Chapter 50

After the matter was settled, Mo Yin never explained to Cheng Wu and Zhang Zhi the reasons behind it. They also never asked. Mo Yin could have silenced them both to eliminate future troubles. Both of them were ordinary people. If they were interrogated in the future, they would surely not withstand the pressure and confess. Mo Yin had countless opportunities to act, yet he never did. Like any major villain, these two were just minor characters in this world at best, hardly worth his effort.

Mo Yin sat cross-legged on the bed, his hand propping up his face. After a while of contemplation, he muttered to himself indifferently, “I’m just making excuses for myself. I just don’t want to get rid of them.”

But why?

Could it be that he had developed feelings for these two characters from this small world, so he couldn’t bear to kill them?

Mo Yin frowned slightly.

After all, this small world was just a pile of low-dimensional data, not even considered life forms. How could he feel compassion for mere data?

Was he regressing? Was it because of the influence of this small world? Or was it because he had brought his spiritual power into this small world, causing some kind of reaction with the energy or bodies in this world?

This was worth being cautious about. Perhaps he should go find Cheng Wu and Zhang Zhi now and kill them both to prove his unwavering resolve.

A hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes, but it disappeared in a moment as he blinked.

If he truly had no doubts, why did he need to do anything to prove it? And he never liked forcing himself. If he didn’t want to kill someone, why should he?

Mo Yin lightly rubbed the soft skin under his eyes with his fingers, his expression cold and arrogant.

Regressing?

As a perfect natural person, even if he changed, all his changes would only point towards higher evolution. Since the direction of evolution was different from what he already knew, then one of them must be wrong.

His fingers lightly tapped rhythmically under his eyes.

Everything he knew came from external sources, but his changes were happening within himself. If one of them was wrong, then it was obvious that the one except him was wrong!

Of course, it couldn’t be ruled out that his current change was limited to this small world.

For example, in the previous world, he was very “enthusiastic,” but as soon as he entered the small world, he lost interest in that aspect.

Mo Yin looked down at his crossed legs.

So far, he hadn’t shown any interest in that aspect since coming to this world.

But recalling it in his mind, it seemed that there was no spark like in the real world.

A faint warmth seemed to emanate from his skin.

Memories of the previous world suddenly flooded back into his mind, reigniting in his body within this small world.

Mo Yin shrugged off his robe. Between coldness and desire, he decisively chose the former. Forget it, and it’s more interesting when two people do this together.

His fingers continued to lightly tap from under his eyes to the edge of his lips, and Mo Yin inadvertently drifted off.

At noon, the sunlight was bright, making everything inside the city exceptionally clear. Footsteps approached from outside, accompanied by Cheng Wu’s somewhat reluctant shout, “General He is here——”

*

From afar, Mo Yin saw He Xuan below the city gate, leading a horse. He was tall and straight, his shoulders broad and square. He was stroking the ear of the horse on one side. As if sensing someone watching, he slightly tilted his forehead, and his sharp gaze swept over. Mo Yin felt like he had instantly fallen into a deep pool, but soon, ripples formed on the water, and He Xuan smiled.

“General.”

Mo Yin walked slowly over, bowing respectfully, his subordinate’s demeanor impeccable.

The smile on He Xuan’s face slowly faded.

Both were intelligent individuals.

Mo Yin’s sudden return to Yongcheng was because he sensed He Xuan’s suspicion of his private soldiers and deliberately left the camp for a while to clarify his own situation. After entering the camp, every action he took was commendable, never making a mistake. Would Mo Yin hold a grudge for being suspected despite his obedience? What Mo Yin didn’t know was that He Xuan also harbored suspicions about him.

The whip in his hand suddenly became tight. He Xuan asked, “You’ve been in Yongcheng for a few days. When are you going back to the camp?”

Mo Yin lowered his hand from the salute and stood upright, looking straight into He Xuan’s eyes, straightforward and honest, “It depends on General’s wishes.”

“My wishes…” He Xuan’s expression shifted slightly, meeting Mo Yin’s gaze with equal candor, “Today, come back with me to the camp. Tomorrow, we’ll gather troops and expand the camp.”

Mo Yin’s frozen expression slowly melted away, replaced by a faint smile on his face. As their eyes met, it seemed that all the previous suspicions and probes had vanished into thin air.

“Well then, I’ll comply.”

Cheng Wu knew as soon as He Xuan arrived that Mo Yin needed to return to the camp. Without showing any reluctance, he handed the reins to Mo Yin. There was a hint of concern in his expression. “Take care.”

Mo Yin didn’t respond. He took the reins, mounted the horse, and only after tightening them did he say, “You too.”

In the vast desert, the two horses moved slowly. He Xuan asked, “Was it that person who saved you back then?”

“Yeah.”

“With your skills, how did you end up in the hands of barbarians?”

He Xuan had asked this question once before. Now he asked again, but there was no imposing tone in his voice, just like a friend, even with a hint of earnestness. He initiated the conversation, hoping Mo Yin would be honest.

“Got ambushed,” Mo Yin’s answer was the same as before, but there was a touch more cold desolation in his words. “Sometimes, no matter how skilled you are, you still fall victim to ambushes.”

The conversation halted for a few moments. He Xuan suddenly said, “The camp is still far away. How about we have a horse race? Let’s see who gets to the camp first?”

Mo Yin looked at him, slightly surprised. “General, are you serious?”

He Xuan maintained his usual stern expression, raising an eyebrow at him. “Do I look like someone who jokes around?”

Just then, a gust of wind blew, stirring up some sand. Mo Yin raised his sleeve to shield his face and coughed lightly twice. “The sandstorm is too strong. General, spare me.”

He Xuan remembered Mo Yin’s cough and immediately looked apologetic. “Sorry, I forgot. Let’s return slowly…”

Before he finished speaking, Mo Yin beside him suddenly whipped his horse, his cloak billowing in the wind. He left behind a phrase, “All’s fair in war,” and a smile as he glanced back, then he and his horse disappeared into the distance.

He Xuan stood still, watching the small black dot in the wind. A wave of relief washed over him, and he laughed, then he chased after him.

*

After this parting, He Xuan decided in his heart never to doubt Mo Yin again. After returning to the camp, he assigned a thousand more men to Mo Yin as agreed, all with horses, to be trained under Mo Yin.

After the barbarian tribes suffered heavy losses, the remaining tribes were deterred and refrained from acting recklessly throughout the winter.

Inside the camp, He Xuan didn’t slack off either. He continued to stockpile supplies and train soldiers. However, the monotonous camp life finally gained a bit of excitement one day.

When He Xuan was playing chess alone in his tent, Mo Yin came to discuss matters. Seeing the chessboard on his desk, Mo Yin exclaimed, “General, do you play chess?”

He Xuan’s chess skills were taught by his father, He Qingsong, who was once a renowned master. He could only be defeated by ghosts and emperors. He Xuan inherited his father’s true teachings and defeated He Qingsong at the age of nine, causing He Qingsong to laugh and say, “My son’s chess is unpredictable.”

Unpredictable, but Mo Yin could predict.

“General,” Mo Yin held two chess pieces in his hand, “are you willing to surrender?”

He Xuan shook his head, his eyes fixed on the chessboard. “There’s still a way out.”

Mo Yin smiled, then reached out and touched the chessboard. “Here!” His two fingers collided with each other, cold and warm, with distinct sensations. As they locked eyes, it seemed there was also a difference between cold and warmth.

Mo Yin withdrew his hand. “General has sharp eyes, finding a way out.”

He Xuan also withdrew his hand and glanced briefly at the chessboard. “In the end, I’ll still lose,” he said generously. “Your chess skills far surpass mine. I concede.”

Mo Yin smiled faintly and dropped the two chess pieces in his hand with a clatter. He eagerly stuffed his hands back into his sleeves.

He Xuan tidied up the chessboard and noticed Mo Yin’s hands firmly tucked into his sleeves, not showing any skin. “Why are your hands always so cold?”

“Old illness.”

“Is the cough also an old illness?”

“Yeah.”

“Have you seen a doctor?”

“It’s congenital,” Mo Yin thought about his physical condition that came with entering the small world, saying it was congenital wasn’t entirely false. “Can’t be cured.”

He Xuan poured the chess pieces into the jar with a clatter. “If it can’t be cured, there’s always a way to manage it.”

“How to manage it here? We’re here to fight, not to enjoy.” Mo Yin’s lips moved lightly up and down, and He Xuan noticed that the color of his lips was paler than usual.

He Xuan looked pensive. “I’ll be going home in a few days. Do you want to come with me? I know a renowned doctor who might be able to help you manage it.”

“No need.”

Mo Yin directly refused, then added, “General, why do you suddenly need to go back? What about the affairs in the camp?”

“I’ll leave them to you and the other commanders.”

“Understood.”

He Xuan didn’t tell Mo Yin why he suddenly returned home. After He Xuan left the camp, Mo Yin learned the truth from the other generals.

“General He is young. How can he waste his youth in this sandy place with us old rough folks?”

“The Old Marshal is anxious and wants him back to take a look.”

“Take a look?”

“Letters have been coming one after another. Everyone in the camp knows about it.”

To avoid arousing suspicion in He Xuan, Mo Yin usually had little interaction with these people, so he truly didn’t know that this was common knowledge throughout the camp.

So, He Xuan went home to see a girl.

Mo Yin couldn’t help but ponder in his tent. What if He Xuan took a liking to her? Would He Xuan gain another source of support?

Mo Yin realized he had made a very obvious mistake. Protagonists with love were like being buffed. Killing them became much more difficult. But it wasn’t necessarily him who had to provide that buff!

If He Xuan obtained this buff from someone else, then to make the protagonist collapse, he would also have to destroy the protagonist’s lover. But what if—hate was more powerful than love!

There were plenty of antagonists who killed the protagonist’s beloved, only for the protagonist to transform and gain a new buff called “Death Target.” Mo Yin had seen this buff’s devastating power in certain training world segments, where a protagonist who lost their beloved suddenly went berserk and easily killed the antagonist who was originally much stronger.

Back then, he found it ridiculous, thinking the plot was so false it didn’t make sense. But now, having experienced the previous world, he understood more and more about “feelings.” He couldn’t help but be more cautious.

Mo Yin paced back and forth in his tent with the hand warmer in his hand. The progress of his usurpation had only reached 25%, and He Xuan was about to increase his intensity from another angle.

Very well, very challenging.

Mo Yin sat down on the bed, his brows slightly furrowed.

Either…

Mo Yin lightly gestured in the air with his palm, his eyes flashing with cold light, assuming a posture of striking down with a knife.

After a while, he sighed and slowly lowered his hand.

No, it wouldn’t work.

With the current situation, even if he managed to eliminate He Xuan, it would still inevitably affect his plans.

Mo Yin lay down on the bed.

Thinking back and forth, he was in a dilemma.

The protagonist of this world was indeed a bit tricky to deal with.

*

A few days later, the camp ushered in the new year. The soldiers couldn’t go home and could only continue to guard the border. To dispel homesickness, various lively activities and competitions were held in each camp, such as archery, boxing, and some other unconventional things.

The Yingfu Army now had two thousand men. Mo Yin strictly instructed them not to interact with other soldiers. He trained them according to the standards of professional soldiers, the more ruthless and merciless, the better. On the battlefield, they were to treat all enemies like slaughtering cattle and sheep.

Outside, there was a bustling atmosphere, but the Yingfu Army remained quiet. Inside his tent, Mo Yin drank alone, with Zhou Yong waiting by his side.

“Would you like to go out and have some fun?” Mo Yin suddenly said.

Zhou Yong was taken aback, a hint of struggle in his eyes. After a moment, he said, “Yes.”

Mo Yin raised his eyes, seeing the ashamed expression on Zhou Yong’s face. He had accepted Mo Yin’s training and worked hard to forge himself into a sharp blade, but all thoughts were supposed to be eliminated, leaving only hatred in his mind. However, he was still human after all. In such times, how could his heart be as hard as iron?

“You’re truly honest.”

“I dare not speak nonsense in front of the Military Advisor.”

Mo Yin took a sip of wine, his lips curling slightly. “In that case, I must reward your honesty.”

Just as the soldiers outside were getting excited, they suddenly noticed that the Yingfu Army was opening its camp. Although the soldiers in the Yingfu Army came from various camps before joining, they still had acquaintances in the camp. Since joining the Yingfu Army, they had been cut off from the outside world. Now, as they left the camp, the brave and formidable soldiers of the Yingfu Army appeared somewhat uneasy. The shouts from both sides momentarily stopped, as if an invisible barrier separated them. In the next moment, the soldiers outside excitedly shouted the names of the soldiers from the Yingfu Army and rushed over to greet them.

“You! We haven’t seen you since you joined the Yingfu Army. You’re amazing, joining the Yingfu Army! Let me see your military uniform—”

Apologies for the oversight. Let me correct that:

“Quick, let me see what skills you’ve learned in the Yingfu Army! Come on, shoot these steamed buns!”

“Erhu, you’ve gained some muscle. The food in the Yingfu Army seems pretty good!”

…

The two groups of people mingled together, and it became hard to distinguish between them in a moment.

Mo Yin stood back and watched from afar, feeling the cold wind on his face but not feeling cold.

“Military Advisor.”

Zhou Yong eagerly joined, bowing cautiously. “Why don’t you go and have some fun too? Many people in the camp are still talking about your skills on the archery field.”

On the archery field, surrounded by people, Mo Yin took off his cloak, tied a red scarf around his eyes, pulled back the bowstring, and shot an arrow straight through the frozen steamed bun, instantly earning cheers from the crowd.

“Military Advisor—”

“Military Advisor—”

“Military Advisor—”

The shouts echoed through the sky, and the light from the torches surrounded the entire army. Mo Yin put down his bow, but then he heard someone excitedly shout, “The General is back!” He listened for the direction of the voice, turned his head slightly, and pulled the red scarf from his eyes. He saw He Xuan in white robes, riding a red horse, dusty and smiling at him at the end of the dispersing soldiers.