Everyone assumed that Danny and his group had already reached the designated area to obtain first place. In reality, they hadn't.
The Lion Corps had set dozens of obstacles throughout the path to the designated zone. Unfortunately for Danny and his group, not a single one of the obstacles was easy to deal with. To make matters worse, the Lion Corps had set it up in a way where the cadets had to successfully complete the entire obstacle course in order to reach the designated zone.
Now the cadets understood why they needed to reach the designated area instead of being beamed up to the airship after obtaining the gems.
If it was like before, when Qiao Chen was still pretending to be weaker, than he might have made a whole show about how difficult the obstacle course was. However, the two major energy blasts he just shot out made him pretty tired, so he just wanted to go back and rest as soon as possible. Qiao Chen started up the system to help him throughout the entire course. Qiao Chen, Dick, and Justin took the shortest route through the obstacle course. They quickly surpassed Danny and his group who had finally reached a little over half of the course.
Qiao Chen wiped the dirt and smoke off his face. Then he took out the gems from his storage pocket and gave one to Dick and Justin. The three of the set the gems onto the first place machine, and their images and names immediately appeared on the screen.
The second place machine hadn't received its gems, so they weren't able to immediately return to the airship. The trio plopped to the floor and rested as they waited.
Danny and his group finally completed the obstacle courses. However, when Chad and Benji saw that Qiao Chen was in first place, they felt complicated. Danny was jealous when he saw Qiao Chen in first place. He was seething with anger because he wanted Qiao Chen to die from the bear beast attacks. He hated Qiao Chen because even when there were two beast bears, he still won first place and left him in the dust.
The cadets that weren't able to collect the gems still had to go through the obstacle course too. They would all return to the airship once all the cadets finished the course. The process of completing the obstacle course was one of the key points for the Lion Corps to score the cadets on.
As more and more cadets completed the obstacle course, Danny noticed that everyone from the beast bear attack were coming back all in one piece. He was very surprised. He thought that Qiao Chen had followed his action to abandon them to escape safely. Then he thought that the following cadets had abandoned the remaining cadets to escape too or that the others had gave up on the competition and had the Lion Corps save them. The instructor had stated previously that if they gave up, then the soldiers would step forward and save the cadets in distress.
Qiao Chen's group and Danny's group had sat on the opposite sides. As the cadets began pouring in, they chose to sit on Qiao Chen's side as they waited for the other cadets to complete the competition.
Chad and Benji got more and more uncomfortable when they saw the cadets move over to Qiao Chen's side to sit. Danny had pulled them both out of the situation before they could react. Then, when they realized what was happening, they wanted to go back and help their comrades. However, Danny convinced them that they wouldn't be able to fight against the two beast bears anyways if they did. He told them that if their group had been injured by the beasts, then there'd be no one to represent and bring glory to their country.
The two were still uneasy about leaving the cadets, but Danny had told them that the cadets would just withdraw from the competition if they honestly couldn't handle it. He stressed that they couldn't withdraw from the competition. The two bears were way out of the realm of their capabilities. To really hammer the nail into the coffin, Danny convinced them that the other cadets would forgive them later on when they brought glory to the empire. The others would eventually understand their actions in the end. Danny promised them that pride and glory would be theirs soon.
Danny and Benji were convinced in the end. They knew that the glory and pride would come later, but they never experienced how it was to be excluded from the collective group. They quickly became uncomfortable, but there was nothing they could do. What's done was done. They weren't able to obtain first placed, but they were still able to grab second. They sighed in relief. Their next step was to wait for the competition between the two nations. They would work harder to earn back their respect then.
Au Luo personally conducted the briefing after all the cadets returned to the airship. After he completed the summary, he announced their scores and ranking.
Even though Danny and his group obtained second place and the opportunity to represent the empire, they didn't score any points. It was true that the cadets were allowed to use any means to obtain the gem, but there were also a lot of deductions for the way that Danny and his group had handled things. Their group's ranking dropped down and the only group that they scored higher than was Harold's group with the two Class D members who had withdrawn from the competition.
Furthermore, Harold wasn't able to continue the Lion Corps training. He couldn't even leave the medical bed he lied in, so he was sent back home.
Au Luo specifically called out Danny, Chad, and Benji. He criticized them harshly and their faces turned very ugly. They had always been the top of their class. They had never been criticized or reprimanded at school before, so they didn't know what to do.
"While I was observing the competition, I heard something that caught my attention. It seems as though there are some people who are under the assumption that I had assisted Qiao An in the competition and therefore helped him cheat." Au Luo swept a cold glance throughout all the cadets below him and said. "If I were really to lend my hand and help him… Then that means that his value would be quite high and worth it for me to do such a thing."
The ones who had listened to Danny and thought that Qiao Chen was cheating felt embarrassed. Their faces burned red hot. They all experienced Qiao Chen's true strength with their own eyes. There wasn't a need for someone that strong to cheat. They wouldn't even care if someone with that kind of strength cheated. It would have just made their inevitable win happen faster.
"If anyone thinks that I specifically targeted them and caused them to have a low score, then it's very obvious that you aren't qualified to join the Lion Corp. Furthermore, there is no one cadet here that is even worthy enough for me to target you. I hope you can recognize your own abilities and identities. You know best why you received your scores." Au Luo stated very seriously. The momentum from his aura and words caused all the cadets to look at him with great attention.
"You all still have an additional month of training. For your next course, you will need to learn combat analysis in addition to improving your combat capabilities. Fighting isn't just about your abilities or technical skills. You brain is also a very important factor. Only the top five will be able to join the Lion Corps. I hope you all will perform well for the next portion of our training."
Now the cadets knew that the only cadets who ranked in the top five would be able to join the Lion Corps after Au Luo's briefing. Now that the competition ended, the gap between the cadets' ranking had significantly widened. Danny and his group were on the bottom. There was very little chance that they'd be able to score enough points to jump all the way back up to the top five. However, this knowledge gave some of the other cadets more hope and motivation to work harder to reach the top.
Danny, Chad, and Benji basically had no hopes of entering the Lion Corps. Instead, they put all their hopes and attention on representing the empire. If they were able beat the Kendosia Empire, then they'd be able to bring glory to the empire and recover everything they lost from this competition.
The final test for the cadets' ranking would take place a month later. This was the same time that the competition against the Kendosia Empire would take place too. This made the last month a tight scramble for all the cadets. The students knew that even if there wasn't any hop to enter the Lion Corps, they would still be able to show off their achievements when they returned to the school and graduate with special honors.
In the following weeks, the cadets spent half of their time on combat training and the other half went to tactical analysis and planning.
Dick and Justin weren't able to keep up with the speed of the class' material in class. They often had to ask Qiao Chen during lunch to clarify things for them when they couldn't understand the material. Qiao Chen helpfully explained everything to them in the canteen. The base's combat tactics and analysis were vastly harder than the material they learned at school. Unfortunately for them, they were tested daily on the lessons that were taught the day before. If they couldn't get a hold on the materials before the class began, then they would score terribly.
Dick had it a little easier than Justin. Fred would privately explain the material to him again if he couldn't understand. Justin had to ask during their meal times, because he couldn't go and find Qiao Chen after each meal. Who asked Qiao Chen to be first in the class? His scores on the test were really good too.
Time flew, and it seemed like the class' material did too. Everything became increasingly difficult. Justin couldn't help but ask Qiao Chen question after question. They had finished their meal, but he still didn't let Qiao Chen leave.
Other cadets couldn't help to listen in too when Qiao Chen answered Justin and Dick's questions. There were times that they would even ask Qiao Chen some questions if Justin didn't ask the ones they had trouble on. Qiao Chen answered them one by one.
More cadets noticed that Qiao Chen continued to answer other cadets' questions without pause, so they gathered around too. They'd come over to Qiao Chen and ask him some of their questions after they finished their meal.
Danny, Chad, and Benji were off to the side. They sat at their table and watched as other cadets gathered around Qiao Chen and asked him questions. Their situations were reversed not too long ago. It was them that the cadets surrounded while Qiao Chen was the one who was isolated. However, even the other Class A cadets ignored them now.
Danny didn't have the same problem as Chad and Benji. He didn't care much about the other 23 cadets' opinions on him. If he cared about what they thought, then he wouldn't have abandoned them so easily when they encountered the bears. He knew that once they won the competition against the Kendosian Empire, then they'd be fine. They would become the pride of their nation. They'd gain great recognition and glory. So when that happened, who would care about what these nobodies thought of him?
Qiao Chen looked at the time and noticed that he was very late to the appointed time he was suppose to meet with Au Luo. After Qiao Chen finished his dinner, he would go to Au Luo's place and receive his special training.
In the recent couple of days, Qiao Chen had been a bit late because he was explaining things to the other cadets. This made Au Luo really dissatisfied. He was really late this time, so he didn't know how Au Luo would want to punish him. Qiao Chen decided to hurry up and go, because he didn't know what Au Luo would do once he got a hold of the cadets that caused Qiao Chen's tardiness.
Qiao Chen told everyone he'd be at the same spot tomorrow and wanted to leave the canteen quickly. However, someone stopped him in the hallway again.
"Qiao An." Chad followed and stopped the rushing Qiao Chen.
"Do you need something?" Qiao Chen asked. He looked at the time again and emphasized that he was in a rush.
"I want to apologize to you. I think I've misunderstood you about some things that happened before…" In the month they had been ignored, Chad finally felt like he knew what it was like for Qiao An. He finally realized how Qiao An had felt to be excluded and isolated for so many years. The guilt began to eat him up. What made it worse was that he started to see Danny for who he was. He had been putting down his guard, so Chad realized that Danny wasn't who he thought he was. He began to carefully think about the incidences that happened in the past, and figured out that Qiao An wasn't who he thought he had become either.
"You don't need to apologize to me. I don't plan on accepting it. Whatever you did already happened. I don't care anymore as long as you don't come provoke me anymore." Qiao Chen's judgment was his own. He had his own set of principles and morals that he followed. These guidelines weren't really guidelines though. Everything depended on his frame of mind.
"I hope that we can be like how we were before- when we were close with each other. Listen, Qiao An. Our budding love ended before it could start. I really regret that we…"
Before Chad could finish his words, Qiao Chen turned around and left. He didn't have time to listen to such nonsense. Besides, even if he did have the time to listen to such crap, he didn't have the will to do it.
"Qiao An. Just let me finish telling you one last thing…" Chad called out and ran after him.
Qiao Chen sped up his pace and then hit a study chest once he rounded the corner. "Oof."
Qiao Chen took a few steps back and briefly saw the person he collided into before he was pushed against the wall.
Chad caught up only to see Qiao An trapped in between Au Luo's arms. The two were very close together, and it looked very ambiguous. He was in shock and stood there for a bit.
"Can we talk when we go back?" Qiao Chen looked at Au Luo's eyes. He knew from these past few lifetimes together that his man was currently very jealous.
Au Luo didn't reply to him. He pushed Qiao Chen's chin up and kissed him all while Chad was still standing there.
Chad became even more dumbfounded. Danny had told him before that General Au Luo had a special relationship with Qiao An. He figured it was they were probably familiar with each other, but he never expected it to this kind of relationship. How did Qiao An and General Au Luo end up together?
"What are you doing? Put me down. I can walk by myself." Qiao Chen yelled out loudly. He was suddenly flung onto Au Luo's shoulder, so he slapped Au Luo's back as hard as he could. He was embarrassed. How would he be looked at later on if other soldiers saw him like this?
Au Luo ignored Qiao Chen's struggling and brought him back to his bedroom. Then he tossed Qiao Chen on his bed and said, "We won't study today. I think it's better for us to talk about the importance of being punctual."
"I know I was wrong for being so late, but I help out the others when they ask me questions about the classes and I can answer. I didn't realize how time flew. The next time I looked at the clock, I was already late." Qiao Chen explained as he sat up from the bed. He felt Au Luo's dangerous aura and started backing away slowly. What was this about being punctual? All of this stupid punctuality stuff was just a convenient excuse for Au Luo to 'set him straight'.
Au Luo dropped onto the bed and caught Qiao Chen. Then he flipped Qiao Chen over and tied Qiao Chen's hands to the bed posts while saying, "I still think you need a little lesson to thoroughly remember this rule."
"Alright. Just untie me if you want to tell me. I'll listen carefully. I promise I won't ever be late again okay? I won't even let them stop me while I head over. How's that?" Qiao Chen offered with some hope. He was still trying to undo the ropes and escape. He still wanted to make Au Luo chase some more for being such an asshole, but there was a familiar sense of impending crisis in the air. He felt that his playing hard to get days were ending very, very soon.
Au Luo ignored Qiao Chen's promise and quickly took off Qiao Chen's pants. He got off the bed and left Qiao Chen there. After some rummaging, he took out a leather whip from the bedside table.
"What are you doing? Stop playing around!" Qiao Chen stuttered. His eyes widened and stared at the whip in Au Luo's hand.
Au Luo took out a bottle from the drawer and poured its contents all over the leather whip. Then he spanked Qiao Chen hard on the butt.
"Ah! You asshole!" Qiao Chen shouted in pain. He thought it was so disgraceful. He had never been spanked or hit on the butt in his entire lives. This lifetime's Au Luo really was a bastard and a pervert.
Au Luo leaned close to Qiao Chen's ear and said, "50 whips. I'll count it out loud for you. I won't stop until you reach 50."
Au Luo raised the whip in his hand and struck it against Qiao Chen's butt.
Qiao Chen knew that Au Luo would definitely not stop until he whipped him 50 times. Qiao Chen shut up and buried his face in the pillow to mask the groans.
The lashes hurt his butt, but it didn't leave any marks. There weren't even red lines that showed up. Qiao Chen knew that Au Luo really wouldn't hurt him, but the humiliation was growing. He even started to feel a strange sense of excitement well up. He never would have expected that he had the body of a sub. He actually liked this feeling of being abused. No wonder Au Luo acted so sadistically in this life.
Au Luo whipped Qiao Chen 50 times and then flipped Qiao Chen back up.
Qiao Chen's eyes welled up with tears. He wasn't crying from the pain, but the embarrassment he felt made his eyes water.
Au Luo looked at Qiao Chen's tear stained face. His heart quivered. Then he kissed and licked each tear as it fell from his face.
Qiao Chen's system immediately activated and the soul download initiated. Qiao Chen glared at Au Luo as he thought angrily, 'This asshole likes to see me cry.'
However, Qiao Chen didn't understand that his glare accented with the tears in his eyes drove AU Luo over the edge. Au Luo grabbed Qiao Chen and kissed him deeply and roughly. His hands never stopped stroking his body.
...
This was the night that Qiao Chen finally lost the game of cat and mouse against Au Luo. It ended with Au Luo's complete victory.