Chapter 31: The Weak Don't Have the Power to Speak.

"Why?  Do you guys have the qualifications to ask this?"  The examiner sneered.

Han Jijun didn't panic over the examiner's question; rather, he calmly explained:  "Isn't the exam over?  Didn't you state it at the start – once we reach the end, it means that the speed and endurance test is complete.  We have the right to refuse your command.”

Han Jijun knew that everyone was at the very end of their ropes.  For a few of the kids, even something as simple as standing up was done out of sheer will.  Don't just say attacking the examiner – even taking a single step would be impossible.

The examiner looked at Han Jijun, admiration flas.h.i.+ng quickly through his eyes.  This child was calm and decisive.  He wasn't willing to give up on his ideas just because the other person was stronger.  He knew how to argue and his a.n.a.lysis ability was very strong.  His thoughts were clearly organized and was good at capturing the key point of things, detecting the loopholes in words.  This kid was definitely a good military advisor seedling.

However, no matter how much he admired Han Jijun, he would not change his decision.  His mouth carried a hint of a sarcastic smile:  "Brat.  Today, this1 examiner will let you guys know a truth that you must understand if you want to mix in this world — the weak don't have the power to speak."

He sternly swept his gaze over these kids that had been enraged by his words.  The ten pairs of unyielding eyes full of barely restrained violence made him feel very satisfied.  If they didn't have even a little bit of guts, they were probably spoiled to waste by their parents.

When the examiner's eager observation fell on Ling Lan, he was taken aback.  Ling Lan's eyes were the calmest of the ten, as still as stagnant water, making it difficult for people to see past the surface.  Was he scared?  Or did he already see through him?  Or was he simply indifferent?  The examiner's brow wrinkled slightly and thoughtfully glanced at Ling Lan a few times.

The examiner couldn't know that the killing aura that saturated his entire body had no effect on Ling Lan.  She had grown up under No. 1's formidable oppression; this kind of shallow threat didn't cause Ling Lan to feel that much pressure.

"You are all free to reject my command; however, your speed and endurance scores, sorry, won't be high enough for you to pa.s.s."  The examiner withdrew his curiosity towards Ling Lan and changed his expression, his killing aura becoming subdued.  Instead, he grinned evilly, as if the killing aura from before was just an illusion.  His mouth spoke cruel words that destroyed the children's hope.

This sentence caused Ling Lan and the group's expressions to turn extremely ugly.  They had come with the sure confidence of entering the best scout academy, not to return home with the shame of being unable to pa.s.s.

"We have the right to make a complaint."  Han Jijun's young face was extremely cold.  He was an intelligent child, but no matter how intelligent, he had no idea how to deal with this kind of unreasonable soldier.  He felt a kind of rage bloom in his chest; for the first time, he felt the anger and resentment of being weak.

"NO! NO! NO!2  Did you kids not see the examinee criteria?  Children who make a complaint will have their grades from this year canceled.  Could it be that you want to wait to next year to test again?"  The examiner smiled and shook his head as he slowly walked in front of Han Jijun.  He bent slightly over, his eyes holding ridicule with a bit of play as he stared at the angry boy.  Slowly, he spoke word by word, "Clever year repeaters!"

This demeanor, these words, the absolute contempt in that stare – it really put people in a bad mood.  Ya de, this examiner really made people want to pummel him.

Made people want to pummel him?  A bunch of black lines appeared on Ling Lan's face and, promptly, she yelled into her sea of consciousness:  "Xiao Si, you dare trespa.s.s again?”

Xiao Si finally wiggled himself out of a corner with an unhappy face.  His cute little face was crumpled into a ball, transforming from a cute bun to a soup dumpling.  He pouted in dissatisfaction:  "He's too hateful, he dares to bully little kids!"

Alright, Ling Lan hadn't been angered yet and was hanging out in her mind.  Only Xiao Si, with his five to six year old mentality, was riled up by the examiner:  "Master, help me beat him."

Ling Lan's mouth exposed a smile:  "Benefits?"

Xiao Si was bewildered; he didn't expect comrade Ling Lan to actually seize the opportunity to make a request.  Did she not know that he was angry for her sake?

"Why?"  Xiao Si felt wronged.  Why wasn't his host angry?

"You said it – you want me to help you pummel him.  Since it's help, of course there needs to be a benefit."  Ling Lan's smiling face made Xiao Si feel that there wasn't that much difference between Ling Lan and the examiner outside – they only knew how to bully little kids.  

"He's bullying you, why aren't you angry?"  Xiao Si couldn't understand.  Even he was upset over the way the examiner was bullying people.  How could Ling Lan be so calm?

"Bullying?  I don't feel it's like that."  She certainly didn't understand the reason for the examiner's actions; however, she couldn't feel any malice from his posture.

Ling Lan was really grateful for No. 1 and No. 9's oppression in these past years.  It allowed her to gain this vague ability that wasn't like an ability and allowed her to become capable of somewhat sensing the malicious and murderous intent of others towards herself.  Of course, according to mentor No. 1's words, Ling Lan's ability was only at the beginning phase.  It didn't have much use – in truth, it was really quite a waste.  If she encountered some powerful experts or killers, Ling Lan wouldn't be able to feel anything before she ceased to exist.

Ling Lan's words caused Xiao Si to immediately jump up and down.  His host couldn't be super dimwitted could she?  She already had her face stepped on, yet said that she didn't feel it.

Ling Lan was just about to comfort Xiao Si when the color in her face suddenly changed.  Outside, she felt that the atmosphere around Qilong didn't feel right.  His spiritual power actually began violently act up.

"Help me find a solution to the test that mentor No. 1 will give in three days!"  Ling Lan directly threw down her request and ignored Xiao Si's protest before rus.h.i.+ng out of the sea of consciousness.  There was something wrong about Qilong's situation, she had to be careful.

Ling Lan's mental state at the moment was tightly coiled.  Her body leaned slightly forwards, her hands were minutely bent downwards – one above and one below, appearing like a cross shape.  Her right leg s.h.i.+fted backwards, the tip of foot tapping the ground — this was a posture that allowed her to easily erupt her body's full degree of force.  This was one of the basic boxing skills that she had learned from No. 9 this year – it could attack and defend.

At this time, the Qilong's originally lowered head suddenly looked up.  What appeared in front of everyone was his pair of red eyes, full of killing intent.  However, this murderous intent was only towards the examiner; it seemed that the examiner's choice to play around with Han Jijun enraged Qilong and caused him to explode.

The examiner felt Qilong's full body killing intent, a touch of surprise flas.h.i.+ng through his eyes.  He jumped back suddenly.  At the moment of landing, he had already adjusted his aura and posture, his gaze filing with strong concentration.  

Qilong let out a shout and rushed up like a projectile, he smashed at the examiner fiercely with his tightly clenched fist.  Everyone heard a loud 'peng' noise that caused a giant cloud of dust, nearly blocking their view.  

Could it be that Qilong managed to hit the examiner?  And caused the examiner to viciously fall to the ground?  Because the other children couldn't see clearly, they looked at each other in confusion, not knowing what to do.

Only Ling Lan's face turned grim as her eyebrows rose slightly.  Because other people couldn't see the situation on the field, they didn't know what happened.  Ling Lan, however, saw it clearly.  With the help of Xiao Si, she could perfectly see Qilong and the examiner's actions, her view wouldn't be affected by the dirt cloud.

Translated by somnious, unedited

TL's Note:  I went back and edited the previous chapters!  I've also changed Yangshen Cultivation from the various different versions to the Chinese pinyin, 'Yangshen Qijue'.

1 本 (běn): He uses an arrogant/higher/more formal way of addressing himself.

2 These three 'nos' were initially in English lol.