Tang Yi pondered for a moment before passing the electronic file in his hand to Fesili.
"Commander, this is the detailed information we just obtained from the Empire. It is indeed as previously stated: Muxi is a female from the Mu family on a planet affiliated with the Chinese Empire. But the rest of this information is truly..." Tang Yi hesitated, leaving his sentence unfinished.
Fesili opened his Optical Computer to check the contents, skimming through them quickly as his brow furrowed deeper and deeper. When he reached the part about Muxi intentionally tearing up her sister’s admission letter and bribing Abandoned Beasts to kidnap her, his gaze turned icy, and his hand tightened around the device involuntarily.
The scene of when he first found Muxi flashed through his mind.
At that time, Muxi was covered in injuries, her clothes tattered and stained with mud and blood. Like a frightened little beast, she had been curled up alone in a tree hollow, her shoulders trembling incessantly as she let out low, sobbing breaths. That weeping seemed to carry such boundless grievance and fear that it pierced straight into Fesili’s heart, leaving him with a dull, aching sensation in his chest.
Before he could speak, Deputy Commander Zhou could no longer hold back and exploded. "Tang Yi, where did this fake intelligence come from? Leaving aside the fact that Miss Muxi is a top-tier Guide with a Materialized Spiritual Body, how many times has she risked her life to save us from danger while on the barren planet? There is no way she is the kind of person described in these files!"
Tang Yi didn’t believe Muxi was that kind of person either, so he defended himself: "I also believe Miss Muxi is not that type of person, but this information did come directly from the Empire. I am simply reporting it as it is."
Fesili’s eyes were dark and heavy. He replied coldly, "It only means she has a very capable sister."
Fesili swiped through the Optical Computer again, his gaze lingering on the descriptions of Muxi’s so-called "vicious acts." The more he read, the colder his eyes became.
The Mu family... Fesili narrowed his eyes slightly. He would remember this.
"There is one more thing. The Commander might not remember, but you have actually met this sister of hers," Tang Yi said, as if suddenly remembering something. He hesitated for a moment before continuing.
Fesili looked at him calmly, not speaking to ask for details, but waiting for the rest. That steady gaze carried an invisible pressure that made Tang Yi swallow hard before he continued: "You remember the mission on the border ten years ago, where we encountered a group of Abandoned Beasts attacking a small village? After we successfully wiped out all the Abandoned Beasts and were clearing the battlefield, you discovered a little girl hiding in a corner. That little girl is the Mu Yan of today—Muxi’s sister. We couldn't find any information on her at the time, so you took her to the military camp and raised her for a while."
During the days in the camp, everyone had been quite fond of that well-behaved and sensible little girl. She was always quiet, with a spark of intelligence in her large eyes. Later, the Mu family found out through some channel and sent people to take her away.
The reason Tang Yi remembered it so clearly was that after the Commander brought her back, he had simply dumped her on him.
Tang Yi paused here and continued: "However, according to the records, her disappearance was also linked to Miss Muxi. It is rumored that Miss Muxi intentionally abandoned her out of jealousy, which led to her being missing for many years. But what the actual situation was, no one can say for sure."
"How is that possible? Miss Muxi is not that kind of person. How is it that every piece of news you bring is more outrageous than the last?!" Upon hearing this, the Deputy Commander was so angry he slapped the table. "Given the help Miss Muxi has provided us on the barren planet during this time, how could she possibly do something to hurt her own sister?"
"Tang Yi, have you verified the sources of this information? We cannot simply convict someone based on unverified rumors. Muxi has been a benefactor to us; until there is concrete evidence, these things should not be said recklessly." Fesili’s voice was low and stern, carrying an unquestionable tone as he looked coldly at Tang Yi.
Tang Yi felt a bit intimidated by Fesili’s gaze. He lowered his head and whispered: "Commander, I am merely reporting the information gathered from various channels as it is. I also find these reports outrageous, but... but this is indeed the current situation as we understand it."
*Miss Muxi does not have a good reputation on her home planet.*
Of course, he didn't say that last part out loud.
Fesili’s gaze was heavy. After a moment of contemplation, he said sternly: "This information is riddled with holes; it cannot withstand even the slightest scrutiny."
"Exactly, it's all fabricated nonsense."
"The strange thing is that Miss Muxi has been missing for so long, and her family has made no attempt to look for her."
*No wonder Muxi would rather suffer in the military than go home.* Fesili’s fists clenched, his knuckles turning slightly white from the force.
"Muxi has been fighting side-by-side with us all this time. Everyone has seen for themselves what her character is like. I absolutely do not believe she is someone capable of such atrocities. Consider these files as if they never existed."
The Deputy Commander nodded firmly, his face full of indignation. "That’s right. Miss Muxi is so kind and brave—how could she be as wretched as these fake reports claim? It must be the work of those people in the Mu family! Maybe they are trying to cover up their own scandals!"
The others echoed his sentiments, one after another, pointing out the absurdity of the false information. In the end, they unanimously agreed that the information was fake. Looking at Muxi again, they couldn't help but feel a sense of pity. With such immense talent, to be treated so poorly by her own family—it was truly heartbreaking. As for the Mu family, their perception of them had dropped to zero.
***
Muxi noticed that Fesili’s gaze toward her was becoming increasingly strange, which made her feel uncomfortable. She didn't understand why he was suddenly looking at her this way. Although he had always cared for her, it had never been with this kind of pitying look. It was too strange.
To distract herself from this odd feeling, she caught up with the Deputy Commander and helped the others look for soil mushrooms. She was in charge of finding them, and they were in charge of digging.
***
Meanwhile, at the Mu residence:
Mu Yan looked with worry at her older brother, Mu Qi, and their parents sitting on the other side of the dining table. Her delicate face was full of concern, her brows tightly furrowed, and her eyes revealed unconcealed anxiety and unease.
"Sister still hasn't returned yet. Could something have happened to her?" Mu Yan’s voice trembled slightly, filled with deep concern.
"What could happen? It was her own choice not to come back with us; if something happened, she deserves it," Mu Qi snorted, his face full of dissatisfaction. She had dared to collude with Abandoned Beasts to kidnap his precious little sister—if she were dead, she would be dead, and if she came back alive, he wouldn't let her off lightly.
"Yanyan, you are just too kind. She hurt you so much, yet you are still thinking about her. A person like her isn't worth you worrying about at all."
"Your brother is right. The most important thing for you right now is to prepare well for the entrance exam for the First Guide Alliance Academy," their father, Mu Shangcheng, said solemnly, putting down his cutlery. He looked at Mu Yan with expectations. Mu Yan was the Mu family's only hope; if she could successfully enter the First Guide Alliance Academy, it would be an supreme honor for the family. Unlike that idiot Muxi, who only knew how to lose face for him.