Chapter 73: Because I’m Strong

Chapter 73: Chapter 73: Because I’m Strong

After stargazing, the group packed up all their trash and put away the cooking and barbecue supplies.

Once they were done, they doused the campfire with water. After restoring the area to how they found it, they leisurely headed out.

On the way back, Aidan added everyone in the group to his contacts. After passing the men’s dormitory, he waved to the others. "See you next time."

"Bye," they waved in response.

The next day, they returned to their special training, and Jiang Lusheng and the other instructors were thrilled.

The five students who trained and listened the most diligently were back. How could he not be happy?

’Finally, someone is willing to learn the skills we have to teach.’

Jiang Lusheng’s gaze fell on Lin Jingjing, and he asked, "How are you feeling?"

"Think you can handle today’s high-intensity training?"

Lin Jingjing was caught off guard by the instructor’s sudden concern and felt a little overwhelmed. ’I can’t believe the instructor remembered me.’

"Don’t you worry, Instructor Jiang. I guarantee I won’t drag anyone down!" Lin Jingjing stood ramrod straight, her expression serious.

"Good. Rejoin the ranks!" Jiang Lusheng shouted, his smile vanishing.

The five returned to their formation, and the day’s high-intensity training began.

No wonder Jiang Lusheng had asked if Lin Jingjing could handle it. Few people in the entire platoon could endure the intensity of today’s training.

But Lin Jingjing adapted with surprising ease. She didn’t feel the least bit tired.

Not only that, but when Shi Feng was on the verge of collapsing, she hauled him onto her back and carried him along.

This act left many people dumbfounded. Every single person was wearing 30-kilogram weighted rings on their wrists and ankles.

They couldn’t be removed for rock climbing, river crossing, running, shooting, or one-on-one sparring.

Wearing the weighted rings made every movement sluggish and difficult.

Some of the less physically robust trainees were already too exhausted to move by the time they reached the running portion of the training.

And yet there was Lin Jingjing, charging forward with Shi Feng on her back.

Jiang Lusheng, who had been slouched in a nearby chair playing a game on his device, saw this and sat up straight. He stopped playing, his gaze fixed on Lin Jingjing.

’This girl... she seems to have gotten even stronger.’

’Did her spiritual power increase?’

"This Lin Jingjing... she’s incredible," an instructor commented nearby, his colleagues murmuring in agreement, their eyes filled with excitement.

"We need to give her special attention from now on."

"Agreed."

These instructors had long since stopped caring that the group had Grade D spiritual power. So what if they were Grade D?

A Grade D could still wipe the floor with an S-Class expert.

But for those who considered themselves the prodigies of their noble families, the sight of Lin Jingjing carrying Shi Feng was a breaking point.

Some of them completely lost it.

Lin Jingjing was carrying Shi Feng on her back, yet she was still at the head of the pack. How could that not shatter their egos?

Just then, someone jumped out and started shouting, "Instructor, she’s cheating!"

"I bet she’s not even wearing the weighted rings!"

"Yeah, we think her weighted rings are fake!"

"We demand you re-inspect her weighted rings!"

The trainees from the back of the group ran to the instructors to cause a scene, but Lin Jingjing, still running far ahead, was completely oblivious.

Shi Feng, resting on Lin Jingjing’s back, had managed to catch his breath, and his depleted stamina was slowly returning.

Shi Feng watched Lin Jingjing’s feet move as if she were flying and asked in astonishment, "You’re carrying me, and you’re still wearing those things... Aren’t you tired?"

Lin Jingjing was panting, but she wasn’t yet at the point of being too exhausted to lift her feet.

"I’m fine. Right now, I feel like I have limitless energy," Lin Jingjing answered him.

The commotion from behind finally caught the attention of the five of them. They turned to see a large crowd gathered around the instructors, shouting.

They slowed to a halt, and after listening to the shouting, they finally understood the reason for the uproar.

It turned out that seeing Lin Jingjing carry Shi Feng while still leading the pack made them jealous, so they concluded she must be cheating.

Now they were raising a stink in front of the instructors, all to get Lin Jingjing’s weighted rings inspected and force her to prove she wasn’t cheating.

After all, none of them could accept that a Grade D piece of trash could be stronger or more skilled than them.

In an Empire governed by the law of the jungle—survival of the fittest—a Grade D piece of trash was supposed to live a life only marginally better than a dog’s.

Lin Jingjing, targeted for no reason, was speechless. ’If they have this much time to complain, they should spend it training instead.’

The one shouting the loudest was a man with yellow hair.

He stood at the very front, his face a mask of arrogant defiance, his words all meant to belittle her group.

"All five of them have Grade D spiritual power, yet they’re somehow stronger than us. They took first place in the rock climbing and swimming earlier—we’ll let that slide.

But now this Lin Jingjing isn’t even bothering to put on an act! She’s just carrying her teammate and sprinting ahead."

"Does she think we’re idiots?"

The yellow-haired man’s voice was so loud that everyone present heard him loud and clear.

His words stirred up others who were already disgruntled, and they stepped forward to shout, "Exactly! They have to be cheating!"

"Otherwise, how could we—Grade A and S-Class trainees—be losing to them?"

"You have to inspect them! Otherwise, we’re not training anymore."

Some of the other trainees just found the troublemakers annoying. ’If they’re strong, that’s their own skill. You have high grades but you’re still weaker than them? That just means you’re pathetic.’

’If you suck, then train harder. What’s the point of all this shouting?’

’Even if she could cheat, that would be a skill in itself. But if she’s not cheating and can still carry someone while running out front, it just proves she’s overwhelmingly strong.’

Some of the lower-grade trainees, the ones who were constantly bullied, looked toward Lin Jingjing and her friends. They clenched their fists, their eyes shining with excitement.

They hoped Lin Jingjing wasn’t cheating and would give these accusers a resounding slap in the face.

Thoroughly annoyed, Jiang Lusheng stood up. He grabbed a megaphone and yelled into the distance, "Lin Jingjing! Get over here, all of you!"

Hearing her name called, Lin Jingjing and her friends had no choice but to walk over. As they approached Jiang Lusheng, they sized up the group standing next to him.

Gu Kaiwen was the first to speak up. "Well, if it isn’t Young Master Corey?"

"What’s got you making a scene here today?"

After he finished, Shi Feng chimed in, "What’s this? You think something’s unfair?"

"Where’s the fairness in any of this? You lot with your S-Class spiritual power are wearing the same 30-kilogram weights as us Grade Ds, running the same course."

"And you don’t hear me complaining about things being unfair."

Corey was struck speechless by the comeback. Just then, a red-haired young man spoke up.

"There is no such thing as fairness in a world of the strong."

The five of them were speechless.

’Talk about... double standards.’

"In that case, O respected and powerful Lord Cyril, why don’t you increase your weighted rings to 60 kilograms?" Lin Jingjing chimed in quietly.

"To make things a little ’fairer,’ maybe?"

The two of them fell silent. Sixty kilograms? That was impossible!

Feng He scoffed. "Such hypocrites."

"Just because you can’t keep up, you assume we’re cheating. I haven’t even gotten around to accusing you of cheating yet."

Corey exploded at that. He rushed forward, pointing an angry finger at the five of them and shouting, "If you’re not cheating, then how can you carry him!"

"And still run so fast?"

Lin Jingjing shrugged. "Because I’m strong."