For the next few days, Mu Yuan didn't seek out Ling Yan, and Ling Yan diligently fed the horses.
The conditions on Snowgate Island were truly terrible. The horses, like the people, were skin and bones. When he had gone to the food storage cellar with Mu Yuan last time, all he had seen were radishes, cabbage, and potatoes. No wonder someone with his questionable background had managed to infiltrate the Mu family army with just a wild boar.
That boar had provided soup with its large bones for a whole week, leaving hardly any residue.
But at least it offered a bit of meat. Now, the brothers in the Mu family army greeted Ling Yan with the same warmth they would greet fragrant, oily meat.
Especially Hou San, who had practically become Ling Yan's devoted fanboy, running to the stables three to five times a day just to chat with him.
Of course, Ling Yan hadn't just been feeding horses for these past few days.
The Mu family army was under royal decree, and none of them could step half a foot off Snowgate Island. So even though there were wild animals in the nearby mountains that could be hunted for food, no one could go.
But Ling Yan was an exception.
He had now established himself in the Mu family army as Mu Ling. Besides the wild boar taking most of the credit, a significant part of the reason was that he came from the Silver Continent.
This explosive news had spread like wildfire within the Mu family army.
The brothers in the Mu family army all held a genuine respect for him.
Ling Yan hadn't expected that the "hometown" he had casually made up that day would become such a valuable asset.
From the unreliable young Hou San's account, it seemed that everyone from the Silver Continent was some kind of superhuman, almost like having three heads and six arms.
Besides these, there was the most crucial point.
And on this point, Mei in Ling Yan's consciousness space had the most to say.
Everyone knew that even as a small member of the Prison Star police team, Ling Yan had been a notorious troublemaker.
Rules and discipline were for obedient children.
Ling Yan had his own sense of justice and standards for judging things. Once he felt that the relevant policies set by Prison Star violated his sense of morality or broke the fairness he upheld, he would not hesitate to stand up and break or correct them.
Like now.
Ling Yan, carrying his sword, left Snowgate Island alone.
Before leaving, he took a few empty burlap sacks and several bundles of relatively sturdy straw rope. His steps were light, and he walked upstream along the small river from last time, whistling a tune.
After Li Qiu reported Ling Yan's whereabouts, Mu Yuan, who was holding a pen, paused. Without raising his eyes, he continued writing something and casually hummed in acknowledgment.
"Understood. Check the time. The end of the month is approaching. The spiky-scaled beast's sudden attack a few days ago suggests there might be some changes. Tell the brothers to be vigilant."
"Yes, General. Elder Qin is looking for you. Are you still not going to see him?"
Mu Yuan's face darkened, and he put down his pen. "Let him in."
Mu Yuan's original residence had been destroyed by the spiky-scaled beast. The place he had been staying for the past few days was a temporary tent.
Qin Wei entered the tent, brushed the snow off his body, and nodded to Li Qiu as a greeting.
Li Qiu added some firewood to the warm stove beside Mu Yuan and then exited his temporary tent.
He could tell that his General was actually angry, and at the revered Elder Qin no less. This was truly abnormal.
Qin Wei had the same feeling as Li Qiu. The General he had watched grow up, the General who had never raised his voice to him, was now angry at him because of an outsider and hadn't spoken a word to him for a week.
"Is the General's health much better now?"
"Yes, thank you for your concern, Elder Qin. I am already fine."
Mu Yuan looked at Qin Wei and gestured to the chair in front of his desk, indicating for him to sit.
Qin Wei pulled out the chair and slowly sat down. After hesitating several times, he spoke to Mu Yuan apologetically:
"General, are you still blaming this old man for taking it upon himself to put the Bewilderment Pill in young Ling's tea?"
Seeing Qin Wei's earnest attitude, Mu Yuan's heart softened involuntarily.
"It's good that Elder Qin understands."
Hearing the easing in his tone, Qin Wei immediately began to lament with feigned grievance, saying how he had gone to great lengths for his safety, only to be misunderstood.
"General, that young Ling is clearly deeply hidden. This old man has seen countless people and has never misjudged anyone. Just his act of rushing towards that spiky-scaled beast at the critical moment, dragging you and the wild boar back from Qing Pine Ridge all by himself—that kind of drive, that ruthlessness, such a combination of intelligence and courage, I knew that young man was no ordinary person.
Furthermore, young Ling used some method to knock the Imperial Advisor unconscious. I had to pierce several major acupoints on the Imperial Advisor before he woke up! This shows his cunning and viciousness."
"And then there's the Fallen Immortal Powder you were poisoned with, General. You should know what state you were in at the time. That young man was clearly present, yet he remained completely unmoved seeing you like that. Such composure..."
Mu Yuan rolled his eyes, coughed lightly, and interrupted Qin Wei. "Elder Qin."
"Oh, oh, I accidentally spoke my doubts aloud. General, haven't you thought about these things? After the Imperial Advisor's incident, you've become wary of the King, but why would you trust and tolerate this person of unknown origin so much? This old man's Bewilderment Pill wouldn't cause him the slightest physical harm, but at least it could make him tell the truth, so we could probe his background..."
Mu Yuan looked at the old physician earnestly advising him, and his heart was touched.
But he couldn't explain to anyone, not even to his most loyal subordinate, "Mu Yuan," that he knew Ling Yan's true identity.
So he sighed.
"I know Elder Qin acts with discretion, and your starting point is definitely for my sake. But please rest assured about Mu Ling's matter. I know what I'm doing."
Qin Wei stroked his beard and sighed.
It didn't make sense, this inexplicable trust the General had.
Suddenly, as if something had occurred to him, Qin Wei frowned, raised his eyes, and stared at Mu Yuan. "General, could it be... could it be that you're captivated by his handsome looks, his tall and straight figure, his outstanding martial arts skills, that you've been bewitched by his beauty?"
Mu Yuan was amused by Qin Wei's words. "How are his martial arts outstanding? I've recently heard the brothers talking during training breaks, saying that Li Qiu knocked him flying with a single move."
Qin Wei twitched the corner of his lips. "General, I think you've changed."
Mu Yuan's smile froze, then he leaned back in his chair, completely relaxed. "Oh? How have I changed?"
"I refuse to believe that you can't see young Ling's true strength."
Mu Yuan felt a sense of relief in his heart.
Ling Yan's true strength?
No one understood it better than he did.
"Elder Qin, I know what kind of person Mu Ling is, and I haven't been bewitched by him. Rest assured. Li Qiu just said that Mu Ling went to Qing Pine Ridge alone today."
"What?"
Qin Wei's graying eyebrows furrowed deeply. He was filled with doubt about Ling Yan's purpose in going to Qing Pine Ridge.
Initially, Qin Wei had been suspicious of Ling Yan's identity, thinking that his selfless act of saving Mu Yuan was just to gain trust. Now, he had successfully achieved his goal through saving Mu Yuan, bringing him back, and cooking meat for everyone, among other things.
But Qin Wei didn't trust him.
So he had added the Bewilderment Pill to his tea, wanting to use the drug to control him, make him lose his inhibitions, so he could ask him a few key questions and get honest answers.
However, Ling Yan had always been cautious and hadn't drunk Qin Wei's drugged tea.
This made Qin Wei even more uneasy about him.
But just now, Mu Yuan said he had gone to Qing Pine Ridge again.
Qin Wei couldn't understand it, because it made no sense at all.
Why would he go to such great lengths, take such a risk, to go to Qing Pine Ridge again?
"Let's wait and see, Elder Qin. You will soon know the answer regarding Mu Ling's character and his purpose.
But, I am willing to believe that he is the person we have been waiting for all along."