Pillow Delivered

Li Yan's heart stirred when he heard Liu Chengyong offer him a weapon, but he quickly dismissed the idea.

He placed the sword back into its scabbard on the weapon rack, and smiled, "Captain Liu, you're too kind. I haven't learned any martial techniques yet, and I'm just focused on cultivating my inner energy. I don't need one right now. If I learn a martial technique in the future, and you have a suitable weapon for me, I'll definitely come and ask for it."

Liu Chengyong laughed heartily and nodded in agreement, though he assumed Li Yan simply didn't like his weapons. What martial artist only cultivates inner energy without practicing martial techniques? He figured that with Military Advisor Ji's extraordinary martial skills, he wouldn't lack powerful weapons, would he?

After laughing, Liu Chengyong glanced outside and said to Li Yan, "Brother Li, a few days ago, after a military meeting, Marshal Hong mentioned something to me. He said that when you have time, you should go see him. It seems that some of the information you provided when you enlisted wasn't recorded in detail. As the chief military officer, he needs to record everything completely and report it to the Imperial Court for archiving. So, you still need to go there."

Li Yan was stunned to hear this. He was trying to figure out how to leak some information to Liu Chengyong, so he could pass it on to Marshal Hong. Unexpectedly, before he could even say what he had prepared, Liu Chengyong gave him the result he wanted. Was this what people meant by "someone bringing you a pillow when you're about to doze off?"

He understood that this was Marshal Hong's signal to start taking action. What incomplete registration information? With the military's capabilities, even if he had only filled in his name and hometown that day, they could have investigated his ancestors for eighteen generations in a short amount of time. And if the registration information was incomplete, were the family subsidies and his own monthly salary coming out of Marshal Hong's own pocket, without going through the accounts? However, in this case, he didn't need to worry. He could just go with the flow.

He immediately put on a surprised expression and looked at Liu Chengyong, then after a moment's thought, he said, "Oh? That's right, after I was accepted as a disciple by my teacher at the Military Training Grounds that day, I really didn't do some of the subsequent things. I guess that's it."

Liu Chengyong had been watching Li Yan the whole time. He had been somewhat hesitant to say this earlier, and he couldn't help but feel uncertain in his heart. But after hearing what Li Yan said, he knew that he wasn't at the Military Training Grounds that day, and he really didn't know some things. However, he still suspected Marshal Hong's purpose in calling Li Yan over. He didn't believe that things were just as they appeared on the surface. But he didn't dare to investigate further. As long as Li Yan thought it was okay, that was enough. Anyway, the Marshal had no ill intentions towards Li Yan. This was also the reason for temporarily avoiding Chen An and Li Yin.

"Since that's the case, there's nothing to do today anyway, how about—"

"Of course, of course, military affairs can't be delayed. Hmm, I haven't seen the military camp yet. Captain Liu, please take me around the military camp first, and then we'll go over." Li Yan said. In fact, he wasn't in the mood to wander around here. If he just talked to Liu Chengyong for a while and left immediately, Chen An and Li Yin wouldn't be easily fooled. They would definitely suspect that he had a purpose for coming.

"That's naturally possible. Oh, so then we'll just go over like this? If Chen An and Li Yin find out, will they report to Military Advisor Ji that we're not handling things properly, that this small matter still requires you, and even alarmed the Marshal? You see..." Liu Chengyong said hesitantly. He wasn't sure what the consequences would be if Chen An and Li Yin found out later.

"It's nothing, just tell them directly. It's not a big deal." Li Yan said to Liu Chengyong. He thought to himself, "I'll see how Marshal Hong handles these aftereffects. From this point, I'll see whether he's just a crude martial artist, or a cunning person."

Although Liu Chengyong felt that something was wrong, he didn't know what it was for a moment, so he agreed. After saying a few more words, he took Li Yan around the military camp. Of course, they only walked through the public areas. During this time, he couldn't help but show his face in front of the other squads again.

Afterward, they left the camp gate with the four of them, and the group of four rode towards the Marshal's Residence. When Chen An and Li Yin learned that Li Yan wanted to go to the Marshal's Residence, their faces showed hesitation. But Li Yan left as soon as he said he would, and didn't even look at the two of them. Li Yan thought to himself, "It seems that my teacher must have given him two face-to-face instructions, not allowing me to have too much contact with outsiders."

Before long, the group arrived in front of the Marshal's Residence. Liu Chengyong naturally stepped forward to explain to the gatekeeper. After a while, the inside reported that Li Yan should go in. In this way, even Liu Chengyong couldn't enter, let alone Chen An and Li Yin daring to follow in without permission.

After passing through several winding corridors, Li Yan followed a soldier to the outside of the main hall in the back mansion. The soldier stopped and turned to Li Yan and said, "Lord Li, the Marshal is inside. You can go in by yourself." After saying that, without waiting for Li Yan to answer, he turned and walked back.

Li Yan looked at the main hall. There were no soldiers guarding it, and the door was open. He secretly took a deep breath, raised his foot, and walked towards the door.

As he entered the main hall, he felt the light dim slightly. He focused his eyes and looked again. It was very wide and empty inside. In the center of the main hall, a person was sitting on a chair looking at him. Wasn't it the bald-headed man he had seen once before? Li Yan stepped forward a few steps and bowed.

"Subordinate Li Yan greets Marshal Hong."

Hong Linying had been staring at Li Yan since he entered the door. He felt that Li Yan's aura was much more condensed than it had been two months ago. This was not the aura that someone who had just entered the martial path should have. This made him gasp, and he couldn't help but speculate, "Is this the inner strength of Ji Wenhe's sect? How can it make an ordinary person's inner breath so calm and heavy in just two months?"

But the more it was like this, the greater his expectations became.

"No need to be so polite, sit down first." Hong Linying pointed to a row of chairs at the bottom.

Li Yan thanked him and sat down in a chair on the side.

"Vice-Captain Li, it's been more than two months since we parted ways at the training ground. Seeing you today, you've indeed made a name for yourself under Lord Ji's guidance."

"Marshal, you flatter me," Li Yan said with a wry smile.

Hong Linying frowned when he saw Li Yan's expression. "Oh? Could it be that my vision is wrong?"

Li Yan shook his head, as if thinking about how to answer, and did not speak.

Hong Linying saw him like this, and his heart moved. He straightened his body and leaned back on the chair. "When Fang Yu entered the Military Advisor's Residence, I saw him again. That's when I was wrong."

Li Yan, of course, knew who the "Fang Yu" he was talking about was. It was the name of his unlucky senior brother. His expression froze, and he opened his mouth with some hesitation. "What does the Marshal mean by this?"

"Oh, it's nothing. Seeing you today, I just feel that although Vice-Captain Li's aura has increased and become much more condensed, I see that your complexion is a sign of some hidden instability in your inner breath, a restless appearance." After saying that, he stared at Li Yan's face and carefully observed it. He knew through the intelligence from the Military Advisor's Residence that Li Yan had been moody and restless recently, so he said this.

Li Yan's face showed a look of surprise. "Can the Marshal see my flaws?"

Hong Linying was overjoyed, but his expression remained the same. "I can see a thing or two, but I can't see the reason. Haha, but it's impossible to have made a mistake in cultivation. After all, Ji Military Advisor is such an unparalleled expert, so there must be other reasons."

Li Yan's face was uncertain when he heard this. These expressions all fell into Hong Linying's eyes, and he was also unmoved.

After a while, Li Yan hesitated and opened his mouth. "Marshal, do you know how martial artists can detoxify if they are poisoned?"

Hong Linying was stunned, and then his face showed a look of doubt. "Why are you asking this? Oh, are you worried about the poison that Military Advisor Ji has been poisoned with? You don't have to worry about this. Even I can't help, let alone you, whose current strength is still shallow, can't help him at all. Hey, I can't see that you are a person who respects your teacher and keeps the way, alas!" After saying that, his face darkened and he sighed.

"Well, however, I do know some solutions. The first, of course, is to use the corresponding antidote to detoxify, but this must know what poison you have been poisoned with; the second is that people of our generation can use deep inner strength to expel the poison from the body, but this is not a panacea. Once some exotic poison enters the body, it will penetrate into the viscera and bone marrow. It is very difficult to force out this kind of poison; the third is a kind of magic way that only exists in the Jianghu, find someone with not weak inner strength, use him as a guide to the poison body, run this secret method to lead the poison into the other party's body, and then force the other party's pure inner breath into your own viscera, but this method requires

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a magic secret method to be used, and there are very few sects that know this method."

He stared at Li Yan and said slowly, and he saw sweat oozing from Li Yan's forehead.

After a while, Li Yan said hoarsely, "What is the result of the person who is used as a poison guide in this third method?"

Hong Linying said, "It is basically certain to die, unless he also knows the magic secret method, and then imitates it, but obviously this is impossible. Oh, let's not talk about these. The reason I asked you to come here today, Liu Chengyong should have told you, but this morning, the military staff has already obtained your detailed information from the yamen under the Great Green Mountains. I was about to tell Liu Chengyong not to notify you to come over."

Li Yan seemed to have not yet reacted from the words. After a long time, his face began to return to normal, but he still looked absent-minded. He got up and bowed. "If that's the case, then I'll take my leave."

"Okay, you can go down first." Hong Linying said with a slight smile.

Li Yan turned and walked towards the entrance of the main hall. When he was about to step out of the main hall, Hong Linying's voice came from behind him again. "Vice-Captain Li, you don't need to worry too much about Military Advisor Ji's matter. After all, he has been poisoned for a long time, and he himself is a master of medicine, so there should be a solution."

Li Yan's footsteps paused when he heard this, and then he disappeared at the main hall.

After a while, the muffled voice in the main hall sounded. "Senior Brother, this kid seems to have some doubts about Ji Wenhe."

"Hehe, today I can confirm three things. First, their sect's inner strength is really amazing. In just over two months, he has cultivated to such a level. If he continues to cultivate like this, it will be terrible. Second, he is the one who is going to be used to guide the poison into his body. I didn't expect Ji Wenhe to really know this evil method. The third is that this kid has realized his situation and feels that he may have been used by Ji Wenhe."

"In that case, Senior Brother, our next step is to wait for him to ask for help."

"Heh, I imagine he'll have his next move soon enough. After all, who doesn't cherish their own life?"

As Li Yan walked out of the main hall, he thought to himself, "This Marshal Hong is extremely eager to get his hands on this so-called 'martial arts,' and he's already begun to plant seeds of doubt in my mind. Now that things are confirmed here, the next phase of the plan can proceed. It's just that I didn't discover the other expert Dong Fuyi mentioned today. It seems my cultivation is still too low; I can't even sense the experts in this mundane martial world."

Lost in thought, he had already walked out of the Marshal's Residence and saw the three men standing under a tree several dozen steps away, talking amongst themselves, but glancing over in his direction from time to time.

Hong Linying is quite the schemer. Li Yan's brief visit, in and out in the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, is just long enough for him to report his background and family information, making it difficult for anyone to suspect anything else.