Mu Yuan slightly curved the corners of his lips. "He's fine. I trust him. However, I will personally keep an eye on him."
Mu Yuan's trust in someone surprised Li Qiu somewhat, and he felt that the General had changed a bit since returning injured.
He seemed, perhaps, a little more cheerful than before?
Seeing Li Qiu looking at him without speaking, Mu Yuan asked, "What is it?"
"Nothing. General, please rest well. I will accompany you to see the Imperial Advisor tonight."
"No need. Have Mu Ling accompany me."
Li Qiu opened his mouth, but no sound came out, and he closed it again. He saluted Mu Yuan and slowly retreated from the medical hall.
After the door closed, his face was gloomy, and his fist gradually clenched—
[Mu Ling...]
...
The current scene reminded Ling Yan of the days before he became the captain of the star police team.
Surrounding him were young faces, full of vigor and vitality. Their bodies radiated a vibrant energy from within, as they freely poured out sweat on the training grounds, as if they had inexhaustible strength every day.
They might have come from different planets, with different skin and hair colors, but they shared a common term of address—brothers.
[Boss.]
[Spit it out.]
[...]
Mei felt wronged, but it seemed to understand Ling Yan's current feelings.
This long-lost, familiar sensation.
[Boss, I think you've changed.]
Whether it was towards that General named Mu Yuan or towards these Mu family soldiers now.
Ling Yan was acting too unlike himself.
He was exceptionally tolerant and exceptionally close to them.
[Mei, I call this following the plot.]
"Mu Ling!"
Ling Yan was still bickering with Mei in his consciousness when he suddenly heard someone call his nickname from the side.
He still needed to get used to this new name.
The crowd surrounding him automatically made way for the newcomer. Li Qiu approached Ling Yan and tossed him a sword.
Ling Yan caught the sword in mid-air, and the surrounding crowd began to stir.
Ling Yan clearly felt their excitement.
And the only thing that could excite a group of hot-blooded men in this military camp was one thing.
Li Qiu's gaze was contemptuous. He raised the sword in his hand, the tip pointing directly at Ling Yan.
"You stable boy, the Mu family army doesn't keep idlers. Got the guts to come down and spar with me?"
[Boss! You absolutely can't accept this challenge! We need to remain inconspicuous, hide our strength, and lie low in this unknown plot!]
"Alright."
Ling Yan slung the sword over his shoulder and jumped down from the fodder cart with one hand.
Thump.
Mei's large head smacked straight into the ground of the consciousness space.
[Boss! You used to think twice before acting, you wouldn't be so impulsive!]
[Shh, follow the plot development, be good, shut up.]
Mei gnashed its small milk teeth. Honestly, you chicken out when you should follow the plot, but you jump in when you shouldn't!
[Boss! One last sentence!]
[Speak.]
[He's a vice-general, at least show him some respect!]
Ling Yan's lips curled into a smile as he and Li Qiu stood facing each other on the training grounds.
Hou San was quick on his feet and had already spread the news of "Vice-General Li sparring with the stable boy Ling" throughout the entire camp.
Before long, the outer perimeter of the entire training ground was filled with people.
Ling Yan carried the sword, his tongue running over his upper palate, a strange excitement bubbling within him.
Li Qiu couldn't wait for everyone to arrive before making his move, because Ling Yan's attitude and expression had completely infuriated him!
An unknown nobody, with a suspicious background, suspected of deliberately getting close to the General.
He couldn't be allowed to stay!
In Li Qiu's every move as he swung his sword, Ling Yan sensed the killing intent he wanted to hide but couldn't suppress.
This only piqued his interest even more.
Excited as he was, Ling Yan's mind remained clear.
He only dodged, not attacking, his sole purpose to observe Li Qiu's swordsmanship.
He didn't yet fully understand the world of "To the Realm of Flesh." The plot had already taken off, and the rest relied on improvisation.
What he needed to do was say less and make fewer mistakes, learn and observe more, and respond flexibly.
After a few exchanges, he already understood Li Qiu's swordsmanship.
This place was similar to the ice planet in the galaxy, belonging to the cold weapon era. The clothing and weapon styles of the surrounding people looked somewhat similar.
They were engaging in pure physical and skill-based sparring, simple and brutal.
Li Qiu's sword tip slashed towards Ling Yan's throat. Ling Yan used his right heel as a pivot, his body rotating to avoid the blade.
Then, Ling Yan swiftly pulled the long sword from his shoulder. The sword sang clearly as it whistled through the air.
Clang!
The blades clashed, sparks flying.
Li Qiu's arms went numb, and the web of his hand holding the sword throbbed with pain. A chill ran down his spine.
Amidst his surprise, he only felt the small soldier opposite him suddenly release his strength.
The next moment, the small soldier's sword flew out of his hand, and his entire body followed, flying through the air and landing on the ground in an ungainly sprawl.
Then, the small soldier rubbed his chest, back, and thighs, grimacing and begging for mercy:
"Vice-General Li is mighty! This little one can't beat you, i can't beat you!"
A chorus of exclamations rose from the crowd.
"As expected of Vice-General Li!"
"Vice-General Li is amazing!"
Ling Yan used his sword as a support to stand up from the ground, playing the part to the hilt. His body even swayed a couple of times.
Once steady, he sincerely said to Li Qiu:
"Vice-General Li's swordsmanship is amazing. This one admits defeat."
Hou San looked a little disappointed, but he quickly perked up again, shouting at Ling Yan:
"Brother Ling was amazing too! Just a stable boy, yet he lasted so long against Vice-General Li's sword!"
Li Qiu approached Ling Yan and, in a voice only the two of them could hear, squeezed out a few words through gritted teeth: "You did that on purpose?"
Ling Yan grinned, his smile innocent and harmless. "What does the Vice-General mean?"
"Don't let me catch you."
As Li Qiu passed by Ling Yan, he deliberately bumped heavily into his shoulder.
Although unwillingly, Li Qiu still conveyed Mu Yuan's message—
"The General is looking for you."
Hearing Li Qiu's words, Ling Yan looked towards the medical hall, just in time to see Qin Wei stroking his beard by the window, watching him.
A hint of surprise flashed in Ling Yan's eyes.
His performance just now, apart from his opponent Li Qiu, shouldn't have revealed any clues to others. But looking at Elder Qin's expression, it seemed he had noticed something?
After Li Qiu left, the crowd gradually dispersed. Hou San hopped over to Ling Yan, asking with concern:
"Brother Ling! Are you alright? What a pity! I felt you could at least draw with Vice-General Li!"
Ling Yan pushed Hou San, who was practically almost sticking to his face, two meters away. Hou San didn't mind at all and moved closer to him again.
Ling Yan glanced at Hou San, whose hopping frequency gradually slowed down. Finally, he swallowed and took half a meter back on his own initiative.
"Brother Ling, where are you going?"
Ling Yan raised his chin and gestured towards the medical hall.
Hou San nodded understandingly and gestured for him to go quickly.
Ling Yan was still a little confused when he pushed open the door and entered the medical hall, not knowing what Mu Yuan wanted him for again.
As soon as he entered, he saw Qin Wei gesturing for silence. Ling Yan's gaze went to the cot.
Mu Yuan's sleeping face at this moment was much more peaceful than it had been last night in the pine forest.
His skin was very fair, not just his face, but all over.
He wasn't effeminate, but there was a hint of softness between his brows and eyes, which became even more apparent in his sleep, giving him a tranquil air.
His nose was high and straight, his breathing shallow, and his thin lips lacked color.
Qin Wei beckoned Ling Yan, signaling him to come into the inner room.
Ling Yan stepped into the inner room of the medical hall. Qin Wei closed the door halfway and, stroking his goatee, said, "Come, young Ling, sit."
Ling Yan sat down opposite Qin Wei as he instructed and accepted the tea he offered.
Then he heard Qin Wei say:
"Young Ling, this old man hasn't properly thanked you for saving the General's life.
Look, from my medical hall, you can see the entire military camp. Yesterday, when the spiky-scaled beast attacked, I saw with my own eyes how you desperately jumped onto that ferocious beast. This morning, you carried the unconscious General back."