The Wandering Samurai and his Beloved General (BL)

Haruki spent the entire night proving his innocence and succeeded.

Yet, he couldn't stop himself from waking up repeatedly, staring at Lanling's sleeping face, and then drifting back to sleep with a foolish smile on his face.

When morning came, disbelief washed over him. Had he really spent the night on his general's bed?

That question spiraled endlessly in his mind, so much so that he failed to notice the second and third glances Lanling's servants cast his way.

They, too, were stunned.

They had witnessed him rise from the general's very own bed and naturally take a seat where breakfast had been prepared—but they still couldn't believe their eyes.

"Have someone bring Baili here," Lanling said calmly, holding his chopsticks and ready to start breakfast as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

"Yes, General."

The three servants hesitated, passing the order between themselves with quiet reluctance. None of them wanted to miss the interactions unfolding inside the tent. After some deliberation, the shortest among them finally relented and hurried off to carry out the command.

A few minutes later, Baili announced his arrival and stepped inside the tent after receiving Lanling's permission. Xuzhan followed closely behind.

"Have a seat. What's this troubling news you reported yesterday?"

Baili took a moment to compose himself, fighting the urge to derail the conversation entirely.

Haruki sat there, clearly not dressed, his shoulder-length hair an unkempt mess. Only someone as oblivious as Xuzhan could fail to piece things together.

"The general may not know, but I have imps under my command," Baili began, settling into the seat across from Lanling.

Xuzhan obediently took the spot next to Baili, his confused gaze fixed on Haruki, who was casually eating as if nothing was unusual. Xuzhan actually sensed that something was amiss but he couldn't quite grasp what it was.

Lanling nodded. "I have read your files."

"Then perhaps the general also knows that Kang Xi instructed me to monitor the Black Python's movements?"

"He did no such thing." Lanling set his chopsticks down, his focus sharpening on Baili's next words.

Baili frowned but pressed on. "Either way, I've received a message from one of my imps. They claimed that the Black Pythons have stumbled upon our encampment. It's estimated that they'll arrive in three days."

"'Stumbled upon'?" Lanling's calm tone belied the sudden tension in the tent. Picking up his chopsticks again, he continued, "I don't believe in coincidences during war. How many are coming?"

Baili's wry smile betrayed his unease. "I heard it's the full force."

"So, four times our current numbers," Lanling affirmed with a chuckle, speaking more to himself than anyone else.

"Bring me a map."

The situation had grown dire, and breakfast was now a luxury they couldn't afford. Lanling rose from his seat and moved to an empty table, gesturing for Baili and Xuzhan to follow.

He paused briefly to tell Haruki, "Keep eating."

Haruki obeyed, though his ears twitched as he listened intently to the conversation.

"The area around the encampment is excellent for concealment," Baili began as he unfurled a map brought in by a servant. "But if we were to fight here, we'd be vulnerable to archers and mages."

On the table lay a detailed depiction of the surrounding geography—forests, mountains, and local settlements—meticulously drawn for strategic purposes.

"Mn. The giant sequoias served us well for cover, but now we're sitting targets," Lanling murmured, his fingers tracing the spot where their encampment was marked.

They had been fortunate to find this clearing in the heart of the dense sequoia forest, but what had once been an advantage was quickly becoming a liability.

There were an estimated three days before the confrontation. Retreat was an option, but it would mean marching blindly back home—an open invitation to ambushes. If not from enemy nations, then from mindless monster packs.

And worse, there was always the chance of accidentally encountering a dragon if they failed to scout ahead.

Lanling's fingers tapped rhythmically on the map as he contemplated the situation. The longer he remained silent, the more nervous the people around him grew. Their unease deepened when they realized the general had no intention of retreating.

Haruki, having finished his breakfast, wandered over and glanced over Lanling's shoulder. Unlike the others, he wasn't fazed by the overwhelming numbers stacked against them. When he looked at Lanling, his expression was one of quiet confidence—unshaken trust that the general would find a way to win.

Breaking the silence, Haruki pointed to a massive swamp marked on the map to the west, about a three-hour march from their current location. "It's risky, but wouldn't this be a perfect place to relocate?"

Baili's head snapped up, his expression incredulous. "That's a crocodile-infested swamp!"

Haruki nodded with a sly grin. "Exactly. Last time we went there, they stopped attacking after we'd taken out nearly a hundred of them."

"Are you stupid?" Xuzhan snapped, rolling his eyes. "With an army, the risk is even greater! How can you gamble the lives of thousands of people on a swamp full of crocodiles?"

Lanling chuckled softly. "We can."

Every head in the room turned sharply toward him, baffled by his words.

Haruki's confidence wavered.

Scratching his cheek in embarrassment, he stammered, "I-I was just suggesting in jest. You know, throwing out ideas as a third party…" He trailed off, feeling a mix of delight and dread. While it thrilled him that Lanling would side with him, he certainly didn't want to be the cause of hundreds—if not thousands—of deaths!

Lanling's gaze sparkled with amusement. "And you did give me an idea." His voice was calm but firm.

Haruki froze as Lanling leaned over the map, his eyes curving into a faint smile. "We won't be killing the crocodiles. We're going to be living with them."

"Ah?!"

A synchronized yelp echoed throughout the tent. Some of the servants had gone pale, their faces frozen in expressions of fright.

"Call Mainu for me," Lanling said, completely unfazed by their reactions. He began issuing commands with calm authority, his tone leaving no room for debate.

"Baili, you'll be my temporary right-hand man. Have your imps continue monitoring the Black Pythons."

"Y-Yes, General!" Baili stammered, snapping to attention reflexively.

"Xuzhan," Lanling continued, "you have a loud voice. Help Mainu organize the army. We're leaving as soon as everything is packed—the sooner, the better."

"Wai—?! Uh, okay!" Xuzhan sputtered, recovering quickly and giving a hasty salute.

Finally, Lanling turned to Haruki, his gaze steady. "Stay close to me. When we reach the swamp, I'll need you to assist the mages."

Haruki blinked, momentarily caught off guard. He had no idea what his general was planning, but his lips curved into an involuntary smile. "Alrighty~"