Hot and Cold

"How could Great Liang ever fear the people of Jin?" Cynthia flatly rejected the notion. Pausing for a second, she ventured, "Isn't it because we fear you Jin people will harbor a grudge in your hearts?" "Then Great Liang should have struck while the iron was hot and conquered Jin in one fell swoop," Wu Youren said placidly. "That way, I wouldn't have to be a hostage, and who knows—my family's territory might even be under your family's rule. You could do whatever you wanted with me and wouldn't have to put up with my attitude anymore." "Your family... ruled by mine?" A look of longing flickered in Cynthia's eyes, unmistakable and barefaced. Yet in the end, she let out a dejected sigh. "A pity Great Liang couldn't fight any longer back then." Liang's official narrative was that they wished to spare living beings from suffering, pulling back their troops once their punitive objective had been achieved. Those demands for ceded territory and war indemnities were merely to teach Jin a lesson. Yet that was only talk to deceive ordinary folks. Anyone in Liang with a shred of insight knew that the war simply could not be sustained any longer. War never depleted only one side's national strength. Jin had been defeated, but Liang was hardly in good shape either. Under those circumstances, had Liang attempted to forcibly occupy the entirety of Jin, it likely would have triggered a total collapse at home. Liang's population, at the very most, was barely thirty million, boasting three hundred thousand knights. Since it was a boast, the actual number was certainly nowhere near that high—a hundred-odd thousand was probably closer to the truth. Factoring in apprentice knights, there were likely one to two million. And how many people did Great Jin have? Seventy to eighty million! Even with extravagant decadence and impoverished livelihoods, they had at least two million combat-capable apprentice knights. Besides, ordinary citizens weren't entirely devoid of combat strength, were they? Everyone claimed the folk of Great Liang were fierce and martial, but before that war, fierce and martial had been the hallmark of Great Jin as well! Therefore, even though Liang was the victor, deep down, it still harbored wary dread toward Jin. Wu Youren nodded when he heard her say that. "Still, Liang simply couldn't keep fighting. There's no need to hate Jin so bitterly, is there?" He had no intention of bringing up the truth, nor did he hope to convince her. He merely wanted to understand how martial artists in Liang viewed the matter. Only by grasping their perspective could he figure out how to navigate and break the deadlock. "Well... how should I put it?" Cynthia hesitated. She had never given the matter serious thought before. Still, bringing herself to admit Great Liang feared Jin was entirely out of the question. Before long, she came up with a plausible justification. "That war cost Great Liang heavy casualties. The hatred runs deep." Jin's casualties were far heavier, Wu Youren thought in exasperation. His father in this life had fallen in that very war. He sighed and shook his head. "Liang's government has publicly stated that Liang and Jin will remain friends for generations... I doubt the Martial Academy would just stand by and let things happen." Now it was Cynthia's turn to be rendered speechless. Did he even believe his own words? She decided to change the subject. "I heard you only came to the Martial Academy to dodge Princess Yongning's search for a consort?" Wu Youren glanced at her in surprise. "Do you think a matter like that is up to me?" "Then that's strange." Cynthia blinked twice. "Someone is deliberately slandering you, then. What actually happened?" Wu Youren had no desire to talk about the messy affairs back in Hostage Manor, but letting others slander him unchecked was hardly ideal either. This rumor in particular directly accused him of scorning the Liang royal family. If someone decided to capitalize on it, they could easily blow it up into a major incident. Thus, he could only explain in broad strokes that he had been qualified to enter the Martial Academy in the first place, though he would have had to compete against other Jin hostages. But once the news of Princess Yongning choosing a consort arrived, his spot at the Martial Academy was locked in on the spot! Cynthia nodded thoughtfully. "Understood. Someone was worried you'd snatch away their chance!" Wu Youren spread his hands. "Either way, none of it was up to me." "In my opinion..." Cynthia tilted her head to look at him, nodding earnestly. "You actually had a very good shot." With that, she spun around and skipped away, buoyant and light on her feet. "I'm heading back!" Judging by her demeanor, she was unmistakably overjoyed. How could there be... such a shift in mood? Wu Youren was briefly bewildered, but the realization soon dawned on him. For a young woman, having snatched away a princess's prospective husband was evidently something worth being thrilled about. He shook his head and cast those thoughts aside. His experience points were nearly fully integrated, and tonight he intended to attempt a breakthrough. What he was breaking through wasn't a knight's realm, but a Daoist rank—after gathering qi, qi absorption, and qi nurturing came qi refining! Originally, he had tested it multiple times and figured out the corresponding path, planning to complete the breakthrough within the next few days. Now, there was all the more reason to hurry. Before a tempest struck, there was usually a rare interlude of calm; miss that window, and a step delayed could easily lead to being a step behind at every turn. The next day, it wasn't until close to noon that he stepped out of his room with a smile on his face. Fortunate for him, no one had come to disturb him throughout the process. By rights, he could head to the cafeteria to eat at this hour, but he decided against going to the cafeteria for the near future to avoid stirring up trouble. There were also various restaurants in the Martial Academy; they merely charged money, and given his current means, he didn't care about missing out on a free meal. He brought back several dishes to eat and picked up some grain and ingredients along the way, intending to do his own cooking from now on. After eating, he began stapling a damaged iron pot—not to save money, but mainly out of a desire to do things with his own hands. The caretaker heard the noise and came over to take a look. After a brief chat, he couldn't help asking, "Why do you seem a bit different today?" "I've been resting well these past couple of days," Wu Youren answered casually. "Once I fix this pot, I'll cook a few dishes for you." "You know how to cook?" The caretaker was somewhat surprised, then shook his head and muttered, "Neglecting your proper duties." In Liang, men who knew how to cook were rare indeed. No wonder Jin couldn't beat Great Liang—turns out their minds were all wrapped up in things like this. Neglecting proper duties... sounded fine to him. Wu Youren smiled and said nothing. That afternoon, he made another trip to the flea market. Besides buying sugar, he bought two more pots and some other kitchenware. He had originally planned to buy a bit more, but catching sight of three or four people walking toward him in the distance, he decisively turned on his heel and slipped away. Leading the group was none other than Sally, Viscount Jingmo's daughter. Ever since Aoliwen's death, Sally had abandoned any thoughts of moving against the Jin youth. Wu Youren shouldn't have needed to hide from her like this, but with how the wind was blowing lately, why invite unnecessary trouble? Sally hadn't noticed him, but the knight beside her was sharp-eyed. His brows twitched slightly. "Huh?" "What is it?" The viscount's daughter cast him an inquiring glance. "Wu Youren." The knight tilted his chin up slightly; he had even memorized the target's name. "That Jin hostage." He had learned of this information for more than a day or two. As for how he obtained it? That was the doing of the Life-and-Death Knot. Once they decided to retaliate, they would naturally seek out the most suitable candidate. "It's him?" A handsome, striking face surfaced in Sally's mind. She had already given up earlier, but hearing this, a spark of desire rekindled. "What noble rank does his family hold?" "Not too sure," the knight shook his head. "I had someone verify it, but they could only confirm he's indeed a hostage sent by Jin." The Life-and-Death Knot's ability to control information was truly extraordinary; if they claimed a limited leak, it was strictly limited. "It's unlikely he's a duke's son," Sally mused aloud. "A marquess, though... even a Jin marquess would be quite formidable." Although Viscount Jingmo's household had two grand knights, their noble rank was too low, and at most, she could only mingle within earl circles. Seeing her reaction, the knight felt a twinge of jealousy. "His identity is rather sensitive. I'd advise against getting too close." Sally was reluctant to let it go. An impoverished aristocratic scion, so handsome... and most importantly, he had rejected her before! What one couldn't have was always the sweetest. Knowing her temperament, the knight added in a low voice, "You could leak the news!" "Can't I bully him myself?" Sally was truly itching to take action. "One of my family's elders died in the Liang-Jin War." "He isn't locked up in Hostage Manor," the knight remarked helplessly. "Could someone who managed to enter the Martial Academy be without backing?" Wu Youren had no idea he was being targeted again—and even if he did, there was little he could do. Nonetheless, the encounter put him on his guard. Returning to his room, he set down his supplies and sent a message to Grand Knight Hong Yan. He didn't bring up anything else, merely stating that he had gathered one thousand silver dollars, with the remaining two thousand to follow once he liquidated his spoils. He intended to pay a portion of the protection fee first, asking who would be best to receive it. Instructor Hong replied shortly after: she had already returned to Red Pine—just come over and hand it to me. The chief instructor of the Martial Academy was never easy to meet, but the two had fought side by side, and he was coming to hand over money—a considerable sum, no less! Instructor Hong met him at her personal training grounds, dressed in tight martial attire, with a few people around her. Upon seeing Wu Youren enter, the others tactfully took their leave. Taking the silver dollars, Instructor Hong sized him up twice, looking somewhat surprised. "Did you... break through?" "No," Wu Youren shook his head. "I've just been resting well lately." "I have about a month of leave this time," Hong Da remarked offhandedly. "Don't go running around outside either." She had spent quite some time at the front lines, and it was finally her turn for rest. However, her implication was that she hoped to take Wu Youren along next time. That was only natural. While the Jin youth's cultivation realm was low, his perception of the Guizu was exceptionally keen, and his actual combat prowess wasn't lacking either. No one would turn away such a handy assistant. Wu Youren deliberated before answering, "I intend to stay in Red Pine for a while. I've already fulfilled this year's mandatory assignments." "Hm?" Hong Yan looked at him, her gaze chilling slightly. "What are you trying to say?" Wu Youren lowered his gaze meekly and replied, "My identity as a hostage has been leaked." "Oh," Instructor Hong nodded, keeping her voice completely calm. "So what?" "If I go to the battlefield, I'm afraid someone will stab me in the back," Wu Youren said slowly, weighing every single word. "I wouldn't care if I died fighting the Guizu, but if it's at the hands of our own kind, then in my heart..."