Yu Han gasped and rushed through the crowd leaving the train. As he pushed people left and right to make way for himself, more and more of Longwei's body became visible. Though in armor, he was full of fresh injuries. He stood there stoic, as if he could care less for the countless injuries on his body.
"Mr. Liu!" Yu Han walked close enough, stopping in awe as he glanced at Longwei's injured body, "W-What happened here…?"
"You are fine," Longwei uttered bluntly, "Let's leave."
"But, you're not fine!" Yu Han complained in disbelief.
"Yes," he replied, "That comes later. Let's go."
Just as Longwei tried to reach for Yu Han's arm to drag him away, Lei Chen stretched his arm across Yu Han. Longwei frowned and glared at Lei Chen.
Lei Chen immediately clasped his hands, "I'm Dr. Lei. I heard about you from Yu Han. Before you proceed, allow me to patch you up."
Sun Kang peeked from behind Yu Han, "I'll stand guard. Nothing will go wrong."
Yu Han nodded abruptly to convince Longwei. It seemed that Longwei already knew Yu Han had travelled with these two gentlemen. He wasn't wary of them at all.
"Step aside," Longwei frowned, "I don't have time to deal with you. If I'm not wrong, you have reports to submit, Dr. Lei."
Yu Han's jaw dropped in surprise. Longwei was too straightforward and reckless for someone who was badly injured.
Lei Chen nervously chuckled, "I'm aware you're on a time limit here. I won't take too long. Look," he turned his head around, "So many people are looking at you out of concern."
"Yu Han," Longwei glanced at him and gestured to him to get going. It seemed he wasn't ready to stop even for a second.
Yu Han hesitated for a moment, glancing at Lei Chen for help. Lei Chen stepped forward immediately.
"In that case, let me go with you," Lei Chen uttered, "As soon as you drop Yu Han to his destination, I will treat your injuries."
Longwei narrowed his eyes, "You want to go to the Imperial Palace?"
Lei Chen's eyes widened, "I-I…" he paused to clear his throat, "If I can, I would."
Longwei's eyes moved to Sun Kang, "Mr. Sun should head back to the military quarters."
Sun Kang immediately nodded before clasping his hands before Lei Chen and Yu Han, "See you later, buddies!"
With that, Sun Kang left and Lei Chen joined Longwei and Yu Han on their way to the Imperial Palace. They all knew Yu Han was influential and it got proven the moment his destination was spoken of.
Although concerned for Longwei, Yu Han had no choice but to quietly follow him alongside Lei Chen. They took a car parked outside the station. It looked quite similar to the one Yu Han was offered as an escort ride.
When Longwei reached for the driver's seat, Lei Chen's doctor instincts kicked in and he offered to drive instead. Although skeptical, Longwei let Lei Chen drive them to their destination. Longwei wasn't guarded against Lei Chen at all. He probably already knew who he was.
Seated in the backseat alone, Yu Han stared out the window. The Capital city was indeed different from the rest of Zaohua. On his way, Yu Han had seen many villages and cities. They were all well-maintained as well, but the level didn't come close to the Zhongping State.
It was a strange city, full of skyscrapers, tall buildings, high roads circling mountains, and extravagance. The road they took for the Imperial Palace was inclined high, indicating the palace was atop the mountain.
Even the Capital wasn't free from the cold grasp of snow. There was endless snow no matter where Yu Han looked. One would think this was a climatic crisis, but people of Zaohua were long used to the cold weather.
On his way, Yu Han was told many details about the Zhongping State by Lei Chen and Sun Kang. The Zhongping State wasn't one city, rather several cities connected through multiple skyscraper levels. It was the heart of the planet, the center of all government dealings, and the city known for its entertainment industry. There was nothing one couldn't find in the Zhongping State. It was like a dreamland for the commoners, and a war ground for politicians.
Yu Han wasn't sure if he was a commoner or a politician. His political knowledge seemed better than his peers. He could even hear political words in his head sometimes. It was so strange he dared not share it with anyone.
As he occupied himself with the landscape of the Capital city, Lei Chen tried to strike a conversation with the stoic Longwei.
"I heard from Yu Han that you encountered the Veiled Lady," Lei Chen uttered, "How did you make it out alive?"
Yu Han turned his head to the front seats. He wanted to know that, too.
Longwei had no change in his expression, "I escaped."
"Escaped how?"
"By running."
"But how?"
"With my legs."
Yu Han burst into laughter. Longwei was so unserious even when faced with questions of events that threatened his life.
"I'm serious," Lei Chen uttered, "I heard no one can survive an encounter with the Veiled Lady."
"Since when did the traveling brother of the Ministry of Health concern himself with the Other Side?" Longwei asked with seriousness, making his tone stop Yu Han from laughing in the backseat. He seemed guarded now that questioned about the Veiled Lady.
"I'm just…" Lei Chen gulped unknowingly, "Curious."
"In that case, you've heard correctly. Escaping from the Veiled Lady isn't an easy task. I might even say she went easy on me," Longwei dropped his guard down as soon as it arrived.
"Strange…"
Yu Han carefully listened to their conversation. He had seen the Veiled Lady. She was the most terrifying woman he had ever seen. To be able to wipe an entire escort group within seconds was beyond terrifying. Yu Han was grateful Longwei was back safe and sound, though full of injuries.
Now that Yu Han thought about it, all the injuries looked like claw scratches. Longwei's armor was torn and bent at places, his clothes torn from multiple areas. The Veiled Lady seemed to have only used her nail guards against Longwei and his sword. It somehow made her more terrifying.
"So, where will Yu Han go from the Palace?" Lei Chen asked, "I take him as a bosom friend and would like to stay in touch."
Longwei paused for a moment before shaking his head, "You can ask His Majesty directly. I'm not aware of the details."
"Oh," Lei Chen was disappointed, "Then, how about you ask for me? I can't see His Majesty with my status now, can I?"
"I think His Majesty will summon you," Longwei made a guess, "Once involved, you can't expect to back away."
"Involved with what?" Lei Chen asked cautiously.
Longwei quietly gestured to the backseat. Yu Han's eyes widened in surprise, but he kept quiet. The Emperor probably wouldn't do anything to Lei Chen, right?