Chapter 88 Trap (First Update)
Damn it— Wu Youren was utterly speechless. So, all that sleepless night and no ambush because the other side was sleeping too soundly?
This suggests that the other party's hatred isn't particularly high.
But why did this news make him feel even more unbalanced?
He stated calmly, "My mind is made up. These struggles with the human race do not inspire me at all!"
Cynthia's lips moved, but she knew she couldn't persuade the other person.
So she said, "I heard your organization is giving them a lot of headaches. Do you need our help to procure any supplies?"
"That's a great suggestion!" Wu Youren's eyes lit up. "Do you have a car? I need to buy quite a few supplies."
"Lady Luo Xi has it," Cynthia said without hesitation. "I've already asked for you."
9
Wu Youren was somewhat taken aback upon hearing this. A female warrior from Liang had actually done so much for him?
He hesitated for a moment before speaking, "Lord Luo Xi, I remember he has a three-wheeled vehicle, and he might not be willing to lend it to me."
"He just assembled an off-road vehicle," Cynthia said, noting her attention to detail, "There are many parts on the battlefield."
The current war with the Weird Race has not only resulted in heavy casualties for the human race, but has also depleted their war resources significantly.
The key point is that she's very certain of one thing. "He told me before that he was willing to help you to some extent."
She didn't mention the reason, but it was clear that Luo Xi had been trying to Chief Instructor Hong.
Wu Youren didn't mention Hong Da, but instead raised an eyebrow, "Isn't he afraid of incurring the displeasure of the Liang?"
"In their eyes, this is just a minor dispute between students," Cynthia replied without hesitation. "Who hasn't been young?"
"I'll definitely be happy to help with any small favors I can manage."
Wu Youren believed this statement; adults' standards for judging right and wrong are quite different from those of teenagers.
"Contacting him directly would be a bit presumptuous; I'll have to trouble you to do it."
His first time leaving Red Pine was to kill the monster with Luo Xi; the two had some acquaintance.
However, this promise wasn't made to him; let's keep things separate.
Thinking back to their last meeting, which was polite yet subtly distant, he had no interest in making a move on them.
Cynthia dialed Luo Xi's watch, and shortly after, a dilapidated SUV pulled up.
Luo Xi was relatively more enthusiastic this time; those who didn't understand might have thought he had a very good relationship with Wu Youren.
After discussing it, the four decided to leave Cynthia and Liu Jingming at home while the other two went shopping.
The SUV drove through the Martial Academy, and the two people inside had almost nothing to say to each other.
After driving for a while, Luo Xi, trying to make conversation, asked, "You know about machinery, what do you think of the car I assembled?"
Wu Youren hesitated for a moment before answering, "The power is quite strong, and the parts fit together well."
Although he is very skilled with his hands, he doesn't really know much about cars—I mean, cars in this world.
He had only learned to ride a motorcycle thanks to Cynthia's patient instruction.
Although this off-road vehicle looks worn and bumpy, its structure still feels quite compact.
However, Wu Youren only said a few words and had no interest in saying more.
Some things, once they happen, are hard to go back to.
Luo Xi didn't care about any of that. " Hong Da thinks highly of you and tells me not to pay attention to those rumors."
"Impossible," Wu Youren said calmly. "She already said she wouldn't get involved in this kind of thing."
"She knew from the beginning that you were a hostage from Jin," Luo Xi stated bluntly, "But she never cared, right?"
Wu Youren nodded. "The problem I'm facing now is minor; she won't interfere."
When he said this, he felt a mix of amusement and exasperation, a sense of helplessness and powerlessness.
"That's the price of growing up," Luo Xi replied casually. "She really thinks highly of you, saying you're not far from awakening."
"She's mistaken," Wu Youren categorically denied. "When I came to Liang, I was not even eight years old, and my grandfather was only a nobleman."
Hong Yan was certainly aware of all this background information; he had no need to hide it. "Why should I possess the knowledge of awakening?"
However, Luo Xi disagreed, saying, "Your Hostage Prince Corps has Great Knight."
Wu Youren remained silent for a long time before finally replying, "From what you're saying, I can tell you've never been a hostage."
"That's no nonsense!" Luo Xi retorted casually. "My Great Liang didn't lose, and I don't have a lord grandfather."
"So if you don't understand hostages, then don't talk about it. I'd rather be a simple farmer in the state of Jin."
Luo Xi finally fell silent, then after a while, she actually laughed again, "So you're really about to awaken, daring to talk to me like that."
"Last time we went to kill the monster, you were very respectful."
"Those are the several close calls with death I've had recently," Wu Youren muttered softly, as if explaining, or perhaps just talking to himself.
In any case, with Luo Xi, a genuine Knight, by his side, it was very convenient for him to buy all kinds of supplies.
On several occasions, he even felt that someone was looking at him in a strange way, but that was all—just strange.
While they were shopping, Cynthia and Liu Jingming were also chatting casually.
"So, you, the Jin state, have five hostages in Red Pine?"
"Don't ask who they are," Liu Jingming said awkwardly. "Telling you this has already crossed a line."
"You've gotten involved; aren't you afraid of Life and Death Knot?"
"You know about the Life and Death Knot?" Liu Jingming was quite surprised. "I thought he was a tight-lipped person."
"Uh, it has nothing to do with him," Cynthia wasn't about to distort the facts, "We both encountered this Life and Death Knot at the same time—"
She didn't want to talk about it anymore. "Why do you insist on contacting him?"
"Our relationship has always been very good," Liu Jingming replied seriously, "I'm just concerned about his well-being."
Cynthia rolled her eyes. "Don't you have a watch?"
Liu Jingming retorted, "You also have his watch, right? Why did you come to see him in person?"
Cynthia was too embarrassed to say that she wanted to meet him in person. "Well, he's sometimes unavailable, and the watch isn't always a safe place to keep things discreet."
"We'll have to add his watch later!" Liu Jingming nodded, stating seriously, "Yeah, the secrecy is poor!"
By evening, Luo Xi drove back, carrying Wu Youren and a lot of supplies.
Cynthia then went to buy food and brought it back, and the four of them had a hearty meal.
During this process, someone passing by in the distance noticed that there were people having a meal together and took a second look.
Recently, there have been frequent fights and alarm bells here, and some trainees have noticed this abnormality.
The news didn't spread very widely, but there were definitely more than thirty or fifty people in the know.
Fortunately, Luo Xi's demeanor clearly indicated he was Knight- errant, and with his own off-road vehicle, no one dared to approach him.
Even Wu Youren was not harassed that night.
The following afternoon, Liu Jingming's wristwatch sent a message: "Holy crap, someone contacted me, asking if I am—"
Wristwatches aren't really secure; it's best not to send out sensitive information.
He was indeed a bit frustrated, though; even though he had used Cynthia as a shield, he was still suspected of being a hostage.
Wu Youren was hoeing the ground and only replied after a long while, "I believe you can handle it."
"Of course, I've already explained," Liu Jingming replied. "Our ancestors got along well; they were practically family friends."
This is to establish a unified narrative! Wu Youren understands this, "It's best to contact me less often these days."
"No, I've already warned them," Liu Jingming surprisingly stated, "If anyone targets you again, the Jin students will file a complaint with the Martial Academy."
As expected, everyone has their own approach— Wu Youren suddenly realized that the Hostage Prince Corps was not lacking in talent!
However, he couldn't learn Liu Jingming's techniques.
The two started from completely different points, and the pressures they faced and the things they experienced—while seemingly similar, were actually quite different.
Given the other party's conditions, there's at least some margin for error; he can't tolerate even the slightest mistake.
As for Liu Jingming's suggestion to report to Red Pine, he didn't take it to heart.
This tactic is definitely feasible, as maintaining friendly relations between Liang and Jin aligns with the current environment. But will it actually be effective?
The only possible effect would be that those people would stop bothering Liu Jingming, but their help to him would be almost nonexistent.
Sure enough, the alarm rang again that night, and after the lights were turned on, a crossbow bolt from afar shattered the light bulb once more.
Affected by the alarm, the invading shadowy figure retreated again, and as usual, uttered a threatening remark. "If you dare, don't sleep!"
If things continue like this, it will be too agonizing.
Wu Youren simply went outside and changed the light bulb overnight, even turning on the light to illuminate the surroundings.
More than an hour later, the light bulb was broken again—they were young after all, and couldn't wait all night.
This time, the alarm didn't sound, and Wu Youren didn't react.
In the middle of the night, the alarm was triggered again.
But without the light, several dark figures rushed to the fence, hacked it down with a few strokes, and began wielding their knives wildly in the vegetable garden.
In the blink of an eye, the small vegetable garden was swept away and left in ruins.
There were still two dark figures present, who did not participate in destroying the vegetable garden, but instead watched the hut warily.
"They're gone—" a figure whispered, "They'll destroy houses again next time."
"Ah----" Almost at the same time, someone exclaimed, followed by a muffled thud.
The next moment, a piercing wail tore through the night sky, "Ah, my leg!"
The penetrating power of that sound was truly incredible.
Almost instantly, several powerful auras emerged from the surrounding area and swept over.
"Damn it, it's a trap!" someone muttered a curse.
"Get them out of here, let's go!" The smarter ones realized, "We'll get revenge later."
These Liang students were also aware that their behavior could be tacitly approved by many, but it was something that couldn't be done in the open.
Once it's made public, even if the Liang government doesn't pursue the matter, Red Pine still has a sense of shame.
For a prestigious mid-level Martial Academy to have something like this happen is rather embarrassing.
"Ugh~" The next moment, another muffled groan came, the kind that comes from enduring pain.
However, someone stepped into the second trap while rescuing their companion.
"Who goes there?" At this moment, the hostage Jin from Jin was finally awakened!
"Hurry up!" someone urged, "If we don't run now, it'll be too late."
Several dark figures flashed by and finally disappeared into the night.
The door opened, and a figure slipped out, letting out a soft snort against the night sky, "Is that all the guts you have?"
The other side ran fast and even took the wounded with them.
When Wu Youren changed the light bulb and turned on the light, several figures arrived; they were the patrol team from the Martial Academy.
"What happened?" a Knight asked, his face dark.
As he asked the question, he glanced around and exclaimed, "Tsk—the perfectly good vegetable garden has been turned into a complete mess."
Even the fence surrounding the vegetable garden was almost completely destroyed; it was a truly horrific sight.
Chapter 89 Malicious (Second Update)
The Knight was aware of this small vegetable patch, but he had never inquired about it.
The presence of such a small vegetable patch amidst the vast Red Pine is like a tiny potted plant appearing in a villa.
It's at least better looking than a barren wasteland, and much more organized than weeds.
Since the administrator here hasn't intervened, he could easily ignore it.
The person who destroyed all this would be a bit of a spoilsport, but wait—there's a trap?
He went to the pit and glanced at it, a twitch appearing on his lips—damn, there were still sharp arrows stuck in the pit?
He turned his head to look at the boy not far away, his brows furrowing slightly. "So vicious?"
The boy shrugged and replied expressionlessly, "My vegetable garden—it's been ruined like this."
"This vegetable patch—" The Knight shook his head, deciding not to discuss these controversial issues, "Do you think there are wild animals in the Red Pine?"
In the common understanding, traps are set around vegetable gardens to prevent animals from stealing the food.
However, although the Red Pine Martial Academy occupies a considerable area and the plants are quite lush, there are actually very few wild animals there.
The vast majority of martial artists are meat lovers, and most of the students are teenagers with an astonishing appetite and agility.
Even if a wild animal were to accidentally enter the Martial Academy, it would definitely not survive for more than a few days.
However, Wu Youren's reply was, "I have seen Weird Transformation artists, more than one."
"Holy crap—" The patrolling Knight was also taken aback by these words and couldn't help but glance at the boy again.
So young, and he's already seen more than one Weird Transformation artist?
The next moment, several names flashed through his mind.
But none of that mattered anymore. He crouched down to take a look, then clicked his tongue. "There's blood."
Let's not say anything more, let's investigate the situation first.
The Knight asked the boy his name, then checked it briefly, and thought to himself, "Just as I suspected."
They really have experienced the battlefield of the Weird Race, and even completed a mission with a perfect rating.
Then, as was his custom, he would investigate what the boy's own views were on the current situation.
Wu Youren stated that he did not know the other party and had no suspicions, but that he had indeed been harassed by someone recently.
The Knight naturally wouldn't just listen to one side of the story; it was simply a process of investigation and evidence gathering.
In fact, fights between students are not uncommon at Red Pine; there are several incidents every month.
Even if blood is drawn, it's not a big deal. If you don't believe me, just look at the situation outside Red Pine now.
This is really nothing but a trivial matter.
The night patrolmen investigated at a leisurely pace, but they weren't particularly good-tempered.
Who wants to cause trouble in the middle of the night?
A short while later, a team member came to report, and the Knight's gaze towards Wu Youren changed slightly. "He even applied poison?"
"No," the boy shook his head decisively, "It's just some Weird-Dispelling Powder."
It is perfectly natural that the arrows and steel nails he buried did indeed contain Weird-Dispelling Powder.
Although doing so would significantly increase costs, it perfectly aligns with his reason for defending against the Weird Transformation!
"There's something that looks like feces on it," the team member said, looking at him with hostility.
This is the most common poison on the battlefield, and along with pus and similar substances, it is collectively referred to as a body poison.
The toxins can quickly contaminate the wound, and if not treated effectively in time, it can lead to amputation in mild cases and endanger life in severe cases.
Wu Youren spread his hands, replying helplessly, "This is my vegetable garden; it needs fertilizer."
"Damn it—that makes sense!" The Knight was speechless; he had already realized that this kid was definitely not someone to mess with!
To be able to explain the insidious act of applying poison in such a refined and elegant way!
Beneath the seemingly legitimate reasons lies a meticulously planned scheme.
However, what they said makes sense. Ultimately, who allowed those people to barge in and cause trouble?
However, since the weapon was poisoned and someone was actually bleeding, the seriousness of the matter suddenly increased significantly.
Especially with toxins in the body, effective treatment requires timeliness; delaying treatment can lead to serious problems.
We must find out who is harassing them as soon as possible.
The Knight was originally going to deal with this problem in a very casual and unhurried manner; he wasn't even in a hurry to find out how the vegetable garden came to be.
The truth of the matter is obvious, but being reasonable doesn't necessarily mean being right.
The matter is now, and we must expedite the process.
The Martial Academy has a loose structure, but this kind of thing is still easy for Zhen Feng to investigate.
There was a lot of contact between the students, and these people who came to bully the hostage from Jin did not intend to keep it a secret.
Within their social circles, this behavior is considered quite public, and they don't believe they've done anything wrong.
Two people have foot injuries and require emergency treatment; they must seek professional help.
The Knight quickly learned the cause and effect of the incident.
Looking at his wristwatch, he raised an eyebrow slightly, his lips twitched, and he sighed inwardly, " Jin —a hostage?"
This could easily turn into an international dispute!
The Knight had a very poor impression of the Jin —a situation that was all too common among the Liang.
He initially concluded that the owner of the vegetable garden was in the right, but was a bit too cunning; however, he had already been victimized.
After understanding the general situation, Xi Shi suddenly looked at the handsome young man in front of him with disdain.
"Get out of here, officials," he frowned in disgust, then shrugged, "Tie them up first!"
The surrounding team members, unaware of the situation, were slightly taken aback upon hearing this. "Tie up the victim?"
However, since the leader has given the order, everyone should just follow it. Who knows what kind of inside story there might be?
A Knight Apprentice stepped forward, raised his leg, and kicked Wu Youren in the back of the knee, knocking him to his knees.
He didn't think the boy dared to dodge, and indeed, the boy didn't dodge.
Wu Youren withstood the kick head-on, looking at the Knight with an innocent expression and clear eyes.
Are all the people of Jin this stupid? The Knight's mood suddenly soured. "Forget it!"
At that moment, he realized: this chairman dared to smear poison on a sharp weapon!
"I doubt you'd dare run away," he said impatiently. "Who gave you permission to grow vegetables on this land?"
They were determined to run away! The player who kicked him was very certain of this: I told you, there was no need to tie him up.
But isn't it a bit... a shame to only now be uncovering the origins of this vegetable garden?
Wu Youren looked at the man innocently, saying, "It beautifies the environment, and nobody's stopping me from planting it."
This kind of indirect rebuttal, if it were any other student, the Quasi-Knight have kicked them – what the hell was I asking?
Although he was unhappy about being a hostage in Jin, he had no choice but to face this problem.
His understanding of protons was at the level of an ordinary person in Liang, just like Luo Xi —who in their right mind would bother to understand that?
However, he was also fairly certain of one thing: although the Proton King was being bullied, he might still have someone behind him!
Like this vegetable patch, could it have been cultivated without the support of Red Pine?
Red Pine has nearly 10,000 students. Since its founding, has anyone ever heard of a student ever farming?
The Liang are simply not good at farming, not that no one knows how to farm!
The Knight really didn't expect this; it's actually a very simple matter—if the administrator doesn't stop it, it can be manipulated.
That's where the saying "the darkest place is under the lamp" comes from. Everyone thinks it's perfectly legitimate, but it's just that some nobody has raised their standards too high.
He didn't want to pursue the matter any further, fearing it might implicate someone else, but he also didn't want to let the other party off the hook.
He said with a smile, "Just because you got a perfect rating on a mission, does that make you think you're something special?"
"They actually believe that there are Weird Transformation within the Red Pine Forest? Do they think we're all dead?"
One of the team members spoke up, "Boss, this guy's getting cocky. Should we teach him a lesson?"
Everyone could hear the obvious malice the Knight showed towards the boy, Qiu Jing.
One of the team members then threw a punch, striking the boy's shoulder blade heavily from behind.
In the Martial Academy, those who are capable of night patrols are all tough guys; it's normal for them to raise their hands and strike at the drop of a hat.
Their target was those students who broke the rules; if they were too lenient, they wouldn't be able to control the situation.
Now that the team's Knight, the Knights, has shown his attitude, it's normal for some to criticize him.
Even if the sky were to fall, there would always be someone tall enough to hold it up.
Wu Youren withstood the punch without flinching, only replying softly.
"When Instructor Ke Li and I were on a mission, we saw an instructor Weird Transformation!"
"I'm so proud of you— Ke Li," the Knight certainly knew Ke Li; it was Red Pine was currently heavily promoting.
Ke Li's combat strength is only average among the instructors, not outstanding, but he is a model of cooperation between the military and the Martial Academy.
Even the top instructors wouldn't openly belittle his combat capabilities—Gang, having just joined the army and gained some benefits, would exaggerate them infinitely.
The Knight were responsible for such arduous tasks as night-time training were usually just assistant instructors.
He was tasked with perfecting the role of the hostage from the Jin, and there must have been some explanation for it, but I never expected the explanation to be so significant.
He'd seen Weird Transformation cults before—he was at a loss for words.
However, he quickly realized something – he had taken a kick and a punch without any apparent harm!
He knew his own strength very well; these guys wouldn't hold back at all!
Are the hostages from Jin really that powerful, given that they are both Knight Apprentice?
Involuntarily, he thought of the War between Liang and Jin more than ten years ago.
In that battle, he was conscripted to the front lines, but did not participate in the fighting; however, he witnessed too many Liang people die.
In an instant, anger welled up in his heart and evil thoughts arose in his mind— Jin shouldn't have such great potential!
He chuckled. "So you think that just because you're strong, you can look down on everyone?"
"Tsk," Wu Youren was utterly speechless this time. It was truly a case of "if you want to condemn someone, you can always find a pretext!"
The malice towards them was fully displayed by Qiu Jing.
The malice stemming from He Zha is essentially unnecessary—does the Liang need a reason to dislike the people of Jin?
vice versa.
He let out a long breath before slowly replying, "Instructor, I really didn't mean to be arrogant."
"My child has faced the Weird Race and felt that deep sense of powerlessness. He could only try to protect himself, which is why he set up traps."
"However, Hong Da's evaluation of me is still positive, telling me to be prepared to fight again next time!"