Chapter 162: Kun Sang’s Wild Imagination

As he spoke, Huan Linyuan also apologized to Mr. Kui Hai and explained, “Mr. Kui Hai, Kun Sang didn’t mean anything by it. It’s just that a few days ago, something happened in Mercenary City—someone was using our Molan City’s name to scam free food and drinks, and then even sent all the bills to us. So Kun Sang’s a bit sensitive about this right now.”

Kui Hai listened with a smile and indicated he understood. After Kun Sang was forced to apologize in his usual gruff, loud manner, Kui Hai graciously said he wouldn’t hold it against a youngster who didn’t know any better. Only after Kun Sang was fuming with anger did Kui Hai let the matter drop with a few words.

This made Huan Linyuan silently praise Mr. Kui Hai as a truly shrewd man who never lets himself suffer a loss. No wonder Officer Lin had repeatedly warned him that, even if he offended Zhong Teng, he must never offend Mr. Kui Hai.

Seeing the tension between both sides had eased, Zhong Teng—who had been worried sick—immediately asked anxiously, “My little Qiu’s savior—did something happen to Xiao Qiu? How is he now? Is he hurt?”

Worry clouded Zhong Teng’s handsome features. Xiao Qiu was his last remaining family, and also the brother he doted on the most—he couldn’t let anything happen to him.

Of course, Mr. Kui Hai understood how important Xiao Qiu was to Zhong Teng. Smiling, he reassured him, “Don’t worry, he just got a black eye, but he’s fine now. There’s not even a bruise left. Actually, Xiao Qiu was amazing—he beat that group up so badly their heads were bleeding.”

“Oh—Xiao Qiu fought back?” Zhong Teng’s face lit up with interest.

Seeing how he perked up, eager to hear about his little brother’s heroic deeds, Kui Hai laughed and recounted to everyone how Xiao Qiu had thrashed Kui Hu and his gang, just as he’d told the children. Zhong Teng listened with pride.

That’s my brother, all right.

Huan Linyuan also smiled, his eyes narrowing. “So it sounds like this Miss Yun is quite impressive. As it happens, Longteng is short on people for the competition—maybe we could invite Miss Yun to join?”

Kui Hai gave him an approving look, but didn’t immediately agree. Instead, he said, “Miss Yun and her companions are merchants.”

Seeing Huan Linyuan wanted to say more, Kui Hai just smiled and changed the subject. “There’s also Mr. Pei Yu in Miss Yun’s caravan. I saw Mr. Pei in Chaos City nineteen years ago—his bearing is unforgettable, so I couldn’t possibly mistake him. Isn’t Mr. Pei from Molan City?”

“Yes, yes, of course he is! I can’t believe that rascal’s actually here,” the Molan City group all broke into smiles.

Kun Sang snorted, “Didn’t he leave a note saying he was going to find a nice place to die? How’s he still alive?”

“Kun Sang—”

“Kun Sang—”

Several warning voices rang out at once, stopping him in annoyance.

But Kun Sang stubbornly stuck out his neck, still indignant. “Am I wrong? He just up and left without a word. We spent so much time looking for him! Two squads even got attacked by berserk beasts while searching, and Lu Quan got his arm broken and had to lie in bed. And now this guy turns up here, alive and kicking, playing at being a merchant. Hmph! He couldn’t even send us a message—I thought he’d died out there with no one to bury him.”

His words were rushed and blunt, sounding pretty harsh.

But it made Kui Hai understand the kid’s true nature—he even spoke so bluntly about his own people, always talking about dying and burying corpses. Compared to that, his earlier doubts didn’t seem so offensive anymore.

Huan Linyuan and the others, however, exchanged odd looks. “Ahem, Kun Sang, didn’t Officer Lin tell you? Captain Mo already sent word—he said Pei Yu was with him, so we didn’t have to worry. Otherwise, why would we have withdrawn the search notice in Mercenary City and called back the search parties?”

Kun Sang’s face froze. He mechanically turned his head to look at them. “Wasn’t it because you couldn’t find him and gave up?”

He’d even secretly cursed his cousin for being cold-blooded and had snuck out to look for Pei Yu himself.

But he absolutely couldn’t let anyone else know that.

Huan Linyuan blinked, thinking this was just a case of poor communication and Officer Lin being too busy to update the family.

But that didn’t make sense—everyone else who’d gone out searching from Molan City knew about it. Otherwise, why would they have stopped looking for Pei Yu?

Sure, Pei Yu’s current style was a bit of an eyesore and didn’t fit in with their corps, but he was still one of them—a comrade who’d fought and bled alongside them. The corps’ honor meant never abandoning a comrade; as long as there was no body, they would keep searching.

“Ahem.” Huan Linyuan cleared his throat. “Kun Sang, I think there’s been a misunderstanding. The day after you were told to come back, we explained to the squad why we were stopping the search. Weren’t you there?”

Kun Sang’s eyes widened in shock.

That day, he’d come up with his own explanation for the search party’s recall. He’d finally decided the most likely reason was that his cousin wanted to get rid of Captain Mo’s cousin, and while Captain Mo was always away, seize the chance to usurp the position and change the name of Molan City’s lord.

So that night, feeling guilty, he’d snuck out to look for Pei Yu.

Later, when he couldn’t find him, and then Longteng’s leader Zhong Teng came to Molan City for help, and his cousin sent his trusted lieutenant along with Hailang, Ming Mu, and even Ming Xiao—who was so sickly he was just skin and bones—Kun Sang became even more convinced his cousin was plotting a coup.

On the way here, he’d tossed and turned for days, unable to sleep, torn between supporting his cousin or righteously reporting him.

Who would’ve thought—it was all just his wild imagination. They’d stopped searching for Pei Yu because Captain Mo had sent word.

Kun Sang’s dark, rugged face flushed with shame. He stammered, “No, I wasn’t there—I was out on some errands and missed it.”

“Oh? And you never asked anyone about it afterward?”

“No, I—I just forgot.”

Kun Sang thought to himself, Back then, I was so sure I’d guessed my cousin’s plan that I was practically scared to death. As soon as I heard Pei Yu’s name, I ran away—how could I have the nerve to ask anyone?

Huan Linyuan gave him a look that said, “How can you be so unreliable?” making Kun Sang’s dark face turn red and black in embarrassment.

Knowing he was in the wrong, Kun Sang turned away and kept quiet for the rest of the conversation, lips pressed tight and face sulky, stewing in his own frustration.

That frustration finally exploded when he saw Pei Yu, alive, well-fed, rosy-cheeked, and even a bit chubbier.

He immediately grabbed Pei Yu for a long-overdue sparring match.

Pei Yu, who had just eaten his fill and wasn’t ready for strenuous exercise: ???

Meow meow, what did I do to deserve this?

Why is this brute Kun Sang here too?"