Chapter 153: Something Doesn’t Add Up
Unless the people at the military base chose a new commander themselves, the base would likely descend into one problem after another.
That was the last thing Yu Lanfeng wanted to see.
Only after everyone else had left the office did Nan Yu speak.
"When Ye Xing kidnapped me before, wasn't his starship equipped with an accelerator and that signal-jamming device? You were able to track me because of the residual signal. Can't you use the same method this time?"
"And I heard Ye Xing even strengthened that signal afterward. If you go after them now, you should be able to catch up pretty quickly. No matter how fast their ship is, it still can't be faster than ours."
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"That's exactly what I thought. I contacted Ye Xing before we even departed and had him pursue them himself. If everything went smoothly, he should have already found them by now."
Nan Yu blinked.
"When did you contact him? I didn't even notice. That was fast."
Yu Lanfeng replied, "I contacted him before we left. I had him bring Zhang Wei along and also take a squad with him just in case. If the other side had a large force, they'd still be able to deal with it."
Nan Yu nodded.
"That's good. If they ran into them, they could arrest them immediately."
"Oh right, you said Han Lu was personally promoted by Lin Changyu. Does that mean Lin Changyu could also be involved?"
Yu Lanfeng answered, "I can't rule out that possibility, but we won't know for certain until Ye Xing arrives."
After all, Lin Changyu had commanded Border Region Five Military Base for decades.
If even he turned out to be a spy...
It would be a devastating blow to the entire legion.
The ordinary soldiers stationed at the other military bases would undoubtedly begin complaining about their superiors.
Although Yu Lanfeng maintained extremely strict recruitment standards, people were still people.
Some were simply better than others.
The truly outstanding ones weren't perfect.
They merely hid their flaws better and possessed stronger self-control.
But once the people around them started sensing that something was wrong and rumors began spreading...
Even if discipline remained excellent on the surface...
Dissatisfaction toward the legion would continue accumulating inside their hearts.
Given enough time...
That resentment alone could become a fatal threat to the legion.
That was what Yu Lanfeng was truly worried about.
Nan Yu asked,
"Has Ye Xing contacted you yet? Did they catch them? Where are they now? Or... has he not contacted you because they still haven't found them?"
Yu Lanfeng checked his messages.
There was nothing from Ye Xing.
"We'll wait a little longer."
"He should be contacting us soon."
The moment he finished speaking...
Ye Xing's communication request arrived.
Yu Lanfeng accepted it immediately.
When Ye Xing saw both Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu together on the screen, he took a deep breath.
"We caught them."
"Sixty-six people in total."
"That's quite different from the number you gave us."
Yu Lanfeng replied,
"The number of missing personnel came from the legion's own report."
"I haven't verified whether it's accurate."
"You judge for yourself."
"Are all sixty-six actually soldiers from our side?"
"If they are..."
He paused before shaking his head.
"No."
"Whether they are or not..."
"Bring every last one of them here."
Ye Xing raised an eyebrow.
"To Border Region Five Military Base?"
Nan Yu asked,
"What? Is there a problem with bringing them here?"
Ye Xing shrugged.
"Not really."
"With Marshal Yu over there, it doesn't matter what kind of monsters or demons show up—they'll all lose."
"So just wait for me."
"My ship's speed has been increased several times over."
"I'll reach you in about three hours."
"When I get there, should I dock openly?"
"Or should I hide somewhere first?"
Yu Lanfeng answered without hesitation.
"The entire legion belongs to me."
"Dock openly at the military spaceport."
"I'll be waiting there."
Nan Yu suddenly remembered something.
"Oh right, Ye Xing."
"See if there's someone named Han Lu among them."
"He looks like this."
He displayed Han Lu's image.
After taking a look, Ye Xing nodded.
"Yes."
"He's here."
"But..."
"His condition isn't very good."
"You'd better prepare to treat him."
"My ship only has emergency medical equipment."
"I can barely keep him alive."
Nan Yu froze for a moment before exchanging a glance with Yu Lanfeng.
"I see."
"Alright."
"We understand."
"Get here as quickly as possible."
Ye Xing nodded.
"No problem."
The communication ended.
Yu Lanfeng immediately ordered the personnel below to prepare a fully equipped operating room.
When Lin Changyu heard the order, he frowned slightly.
He looked at the man standing before him.
This was the deputy he had personally selected after careful consideration.
An extremely capable officer.
Lin Changyu had never harbored ambitions of making the military base his own.
He simply disliked being kept in the dark.
"The Marshal requested it?"
"A fully equipped emergency operating room?"
"Yes, General."
"They've already started preparing it."
"But..."
"We have no idea who it's for."
"It feels like they're waiting for someone."
Lin Changyu walked over to the window and looked up at the night sky.
The stars glittered brilliantly overhead.
The scenery was breathtaking.
"Maybe it's true."
"I never expected the Marshal to solve this problem the moment he arrived."
"A Marshal really is a Marshal."
"I'm only a General."
"General?"
Lin Changyu shook his head.
"Enough."
"Don't bring this up again."
"He's our Marshal."
"The strongest leader in the entire legion."
"The greatest pillar supporting us."
"If I ever hear you speaking disrespectfully about him behind his back..."
"Even I won't let you off."
The subordinate smiled awkwardly.
"You misunderstand, General."
"I was only informing you of publicly available information."
Lin Changyu didn't continue the conversation.
He needed to leave immediately.
As long as he stayed beside Yu Lanfeng...
He would receive the newest information first.
He even suspected the Marshal had already found a breakthrough.
His guess proved correct.
The moment he reached the office entrance, he saw Yu Lanfeng preparing to leave.
"Marshal, this is..."
Yu Lanfeng interrupted him.
"Perfect timing."
"I was just about to send someone to find you."
"Get ready."
"We're heading to the spaceport outside the planet."
"Bring a group of people you absolutely trust."
"They'll accompany us."
Lin Changyu immediately began making preparations.
After managing this military base for so many years...
Assembling such a squad on short notice was effortless for him.
Yu Lanfeng nodded with satisfaction.
"Let's go."
Nan Yu followed closely behind.
Lin Changyu led the squad he had organized and boarded the military cruiser together with them.
Ordinarily...
Fewer than one hundred people would only require a small warship.
But to everyone's surprise...
Yu Lanfeng had ordered a medium-sized military cruiser.
A medium cruiser could carry over five hundred people.
That probably meant...
They would be bringing back a great many prisoners.
Yu Lanfeng noticed Nan Yu staring blankly into space.
He reached out, gently pulled him over, and seated him beside himself.
"What are you thinking about?"
Nan Yu shook his head.
"I'm thinking about what happened earlier."
Yu Lanfeng recalled everything.
"I don't remember anything unusual."
"What seems wrong?"
Nan Yu shook his head again.
"It's not that something's wrong."
"I just think everything on Ye Xing's side went too smoothly."
"Was our response simply so fast that the organization didn't have time to react?"
"Or..."
"Did something happen inside the organization itself?"
Whether there was internal turmoil within the organization remained unknown.
But one thing was certain.
Ye Xing would never lie to them.
If he said he had captured sixty-six people...
And Han Lu was gravely wounded...
Then every word was unquestionably true.
Everything else would have to wait until Ye Xing arrived.
Three hours wasn't actually very long.
Preparing the operating room, making various arrangements, notifying Lin Changyu, and assembling a trusted squad had already consumed nearly an hour.
Traveling from the base to the nearby spaceport required another half hour.
The starships stationed here were fairly ordinary.
Furthermore...
This particular spaceport wasn't directly outside the planet.
It sat at a junction equally close to several neighboring planets.
Reaching it naturally took longer.
Fortunately...
They would still arrive well before Ye Xing.
Hopefully...
Ye Xing could make it there a little earlier.
The sooner this matter was resolved...
The better.
After all...
It involved secrets belonging to that mysterious organization.
Once they realized contact had been lost...
Or learned what had happened...
They might immediately dispatch assassins.
Fortunately...
Their worries proved unnecessary.
Not only was Ye Xing not late...
He arrived nearly twenty minutes ahead of schedule.
His ship emerged from the jump point and raced toward the spaceport at astonishing speed.
At first...
The soldiers guarding the port thought they were under enemy attack.
But they quickly realized...
This must be the people the Marshal had been waiting for.
Sure enough...
As soon as the ship docked in its designated berth...
Yu Lanfeng boarded with Nan Yu.
Even Lin Changyu was stopped outside.
Yu Lanfeng only left one instruction.
"Guard the outside."
The moment Nan Yu saw Ye Xing and Zhang Wei...
He noticed they looked very different from when they had last parted.
Especially Zhang Wei.
He now looked every bit like a powerful soldier.
Nothing like the frail man he had been before.
As for Ye Xing...
Both Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu looked at him in surprise.
Because...
Ye Xing noticed their strange expressions.
"What?"
Nan Yu said,
"You should probably find a mirror."
"You look..."
Yu Lanfeng turned toward him.
"You look like what?"
Nan Yu paused.
"Nothing."
"Your face is really red."
"Like an apple."
"Do you have a fever?"
"Why are you blushing so much?"
Ye Xing froze.
Then, as though suddenly realizing something...
He immediately ran off.
Presumably to find a mirror.
Nan Yu paid him no further attention.
Instead, he turned to Zhang Wei.
"Where are the prisoners?"
"Take us there."
"Afterward, you and Ye Xing hide yourselves."
"Once the people we brought take over and escort the prisoners away..."
"You'll have completed your mission."
"Then you can go back and continue enjoying your peaceful life."
Zhang Wei nodded.
"No problem."
"Come with me."
He led them to the compartment where the prisoners were being held.
"The ship they escaped on has already been destroyed."
"There was no way to bring it back."
"The wreckage is still where it happened."
"I'll send you the coordinates later."
"There are sixty-five people here."
"As for the remaining one..."
"The Han Lu Nan Yu mentioned..."
"He's in the infirmary."
"You should take him away immediately."
"If another few hours pass..."
"He probably won't survive."
Nan Yu frowned.
"That serious?"
Only after seeing Han Lu in person...
Did they understand just how serious it really was.
He was barely recognizable as a human being.
Only the medical equipment covering his body indicated he was still alive.
And still salvageable.
Just as Zhang Wei had said...
Without immediate treatment...
He would almost certainly die.
Nan Yu immediately ordered,
"Take him back to the military base."
"He needs surgery immediately."
At Yu Lanfeng's signal...
Zhang Wei hurried away with Ye Xing, who had just returned.
The two of them disappeared into a secluded room beside the cockpit.
It was a hidden compartment Ye Xing had specially modified.
Normally...
No one except the two of them ever entered it.
It was the perfect hiding place.
Yu Lanfeng also had no intention of thoroughly searching the ship.
They could safely remain there until it was time to leave.
Once Lin Changyu boarded...
He immediately found Yu Lanfeng.
The instant he saw Han Lu lying in the infirmary...
His pupils contracted sharply.
His entire body stiffened.
For a split second...
Yu Lanfeng felt an overwhelming wave of murderous intent erupt from him.
Instinctively...
He stepped in front of Nan Yu.
Just as quickly...
Lin Changyu returned to normal.
He asked hoarsely,
"Marshal..."
"Are we taking him back immediately for treatment?"
Both Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu clearly heard how rough his voice had suddenly become.
Yu Lanfeng nodded.
"Yes."
"I already ordered the operating room to be prepared."
"Take him there immediately."
"We have to keep him alive."
Although Han Lu looked utterly miserable...
Yu Lanfeng finally confirmed one important thing.
And it was good news.
Han Lu was very likely...
Not a traitor.
The classified documents he had retrieved...
Probably hadn't been obtained voluntarily.
Perhaps he had been deceived.
Or manipulated by circumstances.
The complete truth remained unclear.
But perhaps...
The sixty-five prisoners could reveal at least part of it.
Yu Lanfeng ordered Lin Changyu to have the entire group tied up and transported back.
Among the sixty-five...
Only ten were clearly recognizable as soldiers from this base.
The identities of the rest couldn't immediately be determined.
Nan Yu quietly noticed Lin Changyu's increasingly grim expression.
He couldn't help feeling surprised.
Could it be...
Lin Changyu personally knew several of these people?
Perhaps even knew them well?
If so...
This really had stirred up a hornet's nest.
After everyone disembarked...
Yu Lanfeng quietly sent Zhang Wei a message informing them they were free to leave.
Soon afterward...
The ship lifted off and disappeared at high speed.
Normally...
Lin Changyu would at least have asked a few questions.
Even if only out of courtesy.
But perhaps Han Lu's condition had shocked him too deeply.
Now...
He simply stared fixedly at the sixty-five prisoners.
His gaze swept back and forth across the crowd.
One by one...
They all avoided meeting his eyes.
Nan Yu found it strange.
Were they merely feeling guilty?
Was that all?
This wasn't some ordinary military violation.
They had betrayed the Imperial Legion.
Joined that organization.
That amounted to treason against the Empire.
Yet...
They all seemed remarkably calm.
As though what they had done were nothing more than a minor disciplinary offense.
As though they hadn't realized the magnitude of their crimes at all.
Both Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu felt something was seriously wrong.
Nan Yu even found himself wondering whether these people might actually be innocent.
But that conclusion would be premature.
Everything depended on the interrogations.
Or...
On Han Lu waking up.
Yu Lanfeng said,
"Let's return to the military base."
When they arrived...
Han Lu was immediately rushed into the operating room.
Lin Changyu arranged guards outside before following Yu Lanfeng and Nan Yu to the underground interrogation area.
The layout there was almost identical to the one at Headquarters.
Nan Yu again entered the observation room connected to the interrogation chamber, where he could watch everything through the one-way window.
This time, however...
There was one important difference.
Yu Lanfeng remained seated beside him.
The one conducting the interrogation...
Was Lin Changyu.
After all...
Yu Lanfeng was the Marshal.
He couldn't personally handle every interrogation himself.
Sometimes...
He had to act like the Marshal.
Yet...
Before the questioning had even properly begun...
Someone knocked on the door.
A soldier entered.
"Report, Marshal!"
"The operating room sent us."
"Han Lu's Mental Contamination has already reached the threshold of S-rank."
"He must receive Mental Contamination purification immediately."
"Otherwise..."
"The emergency surgery is very likely to fail."
Given Han Lu's condition...
Failed surgery meant death.
That was why they had come specifically to ask Nan Yu.
Everyone in the legion knew...
Among all the Mental Power Users below High-Tier level in the Empire...
Nan Yu was almost certainly the strongest.
Coming to him first was the obvious choice.
Nan Yu found himself rather impressed by both their judgment...
And the confidence they had in him.
"If you trust me that much..."
"I'll go."
"Brother, stay here and keep..."
Before he finished speaking...
Yu Lanfeng stood up.
"I'm going with you."
Nan Yu decided that was probably safer anyway.
As for the interrogation...
The truth was...
Neither of them really wanted to watch it.
Nan Yu had only been interested before because Yu Lanfeng had been the one conducting it.
Now that Yu Lanfeng was leaving...
There was no reason to stay.
They quickly arrived at the operating room.
Looking at Han Lu lying on the operating table...
Nan Yu saw twisted arms and legs.
Torn muscle.
Exposed white bone.
The doctors had only managed the most basic emergency treatment.
It was nowhere near enough.
Beside the bed...
The monitor clearly showed Han Lu's Mental Contamination hovering just below S-rank.
Under normal circumstances...
The Mental Power Users stationed here could probably purify contamination at that level.
The problem was...
Han Lu's physical condition was far too unstable.
If the discomfort caused during purification triggered a violent mental backlash...
He might die in the middle of treatment.
That was why they had swallowed their pride and asked Nan Yu for help.
Nan Yu only glanced at him once.
Then he briefly examined Han Lu's Mental Sea with his own Mental Power.
Finally...
He gave the doctors a reassuring gesture.
"No problem."
"I'm starting now."
"Keep watching his condition."
"Yes, Doctor Nan."
"We'll monitor him carefully."
Standing beside the operating table...
Nan Yu placed both hands on either side of Han Lu's head.
His Mental Power surged outward...
Flowing directly into Han Lu's Mental Sea.
Because the surgeons were waiting...
His task was simple.
Purify every trace of Mental Contamination as quickly as possible.
That would greatly reduce the risk of Han Lu suffering a violent backlash during the purification process.
The method was admittedly somewhat forceful.
It would leave behind minor aftereffects in Han Lu's Mental Sea.
But compared to his current injuries...
Those aftereffects were insignificant.
Two months of recovery.
Three at most.
Hardly worth mentioning.
After fully assessing the situation...
Nan Yu immediately began.
His vast Mental Power poured into Han Lu's Mental Sea.
Then...
It split into dozens of separate streams.
Each stream wrapped itself tightly around a massive cluster of Mental Contamination.
Then—
Crushed it to pieces.
Separating contamination from ordinary Mental Power required too much time.
Destroying everything together and dispersing the fragments inevitably sacrificed some healthy Mental Power as well.
That was why recovery afterward would be necessary.
Mental Power Users could replenish their Mental Power through cultivation.
The process was slow...
But possible.
Ability Users couldn't do that.
Their Mental Power could only recover naturally over time.
Which meant the recovery period was much longer.
Two months at minimum.
Three to five months wasn't unusual.
Some Ability Users even required one or two years to recover...
Simply because the Mental Power User treating them had been too inexperienced.
Or too rough.
Nan Yu had already been as careful as possible.
Although some unavoidable damage remained...
Within only ten minutes...
Every trace of Mental Contamination inside Han Lu's Mental Sea had been completely eliminated.
The doctors present were utterly dumbfounded.
Even after hearing all the rumors about Nan Yu...
They had expected the purification to require several hours.
They had already begun discussing how to keep Han Lu alive during that time.
But before the discussion had truly started...
Nan Yu was already finished.
Speechless...
They stared at the monitor.
In only ten minutes...
Han Lu's Mental Contamination level had plummeted from nearly S-rank...
To A-rank...
Then lower...
Until it completely disappeared.
Nan Yu slowly withdrew his hands.
Taking a deep breath, he opened his eyes and looked at the stunned medical staff.
He knew perfectly well...
That his speed and methods were difficult for them to accept.
But...
"What are you standing around for?"
"I've already bought you the time."
"Start the surgery."
"And remember..."
"Nothing can go wrong."
The doctors finally snapped out of their daze.
"Yes!"