Chapter 213
When Chui Le asked his question, he already had an idea of the answer.
If controlling monsters with flute music wasn’t a trait of the Midnight Wolf bloodline, then it likely meant… someone had taught the little wolf cub this skill.
Just like Rong Heng, the lion-eared boy whose swordsmanship during battles against monsters was also worth investigating.
From previous interactions, everyone had gotten a sense of the cubs’ personalities. Among the Cub Squad’s children, Lang Ze stood out as the most lively and approachable. That’s why, when it came to this slightly sensitive topic, Chui Le chose Lang Ze as the starting point.
With hope in his eyes, Chui Le looked at Lang Ze, expecting an answer. If this ability didn’t stem from bloodline traits but was instead a learnable technique, then perhaps ordinary soldiers could be trained in it too.
If so, it could drastically enhance combat effectiveness and improve humanity’s chances against interstellar monsters!
“How do you do it?” Lang Ze tilted his head, looking at Chui Le.
“Yes, yes, how do you do it?” Chui Le’s gaze brimmed with anticipation, and the accompanying officers perked up their ears.
As they watched expectantly, the little wolf cub puffed out his chest and wagged his tail high in the air, looking every bit as proud as they’d anticipated.
“Of course, it’s because—” Under their intense scrutiny, Lang Ze twirled the bamboo flute in his hand and declared smugly, “I’m awesome!”
He had learned sound illusion techniques in such a short time, and even Su Su had praised him for it!
Chui Le & his adjutant: “…”
That’s not the answer they were hoping for!
“Yes, Lang Ze is very skilled,” Lu Jiao chimed in with a nod.
They had all practiced playing the flute together. Lu Jiao had barely mastered one song, Xing Xing could only produce random sounds, but Lang Ze had not only mastered creating illusions but also applied them effectively in combat.
Hearing Lu Jiao’s praise, Lang Ze grinned and added, “Everyone’s skilled in their own way!”
This much Chui Le could agree with. The cubs from the Nursery center all had exceptional abilities. Otherwise, the Star Alliance wouldn’t have broken precedent to establish the Cub Squad, which had even attracted the interest of prominent families.
Still, Chui Le hadn’t forgotten his goal.
Realizing indirect approaches weren’t working, he spoke plainly: “We have many soldiers in our army who can play the flute, but their music doesn’t control monsters.”
Hearing this, Li Sinian, who was accompanying them, furrowed his brows.
Sure enough, the base commander continued, “Lang Ze, could you teach them? Help them become as skilled as you?”
Lang Ze finally understood. “Oh, they want to learn sound illusion techniques from me.”
Sound illusion techniques!
Having finally learned the exact name of this skill, Chui Le’s eyes lit up. A technique that creates illusions through music—what a straightforward and understandable concept!
“Yes, exactly!” Chui Le nodded eagerly. “Would you be willing to teach them?”
Just as Lang Ze was about to respond, Li Sinian spoke up to stop him.
Chui Le couldn’t help but grow anxious. He looked toward Li Sinian, mindful of his past rank and abilities, and hesitated to react harshly. Instead, he asked, “Marshal Li, what do you mean by this?”
Li Sinian, no longer insisting on his retired status, replied calmly, “Colonel Chui, Lang Ze is still very young. Although he has achieved some success, he still has much to learn and practice. How can he take on the responsibility of teaching soldiers?”
Lang Ze, who had been brimming with excitement to accept the request, scratched his head awkwardly.
That’s true—he had only just started learning. There was still so much more to study under Su Su. Besides daily battles, his schedule was already packed with lessons in reading and writing, physical training, and flute practice. He even wanted to learn to play the piano someday. Where would he find time to teach others?
Although the idea of being a teacher sounded cool, Lang Ze decided not to go against “Daddy Sinian” and obediently quieted down.
Seeing this, Chui Le’s face darkened.
He wanted to argue further, but Li Sinian spoke again. “Colonel Chui, these children will grow up one day. We can revisit this topic when the time comes.”
As a former marshal, Li Sinian was well aware of the value of the techniques these children had learned. It wasn’t just Lang Ze’s sound illusion techniques that were remarkable—Rong Heng’s swordsmanship, Lu Li’s physical techniques, and Ran Lie’s palm strikes were all astonishingly advanced.
These three techniques, in particular, were even more broadly applicable than sound illusion techniques. If introduced to the military, they could bring tremendous benefits.
However, after discovering that the “Buddhist mental cultivation method” practiced by Xue Wei had been taught by Ran Lie—and recalling his own attempt to seek guidance on swordsmanship, which only resulted in a cryptic mantra—Li Sinian suppressed any ambitions.
It was clear that Su Ci, the Nursery center’s caretaker and the true source of these techniques, had a unique teaching philosophy. He appeared to adhere strictly to the principle of teaching “one person at a time.”
Anyone wishing to learn these valuable skills would have to study directly under the first person Su Ci had taught—in this case, the children. Even Li Sinian himself, if he wanted to learn swordsmanship, would need to study under his own son.
Although he had memorized the sword technique mantra by heart, his insights from it were limited.
In the end, he had no choice but to seek guidance from Rong Heng. While he did improve somewhat, it became clear from Rong Heng’s words that even his son hadn’t fully mastered the technique.
If Rong Heng was still working toward mastery, it went without saying that the other cubs were also not yet at the level of teaching others.
They hadn’t reached the point of graduating from their training.
Li Sinian had no intention of forcing the issue or rushing the children’s progress. As long as they continued learning diligently, their future was undoubtedly bright. The Star Alliance would eventually gain a powerful squad, a foregone conclusion.
As for whether these techniques would ever be disseminated throughout the military, that decision would rest with the children. If they chose to share, Li Sinian would support them wholeheartedly. But if they preferred not to, he wouldn’t allow anyone to pressure them or impose moral obligations.
Apart from Rong Heng and Little Li Hua, Li Sinian had grown fond of the other cubs as well, treating them like his own children. Remembering the hardships they had endured, his heart ached for them.
Even though their lives had improved significantly, they still had far less than other children their age.
These children had suffered so much and had finally earned the favor of an excellent teacher, gaining skills that could secure their futures. Why should others, who had contributed nothing, expect to share in their hard-earned rewards?
The idea was laughable.
Many influential families across the interstellar realm guarded their unique knowledge jealously. Even the Li family had only shared a small portion of their research on object manipulation with outsiders.
So why should anyone demand the children hand over their combat techniques?
If they had the ability, they should speak directly to Caretaker Su instead of pressuring the children.
Li Sinian’s stance was resolute. Chui Le looked at him for a long moment before sighing and shaking his head.
If all else failed, they would have no choice but to approach Su Ci.
Everyone knew deep down that the cubs’ sudden leap in ability was closely tied to Caretaker Su, and it was also Caretaker Su who had resolved the beast-blood cubs’ berserk problem.
They had quietly investigated Su Ci’s background, but they couldn’t uncover much.
On the surface, Su Ci appeared to be an ordinary military academy graduate with average grades at best. But… who would believe that?
The more ordinary Su Ci seemed on paper, the more cautious they became. Especially now, when many bases still relied on Su Ci and the cubs to handle critical situations.
After hitting a wall with Li Sinian, Chui Le dropped the topic. Meanwhile, Ran Lie and Rong Heng, overhearing the adults’ conversation, couldn’t help but fall into thought.
*
After touring Base 5 and supervising its planting efforts, the cubs returned to the 244H ship.
“I’m starving! Let’s eat!”
Lang Ze, carrying Zheng Xing, was the first to jump off the ship, pulling Lu Jiao and Ran Lie along with him—naturally, because Ran Lie could activate the teleportation array.
Rong Heng, holding Little Li Hua’s hand, walked down leisurely, with Xue Wei and Lu Li following behind. They didn’t rush to eat either, waiting for Li Sinian to close the hatch before walking together.
As they walked, Rong Heng and Little Li Hua slowly fell behind. Then Rong Heng spoke up, “Dad.”
Li Sinian’s face lit up with a smile. He responded warmly, looking down at his son. “What is it, Xiang Yang?”
“If they want to learn swordsmanship, I can teach them,” Rong Heng said seriously.
Hearing this, Lu Li, who had been walking ahead, turned back and raised his hand. “I can teach my physical strengthening method too.”
Li Sinian was momentarily stunned. Instead of dismissing them outright, he asked, “Why?”
Rong Heng pressed his lips together and didn’t answer.
He had always remembered the nurturing center’s kindness to him and his sister. Before Su arrived, he had already planned to repay that debt before taking his sister away.
Although he no longer wished to leave, that sense of responsibility hadn’t changed.
However, he didn’t intend to tell Li Sinian or Yan Ya. He knew that if he mentioned it, they would try to take care of it for him. He didn’t want that, so he stayed silent.
Lu Li, on the other hand, had no such reservations. Looking ahead, he said, “If the soldiers learn the strengthening method and become stronger, there will be fewer casualties.”
“I don’t want to see the people protecting us die anymore.”
Li Sinian watched the boy’s retreating figure, his dazzling golden hair catching the light. For the first time, he felt deeply moved by this quiet, unassuming child who often went unnoticed.
He opened his mouth, wanting to suggest waiting until they were older and had a clearer understanding of the world before making such decisions. But the boy’s sincere and unfiltered emotions made him hesitate.
Finally, he said, “Perhaps you should ask Caretaker Su for his opinion.”
Hearing this, Lu Li scratched his head. “Oh, that’s right, we’d need Su Su’s permission first. But… I think Su Su will agree.”
“Why?” Li Sinian asked, curious about his confidence.
The golden-haired boy chuckled softly. “Because any soldier learning the strengthening method from me would first have to plant fields—at least a hundred… no, a thousand acres each!”
Li Sinian’s lips twitched.
He wanted to point out, Kid, do you even know how big an acre is? A thousand acres—if someone worked alone, they wouldn’t finish it in a lifetime!
But then he thought about it. With that kind of condition, the farming-obsessed Su Ci might not refuse.
After all, planting a thousand acres was a lot less daunting than planting an entire planet, right?
The more Li Sinian thought about it, the better the idea seemed.
That’s right—they needed more people to help with the planting!
