Chapter Six: Could Ji Ling Really Be a Deserter?
“Hey, hey, hey, stop, stop!” Lingyue Nangong interrupted Ji Ling somewhat impatiently. “Did I save you expecting anything in return?”
Ji Ling genuinely chuckled this time.
“You’re such a fool!” Lingyue Nangong shot him a glance.
Ji Ling, a little embarrassed, said, “I’m truly, truly grateful to you! That night, though I wasn’t fully conscious, I remember you stripped off your clothes…”
“You actually remember that?!” Lingyue Nangong’s eyes widened instantly, and her mud-covered face flushed deeply. “Weren’t you unconscious at the time?!”
“I was, but I was still somewhat aware,” Ji Ling nodded. “I don’t remember much, but I recall most of it.”
“You… you saw it?” Lingyue stammered.
“Sa—no, I didn’t see!” Ji Ling hurriedly corrected himself midway.
“You did see!” Lingyue’s face flushed scarlet as she quickly said, “Listen carefully! Whether you saw or not, this stays between us, understand?!”
“At that moment, it was out of necessity! After all, you saved my life on the battlefield, so that settles the score!”
“I saved your life?” Ji Ling looked at Lingyue, puzzled.
Lingyue nodded. “Yes! Several times! Once, a strange ferocious beast bit my leg, and you killed it.”
“Another time, the same kind of beast attacked me, and you killed it too!”
“And more…”
Ji Ling was confused. These things seemed to have happened but left no clear impression. As a soldier, these were duties he was expected—and required—to perform on the battlefield.
After Lingyue finished recounting, she looked at Ji Ling and raised the original question again: “You still haven’t answered me—why not tell General Lin your true identity?”
Ji Ling took a deep breath. He knew he couldn’t hide the truth from Lingyue, especially since she had saved his life, and he shouldn’t keep this from her.
“Alright,” Ji Ling sighed resignedly and briefly explained his situation.
After listening, Lingyue stared at him in shock. “General Ji, you’re actually… that bad?”
---
“Do you believe it?” Ji Ling asked Lingyue, somewhat surprised.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Lingyue looked at him puzzled. “Are you lying?”
“Not at all,” Ji Ling shook his head. “I fought and earned merits in the Southwest War Zone—you witnessed it.”
“If those merits were really credited to me, if my Heavenly-Grade Divine Space hadn’t been taken away and given to Ji Yun, would I still be just a private wielding a firewood stick fighting strange beasts?”
Lingyue was momentarily stunned but then quickly nodded.
Indeed, Ji Ling’s numerous battlefield achievements in the Southwest Border should have earned him a promotion to Major General. Even if not a general officer, at least a field officer.
Yet now, Lingyue’s gaze drifted to Ji Ling’s shoulder, where only a single chevron was visible.
Private…
Not even a corporal.
How could someone with such merits still be a private?
It seemed Ji Ling was telling the truth.
The Ji family stripped him of his rightful merits, his contracted deity, his Heavenly-Grade Divine Space, and discarded his near-crippled body to the Eastern War Zone to die.
“That bastard Ji Tianxing is truly heartless…” Lingyue’s eyes flashed coldly as she bit her silver teeth and whispered.
Ji Ling made a shushing gesture, looking around carefully. Confirming the main force was far off, he relaxed slightly. “Keep your voice down. General Ji’s name isn’t something a small-time reporter like you should casually mention. You still dare curse him?”
“He even dealt so harshly with his own son. If he found out, your life would be forfeit.”
Lingyue looked at Ji Ling with a flicker of sympathy. “Don’t you resent him?”
“Resent?” Ji Ling scoffed, gesturing at the surrounding black mist. “I’ll resent him once I survive this fog.”
Lingyue smiled gently. “Isn’t that enough? If he wants to know I cursed him, I need to survive this fog first.”
Ji Ling looked at her, both amused and exasperated. “We’re fighting for our lives, practically a one-in-ten chance to survive, and you’re still so optimistic?”
“So what? You want me to cry for you?” Lingyue playfully winked.
Ji Ling smiled helplessly and waved a hand. “Alright, seems fate brought us together. Stick close to me; you saved my life, and I won’t let you die here!”
With Yinglong in hand, Ji Ling was confident he could break through the black mist.
---
Lingyue pointed ahead. “The main force has already disappeared deep into the black fog…”
Ji Ling immediately became alert, shielded Lingyue behind him, and cautiously moved forward. “Stay behind me. I’ll help dispel the fog; let’s catch up with the main force as soon as possible!”
“Okay!”
…
At the same time, the military broadcast hall had resumed live streaming.
“We’ve seen some viewers asking about Major General Ji Yun’s whereabouts,” the host read a comment.
Ji Tianxing had anticipated the question and smiled cheerfully. “Well, young Yun said that awakening the ancestral deity of our Dragon Nation is no easy feat. This is why the two hundred thousand soldiers can emerge from the black fog!”
“He plans to use his true dragon bloodline to control Yinglong remotely in battle, assisting his older brother and the troops. I found an open field for him so he could fully utilize his power!”
Upon hearing Ji Tianxing’s words, the chat exploded with praise.
“Major General Ji Yun is truly the youngest general of our Dragon Nation!”
“This sense of responsibility is a model for all of us!”
“That Ji Ling stole Major General Ji Yun’s notebook and was jealous, yet Ji Yun still forgave him and helped him!”
“If I were Ji Yun, I’d just let Ji Ling die there!”
“Exactly! Why hasn’t that useless, jealous plagiarist Ji Ling just died already?”
“Wait, where’s Ji Ling on screen? Why isn’t he here?”
“Yeah?! Where’s Ji Ling?”
“Could it be that guy deserted on the battlefield?!”