Chapter 587: Going Steady
Translator: Cynthia Editor: X, TYZ
Although Ai Hui had promised that there would be enough Beehive Heavy Cannons, Ke Ning didn’t believe him. Furthermore, he felt that Sir Tong Gui and Lady Yu Jin seemed to be too respectful toward Ai Hui.
He couldn’t understand why a guy who was nicknamed "Razor" was respected.
In Ke Ning’s eyes, Ai Hui was greedy, contemptible, and did nothing useful.
The last feature was what he couldn’t bear the most!
Why had he stayed to join the Pagoda Cannon Alliance? Because he wanted revenge! But Ai Hui’s idleness and irresponsibility made him very disappointed. If it were not for Division Leader Shi who had asked him to handle the alliance, and if it were not for the group of people he had brought into the alliance, he would have left this alliance which was unworthy of the name.
The participation of Sir Tong Gui and Lady Yu Jin cheered Ke Ning up. At least they had reputation. prestige, and were familiar with military life because they had been division leaders for years. They were far better than the amateur Ai Hui.
However, he didn’t know that Tong Gui and Yu Jin spoke highly of Ke Ning in private.
Young as he was, he was capable and experienced. He was not bad tempered and could always think logically. Such a person was a talent at any position. Besides, he was particularly familiar with pagoda cannons and would become extremely talkative at the first mention of pagoda cannons.
They marveled in their hearts that Ai Hui was as extraordinary as they had expected. Even his subordinate was so capable.
Their study of pagoda cannons was far inferior compared to Ke Ning.
Ke Ning indulged in studying pagoda cannons. Although he was stationed at the Pagoda Cannon Alliance camp, he could still walk in and out of the other camps. Due to his connection with Li Houtang, he could watch how Master Fatty practiced from a short distance, and sometimes even had the opportunity to communicate with him.
He had his own understanding of pagoda cannons. When organizing the Pagoda Cannon Alliance, he had already begun to think of how to set it up and how to train the elementalists by himself.
This was merely his interest. At that time, he had not thought that he would take on this responsibility.
Therefore, when Tong Gui and Yu Jin finished reading his proposal, they gasped in admiration and planned to follow it. Ke Ning was dumbstruck. When he came back to his senses, he felt encouraged and perturbed at the same time. He was young, energetic, and eager to earn achievements, so it was unsurprising that he felt excited when his proposal was recognized. However, he didn’t have the relevant experience and was unsure whether his ideas were right or wrong.
Tong Gui and Yu Jin didn’t think so much.
On one hand, Ke Ning’s proposal was thoughtful, detailed, and very practical, which demonstrated that his understanding of this subject was better than theirs.
On the other hand, they had not forgotten Ai Hui’s command either. What Ai Hui said was "to help Ke Ning build up the framework of the Pagoda Cannon Alliance." Since they were here to help Ke Ning, Ke Ning should lead the project.
Neither of them was shrewd or sophisticated. They were typical elementalists from combat divisions and highly obedient. Since they had already agreed, then they would follow Ai Hui’s command and do their best to execute it.
Their existence made up for Ke Ning’s shortcomings, as the latter had ideas, but no experience, while the former were experienced combat division leaders. They could perfectly deal with the any training issues.
"Excuse me. Is Sir Ai Hui here?"
An indifferent voice interrupted Ke Ning. He looked up and saw a nonchalant man standing in front of him. Behind him, there were about two to three hundred men.
Somehow, Ke Ning felt that this crowd of people was dangerous, maybe even more dangerous than Sir Tong Gui and Lady Yu Jin.
He swallowed nervously and asked, "He is in the camp. Who are you?"
The middle-aged man said lightly, "We would like to pay Sir Ai Hui a visit. Can you lead the way?"
This guy’s behavior was very polite, but somehow He Ning was still very alert. He could feel the danger, but could not refuse, so he said subconsciously, "Okay, this way please."
When he came back to his senses, the group of people had entered the camp under his guidance. He suddenly realized that he even didn’t know what these people wanted to do. How could he bring them into the camp so rashly?
On the other hand, there were many experts in the camp. When this thought occurred to him, he was more or less relieved.
Then, he saw Sir Tong Gui and Lady Yu Jin, so he quickly walked toward them.
…..
In a dim tent.
A man’s gentle voice asked, "Get up now? Lou Lan’s elemental soup is ready."
A girl’s lazy voice responded, "I want to sleep for a while."
The gentle voice, "Then shall I bring the soup here?"
The girl said drowsily, "I want to sleep!"
The man carefully covered her with a quilt. Then, he kissed her gently, put on his clothes, and walked out of the tent. The sun was warm outside, and everything seemed to be different from before.
He walked into the camp of the Sword of Lightning with an unconscious smirk on his face.
The passersby saw his vigor and broad smile, and they began to make fun of him.
"Hey Old Ginger, you finally did what you should have done, huh? As I said, this should have been done long before. We are men of the battlefield. There’s no need to care so much!"
"You see, Old Ginger is now a totally different man."
"Spring is coming!"
"Congratulations! When will Young Ginger be born?"
At times, Jiang Wei was so embarrassed that his face would flush while being teased, but more often he would only smirk. His maturity and composure were all gone.
The amorous glances between Jiang Wei and Sang Zhijun were within the sight of everybody else. They were all happy for this relationship. The ties between comrades-in-arms were always pure and genuine. In the war torn years, all they saw was the aftermath of deaths, massacres, bloodshed, and the fragility of their tiny lives. Under such circumstances, the new couple was like a sprouting green plant in the middle of a desolate desert. Everyone sent their sincere blessings from the bottom of their heart.
As if he was drunk, Jiang Wei hobbled to the camp of the Pagoda Cannon Alliance.
Now, the news about the relationship between the vice division leaders was known to everyone here at the campsite. People came to congratulate Jiang Wei from time to time, making the campsite very tumultuous. Suddenly, someone shouted that they should have a celebration, which immediately gained the support of everyone else.
Ai Hui and Shi Xueman were drinking elemental soup. They glanced at each other and agreed with a smile.
The healing last night was much better than the previous time because Ai Hui had at least not collapsed due to fatigue. After a busy night, they went to have elemental soup together in the morning and learned this unexpected good news.
The whole defensive line, especially the Spear of Heavy Cloud, were immersed in great joy. After the tough battle with the Ardent Flower Blood Division, they experienced victory, but also suffered heavy casualties. Under such depressing circumstances, they sincerely cherished the joy and happiness the new couple brought.
Lou Lan cheered loudly, "Lou Lan will make arrangements!"
Ai Hui looked Jiang Wei up and down and said, "Not bad bro. No wonder they say that a wise head makes a closed mouth. It’s really beyond my expectation that you two went steady so fast on the sly. I thought you were introverted, but it turns out that you are quick enough when doing this."
Jiang Wei was a bit embarrassed, "I should thank you and Xueman."
It was the straightforward communication they overheard between Shi Xueman and Ai Hui that greatly impacted Jiang Wei and Sang Zhijun. Seeing how direct their division leaders were, the two figured that there was no need for them to be shy any longer after seeing each other for such a long time.
No one knew what hardships they would go through in the next battle or whether they would survive. It was better not to leave regret for tomorrow.
Their division leaders were so wise.
As a result, Jiang Wei and Sang Zhijun, who had already dated each other for so long, no longer had any other concerns.
Ai Hui said casually, "Of course you should thank me and Iron Lady. Otherwise, how would you meet each other? They all say that less talkative guys are the most cunning. I didn’t believe it before, but now I do. You are not bad, really."
Shi Xueman nodded too as a smile appeared on her cold face. "Zhijun is a good girl, and you are also outstanding. Congratulations."
No one said anything like "may you two live together until you are old and gray," because they knew that in war time, such blessings were as unrealistic as the flowers in a mirror and the moon's reflection in water.
Suddenly, Ai Hui looked Jiang Wei up and down in surprise.
Seeing Ai Hui’s actions, Jiang Wei looked at himself and asked, "What?"
Ai Hui said with surprise in his tone, "It seems that you will achieve a breakthrough soon."
Jiang Wei paused. He closed his eyes to examine the status of his body.
After a while, he opened his eyes, feeling pleasantly surprised.
Last time during the conflict in Wind Mail City and under the great pressure from his enemies, he had felt that he was close to a breakthrough. However, after they returned, he was too busy to notice any changes in his body. It was beyond his expectations that the elemental energy in his body had now become perfectly fused and vigorous. He could feel that the elemental energy was about to gush out at anytime.
Ai Hui was very happy for him. "Good things come in pairs!"
Shi Xueman smiled, stood up, and said, "I’ll go to find Zhijun."
When Shi Xueman walked out of the campsite, Jiang Wei suddenly grabbed Ai Hui and asked in a low voice, "Senior, when will you celebrate?"
Ai Hui was a bit confused. "We?"
Seeing Ai Hui’s puzzled look, Jiang Wei suddenly became flustered. If the division leaders knew that he and Sang Zhijun had been eavesdropping, would they… beat them?
He immediately changed the topic, "I, I mean Xueman looks very good today!"
Ai Hui understood what he meant and said, "You mean her injury? She has almost recovered. Don’t you know who the healer is? Okay, I’m going out, and you can get to your work."
Then he told him as a superior, "As the saying goes, indulging in your lust is equivalent to hanging a knife above your head. What is a man? A man should be strict on himself. Come on and push yourself! You will soon become a Master!"
Then he patted Jiang Wei’s shoulder and left.
Tong Gui and Yu Jin also came to congratulate him.
Their feelings were complex when they faced Jiang Wei. They had regarded him as a rare talent in the early years, but he was determined to follow Ai Hui, and they had not expected for him to grow so fast. Sometimes, they wondered whether he would be what he was today had he followed them to Newlight City back then.
The conclusion they reached made them disappointed.
Aggressive as they were at the very beginning, the new citizens were gradually worn down, attempting and accomplishing nothing in the end.
Jiang Wei was expressing his gratitude when he noticed a group of people coming toward them behind Ke Ning. The moment he recognized the leader who walked at the front, the smile on his face froze.