When Li Yan heard Captain Liu offering to gift him a weapon, his heart skipped a beat—but he quickly dismissed the idea. Returning the sword in his hand to its scabbard on the weapon rack, he smiled and said, "Captain Liu, you're too kind. I haven't yet mastered any martial technique—I'm solely devoted to refining my inner energy. So at the moment, there's no need for a weapon. But if someday I learn a fighting art and you happen to have a weapon that suits me, I'll be sure to come asking for it."
Liu Chengyong laughed heartily and nodded in agreement. Yet privately, he mused that Li Yan simply wasn't interested in his weapon. After all, who among martial artists cultivates only inner energy without training in any combat techniques? One would think that a master as extraordinary as the Master Strategist wouldn't be without a legendary weapon.
After sharing that laugh, Liu Chengyong glanced out the door before saying, "Brother Li, after our recent military meeting, the Commander mentioned that when you have some free time you should come see him. It seems that when you enlisted your registration details weren't fully recorded. Since he is the military chief, he must have all your information properly documented for the court. So you really must pay him a visit."
Li Yan was momentarily taken aback. He had been mulling over how to subtly slip some crucial information to Liu Chengyong—information that might eventually reach Marshal Hong. But before he had the chance to speak his carefully prepared words, Liu Chengyong provided him exactly what he needed. Was this, as the saying goes, "when you're about to doze off, someone hands you a pillow"?
Li Yan fully understood that this was Marshal Hong's signal to get things moving. With the military's efficiency, even if he at enlistment had filled in only his name and hometown, they could trace his entire lineage in no time. And if the records were indeed incomplete, would his household allowances and monthly pay be casually disbursed from Marshal Hong's own pocket, off the books? In any case, Li Yan was relieved—there was no need for further worry. He decided to simply ride the current.
Feigning surprise, he looked at Liu Chengyong and, after a brief moment of thought, said, "Oh? That does seem about right. Ever since I was accepted as a disciple on the training field, I never followed up on the other procedures. I suppose that must be it."