Keli was not entirely rigid in how he handled things; he even made a point of asking Wu Youren, "What do you think of the Martial Academy's arrangement?"
The Jin youth's attitude was rather intriguing—he stated that he would follow the instructor's lead!
There was no helping it; farming experience points felt too good. He simply couldn't stop!
Keli thought it over again and still felt there was no need to take unnecessary risks, ultimately refusing Red Pine's request.
Fortunately, the three of them were far too meager in strength, a negligible force against the currently severe Guizu situation.
The people from the Martial Academy did not insist either, saying it was up to him, but that it was best not to rush back to Red Pine just yet.
Given the current situation, scouting Guizu activities and conducting sporadic rescue operations were both essential; having an extra squad around was always welcome.
Keli said that was fine, but he wanted to head back to Red Pine for now to deal with his spoils.
He had only acquired that broken scrap of iron, but because people had investigated, it was essentially common knowledge.
Even inside the quarantine zone, people had been dropping hints and asking around whether he was willing to sell that iron scrap.
It had to be worth a fair sum, perhaps enough to trade for a better biguijue—something closer to what the Jin youth had.
Before, Keli lacked the means, but now times were troubled; with this opportunity, having an extra spare wouldn't hurt.
Just like Lao Liu: when one biguijue was destroyed, he could still pull out a second.
That injured instructor earlier who had been compromised by the Guizu likely suffered that fate because he lacked a spare.
However, the moment he mentioned wanting to return to Red Pine, Wu Youren gave him a peculiar look. "Instructor, so does that mean my business is completely settled?"
Keli was baffled. "Didn't you say it was entirely up to me?"
"Before heading back, it's up to you," Wu Youren answered solemnly. "But after wrapping up this mission, I don't really want to come out again."
Something was definitely off! Keli's mind stirred. "If you have something to say, speak plainly!"
"I've made it through the crisis with Miss Sally," Wu Youren said candidly. "Why should I come out again?"
Aoliwen was already dead, and the Martial Academy had officially ruled on the matter. That petty squabble between students was now completely put to rest.
Whether the viscount's daughter would stir up trouble again was a separate matter, but so long as she possessed basic common sense, a sequel was highly unlikely.
Keli's expression turned slightly odd. "So I was just a tool for you to use?"
"Instructor, I didn't mean that at all," Wu Youren firmly denied. "It's just not very convenient for me to come out so often."
He stated earnestly, "Even roaming around outside with you right now carries massive risk."
Keli raised an eyebrow. "What makes you say that?"
Wu Youren hesitated visibly before stammering, "The Guizu object you acquired... its original master might not be dead."
"I've considered that," Keli nodded. "What are you getting at?"
"It means the risk is immense," Wu Youren replied seriously. "So I think your eagerness to return to Red Pine is a good thing."
Keli would never look down on him just because of his youth—when Aoliwen died, the kid's grief had looked startlingly real!
He thought for a moment before speaking. "You mean if I don't return to Red Pine, I might be targeted?"
"It's that *we* might be targeted," Wu Youren answered slowly. "Regarding the matter with the Intelligence Bureau, I wonder if Sir Rossi mentioned it to you?"
Keli's heart sank upon hearing this. He actually had heard about it, and even knew that the female knight was Sister Hua!
Just for killing a monkey-tiger, she had been pursued all the way to the Rust Belt by a pack of leopard cats!
Yet at the thought that once they returned to Red Pine it wouldn't be easy to force the boy out again, he felt conflicted.
He could be secretive around Lao Liu, but Head Instructor Hong Yan knew the youth's background very well.
When it came down to it, he had merely taken a commission from the Life-and-Death Knot and picked up some Martial Academy tasks on the side.
Now all those objectives had been accomplished, and the gains from this venture were decent.
Moreover, the Jin youth wasn't trying to oppose him.
"Then I'll head back to trade the Guizu object," Keli thought. A living man couldn't let himself be suffocated by a full bladder; besides, this place was very close to Red Pine.
Then he glanced at his student. "Take good care of him for me."
"No problem." Qigeli had roughly grasped what sort of arrangement Wu Youren had with his instructor.
Just as Keli was about to leave, something else crossed his mind, and he looked back at the Jin youth. "Anything else to add?"
"Um..." Wu Youren pondered and suggested, "Bring back some more ghost-vanquishing bullets."
Although they had only been out for a day this time, their consumption of ghost-vanquishing bullets wasn't low—nearly thirty percent.
It wasn't an underestimation of difficulties; rather, no one had expected a scouting mission to turn into a rescue.
Scouting meant touching down and leaving immediately, fleeing at the first sign of trouble, whereas covering a retreat required withstanding direct attacks from the Guizu—the difference in difficulty was night and day.
"Yeah." Keli didn't find it strange. "As long as the Guizu object sells, what do a few ghost-vanquishing bullets matter—"
Mid-sentence, he froze. Only after a good while did he ask, "Even after selling the Guizu object, could I still be stalked?"
"I honestly don't know," Wu Youren said with an innocent face. "I don't have access to that kind of information."
Keli wasn't going to be fooled by his front. "Tell me your guess."
"I think there's a chance," Wu Youren answered tersely.
After waiting a few seconds and seeing that Keli remained silent, he slowly uttered four more words: "Not a low one."
"You really are..." Keli was somewhat exasperated. *If you don't say it, do you think I'm completely oblivious? You just have to be secretive!*
Yet in the next moment, his brow furrowed. "This Guizu object is useful to you!"
His tone was a statement, not a question.
"I don't know," Wu Youren shook his head indifferently, though monstrous waves crashed through his heart: *Holy shit, his perception is that sharp?*
It wasn't as if he hadn't seen Guizu objects before; the resentment crystal that the guard captain obtained last time was said to be worth three to five thousand silver dollars.
This time, however, his body faintly craved the iron scrap, sensing that it offered a hefty sum of experience points.
Wu Youren dared not show the slightest hint of greed, but without a doubt, the iron scrap could probably be of substantial help to him.
Even up to this point, he hadn't dared to covet the scrap, yet out of nowhere, the man had actually guessed part of it!
"Is that so?" Once suspicion took root in Keli's mind, it would not dissipate easily.
Still, considering the value of the Guizu object, he was reluctant to use it just to test the boy.
In the end, he hardened his resolve. "Will you trade your biguijue for this Guizu object?"
"No," Wu Youren refused without hesitation. "This is the only thing from my homeland I have left."
*Talk value with me? Sorry, but I'll talk sentimentality with you!*
"Then you two wait for me," Keli said, immediately abandoning the idea upon hearing that. "I'll be right back!"
He drove off in the off-road vehicle, while Qigeli pitched a tent nearby.
This place was already very close to Red Pine, merely two or three kilometers away.
Had the atmosphere in the quarantine zone not been so oppressive, Qigeli wouldn't even have bothered setting up his own camp nearby.
After setting up the tent, he took the initiative to strike up a conversation. "Seems like you're hesitant to tell the instructor the whole truth?"
Wu Youren glanced at him and shook his head. "I haven't formally apprenticed under him. What right do I have to bother the instructor?"
Qigeli nodded, then added earnestly, "The instructor is an upright man!"
"Mm, I believe it," Wu Youren nodded slightly, though a faint look of oddity flickered across his face.
In that instant, Qigeli recalled the scene of his instructor snatching the iron scrap. He wanted to say something, but... it was a bit awkward!
In the next moment, dust billowed in the distance as three off-road vehicles sped toward them.
Before the vehicles came to a complete halt, two knights leaped out. "Hurry, medical aid... There are a lot of people this time!"
There was more than one tent outside the quarantine zone, but no one lent a hand; only people from the observation area rushed out to help.
It wasn't that people lacked goodwill, but most of those around had just emerged from quarantine; if they got entangled in something like this, they would be sent right back in.
Even if one ran into an acquaintance, it was best not to meddle at a time like this. Professional matters were best left to professionals.
Just like Wu Youren right now, who saw a familiar face thrown down from a vehicle—a fellow hostage, Feng Qianjun.
He was the son of an earl, the highest in status among the five hostages who had come to Red Pine this time.
Feng Qianjun's left leg was visibly fractured, though fortunately it wasn't a compound fracture; no gleaming white bone shards protruded.
Tossed onto the ground, he rolled around in agony.
Status-wise, he was merely a student, and by origin, he was a person of Jin; receiving such treatment came as no surprise.
The earl's son was something of a tough man as well; though he grimaced in pain, he didn't let out a single cry.
Yet when his gaze swept over Wu Youren, he could finally no longer remain calm.
A low growl came from his throat. "Wu Youren, you're just going to watch like this?"
*And here I thought you were someone of consequence!* Wu Youren was utterly speechless.
*I don't even associate with you all at the Martial Academy—as for why, don't you have a fucking clue in your own head?*
The hostages' identities were no secret to the Life-and-Death Knot or the upper echelons of the Martial Academy.
Yet that did not mean there was no need for them to keep it secret.
If everyone at the Martial Academy knew they were hostages from Jin, there would be very little room left for them to maneuver.
Besides, he could hardly say he had much fondness for the other members of the hostage group.
Even setting aside his drowning in Jasper Lake, his monthly allowance of twelve silver dollars had been withheld for nearly eight years.
Therefore, his reply was chillingly cold. "What else should I do besides watch? Do you think you and I are close?"
If it were merely to avoid suspicion, he wouldn't need to be so cold, but back in the Jin Manor, others had spoken to him in that exact manner.
Considering that there might still be eyes and ears of the Life-and-Death Knot around, he had to appear cold-blooded.
The Liang government wanted nothing more than infighting among the Jin hostages; a reaction like this wouldn't bring about any negative consequences.
"You!" Feng Qianjun glared at him intently, his eyes filled with venom.
*If looks could kill, I'd probably be reduced to ash...* Wu Youren curled his lip. *So what, though?*
*A brief spark of fireworks in this mortal world—at least I once bloomed!*
Yet in the next instant, a hint of grief surfaced on Feng Qianjun's face. "Wenhao... is gone!"
*He Wenhao?* In Wu Youren's mind, the image of that viscount's son surfaced once more.
*Or rather, shouldn't he be considered the viscount's nephew?* At that moment, bizarrely enough, some bits of gossip flashed through his mind.
Chapter 50