DPM Chapter 92-Reinstatement
Translated by Snowfall77
The ship Mozun and Wu Xingyun were on stopped at the border between Alliance territory and the Federation. By the time Wu Xingyun left their cabin, he’d make sure his appearance was impeccable. The greater part of the Demon Army knew of Wu Xingyun’s impending arrival, and they’d congregated at the border to welcome him back.
The Federal government, monitoring the situation, first surmised that the gathering of mutants at the border meant an oncoming attack. However, when the Federation discovered that Mozun was also there, they weren’t sure what to think.
Especially when images of an unknown mutant by Mozun’s side were taken, the Federation’s puzzlement only grew.
That the soldier Wu Xingyun had died in a nuclear explosion twenty years ago was known to all the Federation.
Thus, twenty years later, there were few people left to recognize Wu Xingyun. Most of the officials who’d dealt with him had retired. The military’s fresh blood had no idea who Wu Xingyun was until an old-time councilor identified him.
“That person……that man is Wu Xingyun!” The sixty-something councilor exclaimed. “I remember watching him when he testified at Marshal Shi Fei’s trial.”
“What……the dead spouse of the Night Shard?” Aili Kesi, the current Federation president asked. In her forties, she kept herself well, able to pass for being much younger, with long lustrous hair hanging in sausage curls. She’d gained her position only three months before, after giving a rousing ‘No more retreat’ speech, ousting the old president who’d extolled appeasement strategies.
“That’s correct, President.” The senior councilor continued. “About twenty years past, the Night Shard broke the peace treaty, claiming we’d murdered his spouse, and the fighting between us resumed. Nevermind that the Federation very much regretted the loss of an exemplary Ghost soldier. We even held a grand funeral. Now it appears it was all a pretext! He imprisoned our soldier and went to war with us!”
Aili Kesi’s brows creased as she looked at the image.
Captured by the satellite camera at a distant observatory, the picture showed the Night Shard with one arm around Wu Xingyun’s waist, looking at the soldier sideways. The ruthless, malevolent face was nowhere to be seen. Instead the Night Shard’s gaze was very tender, like someone who’d fixed their eyes on the sweetheart they considered their greatest treasure.
If she didn’t know that the mutant in the image was the Night Shard, Aili Kesi would’ve sworn she was looking at a man in love.
But it was the Night Shard, the Federation’s biggest enemy. Acting in such a way, the demon mutant must have an ulterior motive.
Aili Kesi pondered briefly, then said: “I watched the telecast of the Night Shard’s wedding to this soldier. The soldier was in his early twenties, right? Why does he look like he hasn’t aged a day?”
No one had an answer to that, and a moment later Aili Kesi continued: “When that soldier was with the Federation, he was a sergeant, correct? Who was his commanding officer?”
An aide did a quick search, the appropriate data scrolling across a screen.
“Wen Nuo? Made it all the way to being an Admiral, but he’s been growing yams for the past twenty years? Well, it’s time for him to return.” Aili Kesi stated, her voice steady. “I imagine it’s unlikely Wen Nuo will act as impulsively and foolishly as he did in the past.”
Wen Nuo had not yet received his different orders when a new sandstorm blasted across his base.
Another greenhouse door had jammed, and Wen Nuo braved the elements to get it shut. Just as he was using all his strength to push on it, the base alarm abruptly started blaring.
Surprised, Wen Nuo peered upwards into the storm.
Through the swirling red sands a heavy white fog was slowly descending from the sky. Stars seemed to be falling, dotting the planet with blue bursts of light in every direction.
“Driiin! Driiin!” Now the alarm on Wen Nuo’s wrist was going off. “Unidentified life-form intrusion. Bio-hazard level has been reported.”
Before Wen Nuo could hardly take it in, a small Federation rescue ship rapidly touched down at Wen Nuo’s location.
Ignoring the storm and fog, the hatch of the ship slid open, a soldier bellowing at Wen Nuo from the helm: “Hurry up! We’ve got to get out of here!”
A stuck door no longer a worthy concern, Wen Nuo leapt onto the ship. Buckling himself into a seat, he asked: “What’s happening?”
The soldier didn’t answer until they’d broken the planet’s atmosphere, only then telling Wen Nuo: “All nearby planets have had ‘unidentified life-form intrusion’ alerts simultaneously. I don’t know what’s going on. All I know is I was ordered to come and retrieve the survivors. Personally……I bet it’s the Night Shard.”
Wen Nuo nodded, about to respond, when the communicator on his wrist beeped.
Pressing the call button, Wen Nuo heard a middle-aged woman’s calm voice: “Wen Nuo, the Federation government is appointing you as Deputy Commander of the Federation Army. You are reinstated to your previous rank of Admiral. Please report to the Federation Government Office upon receiving this order.”
The soldier piloting the ship overheard and glanced at Wen Nuo in surprise before loudly exclaiming: “It’s really you! You’re the officer who ambushed and killed the Night Shard! I still remember you, I’ve admired you since I was a kid. Are you finally coming out of retirement? Good, good! Now we can finally crush the Demon Army into pieces!”
Wen Nuo didn’t react to the other soldier’s enthusiasm, content to stare out into the vast cosmos. Against the darkness distant stars shone their soft rays.
Then out of nowhere he said: “Soldier, it seems you’re taking the incorrect route. This isn’t the way to the base.”
“Huh? No?” The younger soldier scratched his head and checked the coordinates. Sure enough, they were headed in the wrong direction. Damn it. The soldier hadn’t yet graduated his training period, but he’d been so happy at successfully rescuing a farmer, let alone one who unexpectedly turned out to be his childhood idol. Only to spoil it by getting their route wrong……
“I apologize, sir. I’ll correct it immediately. Are you going to the nearest military base or Federation headquarters?” The soldier gazed at Wen Nuo with bright shining eyes.
Wen Nuo extended a finger, pointing out a spot on the star chart: “Go there!”
“Umm……here? That’s a new observation point. Why go there?” The soldier asked, tone doubtful. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking your new post? Going there……that’s against orders……”
Smiling, Wen Nuo smoothly reassured: “Obedience sometimes requires flexible execution. All you need worry about right now is carrying out my orders, soldier.”
The small rescue ship came to a halt before circling around and zooming off in the other direction, disappearing into a traceless point of light.
Elsewhere in the Milky Way, Wu Xingyun was happily greeting old friends that he, from his point of view, had barely parted from. Peng Dawei came up, giving Wu Xingyun a punch on the arm: “How could we have ever guessed you were a Federation bad guy?!”
Wu Xingyun just laughed, but Mozun glared, highly unhappy: “Dare to touch a hair on his head and I’ll throw you into the closest star!”
Sticking out his tongue, Peng Dawei answered: “Don’t dare……”
Mutants had gathered in a small town near the border. Some of them Wu Xingyun knew, other he wasn’t familiar with at all. Although, despite the endless passing of time, Wu Xingyun recognized most of those who were the main strength of the Demon Army.
While Liu Meng stood calmly to the side, silently observing Wu Xingyun. Only after the others had left did Wu Xingyun approach him: “Little Meng, are you okay?”
Liu Meng’s eyes were a little red as he raised his head to look up Wu Xingyun: “You……Now you’re exactly the same as I remember. I……I acted that way towards you before……When I think about it now, I regret and I’m very sorry.”
Wu Xingyun smiled gently, reaching out a hand to Liu Meng: “Never mind it……I bullied you when you were a child. Consider us even.”
Those words cheered Liu Meng up. Softly laughing, he only half-joked: “I’m eighteen and I haven’t had a birthday……”
Yet before Liu Meng could finish his sentence, he caught sight of Mozun’s deathly stare.
Wisely changing his tune, Liu Meng continued: “But that doesn’t matter…….Anyways, I’m satisfied. Living over two thousand years to be able to see you come back!”
Only then did Mozun’s hard scowl ease up. After driving Liu Meng away, Mozun saw Wu Xingyun glancing all about and asked: “What are you looking for?”
“Where are some of the others? I don’t see them……” Wu Xingyun’s voice trailed off.
Mozun’s expression had dimmed, and it only took Wu Xingyun a second to discern why.
Except for Liu Meng, the other mutants Wu Xingyun had been close to in the past had long since died in battle.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, I bring their body back. If you want to see them, we can go to the ‘Saint’ tombs together.” Mozun told Wu Xingyun.
“Saint tombs?” Wu Xingyun gave Mozun a blank look, then recalled a minute later that the Federation called the place where mutants were buried the ‘Devil’s Mound.’
In the last days there’d been no such place, so it’d taken Wu Xingyun a moment to connect the dots.
“Good. When do we leave?” Wu Xingyun inquired.
“Let’s go right now,” Mozun replied. “We take a transmission point, we’ll get there in about ten days.” A shady expression stole over his face while his eyes raked Wu Xingyun up and down.
Wu Xingyun, who wasn’t so thick as to not fathom Mozun’s intentions, inwardly moaned.
Mozun gleefully went on: “I suppose you want to see your parents, childhood friends, and review the Federation data we just got. To accomplish all that, it’ll probably be a very long journey……Oh well, there’s many methods to get through boring trips……”
Contemplating what was going to happen to him, Wu Xingyun’s ears starting burning.
An amused Mozun took in Wu Xingyun’s flushed face and chuckled lowly: “I’m your old husband, what are you being bashful about? Besides, I merely suggested we travel. I didn’t say anything else……but apparently you’re thinking indecent thoughts. Or is it that you’re actually hopefully anticipating?”
Wu Xingyun’s heart filled with bitterness. No, he wasn’t hopefully anticipating……Mozun was trying to make everything sound like a honeymoon tour, when in fact it’d practically be nothing but a ‘papapa’ and more ‘papapa’ trip. Who wanted to?!
But then Wu Xingyun had to promptly revise his view—this kind of thing, there was someone who really wanted to. That person being Wu Xingyun’s devilish old husband……
DPM Chapter 92-Reinstatement
Translated by Snowfall77
The ship Mozun and Wu Xingyun were on stopped at the border between Alliance territory and the Federation. By the time Wu Xingyun left their cabin, he’d make sure his appearance was impeccable. The greater part of the Demon Army knew of Wu Xingyun’s impending arrival, and they’d congregated at the border to welcome him back.
The Federal government, monitoring the situation, first surmised that the gathering of mutants at the border meant an oncoming attack. However, when the Federation discovered that Mozun was also there, they weren’t sure what to think.
Especially when images of an unknown mutant by Mozun’s side were taken, the Federation’s puzzlement only grew.
That the soldier Wu Xingyun had died in a nuclear explosion twenty years ago was known to all the Federation.
Thus, twenty years later, there were few people left to recognize Wu Xingyun. Most of the officials who’d dealt with him had retired. The military’s fresh blood had no idea who Wu Xingyun was until an old-time councilor identified him.
“That person……that man is Wu Xingyun!” The sixty-something councilor exclaimed. “I remember watching him when he testified at Marshal Shi Fei’s trial.”
“What……the dead spouse of the Night Shard?” Aili Kesi, the current Federation president asked. In her forties, she kept herself well, able to pass for being much younger, with long lustrous hair hanging in sausage curls. She’d gained her position only three months before, after giving a rousing ‘No more retreat’ speech, ousting the old president who’d extolled appeasement strategies.
“That’s correct, President.” The senior councilor continued. “About twenty years past, the Night Shard broke the peace treaty, claiming we’d murdered his spouse, and the fighting between us resumed. Nevermind that the Federation very much regretted the loss of an exemplary Ghost soldier. We even held a grand funeral. Now it appears it was all a pretext! He imprisoned our soldier and went to war with us!”
Aili Kesi’s brows creased as she looked at the image.
Captured by the satellite camera at a distant observatory, the picture showed the Night Shard with one arm around Wu Xingyun’s waist, looking at the soldier sideways. The ruthless, malevolent face was nowhere to be seen. Instead the Night Shard’s gaze was very tender, like someone who’d fixed their eyes on the sweetheart they considered their greatest treasure.
If she didn’t know that the mutant in the image was the Night Shard, Aili Kesi would’ve sworn she was looking at a man in love.
But it was the Night Shard, the Federation’s biggest enemy. Acting in such a way, the demon mutant must have an ulterior motive.
Aili Kesi pondered briefly, then said: “I watched the telecast of the Night Shard’s wedding to this soldier. The soldier was in his early twenties, right? Why does he look like he hasn’t aged a day?”
No one had an answer to that, and a moment later Aili Kesi continued: “When that soldier was with the Federation, he was a sergeant, correct? Who was his commanding officer?”
An aide did a quick search, the appropriate data scrolling across a screen.
“Wen Nuo? Made it all the way to being an Admiral, but he’s been growing yams for the past twenty years? Well, it’s time for him to return.” Aili Kesi stated, her voice steady. “I imagine it’s unlikely Wen Nuo will act as impulsively and foolishly as he did in the past.”
Wen Nuo had not yet received his different orders when a new sandstorm blasted across his base.
Another greenhouse door had jammed, and Wen Nuo braved the elements to get it shut. Just as he was using all his strength to push on it, the base alarm abruptly started blaring.
Surprised, Wen Nuo peered upwards into the storm.
Through the swirling red sands a heavy white fog was slowly descending from the sky. Stars seemed to be falling, dotting the planet with blue bursts of light in every direction.
“Driiin! Driiin!” Now the alarm on Wen Nuo’s wrist was going off. “Unidentified life-form intrusion. Bio-hazard level has been reported.”
Before Wen Nuo could hardly take it in, a small Federation rescue ship rapidly touched down at Wen Nuo’s location.
Ignoring the storm and fog, the hatch of the ship slid open, a soldier bellowing at Wen Nuo from the helm: “Hurry up! We’ve got to get out of here!”
A stuck door no longer a worthy concern, Wen Nuo leapt onto the ship. Buckling himself into a seat, he asked: “What’s happening?”
The soldier didn’t answer until they’d broken the planet’s atmosphere, only then telling Wen Nuo: “All nearby planets have had ‘unidentified life-form intrusion’ alerts simultaneously. I don’t know what’s going on. All I know is I was ordered to come and retrieve the survivors. Personally……I bet it’s the Night Shard.”
Wen Nuo nodded, about to respond, when the communicator on his wrist beeped.
Pressing the call button, Wen Nuo heard a middle-aged woman’s calm voice: “Wen Nuo, the Federation government is appointing you as Deputy Commander of the Federation Army. You are reinstated to your previous rank of Admiral. Please report to the Federation Government Office upon receiving this order.”
The soldier piloting the ship overheard and glanced at Wen Nuo in surprise before loudly exclaiming: “It’s really you! You’re the officer who ambushed and killed the Night Shard! I still remember you, I’ve admired you since I was a kid. Are you finally coming out of retirement? Good, good! Now we can finally crush the Demon Army into pieces!”
Wen Nuo didn’t react to the other soldier’s enthusiasm, content to stare out into the vast cosmos. Against the darkness distant stars shone their soft rays.
Then out of nowhere he said: “Soldier, it seems you’re taking the incorrect route. This isn’t the way to the base.”
“Huh? No?” The younger soldier scratched his head and checked the coordinates. Sure enough, they were headed in the wrong direction. Damn it. The soldier hadn’t yet graduated his training period, but he’d been so happy at successfully rescuing a farmer, let alone one who unexpectedly turned out to be his childhood idol. Only to spoil it by getting their route wrong……
“I apologize, sir. I’ll correct it immediately. Are you going to the nearest military base or Federation headquarters?” The soldier gazed at Wen Nuo with bright shining eyes.
Wen Nuo extended a finger, pointing out a spot on the star chart: “Go there!”
“Umm……here? That’s a new observation point. Why go there?” The soldier asked, tone doubtful. “Aren’t you supposed to be taking your new post? Going there……that’s against orders……”
Smiling, Wen Nuo smoothly reassured: “Obedience sometimes requires flexible execution. All you need worry about right now is carrying out my orders, soldier.”
The small rescue ship came to a halt before circling around and zooming off in the other direction, disappearing into a traceless point of light.
Elsewhere in the Milky Way, Wu Xingyun was happily greeting old friends that he, from his point of view, had barely parted from. Peng Dawei came up, giving Wu Xingyun a punch on the arm: “How could we have ever guessed you were a Federation bad guy?!”
Wu Xingyun just laughed, but Mozun glared, highly unhappy: “Dare to touch a hair on his head and I’ll throw you into the closest star!”
Sticking out his tongue, Peng Dawei answered: “Don’t dare……”
Mutants had gathered in a small town near the border. Some of them Wu Xingyun knew, other he wasn’t familiar with at all. Although, despite the endless passing of time, Wu Xingyun recognized most of those who were the main strength of the Demon Army.
While Liu Meng stood calmly to the side, silently observing Wu Xingyun. Only after the others had left did Wu Xingyun approach him: “Little Meng, are you okay?”
Liu Meng’s eyes were a little red as he raised his head to look up Wu Xingyun: “You……Now you’re exactly the same as I remember. I……I acted that way towards you before……When I think about it now, I regret and I’m very sorry.”
Wu Xingyun smiled gently, reaching out a hand to Liu Meng: “Never mind it……I bullied you when you were a child. Consider us even.”
Those words cheered Liu Meng up. Softly laughing, he only half-joked: “I’m eighteen and I haven’t had a birthday……”
Yet before Liu Meng could finish his sentence, he caught sight of Mozun’s deathly stare.
Wisely changing his tune, Liu Meng continued: “But that doesn’t matter…….Anyways, I’m satisfied. Living over two thousand years to be able to see you come back!”
Only then did Mozun’s hard scowl ease up. After driving Liu Meng away, Mozun saw Wu Xingyun glancing all about and asked: “What are you looking for?”
“Where are some of the others? I don’t see them……” Wu Xingyun’s voice trailed off.
Mozun’s expression had dimmed, and it only took Wu Xingyun a second to discern why.
Except for Liu Meng, the other mutants Wu Xingyun had been close to in the past had long since died in battle.
“It doesn’t matter who it is, I bring their body back. If you want to see them, we can go to the ‘Saint’ tombs together.” Mozun told Wu Xingyun.
“Saint tombs?” Wu Xingyun gave Mozun a blank look, then recalled a minute later that the Federation called the place where mutants were buried the ‘Devil’s Mound.’
In the last days there’d been no such place, so it’d taken Wu Xingyun a moment to connect the dots.
“Good. When do we leave?” Wu Xingyun inquired.
“Let’s go right now,” Mozun replied. “We take a transmission point, we’ll get there in about ten days.” A shady expression stole over his face while his eyes raked Wu Xingyun up and down.
Wu Xingyun, who wasn’t so thick as to not fathom Mozun’s intentions, inwardly moaned.
Mozun gleefully went on: “I suppose you want to see your parents, childhood friends, and review the Federation data we just got. To accomplish all that, it’ll probably be a very long journey……Oh well, there’s many methods to get through boring trips……”
Contemplating what was going to happen to him, Wu Xingyun’s ears starting burning.
An amused Mozun took in Wu Xingyun’s flushed face and chuckled lowly: “I’m your old husband, what are you being bashful about? Besides, I merely suggested we travel. I didn’t say anything else……but apparently you’re thinking indecent thoughts. Or is it that you’re actually hopefully anticipating?”
Wu Xingyun’s heart filled with bitterness. No, he wasn’t hopefully anticipating……Mozun was trying to make everything sound like a honeymoon tour, when in fact it’d practically be nothing but a ‘papapa’ and more ‘papapa’ trip. Who wanted to?!
But then Wu Xingyun had to promptly revise his view—this kind of thing, there was someone who really wanted to. That person being Wu Xingyun’s devilish old husband……
