“Thanks to you, I’m alive and well.” One look at Qiao Mu’s current state, and Feng Jiu’er knew at once — she must have spent many days out there searching for her.

She was genuinely grateful in her heart, only she didn’t quite know how to express it.

A friend she’d known for only a few days, and yet that person had truly given her all for her sake.

She took out the only food she had left from the cabinet and set it on the table. “There’s a place to bathe in the back. Everyone’s gone off to the training grounds for the session, so no one should be coming back here.”

“Go wash up and change into clean clothes first. Once you’ve eaten and had your fill, leave — if you get caught, it’ll be a real headache.”

She also set out the little silver she had left on the table. “I’ll find a way to come look for you. Leave me a marker on the biggest tree just outside the academy’s back gate.”

She really was going to be late. Being late for training came with no small punishment.

So without waiting for Qiao Mu’s response, she hurried straight out the door toward the training grounds.

…The training grounds today felt somehow strange, an indescribable chill in the air.

Groups were normally five to a team, but Feng Jiu’er’s group had only herself and Xiao Yingtao left.

“They…”

“Last night Captain Huo Yan led a large group to search Juefeng Garden, saying they were looking for an assassin — and that the assassin had wounds on his back.”

Xiao Yingtao lowered her voice. “Whoever didn’t show up today must have been taken away by Captain Huo Yan’s men. Our group…”

Worry showed in her eyes. If they still hadn’t come now, they probably weren’t coming at all — could it be that all three of them were under suspicion? Was Mu Mu suspected too?

“Mu Mu came back with me earlier. He was injured along the way. He’s not the assassin, don’t worry.”

Feng Jiu’er understood exactly what she was worried about and reassured her calmly. “As for Xing Zizhou and Dan Yidao…”

“They went out on a mission with you before, and given how rough things were, they probably got hurt too — likely on their backs.”

Xiao Yingtao simply couldn’t believe the assassin would be one of their own. They’d all traveled together, looked out for one another the whole way — how could anyone among them harbor ill intent?

Feng Jiu’er said nothing more. Though their group now only had two people, she still stood up straight beside Xiao Yingtao.

Huo Yan arrived, his gaze sweeping briefly over Feng Jiu’er’s group before he walked to stand in front of the Dragon Fourth Army.

He looked over the students and spoke in a clear, ringing voice: “Today’s training will be combined with the Imperial Guard Academy’s students — combat drills.”

“Now, everyone draw lots to choose your opponent.”

Training combined with the Imperial Guard Academy’s students — she hadn’t expected such a training arrangement.

Feng Jiu’er and Xiao Yingtao exchanged a glance, and when their turn came, they went up to draw lots as well.

The Dragon Fourth Army and the Imperial Guard Fourth Army students would spar in pairs. Whatever group it was, everyone took the training extremely seriously.

Injuries were common — this was never meant to be a place for play. The missions they would carry out in the future were all matters of life and death.

Lots drawn, Feng Jiu’er turned back, and Xiao Yingtao immediately rushed over. “Jiu’er, who’s your opponent? Do you know him?”

The one she’d drawn was male… sigh, in this day and age, once you entered the regular military academy, a girl was no longer treated merely as a girl — men and women were held to the same standard.

She was rather curious just who Jiu’er had drawn as her opponent.

“Don’t know him.” Jiu’er showed her the slip of paper, then turned and walked toward the sparring ring.

The entire morning was devoted to combat drills, and the drills were scored — a win counted for points, a loss earned nothing.

By the time the students finished their training, most would be assigned directly to the corresponding army units, and rank there would be decided largely based on this score.

It was much like graduates entering the workforce in the twenty-first century — naturally, the better companies wanted the students with the best grades.

Whatever one’s future performance in the army, whatever chance of promotion, at the very least, this was a stepping stone.

If the scores were good, then once in the army, one would start out ahead of everyone else.

Feng Jiu’er’s first match was also against a male student, and when she walked into the sparring ring, the onlookers were stunned.

“Is she really the Ninth Miss of the Feng family?” Someone couldn’t believe it — how could she look even better than Feng Qingyin, the Feng family’s reigning beauty?

Feng Qingyin was famously beautiful, practically a celestial beauty, and the most renowned among the younger generation of the Feng family.

Though she was an adopted daughter, the head of the Feng family treated her even more affectionately than his own children.

At last year’s Qingteng Pavilion banquet, she had even taken the top spot, hailed as the capital’s most talented beauty.

But this Feng Jiu’er before them, never mind anything else — just on looks alone, she left Feng Qingyin far, far behind.

Was this really the Feng family’s so-called “ugliest girl”?

The male student facing off against Feng Jiu’er couldn’t tear his eyes away from her delicate face.

This girl was simply too lovely — her skin so clear and flawless it looked as if it would bruise at the slightest touch, so delicate and sweet — how could he bring himself to hurt her?

Feng Jiu’er’s gaze, however, was sharp and ready for battle. But the male student standing across from her — what exactly was he thinking, staring at her without even blinking?

It wasn’t that she was being overly sensitive about it, but sometimes being too good-looking wasn’t actually a good thing — it got in the way of business.

When the senior student acting as referee called the start, the man across from her still hadn’t moved an inch. Jiu’er, growing impatient, stepped forward.

Seeing her walk toward him, the male student suddenly turned bashful, fumbling, unsure what to do with his hands.

But the next instant, that male student’s jaw dropped — Feng Jiu’er’s figure, which had clearly been at least five or six paces away, suddenly appeared right in front of him in an instant.

Before he could even react, Feng Jiu’er’s hand had already landed at his waist, hooking his belt, lifting him with ease, and flinging him aside with full force.

With a sharp smack, the male student hit the ground outside the ring. After taking the fall, he finally came back to his senses and leapt up at once.

But by then, he was already outside the boundary!

“Feng Jiu’er wins,” the senior student declared loudly, bringing the match to a close.

One move — and she’d simply thrown the man clean out.

Though this was clearly partly due to the man’s own carelessness, Feng Jiu’er’s blindingly fast footwork still snapped those who’d been dazzled by her beauty right back to their senses.

Beauty could be poison — one mustn’t lose one’s head so easily over it. It was frightening!

In the matches that followed, Jiu’er left every one of these onlookers’ jaws on the floor, one after another.

That Feng Jiu’er who used to seem utterly hopeless was now not only beautiful, but also agile, brimming with true energy, every step steady and swift!

In a single hour, she won five matches straight, unstoppable, sweeping through her opponents with overwhelming force!

“Brother Yan, looks like our Dragon Fourth Army has a strong chance today!” Huo Yan was thrilled — he hadn’t expected his unit to gain yet another talented fighter.

“That’s not so certain.” Colonel Yan of the Imperial Guard Fourth Army looked thoroughly unconvinced. “Until the very last move, no one knows who’ll win or lose.” Just then, one of the students under his command suddenly called out loudly, “Colonel, the Seventh Princess is here!”