Chapter 158 Emotional Debt (Third Update)
The people from the Hall of Extraordinary Masters didn't look for anyone else; they went straight for Chief Instructor Hong Yan.
The five people talked behind closed doors in the reception room for about ten minutes.
When Instructor Hong came out, she looked unhappy and immediately ordered, " Manna, see my guest out!"
She didn't even want to maintain the most basic manners.
It was definitely an unpleasant conversation, but seeing her expression, no one dared to ask a single question.
Fortunately, she had an apprentice, and it wasn't long before Manna spread the news.
The Hall of Extraordinary Masters believed that Red Pine's men had failed to cooperate in the battle and had left the battlefield prematurely, and therefore deserved to be punished.
Therefore, they forcibly purchased all the strange items that Red Pine had harvested in the Weird Domain, demanding that no one conceal them.
Of course, the Hall of Extraordinary Masters will offer a "reasonable" price.
Such conditions were so Hong Da that even Manna couldn't help but jump up in anger, exclaiming, "I've never seen anything like this!"
"Just trying to scare them," the middle-aged Knight sneered dismissively. "If we don't tell them ourselves, how much can they possibly know?"
"Ultimately, it's just a gesture, emphasizing that they can boss us around... it's all about a sense of superiority."
"Let's agree on a story then," Manna said seriously, "We haven't even managed to kill a single monster. Does everyone support this?"
"Stop fooling around," a hoarse, smoky voice came from behind. "Doesn't the Hall of Extraordinary Masters have any dignity? Five or six items, you can discuss it."
"That's quite unique," Luo Xi muttered. "Seven or eight years ago, someone from Red Pine entered the Hall of Extraordinary Masters, right?"
"I've already severed ties with the Red Pine," the middle-aged Knight replied calmly. "I did them a small favor, so I consider the score even."
Wu Youren had no intention of participating in their discussion. All the monsters they encountered during their trip to Bellflower Mountain were assigned by Instructor Hong.
Including the Bone Glue they risked their lives to obtain; although Hong Da wasn't there at the time, no one would hide it from her.
While everyone was discussing, another person arrived. It was a messenger from the Ministry of Ministry of Works, and he was looking for Wu Youren!
Ailin, the daughter of the Ministry of Works, is currently in poor condition and probably won't live much longer.
At the Youthful Splendor Martial Academy, where Ailin studies, someone suggested sending Wu Youren from Red Pine to take a look...
The two had frequent contact at the military camp in Bellflower Mountain, witnessed by hundreds of people.
There are also vague rumors that it was Wu Youren's sudden idea that led to Ailin's tragic death.
The Ministry of Works envoy hoped that the young man could visit his daughter, thus fulfilling a wish she had.
When Wu Youren faced the messenger, he was completely dumbfounded: What kind of operation is this?
If someone from the Youthful Splendor Martial Academy were to make such a request, he would find it reasonable.
Is it possible that the Ministry of Ministry of Works staff used official channels to deliver a message for a trainee who hadn't even started working?
He'd seen plenty of abuse of power for personal gain, but this was the first time he'd heard of such a blatant blurring of the lines between public and private.
However, seeing the others' nonchalant attitude, Wu Youren suddenly realized: Great Liang has its own unique national conditions.
He took out the small bag Ailin had left behind. "I won't be going. These are her belongings that she left with me."
The messenger was somewhat dissatisfied. After all, he was from the Ministry of Works, while you were just a lowly Martial Academy student...
This time, it was Namuzha jumped out to object first, saying that the two trainees were just acquaintances and that they had other missions to fulfill and couldn't spare the time.
Upon hearing this, others voiced their support, even Manna, who had initially been very supportive of Ailin, said that the request was somewhat inappropriate.
They're all young, both single and unmarried, what's the point of this?
Finally, the middle-aged Knight suggested. "Little Wu should send something as a token of his appreciation and have the other party take it back."
The boy thought for a moment, took out a gold coin, put it in a box, and handed it out.
The messenger seemed a bit dazed... Delivering money?
In the Great Liang Dynasty, the exchange of gifts mainly involved goods. A gold coin wasn't a small amount, but something about it felt off.
After he left, Daiqisi was the first to complain, "Why did you give me gold coins? Are you just wasting money?"
The boy is so skillful; you can easily give away some of the little things he makes.
Wu Youren smiled and remained silent, thinking to himself that giving those kinds of gifts carried a different meaning.
The two are just ordinary friends, why send a gift? Sending money would be just right.
He had only recently escaped poverty, and a single gold coin would be a source of great distress for him, but there was nothing he could do; it was simply inconvenient to give gifts.
Last night, the talking black cat reminded him that the extraordinary powers in this world were beyond his imagination.
Therefore, the less the sentimental gift is related to him, the better. Not to mention things he made himself, even ordinary items may not be safe!
Gold coins are probably the item that has been handled by the most people, and therefore have the least causal impact.
That afternoon, more than one group came looking for Wu Youren. As evening approached, someone from the Youthful Splendor Martial Academy came to his door.
The visitor came to interrogate. "Ailin was in such a state, and the young man, as the one who first suggested it, actually gave her gold coins?"
Whom are they looking down on?
Fortunately, Wu Youren was organized; he simply hid and avoided contact with the other party, leaving the instructors to handle the situation.
Regardless of whether Ailin is Yanzi or not, there must be a deeper meaning behind this.
At that moment, he felt somewhat fortunate that he had demonstrated enough value to warrant the instructors' offer of assistance.
Of course, staying in your comfort zone doesn't come without a price, for example... you're less free!
But then I thought about that strange black cat, and the middle-aged one-eyed man with mysterious intentions...
Losing some freedom doesn't seem so unacceptable.
Ultimately, we are still too weak and need to seize the time to become stronger as soon as possible.
The two instructors from the mid-level Martial Academy gathered together, and their discussion wasn't just about Ailin; that was merely a starting point.
There were many female instructors in Youthful Splendor, and there were also three female instructors in Red Pine's group. The head instructor was also a woman.
After both sides made their positions clear regarding Wu Youren's matter, they naturally started talking about the Suspended Bell Mountain Weird Domain.
Like Red Pine, the martial artists of the Youthful Splendor Martial Academy did not respond to the call of the Hall of Extraordinary Masters; they went into hiding as soon as the disturbance began.
However, their reaction was a bit slow, and one of the male instructors leading the team suffered a minor injury.
After being injured, he made the final decision, ordering the other martial artists not to attack and to stay in the camp.
Fortunately, Youthful Splendor was different from Red Pine; she didn't have the pressure of Suotu Town. Back then, in the Weird Domain, there were two senior instructors.
When their team finally withdrew, they had suffered considerable losses.
They weren't upset at all facing the intact Red Pine troops—the continuous fighting in Suotu Town had caused Red Pine to suffer heavy losses.
The strange phenomena in the Suspended Bell Mountain Weird Domain are indeed gradually subsiding, but it's unlikely to stabilize for at least a month or two.
Several female instructors actually started gossiping about why the Hall of Extraordinary Masters had made such a large commotion and what kind of strange creature they were looking for.
The bad thing is that although Youthful Splendor's female instructor is gossipy, she tries to find out information indirectly and keeps her own secrets very tight.
It's not surprising that this kind of trend exists in places where women congregate.
Female martial artists from other Martial Academy are much more straightforward.
Finally, Manna couldn't hold back any longer, "You're just asking around, so tell us something! Don't let people look down on the women's Martial Academy!"
The instructors at Youthful Splendor were a bit embarrassed, so they simply stated that the Hall of Extraordinary Masters had used World-Left Weapon to interrupt the advancement of the Weird Domain!
Several Ability User were seriously injured, but they were fairly certain that the supernatural creature that could advance the Weird Domain had probably been brought out.
However, they couldn't find it no matter what they tried.
The Hall of Extraordinary Masters is going crazy. If they find that kind of treasure, they can at least train a Great Ability User.
It's not impossible for a Great Ability User to advance their abilities to the next level!
If it weren't for the sheer number of powerful teams in the Weird Domain at the time, each with formidable strength and connections to many Ability User...
" The Hall of Extraordinary Masters will definitely spare no effort to wipe out several factions!"
This news was kept very secret; even the people at Red Pine couldn't find out.
In other words, Youthful Splendor Martial Academy has a lot of women who are naturally gossipy, and there are also many male Ability User who can't control their groin movements...
"Damn," Luo Xi muttered, who was listening in, "So they bought our monsters, or did they go easy on us?"
After a moment of reflection, the conversation returned to Ailin's story, prompted by some of the others.
The instructors at Youthful Splendor wanted to know Red Pine's attitude towards the " Knight tax exemption" proposal.
Clearly, these women weren't just gossiping; they were probably also testing the waters, and had other motives as well...
It was only at this moment that some of the instructors at Red Pine realized that their students had actually made such a suggestion.
No wonder one of the Eight Tigers of the New Army was so persistent with the young man.
Upon hearing this, Ranxue, who was in charge of discipline, was shocked and immediately stated that this was a matter for the imperial court to consider, and that Red Pine had no opinion on it!
Male martial artists are simply less gossipy; they are not ignorant of the importance and urgency of situations.
His statement served as a stark reminder to others that this was a matter of great importance!
Another piece of gossip has surfaced from Youthful Splendor's side: a couple of days ago, someone submitted this suggestion to the authorities!
The men from Red Pine fell silent. Finally, the middle-aged Knight sighed, "If it's tax-free, who would be willing to pay?"
This is the absolute truth, but precisely because it's the truth, no one else can respond.
Then Daiqisi spoke up, indicating that she wanted to know who had reported it.
However, she did not receive an answer; the person on the other end said it was inconvenient to say.
Finally, Ranxue spoke up and asked, "What is the reaction from the court?"
This is a much bigger problem, and given the relationship between the two parties, it's impossible to find an answer there.
When they talked about getting dark, the people from Red Pine invited them to stay for dinner, and the three women and one man coming from across the street readily agreed.
There is a kitchen in the Red Pine office, but the cook is part-time and not very skilled, so we have to eat out.
Instructor Hong didn't go with them, because Youthful Splendor's guests were all Knight —the head instructor wouldn't come over for something like this.
She and the boy ate a little something, and after they finished, she suddenly asked, "How about we go back to Red Pine?"
"Ask me?" Wu Youren was taken aback, then nodded. "I'm fine with anything, it's up to you, Hong Da."
A hoarse, smoky voice sighed softly, "I have a feeling that if we stay here any longer, Red Pine might get caught up in something!"
She seemed to be asking the other person a question, or perhaps talking to herself.
Wu Youren remained silent for a while before nodding, "Those guys in the New Army always find something to do, they might be using Red Pine."
He hadn't had much contact with Jeff, but he already knew quite a bit about his style.
Then he sighed, "Sigh, it's all my fault. I spoke without thinking and caused trouble for everyone."
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Chapter 159 The Price (Fourth Update)
Hong Yan remained expressionless in the face of the boy's apology. "This storm was bound to come sooner or later."
After a pause, she said, "You all only see the strength of Liang, but it's already in great danger."
Wu Youren paused for a moment, then clasped his hands together and said decisively, " Hong Da, don't tell me about this!"
"It's no secret," Instructor Hong said nonchalantly. "Who in Liang doesn't know that the Crown Prince wants to seize the throne?"
"I really don't know!" The boy could only smile bitterly. "I'm of low status; I'm just a hostage to fill a quota."
"I know, your grandfather died this year," Instructor Hong replied slowly.
Then she glanced at the boy, noticing his astonished expression, and said with a mix of amusement and exasperation, "It's easy for me to understand you."
"You don't think that I've always supported you but then ignored your background, do you?"
Wu Youren nodded, "That's indeed unlikely. Don't underestimate the Great Knight like that, but... I'm truly ignorant!"
"The Crown Prince is older, and our King is long-lived," Instructor Hong said leisurely. "The Crown Prince relies on the power of the nobles on the Queen's side!"
What followed was a long silence.
Finally, the boy remained silent, then tentatively spoke, "The power of the nobility is deeply entrenched?"
"Quite clever indeed," Instructor Hong replied casually, "Having gone through four kings and over eighty years, it's become too powerful to control!"
This current King of Liang has been on the throne for almost thirty years, but for the first twenty-odd years he has been fighting wars and still has to rely on meritorious nobles.
For example, the Marquis Tanyong was conferred by the current king.
Liang now has hostages from many countries and has achieved remarkable military success, while the power of the nobility has not diminished but rather increased.
It wasn't just about enfeoffing feudal lords; Wu Youren sensed something more to it, feeling it also hinted at a military-industrial complex.
But he could only manage a wry smile, "I thought the New Army was organized by the Crown Prince, but it turns out it came from the current Prince?"
The name "New Army" is really confusing. Was it created by some old fogey?
The husky-voiced man calmly replied, "To reform and establish the new, we are reforming the old forces; this is what we call the New Army!"
"You'd better stop," Wu Youren said, clasping his hands together and bowing repeatedly. "You dare to say it, but I dare not listen!"
"You think I'm going to talk about this kind of trivial stuff?" Instructor Hong glared. "Isn't it all your fault for dragging Red Pine to the edge of the whirlpool?"
The boy was speechless and could only reply, "You said it yourself, it's bound to get out of control eventually... This has nothing to do with me!"
"Quick-witted indeed," Instructor Hong nodded. "If I were ten years younger, I would have killed you!"
"I really don't believe it! "Wu Youren thought to himself... "Maybe she's even thinking of marrying me!"
Hong Da didn't waste his breath on useless talk. "Make a decision: stay or leave?"
"I don't object to going back to Red Pine," the boy truly wanted to return deep down.
Tianjing is bustling, but there are far too many potential dangers. The Martial Academy is a perfect place for him to develop his skills in a stealthy manner.
Going to the mountains every now and then to grind some experience points would be perfect.
However, the problem objectively exists and cannot be avoided. "But can we escape it by going back?"
"It will definitely be more dangerous," Instructor Hong frowned slightly, "But in the city, it's too easy to be found, even hiding..."
Before she could finish speaking, she looked out of the courtyard and gave a soft snort, "Here they come, aren't they?"
An SUV with the logo of the New Army drove in through the gate.
The car stopped in the yard, and four men and one woman got out. Leading them was Jeff, the New Army, and the other four were Knight.
When he discovered that only Instructor Hong and the boy were present, and everyone else had gone out, he chose to get straight to the point.
"Your motion has been submitted, and there's some debate within the court."
The boy stared blankly for a long time before finally nodding slightly, "Oh."
Why the hell are you coming to me with all this shit?
Instructor Hong watched coldly from the sidelines, remaining silent.
The four New Army accompanying the Knight looked at him indifferently, their eyes showing not a trace of expectation.
Clearly, no one thought their commander could achieve anything by coming to see this young man; they were probably even secretly grumbling about it.
"Stop pretending to be deaf and dumb," Commander Jeff spoke up on his own. "Provide a solution, or you're trying to overthrow the Great Liang."
Wu Youren pondered for a moment before sighing, "The literature class said that the Great Liang never punishes people for their words!"
"Tch," Jeff scoffed dismissively, "Stop pretending, I'm just asking you, are you going to tell me or not!"
"I'm not capable of getting involved," the boy replied frankly, his dull eyes becoming much clearer.
"If the commander wants to kill me, then do it. At least you won't be implicated in the Great Jin!"
Finally, he could openly and honestly utter the words " Great Jin " in front of the important figures of Liang.
The New Army paused for a moment, then laughed, "I wondered what it was all about, but it turns out you just want to be Jin subject of Jin!"
His smile was obvious, but a hint of malice flashed in his eyes.
Wu Youren was absolutely certain that although the other party had threatened to kill him many times before, this time, they were definitely serious about it.
The next moment, a mocking smile appeared on the New Army's face. "Do you think you're worthy of worrying about implicating the Jin?"
Get this straight, you're just a lord's grandson—and a wild one at that!
However, the young man remained unmoved, calmly replying, "If the Commander can harm me, he can certainly harm the Great Jin."
"Damn it!" Jeff exclaimed, both annoyed and amused. "Don't talk nonsense! I don't have that kind of ability!"
The New Army was created to suppress the nobility.
To provoke international disputes for no reason is tantamount to disliking the military achievements and power of nobles, and thus handing them a weapon.
Even if a mere commander like him could do it, we absolutely cannot admit it!
The boy's gaze remained calm, and he did not answer.
But you could tell from his eyes that he truly believed it—if you want to find fault, you can always find a pretext.
Jeff lost his temper, because the other party's viewpoint was largely correct.
If we can truly eradicate the power of the nobility and frame the Jin... what's the big deal?
He cut to the chase, "So, what do you want?"
"I want to go back to the Great Jin," the young man finally admitted openly, revealing his greatest wish.
"Dream on, let's change the terms," Commander Jeff replied without hesitation.
Then a fierce glint flashed in his eyes, and a thick killing intent instantly enveloped the other person. "You really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?"
"Ahem," the Instructor Hong next to him coughed lightly, "Hey, there are people here."
At least say that behind my back... Don't I have any pride?
The boy's eyes were clear. "It's fine if you don't go back, but like right now, who would like the feeling of possibly losing their life at any moment?"
"Heh," Jeff chuckled dryly, changing the subject, "Daring to make a price... looks like you have an idea?"
"My lord," one of the Knight beside him could no longer contain himself, "You haven't said anything, how can he have an idea?"
Whether governing the country or treating illnesses, there must be a proper remedy, right?
This young boy doesn't even understand the specific power struggles within the Great Liang; how can you expect him to offer any suitable advice?
He felt that his elders might have gone mad.
However, the commander gave him a cold look and said, "Shut up, what do you know?"
"Killing two birds with one stone," as the saying goes, "I'm just idling around anyway, what if I succeed?"
It doesn't matter if we don't gain anything; does the other side dare to mock the New Army?
He was having a bit of a headache. His men were all brave but reckless, yet they all thought themselves clever!
"If only this young man were my subordinate," I thought, "Let's change the terms!"
Wu Youren looked at the Instructor Hong beside him, "I refuse to communicate with the Commander, but I can chat with Hong Da for a bit."
"Huh?" Jeff was taken aback when he heard this.
Unexpectedly, Hong Yan suddenly stood up.
She frowned at the boy and said coldly, "Trying to harm me?"
"I am a student of Red Pine," Wu Youren said calmly, his gaze clear.
"Before we arrived at the Martial Academy, the Office of Protocol stated that even the military could not make unreasonable demands on us."
His conversation with Hong Da just now was very fruitful, especially regarding the nature of the New Army, which clarified many of his thoughts.
At this moment, he wasn't afraid to be more direct—the Court of Court of State Ceremonial was in charge of diplomacy, while the military was responsible for foreign operations!
He refused to believe that the New Army, which was planning something big, would provoke the Court of State Ceremonial for no reason and create another enemy!
"This..." Instructor Hong hesitated noticeably. The Martial Academy had the right to provide appropriate protection for the protons in front of the military; this was an agreement.
But something just feels off.
"I don't care," Commander Jeff laughed upon hearing this, "The little guy doesn't want to give me any leverage."
Before the other party could react, he directly asked, " Chief Instructor Hong, what conditions do you want?"
"Tsk," Instructor Hong hesitated, "I protected the trainees... that counts as contributing, so can I make some demands?"
Why does my head feel like it's buzzing?
Hong Yan wasn't stupid; she was just too lazy to scheme, so she was a little confused for a moment.
Then she realized, "I need a strange object, a light blue stone, honeycomb-shaped... at least five pieces."
"Wow," Jeff grinned, "It's convenient for going out, right? It's hard to even get one dollar, let alone five?"
It was obvious that he knew what the other party wanted, and he also knew the value of that strange object.
"Then let's not talk about it," Instructor Hong said calmly. "I have a responsibility to protect the students of the Martial Academy."
She tried every possible method to find this strange object, and this trip to Bellflower Mountain was mainly aimed at it.
It's rare to find someone willing to be taken advantage of these days, so why not open your mouth wide and ask for a bargain?
"Stop joking, that's impossible," Jeff shook his head. "I want more, let's change the terms."
"You can leave now," Instructor Hong said bluntly, "And don't come back again."
Jeff remained silent. He could act arrogantly towards the young hostage, but it was truly inconvenient when dealing with Hong Yan.
It has nothing to do with whether or not they can win the battle; it's just Wu Youren's previous logic— the New Army has so many important matters to attend to, why make enemies for no reason?
After a long silence, he finally spoke, grinning, "One piece!"
"Stop dreaming," Instructor Hong decisively refused. "It's getting late, let's go."
Jeff's face darkened. "You need heavy military supplies... don't push me!"
"So you're pregnant?" Hong Yan replied calmly. "Don't pressure me, let's call it a day."
(4 chapters, 12,000 words. Please subscribe, vote with monthly tickets, and recommend this page.)