Chapter 28: Post-War Reflections

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  When Yan Tian walked into the room, Liu Yun was still fast asleep.

  "In less than a year, you've matured so much!" Yantian looked at Liuyun, feeling a warmth in his heart.

  He quietly walked to Liuyun's bedside and sat down, afraid of startling her who was fast asleep.

  If it's said that Flowing Cloud was the shame of the Cai family when he left the Imperial City back then, in this past year, he has washed away that shame with his own blood.

  On that night when Caiyun Street was attacked, he showed the people of Imperial City a true noble quality and told them that the men of the Kai family were all hot-blooded.

  After the resentment and disdain of the past had dissipated like clouds and smoke, what remained in Yan Tian's heart was a deep apology towards this child.

  "Although every parent hopes their child will become a dragon, but I have never raised him as one!" Yan Tian let out a long sigh.

  "Yun'er, since ancient times, a family and a country cannot both be preserved intact. This is the fate of a soldier. Can you understand your father's difficulties? I hope you won't hate me in your heart."

  When Liuyun woke up from her deep sleep, the first feeling she had was pain.

  "Damn it, why do I always end up losing out?" Flowing Cloud thought gloomily to himself. "I kill a thousand enemies, but hurt myself eight hundred times - what kind of deal is that? If something unexpected happens just once, these one hundred or so catties will be gone for good."

  "Father, you've come?" Opening his eyes, Liú Yún saw a head of white hair belonging to Yán Tiān and prepared to get up.

  "Uh-huh." Yan Tian Bus pressed Flow Cloud's shoulders affectionately and said, "No need to get up, just lie down and rest well. Your injuries are nothing serious, so I can be at ease now."

  "Also, I inquired with Iverson and Walker, and they have tentatively determined that these assassins are from the Kingdom of Xis." Yan Tian said.

  "Hmm! I was careless, and now even my younger siblings are injured." Liuyun sighed softly.

  "No wonder you, the other side has too many masters. This matter involves the Kingdom of Xis, I have already reported to Your Majesty, and the Imperial Foreign Minister has informed the Xis diplomatic envoy in our country to protest this matter."

  "What's the use of protesting? Damn it, next time I'll just eliminate them!" thought Liú Yún. He always felt that diplomatic protests were just a formality, and that strong power was the only way to solve problems.

  Liu Yun nodded silently.

  "Yun'er, I must say that I'm impressed by your ferocity in that great war, but true strength is the law of survival in this world. I don't know what methods you've used to improve yourself over the past year, but I hope you can become even stronger."

  "Dad, I know."

  "You take Lele and Jingle to leave the Imperial City, I agree, but hope you take good care of them. The Empire is tightening up its war preparations, the Asman Empire may soon launch a war, and I will have to lead troops to the front lines too, so I won't be able to take care of them either. In your eyes, I am an irresponsible father."

  "Dad, you're a good father and an even better soldier." Liú Yún's eyes moistened. The taste of family affection is really great.

  "Children, as long as you don't blame me, I feel at ease. Watching you grow up, I feel even more proud." Yan Tian smiled and said.

  "Dad, I'll become stronger. In this world, I won't let anyone harm my family and friends!" Looking at his father, Liú Yún made a silent vow to himself to press forward.

  After the fiery sky had passed, Liu Yun fell into deep thought.

  Yan Tian said that strength is the law of survival, Liu Yun agreed. After the battle with Caiyun, he realized that he had always underestimated the martial arts and magic of this world, and even now, he still felt a lingering fear.

  "If the last blow didn't succeed, or if the officials and soldiers came a bit late, then the consequences would be unpredictable! My younger siblings and friends would have to die with me."

  After rebirth, Liuyun's original abilities were miraculously preserved in part. Later, with his teammates, he underwent several months of intense training and made some progress, but it was far from what he had achieved during his special forces days. Especially his internal energy, which was pitifully weak when he arrived in this world.

  "Why did I have to learn this mysterious qigong in the first place?" Liu Yun thought, "Learning Iron Shirt or Boulder Lifting Palm would be a few times more useful."

  "The harm of being too native is not shallow! The Tao is natural, the Tao is natural, but now I am a Tao that has walked into darkness."

  At first in the special forces, elites like Liú Yún were allowed to learn a martial art, and the organization would invite masters to teach them. Liú Yún chose qigong, but at that time, it was popular to go back to nature, eat green food, and Taoists had been talking about cultivating one's energy for thousands of years, so in Liú Yún's view, there was nothing more natural than this.

  Later, an old man with white hair came to teach the Flowing Cloud Qigong. He simply taught the method of cultivation and left, leaving behind a sentence: "Righteous energy is stored internally, evil cannot interfere, external enlightenment of heaven and earth, the Tao is natural." So much so that Flowing Cloud later thought wickedly: "This old man might just be a charlatan."

  But as his training deepened, this idea was dispelled. Qigong not only strengthened his physical quality but also increased his speed and agility in battle, while also forming a protective aura that made him immune to swords and guns. Of course, those guns couldn't be handguns, rifles or machine guns.

  "Special combat skills are too dependent on close range, and internal energy is too weak. Is it necessary to re-cultivate the martial arts and magic of this world?" Thinking of that useless six-series physique, Liú Yún couldn't help but shake his head.

  "Second brother, when are we leaving?" Are said, holding a bowl of steaming hot chicken soup and walking into the room.

  "Just these few days then. What's wrong, are you eager to leave the Imperial City?" Liú Yún asked with a smile as she took over the soup.

  "Uh-huh. I haven't been back to my hometown in Wind Language Plains yet. This time, I can have a good play." Are again stuck to Liuyun's side like a piece of sticky candy.

  "Play? Little guy, you'd better be prepared to suffer. Once we arrive at Brother's place, don't cry." Liuyun took a sip of the soup and felt a warmth in his heart.

  "Could it be that brother will turn into a big grey wolf?"

  Are made a pitiful appearance, let Liu Yun helplessly shook his head.

  "Perhaps even more terrifying than that."

  Alei and Jinglei's performance in the battle against Caiyun made Liuyun deeply aware of their lack of actual combat experience, which was a fatal flaw for both of them. Later, Liuyun thought of those young people from Eagle Academy and decided to make up for it with all his might.

  "Let me, restore the original appearance of a ruthless instructor!" Suddenly, Liú Yún discovered that he had an evil streak in his bones from his previous life, and this evil seed began to sprout in his body after his rebirth.

  "By the way, where's Third Brother?" Liú Yún asked, having not seen Jīng Léi for two days.

  "He's so lucky after getting hurt. The school flower of the Magic Martial Academy, Miss Rosy, has been taking care of him every day." Are said with a smile.

  "Another kid who's infatuated with love. But my third brother is really talented, he even managed to win over the school beauty." Being able to date a school beauty during school days is an enormous honor, and Liu Yun couldn't help but think of how embarrassing it was when she tried to confess her feelings to someone and got rejected in public.

  "Looks like your third brother is quite famous in school?"

  "Of course, he had a chance to win the championship in this year's magic competition. If not, he could also be among the top three." Are seemed to be somewhat regretful for Shuiran.

  "Little sister, those things aren't important, what matters is making yourself stronger. I'm taking you guys with me so that you can learn how to fight and survive."

  "Uh-huh. I'll listen to you." Are replied obediently.

  Actually, unlike Sheng Lei, Liú Yún doesn't want her innocent sister to come into contact with these things too early, she just wants to put her sister under her own protection.

  "War is a man's affair, the battlefield is a man's stage." Liú Yún recalled a phrase that male soldiers said when they went to the front lines in her past life: "As long as male soldiers haven't died out, female soldiers get out of my way!"

  "Second brother, would you accompany me to the street to buy some things? Now third brother is busy accompanying Miss Qiwei and has no time for me." Are said with a wave of her hand, "It's our first visit, we should at least bring some gifts for everyone. It's just after New Year's, aren't you going to buy her a gift?"

  Liu Yun's face suddenly turned red.

  When going out, Liú Yún also called up Iverson and Walker. These two men had even more respect for Liú Yún in their hearts after that battle.

  Although neither of them said a word, they both had an idea in their minds: "From now on, whoever wants to hurt him will have to step over my corpse."

  Afterwards, Liú Yún didn't ask much about the origins of these killers. He didn't want to uncover the wounds in Iverson's heart. He knew that for a man, being able to settle scores with relish was the most satisfying thing.

  But in his heart, another question arose: "After all, whose black hand was manipulating everything behind the scenes? What had really happened to the Kingdom of Xis?"