A violent fist brushed past Qin Hao's face. With the aid of his divine sense, he barely managed to dodge. Had he been a fraction slower, his head would have been blown apart.
"What!?" Luo Zhuo was stunned. How could a mere rookie trainee evade an attack from a rank three martial warrior like him? It was utterly inconceivable.
At the very moment my fist was about to land, he moved in a strange, subtle way and slipped past it, Luo Zhuo thought. It must be a high level movement technique. If I can get my hands on it, my strength would skyrocket, I'd definitely be promoted. Greed flickered in Luo Zhuo's eyes as he stared intently at Qin Hao.
Suddenly, Luo Zhuo's eyelids twitched. When he tried to seize Qin Hao again, the boy vanished from his grasp.
"Fast! Just what kind of technique is this?" Luo Zhuo exclaimed inwardly. "Could it be a sixth rank or even seventh rank martial technique?"
It was extremely difficult for a low level martial master to practice a high rank martial technique. Not only it was time consuming, it was also strenuous for the body. Most martial master would choose to practice martial techniques of similar rank.
Qin Hao was already some distance away. His face was pale as paper. Even with divine sense activated, dodging that blow had pushed him to his limits. His muscles screamed in protest, and his entire body throbbed with pain.
"Brat, hand over your movement technique," Luo Zhuo threatened coldly. "I can consider sparing your life."
Even though it was difficult to practice high rank martial techniques but for Luo Zhuo who had little talent for martial arts it was a treasure.
Qin Hao spat on the ground and sneered, his defiance further stoking Luo Zhuo's fury.
Just as Luo Zhuo was about to strike again, he abruptly halted.
A man clad in a green robe appeared before them without warning.
"Lieutenant!" Luo Zhuo stammered, eyes widening.
"A lieutenant!?"
Everyone's attention snapped to the green robed figure who had appeared as silently as a ghost.
Three dazzling stars gleamed on the man's chest, marking his rank. His gaze was sharp and indifferent. Though his body was concealed beneath loose robes, the powerful build beneath was impossible to hide.
"Lieutenant?" Qin Hao narrowed his eyes. His divine sense was fully activated, and he had clearly perceived the man's movement, it was unbelievably fast, like a blurred shadow. Luo Zhuo couldn't even be mentioned in the same breath. So this is a lieutenant… Qin Hao thought. At the very least, peak rank seven perhaps even rank eight.
The only question occupying his mind was whether this man would stand against him or not.
"I have been observing for some time, Senior Guard Luo," the lieutenant said calmly. His voice was cold and emotionless, revealing nothing of his thoughts. "You've made quite the disturbance in the middle of the night."
"Sir!" Luo Zhuo quickly responded, bowing deeply. "A rookie trainee barged into the senior trainee camp, assaulted multiple seniors, and even gravely injured one of them. I had no choice but to step in and apprehend the criminal. Yet not only did he resist, he also disobeyed my orders, a clear act of insubordination."
"Please, sir, pass judgment on this matter."
"Qin Hao is finished!"
"He brought this on himself."
"Did he really think he was someone important?"
Several senior trainees whispered among themselves, gloating openly.
From the corner of his eye, Pei Hong wore a cold smile.
The lieutenant's gaze swept across the crowd before finally settling on Qin Hao.
"What do you have to say?" he asked.
Qin Hao's nerves tightened. His body was ready to flee at a moment's notice. Still, since he was given a chance to speak, he stepped forward and saluted.
"Reporting to the lieutenant," Qin Hao said steadily. "I only sought justice for a fellow comrade. I had no intention of violating military regulations. However, Trainer Luo and his subordinates acted tyrannically. They committed crimes, oppressed fellow soldiers, and even resorted to murder to silence witnesses. I could not stand by and watch such injustice unfold."
"Sir, this boy is lying!" Luo Zhuo roared. "Do you think the lieutenant would fall for your tricks? How dare you slander me!"
Cold sweat trickled down Pei Hong's forehead. The lieutenant's arrival was completely unexpected. Even with his brother's connections to a squad leader, it meant nothing. Each lieutenant commanded several squad leaders. He thought just his words would be enough to convince the lieutenant but didn't expect the latter to ask Qin Hao if he had something to speak in his defence.
"Killing?" The lieutenant raised an eyebrow. "Explain."
"Reporting to the lieutenant…" Qin Hao recounted everything that had happened over the past week.
Jiang Fei stepped forward as well. "Sir, everything he said is true." She revealed how Pei Hong had threatened her, abducted her brother, and eventually murdered him.
One by one, others began to speak up. More of Pei Hong's past misdeeds were exposed.
Pei Hong's face drained of color. Even his own henchmen quietly distanced themselves.
After hearing everything, the lieutenant's gaze turned icy. He produced a pendant and flicked it into the air. A sharp, piercing sound rang out. Moments later, more than twenty soldiers rushed in each a rank four or rank five martial warrior.
"Men," the lieutenant commanded, "apprehend everyone connected to Pei Hong. Conduct a thorough investigation."
He then turned his cold gaze toward Luo Zhuo. "Don't think I'm unaware of what you've been doing."
Luo Zhuo nearly collapsed in fear.
"Take him away," the lieutenant said with a wave of his hand.
Finally, he looked at Qin Hao and Jiang Fei. "You two report to the command center tomorrow." With that, he turned and left.
"Qin Hao," Jiang Fei said earnestly, staring straight at him. "I don't know how to repay you. You stood up for me despite the danger, even though we weren't close. I will remember this kindness for the rest of my life."
"Haha, don't mention it," Qin Hao replied awkwardly, scratching his head. The second consciousness had already withdrawn from control. "We're comrades. We'll be fighting on the same battlefield someday."
"No," Jiang Fei said firmly. "I will repay this debt one day."
At a loss for words, Qin Hao could only nod.
Under the gaze of the crowd, the two returned to their respective barracks.
"I never expected the lieutenant to appear," Qin Hao said as they walked. "What would you have done if he hadn't?"
"His appearance surprised me as well," the second consciousness replied. "From Pei Hong's reaction, it was unexpected for him too. If the lieutenant hadn't shown up, I would've caused an even bigger disturbance to attract higher authority."
"That was reckless," Qin Hao muttered. "What if you'd lost to Trainer Luo?"
"I would never lose." Second consciousness chuckled and continued. "It's simpler than you think. Without major incidents, higher ups rarely interfere with low level conflicts. In fact, competition and fighting are encouraged. Pei Hong and his brother exploited this, committing unforgivable crimes while believing they were untouchable."
"To break that balance, all I had to do was draw attention. With justice on our side, there was nothing to fear. Beating them was merely part of the plan. I didn't expect Trainer Luo to be corrupt as well but fortune favored us."
Qin Hao let out a long breath. "At least it's finally over. I can sleep in peace."
The second consciousness darkened. "Sleep? Stop slacking off. You need to train."
"Alright, alright," Qin Hao grumbled.
Reluctantly, he climbed out of bed and headed toward the training grounds.