The next day.
Early that morning, word somehow spread that Bai Qixue was going to spar with Captain Luo Yan. Everyone who wasn't out on a mission crowded toward the Training Hall.
"I heard Captain Bai and Captain Luo already fought once at Great Wall Base, and Captain Luo even won by one move!"
"I heard about that too. Don't you think Captain Luo's rise has been too meteoric? He joined the Dragon Riders less than a year ago, became captain of the Earthly Department, and now even Captain Bai is seeking him out to practice swordsmanship."
"Exactly. I'm so jealous I could die. If Captain Bai asked me to practice swordsmanship with her, I'd gladly give up three years of my life."
"No, if Captain Bai asked you to practice swordsmanship with her, her first strike would send you to meet the King of Hell. The question of losing a few years of your life wouldn't even arise."
"I can't be that bad, can I?"
"It isn't a question of whether you're bad or not. Your problem is that you have no self-awareness."
The Training Hall was packed with people, but after waiting for ages, they still saw no sign of Bai Qixue or Captain Luo Yan.
"Those idiots. Captain Bai already took our captain away this morning, yet they still think the two of them are sparring in the Training Hall."
Across from the Training Hall, Li Musen took a forceful bite of his steamed bun.
Beside him, Dong Yuan squatted on the ground and took a sip of soybean milk before chuckling. "Did you see how nervous Deputy Captain Bai looked this morning? I bet she'll be distracted all day."
Li Musen nodded. "I'd be the same. That's Bai Qixue we're talking about—her competitiveness is off the