Immortal Martial Academy - Chapter 47

Wu Xianyao obtained the coordinates, glanced at the map, and remarked, “One hundred kilometers away, that’s quite far.”

“Need support? Beyond those one hundred kilometers lie no ordinary threats like Flame Rats or Blood Wolves,” Lan Haoyue said with a smile, seemingly eager to see Wu Xianyao struggle.

Unwilling to indulge Lan Haoyue’s twisted interest, Wu Xianyao spread his wings and departed.

At the academy’s lodging hotel, Chen Beixuan reviewed the mission settlement – fifty thousand credits, yet his mood remained somber.

As if fate aligned with his desire for alcohol, the door opened.

Li Junlin entered carrying beers and barbecue tucked under his arm. “Care for a drink?”

“Yes!”

They clinked glasses without speaking, gazing down at the encampment below while sipping beer and enjoying the barbecue.

“They died without regrets,” Li Junlin stated, face slightly flushed after drinking a cup.

Chen Beixuan nodded, “But we were the ones who killed them.” He put down the barbecue, feeling the conversation had rendered even the most delicious food tasteless.

“Should we have taken action?” Li Junlin also set down his barbecue, questioning.

“We should have. Dying by our hands is preferable to falling to the enemy’s,” Chen Beixuan affirmed resolutely.

“In the future, I would do it again,” Li Junlin picked up his skewer and continued eating.

“Perhaps with each person we kill, we carry some burden, but can we bear it all?” Chen Beixuan’s mood grew heavy at this thought.

“We should be able to bear it,” he silently responded within himself.

As they ate and drank, their conversation resumed cheerfully, as if reaching an unspoken agreement. By the end of the night, both were thoroughly intoxicated.

In another room, Lan Yuecai was engrossed in reading, seemingly finding solace only through books.

“Knock, knock!” The sound of knocking echoed, and Lan Yuecai put down her book to open the door.

“Brother!” she exclaimed upon seeing Lan Haoyue.

After Wu Xianyao left, Lan Haoyue decided to check on his sister, sensing that she might need him now more than ever.

Lan Yuecai immediately hugged Lan Haoyue tightly, “Brother, it’s so good to see you.”

Lan Haoyue patted her back gently, “I knew you came to the front lines, forgive me for not responding earlier. It wasn’t because I didn’t want to; it was for your safety.”

Regular communication methods could easily be intercepted by the Alien Race. Some aliens had unique abilities, allowing them to determine Lan Yuecai’s location once Lan Haoyue replied.

“I know, I know, but I came to find you, brother. As long as you’re here, everything is fine.” Lan Yuecai’s curved eyebrows softened into a smile, as if nothing troubling had happened today.

The siblings sat on the sofa, catching up on events from the past few years. When Lan Yuecai mentioned wanting Wu Xianyao to marry her, Lan Haoyue’s face immediately darkened.

“You cannot marry him,” Lan Haoyue stated firmly.

Even he couldn’t fully understand Wu Xianyao, let alone his younger sister.

“Why not? We attend the same school and are in the same class; he’s quite nice,” Lan Yuecai responded, puzzled.

Lan Haoyue grappled with whether to reveal the true burden Wu Xianyao carried. The weight of it was too heavy for his cunning yet naive sister to comprehend, feeling that she simply wasn’t worthy of Wu Xianyao.

“Little Sister, trust me. Just focus on your studies at the Immortal Martial Academy, and eventually, you’ll understand why I disapprove,” Lan Haoyue managed to say gently. While his sister might not grasp certain complexities, as her older brother, he felt compelled to guide her.

Throughout the evening, Lan Haoyue stayed with Lan Yuecai, who appeared genuinely happy. However, only Lan Haoyue knew that beneath her cheerful facade, his sister was far from content.

Lan Haoyue checked the time and said, “I must go now, but I’ll visit you when I can.” At the doorway, he turned to look at his sister, “Don’t lose hope in this world; we’re all striving hard to survive.”

As Lan Haoyue left, Lan Yuecai pondered her brother’s words before returning to the sofa and switching books, opting for ‘The Art of Manipulation’ instead.

In her room, Jiu Xian’er sat surrounded by snacks, eating continuously as if she could never satisfy her hunger. As she ate, tears began to flow down her cheeks.

Crying yet still eating, a shadow appeared unnoticed before Jiu Xian’er. With a wave, the shadow lulled her to sleep, a faint smile on her lips, seemingly having a pleasant dream. In her slumber, she murmured, “Daddy, hug me!”

Among those who returned today, particularly the members of the academy’s battle teams, there was a heavy mood hanging over them. The entire Night Battle Team had perished.

This team, once ranked within the top thousand with formidable strength, had vanished abruptly.

After consoling his teammates, Dugu Tianjian chose to take a stroll to clear his mind, feeling the atmosphere at the academy’s quarters unusually oppressive.

“Captain Dugu, what a coincidence! Would you like to join me?” Ami, also alone, was heading out to buy food.

Dugu Tianjian nodded, walking side by side with Ami, “I heard your squad participated in the Legion War today. How did it go?”

“The entire Night Squad perished, and the Blood Squad suffered a significant blow,” Dugu Tianjian said calmly, indicating his familiarity with such situations. “I heard they managed to retrieve crucial information for the military, but it must have been a devastating loss that needs time to recover from.”

“It’s truly unfortunate. The Night Squad had exceptional assassination capabilities; even against 4th Rank adversaries, they could usually escape. They must have encountered a 5th Rank threat,” Ami lamented, knowing that if fully developed, the Night Squad would have become an ace team.

“Nothing to regret, really. Once entering the battlefield, one should be prepared for death,” Dugu Tianjian responded nonchalantly.

In Ami’s view, however, these fallen individuals were the most heroic. Reflecting on her own squad, she doubted whether they could have handled such a situation as bravely as the Night Squad did.

Dugu Tianjian knew how the Night Squad met their demise – at the hands of the Seed Divine Guards, the elite forces among the Flame Rat Aliens. No one knew exactly how many Flame Rats comprised this deadly unit, but every time the Seed Divine Guards struck, they annihilated entire squads.

The two entered a hamburger shop together. Dugu Tianjian frowned slightly, seemingly unenthusiastic about being here.

Noticing Dugu Tianjian’s frown, Ami asked, “Captain Lonely, do you not like this place? We can go across the street to the Chinese restaurant instead.”

Dugu Tianjian shook his head, “Let’s eat here since we’re already at it.” The restaurant actually served rice bowls alongside burgers, although few customers ordered them.

The reason for Dugu Tianjian’s frown was that most patrons were remnants, and surprisingly, they spoke Great Xia language.

Ami brought over two trays, one with a rice bowl dish and the other containing burgers. She sat across from Dugu Tianjian, offering, “My treat!”

“This place is actually a gathering spot for our remnant community. There’s a lot of shared information here, though not as comprehensive as yours, but some insider tips are quite reliable.”

“Insider tips?” Dugu Tianjian was slightly taken aback. With only around ten million remnants, there were still a few talented individuals among them. While they couldn’t match the top-tier talents of Great Xia, their insights could be valuable.

“Yes! I heard that from the Alien Race’s rear, a prominent clan’s Heir is heading to the front lines. Several 4th Rank squads among our remnants plan to assassinate this Heir. Our own Dao Protector from the Divine Wind Academy will also participate, and they intend to strike tomorrow,” Ami whispered confidentially.