Chapter 2

The military camp was under martial law for the entire night. Everyone was on high alert due to the intruder, and no one paid attention to the lost child.

Surprisingly, the next morning, the child appeared outside Changfeng Camp once more. Wearing loose, thin pants and standing barefoot on the snow, his flame-patterned chest was particularly striking, as though the fire had warmed his entire body. Despite the icy conditions, he showed no sign of cold.

The sergeant approached him and asked why he was there. The child responded with just five words: "I want to see Li Shuang."

At that moment, Li Shuang was in the middle of a meeting with several deputy generals, discussing strategic matters and preparations for the winter defense against the Western Rong.

The sergeant brought the child to her.

Seeing the child dressed so inadequately, everyone was surprised. Luo Teng, however, was infuriated and slammed the table: "You insolent brat, coming and going as you please—do you think our camp is a hotel?" He turned to Li Shuang and said, "General, this arrogant child should be torn apart and fed to the dogs!"

Li Shuang looked at the child, slightly curled her fingers, and tapped the table: "You ran away last night. Why have you returned?"

The child met her gaze with clear, bright eyes and said, "I want to see you. The farther I go, the more I want to see you."

The generals were taken aback by the child's candidness. They were shocked by his audacity and the boldness with which he spoke to a general.

Li Shuang had been a renowned general in the capital, feared and respected. When she first arrived at the frontier, a few self-righteous generals had tried to provoke her, but they were no longer in the army. Over the past three years, she had earned a reputation as an iron-blooded leader, and her gender had long become secondary. Hearing a child speak so directly to her was intriguing.

"Oh? Is it because I’m special?" she asked with a hint of amusement.

"Yes," the child replied directly, "You are very special."

"So special that you can’t control yourself?" Li Shuang asked with a smile.

"Yes."

Li Shuang continued, "Yesterday, I took you in out of sympathy, but you ran away. Now you want to stay. While this is your choice, my camp doesn’t accept useless individuals. Tell me, what can you do? Why should I keep you?"

"I can be your soldier," the child answered.

"A soldier?" Luo Teng scoffed. "It’s absurd. The youngest soldier here is older than you. How could a child like you become a soldier?"

The child looked Luo Teng in the eye and said, "I can kill you."

Luo Teng, taken aback by the child’s cold demeanor and palpable murderous intent, was visibly shaken. Even Luo Teng, a rough individual, felt the chill of the threat.

"Heh," Luo Teng sneered, feeling embarrassed by a child’s intimidation. "Alright, if you want a fight, I'll tear you apart myself!"

"Luo Teng!" Qin Lan interjected softly. Luo Teng looked over to see Li Shuang’s disapproving gaze.

Luo Teng gritted his teeth and sat back down. It was inappropriate for him, as a deputy general, to engage in a serious fight with a child in front of everyone.

Li Shuang then turned to the child. The child’s murderous intent had softened somewhat under her gaze. Li Shuang asked, "Have you learned martial arts?"

The child shook his head. "I don’t know."

Li Shuang considered this. "Yesterday, I said that if you trusted me, you should tell me your background and name. If you have parents, I will send you to them. If not, I will find a family in Lucheng to take you in. But I won’t keep you myself. You’re too young to be a soldier. The Jin Dynasty does not need children like you for defense."

The child looked confused. "I... don’t remember my background or name. But I know I’m not as weak as you think..."

Before Li Shuang could respond, Li Ting spoke up: "Sister, let me test his skills. If he wins, let him stay. If he loses, send him to a family in Lucheng." Li Ting had trained in martial arts from a young age and was a skilled fighter. He believed it was appropriate to test the child’s abilities.

Li Shuang examined the child’s chest mark and fierce eyes, considering that his past must be extraordinary. Sending him to an ordinary family might be dangerous, so it might be better to keep him under supervision in the camp. He could potentially become a valuable asset.

After some thought, Li Shuang agreed. "Alright, let’s have a match. We’ll stop when it’s enough."

Qin Lan, who had been silent, noticed that Li Shuang’s gaze indicated she wanted the child to stop if necessary, ensuring no serious harm would come to anyone. Qin Lan suspected that Li Ting might not win against the child, who was significantly younger.

The child met Li Shuang’s gaze and then took a step back, focusing on Li Ting.

Li Ting removed his fox fur coat, donned his hand and leg guards, and warmed up before taking a stance: "Let’s begin."

As he spoke, the child rushed toward him like a sword. Li Ting was caught off guard, receiving a powerful hit to the chest and falling at the servant’s feet.

The match ended almost instantly.

Li Ting rubbed his chest, coughing. The servants and the old housekeeper were furious. "How dare you hurt the young master!"

The child stood confidently, and Li Shuang waved her hand, dismissing the commotion. Li Ting, still coughing, looked at Li Shuang. "Sister, he’s much better than I am..."

Li Shuang nodded. "Go and apply some medicine. I’ve always cared for your health."

Li Ting was helped out, and the tent fell silent. The generals were stunned by the child’s speed and strength.

"If you join my camp, even though you’re young, you must follow military rules. Any mistakes will be punished according to military law. Do you understand?" Li Shuang asked.

"Yes."

"Good. Now go to the warehouse to register your name, and the clerk will arrange accommodations and clothes for you."

The child didn’t move. Li Shuang asked, "What’s wrong?"

The child replied, "I don’t know my name."

Li Shuang and the child stared at each other. Luo Teng interrupted, "During the chaos, many children didn’t know their names. Just give him a random name. How about Niu Shidan?" He waved his hand. "Hurry up, Niu Shidan, get your clothes."

The child accepted the name without reaction and left. Li Shuang, feeling sympathy, said, "Call him Jin’an."

The child paused and looked back at her. Li Shuang, still in her red dress and silver armor, stood straight. "Jin’an," she said, "May our Great Jin Dynasty be long-lasting and peaceful. Just tell Mr. Storehouse this."

He accepted the name calmly and left the tent. As the heavy door curtain fell, he glanced back at Li Shuang.

Li Shuang resumed her discussions with the generals.

Jin’an repeated the name silently, finding it comforting. It seemed warm and stable.

Listening to the child’s footsteps receding, Qin Lan voiced his concerns: "General, this child's identity is unknown, and there were thieves eavesdropping yesterday. Keeping him might be risky..."

"It’s fine. If someone sent him as a spy, it’s better to have him where we can see him. Besides, he shows potential. If he proves useful, it will be a great benefit to the camp."

Seeing Li Shuang’s decision, Qin Lan withheld further objections.

Jin’an followed the other teenagers to get clothes. They were wary of the newcomer, and Jin’an, who spoke little, was excluded. His bed was in the darkest corner of the tent, and he lay down without engaging with the others.

He didn’t want anyone asking about his past, as he couldn’t remember it himself. He struggled to recall anything beyond the pale moonlight and the smell of blood.

In the evening, Jin’an felt a faint pain in his heart, understanding that his body would soon transform. He forced himself to endure the rising discomfort, undressing and lying down. He was left alone, as everyone else was at dinner.

As the night wore on, the intense heat inside him felt like a beast roaring. The burning sensation was agonizing. The smell of Li Shuang’s blood seemed to draw him, even from afar.

He quietly left the tent, barefoot and wrapped in a thin blanket. Despite the patrols, he moved undetected. He had only been to Li Shuang’s camp once but could find his way easily.

The guards outside Li Shuang’s tent were stricter than before, but Jin’an bypassed them effortlessly. The closer he got to Li Shuang’s tent, the more his restlessness subsided.

He climbed silently to the top of the tent, avoiding detection. Inside, Li Shuang slept soundly, murmuring softly. Jin’an found solace in her steady breathing, which eased both his physical pain and anxiety.

Why did he depend on her so much? He didn’t know. It was as if he was poisoned, and Li Shuang was the only antidote.

He spent the night on the top of her tent. At dawn, it was not the sunlight that woke him, but Li Shuang's sudden irregular breathing in the tent. She yawned and was about to wake up.

Jin’an opened his eyes instantly, his gaze clear as if he had not slept all night. His heart suddenly tightened. Although he no longer felt the pain he had experienced during his earlier transformation, he knew he was not far from becoming a child. He quickly jumped from Li Shuang's tent and left.

None of the guards below noticed him.

Li Shuang, inside the tent, opened her eyes, stared at the ceiling for a long moment, then dressed and walked out. The soldiers outside the tent saluted her as she passed. She walked a few steps and looked up.

There was no one in sight.

"Was there any unusual movement last night?"

"General, there was no unusual movement."

Li Shuang nodded in acknowledgment and moved on.

NEXT