Su Mu Chen did not delay and planned to return to Guichen Studio first to prepare the supplies.
He hurried through the alley behind the administrative office that led toward the Door. Suddenly, he stopped and looked around.
Although he did not see anything, he knew that person must be there.
Thus, he directly addressed the empty alley:
“Mo Fei, come out for a moment.”
The moment his voice fell, a pitch-black afterimage silently landed in front of him like a night bird.
Mo Fei stood there with his sword in his arms as usual, expressionless, like a shadow without a physical form, quietly waiting for his instructions.
“Let me ask you something,” Su Mu Chen looked at him. “Every day, what do you report to… His Highness?”
Mo Fei did not hesitate in the slightest and answered honestly, “Doctor Su has returned.”
“…”
The corner of Su Mu Chen’s mouth twitched slightly.
Mo Fei truly lived up to being Xiao Yuan’s man. Even his reports were so concise.
“Just that one sentence?” Su Mu Chen asked again uneasily.
“Yes.”
“Every day?”
“Yes.”
“…He doesn’t ask about anything else?”
“No.”
“…”
Su Mu Chen helplessly nodded. “Mm, very good. Keep it up.”
“…”
A trace of confusion flashed through Mo Fei’s eyes, but his professionalism as a hidden guard made him choose to remain silent.
Afterward, Su Mu Chen returned to Guichen Studio.
After gradually becoming accustomed to the cold and murderous atmosphere of the Northern Frontier, every time he returned to Guichen Studio and saw the familiar warm old wood filling the room and the dim, warm lamplight, Su Mu Chen would experience an illusion of having passed through another lifetime.
The faint scent of agarwood entered his nose, unconsciously relaxing his tense nerves.
He could not help thinking that when Xiao Yuan had previously stepped into this place from the Northern Frontier, which was like a mound of corpses, perhaps he had felt the same way.
He came to the front hall and saw that Su Qianqian happened to be on duty today, so he walked directly to the counter.
“Perfect. There are some things I’ll have to trouble you to urgently prepare for me.”
Su Mu Chen casually took a sheet of paper, wrote out a long list in flowing strokes, and handed it over.
Su Qianqian took it and glanced over it. Her brows slightly furrowed, and suspicion showed in her voice.
“You’re buying all this… What do you want to do?”
Su Mu Chen coughed lightly and said seriously, “The Northern Frontier is about to enter a period of war. There are some ‘special supplies’ I need to prepare in advance, just in case.”
Su Qianqian stared at him with an scrutinizing gaze. She saw the trace of guilty concealment in his eyes, but ultimately did not expose him. She merely sighed.
“The custom-made items on the list will take at least a week to arrive. I’ll do my best to gather and have everything else delivered by tomorrow.”
“Thanks.”
Su Mu Chen breathed a sigh of relief, then took the matte-black stab-resistant tactical vest from his bag and asked, “Also, can you get a few more of these?”
Su Qianqian only glanced at it before recognizing it as Xiao’s equipment.
Her gaze lifted slightly. “Who do you want to give it to?”
Su Mu Chen calculated for a moment.
“If possible, I’d like four or five. One each for Xiao Yuan, Xia Lan Shi, and the others.” He rubbed the vest in his hand. “As for this one, I have to return it to Xiao.”
Su Qianqian pondered briefly, her fingers lightly tapping on the counter.
“Four, including the one in your hand. This thing was originally only issued to Gatekeepers, so it isn’t easy to get. I’ll do my best to procure them for you, but they must be returned when not in use.”
“Okay, thank you. There’s one more thing.”
Su Mu Chen pointed at the antique, heavy laptop on the table. “Can that pass through the ‘Door’? I guarantee that only I will use it.”
Su Qianqian seriously thought about it for a moment, then nodded. “It can. Once you get to Great Sheng, that computer has no network function, and it only contains some old records from Guichen Studio and your personal information. I’ve checked it. There won’t be a problem bringing it over.”
But then her gaze sharpened, and she solemnly reminded him, “But remember this. In the end, you must bring it back exactly as it is. You cannot lose it, and even more importantly, you cannot let someone steal it. If you encounter a situation where you cannot bring it back, you must personally destroy it completely. Not even a fragment of the hard drive can remain.”
“I know what’s important.”
Su Mu Chen solemnly nodded. “The Northern Frontier’s logistical supplies and casualty data are going to be too complicated from now on. There’s no way I can remember everything in my head. I need to bring it over to calculate and coordinate everything. Since I can bring it, then I’ll have to trouble you to prepare a lightweight printer for me, along with several high-capacity power banks.”
Su Qianqian neatly added a few more items to the list.
“I’ll directly get you two sets of military-grade portable solar charging systems and energy-storage power supplies. It’ll be more convenient in a place like that. You can keep one for charging the laptop and phone, and give the other to Xiao. His equipment will need it too. You can get them tomorrow.”
Based on her many years of experience following Xiao, she judged that now that they were about to enter a period of war, perhaps “that thing” would also come in handy.
“Okay.”
After explaining the most important matters, Su Mu Chen reminded her again, “For the next three months, I’ll be staying in Great Sheng most of the time. I’ll only come back when I need to move supplies. There may even be ten days or half a month when I don’t show up. Don’t worry too much about me. During this period, I’ll leave Guichen Studio entirely in your hands.”
Su Qianqian put away the list and looked deeply at him. The usual shrewdness in her eyes rarely faded, replaced by a trace of concern.
“Then you and Xiao, be careful over there no matter what.”
“We will.”
After saying that, Su Mu Chen gave her a reassuring smile. He turned around, pushed open that Door again, and once more stepped into the Great Sheng Northern Frontier, which was on the eve of a storm, carrying the supplies and confidence of the modern world with him.
◆◇◆◇◆
Late at night, inside the main residence’s study, Xiao Yuan and Xia Lan Shi were studying the situation before the incomplete map.
At that moment, the door was gently pushed open, and Su Mu Chen walked in wrapped in the chill of the night.
Seeing that he had not returned to Guichen Studio, Xiao Yuan raised his eyes from the map, his brows slightly furrowing.
“Why didn’t you go back?”
“For these three months, I’ll be staying in Great Sheng. I’ll only go back when I need to get supplies.”
Su Mu Chen walked to the long table and placed the heavy laptop in the empty space.
He looked directly at Xiao Yuan, his tone calm yet exceptionally firm.
“This contains all the information and data about the Northern Frontier that you previously gave me. Before the troops move, the provisions must move first. Leave the medical care and material supplies in the rear to me. From dividing the military physicians into groups and transporting the wounded, to medicine, bandages, water purifiers, and food consumption, I’ll recalculate everything. You only need to focus on how to fight at the front. I’ll hold the rear for you.”
In the past, Su Mu Chen had never truly interfered in Great Sheng’s military and political affairs. At most, he had offered opinions as an adviser, sent some supplies, or treated a few people as a doctor.
But this time, he intended to step into this dead end without holding anything back.
“I’ll make sure that as long as the soldiers under your command still have a breath left in them, they can receive the best treatment.” Su Mu Chen spoke firmly. “I’ll help you raise them into the toughest—and best—soldiers in all of Great Sheng.”
After hearing this, Xiao Yuan’s deep eyes suddenly trembled, and he immediately fell into a long silence.
He had never intended to involve Su Mu Chen too deeply.
The Northern Frontier was a swamp that devoured people. The deeper Su Mu Chen sank into it, the more uncontrollable the risks and consequences he would face.
But when he heard Su Mu Chen voluntarily take this burden upon himself, the tightly stretched string in his heart was ultimately plucked hard.
“Jingyuan, now is not the time to worry about too many things.” Su Mu Chen saw through his hesitation and said solemnly, “First, think of a way to survive. We’ll think about the rest after we survive.”
Xia Lan Shi watched this scene from the side and raised a hand in a salute, his brows relaxing somewhat.
“Thank you, Doctor Su. Right now, we truly are in great need of someone who can coordinate the entire logistics system.”
After a moment, Xiao Yuan’s tightly clenched fist slowly loosened.
He looked deeply at Su Mu Chen, his tone solemn.
“With Doctor Su overseeing the rear, the Northern Frontier Army will certainly be the best army in Great Sheng.”
“However, don’t forget our agreement.”
Then Xiao Yuan changed the direction of the conversation, his gaze becoming extremely stern.
“Also, since you intend to enter the game, I have conditions.”
Su Mu Chen was slightly startled. “What conditions?”
“First, until the vanguard army withdraws, you absolutely may not cross the second military command line. Wherever the battle line advances, you may only stop there. You are not permitted to cross the safety line without authorization.” Xiao Yuan’s tone allowed no argument.
“Inside Linbei City and the military camps, you must be accompanied by personal guards. Going within ten li of the rear of the front line requires my personal approval. The Western Camp, the area where the enemy and our forces are engaged, and enemy territory are absolutely forbidden.”
Xiao Yuan did not give an inch.
“If you want to go to another camp, have your personal guards notify me first.”
“What if you aren’t there?”
“Find Huaiyu.”
“What if Xia Lan Shi isn’t there either?”
“Find Pei Yi.”
“What if General Pei isn’t there either?”
“Then you’re not allowed to go.”
“…”
Su Mu Chen suddenly felt that he had not come here to handle logistics, but to be a prisoner.
This condition meant that every day, he could only redraw his range of movement according to the battle situation.
But he understood that this was Xiao Yuan’s way of protecting him, so he could only nod.
“Second, you may not act alone or leave the camp without authorization.” Xiao Yuan immediately threw out the second shackle. “I’ll assign four personal guards to stay close to you. Mo Fei and the other hidden guards will continue protecting you from the shadows.”
Su Mu Chen secretly clicked his tongue.
It turned out that the hidden guards who had been protecting him from the shadows all this time were not just Mo Fei.
Now there were another four personal guards. This was pushing him farther and farther away from the “plan” he had been secretly plotting.
“Your troops are already stretched thin. You don’t need to assign personal guards. Having the hidden guards follow me is enough.”
“No.” Xiao Yuan stared fixedly at him. “Your life is important.”
“I’m just going to get medicine.”
“Someone will accompany you to get medicine.”
“What if I go to the latrine?”
“Someone will accompany you there too.”
“…Jingyuan.” Su Mu Chen was speechless.
Xia Lan Shi gently advised from the side, “Doctor Su, don’t feel inconvenienced. Think about it. If something happens to you, the impact on His Highness, and even on the entire Northern Frontier, would be enormous.”
Hearing this, Su Mu Chen helplessly sighed and could only nod.
However, his mind had already begun rapidly calculating a backup plan for how to find loopholes.
Xiao Yuan naturally did not miss that restless look in his eyes and calmly pressed down the third major condition.
“Third, you may not appear in public under your true identity as ‘Doctor Su.’”
Su Mu Chen thought for a moment and said, “But by now, many people in the army already know that the person wearing the white gauze veil is Doctor Su.”
“That is simple.” Xia Lan Shi immediately spoke up, a sharp glint flashing through his eyes. “Find someone whose build resembles Doctor Su’s and who possesses medical knowledge. Have him wear the veil and pretend to be ‘Doctor Su.’ The real Doctor Su can then change his name and identity and stay beside the fake Doctor Su.”
Su Mu Chen’s eyes lit up. “That’s actually a good method. This way, even if I have a group of personal guards following me, outsiders will only think they are protecting the fake Doctor Su, not me.”
“Impossible.”
Xiao Yuan’s gaze darkened as he coldly swept it over Xia Lan Shi.
The capital troops stationed in the Western Camp had spies planted by the Emperor, the Crown Prince, and Sheng Yuanli. With the situation tense, they were very likely to take advantage of the chaos to assassinate the famous “Doctor Su.”
Once the substitute was assassinated, the other side would know that there was someone worth protecting beside “Doctor Su.”
“Your Highness,”
Xia Lan Shi’s voice was cold and firm. “Since Doctor Su has personally entered the battlefield, we must adjust our strategy. Since those people already believe that the person wearing the veil is Doctor Su, we can instead use this to our advantage. It will make the real Doctor Su’s movements more concealed and safer.”
Xiao Yuan fell silent.
He naturally knew that Xia Lan Shi had a point.
In fact, if he had a choice, he did not want Su Mu Chen to join this battle at all. He almost wished he could stuff him back into the modern world right now.
What he had always been worried about was not whether Su Mu Chen would be recognized, but that any exposure of his identity on the battlefield could cost Su Mu Chen his life.
“Changing his name will make him safe?”
Facing Xiao Yuan’s question, Xia Lan Shi calmly replied:
“No. I am not planning to use Doctor Su as bait. Quite the opposite, I intend to make the real Doctor Su disappear from this bait.”
“We must make everyone believe that the person beneath the white gauze veil is Doctor Su. With a great battle imminent, if ‘Doctor Su’ suddenly disappears into thin air, that would arouse suspicion.”
He paused, his eyes deep.
“The best disguise has never been making everyone unable to see you. It is making everyone see a ‘truth’ that they believe to be true. And besides…” A smile touched the corner of his lips. “Corrupt things are better removed as soon as possible.”
Sensing that the atmosphere between the two was becoming somewhat tense, Su Mu Chen hurriedly tried to smooth things over.
“I think Chief Secretary Xia’s proposal works.”
The moment he finished speaking, he immediately received Xiao Yuan’s heated and warning gaze, and promptly fell silent again.
Xia Lan Shi instead smiled and turned to ask, “Doctor Su, aren’t you afraid that I’ll use you as bait and sell you off?”
Unexpectedly, Su Mu Chen replied with complete certainty:
“No. Because you’re the kind of person who, even if you really intended to sell me, would make sure I was completely safe first.”
Xia Lan Shi was slightly stunned, then chuckled.
“With Doctor Su trusting me so much, it instead makes me feel somewhat ashamed.”
Xiao Yuan rubbed his brow and sighed. “Mu’an…”
“We’re settling it like this!” Su Mu Chen immediately interrupted him and made the final decision. “From today onward, my name will be… Shen An. Doctor Su’s little assistant.”
Xiao Yuan: “…”
Xia Lan Shi nodded in satisfaction.
“I’ll go register ‘Shen An’s’ military records afterward. Native place: Lizhou, not originally from the Northern Frontier. Entered the region with refugees several months ago. Because his father was once a physician, he was entered into the local medical soldier apprentice registry, and was later transferred to Linbei City because of a vacancy. He is not good with words, quiet and reserved, but proficient in wound treatment and pharmacology. Position: clerk in the Military Medical Office.”
In just a few sentences, he had filled out Shen An’s background so flawlessly that there was not a single opening.
Su Mu Chen silently memorized this persona in his heart.
“It is best to begin this matter as soon as possible.”
Xia Lan Shi continued arranging the plan. “Have the fake Doctor Su frequently wear the veil while inspecting the wounded camp and appearing in the military medical office, and personally treat several wounded soldiers. Besides the veil, he must carry the medical kit Doctor Su usually uses, imitate his habits and accent, and cut his hair to the same length. Tomorrow, I’ll arrange for that person to follow you and learn.”
As he said this, he glanced at Su Mu Chen’s still-short hair.
“But Doctor Su’s hair… will need to be dealt with.”
The moment Su Mu Chen heard this, he immediately replied, “Don’t worry. I’ve already asked Qianqian to order a period-style wig for me.”
The moment the words left his mouth, he realized that he had let the cat out of the bag.
He guiltily raised his eyes, and sure enough, he met the meaningful gazes of Xiao Yuan and Xia Lan Shi.
Xiao Yuan narrowed his eyes, his tone carrying a trace of danger.
“You even ordered a wig in advance?”
The corner of Xia Lan Shi’s lips curved upward.
“Doctor Su certainly thought things through very thoroughly.”
Su Mu Chen gave two dry laughs. “I-I was just thinking that I might need it later, so I… ordered it along the way…”
Xiao Yuan silently sighed in his heart.
Su Mu Chen was truly terrible at lying. His little desire to secretly run outside was written all over his face.
“At the very least, have Chi Banyue change your face.”
“No need.” Xia Lan Shi rejected it again.
Xiao Yuan frowned. “Why?”
“Because the enemy has never seen Doctor Su’s true appearance. They do not even know Doctor Su’s real name or his actual age. Deliberately disguising his face would instead be overdoing it.”
Xia Lan Shi analyzed calmly. “Those skilled at hiding conceal a tree within a forest. What truly needs to be changed is not his face, but his ‘existence’ in everyone’s eyes. As long as we completely blend him into the masses and make him the most inconspicuous member among them, no one will recognize him.”
Xiao Yuan stared at them for a long time, and ultimately chose to compromise.
“Fine. We’ll follow your arrangement. But the personal guards must be increased from four to six. Two stay with him, two remain on the perimeter, and two rotate shifts. No matter where you go, at least two people must be able to see you. Besides knowing medicine, the substitute must also be skilled in combat.”
His cold gaze locked onto Su Mu Chen, his tone carrying an incomparably cruel reality.
“You must understand that the enemy may very well attempt to kill the substitute. But in the most urgent circumstances, my death order is for them to protect you first.”
Su Mu Chen’s heart shook.
He understood what Xiao Yuan meant—if something truly went wrong and there was only a choice to save one person, the person serving as his substitute would be abandoned without hesitation.
This was not a threat, but a cruel reality that could happen at any time on a battlefield.
And precisely because of this, he had to be even more careful. He could not allow an innocent person to lose their life because of his negligence.
Xiao Yuan deliberately ignored his slightly pale complexion and continued.
“Fourth, you may not privately come into contact with prisoners, enemy objects, or suspicious individuals. Report any abnormalities first.”
“All enemy prisoners must have their injuries examined by the military physicians. You absolutely may not come into direct contact with them. If you discover anything abnormal, you must notify me immediately. You may not handle it on your own. No matter how minor you think the matter is, you must let me know first.”
“What if they are dying and need my medical skills?” Su Mu Chen countered.
Xiao Yuan raised his brows, his tone completely emotionless.
“Then have the military physician bring back a report on their injuries. If they cannot treat them, let them die.”
Su Mu Chen swallowed. “…All right.”
“Fifth, you may not enter the wounded area at the very front line where fighting is underway without authorization. You may not cross the safety line to save someone.”
Hearing this, Su Mu Chen finally could not help arguing.
“I’m a doctor. If I don’t go save people on the battlefield, what did I come here for?”
Xiao Yuan slowly said, “You can go to the wounded camp. You can go to the military medical camp. You can go to the rear medical camp.”
“But you are not allowed to go to temporary treatment points at the front line. Especially in places where the battle line has not yet stabilized, you are not allowed to take even one step inside.”
“What if there are large numbers of seriously wounded people at the front line?” Su Mu Chen countered.
“The military physicians will handle it.”
“What if they can’t?”
“Report the injuries back.”
“…”
“This is already the greatest concession I am willing to make.”
“Your responsibility is to maintain the entire Northern Frontier Army’s ‘medical system,’ not to personally rescue every single wounded soldier at the micro level.” Xiao Yuan’s tone was stern as he tried to remind him. “Those are the duties of the military physicians and medical soldiers. Moreover, the enemy may very well use severely wounded soldiers as bait, setting a trap to lure you in.”
Su Mu Chen opened his mouth, but had no way to argue. In the end, he could only sullenly agree.
“Sixth, if you are injured or suspected of being poisoned, immediately withdraw. You are not allowed to conceal it.”
Xiao Yuan’s voice was hard.
“Especially the final point. If you are injured, you are not allowed to hide it. Even if it is only a scrape, you must have a military physician examine you. If you develop a fever, dizziness, vomiting, chest tightness, or blurred vision, withdraw immediately. You are not allowed to decide for yourself that you’re fine. And you absolutely may not use yourself as a wounded soldier for an experiment.”
The room fell into a brief silence.
Su Mu Chen silently reflected in his heart: In the eyes of Great Sheng’s God of War, was he really this unreliable? Did he really need to have so many rules and restrictions made specifically for him?
But after honestly thinking about the “wig” he had ordered, he decided it was better to obediently keep his mouth shut.
Besides, he could vaguely sense the suppressed anger in Xiao Yuan gradually rising.
At this moment, provoking him recklessly would only be asking for trouble.
He began to wonder whether Xiao Yuan had already seen through his “plan” long ago.