Chapter 73

Chapter 73

"Senior Eugene, look, classmate Yi Ye is over there! Hello—classmate Yi Ye—"

Lei Li waved vigorously and shouted towards the distance.

"Are you familiar with that person?" Kaiser looked at him.

Yi Ye, bundled in layers of clothing, muttered, "I broke his glasses worth over a hundred thousand. Does that count as familiar?"

Kaiser was at a loss for words.

"Everyone, pay attention!" Elia took a step back and reminded the group, "Remember to check for any signs of Lion Feather Military Academy around us. They could be lurking anywhere."

They formed a circle, vigilantly scanning their surroundings. While the overt presence of Melville Military Academy was concerning, the hidden enemies were even more terrifying.

"Why does Melville Military Academy seem so indifferent? Have they struck a deal with Lion Feather Military Academy to take us out first?!"

No one answered, but their expressions were grave.

In all scenarios, this was the worst possible path.

"Hey, over there!"

A loudspeaker suddenly broke the tension. Lei Li from the opposite side had somehow produced a bizarrely pink loudspeaker and was gesticulating wildly, "Our senior Eugene said, kill that Bai Chuan from your team, and we'll let you in."

Everyone turned to look at Bai Chuan.

His gaze met Eugene's, and an invisible spark seemed to crackle between them.

The two, with nearly seventy percent resemblance in their features, exuded an extreme sense of eeriness at that moment. It wasn't that no one had suspected a blood relation between them, but Eugene's status was so lofty and illustrious—the nephew of the Pope, a scion of the Melville family. His uncle was a figure second only to the Emperor, a deity in the hearts of the empire's faithful. It was unthinkable that he could be connected to a commoner from the backwater of Qixing.

Moreover, in an empire of billions, it wasn't impossible for two unrelated individuals to look alike.

But that didn't stop some in the stands from voicing their doubts.

"They look so alike... Are they really not brothers?"

"Didn't Eugene's parents die early? It's unlikely, right?"

"Could it be the Pope..."

"How dare you say that?! The Pope is a being of utmost purity and cannot marry or have children. Be careful, or the faithful might drag you back to be burned!"

"Sorry, sorry..." The person turned pale and quickly apologized.

Kewen looked up, scrutinizing the two faces, and opened a beer can with one hand, drinking it down with a sigh.

What was coming had finally arrived; there was no escaping it.

"Who dares to move!"

The moment Melville Military Academy made their demand, Yi Ye immediately pulled Bai Chuan behind him. The sound of guns rubbing against belts echoed, and in an instant, most of the gun barrels were aimed at them.

Elia hissed in a low voice, "Everyone, stop! Are you trying to start an internal conflict?"

"If we kill him, we can get in. He's just an Omega; it's no loss for us!"

"Do you really believe the nonsense from Melville Military Academy? This is a competition. What benefit do they get from letting us in? Do you think they won't want the championship just because Bai Chuan dies?"

"Better than staying stuck here!"

"..."

Elia's attempts to persuade the group were futile, so he turned to the other side, "Yi Ye, you need to calm down too. We can still find another way in."

"But it seems some people don't want to look for it."

From a distance, Lei Li's urging came through the snowstorm like a heated source of anger, repeatedly promising them that as long as Bai Chuan was killed, the Imperial Honor Military Academy would be allowed into the city. The atmosphere grew increasingly tense, with every breath and every blink potentially igniting the fuse.

After much deliberation, Elia compromised, "Let's vote by a show of hands."

Yi Ye pursed his lips tightly.

There were 10 people in the team, and excluding Bai Chuan, there had to be no opposition for a chance. But who would raise their hand? He had no confidence.

"Those in favor, raise your hands."

A series of arms went up, totaling 4 people, including Kappel.

Elia paused, then continued, "Those against, raise your hands."

Yi Ye's eyelids trembled.

He watched as Kaiser and Bush Meihua both chose to oppose, Elia abstained, while the other two, being subordinates of the Audria family and the Meihua family, had no choice but to raise their hands.

A tie.

Kevin was dumbfounded, "Why are you all against it? Isn't getting into the central area now the most important thing!"

Kaiser irritably scratched his ear, "I hate sacrificing teammates to get into the city. If it were you, it would be fine, a big man clucking like a chicken all day. Why not negotiate with them, throw your head over, and I'll do it immediately."

He cursed in his heart. If it weren't for Yi Ye's sickly state still trying to protect his brother, he wouldn't bother with this mess.

"My view is different from Kaiser's. Watching a teammate be killed by the enemy might be an interesting scene, I really want to see it." Bush Meihua smiled without warmth, "But you don't understand Elia, he won't let any opponent go. If we do as he says, the body will probably be dealt with more grotesquely."

"He's sick, especially towards the weak."

"Who knows if you're just protecting the two of them!" Kevin's neck stiffened, veins bulging.

"Don't think everyone is as shameless as you."

Seeing the group on the verge of arguing again, Elia was truly at a loss. He could only seek Bush Meihua's opinion, as at least from his tone, he seemed very familiar with Elia, and what they lacked most now was someone familiar with the opponent.

"There is a way." Bush Meihua looked at Yi Ye, striding up to him.

Yi Ye instinctively stood in front of Bai Chuan.

He was always a brother who hid behind Bai Chuan to avoid scolding, but at this moment, he shielded Bai Chuan completely, his usually smiling face showing a cold severity they were unfamiliar with.

Bush Meihua felt a pang in his heart.

He forced himself to ignore it, smiling faintly, "This matter requires you and Bai Chuan to negotiate with them."

...

Ten minutes later.

Under Lei Li's repeated urging, Yi Ye and Bai Chuan walked towards the center of the bridge, holding hands, their figures gradually blurring in the snowstorm.

"Why didn't you say anything just now? Aren't you worried they might actually kill you?"

Yi Ye glanced sideways; Bai Chuan's features seemed almost blending into the snow.

"I don't care about their opinions. Whether they want me dead or alive, it doesn't concern me."

Bai Chuan turned back, his gaze as penetrating as water wearing through stone, "I only care about what you think."

"Of course, I will protect you."

"Not protection."

Bai Chuan's voice mingled with the wind, "If you want me to live, then I will live."

Yi Ye suddenly stopped walking. Not because Bai Chuan's words were so shocking, but because he remembered what the system had once said.

"Four years later, the empire will be invaded by the Zerg, the royal family will collapse, the legions will be annihilated, and the entire empire will cease to exist, all because of the death of the protagonist, Bai Chuan."

Yi Ye suddenly wondered, if in the original plot, he had been by Bai Chuan's side at this moment.

Would he still have died?

Would all this still lead to collapse?

Unclear.

This is actually a closed loop; without the world restarting due to Bai Chuan's death, he wouldn't be standing here, wouldn't have another life. Perhaps he would still be that shut-in with crippled legs hiding in a shabby room, or maybe he would have committed suicide one day.

Everything seems deliberately destined.

But in reality, how could Yi Ye guarantee that his casual remark "don't die" would actually be effective?

He is an outsider, Bai Chuan's nominal brother.

To Bai Chuan, his words might carry no weight.

The two stopped in the middle of the bridge, facing Eugene and Lei Li. Eugene's gaze swept over Yi Ye's sickly pale face, paused on their clasped hands, and then his eyes, with their lower whites showing, looked indifferently at Bai Chuan.

"I said, you have to die for them to enter."

Bai Chuan: "The only person in the empire whose words have legal effect is His Majesty."

Eugene: "..."

Bai Chuan: "Let's negotiate."

Eugene grinned, laughing arrogantly.

"What bargaining chips do you have?"

"Cooperation." Bai Chuan always had a calmness that wouldn't waver even in the face of a landslide, "The Lion Feather Military Academy has something that none of us are aware of. Cooperation is the best option between us now."

Eugene sneered mockingly.

"Cooperation is indeed a good option, but unfortunately, we have no such intention." Lei Li knew that Eugene would only talk tough, stepping forward to state, "This competition only needs one winner, and that will undoubtedly be Melville. As for you or the Lion Feather Military Academy, you will only be Melville's defeated opponents."

"—That's senior Eugene's view, I'm just conveying it, don't blame me."

Yi Ye: "Are you okay with being ambushed by the Lion Feather Military Academy?"

"That can only mean we are not as skilled as them. Winning and losing are too common in competitions, and those who win through underhanded means have their own strengths."

Yi Ye was quite surprised that Lei Li had such a clear perspective.

He looked at Bai Chuan: "It seems the cooperation has fallen apart."

"Yes."

The expressions of the two were not at all surprised.

Lei Li frowned, sensing something unusual, and was about to speak to Eugene. At the critical moment, an arrow suddenly shot towards them! The arrow was tied with an unknown explosive, cutting through the sky and heading straight for the Melville Military Academy team!

In the distance, Bush Meihua drew his bow and smiled indifferently.

"Get out of the way!" "Shoot! Something is flying towards us!"

The Melville Military Academy team fired without hesitation, but just as the gunshots rang out, the arrow exploded in mid-air, the massive force flipping the crowd over, the snowstorm sweeping like blades across their faces. In the gap, all the teammates from the Imperial Honor Military Academy charged towards the bridge—

The decisive battle was about to begin!

Just as Bush Meihua had said, the arrogance of Melville Military Academy and Eugene left them unprepared for Yi Ye and Bai Chuan, and they were indeed heavily hit in the explosion, the high-frequency and intense noise temporarily depriving them of their hearing. Seizing the opportunity, the two exchanged a glance and launched their attack simultaneously.

The gunfire was like a torrential rain, the sound of beans hitting the window crackling. The snow kicked up from the ground obscured their vision, and in the thick fog and cold wind, the battle was tense.

"Kill them!!!" Kappel's roar echoed in everyone's ears.

The group fight of over twenty people was intense, cries of pain and sounds of beating intertwined. Eugene quickly got support from two teammates, and Bai Chuan was held back by them, forced to watch Yi Ye fight Eugene alone.

Yi Ye's vision was already blurring, his body burning, his throat dry and painful from rapid breathing, his body feeling as if it were tied to a thousand-pound boulder, with the illusion that it would soon crush the bridge and fall into the water.

Gradually, many sounds rang in his ears, but he couldn't make out any of them.

He just felt so tired... so heavy...

Yi Ye jolted, immediately biting his tongue to force himself awake with pain. Blood soaked his lips, staining them crimson.

His face was like snow, his lips like blood, strikingly vivid in the wind.

Eugene: "How long can you hold on?"

"Until you die."

He forced himself to make a tough statement.

After several rounds, Yi Ye was repeatedly forced back to the edge of the bridge by Eugene, his precarious strength barely keeping him hanging on the edge.

The overpass railing was old and mostly hanging outside, below was a rushing river, and falling seemed like it would smash him to pieces against the rocks. He clenched his teeth and stood back, faintly hearing Bai Chuan calling him.

In the moment he looked up, a black shadow came crashing towards his face, his body completely out of control, instinctively retreating.

Suddenly, he stepped on air—

"Thud!"

At the moment of death, Yi Ye quickly and firmly grabbed Eugene's arm!

Eugene showed a stunned expression, quickly regaining his composure: "Let go!"

"No, I won't let go even if I die!" Yi Ye clenched his teeth.

Eugene couldn't help but curse, and the two of them were locked in a stalemate at the edge of the bridge.

Kaiser and the others were frantic, but the Melville Military Academy students blocked them at every turn, leaving no room to maneuver.

"Get the hell out of here!" He angrily kicked away a student of the Imperial Honor Military Academy, his arm cut by a sharp blade, but he didn't care at all, turning and rushing towards Yi Ye.

A bullet suddenly grazed past his side, Kaiser's pupils contracted as he watched the bullet shoot towards Eugene, hitting his arm squarely. A burst of blood mist exploded, and Eugene's figure swayed violently before plunging into the river with a loud splash, disappearing without a trace.

As he fell into the water, the icy cold river water seeped into his ears. Yi Ye couldn't open his eyes, the air in his chest was violently forced out, and the overwhelming cold wrapped around his body.

In the boundless cold, a faint light shone through the water onto his eyelids, making him dazed and confused.

Splash.

A figure suddenly tore through the light and came in.

Someone swam towards him, and familiar features came into view.

Yi Ye opened his mouth, bubbles gurgling out, drowning his voice.

"Bai... Chuan..."

"Shut up!"

The person held him, the tone through the water still cold and particularly vague, "If you say another word... I'll kill you..."