Afterlife Department

Alliance Calendar Year 1208, three months later, Capital Star.

"WOAH! What a grand sight!" Shi Jiu exclaimed when they walked out of the space port and saw the maglev cars shuttling in the sky. Holographic images can be seen everywhere and different beings fill the street, walking back and forth as they traverse the bustling big city.

"… I feel like I'm going to become blind." Huo Ling frowned as he squinted his eyes when he saw the colorful skins all around him. He felt like the rainbow descended and dyed everyone around them like a giant paint bucket.

Shou Ji chuckled. "Since the Alliance was founded, all the planets part of the Alliance was opened to all beings in the galaxy." He spoke. "One is to advocate freedom, and the other is to expand their influence." He explained.

"I see." Huo Ling muttered and wore sunglasses to protect his eyes from the neon-colored skin of the other beings around them. He decided that he won't ever go to an interstellar world again.

It's as if Yi Bing guessed his thoughts since he saw the other's thoughtful expression and the other is even nodding with a solemn gaze.

Huo Ling. "…" what the hell are you nodding for? What are you thinking?! He thought with dark lines covering his face.

"Should we directly head to the Chel Military Academy?" Shi Jiu asked as he turned back to them.

"There are still one week left. Let's find a villa first to rent that is near the academy." Shou Ji answered.

They all nodded in agreement. Money isn't a problem to them, thus they directly went to buy a villa.

"It is really convenient to have someone local." Shi Jiu sighed with emotion as they watched Shou Ji ordered foods online to be sent to their newly-bought villa which has a housekeeping robot bought along with it.

Yi Bing and Huo Ling nodded in agreement. "For transportation…" Yi Bing muttered and looked at the maglev cars flying in the air.

"No one has carsickness or acrophobia, right?" Shou Ji asked them as he called for a vehicle online.

"No." Huo Ling and Yi Bing answered.

"… I have." Shi Jiu spoke.

Shou Ji turned to him. "Then hold it in later." He told him.

Shi Jiu. "…" feeling wronged QAQ

…

"I already registered us online for the Annual Challenge." Shou Ji spoke as soon as they arrived in the villa.

The sofas are floating and the housekeeping robot is carrying the bags of groceries to the kitchen before it started sweeping the spotless and dustless floor.

Yi Bing nodded, indicating he heard him. He isn't polite since Shou Ji, as Shi Jiu said, is a local of this world and is the only one among them four the most familiar with this world. Naturally, Shou Ji took up the task and he is also the one who sought Yi Bing's and Huo Ling's help.

"There are three stages in the Annual Challenge." Shou Ji spoke as the four of them sat.

Shi Jiu felt dizzy at the rocking single-seater sofa he was sitting on but Shou Ji ignored him.

"The first stage is the battle royale." Shou Ji continued. "There are two thousand participants expected but there will only be fifty people that remains at the end. As soon as fifty people are left, the battle will stop." He spoke.

"From two thousand to fifty… that's really too much!" Shi Jiu spoke after he finally steadied his seat.

"Killing shouldn't be allowed, right?" Huo Ling thoughtfully asked.

Shou Ji nodded. "That is to be expected. The military exists to protect people instead of harming them." He spoke.

"What about weapons?" Yi Bing asked.

"Weapons are allowed. I will show you the permitted weapons later." Shou Ji told them.

"Good." Yi Bing nodded.

"The second stage is a solo battle." Shou Ji said. "In this stage, only twenty-five people will remain." He told them.

"… isn't this too simple?" Huo Ling asked.

Hearing his question, Shou Ji smiled. "Well, you are really sharp." He spoke as he looked at Huo Ling with his gaze filled with appreciation. "There really is something special in this stage." He said.

"What is it?" Shi Jiu curiously asked.

"If you perform excellently, you can directly be admitted to the academy… as an apprentice." Shou Ji answered.

Their brows raised. "There is this operation?" Shi Jiu was surprised.

Shou Ji nodded. "Although, I had Yu Yan as my apprentice when he was already admitted to the academy but not through this competition." He said.

Huo Ling's expression suddenly became thoughtful with his fingers placed on his chin.

Yi Bing looked at him. "What are you thinking?" he asked.

Huo Ling raised his head and looked at Yi Bing. "I was just thinking… maybe the original Yu Yan became Shou Ji's apprentice through the Annual Challenge." He answered. "But, after he was reborn, he still wanted to become an apprentice, but now as a student from the military academy." He told them.

Shi Jiu was surprised. "Does he think it is shameful to become an apprentice through the Annual Challenge?" he asked.

"That shouldn't be. He will still be admitted in the military academy even if I took him as an apprentice." Shou Ji answered.

"… it must be he felt shameful to become a student in the military academy through the Annual Challenge." Yi Bing spoke.

"… oh." They muttered, feeling enlightened.

"This must be one of the reasons why he was bullied." Huo Ling spoke. "Added to the fact that he came from a backwards planet… the shame has been doubled." He said.

Shou Ji fell silent. "But I am not that kind of person. I would even see him as courageous and admirable for being brave and wanting to bring honor to his family." He spoke.

Yi Bing looked at him. "It isn't you who is narrow-minded, but him." He told him.

Shou Ji's eyes widened from shock. "What…?" he muttered.

"Although the original Yu Yan was timid, but for him to think that being admitted in the military academy through Annual Challenge as something shameful… it just shows how narrow-minded he is." Huo Ling explained.

Shou Ji fell silent.

"Now, we can see that he really is narrow-minded since he changed the past to pave his way for his future." Huo Ling added.

Shi Jiu nodded in agreement. "This must be the knot in his heart." He said.

"What should I do, then?" Shou Ji asked. "I didn't know that this what he was thinking all long… now I am dead and don't have the chance to tell him what I think about him." He said and sighed.

They fell silent. Yi Bing and Huo Ling looked at each other. Their gazes are talking.

"Shou Ji." Yi Bing called.

"What?" Shou Ji answered. His voice sounds dispirited.

"Aren't you feeling arrogant?" Yi Bing asked.

"… what?!" Shou Ji's back straightened on his seat while Shi Jiu coughed. "What do you mean by that?" Shou Ji asked as his eyes narrowed, glaring at Yi Bing.

Yi Bing looked unperturbed by his gaze. "Look. If the reborn soul cared much about your thoughts, would he still kill you?" he asked as he looked at Shou Ji in the eyes. "He was already reborn, and his personality changed. If he cared about your thoughts much, he would've already talked with you about it and he wouldn't kill you." He explained. "But, he didn't. He still killed you. This just shows that he doesn't care about what you think. He doesn't care about you, even if you are his teacher." He added.

A long silence fell. Shi Jiu awkwardly looked at Yi Bing and Shou Ji. He thinks that what Yi Bing said is harsh but he also knows that Shou Ji didn't have a delicate heart. What he fears is that Shou Ji might suddenly explode and punch Yi Bing. But, fortunately, Shou Ji didn't look like he wanted to hit Yi Bing.

"I see." Shou Ji muttered after a while.

Yi Bing didn't care about Shou Ji's feelings. Shou Ji also looked like he had adjusted his emotions.

"The third stage is fighting against a senior student of the academy." Shou Ji continued.

"Oh?" Yi Bing looked interested. "A senior student… they should be graduating, right?" he asked.

Shou Ji nodded as an answer. "This is also a part of their training before they graduate." He spoke.

"Will they be held back by the academy if they lost to a participant in the Annual Challenge?" Huo Ling asked.

"That shouldn't be, right?" Shi Jiu said and laughed.

"They really wouldn't be held back by the academy and will let them graduate. But – " Shou Ji spoke. " – what happens to them after, whether they can find  job or not…" he didn't continue and just meaningfully smiled.

Shi Jiu's eyes flashed. Although he has lived in an ancient era, but things like this still didn't change. "It's because they lost, right? They also lost their reputation for being beaten by a newcomer.." He said.