No matter whether they spoke the truth or lies, it didn't really matter to Daniel.
Because even if he became as round as a ball, Ren Yunying would still have to bring him along on her missions.
Early one morning, Chloe had just crawled out of bed when she was informed that she would be going to the Barren Planet for training with her companions.
Chloe was dragged there in a daze by Anderson to gather at the training grounds.
Ren Yunying stood at the front, whip hanging at her waist, her expression as stern and cold as ever.
Seeing Chloe's appearance, she said displeasingly, "Chloe, wake up."
Upon hearing her voice, Chloe felt a little afraid.
She hurriedly opened her eyes and looked at Ren Yunying attentively.
On the training grounds were not only them, but also Qin Huaibei, Daniel, and Katherine.
However, their spirits were a bit better than Chloe's.
Chloe yawned, "Instructor, why are we going to the Barren Planet again?"
"Yeah," Qin Huaibei couldn't quite understand either, "We just came back from the Joint Military Academy Competition, and finally didn't have to go to the Barren Planet anymore. How come we have to go there for training again shortly after returning to the academy?"
Ren Yunying said, "You're not like ordinary students."
Her gaze swept over them one by one, "Among the students this year, you are the most outstanding, and also the champions of the Joint Military Academy Competition. These past few days, people from the military districts have been contacting our academy constantly, saying they want to reserve you for work in their districts."
Military districts?
Everyone exchanged glances, their hearts made up.
This was certainly one of the reasons they joined the military academy.
As the champions of the competition, Qin Huaibei could enter the Human Race's military district as a leader without taking exams, and the same applied to Daniel and Katherine.
Moreover, the resources within The No.1 Military Academy would also be greatly tilted in their favor.
In short, participating in the Joint Military Academy Competition offered immense benefits with no drawbacks.
Daniel's eyes lit up, "That's great? Then when I return to my home territory in the future, those guys who used to look down on me will have to kneel and beg for mercy?"
Ren Yunying said, "...Don't think about those impractical things."
Unfortunately, Daniel didn't think he was being impractical at all, and he was now raring to go.
Seeing this, Ren Yunying's expression became complicated, and she finally poured a bucket of cold water on him without mercy:
"The military districts are not like the academy. There, crises can occur at any time, bloody scenes and the deaths of comrades are common. Can you really accept that?"
Upon hearing this, everyone fell silent.
Ren Yunying continued, "Have you ever really seen a dead person? Have you seen the ugly, decaying appearance and foul odors of the corpses of your kind after being spoiled by high temperatures?"
"Do you know what it's like when blood flows like a river?"
Everyone remained quiet.
As she said this, Ren Yunying glanced at Anderson impassively.
Anderson kept a straight face and even gently patted Chloe's shoulder to comfort her, "Don't be afraid."
"..."
Of course, Chloe wasn't afraid.
Those scenes were something she had been all too familiar with in her previous life, and what Ren Yunying said didn't shock her at all.
Even so, Chloe still kept her head slightly lowered, pretending to be as innocent and inexperienced as Qin Huaibei and the others.
Fortunately, Ren Yunying didn't notice.
After the admonition, Ren Yunying's expression softened, "The Barren Planet I'm calling you to this time is different from the ones you've been to before."
Hearing this, Chloe mustered her courage and asked, "What's different about it?"
"That place is not a completely uninhabited Barren Planet," Ren Yunying looked at her and said, "It's called a Barren Planet because there are no laws or rules on that planet. It's a melting pot of all kinds of people, with no officials to govern, filled with bloodshed and violence everywhere. Many interstellar fugitives would choose to take refuge there."
"A true lawless gray area."
As she said this, Ren Yunying even deliberately tried to scare them, "The serial killers there love young, tender morsels like you the most."
Unfortunately, none of those present were easy prey.
Daniel waved his fist, "Then I'd like to see whose blade is sharper, theirs or the force of my hammer."
Even Katherine said indifferently, "I don't think I'm weaker than them."
Hearing these words, Ren Yunying felt a surge of exasperation. She looked at Chloe.
Seeing this, Chloe blinked her eyes, pondered for a moment, and obediently said, "Instructor, I'm so scared. You'd better protect me well."
The rising tone at the end was deliberate.
Ren Yunying: "..."
Qin Huaibei looked at her quietly, "Tone it down a bit."
"Okay," Chloe said.
...
In the end, they still set off for the Barren Planet.
According to Ren Yunying, her main purpose for going to the Barren Planet this time was to buy a medicinal ingredient at the black market auction for research purposes, and she only brought them along to gain some experience.
They didn't feel offended by this; instead, they were all quite excited.
Because ever since Ren Yunying told them about the situation on the Barren Planet, they had been secretly looking forward to it.
Now, with the extremely fast speed of spaceships, it took about a day and a half before their ship stopped.
Ren Yunying stood at the very front, instructing the youngsters behind her to hold hands tightly and follow her closely.
Everyone obediently nodded.
When they disembarked, a foul odor immediately assaulted their nostrils.
Chloe instinctively covered her nose.
The smell was like spoiled, fermented cheap beer that had been left for too long, making it pungent and suffocating.
It was also mixed with some indescribable sour, rancid odors, like animal excrement.
Not only Chloe couldn't stand it, but even Ren Yunying had trouble adapting.
Behind them, Daniel almost vomited, but luckily that feeling was punched back into his stomach by Qin Huaibei.
Chloe raised her eyes to look around and unconsciously went forward to hold Ren Yunying's hand.
There weren't too many people around, but it was far from empty.
Most of them were wearing tattered, dirty clothes that looked like they hadn't been changed for ages. The men all had unkempt beards, some tall and some short, but the gazes they cast on the newcomers were filled with greed.
A few men couldn't hold back any longer and gathered in groups, blocking Ren Yunying's path with ill intentions, their eyes glazed over:
"Little missy, why are you alone here? We..."
Before they could say or do anything else, Ren Yunying whipped out the long whip from her waist and lashed them mercilessly.
The whip cracked through the air with such force that the barbs tore into their flesh, causing blood to gush out incessantly.
She struck a total of twenty lashes until their breaths became faint, then Ren Yunying finally put away her whip.
Her eyes flashed with ferocity, her voice cold and filled with savagery, "Get lost, quick!"
Those men crawled away trembling, not daring to block the path any longer.
The people who had been watching from the sidelines also averted their gazes and moved further away.
This was a lawless gray area, where rules held no sway, and only through violence and weapons could one command respect.
To prove that one was not a pushover, one had to unhesitatingly draw blood from another person, until they bled.
