Chapter 2

The sergeant stepped forward and he simply said five words: "I want to see Li Shuang"

"The general has returned, and there has been no unusual activity."

This contest concluded from start to finish faster than the blink of an eye

He actually accepted this name with such calmness

The child gazed at the dawn frost, his pair of eyes clear and bright: "I want to see you." He stated plainly, "The farther I go, the more I want to see you."

Yes. He also answered directly, "You are very special"

The heat within Jin'an's body resembled a wild beast, ferociously roaring at his heart. Just like last night and the night before, he felt an unbearable discomfort throughout his body, as if the scorching heat had transformed into needles piercing him.

She said this, but the child remained silent. Li Shuang was puzzled: "What happened?"

She is in a deep sleep. It seems she is dreaming, occasionally letting out a soft murmur.

Li Shuang, inside the tent, opened her eyes and gazed at the ceiling for a long time. She then put on her clothes and walked out of the tent. The soldiers outside immediately saluted her upon seeing her. However, Li Shuang took a few steps away and looked up at the sky.

Until late at night, the young soldiers in the barracks fell asleep exhausted after a day of training

It is indeed such a statement

He finds it very pleasant to hear, possessing a warm and stabilizing power

Li Shuang and the child exchanged a silent gaze for a moment. Luo Teng interjected from the side, "In those chaotic times, there were countless nameless children; it doesn't matter much. Just pick a name at random. I think calling him 'Niu Shidan' is quite good." He waved his hand, "Hurry up, Niu Shidan, go get your clothes."

He slept for a night on top of her tent

Qin Lan, who had been sitting quietly to the side without saying a word, now glanced at Li Shuang. She noticed that Li Shuang was staring at the child while speaking, as if she was telling the child to stop at the right moment and not to hurt anyone. It seemed that she had already concluded in her heart that Li Ting could not compete with this child who was four or five years younger than him

This kid ... is not just talking; he truly intends to kill him

The child caught Li Shuang's gaze, and he silently stepped back, staring at Li Ting

He did not look at Li Shuang for much longer, and just like he accepted the name "Cow Dung Egg," he calmly accepted this name as well, before leaving the tent. It was only when the heavy curtain fell that he casually turned his head to glance back at Li Shuang.

Xiao Shi performed lightness skills, effortlessly landing on the top of Li Shuang's tent, making no sound upon landing

Li Shuang glanced at the mark on the child's chest and his wolf-like eyes, thinking that the child's past must be extraordinary. If he were to be sent to an ordinary family, it would likely bring harm to another family. It would be better to keep him in the military camp, to personally supervise and educate him. In the future, he might even grow to become a sharp blade within the camp.

Jin'an

Jin An was taken in by someone who provided him with clothing, and the soldiers on duty arranged for him to live with several other young boys. The other boys had already known each other for some time, and the sudden addition of a new person made them feel somewhat awkward. Furthermore, since Jin An spoke little and was personally brought back by the general, the boys inevitably felt a bit of exclusion towards him

"Joining the army?" Luo Teng let out a sneer, "How amusing. Even the youngest recruit in our Changfeng Camp is older than you. With your small stature, what capability do you have to be a soldier?"

Li Shuang was once a well-known and formidable female general in the capital, respected by all and feared by none. Later, upon her arrival at the frontier, there were a few self-important commanders who dared to provoke her due to her gender, and then... those few were no longer in the army

It is fine that no one speaks to him; he does not wish for anyone to inquire about his origins, for these questions, even if he has asked himself a thousand times, he still cannot recall.

At dawn, it was not the sunlight that awakened him, but rather the sudden disruption of Li Shuang's breath within the tent as she yawned, on the verge of waking up

Li Shuang scrutinized the child, her fingers slightly curled, and tapped on the table: "Since you ran away last night, why have you returned?"

The closer I got to Li Shuang's tent, the more the restlessness in my heart could be calmed down

Accompanying his words directed at Roteng was a gaze akin to that of a wild wolf from the frontier, imbued with a chilling murderous intent that caused all the generals present to shudder. Even someone as rugged as Roteng could sense the killing intent in his eyes

He had no choice but to grit his teeth and sit down in a huff

Ha! A child was frightened, and Luo Teng felt embarrassed. He immediately shouted loudly: "Alright! Come on! I won't let others take action anymore; I will tear apart this arrogant little brat right now!"

The child paused, turning to look at her

As soon as he uttered these words, the child's figure shot towards him like a sword, and Li Ting was completely caught off guard, receiving a heavy blow to his chest, causing him to fall back and sit down at the feet of the servant attending to him.

In my mind, there is a blank space

Li Ting was assisted out. The tent fell into silence.

He silently recited these two words in his heart

Li Shuang nodded: "Go back and apply some medicine." After all, he was a child raised in a military family, and Li Shuang had never been overly concerned about her younger brother's health.

"Luo Teng!" Qin Lan gently scolded from the side. Only then did Luo Teng glance over, and he saw Li Shuang casting a light glance at him.

To everyone's surprise, the next morning, the child appeared again outside the Changfeng Camp.

Alright, now go to the warehouse to register your name, have the administrative staff arrange your accommodation, and distribute the clothing

She was still wearing the red attire and silver armor from the day she brought him back. Standing behind the table, her posture was upright yet soft: "Jin An," she said, "may it mean the long-lasting peace and stability of our Great Jin Dynasty; you should convey this to the gentleman in the storeroom."

However, Jin An could hear even the faintest sounds

The military camp was under lockdown for a night, and everyone was on high alert due to the voyeur, with no one paying attention to the missing child.

so special that he is unable to control himself

What should I do? Li Shuang said with a hint of a smile, "Yesterday, I brought you back out of sympathy, but you ran away, so my sympathy is gone. Today, you came back on your own, wanting to stay; this is your own wish. However, our Changfeng Camp has never accepted useless people. Tell me, what skills do you have? Why should I keep you?"

The child then looked at Roteng directly and said: "I can kill you"

At the appropriate time, Li Shuang convened several of his deputy generals for a wartime exercise meeting, firstly to broaden Li Ting's horizons, and secondly to prepare for the defense against the Western Rong during this winter.

He had only been to Li Shuang's military camp once, yet he could remember the way... Even if he could not recall the route, he would still be able to find Li Shuang's location

At the moment of silence from Li Shuang, Li Ting suddenly jumped out: "Sister, I'm here, I'm here, let me try his skills. If he wins against me, he can stay; if he loses, we will send him to the family in Lucheng, how about that?"

In the evening, a faint pain began to emerge in Jin Anxin's mouth. Having experienced yesterday, he probably understood that at the turn of day into night, his body was about to undergo changes again

The subordinate soldiers brought the child over

He desperately tried to think, but apart from the pale moonlight of that night and the overwhelming smell of blood, he could not recall anything else

The child had no other reaction upon hearing the name, but instead turned around and walked out.

The recent exchange of skills astonished the generals as well; the speed and force of that strike were such that, not to mention the soldiers, even many of the commanders likely lacked this capability

A child spoke so boldly that the room full of generals was taken aback: What a little wolf cub, looking so small, yet managing to flirt with the generals...

He stepped barefoot onto the ground, wrapped himself in a thin blanket, and did not disturb the soldiers in the same tent, quietly exiting the tent by himself

Seeing that she had made a decision, Qin Lan swallowed her worries and chose not to speak of them

After careful consideration, Li Shuang agreed to leave the child in the military camp in a half-hearted manner. She said, "Alright, let’s spar, but let’s keep it within limits."

Roteng finally calmed down. In the general's camp, with so many eyes upon him, it truly seemed inappropriate for a deputy general to seriously engage in a contest with a child

In these three years, she has been seen as a resolute and iron-willed general in the eyes of the commanders, her gender having long since blurred. At this moment, hearing a child speak to her in such a manner, she found it quite amusing: "Oh? Is it because I am special?"

Li Ting bounced around, removing his fox fur coat, fastening the protective gear handed to him by his servant, and spent a good while warming up by twisting his waist and turning his neck before stepping forward and striking a welcoming pose: "Come on."

Li Ting clutched his chest and coughed laboriously, while the servant beside him called out, "Heavenly Lord!" The accompanying old steward was instantly enraged: "How dare you! How could you treat the young master so harshly!"

The aura of Li Shuangxue resembled a flicker of firelight in the deep night among the towering mountains, drawing him in from such a distance

Li Shuang could only nod in acquiescence

Jin An found himself lying directly above Li Shuang, who was sleeping on top of the tent. He slowly lay down as well, listening through the felt of the tent to her even breathing, which soothed not only the pain in his body but also all the unrest within his heart

"If you enter my military camp, even if you are young, you are still a soldier. As a soldier, you must abide by military regulations. If you make any mistakes, I will still have to punish you according to military law." Li Shuang spoke, "Do you understand?"

The child stands upright with a straight back; though small in stature, their presence is as steady as a mountain

There is no one at all

No one noticed him, including Li Shuang inside the tent

Jin Anqiang suppressed the surging breath within his body, burrowed into the quilt, and removed the clothes he had just retrieved. No one came to check on what he was doing. Everyone went to have dinner without calling for him.

Li Shuang then turned to look at the child. Upon meeting Li Shuang's gaze, the murderous intent in the child's eyes noticeably diminished. After a moment of contemplation, Li Shuang asked, "Have you practiced martial arts?"

In the vast military camp, even with patrols present, he still moved freely under the cover of night, and no one could detect his whereabouts

Hearing the sound of the child's footsteps fading away, Qin Lan furrowed his brow with some concern: "General, this child's identity is unclear, and there are too many doubts. Moreover, as soon as he arrived yesterday, he was eavesdropped on by thieves behind the general's tent. Keeping him here may be..."

The child was in a daze for a while before looking at Li Shuang and said, "I do not know what my name is"

I can be your soldier

In an instant, Jin An opened his eyes, his gaze clear, as if he had not slept a wink all night

Was there any unusual activity last night

Li Ting has been learning martial arts from his father since childhood. Although he is still young, he is considered quite skilled in the capital, and many young masters who play with him have often been on the receiving end of his punches. This time, his father sent him here, partly because he requested it himself, and partly because his father likely wanted to temper his character through the harsh conditions of the borderlands. Moreover, since Li Ting is still young, it is also appropriate for him to spar with this child.

Li Shuang waved her hand, turning her gaze away in embarrassment. Li Ting, who had been knocked to the ground, rubbed his chest while coughing and grabbed the old butler, saying, "Don't make a fuss, it's embarrassing." He covered his chest as he was helped up, glanced at the child, and then looked at Li Shuang, saying, "Sister, he is much stronger than I am..."

Immediately, his heart contracted violently, and there was no pain as he had experienced during the previous transformation. However, he knew that he was not far from becoming a child. He leaped away from the tent of Li Shuang.

Jin'an's bed was located in the darkest corner of the tent. He placed the items he had brought onto the bed, disregarding others, and lay down directly.

Li Shuang pondered for a moment: "Yesterday I said, if you trust me, then tell me your name and background. If you have parents, I will take you to see them; if you do not, I will find a family in Lucheng willing to take you in. However, I do not intend to recruit you as a soldier; you are too young. In the Great Jin Dynasty, we do not need children like you to defend the country."

Hearing Li Shuang wanting to drive him away, the child's heart suddenly became a bit chaotic: "I... I do not remember my origins, nor do I remember my name, but I know that I am not as weak as you think..."

The guards in front of Li Shuang's tent were noticeably more formidable than the previous day. However, this did not pose a challenge for him. As he transitioned into adulthood, his strength continuously surged from his heart. When he was far from Li Shuang, this strength was always accompanied by pain. It was as if a hook had pierced his flesh and was anchored in his heart; the further he moved away, the greater the force of the iron hook pulling him back, until he could no longer resist and had to be drawn back. But now, Li Shuang was not far ahead, and her scent could soothe the pain that enveloped him.

Well

She gave him a name and also endowed that name with meaning

Li Shuang rubbed her forehead and, unable to endure it any longer, said, "Call Jin An."

Upon seeing the child dressed so scantily, everyone was somewhat taken aback, but only Luo Teng, in a fit of rage, slammed the table and exclaimed: "You little brat, you think you can come and go as you please? Do you take our Longfeng Camp for an inn?" He then turned to Li Shuang and said, "General, such an arrogant little fellow, just tear him apart and feed him to the dogs!"

Why do we rely on her so much

During the day, one transforms into a child, while at night, one returns to the appearance of a youth

The guards below did not notice anyone.

Jin'an does not know. It seems he has been poisoned, and Li Shuang is the only antidote to this poison

It seems that who he is, where he comes from, and all these unknown confusions have become unimportant.

She took a seat and began to discuss matters with the generals

Bare-chested, wearing pants that were loose and thin for him, he stood barefoot on the snow-covered ground that had accumulated overnight. The fiery pattern on his chest was particularly striking, as if that very flame had heated his entire being. In such a frigid and snowy environment, he showed not the slightest tremor or fear of the cold

It is of no consequence; if someone has sent him to act as a spy, it is certainly better to place him in the open than in the shadows. Furthermore, this child is truly a rare talent with great potential. If he can be of use to my Changfeng Camp in the future, it will undoubtedly be like adding wings to a tiger

The child was taken aback for a moment, then shook his head: "I do not know"

What is his name, where does he come from, and how did he arrive here