People in the Alliance, Time Management Master

"Don't move... If you keep doing that, I'll call Syndra over..." The moment he said those words, Mu Bai felt like something was wrong.

"It's no use~ She's catching up on sleep. I even secretly plugged her ears before I came over~"

Ahri revealed her ferocious nature and pressed closer, soon pressing half of her body against him.

"Go ahead and scream—scream until you're hoarse, but no one will come to save you!"

"..." Mu Bai leaned back in his chair, watching as the fox girl put his finger in her mouth. The nimble pink fingers wrapped tightly around her finger and slid up and down, as if she were savoring some kind of delicacy.

A soft gulp. The sound of swallowing saliva came from the girl's mouth, utterly alluring.

Mu Bai wanted to resist, but both of his hands were held down firmly by the fox's tail, so he could only let the other party do whatever they wanted to him.

After licking for a full half minute, Ahri finally reluctantly let go of her little mouth.

"I'll only eat a little bit today~ I'm very self-disciplined~"

"Hmm... Should I praise you for your progress..." Mu Bai looked at the drool on his fingers and just wanted to wash his hands as soon as possible.

………………

In the next room, Syndra, who was fast asleep, turned over.

In her dream, she saw Ah Li kidnap Mu Bai while she was away.

What a terrible dream... But everyone says dreams are the opposite of reality.

And so, a slight smile appeared on the corners of her mouth.

………………

Outside, a red-eyed raven silently observes everything.

Chapter Forty-Four: Ceasefire Agreement

The plowshare cut through the hard soil, turning over the earth's winter stash under the spring sky. Riven, holding the plow frame, followed behind the ox on a small patch of farmland.

Plowing the land is physically demanding, but it wasn't a difficult task for a soldier like her.

It's easier to fight against the soil than against the Ionian resistance.

"You should take a rest, child," a hoarse yet cheerful voice rang out.

Riven wiped a strand of sweaty hair from her brow with her sleeve, then turned around and saw Grandma Shava with a big smile on her face.

"Here, have some barley tea and rest a bit." The old woman handed over the water bag, her words carrying a hint of reproach. "I told you you could rest in the shade and wait for me to come back."

“I want to finish the work first…” Riven said as she took the water bag without stopping. Her arms were strong; she could hold the plow frame steady with one hand.

"Oh dear, you don't need to work so hard. It's not your obligation," Grandma Sava insisted that she stop, but the latter continued walking.

No, it is my duty… she thought with shame, I must make amends for my mistake… even if the effect is minimal.

"You're as stubborn as a donkey," the old woman said with a helpless smile.

"I'm sorry..." Riven lowered her head in embarrassment.

"Oh dear, why are you apologizing to me? I should be apologizing to you, Grandma."

Riven forced a smile and tilted her head back to gulp down several mouthfuls of barley tea. It was still hot and tasted delicious.

“Child, I understand your desire to make amends, but you can’t suppress yourself too much… Look, your skin is all chafed.” Grandma Sava said with concern.

These words made Riven's body tremble, her beautiful red eyes filled with confusion and shock.

"I guessed right?" Seeing this, the old woman sighed softly. "Alas, as long as you don't make the same mistake again, no one will blame you."

"You know... it was Elder Suma who told you..." Riven panicked instantly, her hands trembling slightly, looking very nervous.

"Nobody told me anything, you're just too obvious."

The old woman reached out and stroked the other person's silver hair, her movements as gentle as if she were comforting a wounded child.

"Anyone can tell you're a warrior. But you can't speak the Ionian dialect, you always look preoccupied, and you work so hard... It's too obvious."

"I...I...I'm sorry..." Riven unconsciously gripped the plow frame tightly, feeling uneasy and at a loss.

She was terrified, worried that the other person would drive her away.

But the reality was quite the opposite of what she expected—Grandma Savar put everything she was carrying aside and gave her a warm hug.

“It’s all in the past, child. We…we can’t stay stuck in the past forever; we have to keep living our lives.”

Both of her sons died in the war against the Noxians—when they were Riven's age.

Their remains have long been cleansed by the heavens. Would those who have passed away wish to see their loved ones overwhelmed by grief, or even to be buried beside them?

There has been enough death and sorrow...

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Riven tried her best to respond to the other person's hug, her eyes filled with tears.

"Hey, don't cry, child... no one will blame you, sweetie..."

....................................

In the fields, an old man and a young boy embraced each other warmly.

Outside in the field, a lame man wearing a black overcoat sighed softly.

The war should be over... he thought. Even Noxus's bravest female warriors have lost their will to fight. How can we expect anyone else to fight?

It's time for Darkwell's farce to come to an end.

This insane war of expansion was a joke from the very beginning.

The cripple shook his head and dragged his incomplete body step by step toward the house.

As he knocked on the door, he straightened his clothes as much as possible to make himself look less disheveled.

But the next moment, the action became futile—the door opened, and a long knife emerged from the crack, pressed against his neck.

Then, a familiar voice said, "If you want revenge, please find another place. Mr. Swain."

"Heh, I don't have that guts." The cripple raised his arms in surrender. "I'm here to discuss something with you."

"what's up?"

"Regarding the Ceasefire - The War Between Ionia and Noxus."

As soon as he finished speaking, the long sword that could have taken his life at any moment slowly moved away. The door opened completely, and he saw Mu Bai's cautious expression.

"Keep your hands where I can see them, or I will kill you without hesitation."

“As you wish.” Swain nodded generously, raised his hand, and walked into the house.

Besides Mu Bai, there was another Vastaya in the room whom I had never seen before—even though she was wearing a veil and a hat, she couldn't hide the fox tail that symbolized her Vastaya identity.

Humans don't have tails.

"How did you find me?" After they were both seated, Mu Bai asked the first question.

“Demonic aura… The demonic aura within us is completely identical; we can sense each other,” Swain replied.

Upon hearing this, Mu Bai nodded thoughtfully. Indeed, he had sensed who was behind the door as soon as he reached it, without even needing to look.

However, his control over demonic power was not yet proficient enough, and he could not achieve the same long-distance sensing as Swain.

“Alright. Now, explain your 'ceasefire' plan in detail.” Although Mu Bai’s longsword was already sheathed, his right hand remained on the hilt, ready to draw at any moment.

"no problem."

Swain shifted his crippled leg, propping it up on the crossbar under the table. His laborious movements made him look like a harmless old cripple.

"First, to achieve a ceasefire, we must obtain the approval of Commander-in-Chief Darkwell, as only he has the authority to command all the soldiers."

"Unfortunately, Darkwell has... gone mad? Heh, perhaps that's a bit disrespectful, but it's the truth."

"Therefore, the only way to stop this absurd war is to seize power from him."

"I've been planning this for a long time, but it will still take at least a year..."

“It wasn’t until I was nearly killed by you last time that I saw a new possibility—if you’re willing to help me, we can overthrow Darkwell and declare the war over right now.”

These words were spoken with great passion and fervor, and even Mu Bai was moved by them.

Swain is indeed a man who can achieve great things.

Even though he was almost killed by him not long ago, he can immediately put aside his hatred and choose to cooperate as long as there is profit to be made.

"Please elaborate."

Mu Bai released his grip on the knife hilt, indicating that the negotiations could continue.

Chapter 45 The Fourth Ruler of Noxus

Mu Bai has always felt that purely rational people are the most terrifying. These people aren't without emotions; they just don't express them.

As long as the benefits are great enough, emotions are just bargaining chips that can be discarded at will. Whether it's love, family, friendship, or the bond between teacher and student, none of them matter.

And now, sitting opposite Mu Bai is such a person—Jericho Swain.

He once killed his own parents without hesitation in order to consolidate the imperial power. This act made him famous and earned him a position in the army.

Later, he applied this almost cold-blooded rationality to the army—as long as the mission could be successful, he didn't care whose life it was.

To him, on the front lines, a foreign slave and a nobleman were equal. So were those who envied and plotted against him and those who faithfully served him.

Of course, if he's only ruthless to others, he can't be called purely rational.

Most importantly, he was ruthless to himself—in order to gain power and return to the upper echelons of the empire, he was willing to sell his soul and make a deal with the devil.

He can abandon anything.

As long as the mission succeeds.

As long as Noxus can obtain the greatest benefit.

Working with such a person, Mu Bai felt an invisible pressure.

"I'd like to know your specific plans," Mu Bai said, taking a deep breath.

“That’s only right.” Swain placed his right hand on his left chest, giving a standard Noxian military salute, his every word and action exuding elegance.

"To show my sincerity, let me first explain my previous plans."