Chapter 192 Secret Codes for Heart-to-Heart Communication

The place to collect bedding was a small courtyard behind the General Affairs Division. The official in charge was an old clerk who, seeing Ling Xiaoning bring someone over, lifted his eyelids slightly and pointed to the pile of bedding bundles stacked like a mountain in the corner.

"Pick them yourselves. One set per person. Sign for them after you take them."

Ling Xiaoning, familiar with the ropes, dug out a set that was still quite thick and stuffed it into Chen Mu's hands, then leaned over to the old clerk's desk and said with a grin.

"Uncle Liu, could you spare a new blanket? This brother, Chen, just arrived from Yunmeng and had a hard journey."

The old clerk glanced at Chen Mu, then looked at Ling Xiaoning's grinning face, snorted, and pulled a semi-new wool blanket from under the table and tossed it over.

"You're always so troublesome. Take it and get out of here."

"Right, thanks, Uncle Liu!"

Ling Xiaoning held the blanket and pulled Chen Mu out the door, looking quite pleased with himself.

"See that? In this yamen, you have to be yielding when you need to be yielding, and sweet-talking when you need to be sweet-talking, otherwise you'll just be at a disadvantage."

Chen Mu held the bedding and blanket, looked at the youth's smug profile, raised an eyebrow slightly, and remained noncommittal.

The two then ran around to various places to collect wooden basins, towels, and other daily necessities, and then went to the stables to settle the chestnut horse. The stable manager couldn't resist Ling Xiaoning's basketful of sweet talk and found a well-ventilated and dry spot for it, feeding it high-quality feed.

When they were finished, Ling Xiaoning seemed to remember something and looked around.

"By the way, Brother Chen Mu, I heard them say you brought a spirit dog? The rules in our division state that living creatures generally have to be sent to the animal quarters in the back to be cared for collectively; they keep some falcons and hounds for Demon Hunting over there..."

Before he could finish, he saw a black fur-ball come stumbling over from the side. It turned out that Zhuifeng had heard Chen Mu's voice early on and couldn't help but run over, clawing at Chen Mu's pant leg to climb up.

Chen Mu scooped it into his arms with one hand. It rubbed against him contentedly, revealing its pink gums. Its dark golden pupils contracted slightly in the sunlight, and then it scanned the unfamiliar Ling Xiaoning vigilantly.

"Oh my, it's so tiny!"

Ling Xiaoning's eyes lit up. He leaned in to touch it, but was scared off by the low warning growl in Zhuifeng's throat and pulled his hand back, though the look of affection on his face grew even stronger.

"Those eyes, they're gold! My goodness, how rare. This is no ordinary spirit dog. This is clearly..."

He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes suddenly darted around, and he snatched Zhuifeng from Chen Mu's hands.

The little guy was caught off guard and only had time to let out a "whimper" before it was firmly held in Ling Xiaoning's arms.

"Chen Mu, wait here for me. I'll be right back."

Without waiting for Chen Mu to react, Ling Xiaoning ran off with the dog, heading towards the hall where Huo Chao handled official business, his footsteps so fast they kicked up a gust of wind.

Chen Mu frowned slightly but didn't chase after him, waiting in place. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Ling Xiaoning came running back, still holding Zhuifeng in his arms, his face beaming with joy.

"It's done, it's done!"

He panted as he shoved Zhuifeng back into Chen Mu's arms and said triumphantly.

"I told Chief-Lieutenant Huo that this puppy has plenty of spiritual essence and isn't of a common breed. It would be a pity to keep it in the animal quarters with those dumb dogs. Besides, our Team C just lost some men, and the barracks are filled with Death Qi. Wouldn't raising a little living creature add some Life Qi?"

"But Chief-Lieutenant Huo also said that this dog can only be kept near our Team C barracks. It can't be brought into the council hall, archives, or other important places, and it can't disturb the rest of the other brothers. If it bites anyone or causes any trouble, both the dog and the two of us will be kicked out."

As Ling Xiaoning spoke, he started laughing himself.

Chen Mu was stunned. "Chief-Lieutenant Huo, he..."

"Heh heh, to tell you the truth, Chief-Lieutenant Huo is my cousin-uncle."

Ling Xiaoning lowered his voice, with a hint of craftiness.

"Not many people in the team know about this. Don't go telling anyone; Chief-Lieutenant Huo hates it when people say he practices favoritism."

No wonder this youth hadn't been here long but was already so at home; apart from his ability to get along with everyone, it was probably because of this connection.

Chen Mu nodded, indicating he understood. The two found a sheltered corner in the Team C barracks, used old wooden planks and thatch to build a simple little nest, and lined it with soft grass.

Zhuifeng seemed very satisfied. It crawled into the nest, turned around twice, and then lay down quietly, though its eyes followed Chen Mu's movements the whole time.

After settling Zhuifeng, they returned to Room 1 of Team C. Ling Xiaoning had just finished helping Chen Mu lay out the bedding when the door was pushed open, and two people walked in, one after the other.

The first person was Lu Dachuan, whom they had just seen. He had a face full of stubble, sharp eyes, and was carrying a wine gourd in his hand, with the faint scent of alcohol on him. Behind him was the slightly pale-faced Feng Qing, carrying a longbow and walking with light steps.

"Yo, Xiao Ning, getting things sorted for the new guy?"

Lu Dachuan sat down on his bunk with a thud, pulled the stopper from his wine gourd, took a swig, smacked his lips, and his gaze landed on Chen Mu.

"Chen Mu, right? You've got some skill to be a Squad Leader at such a young age."

His tone was casual, with a bit of Jianghu flavor, but it wasn't annoying.

Feng Qing nodded silently, acknowledging them, and then went about his own business, carefully hanging up his longbow. He sat on the edge of the bed, picked up a soft cloth, and meticulously wiped the arrowheads.

Ling Xiaoning leaned over with a grin. "Brother Lu, Brother Feng, you're back. Was the training tiring today? Chen Mu is a great guy, and he brought a really smart little dog. Chief-Lieutenant Huo specially approved for us to keep it in the back."

Lu Dachuan raised an eyebrow upon hearing this.

"A dog? That little coal ball at the door earlier? Its eyes are bright enough. Keep it. In our line of work, we see blood often; having a living creature around can ease the mind."

Feng Qing's motion of wiping the arrowheads paused. He looked up at Chen Mu and spoke, which was rare.

"It's not ordinary. It has Demonic Qi, but it's very pure. Treat it well."

Chen Mu was slightly surprised in his heart; Feng Qing's perception was remarkably sharp. He nodded.

"Naturally."

Seeing that the atmosphere was harmonious, Ling Xiaoning became even more enthusiastic and pulled Chen Mu over to introduce him.

"Chen Mu, Brother Lu is a veteran in our team. He's been in the division for nearly ten years and has the most experience. His saber technique is fierce and powerful. He served in the border army before and has seen real battles. Brother Feng is a master archer; he can pierce a willow leaf from a hundred paces, and his eyes are incredibly sharp, he's just a man of few words."

Lu Dachuan laughed heartily and patted Ling Xiaoning on the head.

"You're such a smooth talker, kid. 'Veteran,' what veteran? I've just been muddling along for a few more years, just barely clinging to my life."

After saying that, he turned to Chen Mu, his expression becoming more serious.

"Brother Chen, since you've joined Team C, we're all in the same boat from now on. The Prefecture is not like the counties below; there are many demons and monsters, and the waters are deep. Every year, quite a few brothers are lost in here."

Ling Xiaoning chimed in, "Yeah, I heard that last year, the Demon Hunting Division alone lost over thirty skilled men. Some missions... it's common for six or seven out of ten to not return."

Feng Qing finished wiping the arrowheads and carefully put them back into their leather pouch, then interjected out of the blue.

"If your strength is insufficient, you can't blame anyone. In this world, weakness is the original sin."

His voice was calm, but it carried a chill.

Lu Dachuan sighed.

"That may be true, but sometimes, having strength alone isn't enough."

"Luck, coordination, intelligence—if any of these are lacking, it can cost you your life. Take the two brothers our team lost a while ago..."

He paused and didn't continue, just rubbed his saber hard a couple more times and sighed.

"So I have to tell you two greenhorns: if you want to survive and earn merit, you need sharp eyes, steady hands, and even more importantly, you must be willing to entrust your back to your brothers."