Chapter Twenty-Six

The next day, after the two of them had eaten and drunk their fill, Xiao Liunian activated his stand-in function, packed his bags, and set off for the northern border of Jinling.

"Mumu, look at the new look of this system."

There was a cat, wearing a silver helmet with a red tassel on top, and silver armor with a breastplate hanging in front. It wore four black leather boots, and a 'long spear' stood upright next to its right paw, while a 'longbow' lay beside its left. On its back was its perfect partner for the bow. This attire made it look like a great general among cats. Just the cat squatting there exuded an imposing aura. One could imagine that this was the kind of general who could take the head of an enemy general amidst thousands of troops.

"Your subordinate greets the Great General!" Lin Mu was stunned by the Cat General's imposing aura and only reacted after a while, then clasped his hands in salute.

"No problem, no problem!" the cat said proudly.

After a while, the system put away all the items and turned back into the fluffy cat.

Xiao Liunian activated his teleportation ability and headed to the Northern Territory.

——

In the northern border of Jinling, in Wuzhou City, at the Zhenbei Prince's Mansion.

"Reporting to the General, someone has delivered a letter and a visiting card outside the Prince's residence!"

The steward of the manor presented Cen Mo's letter of recommendation and Xiao Liunian's hastily written visiting card.

"Mumu, General Yang couldn't possibly not understand Cen Mo's hint, could he?" With Xiao Liunian's explanation, Maomao finally understood the riddle hidden in the letter of recommendation—"Princess."

There's a saying in China that's crude, but it makes sense.

"The moment you bend over, I know what kind of shit you're going to take." So Yang Ying understood the riddle in Cen Mo's letter as soon as she read it.

"Mumu!" The cat was stunned, and its host had unlocked a new label - down-to-earth. Thank goodness, the villain shouldn't be like this... right?

"Mumu, you have a high level of trust in General Yang," Cat said affirmatively. This was the first time she had ever seen a host system like this, not bothering to hide its identity and laying everything bare.

"It probably stems from admiration for their spirit of risking their lives to protect the safety of the people," Xiao Liunian said.

"Miss, the general invites you to the manor for a chat." The steward led Xiao Liunian to see Yang Ying.

"You all go out first, I have important matters to discuss with this young lady!" Yang Ying waved for everyone to leave.

"Your Highness!" Yang Ying prepared to bow.

“General Yang, my surname is now Liu, and my given name is Nian. There’s no need for such formality!” Xiao Liunian helped Yang Ying up.

Wow, that's fast!

"Then I will be impolite to address Your Highness as Miss Liu," Yang Ying said.

"My son's letter says that Your Highness wants to join the Wuzhou Army. May I ask what Your Highness means by joining the Wuzhou Army?" Yang Ying wanted to punch his son. The letter of recommendation simply stated that he had discovered a talented person in the capital and recommended him to join the Wuzhou Army. The rest was a jumble of fabricated and nonsensical phrases, blatantly implying: Come! For! Your! Princess! Your! Highness!

"This is for the general to see." Xiao Liunian took out the jade pendant and handed it to Yang Ying.

Yang Ying took out the jade pendant, examined it carefully for a long time, and then returned it to Xiao Liunian.

“Recently, the enemy country has been making unusual moves. Compared to the Prince of Zhenbei, the General is probably more anxious.” After dropping this bombshell, Xiao Liunian waited quietly for Yang Ying’s reply.

Yang Ying picked up the tea beside her and took a sip.

"I suppose Miss Liu has come for this reason. May I ask what your purpose is?" Yang Ying asked.

"Given the enemy's 'training' methods, if they invade Jinling in the future, I'm afraid the Wuzhou army will not be able to withstand them." Based on past experience, even if Cen Jin and Yang Ying seize the time to expand the army and train the soldiers, they can only barely resist when the enemy army attacks. They suffer repeated defeats, but they fight on despite the heavy casualties. The Wuzhou army and other armies that came to the northern border to provide support all died on the battlefield. Even so, in the end, the Jinling Dynasty still lost many cities to the enemy, and the people were slaughtered in a frenzy, with mountains of corpses and seas of blood everywhere.

"I'd like to temporarily seek a position as an instructor in the Wuzhou army. I wonder what General Yang thinks? This is my training plan for the instructor position. General Yang can take his time to review it and give me a reply after you've made your decision." Xiao Liunian took out a very thick plan from his package, with four large characters on the cover: Instructor's Handbook.

"I'm new to Wuzhou and would like to ride my horse across the vast, open grasslands. I wonder if the general could help me arrange that?" Xiao Liunian asked.

"It was my oversight and I failed to take good care of you!" Yang Ying clasped her hands in a slight bow.

"It's alright, General, you're too kind!"

"I'll take you to your lodgings first. You can rest and relax. Once you're rested, you can call me anytime. I'll take the general for a gallop!" Yang Ying led Xiao Liunian to a small courtyard in the backyard.

"Thank you for your help!"

Afterwards, Xiao Liunian and Yang Ying went to the courtyard.

"General, please go ahead and attend to your business. You can delegate the rest to others," Xiao Liunian said.

"Please forgive my rudeness, I'll take my leave now!" Yang Ying left the courtyard, his mind still on the "Instructor's Manual".

Meanwhile, the cats in the space had also grown and improved. They weren't too surprised when Xiao Liunian took out the "Master's Manual," after all, their host was too powerful, and even without a feather fan, he had the air of someone who could strategize and plan.

If Xiao Liunian knew that the system was praising her so highly, it would only mean that she was actually very stupid. If she could really do that, perhaps she should leave here and return to her hometown.

"Mumu, I heard that the whole roasted lamb here is delicious..." Cat took out the food guide she had prepared in advance and looked at Xiao Liunian with starry eyes.

"Meow, meow, meow!" Thirteen thought that his host had basically no resistance to this move.

The sight of a man and a cat on the main street of Wuzhou City a while later was a testament to the system's uncanny ability to predict events.

"Grilled meat skewers! Grilled meat skewers!"

"Fresh milk tea, fresh milk tea!"

"..."

How much is this?

"I want three skewers!"

The streets were filled with the sounds of vendors hawking their wares, pedestrians stopping to inquire about prices and then taking out their wallets to buy goods, and occasionally, the sounds of children throwing tantrums and begging their parents to buy toys. The atmosphere was lively and bustling!

Thirteen perched on Xiao Liunian's shoulder. Today, she was a tiny kitten, and the small patch of land on his shoulder was just enough to accommodate her.

A person and a cat walked step by step from the entrance of the food street into the bustling street.

"Boss, give me a skewer of this!" Xiao Liunian picked up a skewer of lamb and fed it to Thirteen.

"Mumu, aren't you going to eat? It's lamb skewers, huh?"

"The mutton smell is too strong, I can't stand it!"

"Delicious food right in front of me, but I can't enjoy it! What a tragedy! What a tragedy! What a tragedy!"

The two of them walked and ate, occasionally coming across stalls selling toys and juggling items. Xiao Liunian would buy some to play with the cat when they got home. Thirteen, however, had no interest in these things and looked down on them. A mature cat wouldn't play with such trinkets!

After the two of them, one human and one cat, had filled their stomachs, they went to a famous teahouse in the area, a teahouse with two particularly renowned features:

First, there's the tea. All the tea in the teahouse comes from Jiangnan, and the aftertaste is unforgettable. Many customers come specifically to experience the flavors of Jiangnan.

Secondly, there are the storytellers. The storytellers are sharp-tongued and their stories are captivating. Occasionally, when they get excited, they will be inspired to write a poem or two. However, the storytellers do not come often, and their arrival time is unpredictable. Whether you can meet them or not is purely a matter of fate. Even so, many people come for this reason, whether they are simply looking for excitement or want to appear cultured. There are all sorts of reasons. In short, this teahouse is very popular!

"Please come in, sir! Mr. Han is coming today, and you've come at just the right time!"

"A private room on the second floor! A good spot! No need to look for anything else!" Xiao Liunian handed a large silver ingot to the waiter, quite generously, perfectly demonstrating his wealth and establishing his persona as someone with a lot of money.

The waiter led the person and the cat through the teahouse lobby, where every seat was taken, yet customers continued to arrive, each ordering a cup of tea. The person and the cat went to a private room on the second floor and ordered the most expensive tea.

Each private room on the second floor of the teahouse has a window. Opening the window allows you to see where the storyteller is and witness the unique charm of the teahouse!

Thirteen can only praise the design of this teahouse with one word: "Brilliant!"

Xiao Liunian wondered, "Are you sure this isn't a 'meow'?"