The group rode the large elevator of the Camp upward.
"Has the inventory been confirmed? What about the spare parts list? Hurry up and tally the consumables, and check the communication lines as well…"
The quartermaster didn't even look up, staring at the list in his hands as he issued orders to everyone:
"Hey, Yue, take this list to Ase up top for me…"
When no one responded after a long moment, the quartermaster finally looked up—only to see Lucian smiling kindly at him.
"Uh…" The quartermaster froze.
"Oh… not Yue. Where is Yue…? What can I do for you?"
Yangyang spoke first: "Apologies for the interruption. I'm Yangyang, a member of the Midnight Ranger Outriders. This is Rover, Lucian, and Jianxin, a young Taoist here to look for someone."
Lucian slung an arm over Jianxin's shoulder: "This is my disciple, Jianxin. She's here to find someone named Zhiyuan. Do you know anything about him?"
Jianxin nodded and explained Zhiyuan's situation to the quartermaster.
"Zhiyuan…"
"That kid hasn't sent a single letter home?"
The quartermaster crossed his arms, looking somewhat exasperated. "The Midnight Rangers hasn't been recruiting ordinary civilians in recent years, but that kid Zhiyuan is stubborn as a mule."
"Last year, before the war got as intense as it is now, he kept sneaking along with the Camp's marches, always trying to get to the front lines."
"We sent him back to the city, talked him into going home, but he just ran back again. In the end, I let him stay and help out in the rear."
"But now, with the war escalating and the front lines dangerous, keeping him here isn't proper. I was actually planning to have him return to the city with this supply shipment—perfect timing that you're here."
"By the way, he should be up top right now."
Jianxin: "Then I…"
She glanced at Lucian for confirmation.
"Go ahead and look for him."
She clasped her hands in a salute. "Understood. This humble disciple will take her leave to search for him and regroup with everyone later."
Jianxin hurried off.
Rover turned to the quartermaster. "Why is everyone so busy?"
Ever since they arrived at Camp, everyone had been in a frantic rush, overwhelmed with work.
It was hard to imagine what the situation at the front lines must be like now.
The quartermaster sighed. "Jinzhou is Huanglong's gateway, and the Desorock Highlands are Jinzhou's second line of defense. If this stronghold is at risk of falling, the consequences will extend far beyond just Jinzhou."
"Tacet Discords aren't human—they don't understand negotiation or ceasefires. As long as they exist, the war will never stop."
"And in the face of an endless war, supplies are the lifeblood of an army. My job is to keep that blood flowing—and right now, we're running low."
Lucian said seriously, "Do you need help?"
"Earlier, we saw you assisting with the wounded. Xiulan might need more support."
"I appreciate the offer, but supplies are critical. I need to oversee this personally."
Rover nodded, then took out the mangosteen.
Unexpectedly, the quartermaster was startled by what Rover held, immediately raising his hands to cover his face before nearly dropping to the ground.
Lucian: "?"
"What's wrong?"
After a few seconds, the quartermaster recovered, scratching his head sheepishly.
"Oh… uh… my mistake. I thought you pulled out a grenade…"
Lucian picked up the mangosteen and examined it closely. "It does look like one."
The top of the mangosteen even had a small ring that resembled a pull pin.
The quartermaster chuckled awkwardly. "Is that… a mangosteen?"
"Do you know anything about mangosteens?" Rover asked.
The quartermaster thought for a moment. "It's not a local fruit in Jinzhou—it has to be imported, mostly by water transport."
"With the recent surge in Tacet Discord activity, priority is given to essential supplies for the city. Fruits like these will have to wait until General Jiyan returns victorious from the Norfall Barrens front."
"Right now, only the southern water route is open—imports come in through the Port Gunchao south of Jinzhou City, escorted into the city by Midnight Ranger soldiers assigned to."
"Hmm… another thing is, this fruit has a short shelf life, and its resemblance to grenades makes it easy to confuse. It's generally not used as military provisions."
Rover nodded. "Thanks, that helps."
...
On the way to find Jianxin, Lucian clasped his hands behind his head, watching the bustling camp with a sigh.
"Who would've thought mangosteens would be tied to the war? If we hadn't followed the trail all the way here, we'd never have connected the two."
Yangyang: "Yeah. I wonder what the other token represents."
The three of them soon caught up with Jianxin.
Yangyang: "Young Taoist Jianxin, did you find the person you were looking for?"
"Yes. This humble disciple has located Young Brother Zhiyuan and plans to return to the city with supply convoy to report his safety to Grandfather Zongye first."
[Ding! Option triggered!]
[Option 1: Return to Jinzhou City with Jianxin. Reward: "Running in Style" level +1.]
[Option 2: Part ways and go your own path. Reward: "Purification Force Field" level +1.]
[Option 3: Stay with Rover. Reward: Talent "Sharpshooter."]
Rover asked, "I thought Zhiyuan refused to leave?"
"Zhiyuan has a pure heart. Influenced by Grandfather Zongye, he developed a fixation on personally serving in the army—he wants to contribute in his own way."
"After all I've seen and heard on this journey with you, I believe the front lines not far from here must be far more brutal and intense than anything we've witnessed so far."
"These hardships of the world are born from war and suffer because of it."
"Master Rongfu once told me: 'The highest masters attain enlightenment on the battlefield, the middling in the city, and the lowest in the mountains and forests.'"
"Zhiyuan's aspirations are not something I fail to understand."
"But Zhiyuan believes that the Nightguard's strict training and exams are unnecessary, that there should be no distinction between ordinary people and Resonators. He thinks there are enemies he can fight and things he can do on the battlefield."
Lucian: "Mastery comes in different forms, skills vary by specialization. You don't have to kill enemies on the battlefield to help Jinzhou."
Jianxin nodded in agreement. "This humble disciple believes Zhiyuan's words have merit, but I couldn't persuade him. So, I recalled how Master Rongfu handled such matters."
"Whenever I undertook a task, my master would have me pass a trial—a spar with him."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "So you 'convinced' him with virtue—by beating him up?"
"This humble disciple did not wish for Zhiyuan to suffer a beating for no reason. Master Rongfu often used sparring to impart lessons, and I too have learned much from it."
Jianxin smiled gently at Lucian. "In this spar, does Master think I won… or lost?"
Lucian: "To blunt their sharpness, untangle their confusion, harmonize their light, and unite with their dust… You must have won."