Chapter 242: Choice
As the students murmured among themselves about what had just happened aboard the flying vessel, the short-haired female soldier returned. She swept her gaze over them, and the cabin immediately fell silent.
At her signal, several soldiers came forward and set a large bamboo basket in the middle of the cabin. Two earthenware jars were placed on either side of it, one filled with black stones and the other with white stones.
The students were at a loss.
The short-haired female soldier said, "I have reported the cultivator's plea for aid to the Academy commandant leading this expedition. Since this concerns your training, after due consideration, the commandant has decided to leave the choice to you. See that bamboo basket? If you believe we should rescue them, cast a white stone into it. If not, cast a black one.
"Let me remind you: make your decision quickly. That talisman message may not have been sent just now. It may have come from much earlier and merely happened to reach us. If we delay too long, perhaps everyone there will already be dead before we arrive."
The moment she said this, several students were eager to act, their eyes all fixed on the white stones.
But then she added, "However, I must add that this could be a trap. We have encountered similar situations before. If we rush there rashly, all of us may be buried alongside them. Think it over carefully."
Pointing to the timepiece beside her, she said, "You have only half a quarter-hour. After that, I will return to verify the result, and that will be the final decision."
With that, she turned and walked out, leaving the students behind.
The students who had been preparing to cast white stones immediately hesitated, their hearts filled