Gu Qingjiu becoming prettier was good news for Yu Bao’er.
She wanted to see how much those new female recruits who initially looked down on Gu Qingjiu regretted their actions.
After all, when Gu Qingjiu wanted to play with them at first, some people thought that she was just her sidekick.
Hence, that meant they looked down on Gu Qingjiu.
Now, they couldn’t even compare to a single strand of hair on Gu Qingjiu’s head!
This made Yu Bao’er feel gleeful.
That day, their lesson was about dueling.
For many of them, this lesson held a delightful meaning.
For the first match, it was Yu Bao’er vs Feng Meiyun.
It was not rare for recruits to duel one another. Rather, it was a common thing around the army.
But for Yu Bao’er and Feng Meiyun, who had grievances against one another, it was safe to assume that they might resort to using some cheap tricks on one another once they engaged in a duel.
Gu Qingjiu had no idea what Chen Haoyang had in mind when he arranged it like that.
Her partner for the duel was a female classmate of hers.
After the lesson, they would arrange a monthly recruits’ duel.
The winner of each class would duel with the winner from another class.
And it was also an event to spot excellent cadets.
Gu Qingjiu’s performance hadn’t been bad so far.
Gu Qingjiu did not stand out in the past when it came to academics. But now, she was the kind of student instructors liked, making her the hated teacher’s pet in the eyes of others.
With her increased reaction speed, Gu Qingjiu could sense that as well.
With such a fast reaction, it meant that she had the advantage over certain things.
For example, hand duel.
Dueling followed the teachings of Chinese traditional martial arts, and it applied to actual combat.
Gu Qingjiu and Yu Bao’er had dueled several times outside of class, and the results showed how Yu Bao’er was not at Gu Qingjiu’s level.
Furthermore, Yu Bao’er told Gu Qingjiu that if one performed well during the duel competition, they might have a higher chance of getting into the advanced training camp.
The advanced training camp was the ultimate bait Yu Bao’er threw in for Gu Qingjiu. Her heartstrings even trembled at the thought of it.
When noon arrived, the Third Company’s Seventh Squad gathered together.
The training location was in the mountains.
Everyone stood in a line formation, and both Gu Qingjiu and Yu Bao’er were in the first row.
Everyone appeared to be a little nervous.
Except for Gu Qingjiu.
After all, that day’s bout was actual combat, so the losing side would lose face.
Chen Haoyang stood in front of them with his usual stern expression. In actuality, he was already familiar with everyone, and they knew that he was a cheerful instructor who treated them well.
They just couldn’t commit any mistakes.
The moment they did, the gentlest and amicable face would also morph into that of disgust.
“Come out, Feng Meiyun, Yu Bao’er!”
The moment he barked out an instruction, Yu Bao’er and Feng Meiyun stepped forward.
They placed their arms on their sides and stood in a straight posture. They pursed their lips into a thin line, which somehow showed how nervous they were.
But it was Feng Meiyun who was more nervous.
Yu Bao’er was slightly faring better.
Chen Haoyang cast a glance across their faces. Without a change in expression, he said, “Do you still remember the arrangement in the morning? Once you’re ready, you may begin. The remaining cadets are to take two steps back!”
The moment Chen Haoyang finished speaking, the entire squad took two steps back uniformly. Chen Haoyang stepped back as well, giving Feng Meiyun and Yu Bao’er the space they needed to duel.
