Chapter 99 Sweet Moments [IF Route] (Part 4)
Mu Meng had trouble sleeping that night.
It is said that the camp of the Medicine Army is the best, and its conditions are much better than those of the Tianhe Army. After all, most of them are used to treat wounded soldiers, and their spiritual power and physical fitness are far inferior to those of the Tianhe Army.
But it was just a thin layer of soft cushion compared to theirs, and Mu Meng felt sore all over that she couldn't fall asleep.
However, it wasn't because she was suffering; it was just that she had heard before that His Highness the Crown Prince always shared hardships with the soldiers. Despite his noble status, he never treated her specially.
If the best-equipped medicine-carrying army is already in such a state, one wonders what the Tianhe army will be like.
Mu Meng felt a pang of heartache thinking about it; it was the first time she had ever directly witnessed how hard her brother had worked while fighting on the front lines.
Since she couldn't sleep anyway, Mu Meng got up and went outside to get some fresh air and sit for a while. Tonight, the moon was like a silver plate, its soft, bright light casting a thin layer of clear radiance over the earth.
As she thought about it, two blushes slowly crept onto Mu Meng's fair and delicate face. Gradually, she felt her face getting hot, so she closed her eyes, covered her face with her hands, and smiled shyly.
She had a little secret that she hadn't even had a chance to tell her older sister.
Years ago, she realized that her brother wasn't their father's biological child. She didn't know how many people knew this, nor did she want to find out. She kept it to herself, secretly resolving to treat her brother even better. But lately, she'd been feeling... as if...
The feeling in her heart was that she didn't just see her brother as a brother; there were other feelings besides sibling affection, which she couldn't explain.
What should we do?
Mu Meng pondered in distress whether she should keep these feelings hidden in her heart and never tell her brother, or boldly tell him and see his reaction.
She had thought about this problem many times, but still had no answer, and didn't know whether she should consult someone. After a night of wild thoughts, Mu Meng had to put the matter aside for the next day.
Because in Mu Qingheng's battle plan, they were to launch their first surprise attack on the Hyena Demon's Nest that night.
"Huh? Waterweed, where are you going all dressed up?" In the evening, the Ancient Doctor saw that Mu Meng was dressed neatly and had changed into a light armor, just like the equipment of the Tianhe Army, and couldn't help but ask in surprise.
Mu Meng casually replied, "Aren't we going to launch a surprise attack on the Hyena Demon tonight? I'll go with you."
"You???" The ancient physician was extremely shocked. He looked Mu Meng up and down several times, probably not expecting her to have such courage.
However, he was ultimately a rational and kind old man, and he earnestly advised, "Waterweed, your intentions are good, but your spiritual power is a bit weak, and look at your thin arms and legs. Oh dear, your little body is so frail. What help can you be? If you go to the battlefield, you'll be torn to pieces by the Lie Lie demons."
Besides, if she's not going to the battlefield, what's the point of her coming here?
If the Tianhe Army hadn't been elite troops under her brother's command, whose numbers were pre-assigned and impossible to infiltrate, she wouldn't have ended up in the medicine-carrying army.
Since he couldn't tell the truth, Mu Meng could only assure him, "Immortal Physician, please rest assured, I know what's important. Actually, I may look frail, but I'm quite powerful, really. Besides, I'm not fighting alone, so how could I be so easily torn apart by the hyena demon? I guarantee I'll come back alive and kicking."
The ancient physician tried to persuade the child a few more times, but seeing that the child was unyielding, he had no other choice; he couldn't just leave the child tied up here.
He thought for a moment and then shook his head, saying, "But Water Grass, you are a medicine boy in the Medicine Army, not a soldier in the Heavenly River Army. Even if you go to the battlefield and kill a few hyenas, no one will know. You put in the effort, but when the time comes to record your merits, they won't be counted. That would be a huge loss! If you really want to do your best for the Heavenly Clan, I can go and speak to His Highness the Crown Prince for you. That way, he can calculate your military merits later."
"No, no, no, no need," Mu Meng didn't expect the Ancient Physician to be so kind-hearted, and immediately waved his hands to refuse. "Ancient Physician, you don't need to worry about me. I don't want military merits. I... just want to see the world and improve my abilities. It's not worth it for you to make a special trip for such a small matter and trouble His Highness the Crown Prince, wasting his time."
Since she said that, the ancient physician had nothing more to say. He gave her a few words of advice to be careful and then let her go.
The hyena's lair was very large, and Mu Qingheng's plan was to fight in separate areas. Mu Meng was originally with Mu Qingheng, but seeing that these hyenas were so weak, he could handle them with ease, let alone his brother.
With that in mind, she stopped following Mu Qingheng from a distance to protect him and decided to pull off a big surprise for her brother.
Thinking of this, Mu Meng blew her bangs upwards. The young girl, just coming of age, had a charmingly innocent look in her eyes, but her expression was full of ambition, and upon closer inspection, there was a hint of pride that made people both laugh and cry.
*
Mu Qingheng felt something was strange when he first entered the Dark Nest. Judging from the seclusion of its location, this should be a more preferred habitat for hyena demons. Although the outside had been mostly cleared out, there must have been some ambushes here.
The lieutenant also sensed something was amiss and asked in a low voice, "Your Highness, please be careful. It's so quiet; something feels off."
They could certainly have concealed their presence, but if these monsters truly possessed such abilities, why didn't they reveal them when they had already fought them twice before?
Since they can conceal their presence so skillfully, wouldn't it be a better approach to launch a surprise attack on the Tianhe Army?
Mu Qingheng said in a low voice, "First squad, come with me inside and take a look. The rest of you stay here and wait."
When His Highness the Crown Prince issues an order, no one disobeys. Even those who are somewhat puzzled quickly act according to his plan.
"Your Highness, this... this is some mysterious expert who so cleverly cooperated with us from the inside to wipe this place out."
The lieutenant was pleased, but then a little puzzled: "Since he's so strong and has such a good understanding with you, why didn't you stay and meet him?"
Mu Qingheng's long, clean fingers slowly traced the marks left by spiritual energy slashing on the cave wall. "He wouldn't have stayed. This person deliberately concealed his identity and didn't want anyone to discover his methods. Why would he deliberately stay to meet me?"
“He deliberately concealed the aura within this spiritual power,” Mu Qingheng said as he slowly dug out the stone with the marks. “This person’s spiritual power is indeed high, and the concealment is also perfect, but the skill is still a little lacking.”
The lieutenant glanced at it and asked curiously, "Your Highness, would you like to take it and study it?"
Mu Qingheng smiled slightly. If it were anything else, he wouldn't insist, since the other party didn't want to reveal their identity. But he could vaguely discern the residual aura on it, which seemed to be the work of the Celestial Clan.
We need to go back and verify this carefully.
"Let's go. Although the Hyena Demon is severely weakened, there are still many in the southwest that haven't shown their faces yet. Let's go back and discuss the next steps."
"Yes," the lieutenant replied immediately, then looked at Mu Qingheng with some concern. The tear on the left shoulder was very serious, with flesh and blood all over the body, and even the white bone was faintly visible. "We should go back immediately. Your Highness, your injuries are not light either. If it weren't for saving Xiao Xuan, you wouldn't have been torn apart by the hyena demon."
Mu Qingheng smiled faintly, her face somewhat pale, but she didn't seem to care and said, "It's alright."
After he finished speaking, he blinked, his smile fading slightly, and his expression turning rather stern. "Just don't go back and talk nonsense in front of the little princess like you did last time. If you can't control your tongue, you'll be dealt with by military law."
The deputy general wasn't afraid at all. How could he not know His Highness the Crown Prince? He just said it casually, chuckling, "I know, and I promise I won't say anything more."
...
When Mu Meng returned and saw that no one was paying attention, he changed out of his light armor. The Tianhe Army had not returned yet, and there was nothing to do here, so he casually picked up a medical book to read.
However, she knew that even if her brother returned, she couldn't go to see him; she could only obey his orders. This time, there would be many more wounded than before, and they would likely be in their own tents being treated by the Healer. As a result, the chances of her being able to go to her brother's tent were very slim.
Mu Meng's big eyes sparkled as she optimistically thought: It's nothing. Although it's a little sad that we can't see each other right now, once all the hyena demons are eliminated and my brother hasn't discovered her yet, I can appear in front of him.
Sure enough, less than a quarter of an hour later, the Ancient Physician came over with his box and called her in a hurry: "Shui Cao, let's go, let's go! His Highness the Crown Prince has returned with the Tianhe Army. We need to hurry over there."
Mu Meng was already prepared. She picked up her things and immediately followed the Ancient Doctor out. As she walked, she realized that this was still the way to the main camp.
For a moment, Mu Meng felt a little uneasy and subconsciously checked her disguise, but she also felt a little sweet. She didn't expect to see her brother again so soon.
However… Mu Meng suddenly blinked: “Immortal Physician, this direction leads to the main camp, right? Could it be… that one of the officials has been injured?”
Could she be her brother's lieutenant? But the other lieutenants around him must have spiritual power no less than hers, and she was unharmed. How could those other lieutenants have been injured?
"No, it's His Highness the Crown Prince who is injured, and quite seriously."
The ancient healer sighed, his tone helpless yet tinged with admiration. "Yes... if it were just him, the hyena demon wouldn't have been able to harm him. But the messenger said that His Highness the Crown Prince was torn apart by that beast while saving a personal guard. Those ferocious demons lose all reason at the sight of blood, and His Highness went to the most dangerous lair... alas..."
Mu Meng's face immediately darkened. Just a moment ago she was relaxed, but now she couldn't smile at all. Without saying a word, she quickly followed behind the Ancient Doctor.
Before even entering the tent, the strong smell of blood filled the air, and Mu Meng's heart clenched, his eyes welling up with tears.
As soon as they entered, the ancient physician was about to speak when he saw the deputy general standing at the door pointing inside, signaling them to be quiet.
The ancient physician understood, his expression becoming even more grave, and he asked in a very low voice, "Has His Highness the Crown Prince fallen asleep?"
They raided the hyena's lair just as night fell, in the dead of night. They should have been exhausted and asleep, let alone seriously injured.
The lieutenant nodded: "Yes. His Highness has been working without rest since he started arranging the troops, and he just went through a fierce battle. He is injured and wanted to wait for you, but he fell asleep because he was too tired. I hope that the Immortal Physician Gu will be gentle with you for a while."
The ancient physician said, "I know."
“And…and another thing,” the lieutenant said with some helplessness, “His Highness instructed that when you arrive, you should first examine the injuries of the two generals over there, and then go to see him. This is His Highness’s instruction, and I dare not conceal it.”
Before the ancient healer could speak, Mu Meng couldn't help but ask with heartache, "But wasn't it said that His Highness the Crown Prince's injuries were more serious?"
"That's true, but this is His Highness the Crown Prince's order, and we cannot disobey it."
Mu Meng pursed her lips, glanced at the Ancient Physician, and made a decision: "Healer, then please follow His Highness the Crown Prince's arrangements. First, go and treat the wounds of the two generals over there. I will treat His Highness the Crown Prince's external injuries here, and then wait for you to come and remove the poison, how about that?"
Anyway, the wound needs to be cleaned first. She had seen the ancient doctor's technique yesterday. Although his hands were very steady, he didn't hold back much force. She felt sorry for him treating her brother's external injuries.
The ancient healer blinked, feeling something was off. This child usually seemed listless, but now he suddenly seemed quite dignified. But he didn't think much of it, scratched his head, and agreed, "Alright, alright."
He nodded and went out, with his deputy following behind. Only Mu Meng and Mu Qingheng remained in the tent.
Mu Meng was heartbroken. She squatted down and first held Mu Qingheng's cold hand, then, holding back her tears, gently lifted his outer robe.
But seeing his wound, she couldn't help but let a tear fall instantly.
Now was not the time to cry. Mu Meng immediately wiped away the blood with the back of her hand and carefully treated Mu Qingheng's wound. Since the poison had not yet been removed, she could not use spiritual power to heal the wound. She could only wipe away the blood and then sprinkle some medicinal powder.
After doing all this, Mu Meng held Mu Qingheng's hand, pressed the back of his hand against her cheek, and said in a soft and aggrieved voice, "Brother, it's all my fault. I shouldn't have been so confident. I should have always stayed by your side to protect you."
Mu Meng tenderly touched his pale, thin face, brushing away the stray hairs from his forehead. Suddenly, she heard him murmur softly, "Mengmeng..."
Mu Meng's hand trembled, and he subconsciously withdrew it.
"misty……"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com