"General."
Ling Yan didn't answer Mei's question, because what he needed to do was let Mu Yuan explain Mei's suspicions himself.
"What is it?"
Mu Yuan rarely saw such a serious expression on Ling Yan's face, which couldn't help but pique his interest in what he was about to say.
"The General believes it, right?"
Ling Yan added with a smile, "Believes that only those who bear the mandate of heaven can encounter the vortex entrance to the treasure's hiding place and enter the treasure land unharmed. Otherwise, you wouldn't have told me all this."
Mu Yuan chuckled softly. "Yes, I believe."
"Why?"
Mu Yuan lowered his eyes. "Because of my father."
This was also a memory left by the original owner that told Mu Yuan this.
Mu Yuan's father, Mu Ming, was the former Heavenly Master of the Xingling Kingdom, a remarkable man.
Mu Ming had divined that Mu Yuan would face a calamity when he turned twenty-four.
This calamity was extremely dangerous, with a high probability of taking his life.
Although Mu Ming was a Heavenly Master, a model of mortal cultivation becoming immortal within the Xingling Kingdom, his abilities hadn't reached the point of defying fate.
But the hope in his heart never extinguished. Every year on Mu Yuan's birthday, he would perform a divination, until the night before Mu Ming passed away.
"Before my father passed away, he performed one last divination for me, and it was that time that the result actually changed."
The calamity that would befall the twenty-four-year-old Mu Yuan was still there, but there was now a possibility of "survival."
"A special person will appear, guiding Mu Yuan towards the path of 'survival,' and together with Mu Yuan, will lead the Mu family army to glory."
Ling Yan had been listening silently without interrupting.
Mu Yuan smiled slightly at Ling Yan, and the surrounding stone walls seemed to become brighter because of this heartfelt smile.
"My father said that the probability of this special person appearing was only fifty percent, but it was better than the result of every divination being death, so he passed away with a smile. Now it seems that good fortune has arrived. The day Wang Quan put the Fallen Immortal Powder in my cup was my birthday. Twenty-four years have passed, and I am still alive."
[Boss, I think I understand a little.]
Mei stammered in his consciousness.
Ling Yan nodded, looking sincerely at Mu Yuan, and said, "Since the calamity has passed, then only good things should happen from now on. General, you don't need to overthink it. It seems I've benefited from your good luck, being able to enter this treasure's hiding place unharmed. This lowly one thanks the General here."
Huh?
Mu Yuan was speechless.
Hadn't he said so much with such emotion precisely to highlight that Ling Yan was that—"special person"?
How did this person turn around and thank him instead?
Captain Ling, your ability to smooth things over is truly remarkable.
And at this moment, although Ling Yan hadn't explained the reasoning to Mei, Mei in his consciousness understood his meaning.
Even if there were plot points not mentioned in the author's original text, everyone living in this world was a person of flesh and blood who had grown up from childhood.
[From now on, exploring this world shouldn't be limited to the original text. We need to treat everyone around us as research subjects and find clues ourselves.]
[Understood, Boss.]
Mei's heart was filled with excitement.
Ling Yan smiled slightly at Mu Yuan.
Then, the first person to be carefully studied would be the one before him.
Mu Yuan, the General.
Mu Yuan felt a prickle of unease under Ling Yan's gaze, a look that seemed to pierce right through him.
And he felt a familiar, habitual guilt.
After all, he used to be terrified of that look.
Whenever this captain of the star police looked at him like that, it felt as if he had drilled into his mind, seeing him through and through.
In the past, his guilt and fear were understandable, but things were different now!
Mu Yuan took a deep breath, straightened his back, and gave him a disdainful glance.
"Ling, there's no need for such politeness. It's not necessarily that you've benefited from my luck. We were both sucked into this vortex and emerged unharmed. What if you are the one who bears the mandate of heaven?"
Ling Yan withdrew his gaze, replacing it with his usual goofy smile. "General, you jest. Let's take a look at these surrounding caves and figure out how to get out."
"Oh? Aren't you at all interested in the treasure?"
Mu Yuan's tone held a hint of disbelief, and Ling Yan, equally incredulous, countered, "Is the General perhaps interested in the treasure?"
Mu Yuan blinked twice. "Not really. Alright then, since neither of us is interested, let's find an exit."
Thus, the two individuals who had entered the treasure's hiding place mentioned in the Ultimate Flesh Compendium by virtue of the mandate of heaven showed no interest whatsoever in the hidden treasures, their minds instead focused solely on how to escape.
The grotto they were currently in indeed contained countless caves of varying sizes. Choosing which one to enter was a matter worthy of consideration.
[Mei, analyze the current situation.]
[Boss, we are still on Snowgate Island, that's for sure. This vortex has brought us into the interior of the snow mountain. I can still detect that place within the mountain that is emitting energy.]
"Ling."
Ling Yan was still listening to Mei's report when Mu Yuan suddenly called his name.
"General, have you found something?"
"You decide. Which direction should we go?"
"Huh?"
Ling Yan expressed his doubt with an exaggerated tone, but Mu Yuan seemed determined to no longer concern himself with the matter. He found a flat rock to sit on, propped his chin on one hand, and extended the other, gesturing towards the various caves, indicating that Ling Yan should make his own judgment.
[Boss, the General seems particularly reliant on you, trusting you!]
Ling Yan's lips twitched. He could do without this kind of reliance.
[Let's head towards the energy source, Mei. Give me a location.]
[Northeast direction, the third cave from the right on the second upper level. The wind blowing out of that cave contains energy elements. That should be it.]
Mu Yuan watched Ling Yan's gaze turn towards the cave on the upper level and a smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
Everyone in the galactic alliance's Prison Star knew that every star police officer carried a police force system chip. Now was the perfect time to use Ling Yan as a tool.
After confirming the direction, Ling Yan was about to turn around to call Mu Yuan when he happened to catch that sly smile.
Seeing Ling Yan suddenly turn back, Mu Yuan quickly suppressed his smile.
Ah!
He didn't see it, did he?
Definitely not!!
Ling Yan's eyes flickered slightly, then he casually waved at Mu Yuan with a harmless, toothy grin. "General, I've thought of a way. Let's try it."
Mu Yuan, puzzled, got up from the rock and walked towards Ling Yan.
Ling Yan bent down and picked up a small twig scattered on the ground. Mu Yuan was even more bewildered by his actions.
Seeing Mu Yuan approach, Ling Yan shook the twig in his hand.
"General, this lowly one is foolish and truly doesn't know which way to go. Let's leave it to fate."
Mu Yuan watched as Ling Yan tossed the small stick high into the air. The stick hit the ground, bounced up, and finally lay still on the ground with a soft thud.
The pointed end of the small stick was pointing towards a dark cave.
Finally, Ling Yan said with a silly grin, "Let's go, General. Let's leave it to fate."