youren arrived at his new room but didn't rush to rest.
He closed the door and first set up three simple mechanisms, mainly for warning purposes.
The military camp is supposed to be relatively safe, but he had previously made quite a few potential enemies.
After the installation was complete, he thought for a moment, then opened the door again and set up a relatively obvious warning device.
As he was setting things up, a voice came from behind him, "Is this all the quality you've got? Anyone can see that."
Wu Youren was aware of this, and after a moment's thought, he replied, "People who are passing by without intention are unlikely to notice."
The mechanism itself is a subtle warning; if it were too hidden, it would lose its intended meaning.
"You live such a life of constant fear?" the New Army said dismissively. " Red Pine is going to the Weird Domain tomorrow; you're not going."
The boy paused for a moment before continuing to set up the traps. "Please go and tell Hong Da."
Jeff scoffed, "Does such a large mid-level Martial Academy need another Knight Apprentice like you?"
Wu Youren did not respond; this was not something he should have been concerned about.
The next moment, a hoarse, smoky voice rang out, "Hmm, that's all that's missing. There are quite a few people in Red Pine, but every single one of them is indispensable."
"I'm doing this for his own good," Jeff, not surprised that Hong Yan had noticed them; after all, how far away were they?
Unfortunately, Instructor Hong's line of thinking was seriously flawed. "Even if you're doing it for your own good, does that give you the right to denigrate the Red Pine?"
However, the New Army didn't even try to reason with her, stating bluntly, "He can't go!"
"Reason?"
Chapter 143 Rejection (Fourth Update)
"No reason!" Jeff answered without hesitation; he was truly reckless when he got going. "Even if I told you, you wouldn't dare listen!"
The Instructor Hong was speechless after being thoroughly humiliated. He paused for a moment before finally saying, "This method of dragging people down is—low-level!"
Jeff smiled slightly, "Do you have the guts to say that you really want to hear it?"
"What kind of bastards are the New Army?" Instructor Hong couldn't help but swear in the face of the New Army's provocation.
"If you want talent, train it yourself!"
But Jeff really didn't follow the usual path. "How can you make people afraid if you're not a jerk? Especially not someone like you."
They say even heroes fear a rogue? Hong Da really can't handle this kind of shameless behavior.
Her expression hardened, and she spoke solemnly, " Red Pine's exploration of the Weird Domain has a strict and meticulous plan; no one can be missing."
You want to play unreasonable with me? Well, I'll just have to be reasonable with you!
"I heard he can hunt down valuable monsters," Jeff scoffed. "Isn't it all for the money?"
Who leaked the information? Instructor Hong was slightly taken aback.
The next moment, two figures flashed through her mind—the Flower Knight from the Intelligence Agency and a certain military Knight.
She snorted, "That's all the New Army is good for; all they care about is money—we value safety far more!"
Is there anything wrong with what you said? Of course not.
The warriors of Liang are known for their fearlessness, but if the leader can prevent major casualties, that's definitely a plus.
But Jeff's eyes lit up. "Oh, there's this benefit too? Tell me more?"
Hearing this, Wu Youren couldn't take it anymore. " Hong Da, he knows what he needs to know. Don't be upset."
Strictly speaking, this was just his guess; he couldn't be sure how powerful the New Army really was.
But he still felt it necessary to remind Instructor Hong, because Hong Da was arguably the person he trusted most at the moment.
Even Liu Jingming, who was also a hostage, seemed a bit lacking.
This trust may end at some point, but for now, at least it still exists.
"Hmm, I can think of that," surprisingly, the husky-voiced person responded.
"Alright, everyone, stop pretending," Jeff said bluntly. "You know what he did; we can't enter the Weird Domain."
"He was just having a fit and said some nonsense," Hong Yan frowned.
She had already decided not to get involved in the messy affairs between the Jin hostage and the New Army —the waters were too deep.
However, since the boy still cared about her as his instructor, she didn't mind saying a few words in his defense.
"No matter is too small for officials," Jeff replied, surprisingly seriously. "Those who deserve reward should be rewarded, and those who deserve punishment should be punished."
"Hmph," a mocking smile appeared on Instructor Hong's lips, "An award? I'm afraid it won't be yours."
She knew all too well how these government officials behaved; if there were benefits, they would swarm in like swarms. What was a big deal about intercepting them?
When it's really time to be punished, there's a high probability that...
She glanced at Wu Youren and found the boy's face calm and his eyes clear.
"Why shouldn't he be awarded?" Jeff frowned slightly. "Haven't you heard that the New Army has a clear system of rewards and punishments?"
The New Army did indeed have such a slogan, but its actual execution was another matter.
"I'll believe you for now," Instructor Hong, not arguing with him, "But what about the reward?"
Please think about this carefully; he is a hostage from another country!
"You can abandon darkness and embrace the light," Jeff replied casually.
However, this possibility—never mind, there's no need to dwell on it.
A strange smile crept across his lips. "I'm rather curious, why do you care about him so much?"
Instructor Hong's face immediately darkened. "I'm doing this for Red Pine's sake. Speak properly, or I won't hesitate to beat you up."
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"Heh," Jeff chuckled. He wasn't afraid of her, but he had no intention of provoking this crazy woman.
The next moment, his smile faded, and he stated decisively, "He can't go!"
The Instructor Hong ignored him and turned to look at the boy. "Are you going or not?"
"Go," Wu Youren answered decisively. Hong Da had stepped forward to protect him, he certainly couldn't let him down.
He stated earnestly, " Red Pine may not need me, but as a human, it is my duty to kill the treacherous!"
The Instructor Hong then glanced at Jeff. "You heard that!"
She has no grounds to oppose the trainees if they are afraid of the New Army, but she can strongly support their reasonable demands!
The New Army understood this logic as well. He looked at the Jin prince, his face grim, and asked, "Have you thought this through?"
"Playing this trick again—" Wu Youren was speechless.
He thought for a moment and then asked, "If I stay, will I drag Red Pine into this too?"
"Hmm?" Instructor Hong narrowed his eyes slightly upon hearing this.
"Holy crap—" Jeff raised an eyebrow slightly, his eyes widening a little, "You've got a lot of ideas."
The next moment, he laughed. "I'm starting to believe that suggestion really was something you came up with on a whim."
It was crucial for the New Army to recognize this.
This is a suggestion that could lead to turmoil in Great Liang, but it could also become a breakthrough for the New Army.
If it's a trap meticulously designed by the other party, regardless of the final outcome, it's a disgrace if he falls into it by accident!
The boy before me is quick-witted, so that outlandish suggestion might just have been something he thought of casually.
Young people are bound to be quick-witted, it's not surprising!
However, Wu Youren remained expressionless in the face of his praise: Was this a spur-of-the-moment decision—is it to prevent me from taking the blame?
"You heard me," the hoarse, husky voice spoke again, "I must take him with me!"
Instructor Hong had no intention of getting involved in their affairs, but dragging Red Pine into it? No way. "You don't need to explain, I don't want to hear it." "Hey, these guys are all so cunning," Jeff shook his head, both amused and exasperated.
Then he looked at the boy and said, "I'm really doing this for your own good."
"Yes," Wu Youren nodded, his eyes clear, "Then thank you."
"Tsk," Jeff clicked his tongue, shook his head, and sighed, "Saying one thing and meaning another!"
Hong Yan spoke up again, "I hope you won't push Red Pine to the other side."
After saying that, she disappeared into the rainy night. "That's all I have to say!"
She had said everything she needed to say. Even if the other party insisted on keeping her there, they couldn't possibly harm the boy. So why wasn't she leaving?
"Push them to the other side—with you?" Jeff muttered softly, then disappeared.
The rain finally stopped the next morning, but the sky was still over.
Nine people from the Red Pine Martial Academy walked out of the military camp to get their cars. A military vehicle with the insignia of the New Army followed behind them.
A Knight waved to them, "Wait a moment, Commander Jeff would like to team up with you."
"No need," Instructor Hong refused decisively, "It's hard to divide the spoils."
The military vehicle stopped upon hearing this, and the Knight contacted his commander using his wristwatch.
"Never mind then," Jeff said casually. "I was just giving it a try—there's so much trouble here."
After hanging up the watch, he shook his head and scoffed, "Difficult to divide? Humph!"
He hadn't originally planned to go himself; he simply wanted to send two Knight to accompany the young man from Jin.
Besides protecting him, he also wanted people to observe the boy up close to see just how extraordinary he was.
The other party's reasons were indeed quite valid.
The Martial Academy never hesitates to plunder spoils of war, but how could the military possibly let them have their way?
Anyway, it's all up to chance; if it doesn't work out, so be it. As one of the Eight Tigers of the New Army, he certainly has a lot on his plate every day.
As soon as the nine members of the Red Pine entered the Weird Domain, they were taken aback—the chilling aura was much stronger than before.
Namuzha couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation, "Hey, Little Wu, why didn't you say so beforehand?"
"No news," Wu Youren replied calmly. Although he and Manna remained at the military camp, they were indeed unaware of the situation.
"It's not that we didn't want to inquire, it's just that no teams have come out in the last couple of days."
As the situation worsened, a group of people were evacuated, and then martial artists were continuously transferred in.
None of the teams that joined later left.
As they walked further, even Instructor Hong's expression grew serious. "This Weird Qi —it's becoming more and more refined!"
The density of the Weird Qi didn't seem to increase much, but its quality might have improved.
As the group continued on their journey, before they reached the stream where they had parted ways last time, they were drawn by a Weird Qi.
The Weird Qi twisted and turned, but instead of expanding outwards, it extended upwards into the sky.
" Weird Qi is about to form at such an outer position?" a female Knight couldn't help but exclaim.
Although it was their first time entering Bellflower Mountain, the six newcomers had gathered all the necessary information.
"Keep going," Instructor Hong decided. " Little Wu, you scout ahead, Namuzha provides protection!"
The Knight Apprentice scouts the way—the other six Knight are speechless. The boy is indeed skilled; he can even get Knight to protect him.
Wu Youren nodded slightly, but he was definitely not at ease. They hadn't even reached the stream yet, and things were already like this.
With him scouting ahead, the team's journey proceeded without incident.
Upon arriving at the creek, Hong Da decided to deviate from the route he had taken to support Xia'erzi and instead take the other way.
She offered no explanation and had no idea what had happened last time.
Fortunately, Wu Youren and Namuzha had both traveled in the other direction before, so it wasn't unfamiliar to them.
The probability of strange creatures appearing has also increased significantly, Hong Da remains vigilant, preventing everyone from making any rash moves.
Even the high-ranking military instructor made a point of explaining, "Let's get a clear picture of the situation first."
It's definitely very different from last time.
As they continued onward, they encountered more and more Weird Qi of energy taking shape.
But Instructor Hong remained indifferent, saying, "Don't worry about it. It's not very good if it's not fully formed."
Suddenly, a thin Knight spoke up, " Hong Da, it sounds like someone is calling for help."
"I heard you," Instructor Hong nodded. " Little Wu and Namuzha —go check on the situation."
Could they really do without this Knight Apprentice? This thought couldn't help but pop into the minds of several Knight.
A perceptive female Knight immediately offered an explanation, "The head instructor must remain in the center to provide protection and cannot move rashly."
"If any colleague has expertise in this area, please take the initiative to help."
Upon hearing this, all doubts vanished.
Five or six minutes later, the two returned. Wu Youren calmly stated, "It seems to be a hallucination!"
(4 chapters, 12,000 words. Please support with subscriptions, monthly tickets, and recommendation votes.)