After a while, the young general lifted his head to look at Yang Yun. The corner of his lips turned up as he spoke. "Are you seeking death?"

Yang Yun eyes widened as he sensed Jiang Xiao Xian's disappointment. He opened his mouth to answer but was stopped by Jiang Xiao Xian before he could say anything.

"You keep saying that you believe Mingyue will return to us, but what you did back in the mountain did not show your confidence," Jiang Xiao Xian accused.

"Mingyue will return," Yang Yun argued. He subconsciously tightened his hands into fists.

"I have known you for years. You were a.s.signed to my camp from the very first time you entered the army. You don't think I know what you were thinking?" Jiang Xiao Xian's spoke calmly, but every sentence he spoke was harsh. "Endangering your self, putting your life in line. If Mingyue returned and found that you were no longer around, how would she feel?"

"I couldn't let the chance to catch the two slip through my fingers," Yang Yun tried to defend his decision.

"You should have followed the protocols. When you saw the enemy, you should warn your team. You wait for them," the young general reminded him. "This Elite Team was established for the members to act as a team. You work together. None of you work alone. Have you forgotten all that?"

"No, General!"

Jiang Xiao Xian narrowed his eyes towards his subordinates. "If Yan Qing did not notice your absence, and went to look for you, you would be dead by now. You could have ruined the operation. Instead of coming home with the result, the Elite Team might come back with your corpse and missed out all leads to catch the criminals. Then, what will happen to your mother and little sister? Have you thought about them?"

"I was wrong. I made the wrong decision," Yang Yun said. He swallowed. He could feel his face red with embarra.s.sment. Yang Yun knows that the General was disappointed in him.

"I choose you as the captain of this Elite team because you are clear-headed among the others," Jiang Xiao Xian said. "Your action and decision made me think that maybe you were not ready for this."

There was nothing else Yang Yun wanted to do but to avoid the General's penetrating gaze and bury himself in the ground. However, Yang Yun kept his posture straight. His gaze never looked away from Jiang Xiao Xian.

Jiang Xiao Xian took a deep breath and stood up. "Yang Yun, you are relieved of all duties until further notice."

"General Jiang!"

"You should stay home and reflect on yourself," Jiang Xiao Xian said before he turned around to leave.

Yang Yun tried to stand up and chase after Jiang Xiao Xian. But the pain around his waist and legs started to hurt again. He could not stand up. In the end, Yang Yun could only lay back on his bed. He stared at the ceiling and thought about his conversation with the General just now.

General Jiang was right.

He kept telling everyone around him that he believed Mingyue would return to their side one day. However, he did not have much confidence that Mingyue would return. Yang Yun had heard the old man's stories. Li Ran has been looking for an answer to bring his son back. He has been looking for the solution for years and could not find anything.

What chance did he have to reunite with Mingyue? How many years will he have wait for her? What if Mingyue was no longer…

Yang Yun closed his eyes and swallowed. His heart was in pain every time he thought about his wife. He missed her so much.

If Mingyue was no longer in this world, then, he too did not want to be alive. However, if he was no longer around, then, what will happen to his mother and his little sister? Didn't he promise that he was going to protect them both when his father died?

...

"You were too harsh to that boy."

Jiang Xiao Xian turned around when he heard the familiar voice. When he saw that it was his grandfather, Jiang Xiao Xian immediately bowed and greeted the older man. "Grandfather, what are you doing here?"

"I came to check after Yang Yun's injury," Han Zhenting lifted the bag in his hand.

"Grandfather, how much have you heard?"

"Everything."

Jiang Xiao Xian sighed. "I wasn't too harsh on him. However, he was not the only person who lost someone dear to him. Mingyue is my sister. We all love her dearly. And Yang Yun, I treated him as my brother. I know Yang Yun for years. He needs to wake up and be more responsible."

Han Zhenting's expression softened as he thought about his granddaughter. Among his grandchildren, he was closer to Mingyue. He spent most of his time teaching Mingyue about medicine. They traveled around the country together. Of course, he felt lost when he heard how Mingyue had disappeared.

He, too, was worried over Yang Yun. Han Zhenting has been treating the young boy as his grandchildren. No words can describe his feeling when he saw Yang Yun's lifeless body not long ago.

He worked hard to treat Yang Yun. However, he could only heal Yang Yun's physical wound and not his emotion. Right now, there was nothing else he could do but to wish for Yang Yun to get up and live his life even without Mingyue by his side.