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墨書 Inktalez
“What are you all arguing about? Are you signing up or not?”
The sound of a gong rang out from the front of the line, and the noisy crowd fell silent in an instant.
Ye Chen withdrew his gaze, no longer staring at Pei Guanjing, and turned his attention to the man ahead who was striking the gong.
The man was tall, comparable in stature to the brother in front of him, and he appeared to be another Tian Qian.
How did Ye Chen know this? It was because, although his differentiation had been interrupted, his sensitivity to Xin Xiang had not been blocked by the elixir.
As the increasingly strong smells of tar, earthy soil, and kerosene filled his nostrils, Ye Chen felt a headache coming on.
Before he had differentiated, he hadn’t felt much. Now, although his differentiation was incomplete, he had gained some abilities from Kun Ze. Even the most common Xin Xiang of an ordinary Tian Qian made him feel uncomfortable. Fortunately, he was only at the Military Camp to deliver a message to General He; he estimated that he wouldn’t have to stay in this “foul-smelling” place for long.
Under the intimidation of the Drummer, everyone began to line up obediently. Ye Chen was no longer subjected to the crowd's teasing, which made him feel much better.
However, soon after, as a pair of increasingly heated gazes bore down on him from behind, Ye Chen felt a chill run down his spine.
Seeing Ye Chen turn away as if nothing were wrong, Mo Sheng nearly crushed the knife in his hand. He clasped his fists and said to Pei Guanjing, “Young Master, this person does not seem well-intentioned. He appears to be under fourteen; how could he come to enlist? I suspect there is something amiss.”
Pei Guanjing narrowed his slanted eyes and glanced at Mo Sheng before shifting his gaze back to Ye Chen. “What do you think this young man is here for?”
Mo Sheng replied, “I don’t know, but this boy is too similar to the one I saw a few days ago from Sun Family Village. Although there are many similar people in this vast world, I believe it is prudent to be cautious during these turbulent times. It would be best for me to go down and investigate his identity.”
“Hmm?”
Pei Guanjing turned back to look at him and nodded after a moment. “You make a valid point. Go down and see what you can find out about him.” With that, Pei Guanjing continued to watch Ye Chen with keen interest from a distance.
“Yes.”
With Pei Guanjing's approval, Mo Sheng immediately turned and hurried down the stairs, making his way to the front of the crowd, eager to cut in line and find out what was happening.
"Hey, what do you think you're doing? If you want to enlist, you need to wait your turn. Do you understand the rules?"
Upon hearing Drummer's words, Mo Sheng took out a golden token from his sleeve, which prominently bore the inscription "Regent."
"This... this is the token of the Imperial City."
Seeing the token, Drummer's expression changed dramatically as he looked at Mo Sheng in surprise.
What was someone from the Imperial City doing at the border? Was something wrong back home?
Mo Sheng put away the token and said coolly, "Lead the way."
Drummer bowed slightly and stepped aside, respectfully saying, "My lord, this way please."
Meanwhile, Ye Chen, upon looking up again to meet Pei Guanjing's gaze, found it hard to smile.
What was this person’s deal? Why was he staring at him? They had met once before, and a greeting was polite enough, but now he was still fixated on him. What did it mean? Or did he... Suddenly, Ye Chen raised his eyes sharply; his dark pupils shifted. He wouldn’t...
"You're up next. Where's Lu Ying?"
The person recording names in front called out to Ye Chen three times before pulling him back from his thoughts.
Hearing the officer's call, Ye Chen hurriedly fumbled to hand over Lu Ying, which he had received from Xiao Feng, to the person at the registration desk.
"Officer, this is my Lu Ying."
The person referred to as the Military Officer looked Ye Chen up and down. "Have you turned fourteen yet?"
Ye Chen forced a smile. "Yes, I have. It's written on my Lu Ying."
The Military Officer read the information on the Lu Ying. "From Beijing Huai Ze County, born in the thirteenth year of Fenghua."
"Yes, just turned fourteen, so I meet the requirements."
The Military Officer glanced at the Lu Ying again, finding no issues, yet he hesitated to assign Ye Chen a role. This made Ye Chen feel uneasy, and he instinctively tightened his grip on the hem of his pants.
Setting aside the Lu Ying, the Military Officer began to register names. "What is your name?"
"Ye Chen. Ye as in leaf, and Chen as in dawn."
After registering the name, the Military Officer casually pulled a wooden token from a stack in front of him and tossed it in front of Ye Chen. "Take this token and go to the back of the line to collect your silver. Once the recruitment is over, head to the Military Camp."
Hmm? There's silver to collect.
Ye Chen smiled as he took the token and walked towards the line behind him. Looking at the three characters "Huo Tou Jun" on the token, a bright smile revealed his white teeth.
It's still Huo Tou Jun. It seems like a good deal; now I won't have to worry about going hungry.
Pei Guanjing stood high above, observing all of Ye Chen's actions. He chuckled softly to himself, "This is quite interesting."
Mo Sheng had returned.
He had been standing just two or three meters away from Ye Chen during his registration. However, Ye Chen was too nervous to notice him. Otherwise, he would have wondered how this person, who had once gifted him silver, ended up here with him.
Noticing the movement behind him, Pei Guanjing did not turn around but simply asked, "Is there a problem?"
Mo Sheng furrowed his brows and replied, "There’s no issue. The paper used by Lu Ying is indeed the official paper from the capital's paper mill, and the seal is also the local government’s official stamp. Everything checks out."
After pondering for a moment, Mo Sheng still felt something was off. What would a local from the capital be doing here? Even if other places were ravaged by war and famine, being at the emperor's feet should be the safest option. Why would anyone seek survival here?
Pei Guanjing watched as Ye Chen's figure gradually disappeared from his sight before slowly turning around and returning to the table to continue his meal. After a few bites, he set down his chopsticks and took out a handkerchief to wipe the corner of his mouth.
"The food is a bit too salty; let’s clear it away."
Mo Sheng cast a suspicious glance at Pei Guanjing. The meal had been prepared by their own cook, and the taste was usually just fine.
Pei Guanjing gave him a look, prompting Mo Sheng to call out to the waiter at the door, "Hey, clear the dishes."
The group was starkly divided; on the far right stood a bunch of muscular men, towering and imposing, as if one punch from them could knock someone out. On the far left, although they seemed somewhat more restrained, they were still not much less intimidating—another group of men who towered over Mo Sheng by at least two heads, all staring intently at him.
Ye Chen swallowed nervously. Unsure if his Xin Xiang would reveal his identity, he tried hard to shrink into a corner where no one could see him. Unfortunately, the trio in the middle of the crowd was not enough to block him from view.
Shuanzi glanced around at the strange atmosphere and finally sensed that all eyes seemed to be on someone directly behind him.
Following everyone’s gaze, Shuanzi slowly turned around to see a boy standing behind him, who was about a head shorter and trembling slightly as he huddled back there.
Noticing that the light in front of him had shifted, Ye Chen slowly raised his head. His youthful face with red lips and white teeth happened to catch Shuanzi's eye.
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