My lord, spare his life!

"Relatives?" Xia Gengshi looked bewildered.

The word touched my heart like a feather, tickling me.

Zhang Yang asked her, "What's wrong? You don't remember clearly?"

She gave the army doctor a wink, and the doctor pretended to take Xia Gengshi's pulse. Xia Gengshi's amnesia was something she'd anticipated, but her lord had to put on an act. The army doctor wasn't old, but he understood social etiquette. Xia Gengshi snapped out of his daze, sheepishly shrinking back, his mountain-like physique unable to conceal his honest, unassuming nature: "This humble general doesn't remember many people."

She deserves to die.

They don't even remember their closest relatives.

Xia Gengshi clutched her cold, throbbing forehead, cautiously observing Zhang Yang's emotional reaction out of the corner of her eye, her heart pounding with anxiety. Although she couldn't remember anything, that subconscious feeling remained. Her intuition told her that her lord disliked those who were unfilial and disrespectful to their elders.

Even if someone possesses great supernatural powers, a flawed character and reputation will lead to their dismissal; the lord cannot tolerate someone with a tarnished reputation. What flaw could be greater than her situation? But she couldn't bring herself to lie and say she remembered. What if the lord inquired about her family and relatives, and she couldn't answer? Wouldn't that be even worse?

"Do you still remember how many people are in your family?"

"I don't remember." She almost cried with shame as she spoke. At this moment, she couldn't even remember whether her parents were alive, whether she had a husband, or whether she had children. She stammered, "...No, but just thinking about it makes my heart soften. I suppose there must be someone at home that I care about..."

She was speaking incoherently.

The lord had just told her that "the villains are despicable and have imprisoned her relatives," so of course she had relatives and people she cared about. Fortunately, the lord didn't bring up this point, which relieved Xia Gengshi.

"Don't worry, your relatives will definitely come safely."

She'll take the call if she can, and if she can't, she'll call back.

Xia Gengshi nodded: "This humble general thanks my lord."

After Zhang Yang sat down, he asked her in a low voice, as if it were a casual neighborly chat, whether she was feeling unwell. He then inquired about the fragmented memories she had retained after the disaster. His demeanor was approachable, without a trace of the aloofness or pressure of a superior. Xia Gengshi was simple and honest. She attributed the awkwardness between them to her own heroic sacrifice in the battle, which had moved her lord and led to her being treated differently after escaping death. She never considered any other possibilities.

Xia Gengshi sat upright, his back taut and straight.

Reason told her she should maintain a humble and respectful demeanor, but her eyes couldn't help but steal glances at her lord, her heart pounding wildly in her chest. If Xia Gengshi hadn't restrained himself, he probably wouldn't have been able to suppress his admiration.

Her heartbeat wouldn't lie.

The more Xia Gengshi looked at his lord, the more handsome he found him.

The young man was handsome and sharp, with clear and bright eyes. His narrow-sleeved round robe clearly outlined his superior figure. Sitting there, he resembled a flawless jade figure, exuding the most noble air. Xia Gengshi's heart trembled slightly as he looked at him. In a daze, he could almost imagine the fierceness of that face when it was filled with murderous intent and anger, which was more terrifying than a battle-hardened soldier.

Zhang Yang recounted what he had discovered about Xia Geng's corpse, which was now lost in thought.

Why do you feel so restless?

The health bar is now covered by the "Distraction" debuff.

Xia Gengshi was an honest man: "I'm thinking about my lord's feet."

As soon as she said it, she couldn't help but slap herself in the heart, completely baffled as to why she had been so rash and rude.

Zhang Yang raised an eyebrow and asked, "My foot?"

Xia Gengshi stammered, "The way it looked when it was stepping on people."

Seeing her lord's appearance, she couldn't help but imagine him looking down at her with disdain. Looking up, the first thing she would see was undoubtedly the weapon in his hand, followed by his sharply defined jawline and tightly pursed red lips…

On a rainy day, the rain soaks her clothes, which cling to her skin, and the mud covers her body, yet it does not diminish the indomitable spirit in her soul...

Just thinking about that scene makes my heart pound even harder.

She was even afraid that her heart would jump out and scare the lord.

Zhang Yang suspected that Xia Gengshi might have remembered something.

"You expect me to step on someone?"

"Um……"

Xia Gengshi blushed slightly.

Seeing Zhang Yang's affectionate, peach-blossom-like eyes looking at her with confusion, she felt a burning heat all over her body, and a wave of embarrassment and helplessness washed over her. Xia Gengshi let out a short "Ah," and helplessly took off his head, stuffing it haphazardly into his arms with his large, fan-like hands.

They were afraid that their lord would see even the slightest flaw.

Zhang Yang: "..."

Military doctor: "..."

Xia Geng, realizing he had removed his head, was speechless.

Zhang Yang looked at the headless man in front of him with complicated emotions.

She knew the world's setting was absurd, but she hadn't expected it to be this absurd. She'd seen headless bosses before in games, but this was the first time she'd seen someone remove their head and hide it out of "shyness." Zhang Yang told herself to stay calm.

Don't act like a country bumpkin NPC who's never seen the world.

"Will it be alright if your head is taken off?"

Xia Gengshi touched the severed neck, and a muffled voice came from the head in his arms: "Reporting to my lord, this humble general is unharmed."

The cut on her neck was covered with intricate, dark, mysterious patterns, and the blood vessels and cervical spine incisions were visible to the naked eye. When her head was removed, no blood spurted from the cut, as if it were her birthright, as if her head had never existed on her neck.

Zhang Yang looked on with a mixture of curiosity and envy.

Although she could remove her own head, it always resulted in gushing blood and a drop in health, far less convenient than Xia Geng's corpse. Zhang Yang patted her arm and said, "I don't blame you for being offensive. Hurry up and put your head back."

Xia Gengshi awkwardly fumbled to put his head back in.

She adjusted the angle, as it was slightly off.

Zhang Yang smiled and said, "Take good care of your injuries. Once you're healed, you can come and serve as my personal guard. I'll also arrange three hundred elite soldiers for you."

Xia Gengshi's eyes widened suddenly, stunned and bewildered by this unexpected windfall. Although three hundred elite soldiers weren't many, it was still important to consider their duties—protecting their lord's safety.

Is the lord entrusting his life to her?

Xia Gengshi was so shocked by the news that his brain went blank. He couldn't react for a long time and was so confused that he didn't know what to do with his hands and feet.

"What's wrong? You don't really like this job?"

"No, no, no, no—this humble general dares not think that way, never has thought that way." Xia Gengshi's face was beaming with joy, so happy that she didn't know what to do. She simply knelt down before Zhang Yang and kowtowed to her with a head that made everyone's head ache.

Zhang Yang chuckled and went to help her up: "What are you doing?"

Xia Geng, still standing, spoke earnestly and resolutely: "This humble servant is willing to lay down his life for my lord, to love what my lord loves, and to hate what my lord hates. This humble servant will obey my lord's commands in every word and deed, even through mountains of knives and seas of fire, without ever disobeying, without ever having a second thought."

She stood ramrod straight, her eyes open and honest.

At this moment, Xia Gengshi felt as if his heart was about to explode with joy.

She waited devoutly and quietly for her lord's instructions.

Zhang Yang was slightly surprised, but he still reached out and grasped Xia Gengshi's hand, saying slowly, "Yes, you and I, ruler and subject, will remain loyal to each other until the end."

I just don't know how I'll feel when I think about it in the future.

A smile graced her lips, making her face even more radiant. Xia Gengshi felt dizzy, her heart pounding on the verge of breaking free. She took a deep breath to suppress her surging emotions and watched Zhang Yang leave. Clutching her chest, she murmured, "Thank goodness she's gone—"

If my lord continues to stay, I fear I will be disrespectful.

Only after Zhang Yang left did her heart gradually calm down.

Filled with joy and anticipation, Xia Gengshi actively cooperated with the military doctor's treatment, wishing her injuries would heal by tomorrow so she could go and serve as a guard to her lord. Xia Gengshi was so excited she couldn't sleep, unaware that someone else was also filled with resentment.

"You put her in charge of the dormitory security?"

After Zhang Yang finished his visit, he was stopped by someone on his way back.

There's a murderous aura about him!

She locked onto her target with murderous intent in a second—

Guan Si, whose name was displayed in a large red banner above his head.

The opponent's name was so red it was almost black, standing out starkly against the green-named players in their own camp. Zhang Yang blinked, averting his gaze to avoid accidentally attacking the red-named player. This action, however, only made Guan Si appear more guilty.

Guan Si asked her calmly, "Why don't you answer?"

Zhang Yang: "You called me because of this?"

Guan Si asked to himself, "Did the Hundred Ghosts Guard arouse your suspicion? Or do you feel that you have secured your position and therefore do not need me, so you are looking for someone to replace me? I have always known that people's hearts are treacherous, and those in power are most adept at discarding their hunting dogs after the rabbits are caught. But Bo Yuan, you are not yet fully established, so why are you in such a hurry? You might as well wait a little longer. It would be extremely unwise to make a move now."

Zhang Yang: "What?"

Why did the topic suddenly jump to "the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked"?

What did I do that provoked this person?

She subtly steered the conversation upwards, and upon seeing Guan Si's first question, she belatedly realized that Guan Si had previously only done guard duties. When a company expands hiring for a particular position when it doesn't need more staff, it's easy for older employees to suspect they're about to be laid off.

What the guy said after the Easter egg was also interesting.

What's even more interesting is that the favorability rating didn't change.

"It's safer to keep this destabilizing factor close at hand. She can't kill me, but others can't withstand her destructive power." Zhang Yang organized his thoughts, watching the red name above the Eggman's head switch to green in a second. "Besides, her life is in my hands. Even if she regains her memories in the future, she won't be able to do anything to me."

A fragment of the radiant light from Xia Geng's corpse was in Zhang Yang's hand.

The so-called "fetal light" is one of the three souls, and is the origin of life.

Guan Si: "I can give you a piece of my fetal light as well."

Zhang Yang's hiring of a body double can be attributed to a lack of trust in him.

Zhang Yang: "..."

Before Zhang Yang could analyze what the guy with the bonus egg was babbling about, Guan Si shook his head and said, "Never mind."

Zhang Yang said, "I never intended to cook you."

As a well-informed NPC, she's past the age of instantly killing anyone with a red name tag, and she's not as intolerant of betrayal as some easily broken humans. Humans don't tolerate betrayal unless their feelings or interests are harmed, and they resist such losses, but these two things mean nothing to Zhang Yang.

Therefore, she wouldn't resort to the tactic of "the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked" (meaning that once the rabbit is caught, the hunting dog is cooked).

If she really wanted to kill someone, she wouldn't wait until she had squeezed all the profit out of them before taking action. If she wanted the person dead someday, she would kill them without even looking at the almanac.

Guan Si found this explanation acceptable.

Did Zhang Yang find a new bodyguard?

That doesn't affect his ability to take up his post independently, so there's really no conflict.

"That alpha wolf from Canglang Camp has something to discuss with you."

Guan Si's words successfully diverted Zhang Yang's attention.

"What is it?"

Zhang Yang followed him to see the Commandant of Canglang.

The other wolf was two or three times larger than when they last met, and its already massive body was visually imposing even when it was lying down.

Are you sick?

Zhang Yang gently stroked the wolf's head of the Canglang Commandant.

Guan Si watched her hand pass through the thick wolf fur and pursed his lips slightly: "No, it's about to break through. It seems it had a fortuitous encounter on the battlefield. If all goes well, it will be able to fully transform into a star beast once it gets through this stage. However, this bottleneck is dangerous, and it may not be able to continue traveling with the army. I wanted to let you know."

"This is good news." Zhang Yang cupped the Canglang Captain's big head and ruffled it. "Tell it to focus on its breakthrough and not worry about its work in the army. Its wolf pack will be taken over by someone else. Once it has broken through, it can catch up with the main army."

Guan Si already knew this was the answer.

However, the Canglang Commandant always wanted to hear her say it in person.

Upon hearing that the Canglang Commandant's breakthrough opportunity also occurred on the battlefield, she couldn't help but say, "How many times has this happened now? It seems I'm quite lucky."

She has always been lucky.

After thinking for a moment, he took out a bunch of food from his game backpack.

He pushed all the blame onto the Wolf King: "I don't know the specifics of how to break through, but judging from the game designers' settings for the transformation of certain beasts, each transformation requires a lot of energy, and I imagine it's the same for you. Eat and drink as you please, don't mistreat yourself."

Breakthroughs also require physical exertion.

How can you break through a bottleneck if you don't have the strength?

The Canglang Commander nuzzled Zhang Yang's palm with its nose, its gaze gentle, clearly pleased by her concern. With Zhang Yang's assurance, it could now fully concentrate on its breakthrough. Guan Si had also found a secluded and safe spot in the nearby mountains, a place where ordinary wild beasts and birds of prey couldn't reach and disturb it. The whole process didn't take much time, but some people were getting impatient. Seeing the two return, they couldn't help but question, "Where did you two go on a wild excursion? Why are you only coming back at this hour?"

Zhang Yang: "I didn't go swimming."

She was almost soaked in water during the recent flood relief efforts.

I don't want to go into the water for a short time.

Wang Qi: "...It's not this tour, never mind, it's not important. The old man has something to ask you, it seems quite important."

Zhang Yang: "Why do you always need to contact me?"

"Mountain Spirit, your words are rude. If you weren't the lord, who would come looking for you?" Wang Qi's words were packed with information, and Guan Si keenly grasped the key point—what did he mean by "If you weren't the lord, who would come looking for you"?

There's nothing wrong with including Xia Gengshi and Canglang Duwei in the list.

Is there something wrong with Wang Ba?

It's unclear whether this was Wang Qi's idea or Wang Ba's.

Guan Si prefers the former.

Wang Qi was not in charge, but Wang Ba had been a warlord in Dongxian for many years, with a complex web of interests and connections. How could he easily make a decision that concerned the entire direction of the power?

It's probably just wishful thinking on the part of that savage Wang Qi.

And indeed, this is the case; Wang Ba currently has no such intention.

Still wavering, weighing the pros and cons.

"Is something troubling you, Lord Hongtu? You look so haggard." Zhang Yang noticed Wang Ba's unusual mood as soon as he arrived; he was completely different from yesterday. Wang Qi was also curious about what was wrong with the old man, but since the old man wouldn't say, Wang Qi didn't bother to ask.

Wang Badao: "I received some terrible news this morning."

Wang Qi: "Dongxian was robbed?"

? ?|??w?`)

Wang Ba: So you've become an only child now.