Rebirth of a Mercenary: The Ace Mercenary Forced to Be the Beloved of the Group

The branches of the poplar tree grow horizontally from the main trunk, branching into twigs of varying thickness in mid-air.

Li Mo stood on the highest horizontal branch.

His hands hung naturally at his sides, his back straight, his whole body like a knife plunged into the tree canopy. The branches, bearing his weight, only swayed slightly downwards, and the leaves didn't even tremble.

He looked down at the three frozen figures at the base of the tree, his face expressionless.

Lu Xiao squatted on a branch a little below.

His posture was much more casual than Li Mo's. One leg was bent and rested on a fork in the branch, while the other leg dangled down, the ankle swaying gently in the air. His left hand rested on his knee, and his right hand supported his chin, like a bystander squatting on a wall watching a spectacle.

Under the tree, Sun Lei felt a chill run from the top of his head to the soles of his feet.

Both of them heard every single word that was said.

I heard everything.

The silence lasted for about three breaths.

Lu Xiao lowered his hand that was supporting his chin, changed his posture, and placed his hands on his knees, folded together.

"Why did you stop?"

His tone was very soft, as if he were chatting with an old friend.

"I'm getting to the exciting part. I haven't had enough of hearing how our Squad Leader Li crushed the bones."

Cold sweat trickled down Sun Lei's temples. He opened his mouth, but the voice that came out was twice as hoarse as usual.

"Brother Lu—"

"Um?"

"We were just—just kidding—bragging to the new recruits—please don't take it to heart—"

Lu Xiao's head was tilted and he didn't straighten it, but the curve of his lips deepened a little.

"That's just bragging."

The three words were spoken so lightly, like a feather falling from a branch. But Sun Lei's back was completely soaked.

"Then play it for me again. I didn't hear the details clearly just now."

Sun Lei's lips trembled slightly. His gaze darted frantically between Lu Xiao and Li Mo, like someone trapped on the edge of a cliff searching for anything to grab onto.

Zheng Dayong forced himself to speak, his voice carrying a tragic air of facing certain death.

"Brother Lu, we...we just don't keep our mouths shut—really, you know we guys love to talk nonsense—those things were all exaggerated, don't take them seriously—"

"Oh?" Lu Xiao raised an eyebrow. "You mean, our Squad Leader Li isn't actually that good?"

Zheng Dayong's face turned pale instantly.

"No! That's not what I meant! Brother Li is incredibly talented! Brother Li is the most talented person I've ever met—"

He found himself trapped in a dead end no matter what he said; his mouth was open, but the words he was about to say were stuck in his throat.

Li Mo remained silent. He stood on that branch, looking down like a statue placed on a high place. But this silence was more unsettling than any words.

He Rui hadn't said a word since earlier. His gaze was fixed on the ground, on a clump of drooping weeds next to the tree roots, so much so that his eyes almost popped out.

He didn't have the courage to look up.

The description of Lu Xiao just now—"covered in blood, his smile was more terrifying than anything"—was spoken by him personally. Every single word was his.

Lu Xiao's gaze shifted to him.

"He Rui".

He Rui's shoulders jerked suddenly.

"Here, here!"

"You just said I cleared out a base while laughing?"

He Rui's lips moved for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a single word.

"……yes."

"You have a good memory." Lu Xiao tapped his fingers lightly on his knee twice. "Do you remember who washed your clothes after you threw up that day?"

"Yes, it's you—"

Lu Xiao's smile brightened a bit.

"So you're talking about someone behind your back, laughing as you do their laundry—that's scarier than anything else?"

He Rui's mouth was agape, and he looked like a clay sculpture struck by lightning.

Sun Lei was almost unable to stand still. His mind was a complete mess, and all possible explanations were blocked.

To say they were bragging would be tantamount to saying Li Mo and Lu Xiao weren't that capable. To say they were telling the truth would be to admit to his face that he thought those two were crazy. Begging for mercy would seem guilty. Remaining silent would seem like an admission.

Lu Xiao jumped down from the tree branch. He landed almost silently, his knees slightly bent to absorb the impact, and he was like a leaf blown away by the wind.

He straightened up and walked toward the three veterans.

step.

Sun Lei took a step back.

Two steps.

Zheng Dayong and He Rui both took a step back.

Three steps.

Lu Xiao stopped two steps away from them. He tilted his head and slowly swept his gaze across the three people's faces, like a cat crouching in front of a fish tank, not in a hurry to extend its claws, just watching.

Then he laughed.

"What are you afraid of?"

Lu Xiao's voice was so soft it sounded like he was coaxing a child.

"I'm not going to eat you."

Sun Lei's Adam's apple bobbed up and down three times. He opened his mouth with difficulty, his voice terribly hoarse.

"Brother Lu...we were really wrong...we'll never say anything carelessly again..."

"Is there a future?"

"No! Absolutely not! There will be no more!"

Lu Xiao tilted her head and looked at him for a while, just about to speak—

"It's time to eat."

Everyone's eyes turned to the source of the sound at the same time.

Bai Ye was still leaning against the outermost poplar tree, his hands in his pockets.

He straightened up, patted the bits of bark off the tree trunk, and turned to walk towards the cafeteria.

Xuanxiao paused for a second, then immediately followed.

As Lu Xiao watched Bai Ye's retreating figure, the smile on his face switched from "a cat ready to tease a mouse" to "a cat a little disappointed at failing to tease a mouse." He looked away and glanced at Sun Lei.

"You guys are in luck today."

Sun Lei didn't dare to reply.

Lu Xiao turned around and walked towards the cafeteria.

The three veterans seemed to have been put on a play button, their bodies finally detached from the tree trunk. Zheng Dayong's legs were still trembling, He Rui's face was as white as a steamed bun in the canteen, and Sun Lei's back was soaked with sweat, his training uniform clinging to his skin, leaving a large patch of dark sweat stains.

From the tree branch, Li Mo took one last look at the three disheveled people below before leaping down from the horizontal branch.

He walked towards the cafeteria with steady steps and a straight back.

The three veterans stood there, watching the four figures walk away. Bai Ye walked in front, Xuan Xiao followed closely beside him, Lu Xiao swayed behind, and Li Mo walked at the very back.

The sunlight cast long shadows of the four people across the ochre-red track.

Only after they had gone far away, far enough that he could no longer hear them, did Sun Lei finally let out a long sigh of relief.

Zheng Dayong leaned against the tree trunk, looking up at the sky, which was fragmented by the leaves.

I almost peed my pants.

He Rui squatted on the ground, holding his head in his hands.

"I will never talk about people behind their backs again in my life. I swear. If I do, I'll bite my own tongue off."

The three of them were silent for a moment, then with an astonishing tacit understanding, they simultaneously started walking towards the cafeteria. No one mentioned what had just happened, nor did anyone mention Li Mo and Lu Xiao again.