Two days later, Yun Manman and Yan Ye boarded the maglev train heading to Siduo City.
The elves loved and respected nature, so Lanqi Country didn't have maglev trains that required clearing large areas of vegetation to build. They either flew with their wings or used hovercars as transportation.
Yun Manman and her companions needed to take an armored vehicle in Siduo City to cross the border region to Lanqi Country, then switch to a hovercar to reach Linglan City where Alice's family lived.
But when Yun Manman and Yan Ye saw Lu Qi, who shouldn't have been there, at the border management center in Siduo City, they were stunned.
Yan Ye immediately rolled his eyes: "Lu Qi, why are you here?"
Lu Qi didn't even look up, leisurely handing his ID to the staff for registration: "Going to Lanqi Country."
"What, you're allowed to go but I'm not? Since when did the border management center come under your jurisdiction?"
Yan Ye's tail fur was about to bristle: "I'm asking why you're also going to Lanqi Country?"
He could clearly see the huge "Lanqi Country Immigration Registration Office" sign on the electronic screen!
This stinky snake couldn't be chasing after his sister, could he?
Yan Ye cautiously stepped to the left, trying to block Yun Manman behind him.
Lan Yuxiang, who had been silent standing beside Lu Qi, spoke up: "General Yan, Lanqi Country sent an exchange invitation to our country a couple of days ago. His Majesty has dispatched the General and me to attend."
Actually, His Majesty had initially assigned him and another avian beastman, but for some reason, it was changed to the General.
Yan Ye was aware of this exchange activity, but he hadn't expected Lu Qi would be willing to participate. It was hard not to suspect his motives.
Yun Manman poked her cat head out from behind Yan Ye, curiously examining Lan Yuxiang. Hmm, blue hair that looked dyed, with a calm and steady demeanor, he should also be a military man. What kind of beastman was he?
Lu Qi finished registration and turned to walk over, standing in front of Lan Yuxiang. His gaze moved from Yun Manman's face to Yan Ye's.
His voice was teasing: "What's that smelly thing under your feet?"
Hearing this, Yan Ye immediately jumped away from his spot, hurriedly looking down at his feet, only to hear Lu Qi say: "Oh, there's nothing after all."
Lu Qi walked past where Yan Ye had been standing, and as he passed by Yun Manman, he reached out to pat her fluffy head before striding away.
Yun Manman, who had just been patted, was a bit dazed, watching her brother jump up and down in frustration: "Lu Qi! You shameless snake!"
"Manman, let me tell you, when choosing a partner, you absolutely cannot pick a slippery, hairless, treacherous venomous snake like that!"
"Only cats are the best in the world!"
Yun Manman held back her laughter, nodding earnestly in an attempt to appease her brother: "Yes, yes, cats are indeed the best in the whole world!"
After quickly completing the immigration procedures, the group boarded the armored vehicle.
The armored vehicle was a special combat vehicle designed to prevent sudden attacks from hate beasts when crossing the border region.
The drivers of these armored vehicles were all experienced military personnel, and the vehicles were well-equipped with weapons.
Yun Manman sat inside the armored vehicle, looking out through the small window.
This was her first time seeing the real border region. Unlike the flat photos she had seen online, the impact of being here in person was much more intense.
The land was barren, without a trace of green or signs of life activity. Occasional tire tracks appeared, only to be quickly covered by wind and sand.
It was a scene of oppressive desolation and lifelessness.
Yan Ye explained beside her: "This area was already experiencing desertification, and now with the influence of hate beasts devouring the land, it's become even worse."
"The frequent appearance of hate beasts is a disaster for any place."
Yun Manman gazed blankly towards the depths of the border region, feeling as if there were pairs of eyes watching her from within the swirling sand and wind.
Just then, a shrill alarm suddenly sounded, and the vehicle's broadcast transmitted the driver's announcement: "All passengers please remain seated and fasten your seatbelts."
"Hate beasts have been spotted ahead. Prepare for turbulence."
The driver's voice was serious but not panicked, calmly instructing passengers to secure any young cubs or elderly beastmen nearby.
The sounds of weapon explosions and hate beast roars alternated around the armored vehicle.
A massive hate beast had its lower body blown off by an ion cannon, yet it still lunged at Yun Manman's window with its bloody maw wide open, leaving the window covered in saliva and blood.
A squirrel beastman cub sitting next to Yun Manman was terrified by the hate beast, instantly transforming back into a small brown squirrel and scrambling into its mother's arms with its tiny paws.
He was so frightened that he kept hiccupping through his sobs, his body trembling non-stop. The squirrel mother couldn't calm him down no matter how she tried to comfort him, growing increasingly anxious.
Yun Manman, her face slightly pale, took the little squirrel with the mother's permission and gently soothed him, while also using her mental power to envelop his turbulent mental sea.
"Don't cry, don't cry, we're good babies, super brave good babies..."
Fortunately, the calming effect of her mental power worked well, and the little squirrel quickly quieted down, pitifully hugging his tail and staring motionlessly at Yun Manman.
The sight melted Yun Manman's heart. Those nasty hate beasts, scaring our adorable baby like that.
Lu Qi, sitting opposite Yun Manman, looked at her pressed-down airplane ears and snow-white little face, then abruptly stood up and walked towards the driver's cabin.
Lan Yuxiang sighed and got up to follow Lu Qi. He knew the General wouldn't stand by and do nothing.
Seeing the two of them leave, Yan Ye's slightly raised bottom settled back down comfortably. Good, no need to dirty his clothes. They still had to meet Alice later.
Yun Manman watched the singing snake rolling around with the hate beasts outside the armored vehicle, her heart clenching with worry for him.
The singing snake's powerful, muscular tail skillfully wrapped around the charging hate beasts and slammed them to the ground. Its fiery red wings unfurled, knocking out the surrounding hate beasts with a few swift strikes, quickly dispatching the hate beasts surrounding the armored vehicle.
The white scales stood out starkly amidst the ubiquitous crimson, creating a sense of violent beauty.
Yun Manman had never seen a battlefield before, but the scene of the singing snake battling the hate beasts gave her a glimpse into the bloody brutality of war. She also understood why Lu Qi was called "Kashida's most impenetrable defense line."
Watching the singing snake's overwhelming slaughter, her heart pounded rapidly with excitement and tension at the intense scenes unfolding before her.
With Lu Qi's help, the hate beasts obstructing their path were quickly eliminated.
The armored vehicle's commander was immensely grateful: "Thank you so much, General Lu! We wouldn't have resolved this so quickly without you!"
"Recently, the number of hate beasts in the border region seems to have increased again, and they've become more ferocious and tough-skinned than before. We end up spending half of each journey just killing hate beasts..."
Lu Qi had just put on his clothes and was lowering his gaze to smooth out the wrinkles on his shirt, remaining silent.
After leaving the driver's cabin, Lan Yuxiang said beside him: "General, the number of hate beasts is increasing both in the border region and within Kashida's borders."
This was a grim fact.
There had once been a small country that was destroyed under the siege of an enormous number of hate beasts.
Lu Qi walked in front, his tall and solid figure casting a shadow. His voice betrayed no emotion: "I know."
"I will protect Kashida."