Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Amidst the chaos, Shi Jian was like a lone skiff, unable to withstand the surging waves from all directions, his strength to resist gradually ebbing. Under Muye’s command, Shen Xingchuan pulled him away from Yu Chen. As he sat on the ground, his mouth remained reflexively agape, a nervous, almost hysterical laugh escaping him, revealing a row of stark white teeth against blood-red lips—a chilling sight.

Yu Chen, an A+ Alpha who had always been fearless, was now on the verge of shock due to his critically injured gland. Before being carried away on an emergency stretcher, his crimson eyes refused to close, fixed relentlessly on the figure surrounded in the center.

Only when Yu Chen’s form completely vanished did the taut string in Shi Jian’s mind finally snap with a soft "pop," his violently trembling muscles relaxing in response.

The struggle with Yu Chen had drained much of Shi Jian’s stamina, especially as his own gland suffered the backlash from the higher-level Alpha’s pheromones. As the intense adrenaline faded, he quickly lost his footing, swaying and collapsing towards the ground.

Just before he hit the floor, Shen Xingchuan reached out, catching the alarmingly light body with steady hands. His gaze, resting on Shi Jian’s face, was profoundly complex. After a long moment, he let out a quiet sigh.

When Shi Jian awoke again, he found himself in complete darkness. The only sliver of light slanted in from a hand-width rectangular slit above the iron door, its beam barely reaching his toes.

Aside from this single slanted ray, the entire space was filled with oppressive darkness—so thick he couldn’t see his own hand.

Dim, cold, cramped, and stifling.

This was unmistakably Gu Shiyun’s lair.

Shi Jian had been here twice before. But after deciding to obediently spend his four years at the military academy, he never imagined he’d return to this place.

He stood up, his body exuding a somewhat bitter medicinal scent. Crinkling his nose, he paced along the walls twice, judging by the pain in his back that he couldn’t have slept for more than a few hours.

His gland still burned with residual pain, and his entire body ached as if his bones had been disassembled—all lingering after-effects of his struggle with Yu Chen.

Suddenly, a subtle sound reached Shi Jian’s ears. He instantly became alert, looking towards the iron door, then secretly sighed in relief upon recognizing the visitor.

"Lunch," Gu Shiyun said, sliding a tray towards Shi Jian.

"Did you treat my wounds?"

The Alpha nodded.

Shi Jian methodically unwrapped his chopsticks. "Doesn’t that count as abusing your authority?"

"Not that severe," Gu Shiyun replied. "At most, it’s just a case of the watchdog stealing from the pantry."

"How badly is Yu Chen hurt?"

"His gland was injured. He was rushed to the academy’s affiliated military hospital for emergency treatment. It’s not completely ruined, but he’ll need rest and observation for a while. Given an A+ Alpha’s healing ability, he might be out of danger before you’re released from confinement."

"Lucky bastard," Shi Jian sneered, only regretting that he hadn’t bitten off the entitled brat’s gland entirely at the time.

He viciously tore into a piece of chicken, his teeth grinding in a way that sent shivers down one’s spine. Then, noticing a more critical question, he asked, "How long will I be locked up this time?"

Gu Shiyun paused, his voice turning slightly cold. "A week."

Though Shi Jian had mentally prepared himself, he still frowned. "Last time in the showers, even though my situation wasn’t as severe as Yu Chen’s this time, it was entirely his fault. He only got one day."

"This punishment was decided by the academy… I’m sorry."

Shi Jian was startled, not expecting his words to be misinterpreted as anger directed at Gu Shiyun. He quickly explained, "It’s not your fault. You don’t need to apologize to me, and I’m not blaming you."

Gu Shiyun shook his head, his gaze fixed on Shi Jian with intense, almost stubborn focus. "If I had been there when the conflict occurred, I could have taken you away in time and made a ruling beforehand. You wouldn’t be facing a week-long confinement."

And that was clearly beyond the standard punitive measures.

Based on the circumstances and eyewitness accounts, the culprit responsible for Yu Chen’s severe gland injury was precisely himself. Had he not first insulted and assaulted Shi Jian, the latter would not have been provoked into a fight to the death.

Although, by outcome, Shi Jian’s actions indeed caused significant harm to a fellow student, it was his first offense, and the incident should have been classified as a mutual brawl. A maximum penalty was unjustified.

"If he didn’t have such a powerful, well-connected father, he wouldn’t be so arrogant, coming to bother me again and again," Shi Jian said coldly.

But seeing the self-reproach in Gu Shiyun’s eyes, he softened his tone, offering comfort: "It’s fine. A week here is a week. At least I won’t have to see those annoying people."

Just as Gu Shiyun was about to speak, a golden, crispy, yet tender fried chicken cutlet was brought to his lips. Shi Jian smiled, his eyes curving. "Besides, isn’t Director Gu keeping me company? This is your territory. For the next week, you’ll have to fulfill your duties as host."

In such a predicament, his first thought was actually to comfort *him*—

Gu Shiyun’s pupils widened slightly. Something restless surged within his chest, almost causing him to drop the piece of fried chicken Shi Jian had fed him.

As an Alpha long accustomed to the rigid simplicity of military life, he had grown used to the canteen food that pampered young masters complained about. Even the plainest nutrient solutions were acceptable; anything beyond efficiency was considered a waste of time and outside his usual conduct.

He should have been at a Disciplinary Department meeting or conducting covert inspections across campus. Every member of this student administrative body, which held real power on par with the student council, was constantly swamped. In the past, Gu Shiyun would never have believed that one day, while busy with departmental affairs, he would share lunch with a dangerous, habitually troublesome individual, eating junk food fed to him, and actually tasting something entirely different from the usual nutrient solutions.

Meanwhile, the E-level Alpha, labeled a "dangerous individual," was complaining about the terrible canteen food, meticulously picking out fatty bits and discarding them onto the plate.

Gu Shiyun unceremoniously ate every piece Shi Jian had rejected.

The lunch, portioned for an S-class Alpha’s appetite, left Shi Jian overfull and hiccupping before he could finish. He elegantly wiped his mouth, then pushed the tray towards Gu Shiyun. "You ordered it, you finish it. Don’t waste food, Director Gu."

Gu Shiyun showed no aversion, instead eating with surprising relish and speed.

Only after he finished did Shi Jian speak again. "I treated you to a meal. Shouldn’t you return the favor?"

It was an utterly unreasonable request, yet it perfectly ensnared Gu Shiyun. This Alpha, whose thought process was almost robotic, had no concept of social reciprocity. In his world, Shi Jian feeding him meant he had been treated to a meal. "What do you want?"

Shi Jian didn’t realize that Gu Shiyun’s words implied that even if he now wanted to leave the confinement room, and even if it required Gu Shiyun to violate his principles as the head of the Disciplinary Department, he would agree and certainly make it happen for Shi Jian.

But even if Shi Jian had known, the request he was about to make would not have changed.

His expression suddenly turned serious as he fixed his gaze on Gu Shiyun’s eyes, enunciating each word: "You’re an S-class. You must know how to kill someone, right? Teach me."

Gu Shiyun met Shi Jian’s gaze. In those glass-like blue eyes, a dangerous glint shimmered—one he had never seen before.

Like sharp shards of glass, or the cold gleam of a honed silver dagger, reflecting a chilling, razor-sharp madness, interwoven into a stunning, overtly aggressive beauty.

For some reason, Gu Shiyun felt a pang of sadness, as if he believed this delicate young Alpha shouldn’t have needed to show such an expression, shouldn’t have needed to possess such a light in his eyes.

But he offered no dissuasion. He knew what lay beneath the "E-level waste" label—an unwavering resolve. And he knew that at this moment, more than useless comfort, what Shi Jian truly desired was knowledge.

So Shi Jian had found the right person. The rule-bound Director of the Disciplinary Department was, in truth, the one person in the entire First Military Academy most willing to risk everything to help him achieve his wish.

The tray was taken away. In the cramped, dark confinement cell, only a single iron stool remained. Shi Jian and Gu Shiyun sat facing each other.

"Realistically, your rank and physical condition cannot achieve a qualitative leap in a short time. Nor can your personal progress from zero to sixty ever match an A+ Alpha’s decade-plus of diligent practice."

Gu Shiyun examined Shi Jian’s body, his large, leather-gloved hands gently pressing against the boy’s pale skin—no inappropriate contact, yet somehow igniting a strange, almost ambiguous tension.

"So, the idea of defeating a highly skilled combatant through direct confrontation is a path you can directly dismiss."

Gu Shiyun’s words were objective and unsparing, but Shi Jian was not a child who needed coddling. He quickly accepted the truth.

He stated frankly, "I don’t need to be honorable. I just want to act as I please."

Gu Shiyun drew a palm-sized dagger from his boot sheath. "Close-range ambush, short-range combat—that’s your only chance."

"Of course, it’s not just daggers. In the moment, anything you can get your hands on can be your weapon. Flashy combat techniques have limited use in real combat. Against your enemy, you can only have one objective: to eliminate him by any means necessary, no matter what, using every method you can conceive."

Gu Shiyun reversed his grip on the dagger and gave a light stab. In a flash of steel, the iron stool surface was pierced straight through, leaving a long hole!

Shi Jian flinched. After regaining his composure, he carefully traced the damaged spot. He mimed the stab, realizing that if he had been the one wielding the blade, he probably couldn’t have even made a shallow dent.

Clenching his fist, he asked, "How long would it take for me to train to this level?"

"You don’t need to train for strength; it’s not where your strengths lie to begin with," Gu Shiyun said, pulling out the dagger and handing it to Shi Jian.

The latter curiously ran his fingers over it, then began playing with it in his hands, fascinated.

"As an Omega, your body is fragile and delicate, unable to withstand excessive training. Your natural strength is less than that of Alphas and Betas. But at the same time, your frame is slender and light, making you more agile and nimble than them. You can easily achieve a level of dexterity they can’t match."

Shi Jian was well aware of the gap between his physical capabilities and those of a true Alpha. He had never been delusional about it, but Yu Chen’s utter disdain and mocking attitude were unbearable to him.

Gripping the dagger tightly, his gaze, burning with resolve, pierced through the darkness as he swore to make Yu Chen pay.

Even if he had to twist himself into a demon, he would drag Yu Chen down to hell with him.