The next morning, Zuo Men woke up his brothers. Remembering Liu Shi Nian's harsh words from yesterday, he absolutely could not disgrace the Great General.
After washing his face, he skipped breakfast, only asking for pancakes to eat on the road. Before leaving, he seemed to remember something and said to everyone.
"Since the Demon King has made us new clothes, let's wear them."
With that, he was the first to rush into the house and change his clothes neatly. Seeing this, the others also went into their rooms to change.
After a flurry of activity, the twelve-person team looked like a vast blue sea, bright and dazzling.
The young general of Xizi Kingdom couldn't help but praise as he adjusted his clothes.
"I must say, they are indeed better than our own clothes. They feel so refreshing to wear."
"I heard that this Demon King is from a foreign land. Her ideas are indeed different from others. Perhaps these clothes are also a specialty from her homeland."
A young soldier from Xizi Kingdom spoke his guess with reason.
Zuo Men deliberately coughed twice to signal everyone to be quiet, then said to everyone.
"Alright, it seems everyone is ready. Line up now, and let's depart."
With that, he led the way, jogging with the group. Because of the competition, they could freely enter and exit Nanhai City, so Zuo Men led the team without hesitation, jogging towards the outskirts of the city.
Don't ask me why I wasn't worried about them running away, because I have many eyes and ears.
Waking up in the dungeon, I only saw blinding sunlight streaming through the leaky window. Turning to ask the person in the next cell, I learned it was already noon.
I didn't expect to have slept for so long. Suddenly, I remembered the matter of training the team.
Only then did I slowly get up from the straw mat, open the cell door, and go to the jailer, Old Yu, to instruct him.
"They can't stay in the dungeon all the time. It's dark and damp here, and they can easily get sick. Take them out to the ground to get some fresh air from time to time."
"The Demon King's thoughtfulness is truly commendable. I will make proper arrangements."
I patted his shoulder, nodded slightly, and left the dungeon without looking back, heading to the training grounds.
On the spacious field, two teams stood, a rare sight. They swayed from side to side and stretched their muscles, clearly having been there for a long time.
"Why didn't you send someone to call me?" I asked them, confused.
Lin'er slowly walked up to me and explained, "You've been too tired these past few days. I wanted you to get more sleep."
"Everyone was waiting for me, but I was sleeping. This is a bad habit. From now on, call me when you need to. If I'm tired, I'll tell you."
I criticized myself and Lin'er. Lin'er silently repented and became even more certain of me.
After finishing this, I looked at everyone again and said.
"You must already know the purpose of today's gathering. Our goal is to exercise. Everyone change into the custom-made clothes, and we'll gather here again shortly."
"Yes."
"Hurry back."
With a "whoosh," everyone scattered and jogged back to their rooms to change.
Lost in thought, I turned back and said to Lin'er, "You go change too, wear the red one."
He seemed a bit shy and stammered, "No, no, I don't think I suit those clothes."
I frowned. I didn't expect the usually resourceful elder to be so lacking in self-confidence. I sighed and patted his shoulder, coaxing him.
"Do you know? You have always been special in my heart. It's because of you that I've become more confident.
So you don't need to worry about how you'll look. Whether you're ugly or beautiful, or feeling insecure, it doesn't matter.
Your cuteness and kindness, your brave efforts are deeply etched in my heart. I'll be wearing blue this time, so we'll have company."
Hearing my sincere, touching, and inspiring words, his heart felt as if it were surrounded by blooming flowers in spring, and he instantly gained confidence, nodding slightly.
I said again, "I'm really looking forward to seeing you in your new clothes. You'll definitely look incredibly handsome."
His little face flushed red, and he waved his hands. "Demon King, you're too good at praising people. You make me feel so embarrassed. I'll go change then."
"Go on, go on."
Watching his retreating back, I also quickened my pace back to the sleeping quarters to change.
Before long, after I had changed and arrived at the training grounds, I saw two parallel lines of bright red and deep blue, like a bloody blue sea, come into view.
Who would have thought that the man standing in the wind, playing with his hair and tidying his clothes like a gentle and graceful young man from a noble family, was Lin'er.
And Hei Feng, the rogue youth who seemed to have returned to the source of memory with a hint of a wicked smile, was as radiant as the scorching sun in his red attire.
And the nineteen mountain lords, whether strong or beautiful, demonic or alluring, each with their own unique charm, truly opened my eyes.
I swallowed involuntarily, my heart shouting, "Beauties, beauties, I'm here, I'm here!"
At this moment, the disdainful voice of Wan Gui Wang sounded again, complaining, "What a sheltered woman, getting excited over everyone she sees."
Hearing his disdain, I snapped back to reality, patted my head to calm myself, and walked to the front of the crowd, pretending to be serious. I cleared my throat and said, "Turn around, start running towards the outskirts of Nanhai City. Today, we're going mountain climbing."
Everyone looked surprised, but couldn't suppress their joy. I didn't know if it was because of my human body or because they were naturally fast runners.
I was left far behind, with only Hei Feng slowly stopping to wait for me.
"Where is the elder?" I asked him.
"He said he had to lead them to prevent them from scattering, so I volunteered to stay and wait for you."
I smiled slightly and asked him, "Am I very useless?"
He shook his head and enlightened me, "No, at least not when it comes to running."
Saying that, he squatted down, hugged my legs, and said, "I'll carry you to catch up with them."
I was bewildered, but he pulled my legs forward, hoisted me onto his back, and then ran forward like the wind.
I widened my eyes in the wind, letting the gusts of wind mess up my hair and blur my vision.
On the other side, Liu Shi Nian's team had already left the city and arrived at Fengyu Mountain outside the city.
They had cleared a space on the mountainside for training. Because of the waterfall behind them, they had other training methods as well.
Like other teams, they had also changed into their specially made new clothes. A line of people stood on the open ground, practicing with their homemade rattan balls.
Liu Shi Nian attacked, Xue Gu Cheng defended, and Yan Wu Shuang passed the ball. The team quickly spread out, transforming into an invisible force that moved rapidly across the field.
After a moment, Liu Shi Nian kicked the ball into the goal, only for Xue Gu Cheng to grab it. He then wiped the sweat from his brow, revealing a satisfied smile.
Xue Gu Cheng kicked the ball over to him and asked, "What's next?"
Liu Shi Nian turned and pointed to the waterfall behind them, saying, "Training focus."
Then, everyone gradually walked into the waterfall and sat down beneath it, letting the relentless water pound on them without a sound or a word, so quiet that only the "whoosh" of the waterfall could be heard.
Yan Wu Shuang didn't have to sit under the waterfall with them, but as the leading sister, she also had to share the hardships with her brothers.
Fortunately, this new outfit did not fade even when soaked with water, nor did it cling tightly to her body or become revealing, thus preventing any unnecessary resentment caused by Yan Wu Shuang's exposure.
As the sun set and the western sky glowed, several teams slowly returned to Nanhai City.
Tonight, the Nanhai Royal Palace was unusually quiet. Everyone seemed exhausted and had gone to bed early.
The next morning, I woke up early and, accompanied by He Lian, went to the training grounds. The training grounds were already bustling with people. Upon closer inspection, I realized that Zuo Men's team was competing with Hei Feng's team.
And all around, rows of spectators were watching.
"Why don't I see Liu Shi Nian's group?" I muttered.
He Lian comforted me, "They should be out training. It seems they might not be in the Royal Palace."
That made sense.
I stood on the side, watching Zuo Men and Hei Feng's match with a group of people. I saw Zuo Men get the ball first, using his foot to kick it towards a teammate who had run to the edge of Hei Feng's team. That teammate caught the ball, then powerfully passed it to the next, and finally kicked it into the goal.
"Wow!" Instantly, the entire training ground erupted with exclamations of amazement, as if everyone was immersed in it.
Suddenly, the sound of clapping and applause came from behind, hearty and unreserved, shouting, "Good! Good! Good!"
This voice sounded like Liu Shi Nian's. I turned around but was blinded by a strong light. I shielded my eyes with my hand and slowly saw what was called an unparalleled beauty.
I saw Liu Shi Nian wearing a red short-sleeved shirt and shorts, with white wrapped shoes on his feet. His black hair was tied high at the back of his head, and a two-finger-wide purple headband was tied on his forehead.
With one hand on Xue Gu Cheng's shoulder, he smiled like a boy next door.
Looking at Xue Gu Cheng, I saw him with his arms crossed, a smile on his face, exuding a slightly cool yet elegant demeanor. Like Liu Shi Nian, he also wore a purple headband on his forehead.
And behind them stood a neat line of people, each with their arms crossed, or gazing into the distance, or with arms slung over each other's shoulders, chatting and laughing.
Yan Wu Shuang, true to her reputation as the leading sister, could not change her innate commanding presence regardless of what she wore or where she was.
The Four Evils were no less beautiful than Liu Shi Nian and Xue Gu Cheng. They wore red shorts and black hair, which made them look exceptionally charming. Coupled with the purple headbands, they were unparalleled and breathtaking.
As for the other mountain lords, they each had their own style and shone brightly.
In the moment I was stunned, the entire training ground suddenly became eerily quiet. Everyone's gaze had shifted to Liu Shi Nian's team.
In the gentle breeze, it seemed as if there was a sound of accelerated heartbeats, flushed faces, and hidden dangers.
Yan Wu Shuang looked at everyone's silence, and even Zuo Men and Hei Feng had stopped, looking puzzled. She opened her mouth and asked, "Why did you stop playing?"
Zuo Men chuckled sheepishly and retorted, "Are you here to compete?"
Gui Ye, rarely speaking, only uttered a few words, "You're overthinking it."
Seeing the tense atmosphere, Liu Shi Nian smiled slightly and waved his hand.
"Just passing by to take a look. You're not bad. In just one day, you've already achieved such seamless coordination and reached a state of divine skill. You truly live up to the title of Great General. I hope we can perform as well in the competition two days from now."
He turned back to the brothers behind him and said, "Let's go, let's go."
Then he led his team away from the training grounds.
Zuo Men mused, saying faintly, "Is this considered a provocation?"
Hei Feng stood in front of him and heard it clearly. He patted Zuo Men's shoulder to comfort him.
"I think Liu Shi Nian and his group just wanted to see your training progress. Although you're already operating smoothly, Liu Shi Nian and his team haven't been idle either. You still can't underestimate them."
Zuo Men looked at the man before him, who was actually worrying about him, offering comfort and encouragement. A sense of goodwill welled up in his heart, and he nodded gently.
Lin'er had been watching from the sidelines for a long time and could see Zuo Men's worry and the low morale of his team. He couldn't help but walk forward and comfort them.
"Don't worry, you will definitely win. Liu Shi Nian and his group are not as strong as they seem."
His words gave them encouragement and motivation, and the entire team's confidence was instantly restored.
At this moment, I didn't step forward to say anything. It seemed my presence was no longer needed in this situation.
In the gentle night breeze, a figure in red landed on the roof of the Nanhai Royal Palace. Behind him were two familiar figures, Li Xing Ye and Jin Yu Lan.
Liu Xiang's gaze was cold as he looked at the brightly lit training grounds where Zuo Men and Hei Feng were, and the mountain lords running and sparring with each other.
Moreover, they were all dressed strangely and occasionally let out "hehe" and "haha" sounds.
"What are they doing?" Liu Xiang was very confused.
Jin Yu Lan replied, "I've sent people to inquire. They say this is a competition activity created by Liu Muy Ye herself, called football."
"Football?" Liu Xiang pondered, recalling that he had seen such a strange scene in the human world, and he didn't expect to see it again in this world.
Li Xing Ye looked at the people below, who were playing and frolicking without a care in the world, and let out a light laugh. Then he reported to Liu Xiang the recent actions of the other three cities.
"Sir, the other three cities have been strengthening their military defenses. The Ten Thousand Demon King has remained inactive. It seems they will only suffer defeat in the upcoming sieges."
Liu Xiang shook his head slightly, negating his idea.
"Although Liu Muy Ye has no demonic power, she is cunning and has foresight, with novel ideas when looking at problems.
Moreover, the four elders by her side were once trusted confidantes of the Ten Thousand Demon King. They must have made other plans for attacking the other three cities."
If Liu Xiang had said this before he met the Ten Thousand Demon King, he would have dismissed it with disdain. However, after repeated encounters with the Ten Thousand Demon King, he truly felt that she was both brave and resourceful, and loyal.
Perhaps this was why she was surrounded by so many experts, and even Yu Jiao was willing to protect her.
Liu Xiang continued.
"Now, Liu Muy Ye has united the Penglai Mermaid Tribe and the mountain lords. Coupled with their Black Mountain, they are like warriors clad in iron armor, breaking through the defenses of the four cities, yet making them hesitant to retaliate."
Jin Yu Lan analyzed.
"The four cities are not in the same location, and Liu Muy Ye is full of tricks. After the incident in Nanhai City, they are likely too preoccupied to rescue each other."
"You are correct. It is not convenient for us to interfere in the affairs of the four cities. Let's wait and see." With that, he turned and disappeared into the wind. Li Xing Ye and Jin Yu Lan followed his footsteps and also vanished into the wind.