Chapter 88
The selection process and journey to Jinxin Port were swift. Within just two days, the six of them, including the Saint, set out.
Hua Yumu, Lin Lin, and Wakako were originally from the same squad, so they were familiar with each other. The remaining two were a young girl named Muna from the Omega Squad, who was also skilled in disguise, and Jing Tianyang, the captain of the Beta team.
Muna was about the same age as Wakako, friendly and easy to get along with, and they chatted quite a bit. As the only Omega in the group, she was responsible for the Saint’s daily meals and living arrangements.
Captain Jing, on the other hand, had a cold demeanor. Perhaps due to the Liu Siruo incident, he was awkward and rarely spoke, except when necessary.
Lin Lin thought he was still holding a grudge: “Is it necessary to be so petty? The truth is out…”
“It’s not like that,” Hua Yumu shook his head. “He’s just deeply ashamed.”
As a fellow captain, only he could understand Jing Tianyang’s thoughts. He hadn’t been able to control his own subordinate, leading to such a huge scandal. If it had been Hua Yumu, he wouldn’t have had the face to chat idly with other colleagues either. He would have preferred to be alone.
Wakako agreed with her master’s assessment, so she, like the others, deliberately gave Captain Jing some space.
Unexpectedly, when they set up camp midway, Jing Tianyang approached her, wanting to spar.
Lin Lin, still holding a grudge, whispered mischievously in Wakako’s ear: “Beat him up!”
Wakako glanced back, and Hua Yumu also smiled in affirmation. Muna, accompanying the Saint in a separate tent, didn’t say anything but lifted the curtain slightly, clearly wanting to observe.
She was never afraid of challenges. Whether in the Saionji clan or in the squad, she had often sparred publicly. However…
For the first time, Wakako’s heart pounded, and she felt hesitant.
She was confident she wouldn’t lose to Captain Jing, but he had nearly ten years of experience and was seasoned. She might not win easily. What if she made a mistake or didn’t perform well?
Her wife was watching from behind…
The word “wife” suddenly surfaced in her mind, catching Wakako off guard. Her hand gripping the sword trembled slightly, and as Captain Jing’s fierce attacks bore down on her, she nearly faltered, her reaction a split-second too slow.
But she quickly cleared her mind and focused on the match.
Considering the need for speed and to avoid attracting attention with heavy weapons like broadswords or battle axes, they carried mostly light and compact weapons on this journey.
Wakako wielded a light sword, which should have been used in a swift and graceful style. However, her sheer strength turned it into a forceful and overpowering weapon. Even though Captain Jing was tall and strong, he couldn’t match her head-on.
With a single strike, Jing Tianyang stumbled backward several steps. He had heard about her natural strength, but only after experiencing it firsthand did he truly understand the power that could erupt from that body.
He stared at Wakako.
The woman had dimples on her face, looking gentle and kind. Her figure was well-proportioned, and her limbs weren’t bulky like other “strongmen”… yet one of her hands could match his two.
In the stalemate, Jing Tianyang couldn’t get close. He could tell that Wakako was even holding back, deliberately not hurting him. Otherwise, the tip of her sword would have already pierced his clothes or even his abdomen.
The outcome was clear. He wasn’t one to be stubborn about pride, so he voluntarily dropped his sword and admitted defeat: “I concede.”
Wakako hadn’t even said anything when Lin Lin burst into laughter. Hua Yumu immediately gave a heavy cough, but his young apprentice didn’t hold back.
“Hmph, couldn’t beat my senior sister! Heh heh heh.”
Hua Yumu covered his face, feeling the urge to pull his apprentice’s ears—Why are you laughing so loudly!
This makes our Alpha Squad seem utterly lacking in manners!
To smooth things over, as the captain, he stepped forward and politely said to Captain Jing, “That was truly impressive. Captain Jing’s left-handed swordsmanship lives up to its reputation…”
Wakako sheathed her sword and glanced back to see Muna giving her a thumbs-up from inside the tent.
And the other person inside? Did she see?
She couldn’t help but glance over again, but Muna misunderstood and waved her over to chat.
Wakako was too embarrassed to explain the misunderstanding, so she thought chatting for a while would be fine and walked over to sit outside the tent.
It turned out that the Saint was tired and wanted to rest, so Muna had left the curtain slightly open.
Wakako breathed a sigh of relief.
She probably didn’t see… that moment of my mistake.
“Your swordsmanship just now was amazing,” Muna exclaimed. “I’d love to learn a thing or two from you sometime.”
“Anytime,” Wakako replied.
Muna thought for a moment and teased, “Maybe not. You just got married to Miki, I don’t want to make her jealous.”
She and Miki were on the same squad and had a good relationship. She had even sent a valuable wedding gift for their wedding.
“By the way, Miki had been on sick leave for a long time; I only saw her at your wedding. Is she feeling better now?”
Wakako hesitated. She actually didn’t know the answer to that question, so she could only say, “She’s feeling better.”
But Muna didn’t let go of the topic. She curiously asked, “You just got married, and now you’re out on a mission. Don’t you miss your wife?”
Wakako instinctively shook her head.
Fearing that Muna would notice something, she explained, “Given the circumstances, there’s no time to think about that. We’ll deal with the trials first, then talk about it later.”
This made Muna’s face appear slightly melancholic. She grabbed her weapon and went out to practice, fearing her skills weren’t up to par and she’d hold the team back.
Wakako gave her a few pointers. When no one was paying attention, a figure in white quietly stood at the tent entrance, silently observing everyone.
On the left, Captain Hua and Captain Jing were exchanging pleasantries. Lin Lin, with her childish nature, was picking flowers on her own. On the right, Muna and Wakako were on sparring.
Everything seemed perfectly normal.
Miki closed her eyes tightly, then opened them again. Unknowingly, the tips of his hair, which had finally turned black, began to turn white again, a sign of her energy and blood being depleted.
So, what was wrong?
***
Back in the capital, Liu Siruo was ordered to temporarily suspend her duties and reflect on her mistakes. Albert also pushed aside his other tasks and focused on teaching his apprentice.
But no matter how much he tried to reason with her, it went in one ear and out the other.
Albert was exasperated: “Pay attention!”
“Alright, old Master,” Liu Siruo said lazily. “Are we done? If so, we need to visit the injured.”
The word “old Master” almost made Albert spit blood.
The Beta named Zuo, whom Liu Siruo had injured that day, was Carol’s former lover. Later, the squad investigated and found that he had a long history of misconduct, frequenting brothels countless times, so was promptly expelled.
However, Omega whom Liu Siruo had also injured was an innocent bystander. He had merely exchanged a few words with Zuo and was invited to go along but hadn’t agreed.
Therefore, both morally and logically, Albert felt they should visit the injured.
The two were still bedridden in the mercenary’s quarters, with a doctor checking on them daily—naturally, the cost was deducted from Liu Siru’s pay—but they showed no signs of improvement. Their faces were wrapped in bandages, swollen like pig heads, with countless wounds.
After about five or six days, they went to visit again. Liu Siruo saw that the two were still unconscious in bed and remarked in surprise, “Huh?”
She muttered to herself, feeling something was off. “Did I really hit them that hard?”
Alpha Squad was notorious for their ferocity in fights, but that didn’t include Liu Siruo, who was less physically strong.
It wasn’t strange that she could win, but even she couldn’t believe that she could beat two trained mercenaries into unconsciousness for ten days.
She wasn’t Wakako, after all.
Liu Siruo looked at the two injured men, feeling an inexplicable sense of strangeness.
…
From the capital to Jinxin Port, traveling by carriage would usually take about ten days. To avoid drawing attention, they deliberately slowed their pace, taking over twenty days to reach their destination.
That night, instead of camping outside, they entered the city and found a modest inn.
As a bustling port city with heavy trade traffic, Jinxin Port had advantages and disadvantages. The disadvantage was that it was crowded and full of prying eyes, but the advantage was that it was easy to hide in plain sight.
The Saint’s white robe was covered with a black veil, obscuring its original color. However, she still couldn’t wear shoes, making it inconvenient to walk, so Muna carried her when they went out.
Their rooms were next to each other, all on the second floor of the inn. They were divided into three rooms based on gender and role—Captain Jing and Captain Hua, Lin Lin and Wakako, and Muna and the Saint.
Hua Yumu had the innkeeper bring up a lavish meal. “Now that we’re in Jinxin Port, we must be vigilant. The Saint hasn’t received her next instructions yet, so we can only take things one step at a time. Be careful.”
That night, no one slept well. They took turns guarding in pairs, constantly on alert, fearing a night attack.
As dawn approached, Muna yawned and woke up Lin Lin and Wakako: “Time to get up; I’m going to rest for a bit.”
The Saint was frail and couldn’t stay up like the others, so Muna was more exhausted than anyone else. She only slept for a short time, and the rest of the time she had to force herself to stay awake.
Lin Lin dragged herself out of bed and stretched: “Senior Sister, I’m hungry…”
Wakako was already dressed and ready, “I’ll go buy some breakfast for everyone. What would you like?”
“I’ll just have a sesame cake.”
“Me too.”
Captain Hua and Captain Jing were still asleep. They probably wouldn’t be picky, so she could decide for them.
Wakako stopped outside Miki’s room.
Miki usually woke up early. Based on the time, it should be about time. She wouldn’t be disturbing her.
“Mik… Lady Saint,” she knocked lightly. “I’m going to buy breakfast. Is there anything you’d like to eat?”
Actually, Wakako knew Miki’s tastes, but for some reason, she still wanted to ask.
With Muna guarding Miki, she hadn’t been able to get close or even say a few words. She was worried that Miki might develop some kind of reaction to the change in environment without her knowing.
After asking, there was no response for a long time. The Saint was a light sleeper; even if she hadn’t been awake before, she should have heard by now.
Wakako knocked again, raising her voice, “Lady Saint?”
She turned back and exchanged glances with Muna, who had come over upon hearing the commotion. The two shared a look and pushed the door open together.
The room was empty.
“What happened?!” Muna’s face turned pale. “When I came to find you, the Saint was still here. It hasn’t even been half an hour! I swear!”
Her hand trembled as she reached out to touch the bed: “The bed is still warm!”
“Quickly, go wake the two captains.” There was no time to blame anyone. Wakako lowered her voice, looking at the slightly open window swaying gently in the breeze. “The Saint can’t travel far on her own; I’ll go after her now.”
As she spoke, she called out loudly: “Lin Lin!”
Wakako then grabbed the window frame, and jumped out.
Lin Lin grabbed her bow and responded immediately. Without needing further instructions, she followed her senior sister with light steps, moving as swiftly as a swallow.
Muna quickly reacte. She didn’t care about attracting attention from other guests, and pounded on the doors of the two captains:
“Something’s wrong! Something’s wrong! Wake up!”
“The Saint… She’s gone!”
