Chapter 26: First Victory

Everything proceeded exactly as Tian Su had anticipated; Li Qing and his companions unwittingly walked straight into the trap set for them.

As soon as he stepped into the snare, Ma Yuan halted abruptly. He turned to face the approaching Li Qing, his eyes burning like torches; he had waited a long time for this moment. Li Qing and his men also skidded to a stop. The two men beside Li Qing looked at Ma Yuan with mocking amusement, unable to fathom what the boy was thinking.

"Hey, kid," one of them sneered in a shrill, mocking tone. "Kneel down and call me grandfather now, and perhaps I'll spare you. Otherwise, I'm afraid you'll lose your chance to enter the military academy."

The other man wore a look of utter disdain. In their eyes, Ma Yuan’s actions were nothing more than a fool’s errand.

Li Qing, the leader of the trio, was different. He was cautious and meticulous; his eyes darted around the surroundings, repeatedly checking for further ambushes. He knew that Ma Yuan’s uncharacteristic behavior must be backed by some hidden advantage.

"And what if I don't kneel?" Ma Yuan finally replied.

"You won't?" The man who had been mocking him suddenly radiated a vicious aura. "Then today, if you don't lose an arm, you'll lose a leg. We won't let you leave this academy so easily."

As soon as he finished speaking, his companion lunged at Ma Yuan. They had no intention of using their specialized firearms; with three against one, they were certain they could eliminate him through physical combat alone—or so they assumed.

Seeing this, Ma Yuan took a firm stance, gathering his strength. He charged forward, throwing a punch straight at the man’s face. The man, who was taller than Ma Yuan, simply raised his right hand to block the blow, stepped to the side, and swept his leg, sending Ma Yuan crashing to the ground. The man did not press the attack, allowing Ma Yuan to scramble back to his feet.

Ma Yuan felt a pang of frustration. The gap between himself, raised in a small town, and these scions of prominent families from Yuanzhou and Gaozhou was indeed significant; he had been outmatched in that exchange.

Just as the trio began to taunt him again, a sharp "bang" rang out. A dark silhouette darted forth, and suddenly, a mark appeared on the man who had just struck Ma Yuan. He didn't react at first, but by the time he realized what had happened, it was too late—the mark signified his elimination.

"You brat..." The man bared his teeth, ready to rush over and attack Ma Yuan.

"Stop," Li Qing barked. He held absolute authority among the three. "You cannot strike him again. If you do, the academy will disqualify you on the spot. Besides, even if they played dirty, you are eliminated regardless. Go now; I will avenge you."

The man glared with pure malice. His elimination felt humiliating, and he was deeply resentful. If he had another chance, he would have taken Ma Yuan out immediately.

After the man departed, Li Qing remained calm, looking toward Wang Xian and Ma Yuan, who had just emerged.

"Very well. Your plan was truly excellent. This place is shaded and perfect for concealment. Striking when he was at his most enraged, lowering his guard—I must say, you two are quite impressive." Li Qing smiled. He genuinely admired the pair and, truthfully, would have liked to recruit them.

"I don't know if you have others, but assuming you don't, the two of you are no match for us. If you do have allies, we are at a disadvantage. I offer to surrender; I am very keen on entering the Huali Military Academy." Li Qing’s mind was so cold and calculating that he made his surrender sound like a reasonable business proposition, as if he believed his own prowess was too valuable to be refused.

"You’re right, we do have others," Wang Xian replied. "Originally, dealing with all three of you would have cost us, but now that there are only two of you left, our odds are excellent. However, we cannot take all of you. Of the two of you, we can only take one."

This was a spontaneous decision by Wang Xian, who felt that Li Qing might be useful, but he wanted to see how they would choose.

Li Qing chuckled. "Do you take me for a fool? If one of us is eliminated and you decide to renege on your word, we would have no leverage left at all."

As Li Qing spoke, a shadow fired a shot in his direction. It was Hou Xinjie, whose thin, monkey-like frame was remarkably agile. Li Qing’s reactions were lightning-fast; he lunged to the side and shoved his remaining companion into the path of the bullet.

The man was eliminated instantly, while Li Qing remained unscathed.

A look of cruelty flashed in Li Qing’s eyes as he immediately bolted toward the rear. He knew these people would never let him join them. His talk of surrender had been a ruse—his strategy was to infiltrate the enemy and dismantle them from within.

Ma Yuan moved to chase him, but Wang Xian held him back, shaking his head. Then, Ma Yuan saw Tian Su emerge from the shadows and fire a precise shot into Li Qing’s back. Tian Su had stayed hidden specifically for this moment.

The fleeing Li Qing froze. He had simulated such a scenario in his mind, but he couldn't believe it had actually happened.

Li Qing turned around, his expression twisted. "You really did have more people. A fine plan, a truly fine plan. It seems I, Li Qing, underestimated the freshmen of this year. I concede."

He turned to leave the Weiyang Palace, but paused for a moment. "Though I am eliminated, let me offer you a piece of advice. I fell for this scheme, but there are many others among the freshmen far more formidable than I. Work hard; you may yet serve the country."

With that, Li Qing walked away without another word.

"That man is quite interesting. If he weren't so calculating, I would have considered bringing him into our team," Tian Su said, holstering his weapon. Wang Xian and Ma Yuan nodded; they all realized Li Qing had never intended to surrender in good faith.

"Friends, although we’ve won the first battle, the final victory is still far off. Li Qing was right—he was merely an insignificant player among the freshmen. There are many more hardships ahead if we want to reach the end. Let’s keep going." Tian Su reached out and gestured to the group.

Wang Xian, Ma Yuan, and Hou Xinjie all made a silent vow to themselves: "We must enter the Huali Military Academy."