The Wandering Samurai and his Beloved General (BL)

Haruki proclaimed those words with great confidence, but he couldn't stop himself from wavering when morning came, and soldiers with solemn faces stormed into Verdan's tent, ordering Haruki to come with them.

"What's going on? Where are you taking him?!" Verdan demanded, barely holding back from throwing hands with his fellow soldiers upon seeing his friend being roughly dragged outside.

"We're just following orders. Don't make this difficult for us," one of them replied coldly.

"Whose orders?" Verdan asked.

Haruki, ever obedient, suddenly paused, and the soldiers tugging at him found themselves met with resistance.

"Kang Xi only said to bring you alive, so don't give us any ideas, Haruki," one soldier answered.

But Haruki persisted, his resistance growing. "My friends, you seem to have forgotten that I am still considered a civilian. You are being unreasonable."

His argument caused the other soldier to glance at the other in hesitation.

"You're the one being unreasonable here," the soldier snapped, his voice rising. "Which encampment are you in? Whose encampment does it belong to? Since you're living here, you're naturally under its rules!"

"Well said!" Haruki nodded in approval, stunning the soldier and causing his oppressive atmosphere to falter. "Then, tell me. Am I about to meet the general?"

"Y-Yes, that's right," the soldier stammered.

"Oh! Why didn't you say so?" Haruki grinned. "I'll come willingly. Do I have time to get ready? My chest is kinda bare." Playfully, he covered himself, as though he had something to hide.

"He's not being treated as a criminal, right?" Verdan quickly interjected. "Then he has every right to look proper." A smug look appeared on his face, easily provoking the soldier.

"Fine! Be quick, or I'll drag you out naked!" the soldier grumbled, defeated, and stomped out of the tent, his comrade following behind.

Verdan and his roommates immediately huddled around Haruki the moment they were alone, speaking in hushed voices. "Alright, you've bought yourself a moment of respite. What's the plan?"

"Huh? I need to get dressed," Haruki tilted his head, confused.

"What?! Weren't you trying to buy time to escape?!" Verdan almost screamed, but he still managed to whisper his frustrations.

Haruki laughed and shook his head. "If the general is going to be there, then I have nothing to fear." He casually found his clothes and put them on leisurely, showing just how little he cared about the situation.

Verdan rubbed his temples. "Have you forgotten how you had a falling out with the general yesterday? Are you planning to apologize? Was it some lovers' quarrel, so it's that easy for you two to make up??"

"Lovers' quar—?! Calm down! I'm telling you, I'll be fine! If you really can't trust me, then get dressed and come with me!" Flustered, Haruki tossed some of Verdan's clothes toward his face and handed clothes to the other roommates as well, as if it were just another normal thing.

When they all came outside, there was already a commotion. Though the soldier who had yelled earlier was irritated by the sudden bustle of activity, he didn't stop them. Are you kidding? He wasn't paid enough to babysit them!

The destination was none other than the training grounds. There, Haruki found Xuzhan and Baili standing across from the general and Kang Xi. The sidelines were already crowded, with four other important-looking officers standing tall behind Lanling.

Haruki recognized them as his advisors.

The soldier who had escorted Haruki gestured for him to stand next to Baili before disappearing into the sea of spectators. Xuzhan stood on the other side, his expression grim.

Haruki, in stark contrast, beamed brightly like the sun. He waved in Lanling's direction, no longer planning to act 'poisoned.' "Good morning, Lanling!"

His cheerful greeting abruptly silenced the entire training ground. But the most startling thing of all was the general's response.

Lanling nodded calmly, a slight curve to his lips barely concealed. "Mn, morning."

In Haruki's vision, Kang Xi seemed to trip over nothing before quickly regaining his balance. It was so swift that Haruki barely even noticed it.

Kang Xi then stepped forward with an air of superiority before turning to face the general, standing directly between their line of sight.

Quietly, Haruki shifted his feet to get a better view of Lanling. He swore he saw the general's eyes laughing, but the situation didn't give him a chance to confirm.

"General, I have brought these people before you because I am concerned for your friend," Kang Xi's voice was laced with false remorse, as if the friend he spoke of was someone he deeply cherished. "It is my understanding that Haruki has been bewitched by Baili!"

Like ripples turning into waves, whispers spread through the crowd, spectators murmuring in hushed debates about how the situation had devolved into accusations of bewitchment. Nobody seemed to question whether Kang Xi was telling the truth.

One reason for this was that Baili was of demon kin, and it also, unfortunately, coincided with Haruki's recent behavior, which clearly suggested he was possessed!

In the background, even Verdan was shaking his fist in anger at Xuzhan and Baili.

"Yesterday," Kang Xi continued, "Xuzhan gave this potion to Haruki. Apparently, it was supposed to be a mind-clearing potion, but after inspecting it, our mages noticed that it had been tampered with."

From his sleeve, Kang Xi produced the same clear potion Xuzhan had given to Haruki.

Xuzhan's eyes nearly popped out of his head, while Haruki frantically searched his pockets. To his dismay, the potion was gone. He couldn't fathom how it had ended up in Kang Xi's hands. He vividly remembered making sure it was still there before going to sleep.

As he retraced his memories, his eyes drifted toward Verdan's roommates, and his heart skipped a beat in fear. He had no evidence, but his gut told him something wasn't right between those two. Suddenly, he understood how Baili and Xuzhan must have felt.

They knew the culprit, but without proof, they could only remain silent.

"General, it is highly likely that Baili used the Entropy Mirage to bewitch Haruki."

The air in the training ground grew cold the moment those two words were spoken. The soldiers' hostility was palpable, as if they wished such a potion had never been invented.

Their eyes turned instantly hostile.