Chapter 72 The Balancer of National Fate (Part 1) (First update at the beginning of the month)
The Knight rolled for about ten seconds, kicked his legs twice, and then lay motionless on his back.
"That's a bit strange," Wu Youren said, seeing this, he threw out a small dagger and struck the other man's eye socket.
The dagger pierced through easily, with only a small section of the hilt sticking out.
"This is—" The young man from Jin frowned, "Tsk."
Wu Youren was genuinely puzzled. He waited silently for a while, then shook his head.
Maybe, perhaps, possibly—it was a case of killing the wrong person?
He gained experience points from the deaths of those two Knight Apprentice, even though he didn't lift a finger himself.
However, just like the death of the old gardener, it wasn't directly related to him; it was enough to feel that there was a cause and effect.
But this Knight was clearly dead, and it was he who personally took action, yet he gained absolutely nothing?
He threw the dagger multiple times just now not because he had a perverted hobby of torturing corpses, but because he didn't receive any experience points and assumed the other party was faking death.
Now there's no doubt that the other party is completely dead, yet they still haven't gained anything.
So perhaps he killed—who might actually be a spy from the State of Jin!
Wu Youren already had some guesses about how the experience points were acquired; they probably came from beings who were hostile to him.
Strictly speaking, it refers to people or creatures from opposing factions; there doesn't need to be any direct personal grudge against them.
Before he transmigrated, he would always bet on the opposing team to win whenever the Chinese national football team was on the field, originally to vent his anger, but unexpectedly he gained a very considerable amount of money.
Therefore, he has some understanding of the concept of a "balancer of national destiny".
Using this explanation, he can gain experience points for things that are beneficial to the fate of the Great Jin and have a causal relationship with him.
Wu Youren dared not call himself a chosen one, but he tended to believe that national destiny existed.
Therefore, gaining experience points out of nowhere makes perfect sense!
Killing this Knight yielded no results, indicating that he might indeed have made a mistake.
But so what? The next moment, he forgot all about the faint sense of guilt.
Even if the other party is indeed a spy from the State of Jin, they may not necessarily be a suitable ally.
In truth, the members of the Hostage Prince Corps who he grew up with should be his most reliable partners.
But reality is what it is, so overthinking is useless; the right path is to strive to become stronger.
That Knight just adopted a lecturing stance too, wasn't it because the other person was stronger?
Since he committed espionage, whatever the outcome, it's normal—just like he became a proton, he should face all possibilities.
Wu Youren stopped dwelling on the problem, left the cave, found a nearby depression, and began digging.
When burying the person, he deliberately damaged all kinds of wounds—he used every imaginable means of concealment.
There were many things on the three people, with relatively obvious characteristics, which he basically buried inside.
Including but not limited to Weird-Repelling Block, melee weapons, tool kits, and wilderness survival supplies.
However, he still left behind a finely crafted short knife and some loose food.
It's worth mentioning that he didn't find any so-called poison in the other person's luggage.
So the previous claim about "releasing poison gas" was just empty talk to bluff.
In that case, the other information these three mentioned may not all be true, for example, it may have come from the military Intelligence Agency.
But none of that mattered anymore. After the soil was filled in, these three people never had any contact with him again.
To completely distance himself from the situation, he had to move. Fortunately, it was still raining, and the Weird Qi was much less intense than yesterday.
Wu Youren, carrying large and small bags, arrived at a place two kilometers away from the cave.
He chose a recessed spot and quickly dug out a curved cat-ear hole.
By the time he finished, it was already afternoon. He camouflaged the cat-ear hole and went hunting fully armed.
He wanted to try hunting some wild animals for food, and if conditions allowed, see if he could kill any lone members of the Weird Race.
Anyone who has been a hunter knows that wild animals are not found everywhere; the most time-consuming part of a hunt is finding the prey.
Wu Youren searched for almost two hours but didn't see even one of the suspected Weird Transformation prey.
He did encounter a few lone members of the Weird Race, but there were Weird Qi nearby, making it inconvenient for him to intervene.
As he was searching, he suddenly heard a faint rumbling sound, and the earth seemed to tremble slightly.
He tried to pinpoint the source of the sound and was immediately taken aback: it was coming from the mountains!
Moreover, it vaguely seems to be very close to the place he used to patrol.
Could it be—he wasn't quite sure of his guess, but oh well, it's all in the past, why dwell on it?
The booming sound lasted for nearly half a minute, attracting even the Weird Qi, causing it to tremble slightly.
Then some Weird Qi drifted towards the mountains.
Wu Youren observed these changes, feeling a little anxious: Why couldn't he find a decent prey yet?
He managed to gather some food during the night, but it would only last him about two days.
Fortunately, an hour later, he made a new discovery: a wisp of Weird Qi had been left behind as it drifted into the mountains.
In short, this should be a member of the Weird Race that failed to keep up with the main force.
Although he sensed that the other party was not at the Knight level, since it was alone, it was a suitable target for hunting.
Wu Youren does not believe he has the right to be picky.
What he should do now is to develop his strength as stealthily as possible, and he should accumulate as much experience as possible. Considering that the wailing of this Weird Race would attract the attention of other Weird Race, he waited a little longer.
He activated it silently when the surrounding Weird Qi was far away.
With a single, swift strike, three sharp blows were delivered, and the Weird Race vanished into thin air before they could even react.
Another wave of experience points gained!
Wu Youren carefully savored this feeling, while also trying to gauge whether the True Qi he had used could recoup its cost.
Wars are fought based on comprehensive national strength, and the same applies to cultivation. Avoid participating in battles that result in losses.
Fortunately, just as he expected, there was no loss, and the return on investment exceeded ten.
He hadn't done such detailed calculations before, because back then, the extermination of the Weird Race involved more than just his personal karma.
Therefore, experience points—or rather, the luck gained—will inevitably be affected by others.
This time he achieved a solo kill, with no one around him, giving him ample time to reflect and analyze.
However, just as he was silently analyzing the situation, a voice suddenly rang out, "Not bad swordsmanship!"
"Damn it— "Wu Youren was genuinely startled, " The Great Knight?"
With his current level of perception, it's impossible for him not to notice an ordinary Knight approaching.
The next moment, two figures appeared. "Military scouts, are you a student of Red Pine?"
One of them is a Knight, and the other is just Knight Apprentice.
After a moment's thought, Wu Youren realized that his lack of sensation had little to do with the other party's cultivation level.
The main reason is that these two are also exploring an area rife with Weird Qi, so they will definitely be very careful to conceal their presence.
They were originally elite military personnel, scouts responsible for gathering intelligence; how could their ability to conceal themselves be poor?
But the words "military scouts" made him a little nervous—the two men really didn't give him a good impression.
However, he couldn't show it, so he nodded slightly, "I'm from Red Pine, on patrol duty."
"What are you still guarding?" the Knight Apprentice said bluntly. "You've been conscripted."
Finally, he realized there was a problem with the procedure, so he added, "Your swordsmanship just now was very efficient at killing the ghosts."
That shouldn't be the reason I was conscripted, right? Wu Youren was speechless.
He nodded slightly. "Then I need to consult with the instructor first; otherwise, I can't bear this responsibility."
Knight Apprentice could say anything, the Knight spoke up, "Forget it, don't force yourself, saving lives is the priority!"
The next moment, the two disappeared into the drizzle.
Wu Youren was a little confused, "Save someone—who are we trying to save?"
"Save my military's elite troops!" another voice unexpectedly rang out.
This time, however, it was a true Great Knight; his presence was felt even before he appeared. "Your Battle Qi is somewhat special."
Clearly, he witnessed Wu Youren's solo kill of the Weird Race and sensed something unusual about it.
"Military elites?" Wu Youren nodded slightly, his face expressionless: What does the military have to do with my Martial Academy?
The next moment, another figure flashed by, this time a burly man.
This man was fully armed, covered in both cold and hot weapons, and even carrying a heavy machine gun and three large packs.
Unfortunately, no deep footprints were left on the ground.
He looked the Jin youth up and down, "What kind of martial art do you practice?"
Wu Youren remained silent. Gale was a typical Jin martial art. Once this Great Knight decided to kill, he wouldn't be able to escape.
Seeing that he didn't answer, the burly man assumed that he was worried that the man coveted the martial arts technique.
He smiled dismissively. "Alright, your technique is helpful to us. You're being requisitioned. I'll talk to your instructor later."
"Who wants to recruit my Red Pine students?" Another voice came, surprisingly a female voice with a slightly smoky tone.
Immediately afterwards, another figure appeared, none other than Chief Instructor Hong Yan.
This time she didn't ride a motorcycle, and she was carrying quite a bit of stuff, but compared to the burly man, she was "traveling light."
After she appeared, she glanced at Wu Youren and exclaimed in surprise, "It's you—weren't you with that guy?"
There were too many instructors at the Martial Academy; she couldn't possibly remember all of their detailed movements.
"I've met Hong Da," Wu Youren replied respectfully, "He's Instructor Ke Li."
The Instructor Hong ignored him and glanced at the burly man. "This trainee cannot be drafted."
Others might not know the boy's identity, but how could she not?
The military is conscripting hostages from the State of Jin to participate in the war; are you trying to make a laughingstock of yourself internationally?
"With Ke Li?" The burly man was also a little confused.
Given his status, he shouldn't know many of Red Pine's instructors, but Ke Li is different.
There weren't many Red Pine Knight fighting on the front lines; this man was with the military's logistics department and had been brought to the front.
Chapter 73 The Balancer of National Fortune (Part 2) (Second update to congratulate the author "jy02043559")
The burly man had heard of Ke Li, but after a moment's hesitation, he still said, "This student is quite efficient at killing members of the Weird Race."
"I know," Hong Yan said very readily. If she didn't even know this, why would she issue a warrant?
However, she didn't want to explain too much. "Take out my warrant."
This was Wu Youren's talisman, which he always kept close to his body. Upon hearing this, he quickly took it out.
The burly man glanced at it, his eyes narrowing slightly. "You personally issued this pass; this student must be very important?"
Every Martial Academy has its own focus on so-called "genius students" and " Great Knight," which is not uncommon.
Under normal circumstances, he has no interest in interfering with the Martial Academy's training program.
As Great Knight, he looked down on the combat strength of the Knight Apprentice.
However, this student was indeed an exception; his ability to kill ghosts was extremely strong, a fact even Red Pine's instructors knew.
Now, we are at war with the Weird Race. How could Weird Domain be allowed to exist around the prestigious Tianjing?
The military has received a direct order to eliminate this potential threat as soon as possible.
The soldiers of Liang also value honor, but since it is war, they must use every means at their disposal, and not let go of even the slightest bit of assistance.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have asked that question at all.
Instructor Hong Yan's scar twitched slightly. "You don't need to know about the Martial Academy's affairs."
The burly man wasn't angry. "Since you're also responsible for providing backup, you can take him with you—that shouldn't be a problem, right?"
Instructor Hong's mind raced, and he looked at the Jin boy, "Then you'll come with me?"
Wu Youren laughed, "Okay Hong Da, I'd be happy to."
Regardless of his inner thoughts, at this moment he must "accept it gladly"; there is no other option.
Although Instructor Hong knew his identity, she was the only one among those in the know who had no interest in plotting against him.
From a reliability standpoint alone, he would rather trust this person than trust Feng Qianjun and other "one of his own" who had joined Red Pine with him.
"Then you lead the way," Hong Yan said casually. "You should know the area well, right?"
In areas rife with Weird Qi, the Great Knight can move freely as long as he avoids the most dangerous Weird Qi.
However, since there are people more familiar with the strange occurrences, they are happy to save themselves the trouble.
"Lead the way—" Wu Youren hesitated for a moment before speaking, "To Suotu Town?"
"Not far into the mountains, there's a patrol post with Red Pine," Instructor Hong replied casually, "Let's go there first—"
She paused for a moment before glancing at the Jin boy again. "You wouldn't happen to be from there, would you?"
Wu Youren hesitated for a moment before answering, "I came out to scout out the way back."
17
Upon hearing this, the burly man looked at him with interest. "How many days have you been out?"
"I went out yesterday while it was raining."
"Then you must have had somewhere to go yesterday," the burly man said straightforwardly. As a soldier, he was very familiar with life in the wild.
"Take us there and wait for news from the others."
These two Great Knight were responsible for providing support from the center, while others scouted ahead.
Just like the two people Wu Youren just met, they were the true pioneers.
"Luckily, we just finished digging the cat-ear hole!" Wu Youren thought to himself, feeling fortunate. "It's just a hiding place, very cramped."
"Lead the way," the Instructor Hong's husky voice rang out, languid yet carrying an air of undeniable authority.
The young man from Jin walked cautiously ahead, while two Great Knight followed casually behind.
After following for three or four minutes, the two exchanged a glance, and the burly man nodded slightly, softly uttering two words, "Not bad."
Not just anyone can earn the praise of Great Knight, let alone Wu Youren is merely Knight Apprentice.
His steps were light and his figure elusive, allowing him to avoid the Weird Qi very early on. Even if he had to take a detour, it greatly improved his safety.
He strolled leisurely through the Weird Qi area as if it were his own backyard.
The burly man wasn't afraid to take the risk of getting a little closer to the Weird Qi, but following the boy meant taking the safest route, requiring no worry whatsoever.
Instructor Hong's face remained expressionless. She had long known that the Jin youth possessed a strong ability to predict Weird Qi; "otherwise, he wouldn't be alive."
More than ten minutes later, the two saw the simple cat-ear hole.
"That's it?" Instructor Hong was somewhat disappointed. "Why didn't you dig a little bigger?"
"Temporary accommodation in the wild is already pretty good," the burly man actually contradicted her; the military really is a bunch of rough old men.
"I'll dig some more," Wu Youren said, without waiting for Instructor Hong to speak. He brought out the odds and ends from the cave and started digging with his small shovel.
The two Great Knight looked around leisurely and chatted casually.
"This rain will continue for a few more days, and the supplies at those points in Suotu probably won't last much longer."
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"That's a problem with the military. We indicated from the beginning that things weren't going well, but you didn't take it seriously."
"This is the area surrounding Tianjing. Do you think mobilizing troops is easy? Breaking the rules could result in execution. It's because your Red Pine didn't take this seriously enough!"
" The Martial Academy has no such obligation. If it were to do so, it would easily be accused of overstepping its bounds—we are only fit to provide cannon fodder."
As Wu Youren dug the hole, he carefully listened to the gossip—this kind of information was something he wouldn't have access to even in Jin Garden, let alone in Red Pine!
But what's it like to hear gossip about yourself?
"This student is interesting. Judging from his aura, he's already capable of challenging for the Knight."
"He has his own plans," Hong Yan replied calmly. "What, you've taken a liking to him?"
"You've got your eye on me?" Wu Youren's small shovel paused slightly, almost imperceptibly, as if sensing a localized warning.
"Not even eighteen yet," the burly man's eyes were sharp, "If you're really willing to do this, then let him join the army, and you'll be a Great Knight within ten years."
"The kind that's sent back in a small box?" Hong Yan casually lit a cigarette, which suited his smoky voice perfectly.
She exhaled contentedly, " Red Pine doesn't need a box."
"I can take care of him a little," the burly man said, unmoved by the sarcastic remark, "But he'll definitely have to go through some tough times."
"Martial artists who come from the Martial Academy don't have a very good reputation in the military; they're considered too pampered."
"A genius who dies young isn't a genius at all," Hong Yan said casually. "You'd better not get your hands on him."
In fact, she already had a slight sense of unease: Had this... hooked a big fish hiding in the army?
She had no interest in the power struggles behind the scenes, and was even less willing to get involved.
However, as a person from Great Liang was in the know, she still had a basic stance and could not stand idly by and watch the national interests be harmed.
"Then forget it," the burly man said nonchalantly. "There are plenty of geniuses in Great Liang; one or two more won't make a difference!"
For him, now is the time to use people; once this crisis is over, he won't bother with so much other stuff.
He was merely a Great Knight; above him were the Divine Might Knight.
Besides, the military has more than one Divine Might Knight. Why would he be overthinking all that?
"Alright, that's enough," Hong Yan surprisingly called a halt. "We'll stay for one night at most. If we don't hear from you by tomorrow, we'll head into the mountains."
Before the burly man could speak, his wristwatch vibrated; a message had arrived.
After reading the message, his face darkened. "What a bunch of useless cowards—they're such cowards!"
Then he looked at Wu Youren, "Do you remember the way we came out?"
"I'm afraid that route isn't very convenient," the young man from Jin shook his head slightly.
" The Weird Qi is unpredictable. I can lead the way, but I can't guarantee the consequences."
"That composure is rare," the burly man exclaimed first, then said, "Then you lead the way, Hong Da, you'll provide backup."
"Don't count me in," Instructor Hong shook his head. "I think you're just wasting your breath. Are you sure they'll retreat from the main road?"
Not to mention her, even Wu Youren was certain that it would be difficult to return via the main road.
At the beginning, when the martial artists suffered a great defeat, it was acceptable that many people still rode cars and motorcycles.
But now they want to get out? He came out yesterday, so he's the most qualified to speak on this.
Those who can escape now will find crossing mountains and valleys a piece of cake.
So focused on escaping from the main road? In a short drama, they wouldn't even last two episodes.
"I felt—we had to do something," the burly man said, looking somewhat embarrassed.
Then he changed the subject, "I just want to ask, young friend, are you aware that the mountainside collapsed due to blasting at your patrol point?"
Blow up the mountain? Wu Youren was taken aback. This idea came from him, he had made some arrangements, and he had even told Cynthia about it.
It's finally come true now, which isn't surprising; he had already guessed it.
Since it had already happened, he felt there was no need to hide it, so he showed off his wristwatch.
"I've kept it closed to avoid being discovered by the Weird Race —yesterday's events were extremely serious."
"Indeed," Hong Yan said without hesitation, "If we hadn't fought that battle last night, the situation on the outside would have been bad, and things would have been even worse inside."
"You turned off your wristwatch," the burly man said, pointing at the young man from Jin, his face full of helplessness.
But he couldn't say anything yet. Anyone who has been in war knows that communication silence is often a necessary measure.
However, Wu Youren turned off his watch and missed a lot of news.
Yesterday's messages are a given, and today there are so many walkie-talkie messages being sent out indiscriminately to everyone!
Some of these messages were posted by Cynthia.
Today, she spoke with Instructor Red Pine as usual, saying that she was still on duty, but not long after, she sent a message on the radio saying that she needed to evacuate.
The evacuation was very rushed; they only said they wanted to blow up the rocks blocking the road and asked the instructors for permission.
The instructors at Red Pine received the information, but were unable to make a decision and could only ignore it.
To be precise, the instructors' actions were erratic, and they hadn't responded promptly before—sometimes they genuinely didn't receive the messages, and sometimes they pretended not to.
Cynthia received no reply, but felt she had done her best to communicate, so she blew up the outpost and withdrew.
The military also received the message, but they learned about it through their walkie-talkie system, which transmits information further.
Cynthia's whereabouts are currently unknown, but it is certain that some military personnel are attempting to break out of the area.
(Second update, congratulations to Master Qiancheng!)