Chapter 14: Really Impressive
Translator: BeetleBarker Editor: Efydatia
What was a reassessment?
In short, a reassessment was a last chance. Luo Yunyang had already learned the meaning of a reassessment when he had been in Donglu Town.
Back then, Xiong Zhenshan used to say that only weaklings needed a reassessment.
“That’s utter rubbish!” Zhu Yan was furious as he pointed at the greasy man in the military uniform and shouted, “Even if the machine had a malfunction, Luo Yunyang could take the test again. What… What right do you have to let him be reassessed?”
“I’m the examiner!” the greasy man replied coolly. “I will drop this matter because you are a Rising Dragon Army Officer, but you need to get out of here right now!”
Xue Mingcheng seemed a little frenetic. His calm, collected demeanor vanished as he turned to Zhu Yan and said, “You are a member of the Rising Dragon Army. You know the rules. Obedience is a soldier’s most important duty. Understand?”
Zhu Yan glanced at Xue Mingcheng and then looked at the face of the greasy examiner. Suddenly, he was enlightened.
“To hell with you! This time, I’ll go all out, even if I have to risk my place in the Rising Dragon Army. I won’t turn a blind eye as you scoundrels do as you please. You are distorting the truth! I can’t believe that there isn’t a place in the entire Rising Dragon Army where I can argue with reason!”
Luo Yunyang was flooded by a feeling of gratitude. He and Zhu Yan did not have a very profound relationship, yet Zhu Yan was speaking out on his behalf, despite the fact that he was gambling with his own destiny.
The greasy-looking man looked a little embarrassed. He had not expected that Zhu Yan would actually humiliate him.
“Get out of here! He crashed the exam room, so his chance at a reassessment is revoked!” the man shouted fiercely. He was on the verge of becoming hysterical.
Zhu Yan wanted to resist, but he and Luo Yunyang were already surrounded by at least 10 stern-looking men wielding long blades.
The men gathered together, giving off an oppressive vibe.
Zhu Yan took a deep breath and pulled Luo Yunyang away. Then, he turned to stare at the examiner and Xue Mingcheng. “This is the Rising Dragon Army, not your backyards. We will go now!”
Luo Yunyang followed Zhu Yan as he walked past the soldiers and headed away.
“You were really unlucky to be with me this time,” Zhu Yan told Luo Yunyang as they walked out of the large doors.
Luo Yunyang wasn’t pleased, yet he didn’t complain.
“Don’t worry about it, Brother Zhu. It was just a Rising Dragon Army elite class. I will definitely be able to get into a better class in the future.”
Zhu Yan patted Luo Yunyang’s shoulders and laughed heartily. “Well said! When one door shuts, another one opens. Let’s go somewhere better!”
Numerous eyes watched as the two figures swaggered off into the distance.
Xue Mingcheng made a sound of disgust. “What a man! He even dared to challenge Brother Lee! He should take a look at himself before he comments on other people’s moral integrity!”
As he spoke, he glanced at the greasy-looking man with a smile.
The man didn’t look happy. He stared at Xue Mingcheng expressionlessly before he said coldly, “Scram!”
Xue Mingcheng felt completely humiliated. He had already reached the rank of a Major, so he wasn’t considered a nobody in the Rising Dragon Army.
Nevertheless, Brother Lee, whom he had always had a good relationship with, had just cursed at him. He didn’t have any dignity left anymore.
The instructor didn’t care about Xue Mingcheng’s feelings. He just turned to the soldiers next to him and said icily, “Candidate Luo Yunyang lacked discipline, so his assessment rights were revoked. Change the practise target and carry on with the assessment.”
As he said this, his torch-like gaze swept over the other candidates with a menacing glare.
No one challenged him. The candidates didn’t even dare make a sound.
The Rising Dragon Army soldiers had already carried a new practise target in, so the assessment was about to be continued.
“Such arrogance! I never really expected that you would be so capable, Lee Xiaoyong!” The indifferent voice belonged to the Flame Emperor, who was standing a short distance away and glaring at him coldly.
The instant the examiner named Lee Xiaoyong saw the Flame Emperor, the look on his face changed. He now looked as though his own father had died.
He had not expected that this matter would catch the commander’s attention.
“Commander, I…” Lee Xiaoyong racked his brains in an effort to think of a rational explanation for the situation at hand.
The Flame Emperor’s eyes were fixed on him. A majestic pressure rose from him and spread in every direction.
Almost every martialist took a few steps back.
“Why?” The Flame Emperor’s voice was like a volcanic eruption that broke the silence.
Lee Xiaoyong hesitated before he stammered, “Luo Yunyang’s rank evaluation was…. It was instigated by Xue Mingcheng. At the time, I thought that Donglu Town’s land was barren and simply couldn’t produce a D-rank elite. That’s why I evaluated Luo Yunyang as G-rank. Believe your subordinate, Commander. I really didn’t have any selfish motives!”
The Flame Emperor did not say anything. The other Rising Dragon Army soldiers didn’t understand why he had invalidated Luo Yunyang’s results either.
“I would let him be reassessed so the Rising Dragon Army would not lose his talent. I only did it because I wanted to keep him for the Rising Dragon Army!”
As he watched Lee Xiaoyong try his utmost to explain, the Flame Emperor slowly raised his palm up. A pulsing scarlet blaze had appeared on it.
A man walked over to the Flame Emperor hurriedly and whispered something in his ear.
The Flame Emperor’s expression changed. In the end, he did not release the blaze on his outstretched hand.
“Your only task now is to get Luo Yunyang to join the Rising Dragon Army. If you fail, you will have to go and complete three A-rank missions.”
The Flame Emperor’s voice was low, but there was an unquestionable implication to it.
Three A-rank missions? Everyone was looking at Lee Xiaoyong with pity.
He might as well take his own life!
“And you… You are out of the Rising Dragon Army!” The Flame Emperor stared at Xue Mingcheng.
Xue Mingcheng’s whole body was trembling. He had been striving for many years to get to the position he had.
Now, everything had been ruined.
As he faced the Flame Emperor, he didn’t have any way to explain himself.
“Which direction did they head in?” Lee Xiaoyong bellowed at a soldier when the Flame Emperor left.
The soldier was dumbfounded for a second. Then, he realized who Lee Xiaoyong was talking about and pointed. “Outside!”
Lee Xiaoyong rushed out like a lunatic.
Three A-rank missions would be as good as dying three times.
***
“Luo Yunyang, this is the Royal Forest Military Chang’an Headquarters. You just wait here a moment while I contact someone.” Zhu Yan had taken Luo Yunyang to a huge building a few kilometers away.
The building’s exterior wasn’t like the Rising Dragon Army’s headquarters, but there were some similarities between the two. The most notable one was its somber atmosphere.
As Luo Yunyang looked at the large building, he thought about his experience that day.
Everything had been supposed to go smoothly, yet the outcome had been very disappointing. This made Luo Yunyang conclude that relying on oneself was better than relying on others.
Strength was a true source of power.
If one relied on oneself…
Five minutes later, Zhu Yan came out. Luo Yunyang saw a hint of disappointment on his face.
“Let’s go somewhere else!” Zhu Yan said calmly, smiling at Luo Yunyang.
Luo Yunyang nodded. Although he had not been there, he was sure that Zhu Yan had used all sorts of methods to help him.
He had to thank Zhu Yan.
One, two, three…
Zhu Yan took Luo Yunyang to five military headquarters in Chang’an. Each time, he didn’t take Luo Yunyang in with him. Every time he came out, Luo Yunyang could see that he was exhausted and humiliated.
Zhu Yan was about to say something, when his watch suddenly started beeping frantically. He glanced at it and pressed something.
When it stopped beeping, Zhu Yan groaned. “Crap!”
Luo Yunyang wanted to ask him who it was, but he chose to remain silent instead. It was best not to provoke a short-tempered man.
The sun in the sky had slowly started to disappear. If they had been in Donglu Town, people would be locking their doors and going to sleep by now.
However, Chang’an was lit by many different lights, as if it was still daytime. Actually, there were even more pedestrians out than during the day.
“We’ll try again tomorrow. Let’s get some rest now.” As Zhu Yan spoke, he led Luo Yunyang to a black three-story building.
“This is the Little Prosperity Hotel!”
The moment they stepped through the hotel’s entrance, a lady came rushing over, pointing her fingers at Zhu Yan and snarling like an angry lion. “Well done, Zhu Yan! You actually turned off your watch. You… You have no idea how long I have been looking for you! I’m so mad!”
Although the lady was furious, she was still very good-looking.
When Luo Yunyang saw Gu Qianqian, a faint smile appeared on his face. He sensibly took two steps back.
He suddenly noticed a girl standing next to Gu Qianqian. It was a nicely-dressed girl around his age.
The girl gave him a shy smile.
Five minutes later, the four of them were sitting before an oily table. Gu Qianqian was trying to console Luo Yunyang. “Don’t get discouraged. The Rising Dragon Army isn’t the only place in the world. As long as you are strong, you will find a place where you belong! There will come a time when you will not want to join them, even if they beg you to!”
Gu Qianqian’s comforting words warmed Luo Yunyang’s heart. However, he suddenly felt that the young girl sitting across from him was treating him coldly.
It was a sort of coldness that could be felt without being seen.
“Damn it! Why do I encounter scum wherever I go?” Zhu Yan couldn’t help but curse as he looked up and saw Lee Xiaoyong walk over.