CHAPTER 222: CHAPTER 222: MISERABLE MILITARY CAMP (3)_1

"Shangguan Qing, Yu Zifeng, step out!" Liu Dabao barked, his voice causing the entire drill field to tremble. Shangguan You and Yu Zijin’s bodies shook inexplicably. How could this be? Just yesterday, Liu Dabao was so kind, yet today he’s turned into a stern judge of the underworld! They had barely exchanged a few words before he flew into a rage.

"Yes, Commander!" Shangguan Qing and Yu Zifeng stepped out together.

"Shangguan You, Yu Zijin, step out!"

"Yes, Commander." Shangguan You rolled her eyes and stepped out. This is the price for being late. Liu Dabao certainly knows how to make an intimidating first impression.

"Disobeying orders, being late, speaking out of turn—all of you, run ten laps around the drill field! The rest of you run five laps! No meals until you’re done! Understood?"

Liu Dabao’s voice echoed across the field, deafeningly loud. Shangguan You glanced at the vast drill field, a chill creeping into her heart. Ten laps... I’ll be finished. I could have faked it, but with so many others running alongside, I can only grit my teeth and endure.

"Understood!"

"Did you understand?"

"Understood!" a few of them yelled, their voices strained. Only then did Liu Dabao nod in satisfaction, barking out commands.

"At ease! Attention! Right face! Forward face! March!"

From the pitch-black predawn to full daylight, then to the sun climbing high, and now with it blazing down mercilessly, Shangguan You felt like she was dying. This isn’t just running; it’s torture! This drill field is enormous—you could drive a car around it several times. After ten laps, I’m almost out of breath.

"Young You, hold on! We’re almost done!" Shangguan Qing said, wiping sweat from his brow as he kept pace with Shangguan You. Yu Zifeng was doing the same for Yu Zijin.

"You haven’t eaten! Run faster! If you keep dragging your feet like snails, I’ll add ten more laps!" Liu Dabao’s death-summons of a voice rang out again, prompting Shangguan You and the others to speed up slightly.

I really want to tell Liu Dabao that we haven’t eaten! Not just dinner, but no breakfast either! Naturally, we have no energy to run. If it weren’t for the Jade Dew Pills sustaining us, we’d all have collapsed by now, unable to run under this sun! This was what Shangguan You desperately wanted to say.

"Brother Qing, let’s stop running. Let’s rest," Shangguan You whispered breathlessly. She was already planning to use an Obedience Curse on Liu Dabao to make him let them off easily. Compared to running, cultivating Spiritual Energy is much better suited for me; the only pain comes during breakthroughs.

"No! We came here to train ourselves. We can’t be defeated by the minor hardship of running! Keep pushing, Young You!" Shangguan Qing encouraged, keeping in step with Shangguan You.

「Half an hour later.」

All four were sprawled on the ground, gasping for air. Ten laps. Ten laps, finally completed! They could rest for a while at last.

"Rest for half an hour! In half an hour, assemble at the back mountain!" Liu Dabao’s death-summons of a voice roared again.

Shangguan You just wanted to lie there. All my muscles are aching, my legs feel like jelly, and I don’t even have the strength to move a finger. And now we have to assemble at the back mountain? Is he trying to kill us?

"Youyou, are you okay?" Gui Mo asked, looking at her worriedly. She was drenched in sweat from head to toe.

"I have a problem, a very big one."

"Young You, why don’t you all head back to the dormitory and rest for the afternoon? We’ll ask Liu Dabao for leave," Gui Jun and Zhang Yuchen suggested, their faces etched with concern as they looked at the collapsed figures. Five laps had nearly killed them; ten laps without food could be deadly.

"No! Since we’ve started this, we must see it through!" Yu Zifeng declared firmly after taking a deep breath.

"That’s right, Young You! We can’t bring shame to the Shangguan Family!" Shangguan Qing helped Shangguan You up, his eyes glinting with determination. No matter the hardship, only by enduring suffering can one rise above others.

"Right, we can’t disgrace our Shangguan Family!" Shangguan You nodded.

Yu Zijin, who had initially considered giving up, looked at Shangguan You and Shangguan Qing and clenched her teeth. If Shangguan You, who’s younger than me, can do it, then I can too! The Yu Family will not lose to the Shangguan Family!

With no food left in the cafeteria, the four of them had no choice but to return to the dormitory on empty stomachs and quickly take showers. While Yu Zijin was showering, Shangguan You even managed to slip into her private space to bathe and eat some fruit. She also prepared some for Shangguan Qing and the others. She was afraid they wouldn’t be able to handle it, especially Shangguan Qing, who was in the same state as her.

Liu Dabao watched their retreating figures, an unconscious nod of approval escaping him. I really didn’t think they’d last ten laps. I was sure they couldn’t persist, but they did, and without fainting. The princesses of the Yu and Shangguan Families... they’re truly admirable.

"The young ladies from the Shangguan and Yu Families aren’t bad at all, are they? Daughters can be just as capable as sons," Gui Yongjun remarked, patting Liu Dabao’s shoulder with a smile. Liu Dabao’s way of asserting authority was a bit too harsh. If these kids couldn’t take it, how would I explain it to the Chief?

"They did well. I didn’t expect them to endure it," Liu Dabao agreed, nodding.

"If it had been those boys from the Gui and Zhang Families, they might have endured it too. Next time, I’ll have to let them have a taste of ten laps as well. This ’soul-stirring’ experience is quite something, isn’t it? I believe after ten laps, they’ll truly understand what endurance means."

"Liu Dabao, the Chief entrusted these kids to you for training, not to be driven to their deaths!"

"I *am* training them! I’m making them shed their ’young miss’ and ’young master’ attitudes, so they won’t go around boasting about whose daughter or son they are every chance they get!" Liu Dabao retorted, a deeper meaning in his words.

"Training is fine, but it must be within their capabilities. Don’t overdo it. If something goes wrong, it won’t be easy to explain. Besides, Young You is only sixteen and still growing; you can’t push her too hard. Anyway, just keep a closer eye on them. This is their first time in a military camp," Gui Yongjun advised softly. If I didn’t say something, Liu Dabao might really push them to their deaths.

"Mm," Liu Dabao grunted, already having a plan for their training. Glancing at his wristwatch, he then headed towards the back mountain. The back mountain is an excellent training ground. I’m sure this ’soul-stirring’ experience will be unforgettable for them.