"Comrades chosen by the Commander himself to fight beside him to the death!"
"Yes, yes, absolutely."
"What an honor!"
"Right, an honor. A tremendous, colossal honor."
"Think of the recognition! This isn't just about combat strength. How many soldiers out there are stronger than you two right now, yet don't have the Saber Insignia on their chests?!"
"Yes, I was wrong. Let's all calm down first and let the doctors treat you."
"It's an amulet, boy! A protective talisman!"
"Okay, okay... Wait, really?!"
"Of course! Why else would they stitch it onto your combat uniform?!"
"Fair point... Now get resuscitated first. Live through this, and we'll chat next time."
The wounded veterans were finally carried away on stretchers. As they left, the doctors in the room looked at Han Qingyu as if staring at a weapon of mass destruction.
Han Qingyu watched them go, then let out a long breath. He turned to glance at the only two other people left in the ward: Wen Jifei and Wu Xu.
As for whether there was an actual source energy reward, or how much it might be, no one had given a straight answer... Which most likely meant there wasn't one, or at least nothing dictated by regulation.
Still, from the sound of it, this Commander's Insignia truly was exceptionally precious, held by very few. Aside from their strength and potential, what truly moved Chen Buer was probably their spirit—racing across the wilderness at the risk of their lives to reinforce the station, standing shoulder to shoulder with him in that bloody battle to the very end.
As for the idea of it being a protective talisman, now that it had been pointed out, the logic wasn't hard to grasp. Over ordinary squabbles, who would dare touch teammates personally chosen and awaited by Chen Buer?
Did anyone really want the old man to fight alone on a suicide mission in the future?!
*Does this mean that from now on, I can basically act like a military scoundrel whenever I want?!* Han Qingyu pondered. That, at least, seemed somewhat useful.
"Still, a suicide squad... And against something that warrants Chen Buer stepping in personally. Just imagine how terrifying it must be," he muttered.
"Yeah." Wen Jifei nodded, his expression carrying a hint of poignant reflection. "So the Commander is human after all... In the end, he still lacked the courage to take me along."
"..." Han Qingyu didn't dare laugh; laughing made his chest flare with pain. Turning to look at Wu Xu, he asked, "Wu Xu, what do you think? A suicide squad—are you going?"
"If you go, I go. I follow you," Wu Xu replied simply.
Then they would just leave it at that for now. If that day ever truly arrived, and if it proved too suicidal, at worst he could just toss his communicator away and pretend he never received the order.
Having made up his mind, Han Qingyu lay back down.
Personal orders from Commander Chen Buer were executed with astonishing efficiency. Only three days later, someone delivered Han Qingyu and Wu Xu's new combat uniforms—three sets each.
The fabric felt somewhat peculiar to the touch, though in what exact way, he couldn't quite tell at the moment. Aside from that, the cut and style were identical to ordinary combat uniforms, except for the Legion Saber Insignia emblazoned over the right chest.
The insignia was shield-shaped. Standing upright in its center was the very saber Chen Buer had used years ago to personally sever the Red Shoulder's head.
A long, straight two-handed blade, simple in construction yet rugged and heavy. The crossguard was somewhat exaggerated, and along the midsection of the blade extending toward the guard and hilt was a pair of upward-reaching wings that met and crossed at the top—like a bird sheltering its nest and protecting its young. The blank space within was filled with crimson.
That day, many of the veterans who had been following medical orders to keep their distance gathered their courage and came over to view the uniforms. The devout reverence and burning longing in their eyes made Han Qingyu sorely tempted... to sell them two sets.
At one metal block per set, selling four would mean...
Just as he was about to open his mouth, Wang Zhanpo caught the look in his eyes and the slight parting of his lips. "What are you trying to say? What do you want to do to that insignia?!"
"Nothing much, I was just thinking..." Han Qingyu reconsidered. These veterans probably didn't have any metal blocks anyway, and if he actually brought it up, would a few of them drop dead on the spot from outrage?
Fearing that a single careless remark might cause another round of mass casualties, Han Qingyu abandoned the transaction. Pausing, he finished, "I was just thinking of wishing everyone good health."
***
On the morning of the fourth day, Han Qingyu opened his eyes in his hospital bed. First, he looked at Wu Xu, who was pretending to sleep in the adjacent bunk, then at Wen Jifei, who was fast asleep like a log, and finally at Dr. Mu Qijian, who stood beside his bed, meticulously and carefully "at work."
After watching for a while and seeing that the doctor hadn't noticed he was awake, Han Qingyu had to speak up. "Dr. Mu, you're..."
"Ah?!" Mu Qijian was startled. He hurriedly yanked his hand away from Han Qingyu's chest, hid it behind his back, and clutched his clipboard with an embarrassed look. "I saw the skin on your chest peeling."
"I know."
"Yeah. Seeing it... really made me want to peel it off."
"..."
"Right." Averting his gaze, Dr. Mu quickly changed the subject and opened his notes. "Your body is recovering very rapidly. Moreover, during the healing process, the toughness of your bones seems to have improved yet again."
*Really?* Han Qingyu played it off. "Under the nourishment of source energy, isn't that normal?"
"Yes, it's normal. It's just that your increase this time seems a bit... too high?!" Mu Qijian looked up at Han Qingyu, then added, "Then again, your talent is exceptional, so it's understandable."
Han Qingyu nodded. "Thank you."
Not long after Mu Qijian left, the rattling of small cart wheels echoed outside. A nurse's trolley rolled halfway past the doorway and came to a stop. A pair of hands reached over, pulling a set of crutches from the cart.
Xiao Li leaned forward on her crutches, poked her head into the room, and giggled. "Ah, I'm bored to death. Are you guys bored? Let's chat! I brought playing cards too."
With a *clack, clack*, she hobbled in and sat down.
"With that leg of yours, how did you get over here?" Wen Jifei asked as he shuffled the deck.
"I glided over using the trolley," Xiao Li replied proudly.
Over the next few days, she came by nearly every day.
Whenever Wen Jifei grew bored, he teased her. "Aren't you afraid that hanging around here all the time will keep guys from pursuing you, and you'll never get married?"
Xiao Li shook her head, brimming with confidence. "I wear a mask whenever I step outside."
"Impressive. So has anyone actually pursued you? In the past? Or now?"
"I... Of course! Lots of them! It's just that I'm still young, so they haven't rushed to confess."
"Is that so?"
"Uh-huh."
***
On the seventh day, order at Medical Station 101 was fully restored, along with all standard communications.
Han Qingyu received a call from their squad garrison and learned that Liu Shiheng and the others had returned several days ago.
As it turned out, after driving beyond the signal-jamming perimeter that night and contacting Lao Jian to report the situation, they had driven back toward the small town. Near the He family estate, they were spotted by remaining members of the family and pursued.
"If not for Zhu Jiaming, we would've been finished," Liu Shiheng said over the line.
A wave of lingering fear washed over Han Qingyu; he felt they never should have turned back. But now was not the time to reprimand them, so he asked, "How did you manage in the end?"
"There was nowhere left to run, and neither of us could really fight. In the end, Zhu Jiaming snatched equipment and a weapon, carved an opening through the front alone, and told me to follow in the car... Once we broke out of the encirclement, he got back in on his own and took off the gear," Liu Shiheng explained.
*Zhu Jiaming? That heroic? That obedient?* That fellow was growing increasingly impossible to decipher.
"Afterward, he was the one who suggested circling around for a couple of days before heading back to the garrison. He said that if you guys couldn't handle things, going there would just be throwing our lives away."
"Yeah." Han Qingyu considered this, then asked, "Where is he now?"
"Locked up... If we don't lock him up, he just wanders around looking for chores to help with. That guy cooks amazingly well. A few of our kitchen staff have already taken him on as their master! He claimed he knows imperial court cuisine, but Captain Lao was worried he might poison the food..."
"Keep him locked up for now then. We'll deal with him after I get back."
Han Qingyu hung up the phone and looked over at Wen Jifei and Wu Xu. "What do you guys make of Zhu Jiaming's situation right now?"
"No idea," Wu Xu said.
Wen Jifei replied, "I don't know the deeper picture, but going by how he acts on the surface... it feels like he just thinks he's found himself a new employer."
Han Qingyu: "..."
Next came a call from Xin Yaoqiao, lasting over an hour. It was the longest phone conversation of Han Qingyu's entire life. Deep down, he truly had no idea how Yaoyao-huanghuang could talk for so long.
After that, Tu Zi called.
"Why are you calling too... I'm fine," Han Qingyu said straight away, assuming Tu Zi was just checking in to offer concern like Xin Yaoqiao.
"I know you're definitely fine, Brother Qingzi. You're a beast," Tu Zi chuckled on the other end, but his tone quickly shifted to grave concern. "I'm calling about something else."
"Oh... Are you ready to pay back my source energy blocks?"
"...No, that... I haven't saved enough yet."
"Then what is it?"
"Brother Qingzi, a new bounty on you was posted in the City of Iniquity a few days ago." Deep worry laced Tu Zi's voice.
The previous bounty put out by the Cleansing Faction in the City of Iniquity—three million Huaxia currency plus twenty source energy blocks—had been rejected and taken down after Han Qingyu's battle in the Nepal canyon. Han Qingyu had heard about it from Tu Zi, who explained that it no longer matched his market worth... After months of silence, had another one finally surfaced?
"How much?" Han Qingyu asked, somewhat excited.
"Fifteen million Huaxia currency, plus three metal blocks!" Fearing Han Qingyu didn't understand the gravity, Tu Zi rushed to add, "For your current strength and fame, Brother Qingzi, that's an enormous bounty! Enormous! It exceeds reasonable estimates by at least threefold!"
"Right. And?"
"It could attract top-tier masters from the upper ranks of the assassin rankings."
"Understood."
"There's one more thing. Our undercover agents over there discovered that the person who posted the bounty doesn't seem to be from the same group as before... Brother Qingzi, do you have any clues or suspicions about who would pay such an exorbitant price to take your life, who wants you dead this badly? If you do..."
"None. If I think of anything, I'll let you know."
In truth, Han Qingyu naturally had a clear idea. A bounty three times higher than expected; someone so generous, so wealthy, who desperately wanted him dead yet found it inconvenient to act directly using their own forces... There was only one suspect.
Yet could he simply go to Azure and declare that the Alphonse family—the family of the recipient of the very first Starlight Azure Medal in history, heroes of Azure, guardians of the Third Fixed Exploration Site—was trying to kill him?!
The moment that was spoken aloud, it would become a political crisis. How the situation would unravel from there was something Han Qingyu would have zero control over.
Chapter 225