The candidates, having long reached the limits of their endurance, found a spark of vigor ignited by Xia Yanbing's words. However, after nearly half an hour of further travel, a painful cry escaped one of them, unable to be contained any longer.
A frail girl collapsed onto the ground, clutching her legs, clearly suffering from severe cramps in both calves.
"Zhu Ling, Tong Minmin, assist her and keep moving."
Yet Xia Yanbing showed no sign of compassion, instructing the two girls among the newcomers to help her up and continue on.
The journey toward the sacred grounds of the empire had transformed into a true ordeal.
Lin Xi felt as if his legs were no longer his own, the soles of his feet throbbing with intense pain, likely from blisters that had burst.
Among the forty-one new students of the Department of Cessation of Conflict, there were five girls and thirty-six boys, four of whom hailed from the border tribes. However, even these four, whose fierce presence was markedly stronger than that of the other boys, were struggling. Perhaps due to their military upbringing, they all carried long knives on their backs, and one particularly silent and tall boy not only bore a long knife but also carried a longbow and a quiver of arrows.
Initially, their superior stamina had given these "border warriors" an advantage, but the additional weight they carried had drained that advantage during their half-day trek around Lingxia Lake. Now, the footsteps of these four "border warriors" were even heavier than the others.
Suddenly, the quiet tall boy fell to the ground, drenched in cold sweat—his legs had cramped up as well.
"Everyone must possess the ability to assess the situation. Carrying a knife is a habit formed in the border army, but you must understand that in the army, it is due to the presence of danger. Here, do you believe that the blades of Qingluan Academy are inferior to those of the border army, or do you doubt our ability to ensure your safety?" After being reminded by the black-haired man not to be overly kind, Xia Yanbing's demeanor grew notably stern. Seeing the tall boy in such a state, his tone took on a hint of mockery, "Your physical prowess was once among the best, yet it is precisely these burdens that have led you to falter first. Do you not find that foolish?"
The other three "border warriors" immediately discarded their long knives, but the tall boy stubbornly rose from the ground, refusing to relinquish any of his belongings.
All the newcomers regarded this tall boy with curiosity, even the black-haired man at the front turned to scrutinize him, his expression threatening. "Boy, what is your name?"
With his head bowed, the tall boy replied, "I am Tang Ke."
The black-haired man gave him a once-over. "Give me a reason not to discard these burdens you carry."
The tall boy's voice trembled slightly, "This knife and bow were left to me by my brother... He has already fallen in battle."
Lin Xi's brow twitched, instantly recalling the name of this stubborn tall boy.
"Very well." A glimmer of light sparked in the black-haired man's eyes, tinged with a hint of madness. "Loyalty and courage, I admire that. I shall grant you half a credit."
A wave of astonishment swept through the group; now everyone understood the rarity of credits—half a credit was suddenly within reach?
"Professor Qin, during this time, only Professor Wang, who is conducting lessons along the way, has the authority to award credits."
"Oh, I forgot. That doesn't count; when we return to the academy, I'll find a reason to add half a credit then."
The exchange between Xia Yanbing and the black-haired man left the group of newcomers utterly astounded.
"Lin Xi!" Mu Shanzhi suddenly approached Lin Xi's side.
Lin Xi shot him a fierce glance. "What do you want?"
Mu Shanzhi gritted his teeth. "Let's make another bet; whoever cannot hold on first has to shout that phrase I mentioned before."
Lin Xi smiled innocently. "Alright." He then pulled a meat strip from his pack and began to chew, while also handing a few to Li Kaiyun beside him.
Mu Shanzhi stared in disbelief, his stomach growling incessantly.
"That's not fair; I'm not betting anymore!" After a moment of shock, he turned away from Lin Xi, utterly defeated.
Lin Xi chuckled, realizing that Meng Bai was indeed a glutton. The package he had given him contained not only many crispy, savory venison strips but also a variety of pastries and fresh fruits, including a bunch of black ice grapes that Meng Bai had mentioned but Lin Xi had yet to taste.
"Ah!"
At that moment, a sharp pain shot through his left calf, causing him to cry out involuntarily—his left leg had also cramped up.
...
The other newcomers in the Department of Cessation of Conflict were filled with visions of future glory and loyalty to the empire, while Lin Xi himself was unsure of the motivation that kept him going. After another hour of walking, as more than half the group could barely walk independently, the black-haired man and Xia Yanbing finally allowed them to stop and rest.
"Do not sleep; wait for food. First, remove your shoes, use your hair to burst the blisters on your feet, and apply this ointment; otherwise, you won't be able to walk tomorrow or the day after." Xia Yanbing ignited several large bonfires, shouting sternly.
However, no one was able to sleep immediately. The piercing pain in their feet was secondary; aside from Lin Xi and Li Kaiyun, the others had hardly eaten anything since the afternoon, their stomachs empty and churning, with acid rising in their throats.
A large bamboo tube containing a pale green ointment was quickly passed to Lin Xi. By the light of the bonfire, he nervously punctured five blisters on his feet, and six others, as he had suspected, had already burst. Yet the effect of this pale green ointment was astonishing; the moment it was applied, an extreme coolness spread upward, alleviating much of the swelling and pain in his legs.
"The long wind howls... weapons in hand... countless heads to sever... unfathomable enemy blood to drink..." A distant, desolate yet wild song drifted in the air.
The black-haired man emerged from a thicket, shouldering three yellow antelopes larger than himself.
"Thud!"
Before the astonished eyes of all the newcomers, he tossed the three antelopes, collectively weighing more than three times his own, beside a bonfire. "Your performance today was passable, but understand this: starting tomorrow, the task of gathering prey will fall to you." After casually stating this, he effortlessly sliced open one of the antelopes with a dagger, skinning it and removing its entrails, then cutting the remaining parts into palm-sized chunks of meat with bones.
The hardened bones yielded under his knife as if they were mere tofu.
"This must be a great soul master; their soul power can enhance the surface of their weapons. No, the professors at the academy must possess even greater prowess," Li Kaiyun whispered to Lin Xi.
"You all know how to roast meat, right?" At this moment, the black-haired man lazily remarked, taking three antelope heads to roast for himself.
The aroma of the meat wafted from the bonfire, and the ravenous newcomers, their stomachs rumbling like thunder, rushed forward.
...
The meat of the three antelopes was remarkably tender and, most importantly, exceptionally fresh. Soon, the sizzling sounds and rich meat aroma filled the entire campsite.
As Lin Xi rubbed his legs, he noticed the frail girl who had first suffered cramps sitting helplessly by the bonfire, tears welling in her eyes. This sight compelled Lin Xi, who was not typically shy, to approach her and ask, "Why aren't you roasting? Do you not know how?"
"It's not that..." The frail girl, startled by Lin Xi's unexpected approach, fumbled with her hands in confusion, her expression turning even more sorrowful. "I've been unable to eat lamb since childhood... it makes me sick."
"Then you must be allergic to lamb."
"Allergic?"
"It's nothing; here, take this." Lin Xi offered his pack to the frail girl.
"No... what about you..." she stammered, suddenly flustered.
"It's fine; I actually quite enjoy lamb. I can roast it myself." Lin Xi smiled, gesturing to Li Kaiyun, who was already busy roasting a piece of antelope meat.
"It seems you have a good heart," a voice called from behind Lin Xi.
Turning around, he saw a tall girl with a somewhat square face and a round-faced girl with fair skin watching him. Upon noticing Lin Xi's gaze, the tall girl pointed to the pack he had placed in front of the frail girl and added, "I initially thought you were trying to hoard it all for yourself."
Lin Xi found the girl to be quite straightforward and smiled. Before he could respond, the somewhat hoarse-voiced tall girl introduced herself. "I am Hua Jiyue, from the Northern Miao Province."
"I am Wang Xiaoqing, from the Southern Ling Province," the round-faced girl beside her nodded amicably at Lin Xi.
The frail girl, flustered, introduced herself, "I am Bian Linghan, from Qiantang Province."
"I am..." Lin Xi began to introduce himself as well, but was interrupted by Hua Jiyue. "Go roast some meat, classmate Chosen; who doesn't know your name is Lin Xi, from Lulin Town?"