Chapter 140: Arrival
Nan Yu didn't want to think about Bai Zhouyun at all.
But now he had no choice.
If Bai Zhouyun really had returned from the future just like he had...
Then no one could predict how many disasters would unfold.
This time, Bai Zhouyun had exchanged the secret of Nan Yu possessing the Nianshen Grass for an enormous amount of money and status within that organization.
But what would happen after he spent it all on his extravagant lifestyle?
Would he realize how easy it was to make money this way and continue trading with that organization over and over again?
Before Nan Yu died in his previous life, Bai Zhouyun had already risen to an extremely high position within the Empire.
The secrets he knew far exceeded what most people could imagine.
Perhaps that organization would also try to squeeze even more secrets out of him.
If that happened, they'd secretly arrange for people to get close to him, accelerating the rate at which he burned through his fortune.
For example, dragging him into gambling.
Or taking him to every luxurious, outrageously expensive place imaginable.
No matter how much money he had, it would disappear quickly.
Nan Yu knew exactly what kind of person Bai Zhouyun was.
If he became addicted to gambling or accustomed to a life of excessive luxury, then once his money ran out, he would inevitably do everything possible to obtain more.
And the easiest way for him to earn a fortune would already be right in front of him.
He had tried it once before.
He had made a fortune with astonishing ease.
Nan Yu's thoughts spiraled wildly.
If Bai Zhouyun really had been the one who leaked his secret...
Then no matter what happened, Nan Yu had to become a High-Tier Mental Power User as quickly as possible.
Only then would he truly possess the strength to protect himself.
Even if Yu Lanfeng wasn't by his side, if those people tried to ambush him and kidnap him during a brief opening, he'd still be able to deal with them calmly.
Although he could already project his mental power to attack, he was still only a Mid-Tier Mental Power User.
He hadn't yet recovered the overwhelming strength he'd possessed at his peak in his previous life.
Too slow.
Everything was still too slow.
He needed to become stronger.
Faster.
Much faster.
Lost in those chaotic thoughts, Nan Yu's expression gradually darkened.
Yu Lanfeng had just walked in.
The moment he noticed Nan Yu's face, he frowned with concern and walked over.
"What's wrong?"
Nan Yu snapped back to reality.
"Nothing."
"It's just... this whole situation is too complicated."
"I don't even know whether the people targeting me really belong to that organization."
"As for whether Bai Zhouyun is involved..."
"...it's still only speculation."
And if his speculation turned out to be entirely correct...
Then the crisis awaiting them would be far worse than anything they currently imagined.
Suddenly, something occurred to him.
In his previous life, Yu Lanfeng had eventually lost his position because of problems with his Mental Sea.
Bai Zhouyun had overtaken him.
Many of the border regions once defended by Yu Lanfeng's legion had later been handed over to Bai Zhouyun's forces.
So...
If Bai Zhouyun truly had returned from the future...
Wouldn't Yu Lanfeng's border defenses become one of his primary targets?
Although Bai Zhouyun probably didn't know about Nan Yu's relationship with Yu Lanfeng yet...
Yu Lanfeng had played a major role in rescuing Nan Yu previously.
That organization could easily investigate the traces left behind by Yu Lanfeng's covert operations.
Once they discovered he and Nan Yu were together...
There was no need to wonder what Bai Zhouyun would do in his rage.
Nan Yu couldn't help clenching his fists.
If only they could find Bai Zhouyun and simply eliminate him once and for all...
"Brother," Nan Yu suddenly asked, "didn't you say before that you'd found Bai Zhouyun's whereabouts?"
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"That's right."
"He's currently living on a planet belonging to a small nation."
"His lifestyle is unbelievably extravagant."
"He spends money as though it's worthless."
"He'll casually burn through enormous sums without blinking."
He paused.
"Why bring him up all of a sudden?"
"The organization's intelligence network definitely isn't that simple."
"It doesn't necessarily mean they learned about you from Bai Zhouyun."
"They could have discovered clues elsewhere and eventually traced them back to you."
Nan Yu shook his head.
"Brother."
"That doesn't make sense."
"If it wasn't him..."
"Then where did his fake identity come from?"
"And where did all his money come from?"
"Are you saying the organization rescued him and then generously gave him a fortune for free?"
"He must have paid them something."
"And what else could possibly be valuable enough?"
He looked directly into Yu Lanfeng's eyes.
"Brother..."
"I'm certain it has something to do with my Nianshen Grass."
"I'm absolutely sure."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"You're right."
"But thinking about it now won't solve anything."
"The country where Bai Zhouyun is hiding is hostile to the Empire."
"It's only a small nation, and although we're enemies, our two countries have never actually gone to war."
"We simply don't interact."
"The border remains completely sealed."
"The intelligence we received was already quite old."
"He's probably been living like this for some time."
"And he'll most likely continue selling more secrets."
Nan Yu fell silent.
Fine.
Yu Lanfeng had already realized all of this.
So he'd been worrying for nothing.
The only thing Yu Lanfeng probably couldn't imagine was that Bai Zhouyun also knew his legion's border deployment almost as well as he did.
Nan Yu frowned deeply.
"Just in case..."
"I think the deployment patterns across every border sector should be changed."
"I know those are military secrets."
"Normally Bai Zhouyun shouldn't know them."
"But it's better to prepare for the worst."
Yu Lanfeng smiled.
"You don't need to worry about that."
"Didn't Ye Xing and Zhang Wei come back with us?"
"They've spent this entire time researching all sorts of strange inventions."
"Many of them have already reached the prototype stage."
"I'm already reorganizing the deployment patterns and personnel assignments throughout the legion."
"Many things have to change."
"But we have to do it gradually."
"If we change too much at once, it'll only create unnecessary chaos."
Nan Yu blinked.
Right...
He had almost forgotten about those two.
They'd been hidden away so well that he hadn't heard a single thing about them until now.
"I placed them in the Research Department," Yu Lanfeng explained.
"I had a private laboratory built specifically for them."
"They can experiment however they like."
"If they need assistants, they only have to ask."
"If they don't, no one will disturb them."
Nan Yu briefly considered warning the Empire's other legions to strengthen their own border defenses.
But after another thought, he gave up.
He now belonged to Yu Lanfeng's legion.
If he suddenly ran to another legion and warned them about foreign enemies while telling them to change their defensive deployments...
It would practically be seen as a deliberate provocation.
It simply wasn't appropriate.
After thinking it over, Nan Yu abandoned the idea.
Bai Zhouyun would definitely target Yu Lanfeng's legion first.
That much was certain.
They should worry about themselves before anyone else.
Besides...
If the Empire truly collapsed simply because Bai Zhouyun leaked some information...
Then it would be far too weak.
Especially now that Yu Lanfeng's legion had all the inventions Ye Xing was producing.
That was like adding wings to a tiger.
The more Nan Yu thought about it, the more he felt that the catastrophic future he'd imagined might never actually happen.
Reality was different.
Everyone was constantly improving.
His mood immediately brightened.
"I guess I really was overthinking."
"No matter what..."
"Our legion is the strongest."
"We'll definitely protect the Empire."
Seeing the change in Nan Yu's expression, Yu Lanfeng smiled.
"Then hurry up and finish the rest of your preparations."
"We'll be departing in a few days."
Nan Yu blinked.
"Didn't the departure date move up?"
"It did."
"Ye Xing has already completed a large number of finished products."
"They've entered mass production."
"We need to take them to the border as quickly as possible and test their performance in actual combat."
"If the results are good..."
"We'll greatly increase production."
Initially, everything would only be supplied within Yu Lanfeng's legion.
Only after every unit in the legion had been equipped would they begin selling the equipment to other legions.
Eventually...
It could become an enormous business.
Nan Yu had nothing left to say.
He might as well finish packing and prepare to leave the Capital Star.
As for Yang Zhou...
There was no need to worry.
As long as he stayed where he was and didn't wander around recklessly, nothing would happen.
Even if he occasionally left his residence, he'd most likely still be safe.
The previous infiltration into the family residential building had only succeeded because of countless coincidences.
The infiltrator's unusual mental abilities had been one reason.
His identity had been another.
Only the combination of many unlikely circumstances had produced that incident.
Yu Lanfeng's headquarters on the Capital Star wasn't somewhere enemies could infiltrate so easily.
If it really were that simple, the entire Empire would already be riddled with holes.
Days passed one after another.
Nan Yu gradually increased the amount of time he spent studying with Professor Liu from three hours a day to five.
He wanted to learn as much as possible before leaving.
Even then...
There still wasn't enough time.
"Professor Liu."
"I probably won't be able to come after today or tomorrow."
"I hope you'll take better care of yourself."
"Continuing to study and improve yourself is wonderful..."
"But you also need to look after your health."
Professor Liu waved him off impatiently.
"I know, I know."
"Stop saying it."
"I've heard it so many times these past few days my ears are getting calluses."
"Let's exchange contact information."
"If you have questions later, just start a video call."
"I'll answer whatever you want."
After a brief hesitation, Nan Yu exchanged contact information with him.
But he had already decided he wouldn't use it while serving with the military.
It was merely something to comfort Professor Liu.
The professor himself might never misuse it.
But that didn't mean rats hiding in the shadows wouldn't monitor his communications.
If someone traced a conversation with Professor Liu to determine Nan Yu's location...
That would be dangerous.
Because Nan Yu's location was Yu Lanfeng's location.
And Yu Lanfeng's location was the headquarters of the border command.
Nan Yu absolutely refused to endanger Yu Lanfeng because of his own carelessness.
Seeing that it was time to leave, Nan Yu stood.
"Professor Liu."
"I'll be going."
"I probably can't come tomorrow."
"When I have time again, I'll definitely come visit."
Professor Liu snorted.
"Go already."
"I'm just an old man."
"I'm not worried about you."
"If you die before I do..."
"Maybe we'll meet again in the afterlife."
"I can keep teaching you there."
Nan Yu couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth.
He didn't argue.
Instead...
He found Professor Liu increasingly adorable.
This hospital stay had revealed the old professor's true personality.
That had been an unexpected reward.
"In that case..."
"I'll be off."
"Professor Liu."
"I'll come see you again after I return."
"Bye."
Nan Yu left.
Professor Liu quietly watched his departing figure until the ward door closed.
The smile disappeared instantly.
Everything suddenly felt boring again.
The only student he'd truly taken a liking to...
Would never inherit his legacy.
After all...
Nan Yu was a Mental Power User.
Nothing could be more frustrating.
Professor Liu thought about Du Enyun.
He was certainly an excellent student.
But after seeing someone as talented as Nan Yu...
Looking back at Du Enyun...
The gap felt enormous.
So enormous that he couldn't possibly view him the same way as before.
Maybe that was unfair to Du Enyun.
But he was the professor.
Wasn't it his right to choose the disciple he liked most?
Besides...
He had only admired Du Enyun.
He'd never officially accepted him as a disciple.
Strictly speaking...
Du Enyun had only ever been a promising student.
So he hadn't done anything wrong.
"I didn't do anything wrong!"
After muttering to himself several more times, Professor Liu slowly drifted off to sleep.
Some time later, Du Enyun appeared outside the ward.
Looking through the window in the door, he saw Professor Liu sleeping peacefully.
Rather than disturb him, he handed the things he'd brought to one of the nurses, asking her to deliver them after the professor woke up.
Only then did he leave.
Nan Yu, of course, had no idea Du Enyun had visited after he'd gone.
He returned to his residence as quickly as possible.
That very day, he secretly departed headquarters together with Yu Lanfeng and boarded a spacecraft.
"I thought we weren't leaving until tomorrow or the day after?"
"We're departing tomorrow."
"We're simply heading to the spaceport a day early."
"When the time comes tomorrow, the people picking us up will arrive."
"When they do..."
"Just stay with me."
Nan Yu smiled.
"Don't worry."
Once again, he gazed at the breathtaking planet beneath him.
At the magnificent sea of stars stretching endlessly through space.
Every time he saw it...
He felt incredibly small.
Yet humanity had created weapons capable of threatening entire planets.
So who, exactly, was truly insignificant?
The spacecraft departed silently.
It had been equipped with one of Ye Xing's inventions.
After further improvements, however, it no longer consumed the ship's lifespan like the original version.
Back then, Ye Xing had only managed to produce a rough concept before running out of time.
Now...
Time was the one thing he had in abundance.
"So you're saying..."
"Unless someone sees the ship with their own eyes..."
"No machine or sensor can detect it?"
Nan Yu asked casually.
On top of that, holographic technology concealed the vessel's appearance.
Now...
Even seeing it with the naked eye had become nearly impossible.
The more Nan Yu thought about it, the more terrifying Yu Lanfeng's legion became.
If that organization really tried using everything Bai Zhouyun revealed against them...
The ones who'd suffer would undoubtedly be themselves.
Not Yu Lanfeng's side.
The journey to the spaceport passed without incident.
Nan Yu and Yu Lanfeng waited inside the most heavily concealed lounge for the people sent to receive them.
Numerous guards remained hidden nearby.
This was also the Capital Star's only civilian spaceport open to the outside world.
People came and went constantly.
The crowds were impossible to count.
Although that naturally increased the risk...
It also made them much easier to hide.
Nan Yu lay on the bed resting.
Yu Lanfeng sat beside him, continuously reviewing information on his terminal.
He looked extremely busy.
Nan Yu understood why.
The Ability Beasts along the border were undoubtedly becoming more active again.
Reports from every region were increasing.
Although many situations could be handled by the local officers, countless decisions still required Yu Lanfeng's approval.
For example...
The newly developed equipment.
Nearly every squad wanted it.
But because production had only just begun, the first batch was extremely limited.
There simply wasn't enough to distribute.
Yu Lanfeng's current task was rejecting every request one by one while assigning each unit a place in the queue.
Priority was determined by both application time and the danger level of their assigned sector.
The most dangerous regions naturally received the highest priority.
Areas facing similar danger levels were sorted according to when they had submitted their requests.
In short...
Until the new equipment had completed all field testing and been confirmed completely safe...
No one would receive even a single unit.
Yu Lanfeng handled documents astonishingly quickly.
In just over two hours, he had finished everything.
Turning around, he found Nan Yu asleep on the bed.
He hadn't even changed clothes or pulled up the blanket.
With a helpless smile, Yu Lanfeng changed him into pajamas, laid him down properly, and tucked him in.
The scene looked surprisingly warm.
Nan Yu was eventually awakened by Yu Lanfeng.
Still half asleep, his head felt fuzzy.
Soon he realized...
He was swaying gently.
His eyes snapped open.
The first thing he saw was Yu Lanfeng.
"What happened?"
Since it was Yu Lanfeng, there obviously wasn't a problem.
Only then did he realize he was wearing different clothes.
Yu Lanfeng must have changed them.
His face immediately warmed.
But now wasn't the time to blush.
"The people who came to pick us up are here?"
"Why didn't you wake me?"
Yu Lanfeng answered calmly,
"This was faster."
"Just keep sleeping."
"It's nothing important."
"Put me down."
"This looks terrible."
Yu Lanfeng clearly disagreed.
He continued carrying Nan Yu, pretending he was still asleep.
No matter what Nan Yu said, he refused to let him down.
And so...
Yu Lanfeng carried him all the way onto the massive starship.
In front of everyone.
Nan Yu could clearly feel countless pairs of eyes fixed on them.
His entire body stiffened with embarrassment.
Only after those gazes finally disappeared did he let out a long sigh.
Opening his eyes fully, he glared at Yu Lanfeng.
"I told you to put me down."
"You don't need to keep carrying me now."
Yu Lanfeng sighed with obvious regret before finally setting him down in a chair.
Nan Yu rubbed his arms.
Maintaining the same position for so long had left them slightly numb.
Fortunately, the feeling faded quickly.
"What's wrong?" Yu Lanfeng asked.
Nan Yu shook his head.
"Nothing."
"By the way..."
"Where are we?"
"One of my legion's space carriers."
Nan Yu blinked.
"You mean..."
"Your legion owns more than one of these?"
"That's right."
"Back then, I negotiated with many extraterrestrial lifeforms."
"I traded with them for various technologies."
"Those exchanges eventually became the trump card that allowed us to survive long enough to escape that place."
Nan Yu stood and looked outside.
Everything beyond the window was pitch black.
"We've already entered warp?"
"That's right."
"Don't let the size of a space carrier fool you."
"It may look slow."
"But that's only because it's so enormous."
"It can accelerate just as quickly as anything else."
After all, reaching warp required exceeding a certain speed.
Everyone knew that.
Even carriers were incredibly fast.
"Where are we heading?"
Yu Lanfeng opened his terminal and projected a complete star map of the Empire from the military network.
He pointed at one location.
"We're going here."
"I'm sure you recognize it."
"It was where I first invited you to participate in a mission."
Nan Yu's eyes lit up.
"So..."
"Does that mean we might meet some familiar faces again?"
Yu Lanfeng was silent for a moment.
Then he answered quietly,
"...Who knows."
Only then did Nan Yu realize what he meant.
In the military...
No one knew how long they'd live.
Perhaps in the next battle...
Those familiar faces would already have fallen to the Ability Beasts.
Although Yu Lanfeng's legion had the lowest casualty rate in the Empire...
It still contained an enormous number of soldiers.
Even if some died...
There were countless others waiting to replace them.
There was never any shortage of recruits.
Patiently, Yu Lanfeng continued explaining the newly improved support equipment.
Since it wasn't combat gear but logistical technology, every squad could request two or three units.
The devices were extremely practical.
With one assigned to each person, confidential communications and internal file transfers became vastly more secure.
Nan Yu wasn't particularly interested in discussing technical equipment.
So he casually changed the subject.
"Aren't you going to get some rest?"
Yu Lanfeng looked at him with slight surprise.
"Do you want to sleep with me?"