Eliminated!

They had endured tremendous hardship, narrowly escaping death, and had even brought back several baskets brimming with dragon tongue grass.

Yet the result was this — they were to select one person among themselves to be eliminated.

“Officer Huo, we spotted the men in black and feared they meant harm to the academy, which is why we pursued them.”

The moment she heard the word “eliminated,” Xiao Yingtao panicked. “Officer Huo, our hearts are wholly devoted to the academy.”

“A loss is a loss. There is nothing more to be said.” Huo Yan’s expression was glacial.

“But the dragon tongue grass we brought back is the most of anyone!”

Xiao Yingtao had observed everyone else’s haul earlier — even the best-performing team combined had barely filled half a basket, not even enough to fill one completely.

Yet theirs amounted to more than four full baskets.

“To miss the agreed hour is to lose.” Huo Yan’s face remained impassive, utterly unmoved. “If you were waiting on medicine to save lives and you missed the hour, and your brothers had already died of illness by the time you arrived — what use would that medicine be then?”

Xiao Yingtao had nothing to say. She could only bite her lip as her eyes turned red.

“But if the academy has spies lurking within it — are we truly expected to simply stand by and do nothing?”

Xing Zizhou, seeing Xiao Yingtao’s distress, felt a pang of tenderness. “Officer Huo, if it had been you — what would you have done?”

“Have you never heard the saying: military orders are as immovable as mountains?” Huo Yan asked, his expression blank.

Feng Jiu’er, who had remained silent this entire time, stepped forward after confirming that Mu Mu was completely unharmed.

“Then may I ask, Officer Huo, whether you have ever heard this: a general in the field need not heed every command from his sovereign?”

Huo Yan’s gaze settled on her face. After a brief silence, his voice turned cold. “Very well then — what contribution did you actually make? The men in black — were they captured? Was their purpose uncovered?”

“Acting rashly without first gauging your own strength against the enemy’s ultimately led to this outcome: the men in black escaped, the grass was disturbed and the snake alerted, and our men—”

He gestured toward Mu Mu, who sat to one side, his voice growing colder still. “Our own people, wounded like this! This is the price of your recklessness!”

Mu Mu struggled to his feet and rasped, “The fault… was mine.”

“I am not here to debate who is right or wrong. The fact is — Squad Four-Two of Dragon Fourth Army has lost, and one person must be eliminated!” Huo Yan was merciless, granting not a single opening. “This officer will say it once more: military orders are as immovable as mountains! You must select the person to be eliminated immediately. After one incense stick of time, if no decision has been made, the entire squad will be eliminated — every last member of Squad Four-Two will leave Dragon Martial Academy at once!”

One incense stick.

Feng Jiu’er clenched her fists tight. Xiao Yingtao’s eyes grew redder still, though she kept forcing her tears back.

Xing Zizhou and Shan Yidao felt a heaviness settle over them. They had nothing to say — only silence.

The other military units had already begun dispersing from the training ground one by one, their students heading back to rest. Only Dragon Fourth Army remained, still waiting.

Though it was Squad Four-Two that faced elimination, the members of the other squads also stood without a sound, not a single one leaving ahead of them.

The five members of Squad Four-Two gathered together. No one spoke. A silence heavy as death hung over them.

No one knew how much time had passed before Mu Mu finally said, his voice calm, “I failed to properly gauge the enemy’s strength and acted rashly. I have implicated all of you.”

He smiled — a rare smile from him. Though pale, it was still remarkably open and bright.

“I withdraw. But I am glad — glad to have known all of you. Especially you, Jiu’er. Thank you for saving my life.”

Mu Mu clasped his hands in a parting salute. Xiao Yingtao burst into tears with a wail. “It’s all my fault — if I hadn’t gone to look at the flowers—”

But Feng Jiu’er smiled — an expression of remarkable calm. “I withdraw.”