“Good sir, many thanks for your aid!” Yu Jingfeng returned to stand before Zhan Qingcheng and Feng Jiu’er, giving Mu Mu a cupped-fist salute.

Yet he remained planted in front of them, a measure of wariness still visible in his eyes.

He had not been able to read Mu Mu’s true skill before. Now that he knew, he could not quite settle his unease.

A fighter of this caliber, concealing himself among the new recruits of the Longwu Army — what person of such ability would willingly hide himself as a rank-and-file soldier? What purpose lay behind that concealment, no one could say. If he harbored ill intentions right now, both His Highness and Young Miss Ninth would be in grave peril.

Mu Mu opened his mouth to speak — and as he did, a thin thread of blood slipped from the corner of his lips.

He raised the back of his hand and casually wiped it away, then simply nodded and stepped back several paces, putting distance between himself and Zhan Qingcheng and Feng Jiu’er.

Yu Jingfeng’s heart gave an uneasy lurch. “Forgive me…”

“It is nothing. Official Yu was only acting out of deep concern for his charge — that, I understand completely.”

Mu Mu’s breathing had not yet returned to normal. Each time he opened his mouth, blood seeped out again.

Several measured breaths later — after quite some time had passed — it eased somewhat.

He looked at Yu Jingfeng and said evenly, “I am a disciple of Master Wuyou. The reason I concealed my true ability is that I knew I could be selected into the Longqi Army even without showing my full skill.”

“As for the future — once I have distinguished myself in battle, I will naturally make my abilities known. Why expose myself now and invite a host of hostile eyes?”

Yu Jingfeng let out a quiet breath. Young as this man was — he could not be more than twenty-two or twenty-three — he already possessed this degree of measured composure. It was truly rare.

A tall tree invites the wind. Better to advance steadily and build upon a solid foundation. With genuine ability, one will always reach the summit in time.

There was nothing to fault in what Mu Mu had said.

The powerful enemy was gone. Even so, everyone remained in their defensive formation around His Highness, refusing to let their guard slip. A fighter of that caliber was admittedly rare — but what if another came?

No one could guarantee that it would not happen.

The color in Feng Jiu’er’s face, still cradled in Zhan Qingcheng’s arms, had improved slightly. The deathly pallor of before was giving way, little by little, to a faint trace of warmth.

Mu Mu wanted to go to her, but this was the critical moment of the Ninth Prince’s qi channeling — no one could afford to disturb them.

Yu Jingfeng’s heart ached. Yet they had already come this far — to interrupt now would put both lives at risk.

They were committed. There was no turning back.

The Ninth Prince’s complexion had moved beyond pale. It had become the ashen grey of someone hovering on death’s threshold — the color of a man whose life was nearly spent.

If one had never seen it before, it would be impossible to imagine that a person’s face could take on such a hue.

Yu Jingfeng’s hand was clenched tight. He watched His Highness’s face grow ever darker — and then wheeled around to look at the soldier nearest to him.

He tore off his own command token and thrust it into the man’s hands. “Rally the brothers. Set out immediately for the border city.”

“Official Yu, the Prince is in this condition — how can he possibly make the journey to the border city? It would be no different from sending him to his death.”

“Move!” Yu Jingfeng said sharply.

The man hesitated no further. He steeled himself, turned on his heel, and left.

Within the formation that surrounded and protected them, those two figures remained motionless and still. Both pale, both drained — yet pressed against one another, they formed a picture of quiet, aching beauty.

At some point, Zhan Qingcheng had placed a token in her hand. His voice, roughened and low, was more devastatingly captivating than ever.

“With this, you can command all the Longwu Army students of the military academy. When this Prince is no longer at your side — learn to protect yourself.”

Those were the last words Feng Jiu’er heard. After that, a wave of scorching heat surged into the very center of her heart. Her breath scattered — and she fell into complete unconsciousness.