Refusal

"No reason!" Jeff answered without hesitation. When he decided to be reckless, he truly went all out. "And if I really told you, you wouldn't dare listen!" Instructor Hong was left temporarily speechless. Only after a pause did she remark, "This method of dragging people down with you... is crude!" Jeff smiled faintly. "Do you have the guts to say you're dying to hear it?" "Why the hell is the New Army made up of such bastards?" Faced with the New Army commander's provocation, Instructor Hong could not help cursing. "If you want talent, train them yourself!" Yet Jeff truly marched to the beat of his own drum. "If we weren't bastards, how could we strike fear into people? Especially against someone like you." Wasn't there a saying that heroes feared scoundrels? Hong Da genuinely struggled to handle such shameless roguery. Her expression straightened, and she declared sternly, "Red Pine's investigation of the Guizu domain follows a rigorous, meticulous plan. Not a single person can be spared." You want to play unreasonable with me? Then I'll give you pure reason! "I've heard he can harvest valuable Guizu relics," Jeff scoffed coldly. "Aren't you doing this for money too?" Who leaked the information? Instructor Hong was slightly taken aback. The next moment, two figures flashed through her mind—Knight Hua of the Intelligence Bureau and a certain military knight. She gave a snort. "That's all the New Army amounts to—eyes only for money... What we value more is safety!" Was there anything wrong with that statement? Of course not. Warriors of Liang were known for fearing neither death nor danger, but if a team leader could prevent major casualties, it was undeniably a huge mark in their favor. Jeff's eyes lit up, however. "Oh? That benefit too? Care to elaborate?" Hearing this, Wu Youren could hardly take it anymore. "Hong Da, he already knows what he needs to know. Don't let him bait you." Strictly speaking, this was merely his guess; he could not be certain how much influence the New Army truly wielded. Even so, he felt it necessary to warn Instructor Hong, because Hong Da... could be considered the person he trusted most right now. Even fellow hostage Liu Jingming fell short by comparison. This trust might come to an end at some point, but right now, it still existed. "Mm, makes sense." To everyone's surprise, the raspy voice actually responded. "All right, let's stop playing dumb," Jeff said with blunt clarity. "You know what he did. He can't enter the Guizu domain." "He just had a momentary lapse and babbled nonsense," Hong Yan said, knitting her brows. She had originally decided not to get involved in the mess between the Jin hostage and the New Army—the waters ran too deep. However, since the youth still showed care and respect for her as his instructor, she didn't mind speaking up on his behalf. "Nothing involving the state is a trifle," Jeff replied with uncharacteristic solemnity. "Rewards should be given where earned, and punishments where deserved." "Heh." A mocking smirk curled at the corner of Instructor Hong's mouth. "Rewards? I doubt it would ever come around to him." She knew the conduct of these government officials all too well: whenever there was a benefit, they would swarm like locusts. What was poaching credit to them? When it came time for the cane to fall, however, there was a very good chance... She glanced sideways at Wu Youren and found the youth's face calm, his gaze clear. "Why wouldn't it be his turn for a reward?" Jeff's brows furrowed slightly. "Haven't you heard that the New Army rewards and punishes with strict fairness?" When the New Army was newly formed, it had indeed used such a slogan, though its actual enforcement was another story. "I'll take your word for now," Instructor Hong said, not bothering to argue. "But him... how do you reward him?" Please use your head—he is a hostage from another country! "He can forsake the darkness and step into the light," Jeff replied casually. Though that possibility... Never mind, there was no need to dwell on it. Instead, a peculiar smirk formed on his lips. "I'm rather curious—why do you care about him so much?" Instructor Hong's face instantly dropped cold. "I do it for Red Pine. Watch your tongue, or I won't hesitate to beat you to a pulp." "Heh heh." Jeff chuckled. He didn't fear her, but he had no desire to provoke this madwoman either. The next moment, he slowly reined in his smile and stated bluntly, "He cannot go!" Instructor Hong ignored him, turning her head to look at the youth. "Are you going or not?" "I'm going," Wu Youren answered without hesitation. Hong Da had stepped forward to protect him; he naturally couldn't drop the ball. He stated solemnly, "Red Pine may not necessarily need me, but as a member of the human race, slaying Guizu is my bounden duty!" Only then did Instructor Hong glance at Jeff. "You heard him!" If the youth was afraid of the New Army, she had no standing to object, but if it was a student's reasonable request, she would back it to the hilt! The New Army commander understood this logic as well. He glared at the Jin hostage, his expression dark. "Have you thought this through?" Playing this routine again... Wu Youren was somewhat speechless. After a moment's thought, he asked, "If I stay behind, will that end up dragging Red Pine into this as well?" "Hm?" Hearing this, Instructor Hong's eyes narrowed slightly. "Holy crap..." Jeff's brows lifted slightly, his eyes widening a fraction. "You sure think far ahead." The next instant, he laughed. "Now I'm starting to believe that suggestion truly was an impromptu whim of yours." For the New Army commander, confirming this was of paramount importance. It was a proposal that could throw Great Liang into turmoil, yet it could also become the breakthrough point for the New Army. If it had been a trap meticulously laid by the boy, then regardless of the final outcome, falling for it would be an utter humiliation! The youth before him possessed quick wit; therefore, that wild, audacious suggestion might truly have been something he tossed out off the top of his head. He was a young man, after all—it was hardly surprising for a young mind to be nimble and agile! Yet faced with this praise, Wu Youren remained expressionless: *Whether it was an impromptu whim... does that stop you from making me the scapegoat?* "You heard him," the raspy voice spoke once more. "I am definitely taking him with me!" Instructor Hong had no intention of getting tangled in the affairs between the two of them, but dragging Red Pine into the mud? Out of the question. "You don't need to explain—I don't want to hear it!" "Hey, each and every one of you has far too many schemes," Jeff shook his head, caught between tears and laughter. Then he looked back at the youth. "I truly was looking out for your own good." "Mm," Wu Youren nodded, his gaze clear. "Then thank you very much." "Tsk." Jeff clicked his tongue, shaking his head with a sigh. "Duplicitous little brat!" Hong Yan spoke again. "I hope you won't push Red Pine to the opposing side." With that, her figure dissolved into the rainy night. "That is all I have to say!" Everything that needed saying had been said. Even if he truly intended to detain the boy by force, he couldn't actually harm the youth, so what was the point of lingering? "Push you to the other side... As if you could do a thing," Jeff muttered softly, and he too vanished. The next morning, the rain finally stopped, though the sky had not cleared. The party of nine from Red Pine Martial Academy walked out of the military camp to get their vehicles. A military vehicle followed up behind them, bearing the insignia of the New Army. A knight waved at them. "Hold on a moment. Commander Jeff would like to form a team with you." "No need," Instructor Hong refused bluntly. "If we get any spoils, it'll be a hassle to divide." Hearing this, the military vehicle pulled to a halt, and the knight contacted his commander via wrist comm. "Forget it then," Jeff said nonchalantly. "I was only trying my luck... I have countless matters to attend to here anyway." After hanging up the wrist comm, he shook his head and snorted softly. "A hassle to divide? Hmph!" He had never planned on going personally in the first place; he merely wanted to send two knights along to trail the Jin youth. Beyond protecting him, he also intended to have someone observe up close just how extraordinary this boy truly was. It was just that her reason... was indeed legitimate enough. When academies snatched spoils, they never showed mercy, but how could the military ever yield to them? In any case, it had just been a shot in the dark—if it didn't work out, so be it. As one of the prestigious Eight Tigers of the New Army, he genuinely had his hands full every day. The moment the nine from Red Pine entered the Guizu domain, they were taken aback... The dark, chilling aura was vastly heavier than before. Namuzha couldn't help letting out a soft gasp. "Huh? Xiao Wu, why didn't you mention this beforehand?" "I had no news," Wu Youren answered calmly. Though he and Manna had remained behind in camp, they genuinely hadn't known. "It wasn't that I didn't ask around—no teams have come back out over the past two days." When the Guizu crisis worsened, a batch of people had been evacuated, followed by a continuous mobilization of warriors sent inside. Of the teams that entered afterward, none had pulled out. Moving farther ahead, even Instructor Hong's expression grew solemn. "This Guizu aura... is becoming more and more refined!" The density of the Guizu aura didn't seem to have increased much, but its quality had likely elevated. The group pressed forward. Before reaching the stream where they had parted ways last time, they were drawn by a mass of Guizu aura. The cluster of Guizu aura writhed continuously, not expanding outward, but stretching upward into the sky. "So close to the outer perimeter, and a Guizu aura pillar is already forming?" a female knight couldn't help remarking. Although the six newcomers were entering Mount Xuanling for the first time, they had mastered all the necessary intelligence beforehand. "Keep moving," Instructor Hong decided. "Xiao Wu, scout ahead. Namuzha, guard him!" An apprentice knight scouting ahead... The other six knights were rendered speechless. The youth truly had something special about him, even warranting protection from a full knight. Wu Youren gave a slight nod, though his heart was anything but relaxed. They hadn't even reached the stream yet, and things were already like this. With him leading the way, the team's march proceeded without major incident. Upon reaching the stream, Hong Da decided against taking the route they had used to reinforce Xia'erzi before, choosing the other direction instead. She offered no explanation, leaving them to wonder what she had encountered last time. Fortunately, both Wu Youren and Namuzha had traversed the other direction, so it wasn't unfamiliar. The frequency of Guizu appearances had also increased considerably, and Hong Da remained vigilant, forbidding anyone from acting rashly. The grand instructor even went out of her way to offer an explanation: "Get a clear picture of the situation first." Things were indeed vastly different from last time. As they continued forward, everyone saw more and more Guizu aura pillars taking shape. Yet Instructor Hong looked indifferent instead. "Don't pay them any mind. If they haven't fully formed, they aren't very formidable." Suddenly, a lean knight spoke up. "Hong Da, sounds like someone is calling for help." "I hear it," Instructor Hong nodded. "Xiao Wu, Namuzha... go check out the situation." Can't do without this apprentice knight for a single thing? The thought inevitably crossed several knights' minds. One female knight was perceptive and offered an explanation immediately: "The grand instructor must remain in the center to protect the group and cannot move lightly. If any colleague specializes in this area, please feel free to step forward." Once she said this, all doubts vanished into thin air. Five or six minutes later, the two returned, and Wu Youren reported calmly, "Suspected illusion!"