THE SYSTEM IS NOT MINE

Kaizi rubbed his eyes as he looked at Long Lan.

“I heard you shouting about revealing something to the world.” Kaizi closed the distance between them.

“I...” Long Lan stumbled back as Kaizi approached him.

“You had better behave yourself.”

“I will always be watching.” Kaizi said, then turned around, walked to the wall of the tavern, and leaned against it.

“Come on, I am here to pick you up to visit the General. As his friends, it would be odd if you didn’t visit him after he woke up from unconsciousness, no?”

Jiyan, who was behind Long Lan, breathed out and took another look at Kaizi. He understood that they had been marked by the military.

In the meantime, the tavern owner rushed out of the tavern and grabbed Jiyan’s clothes from behind.

“You damn wreckers! Pay up for the damage you did.”

“This...” Jiyan thought, then pulled out a good amount of silver from his pocket and handed it to the lady.

The lady accepted the silver, counted it, and smiled. “Nice! You’re welcome again. Next time, throw away more tables.”

She smiled and went back into the tavern.

“Let’s go,” Kaizi said, leading the way.

As they walked through the streets of Golden Eagle City, which were lit up with lanterns and fire torches, Kaizi spoke.

“I understand your pain. Even I can’t take it.” Kaizi clenched his fist.

“You only spent your childhood with General Mofu, but we grew up together, shared meals and baths, fought side by side, and faced life-and-death situations together.”

Kaizi spoke.

“Just be patient. We might receive a letter from the Royal Capital regarding the coming of a general soon.”

“Once the general arrives, let’s reveal the truth together.” Kaizi put his hands on Long Lan’s shoulders as they walked.

Soon they reached the military base. The guards at the gate welcomed them as they walked toward the medical camp.

When they arrived at the camp, they saw Old Man Qin and Aunt Nagin already waiting outside, along with a man reeking of wine.

They nodded at each other as they entered the cabin.

Inside the cabin, they walked toward the private room.

Gwalior was seated on a chair in the private room. When he saw Kaizi and the others coming over, he stood up.

“These people are friends and family of the General. They heard the news and are here to visit.” Kaizi’s voice was intentionally loud for others around to hear.

“Let me check,” Gwalior said. He went inside the private room, then came back.

“You can go in,” he said.

Kaizi and the others walked in.

Inside the private room, Yan lay on the bed, which was surrounded by curtains.

Outside the curtains, a lantern was arranged on the table where the apple had previously been.

“So you are the soldier who is pretending to be our Mofu...” Old Man Qin said while looking at the shadow behind the curtains.

“Yes,” Yan replied, but he did not pull the curtains away.

“I would like to see you...” Old Man Qin requested.

“Okay,” Yan replied, but he still did not pull the curtains away.

The old man waited.

A minute...

Two minutes...

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“How presumptuous! You are nothing like my Mofu. My Mofu would have rushed at me by now.” Old Man Qin erupted.

“I am not Mofu,” Yan replied in a calm voice.

“Cough!”

“Cough!”

The old man stumbled, but Kaizi immediately supported him.

“I know you are not Mofu, but you were handed the responsibility of pretending to be him.”

“At least, you should put in some effort,” Old Man Qin said.

“I am injured. Please leave,” Yan replied.

“Insolent! Is this how you behave with elders?” Kaizi interjected and glared at Yan.

“What did I do wrong?” Yan asked.

For a moment, Kaizi could not come up with any words.

“You...”

“A foot soldier of a private unit.”

“How dare you disrespect General Mofu’s elders and your superior?” Kaizi said.

“Go away. You already know I am not Mofu.”

“I don’t know who you are. My superiors? My only superior is Chen Yu.”

Kaizi immediately released his core formation aura. The people nearby distanced themselves from him, except for the man reeking of wine.

He put his hand on Kaizi’s shoulder and said, “Calm down. He is right. We are being unreasonable here.”

Kaizi glared at the man reeking of wine for five breaths.

Then the core formation aura vanished.

“Let’s leave,” Kaizi said as everyone turned around and left.

As they were leaving, Long Lan glanced twice at the shadow behind the curtains, while the dim light of the lantern fell on them.

The night passed, and the next morning, the battle with Shin continued.

Clang!

Kaizi’s sword collided with that of a Shin commander.

“How despicable! You Noir are...”

“You are lying to your troops about the death of your own General.” The commander pressed on with his sword.

“What do you even know?” Kaizi pushed the commander back with his sword.

Clang!

“Do you think you guys are any better? Genie lied to you about your General’s injury.” Kaizi pressed his sword harder.

“Don’t you dare deceive us,” the commander said.

“If I am lying, then where is your General? Why has he not come today either?” Kaizi’s blade clashed with his again.

That day, both armies retreated by evening. No one won or lost.

“Have you heard? Mysterious Senior Yan killed many soldiers that day. No one knows how many.”

“He was like death itself, as the soldier who witnessed him described.”

“What are you talking about? Who is this Mysterious Senior Yan?”

“You don’t know, do you? He is in Han Defu’s unit.”

“The unit Chen Yu leads?”

“Yes.”

“Mm... talking about Chen Yu, I heard he went to see General Mofu yesterday, apparently after getting injured by some random bandits.”

“Are you for real? He got injured by bandits?”

“Yes, and more importantly, the General was injured saving him, right? I wonder what they talked about when they met.”

Kaizi was riding back with the others on horseback when he heard a few soldiers discussing.

Whenever Chen Yu and Mofu’s names were brought up, his eyebrows twitched.

After reaching Golden Eagle City, Kaizi was walking through the streets of the city.

“Hey...”

“You...”

Someone called him from behind. Kaizi turned around to find a man carrying a basket of fruits.

“I am Chu Lin. I saw you the other day when you came to the city with General Mofu...”

“I heard the news that he is seriously wounded. I can’t help much.”

“But could you at least take these fruits to him? Give him my regards.” Chu Lin extended the basket.

Kaizi stood stunned for a moment.

“Sure, I will.” He took the basket from Chu Lin.

“Thank you,” Chu Lin said, then left.

Kaizi stared at the basket in his hand as he moved through the streets.

Then he encountered two kids playing around. One of them said, “You know what? My father said he once played with General Mofu in childhood, but he said they were not that close.”

“Whoa!” The other kid’s eyes went wide.

“And now that Mofu is injured, my father wishes him a fast recovery,” the kid said.

Kaizi listened but kept walking. Then he checked on Long Lan, who was silently selling his scrap on the road.

When he got back to the military base, he saw a pigeon carrying a letter descend to the ground. Leo was already there.

Leo took the letter and read it.

Then he shook his head.

“What happened?” Kaizi walked toward Leo. Leo did not say anything. After a moment of hesitation, he handed the letter to Kaizi.

His Majesty King Xia Shin has sent General Hecta as soon as he heard the news of General Mofu’s demise.

She should have arrived in Golden Eagle City before the letter.

Also, about two hundred troops will reach the city within two days after you receive this letter.

Kaizi read the letter, looked at Leo, and asked, “Where is Hecta?”

“I don’t know. She has not arrived yet.”

“Let’s wait for some time. She might arrive soon,” Leo said.

Kaizi waited, he did not sleep that night but the night passed, but there was no sign of Hecta at all.

Kaizi came to military grounds early in the morning. He walked to and fro, and waited for Hecta but still there was not any sign of her at all.

”We are going to battle, aren’t you coming?” Leo who was walking through the ground noticed Kaizi who did not wear armor or got ready for the battle asked.

”No. I will wait for General Hecta here. Can I?” Kaizi asked.

”Sure, that’s not a problem.” Leo said and then left.

Kaizi still waited for Hecta, but there was no sign at all.

That afternoon, he climbed the hill and looked at the sky to get any signs of Hecta, but still did not.

After about an hour, he visited the graveyard on the same hill and stood outside the grave.

Brave Soldier Hukata.

A fruit basket was placed in front of the grave.

Just then, a woman who was passing by another grave looked at the name and asked, “Sir, who is this Brave Soldier Hukata? Is he someone from the military? Is he not from our city? I have never heard of him.”

Kaizi turned his head toward her and said, “Yes...”

“He is from the military, and he is...”

Kaizi swallowed hard.

“He...”

“Is...”

“Not from Golden Eagle City.”

Kaizi said as he breathed out.

“I see, such a poor guy. I hope his soul finds peace,” the woman said, and left.

After she left, Kaizi stood in silence.

Then his eyes moistened and teared up. He sat down there and cried for a few moments.

Then he stood up, rubbed his eyes, and left for the city.

As soon as he entered the city, Long Lan stood in front of him.

“What happened to the letter that you talked about? Has the General arrived? Can I announce the truth?” Long Lan confronted him.

Kaizi stood still, opened his lips, and said...