Hearing that, the young knight's face instantly drained of color. "Commander, you intend to torture someone from the Intelligence Bureau?"
He was genuinely taken aback. Could the New Army truly be brazen to this extent?
"As if that's a rarity," Jeff chuckled, a chilling glint in his eyes. "Take a guess: how many government officials have died at the hands of the New Army?"
"Is that something you honestly don't know?"
"I know!" The young knight nodded frantically. He was truly terrified now—the Intelligence Bureau was no stranger to such methods.
What he had doubted was Jeff's resolve to carry it out, not his capability.
"Good that you understand." Jeff grinned merrily. "See, I love dealing with young folks—you know how to read the room!"
"Now, give me a detailed breakdown on that kid Little Wu!"
His interception of the young knight and the heavy pressure he exerted took place inside an encampment spanning tens of thousands of square meters.
Yet oddly enough, nobody seemed to notice.
Toward dusk, another wave of exploration teams returned. One group consisted mostly of female martial artists, chattering away in high spirits.
These were people from the Fanghua Martial Academy, and among them was Manna's acquaintance, Instructor Siya.
The two merely exchanged nods. A newly returned party needed time to rest and recuperate; there was no hurry for pleasantries.
In the blink of an eye, Instructor Hong had been away for four days. By the fourth night, there was still no sign of her return.
Instead, Instructor Siya brought two female knights over to chat with Manna.
Their main topic was naturally Hong Yan's rampage that night.
Society in the State of Liang favored men over women. Female martial artists enjoyed far better standing than common women, but absolute equality was still nonexistent.
As fellow female martial artists, they basked in the glory of Instructor Hong's exploits, talking enthusiastically for quite some time.
Inevitably, the conversation drifted into past grievances within the Guizu domain, accompanied by bits of camp gossip that kept things lively.
The youngest female knight was named Ailin, and she rarely chimed in.
That was hardly surprising; she looked barely in her early twenties, still at a relatively green age.
Her features were even more delicate and fair than Cynthia's, carrying a slightly aloof air.
Wu Youren was tactful enough not to intrude on the women's chatter, only stepping out of the room once in a while to pour water or handle minor chores.
Suddenly, Manna raised her voice slightly. "Little Wu, come explain that trigger mechanism. Ailin wants to know the details."
Wu Youren had to give her face. He stepped out and began walking her through the mechanism.
To his surprise, Ailin's understanding of mechanical traps was far superior to that of ordinary people.
She had barely spoken earlier, but once the subject turned to an interest of hers, the words flowed without stopping.
The two kept their voices down, trading remarks back and forth with growing enthusiasm.
Before long, the other three women were looking on in surprise. Siya sighed in amazement. "I truly never realized Ailin could talk so much."
Manna smiled, thinking to herself: *I never realized Little Wu could talk so much either.*
Wu Youren had always given off the impression of being quiet and reticent, but that was never his true nature; it was simply a shield to protect himself.
Even when he was with Cynthia, he hadn't spoken much, always wary that loose lips caused trouble.
When discussing craft and technique, however, he had no such reservations.
His knowledge of traps and mechanisms was self-taught through trial and error. His skill could only be called decent at best, so there was no risk of leaking crucial secrets.
Ailin's expertise wasn't overwhelmingly advanced either—slightly below his, in fact—but her training was more systematic. Fanghua Martial Academy had a high proportion of female martial artists and placed greater emphasis on such crafts.
Exchanging ideas with Ailin proved genuinely helpful to Wu Youren, and he found himself thoroughly engaged.
Concepts, designs, and structures sometimes couldn't be conveyed through words alone; they had to crouch down and sketch in the dirt with a twig, or even manipulate actual components.
Before they knew it, the conversation had stretched late into the night.
Neither felt finished, but the hour was late. Beyond disturbing others' rest, staying up together would invite idle gossip.
Early the next morning, Ailin actually returned, looking as though she had developed an appetite for more.
Wu Youren was resting inside, however, so she could only exchange a few words with Manna before departing.
Around midday, the Jin youth finally stepped out. Manna offered him a faint, teasing smile. "You've gone and stolen that beauty's soul, haven't you?"
In an environment like this, gossip between men and women was the most welcome distraction. No one would take offense.
You were alive today and might well perish tomorrow; why not talk about something relaxing?
Wu Youren paid it no mind, explaining that it was merely an exchange of technical knowledge for mutual improvement.
Manna, however, pointed out that Instructor Siya had mentioned Ailin was a woman of few words even back at Fanghua.
The unspoken implication was that the girl might genuinely have taken an interest in him.
More importantly, Ailin had attained knighthood at nineteen, making her exceptionally gifted among female martial artists.
*Don't you know what my situation is?* Wu Youren could only offer a wry smile.
In the afternoon, members of the City Guard Bureau came by. The two sides had interacted before within the Guizu domain.
This time, the visitors came specifically for Wu Youren, hoping to discuss trap-making techniques with him as well.
After all, plenty of people had taken note of what had happened the previous night.
Wu Youren tactfully declined, saying he was only self-taught and comfortable with informal chats at most; anything beyond that was best left alone.
At the end of the day, the City Guard Bureau carried a very different nature, bearing the distinct imprint of the imperial court.
Besides, he had no desire to live under anyone's watchful eye.
The City Guard Bureau men took no offense, chatting amiably about idle matters for a while before taking their leave.
Half an hour later, representatives from Count Shengming's estate arrived. This time, they presented the Jin youth with a book on materials.
Setting up mechanical traps always required different materials, making the gift remarkably practical.
Wu Youren was reluctant to accept, but they made their stance crystal clear: what was in the past was in the past.
All they asked was that he refrain from bringing the incident up again in front of Hong Da.
The request was modest to the point of humility. If Wu Youren stubbornly refused, it would only signal that he had not let the matter go.
He could only accept the gift, promising that so long as no new incidents arose, he would never speak ill of it again.
The visitors then added that if he ever required material assistance, he could come to them, and they would work something out together.
After all, Anping Trading had already intended to invest in the youth early on; this was simply picking up where that goodwill had left off.
While they were conversing, Ailin appeared in the distance for a moment before turning and walking away.
Faced with the humble deference of Count Shengming's estate, Wu Youren actually experienced the peculiar sensation of being an imperial favorite, a trusted confidant of someone powerful.
Beyond that, he felt a familiar familiarity—this was classic merchant behavior through and through.
Once the visitors left, he couldn't help sighing. "Inside and outside the Guizu domain, people show two completely different faces. They don't match up at all."
"That's perfectly normal," Manna replied dismissively. "Behind every powerful house, isn't there a mountain of sordid business?"
"I was being shallow," Wu Youren admitted with a nod. Flipping casually through the book, he asked, "Did Hong Da mention when she'd be back?"
"I didn't dare ask," Manna said, sticking out her tongue. "Though Rossi mentioned they'd draft a few more knights to transfer over."
Hong Yan had hinted at something similar before leaving. Her violent outburst that night had certainly been satisfying, but it had also drawn plenty of animosity.
Others wouldn't dare target her, but if the remaining four ventured back into the Guizu domain, the hidden dangers would multiply.
Even so, requesting reinforcements from Red Pine right now would probably run into procedural hurdles.
Red Pine was directly responsible for Suotu, where the Guizu situation was severe. Given that both tasks involved slaying Guizu, coming to Mount Xuanling was far more lucrative.
Mount Xuanling yielded abundant Guizu relics and maintained stable conditions, whereas Suotu was riddled with far too many unpredictable variables.
Once a precedent was set for transferring knights here, it would be difficult to rein in. The martial academy was bound to take that into account.
"Then we'll just keep waiting," Wu Youren said indifferently. "The environment here has been pretty kind to me."
A smile played at the corner of Manna's mouth. She had a general sense of what the youth had endured back at Red Pine.
Before this, she had never imagined that the life of a hostage could be so suffocating.
After a moment's thought, she spoke up again. "Ailin showed up just now. Did you notice?"
Wu Youren looked up at the sky. "It's going to rain."
"She's a girl, and she's already taking the initiative," Manna said, shaking her head. "Her background and prospects are better than that girl back at Red Pine."
"No thanks." Wu Youren shook his head, retreating back into his silent shell.
Toward evening, a fine autumn drizzle began to patter down. The encampment grew cold and quiet, with far fewer people visiting one another.
Ailin did not come by again. Perhaps... it was a woman's sense of propriety and reserve?
Oddly enough, that thought drifted into Wu Youren's mind while he was turning the pages of his book.
He gave his head a gentle shake, smiling wryly to himself: *What's gotten into me? Am I getting too well-fed and warm, to the point of chasing idle fancies?*
The autumn rain continued the following day. An alert came from the Mount Xuanling Guizu domain reporting an anomaly in the Guizu activity and requesting external reinforcement.
The various teams in the encampment responded in kind; the summons was semi-mandatory, and even the New Army dispatched six men inside.
The soldiers rallying personnel hesitated briefly when passing Wu Youren and Manna, but ultimately moved on.
Even so, those left behind couldn't truly relax; the prevailing atmosphere was tense.
At the very least, it was inappropriate for Wu Youren to remain holed up in his quarters—during extraordinary times, it was best not to test human nature.
He stared blankly at the dense sheets of rain, emptying his mind...
Suddenly, a crisp, clear voice sounded beside him. "I like the rain too. Want to take a walk in the rain together?"
"No thanks. It's autumn; the rain is cold," Wu Youren replied without turning his head. "It invites the Guizu aura too easily."
"Someone from the City Guard Bureau approached me," Ailin said softly. "It involves the garrison of Tianjing, so I didn't dare say much."
"Same here." Wu Youren nodded faintly.
The next instant, a thought flashed across his mind. "You're graduating soon. Are you looking to join the City Guard Bureau?"
Though already a knight, she had not yet completed her studies. For a graduate of an intermediate martial academy, securing a place in the City Guard Bureau was considered quite respectable.
Tianjing's City Guard Bureau, in particular, naturally stood half a cut above those elsewhere.
The vast majority in the bureau were commoners and apprentice knights; a post for a full knight was strictly one radish per pit, fiercely contested.
As for where else a graduating knight could go, the choices were numerous.
Drifting off to some impoverished backwater to serve as a deputy constable was common enough.
Great Liang boasted three hundred thousand knights, yet the chasm between one knight and another was unimaginably vast.
Sister Hua was a knight, the young men under her command were knights, and those who yearned for a post in the City Guard Bureau yet failed to secure one were knights all the same!
"I haven't made up my mind," Ailin replied after a slight hesitation. "My family wants me to enter the National Treasury Bureau or the Works Bureau. Where do you think I should go?"
Chapter 138