A strange, gentle sensation lingered within Lan Jue. The training had been exceptionally laborious for these talented kids, but Zhou Qianlin persisted. Never once did she cry out in pain, or for help.
He slowly stood with her in his arms, then laid her gently onto the bed. She never loosened her hold on his neck â even when he tried to get himself loose, she just held him tighter. âDonât go,â she murmured.
Lan Jue hadnât been expected her to pull back, and sheâd gotten quite strong after her two-month training. He practically fell down on top of her.
Qianlinâs breath caught in her throat, but she didnât wake. Only her cheeks reddened.
The contact was like an atomic bomb in Lan Jueâs brain. They were so close, this sensation⊠Lan Jueâs breath began to quicken, and Zhou Qianlin instinctively gripped the bed sheets.
Bang bang bang! A knock sounded at the door. Tang Miâs voice called in. âQianlinâŠ. Qianlin you there?â
Lan Jueâs eyes popped wide, and he shot to his feet. He was so quick to extricate himself from the student that he banged his head against the wall. He pressed a hand to his head and winced. Qianlin was, by this point, completely awake.
âIâm here Little Mi. Whatâs up?â She fought to bring herself back under control while speaking to her friend.
âOpen the door, I have to talk to you about something,â she said.
She glanced at Lan Jue, who had already replaced his golden mask. He gave her a nod.
âComing.â She stood and opened the door. Tang Miâs impatient face appeared on the other side. She blinked curiously at her friendâs rosy cheeks and heaving chest, then gave her wink
Qianlin just looked at her, confused and unsure of her meaning. Tang Mi pulled the door open the rest of the way to step inside, and thatâs when she saw Lan Jue.
âAh! D-drillmaster, youâre here too! Hello.â She snapped to attention.
He nodded. âI also had something to discuss with this student. Our business is complete â Iâm leaving.â He shot Tang Mi a glance before swaggering out of the door.
Tang Mi smiled sweetly, and stepped aside to let him pass. But the moment he was gone she shut the door with a disdainful sneer, as though she were removing something repulsive.
âLittle Mi⊠what are you doing?â Qianlin said in agitation.
Qianlinâs friend looked her over. âAre you alright? Did he do anything to you?â
Qianlinâs response was cold and irritated. âWhat the hell is wrong with your head?! He was asking me about the fight today, and my Discipline. Now what do you want?â
Tang Mi heaved a sigh. âGood⊠good. It scared me! I thought⊠well, youâre so pretty. And heâs so strong. If he wanted to, ehm, emulate the birds and the bees, which one of us could stop him? Itâs good he didnât do anything.â
Qianlinâs lips curled in to a frown. âWhat makes you think the Drillmaster is such a despicable person?â
Tang Mi sniffed derisively. âWho says heâs a good man, either? Have you already forgotten how he tormented us? I still remember the needles he stabbed us with. That pain, Iâll remember for the rest of my life. When Iâm stronger, Iâll give him a taste of his own medicine! Henh henh henh henhâŠâ
The young politicianâs daughter laughed in spite of herself. âAlright, thatâs enough. Werenât you just telling me about how much improvement you feel youâve made? Say what you will about the Drillmaster, but his methods are effective. Why the change of heart all of a sudden?â
Tang Mi chortled. âAlright, fine. Iâll be honest â heâs actually very cool, and ruggedly handsome I think. I wish I knew what his face looked like under that mask. They say people with disabilities hide them behind masks. I think thatâs probably why he does it, otherwise why wear a mask all the time? His assistants, too. Itâs all too strange, am I right?â
Qianlin was on the verge of erupting in to laughter. She quickly and silently relayed this information to Lan Jue through the Spiritcaller gem. She responded to Tang Mi before she could tell something was amiss. âHow do I know?â
Tang Mi continued on her ruminations. âOr maybe heâs as handsome as Poseidon! Thatâd be nice. Then heâd be the perfect man. You know I saw the way Tan Lingyun was looking at him â very unusual. Sheâs been staring at him through the whole training, intentionally or not. Like she wants to eat him. Think I should throw my hat in the ring? I may not have a mature figure, but my advantage is in age!â
Qianlin patted her forehead. âHey! Would you stop being such a nympho? You go through dream lovers like candy. First itâs this one, then another. How about a little consistency!â
Tang Mi adopted an indignant, morally superior air. âI like what I like. If, one day, there is a man who is worthy then Iâll put all my attention on him.â
âAlright,â Qianlin said, wishing to change the subject. âGet out of here, Iâm sleepy. I think Iâll take a nap. Rest is a rare thing.â
Tang Mi jutted her tongue out at her friend. âIt still looks like youâre upset! And I donât get a âthank youâ or anything. I risked offending the Drillmaster to come save you!â
Qianlin smirked. âYes, yes â thank you ever so much, Sister Mi.â
Eventually, with great effort, she managed to send Tang Mi off. Qianlin couldnât help but shake her head. Tang Mi was a good friend.
Lan Jue had returned to the boyâs dormitory by the time he heard Qianlinâs messages.
The Spiritcaller Power Gem:
Lan Jueâs voice was thick with umbrage: She thought I was there to take advantage of you?!
Zhou Qianlin: Then what were you doing laying on me?
Youâre strong as an ox. I weigh a hundred pounds, how can I pull you?
Ah? So you deny it? So if that kind of man, I guess I could just sneak in there while youâre asleepâŠ
What do you think about that?
I wouldnât be disinclined.
I⊠a thousand showers wouldnât clean the spirit from that. You really pulled me!
Itâs fine, no need for excuses. At any rate, itâs not like you were in any rush to get off me. What, you didnât think I was awake?
This is emotional abuse! Iâm being framed!
Donât worry. I forgive you.
In the early morning, the traditional bugle call the NEU students had all come to recognize roused them from their slumber. There was no departure party or flashiness â it was just time to go. Not even Gao Lei was present. Only the guide was there, to lead them to Zeus-1.
The small sapphire ship took off and glided through the atmosphere, under escort from two An Lun patrol ships.
After a moment, Lan Jueâs ship shook and they sped off toward the stars.
Lan Jue watched An Lun shrink in to the distance from a porthole. He struggled with conflicting emotions.
Brother. Iâll be back. I look forward to standing at your side in the fight to come.
The students felt similarly. They were silent as An Lun slowly disappeared behind them. A month wasnât very long in the grand scheme, but theyâd learned a tremendous amount in that time. Everything theyâd gained here would benefit them for the rest of their lives. It was an important, life-changing experience.
As they set their course for home, the students all unconsciously tightened their safety harnesses. Who knew if the Demon Drillmaster would take this chance to test their g-force resistance again.
But the ride was unexpectedly smooth. However, it wasnât long before a silhouette appeared before the ship, suspended in space.
âDo you all think you really won that battle, yesterday?â Lan Jueâs question was simple, but there were clear notes of disdain.
He snorted. âTruth is, thatâs what I thought. Then, I discovered I was wrongâŠâ
Lan Jue went on to share what heâd learned with the students. Their faces blanched as they came to the realization.
He then went on to discuss groups. After discussion with his assistants, the squads were restructured. There were still five teams, with some changes. Jin Tao switched with Tang Mi, for one, replacing her as captain of Echo squad.
The reason for the slight change was simple: Echo had taken the most casualties from their exchange. Only Qianlin and Tang Mi had survived. Their decimation was a direct result of Tang Miâs command.
Jin Tao had been in Geng Yangâs group for the fight. Although Delta was sacrificed, he fought with bravery and relied on his own strength to pull him through. Heâd put himself between the enemy and his squad to cover their retreat. Unfortunately, his opponent had been Prometheus.
Although theyâd ultimately been defeated, Geng Yang and Jin Taoâs sacrifice had revealed the enemyâs location. Although Jin Taoâs time on the field had been brief, heâd performed admirably. That is why he was promoted.
Tang Mi was also commended. Charlie squad, under his command, performed the best. Tan Lingyun, conversely, was criticized for the great losses her team had endured.
After the teams were restructured, they found their roles similarly adjusted. After witnessing the demonstration of their Discipline, Lan Jue was able to separate them more effectively. New tactics were devised to better suit the changes.