Chapter 84 Hot and Cold (First update to congratulate the adorable protagonist "Maple Lodge")
"How could the Great Liang be afraid of the Jin people?" Cynthia categorically denied this claim.
After a pause, she tried to speak again, "Are you afraid that you Jin people will hold a grudge?"
"Then Great Liang should seize the opportunity and take down Jin," Wu Youren said calmly.
"That way I won't have to be a hostage anymore. Maybe my whole area will be under your family's control."
"Then you can do whatever you want to me, and you won't have to put up with my temper anymore."
"Your family—is ruled by my family?" A look of longing flashed across Cynthia's eyes, a very obvious one.
But in the end, she sighed dejectedly, "Unfortunately, even Great Liang couldn't continue fighting back then."
The official propaganda of the Liang is that they did not want further bloodshed and withdrew their troops once they had achieved their punitive objective.
Those demands for ceding territory and paying reparations were merely meant to teach the Jin a lesson.
However, that was just a lie to deceive ordinary people. Anyone with a bit of knowledge in Liang knew that the battle was truly unwinnable.
War never depletes the strength of only one nation. Jin was defeated, but Liang also suffered greatly.
In this situation, if the Liang still wants to forcibly occupy the entire Jin, it could very well lead to its own complete collapse.
The population of Liang is no more than 30 million, and it boasts 300,000 Knight.
Since it's claimed to be that much, it's definitely not that much, but around 100,000 should be about right.
Including the Knight Apprentice, the total should be around one or two million.
How many people does the Great Jin have? Seventy to eighty million! Even if the social atmosphere is extravagant and the people are impoverished, there are at least two million skilled Knight Apprentice.
But ordinary people aren't completely without fighting ability, are they?
It is said that the people of Great Liang are fierce and tough, but before this, fierce and tough people were also a label of Great Jin!
Therefore, even though Liang is the victorious state, deep down it still harbors a deep-seated fear of Jin.
Hearing her say that, Wu Youren nodded, "But Liang is just unable to continue the war, there's no need for them to hate Jin, is there?"
He had no intention of revealing the truth, nor did he hope to persuade the other party; he simply wanted to know how the martial artists of Liang viewed this issue.
Only by understanding the other party's thoughts can we consider how to break the deadlock in a targeted manner.
"Well—how should I put it?" Cynthia hesitated for a moment; she hadn't seriously considered this question before.
But it's impossible for her to admit that the Great Liang was afraid of the Jin.
She quickly came up with a plausible reason. "In that battle, the Great Liang suffered heavy casualties, and the enmity between them ran deep."
The casualties in Jin were even heavier. Wu Youren was speechless; his father had died in that battle.
He sighed and shook his head. " The Liang government has said that Liang and Jin will remain friendly for generations to come—I don't believe the Martial Academy will ignore this."
This time, it was Cynthia's turn to be speechless. "Do you even believe that yourself?"
She decided to change the subject, "I heard you came to the Martial Academy to avoid Princess Yongning selection?"
Wu Youren looked at her in surprise, "Do you think this is something I can decide?"
"That's strange," Cynthia blinked twice, "Is this deliberate slander against you? What exactly happened?"
Wu Youren didn't want to talk about the messy things at Jin Garden, but it wasn't right to let others slander him.
In particular, this rumor directly accuses him of disrespecting the Liang family. If someone seizes this opportunity to make a big fuss, it could really turn into a major scandal.
Therefore, he could only roughly state that he was originally qualified to come to the Martial Academy, but he had to compete with other Jin people.
As a result, when the news of Princess Yongning's selection of a husband arrived, he was immediately secured a spot in the Martial Academy!
Cynthia nodded thoughtfully. "I understand. That's why some people are worried that you've stolen someone else's opportunity!"
Wu Youren shrugged, "Anyway, I can't make that decision."
"I think—" Cynthia glanced at him and nodded seriously, "You originally had a very good chance."
After saying that, she turned around and skipped away, saying, "I'm going home now."
She looked very happy.
How could this happen? Wu Youren was a little confused, but he quickly came to his senses.
For a girl, being able to steal the princess's husband is obviously something to be happy about.
He shook his head, putting those emotions behind him. He was about to finish digesting his experience points, and he still wanted to advance to the next level tonight.
The challenge isn't about reaching the Knight realm, but rather the Daoist hierarchy. After Qi Gathering, Qi Absorption, and Qi Nourishing, it's time to Qi Refining!
He had already tested it many times and figured out the method, so he planned to complete the advancement in the next few days.
Now, it's even more necessary to act quickly.
Before a storm arrives, there is usually a rare period of calm. Missing this period can lead to being delayed in many ways.
The next day, he didn't emerge from his room until nearly noon, a smile on his face.
Fortunately, no one bothered him during this process.
At this time, he could normally go to the cafeteria for lunch, but he decided to avoid it for the time being to prevent trouble.
There are various restaurants in the Martial Academy, but they all charge a fee. For him now, a little free food won't make a difference.
He prepared some dishes to bring back for dinner, and also bought some grains and ingredients, planning to cook for himself soon.
After finishing his meal, he started cooking in a broken iron pot, not to save money, but mainly because he wanted to do it himself.
The administrator heard the commotion and came over to take a look.
After chatting for a bit, he couldn't help but ask, "Why do you seem a little different today?"
"I've been resting well these past few days," Wu Youren replied casually. "I'll cook you some dishes after I've finished cooking."
"You can cook?" The administrator was somewhat surprised, then shook his head and muttered, "Not doing your job properly."
In Liang, there aren't many men who can cook. No wonder Jin couldn't defeat Great Liang; they were focusing all their efforts on these kinds of things.
"Not doing your proper job—that's good," Wu Youren smiled and remained silent.
In the afternoon, he went to the flea market again, where he bought candy, two pots, and some other kitchen utensils.
He originally wanted to buy more, but when he suddenly saw three or four people walking towards him from a distance, he decisively turned around and ran away.
Leading this group was Shali, Jing Mozi's daughter.
Since Oliwen's death, Shali has given up on the idea of dealing with the Jin youth.
Wu Youren didn't originally need to avoid this, but the recent political climate is unfavorable, so why should he get involved?
Shali didn't notice him, but the Knight beside her, with sharp eyes, raised an eyebrow slightly. "Huh?"
"What's wrong?" The viscount's daughter asked, giving him a questioning look.
" Wu Youren," the Knight raised his chin slightly, he even remembered the man's name, "That hostage from Jin."
He had known this information for more than just a day or two.
As for how he obtained the information? That was due to the power of the Life and Death Knot. Since he had decided to take revenge, he would definitely find the most suitable option.
"Is it that one?" A handsome face flashed into Shali's mind.
She had already given up, but after hearing the news, a glimmer of hope arose again. "What is his family's noble title?"
"I'm not entirely sure," the Knight shook his head. "I've had people verify it, and all I can confirm is that he is indeed a hostage sent by the Jin."
The ability of the Life and Death Knot to control information is truly extraordinary; if it claims to have limited leaks, then those leaks are definitely limited.
"It's unlikely to be a duke," Shali said thoughtfully, "But a marquis—even one from Jin —is quite impressive."
Although the Jing Mozi family has two Great Knight, their titles are too low, so she can only come into contact with the Earl's circle at most.
Seeing her like this, the Knight felt a little jealous. "Her identity is rather sensitive; I suggest you avoid contact with her too much."
Shali was a little resentful. This fallen nobleman was so handsome—and most importantly, he had rejected her!
What we can't have is always the best.
The Knight, knowing her personality, whispered a hint, "You can spread the word!"
"Can't we go and bully them ourselves?" Shali was genuinely itching to try. "Some of my elders died in the War between Liang and Jin."
"He wasn't locked up in Jin Garden," the Knight said helplessly. "Could there not be some explanation for him coming to the Martial Academy?"
Wu Youren was unaware that he was being targeted, and even if he did, there was nothing he could do about it.
However, this encounter still made him vigilant. He went back to his room, put down the supplies, and sent a message to Great Knight Hong Yan.
He didn't say anything else, just that he had raised one thousand silver dollars, and the remaining two thousand would be used to realize the spoils of war.
He planned to pay a portion of the protection fee first and asked who would be the most suitable person to pay it to.
Instructor Hong replied quickly, saying, "Red Pine, just come and hand it over to me."
The head instructor of the Martial Academy is not someone you can easily meet, but the two of them have fought side by side, and he was there to pay money, and the amount was not small!
Instructor Hong met him at his training ground, dressed in a tight-fitting outfit, with several other people around him.
However, upon seeing Wu Youren enter, the others tactfully took their leave.
Instructor Hong accepted the silver dollar, looked him up and down, and was somewhat surprised. "This is... a breakthrough?"
"No," Wu Youren shook his head, "I've been resting quite well lately."
"I can rest for about a month this time," Hong Da said to himself. "You shouldn't go out anytime soon either."
She had been on the front lines for a while, and it was time for her to rest. However, she hoped that she could bring Wu Youren with her next time.
This is normal. Although the Jin youth has a low cultivation level, he has a strong sense of the Weird Race, and his actual combat strength is not bad.
No one would complain about having such a convenient help.
Wu Youren hesitated for a moment before replying, "I plan to stay in Red Pine for a while longer. I've already completed this year's mandatory tasks."
"Hmm?" Hong Yan glanced at him, her eyes a little cold. "What do you want to say?"
Wu Youren answered meekly, "My identity as a hostage has been revealed."
"Oh," Instructor Hong nodded, speaking calmly, "So what?"
"If I go to the battlefield, I'm afraid I'll be ambushed," Wu Youren replied slowly, carefully choosing his words.
"I don't care about dying on the battlefield of the Weird Race, but if it's my own kind who does it, then I'll be heartbroken—"
(First update, congratulations to the adorable "Master of Maple Lodge").
Chapter 85 Insect Control (Second Update)
"That's impossible," Instructor Hong stated without hesitation. "Just follow me and focus on killing the monsters."
"I won't stand for anyone who dares to cause you trouble!"
However, after a pause, she added, "But I won't get involved in your affairs, so don't try to take advantage of me!"
The Liang have many flaws, but they have one advantage: they are not prone to beating around the bush. As a Great Knight, she speaks very frankly.
However, Hong Yan's attitude can also be interpreted as: a gentleman can be deceived by his principles.
Wu Youren then asked, "But the Office of Protocol has repeatedly emphasized that Liang and Jin should be friendly for generations to come."
"Tch, you'll say the same thing when you get to the Office of Protocol," Instructor Hong scoffed, replying dismissively.
"Do you think this rumor could have been released without the Office of Protocol's permission?"
"Huh?" Wu Youren's mouth dropped open in astonishment. " Hong Da, you already knew?"
"I just heard it from you," the voice was very hoarse, but the tone was certain. "But this kind of thing shouldn't have spread like wildfire."
"It must have been those guys from the 'Life and Death Knot' gang who did it—was it because of protection money?"
The Chief Instructor Hong are truly astute; they have a deep understanding of how their own system operates.
"Maybe," Wu Youren said, spreading his hands. "Over the years, I've never owed any protection money. They still want to steal the money they earned by risking their lives."
Faced with such a shrewd person, he dared not reveal even the slightest intention to provoke them—telling the truth was enough.
As for what the other party will think, he can't control that, can he?
However, being able to figure out their attitude is enough; at least it gives us a clue as to how to deal with them in the future.
"I can't help you with this," Hong Yan's attitude was as clear as it could be.
"I've taken your protection money, and I can guarantee your safety in Red Pine, but if I interfere too much, it'll be difficult for me to explain it to others."
Even someone as powerful as Hong Yan wouldn't risk Office of Protocol over a hostage.
"It's only right," Wu Youren, not feeling disappointed. Since the other party was ultimately able to guarantee his safety, the protection fee wasn't paid in vain.
It's much better than the Life and Death Knot or the Jin Garden Guardian.
He had originally intended to take the opportunity to ask if he could fight back when he was being bullied.
But given the other party's attitude—oh well, he didn't want to put Instructor Hong in a difficult position.
As he walked toward his hut, he saw several martial artists watching from a distance, not far from the vegetable garden.
These martial artists are young; they're clearly trainees.
As they saw him approaching from a distance, the group sized him up, their eyes filled with curiosity and an undisguised sense of provocation.
Wu Youren ignored them, went inside to get his tools, and continued tending to the vegetable garden.
"Hey, kid," a particularly burly young man called out from outside the fence, "Are you a hostage from the State of Jin?"
For the Liang, the term "hostage" was not unfamiliar.
At major celebrations, many people have seen these hostages from foreign countries.
However, most people were standing quite far away, so their faces weren't very clear.
Moreover, the hostages would wear uniforms, which was an insult to the enemy country, but at the same time, the people would find it even harder to tell them apart.
Wu Youren pretended not to hear and buried himself in loosening the soil and weeding.
This was child's play for him.
He had previously participated in Liang's celebrations, wearing a uniform and sitting in an open-top vehicle, where he received stones, bricks, and the like.
In particular, the hostages cannot hide, otherwise they will be disrupting the celebration and could be killed on the spot.
Having experienced such torment at such a young age, and more than once, what is this little spectacle compared to that?
"Heh!" The burly boy got angry, raised his hand, drew his knife, chopped open the fence, and stormed into the vegetable garden.
With a flick of his wrist, Wu Youren unleashed a small dagger, not only stealthy but also incredibly fast.
The throwing knife struck the ground about half a meter in front of the burly boy, splashing a little dirt, with only the hilt sticking out.
"You!" The burly youth abruptly stopped, glaring angrily at him, and shouted, "You dare to use a weapon?"
Red Pine is relatively lenient towards fights between its students.
They were all martial artists, and their tempers were rather fiery. As long as they weren't caught by the instructors, they didn't really care.
However, using weapons is not only against discipline, but also a taboo of the Martial Academy.
Leaving aside grand principles, let's just say that if even this isn't addressed, what will become of the Martial Academy's order?
The burly young man could chop at the fence with a knife, but if he really wanted to chop at Wu Youren, he would have to consider the consequences before making a move.
Of course, these things don't matter to martial artists. Who says fists and feet can't kill someone?
But the other party threw the knife directly, without warning, and with unusual stealth and speed, which made him both annoyed and angry.
Wu Youren still didn't reply, but walked towards the burly boy with no expression on his face.
He carried a homemade hoe in his hand, made of sheet metal, with a gleaming, cold edge.
But that's not the point. The point is that he had a row of small daggers tucked into his waistband.
Despite their superior numbers, the burly youth couldn't help but take two steps back upon seeing this.
When he realized he was retreating, he became even angrier, shouting, "You little brat, you dare draw your weapon—you're dead!"
With a flick of his hoe, Wu Youren lifted a small dagger from the soil.
He reached out and caught the dagger, then with a flick of his wrist wiped away a two-inch-long worm from it before casually tucking the dagger back into his waistband.
Then he turned and walked back without saying a word or even glancing at the other person.
However, his actions had already conveyed to the other party: I'm not attacking you, I'm killing insects!
Isn't it normal to have some bugs in the vegetable garden?
The teenagers were speechless at the sight. Everyone knew that since the opponent's throwing knife could eliminate insects, it could also accidentally injure a martial artist.
"A threat?" the burly youth finally spoke, laughing angrily. "I don't believe in that nonsense!"
"Are you fucking courting death?" Wu Youren was speechless. "So reckless?"
You must understand that once some words are spoken, you're essentially setting yourself on a path of no return!
But that's normal; if you're not hot-blooded, can you even be considered young?
However, he could not tolerate the label the other party had placed on him, and finally slowly opened his mouth to speak.
He stated expressionlessly, "This is a technique I used when fighting the Weird Race. I feel it's not very precise and needs more practice."
Upon hearing this, the students were speechless. Before they came looking for trouble, they had heard some things about this hostage from the State of Jin.
The other party did indeed fight the Weird Race, and the battle lasted for quite some time. The assessment—seems acceptable.
However, young people often act on impulse and don't necessarily understand much.
The main concern is that among the various enemy states of Great Liang, Jin is the number one threat—no, not currently a threat, but the number one hidden danger.
So when they came to cause trouble, they didn't even consider the fact that the other side was fighting the Weird Race.
A valiant warrior isn't necessarily simple-minded, but if you add youth to that—you know what I mean.
But now that the other party has made their move and said those words, it takes on a different meaning.
However, the burly youth hesitated for a moment, then sneered, "Who gave you permission to farm at the Martial Academy? You, Jin native, don't even deserve it!"
His words were clearly discriminatory and insulting, but his companions also sneered at him.
Young people are very good at creating trouble out of nothing; whether the reason is sufficient or not doesn't matter, as long as there's a pretext.
I refuse to believe that a Jin lord could be so arrogant in Great Liang!
"Instructor Ke Li ----" Wu Youren slowly uttered four words, silently adding in his mind: He didn't object to me farming either.
What he could explicitly say was another later statement, "Still on the front lines in Suotu Town!"
Among these people, some actually knew Ke Li. Although there are many instructors at the Martial Academy, not many of them are currently working on the front lines.
In particular, Instructor Ke Li, who was trapped in a highly dangerous area and persisted for a long time, is currently a key figure in Red Pine's propaganda efforts.
The trainees exchanged glances and couldn't help but whisper among themselves.
The hostage from Jin was indeed hateful, but Instructor Ke Li was the pride of Red Pine, earning the Martial Academy a lot of reputation and benefits.
Finally, a slightly thinner boy looked at Wu Youren with a skeptical gaze and said, "You'd better not be lying!"
The eyes of many trainees were still full of resentment, as well as provocation and contempt.
But there was no way around it; Instructor Ke Li's reputation in Red Pine was simply too great.
The burly young man added, "Listen carefully, you'd better level the vegetable patch, or this isn't over!"
This time, Wu Youren didn't even reply; talking to the other party was completely superfluous.
His body is that of a teenager; how could he not have a surge of hormones?
Words spoken in haste often turn into unpleasant ones; it's better to say nothing at all.
He was trying to recall how his predecessor felt when he participated in the celebration: compared to the blood-soaked riding cape thrown on him, what was this little grievance?
"Are you all stuffed?" a voice rang out, and it was the administrator who appeared.
Although his combat strength was not good, he was the manager appointed by Red Pine and was not afraid of the trainees at all.
He spoke with a dark expression, "If you want trouble, go somewhere else— with the Weird Race in the picture, what are you doing causing trouble within the Martial Academy?"
Upon hearing this, the students looked at each other, then finally turned and left.
It was clear they left unwillingly, but they had no choice; they couldn't openly defy the management of Red Pine.
However, the administrator's gaze towards Wu Youren was not very friendly.
He frowned and said impatiently, "Don't get into a conflict with them. These are extraordinary times; don't cause me any trouble!"
After a pause, he added, "Your vegetable patch is really a nuisance."
He didn't ask the other party to level the vegetable patch, but he had clearly expressed his preference.
If it weren't for the two jars of strong liquor I get every month—
"Thank you," Wu Youren replied with a smile, "I'm a bit short on money, but the wine will definitely be as good as yours."
"Tsk," the administrator shook his head and sighed, "This is all I can do to help you."
Wu Youren smiled and nodded, "Why don't you get some more dishes to take home and eat?"
"I... never mind, I'm already here," the administrator pointed, "Get me some of this, and that..."