Chapter 131

Latiao cast a pitying glance at the skirmish between the cat and dog—or rather, leopard and wolf—not far away, where Xiayu was caught up in petting them. Turning his gaze, he was met with the hushed stillness of a live stream audience.

This moment of instinctive release, the forgetfulness of the streaming sphere, no one understood better than him, the bumbling tiger.

No, he must uphold the dignity and image of his uncle.

Latiao looked up at the streaming sphere spinning erratically mid-air and sharpened his claws.

The live stream was instantly on alert.

[Latiao, what are you thinking?!]

[I saw you sharpening those claws! I've recorded it!!]

[I love watching this kind of scene, please be good, Latiao!!]

[Don’t come closer aaah—]

The tawny-black tiger leaped into the air, using the agility inherent to the feline family, caught the low-flying streaming sphere in his mouth, then gracefully landed. With experienced paws, he dug a hole and buried the sphere within.

By the time Xiayu turned at the commotion, Latiao nonchalantly sat down right on top of the buried sphere.

With his head tilted, his tiger face feigned innocence.

[...It's so dark underground]

[It's cold in the snow. It wasn't even this cold when I was on a mission in the Planet Kenya]

While Xiayu's live stream was always open to the legions, the majority of viewers hailed from the First Legion or had affiliations with them.

Some from other legions secretly tuned in, but without approval from Shangfeng, they weren’t as unabashed or confident as those from the First Legion.

The appearance of the white wolf, Fang Junye, ignited the dormant spark within the Fifth Legion, prompting them to flood into the live stream.

—Even the current Vice Marshal of the Fifth Legion tuned in the moment he heard the news.

The Fifth Legion didn't really have any grudges with the First Legion and lacked the political intrigues typical of noble circles.

They were clear about their stance: not participating in convoluted politics they couldn’t handle. Until an enticing offer came along or until everything settled, the Fifth Legion typically sat on the fence, munching on sunflower seeds and enjoying the show.

Upon arriving in this live stream, before getting a good look at their own legion's White Wolf, the streaming sphere was buried in a snow pit by tiger paws.

[What's happening... Is this how we broadcast now...?]

[Newcomers might not know the drill. This stream emphasizes spontaneity. It's better now; before, Lord Xiayu wouldn't even spare a glance at the live stream.]

[Be grateful. This time it's just buried in the snow. Before, we've been slapped by His Majesty, the Great White Tiger's paw.]

[And bitten to bits by his massive jaws... truly terrifying.]

[Right?]

[But to be fair, doesn't this low-flying streaming sphere look like a cat toy to a cat?]

[Spot on, undoubtedly, and piercingly accurate. As a member of the feline family, I wholeheartedly agree.]

Lu Yinghuai, who had been watching with a smile, walked over and vigorously rubbed Latiao's tiger head.

Latiao, realizing his mischief, guiltily looked up at him.

In a hushed voice, Lu Yinghuai said, "Well done."

Latiao's eyes sparkled as he affectionately nuzzled Lu Yinghuai.

Not too far away, after causing a ruckus, Yuan Yuan's temporarily absent intelligence finally returned. With a flick of the ears, the entire body stiffened.

—And then was promptly slapped twice by the White Wolf.

"Roar."

Yuan Yuan turned and buried his head into Xiayu's embrace, pulling Xiayu's sneaky wolf-petting hand under him with his paw.

Xiayu quickly held onto Yuan Yuan's leopard head and gently caressed it.

White Wolf: "..."

Fine then.

Yawning widely, the White Wolf raised his paw to accept the screen that Lu Yinghuai had activated and asked, [I think I saw the streaming sphere earlier?].

"Commander Fang, greetings." Upon seeing the message on the screen, Xia Youmo nodded, "I was live streaming just now. If it's inconvenient, I can turn it off—huh?"

I was streaming the ball, okay?

Lu Yinghuai paused.

The spicy snack swiftly moved away from the tiger's rear, scooped out some snow with its paws, and presented the flapping live stream ball to Xia Youmo.

Xia Youmo: "..."

Taking the live stream ball without even glancing at the stream, Xia Youmo decisively ended the broadcast.

The white wolf clearly had something to communicate.

The white wolf scratched the base of its tail with its paw, its usually majestic and pure white appearance suddenly becoming... incredibly grounded.

Xia Youmo realized that Vice Commander Fang might not be the reserved and disciplined figure she had imagined, similar to His Highness. Instead, he might have a completely opposite temperament.

"Commander Fang, greetings. I'm Xia Youmo, a healer." She reached out her hand to the white wolf, introducing herself earnestly.

The white wolf typed playfully: [Just a healer?]

Xia Youmo, with a generous smile, holding Lu Yinghuai's hand beside her, declared clearly, "Hello, teacher."

The white wolf grinned, raising its paw to shake hands with Xia Youmo.

[Not bad at all. This kid has a good temperament, unlike this little piece of coal here—so moody and smelly. Quite a handful.]

Lu Yinghuai, being openly criticized, remained silent, exhaling quietly.

Regardless of how Commander Lu was perceived as strong, steady, gentle, and reassuring outside, those close to him always had a completely different impression.

Xia Youmo's eyes twinkled: "But Your Highness is quite adorable this way."

While appearing aloof to outsiders, the cat is actually quite haughty indoors, occasionally throwing tantrums and getting jealous. It would even subtly vie for attention with items like eyeglass chains and uniforms... ahem.

Who wouldn't envy having such a celestial cat?

The white wolf laughed with a snickering sound: [Let's go, let's find a sheltered spot to sit and chat.]

Standing to the side and unable to join the conversation, Lu Yinghuai silently raised his hand, pulling out a campaign tent from the spatial knot and setting it up.

In less than a few seconds, the snow around them was cleared away, an insulating carpet was instantly unfurled, and a spacious, wind-resistant tent automatically set up, enveloping them within.

Shortly after, the temperature control system kicked in. The spicy snack, warmed by the breeze, yawned and seemed ready to doze off.

The white wolf raised a paw to rub its face.

Having been a wolf for so long, it began to think from a wolf's perspective, forgetting that it could instantly set up a tent right here.

Xia Youmo blinked: "...That's advanced."

They never had such tents back in the sanctuary.

Lu Yinghuai explained, "This kind of tent makes a noticeable presence and emits a magnetic field, which might startle the yet-to-awaken companion beasts. That's why we didn't use them then."

The white wolf's claws scratched the plush carpet a couple of times. The long-lost touch of human civilization brought a look of nostalgia to its face.

Yuan Yuan sat down right next to Xia Youmo. Its fluffy body supported Xia Youmo who unconsciously leaned towards it. Its tail happily curled into a little loop.

Seeing this, the white wolf chuckled, draped its tail over Xia Youmo's lap, and despite Xia Youmo's surprised gaze and the leopard's glaring jealousy, it typed: [If you like it, feel free to touch. It's just tail fur. A wolf's tail feels much better than a leopard's!]

Lu Yinghuai: "..."

Unable to resist the gesture, Xia Youmo modestly stroked the tip of the wolf's tail. Meanwhile, she vigorously petted Yuan Yuan under the leopard's fur in an attempt to appease it.

[I'm not sure how long I'll stay conscious, let's get to the point.]

The white wolf's claw paused on the screen for a moment, choosing its words carefully: [Recently, several groups from the base have come looking for me. I've been vaguely aware of it but didn't go with them.]

Upon hearing this, Xia Youmo sensed something was amiss and sharply asked, "Sir, do you mean to say that before today, you would often regain your consciousness?"

The white wolf nodded: [Fully awake moments have been rare. Mostly, I've been in a hazy state, aware to some extent, but my wolf instincts still dominate.]

Xia Youmo and Lu Yinghuai exchanged glances.

Fang Junye's situation was evidently abnormal. There are companion beasts who have maintained their sanity. For instance, General Jiangnan's bear companion managed to do so by sticking to a vegetarian diet and is completely lucid.

But wolves are strictly carnivorous. It had just hunted right before their eyes.

With a serious expression, Xia Youmo said, "Sir, may I examine the state of your mental seascape?"

"What's the issue with that?"

The white wolf promptly gestured for Xia Youmo to proceed.

Xia Youmo gripped the wolf's paw, her psychic energy delving deep within the wolf. A moment later, she opened her eyes, her brows slightly furrowed: "The teacher's psychic disorder isn't mild. It's even more severe than Quqi's, just slightly better than Ah Jie’s."

"To fully heal, it would require at least three psychic treatments."

Given such a severe gray matter parasitism, it's surprising the white wolf can retain its sanity.

Lu Yinghuai commented, "The teacher entered the sanctuary early on when his psychic condition wasn't very good."

Xia Youmo muttered, "...That's quite peculiar."

[Wait!]

As the white wolf listened to their conversation, a blankness overcame him, and he typed with unprecedented speed.

[What do you mean by the time required for healing?!!]

Lu Yinghuai explained, "It means exactly what it says, sir. There's an established cure for psychic disorders. It's just that currently, there's no means for large-scale screenings and prevention."

The white wolf looked utterly stunned, his eyes unblinking.

After a while, he lowered his head, vehemently wiping his eyes with his paw. When he looked up again, there was no visible sign of any distress.

Not only had the First Legion suffered many losses due to psychic disorders, but the equally famed Fifth Legion had many top-ranking officers and S-tier psychic warriors.

Due to inferior medical conditions compared to the First Legion, many had perished.

Xia Youmo suddenly asked, "Sir, if you had some semblance of consciousness, why form a pack of wolves?"

If governed by his wolf instincts, the white wolf's act of forming a pack is understandable. But with human consciousness still intact, why ally with wild beasts knowingly?

The white wolf's demeanor turned serious, the previous relaxed glint in his eyes now hidden.

He remained silent for a while, then slowly typed: [I intentionally wanted to draw attention.]

Lu Yinghuai whispered, "Sir, there are many ways to contact the hibernation center."

The hibernation center implants monitoring chips in every released companion beast, and cameras are also installed around the designated territories of the companion beasts.

Not all companion beasts are as keen and territorial as the white tiger, dedicated to shredding anything out of place in their domain.

Being the Deputy Marshal of the Fifth Legion, Fang Junye surely knows how to get in touch with the Dormancy Center.

Such an excuse clearly doesn't hold water.

Fang Junye, feeling a bit irked, twitched his ears. Recalling Xia You's message about curing the psychic disorder, he hesitated for a moment before typing: [I'm not just trying to attract the attention of the Dormancy Center, but of the entire empire.]

[I've directed a pack of wolves to steal ammunition from the energy stone mines, aiming to blow up this particular energy stone mine.]

Every companion beast, when their psychic powers reach the final stages, can intentionally cause a psychic explosion if they so wish. Combined with some extra ammunition, Fang Junye's plan to obliterate an energy stone vein seemed entirely plausible.

Xia You's pupils contracted sharply.

Energy stone mine?

He urgently asked, "Why?"

With everything out in the open, there was no need for concealment. The white wolf replied: [Where I was deployed, there are two energy stone veins. I've explored both, and I've realized there's something off about the energy stone mines.]

[I haven't discerned the specifics yet, but I've sensed the presence of the insect race within these energy stone mines.]

[Furthermore, before approaching the energy stone excavation sites, anti-interference measures are always activated to prevent animals from nearing.]

[However, I've observed that when animals linger close to the energy stone extraction sites for an extended period, their temperaments become extremely aggressive and unhinged. Even a rabbit would dare to bite a wolf. Doesn't that sound strikingly similar to the symptoms of the psychic disorder?]

Xia You idly twirled the tip of the wolf's tail with her left hand while resting her right hand on Yuan Yuan, lost in deep contemplation.

The white wolf turned its gaze towards Lu Yinghuai.

Lu Yinghuai looked back at his revered mentor.

Feeling a bit guilty, the white wolf instinctively tucked in its neck.

"Master, regarding the two energy stone veins, considering the location you initially deployed to, it's evident that the other vein was closer. So, why did you lead the pack of wolves such a great distance to this side of the reserve?"

The white wolf began to scratch at the carpet with its claws.

"If my memory serves me right..."

Lu Yinghuai's lips curved slightly, assuming a posture of patient listening.

"The vein you're about to blow up seems to be mine."

The large white wolf's ears almost lay flat against its head, its gaze darting everywhere.

He must be thinking... since it's going to be blown up anyway, rather than targeting someone else's, blowing up his own students' might ensure the Fifth Legion won't come demanding compensation, right?

But one shouldn't phrase it that way.

The large white wolf bared a grin that could only be described as sycophantic, rubbing its paws together as it typed: [The blasting of a mine belonging to the Imperial Marshal... that's quite the headline, isn't it?]

[You know how the media loves such sensations. No one can suppress the news when it comes out.]

[The impact would be tremendous.]