Oh no! Seven kids at the start, all yellow and skinny.

Chapter 318 Team Combat

"Young Miss, you're finally out!" Yun Hong was very excited to see Yun Yi. "Everyone is waiting for your next instructions."

Yunyi nodded: "That's right."

Shi Tou had woken up and was a little embarrassed when he saw Yun Yi.

"Actually, you're quite good. It's just that you missed this opportunity. There will be other chances in the future." Yunyi patted Shitou's shoulder. "You've seen a ghost! Most people wouldn't have the courage for that. You can't really blame him."

“Okay.” Stone nodded.

“You’ve all rested for two days now, so let’s move on to the third test. This time it’s not free survival, but… a duel.” Yunyi smiled. “There are twenty-six of you now. You’ll draw lots to form two teams, and each team will have a captain. Then, I’ll place a flag in a designated spot. The team that gets the flag first wins. Do you understand?”

Everyone nodded, clearly understanding.

Next, Yunyi explained the rules and taboos, and then they drew lots, quickly dividing into two teams.

The team leader is either nominated by themselves or nominated by themselves.

Finally, the captain of Team One was Luo Yu, and the captain of Team Two was Lao Chu.

Yunyi personally led the team into the mountains, planted the flag on a hilltop where they could see it, and then announced the start of the competition, with a one-day time limit.

This time, Yunyi didn't leave, but stood on a high place to observe the progress of the two teams.

"Miss, Old Chu and Luo Yu are both former secret guards, why did you make them captains?" Yun Hong asked, somewhat puzzled.

“They are experienced.” Yunyi’s gaze fell on the figures in the distance. “But they are used to working alone. Making them captains is to let them know that teamwork is essential.” She paused for a moment. “Besides, I didn’t choose them; everyone chose them.”

Yun Hong touched her nose, gave an awkward laugh, and realized she had forgotten about it.

There's a saying, "Looking at a mountain makes a horse run itself to death." Even if they could see the flag on the mountaintop, or even Yunyi standing next to it, getting there would still be a lot of trouble. A day is really not enough time, so everyone is working like their lives depend on it.

Finally, after most of the day, the two teams met at the foot of the mountain.

This time, however, it wasn't a cooperative relationship, but an adversarial one, and so, the fighting began.

Finally, Luo Yu was the first to rush to the top of the mountain and pull down the flag.

The first team cheered, while the second team lowered their heads in disappointment.

"Do you think Team One won?" Yunyi asked with a smile.

Everyone was a bit confused. Wasn't it supposed to be whoever got the flag who won? Now that Luo Yu had pulled the flag, didn't he win?

"Luo Yu, do you think you've won?" Yun Yi asked Luo Yu.

Luo Yu looked at his teammates, and although he was puzzled, he nodded: "I won." He then raised his flag.

"The rules do state that whoever gets the flag wins, but you have twelve teammates, and now you're the only one alive." Yunyi smiled. "Do you still think you've won?"

Luo Yu opened his mouth, but suddenly found he couldn't answer.

"As I said, this is a team operation that requires cooperation between each other. However, although you performed very well just now, you were still fighting alone and you did not protect your teammates."

Luo Yu's face flushed slightly.

“You might not agree with what I’m saying, but ask yourself, if you were attacking a city with the enemy, even if you managed to breach the city gates by yourself, without anyone to support you, how long could you hold out?” Yunyi said, pointing to Lao Chu’s group. “Lao Chu also had twelve men behind him, but only four of them were killed, and nine are still alive. Tell me, if they were to launch a counterattack now, how long could you hold out?”

Luo Yu nodded, then knelt on one knee: "Chief, you are right, Luo Yu knows his mistake."

"I've said it before, I'm training you for teamwork. I don't need individual killers; I need a team that can be called upon and fight without hesitation. I need the entire team to unite as one, a group of people who can act like one person. That's what I need."

"We will heed the instructions of our leader." Everyone knelt down on one knee.

"Alright, training is over. Everyone go back and rest for a couple of days. The next step will be an even tougher selection process."

"Yes." The group responded and began to retreat.

At the foot of the mountain, Zhou Jinghan pushed Zhou Jingyu and waited for Yun Yi to come down the mountain, partly so that they could talk more easily.

"Seventh Brother, how's the situation in Longxi City?"

"Don't worry. The city's defenses over there are completely under my control. Gu Chengrui is also making good progress in Tianyang City. I believe it won't be long before the entire Longxi region is under our control."

“Hmm.” Zhou Jingyu nodded. “That guy in the capital is getting more and more absurd.”

"Yes, I just received news that they're going to build the Star-Picking Pavilion and select forty-nine boys and girls." Zhou Jinghan's expression was rather grim. "If this continues, our Great Zhou will be doomed."

"Seventh Brother, your tone of voice is starting to sound more and more like Yunyi's."

"Right? After all, they're going to be husband and wife, it's normal for them to act like that."

Zhou Jingyu couldn't help but laugh, but quickly suppressed his smile: "So, that person just pretended to be deaf and dumb about what happened at Tianyi Temple before?"

Zhou Jinghan fell silent. After all, several months had passed, and there was still no news about the case. "Perhaps we should go back to Beijing."

Even if there are people in the capital, it is still difficult to send a message here because of the distance.

"The Fang family has already set off and should arrive in about ten days. You can go back with them then."

“Okay.” Zhou Jinghan nodded. “But what about Longxi…”

"Huo Qingyuan can die now."

Zhou Jinghan nodded. If Huo Qingyuan died, the court would have to appoint a new commander. At that time, they could send their own people over.

"Has something happened to Bai Jianming?" Zhou Jingyu asked again. "It's been a month since the New Year, and he still hasn't come back."

"I heard it's a health issue, but there's no definite news yet."

“I’ve sent Feng Yang back to the capital. Let’s talk about it when he gets back.” Zhou Jingyu took a deep breath. Feng Yang will not only go back to find A Yun, but he will also gather some information to bring back.

"Oh, right, there's also some news coming out of the palace." Zhou Jinghan's brows furrowed deeply.

"What news?" Zhou Jingyu sensed the seriousness in his younger brother's tone and couldn't help but turn to look at him.

“They’re from the You Ran Palace…” Zhou Jinghan paused, “very likely…”

“You Ran Palace?” Zhou Jingyu frowned. “Isn’t that the Cold Palace? Isn’t that where Consort Ran, who had an affair with a guard, is imprisoned? He ordered that no one was allowed to approach… Could there be another hidden story?”

*****

(Time flies, it's already the last day of 2024, everyone! May you all be rich next year! See you next year, see you tomorrow!)