The heavy clouds pressed low, the wind that had been blowing moments ago now still. The warm, humid air seemed to congeal. A thunderstorm was brewing between the dim sky and earth. Gu Ya emerged from his mech and stood at attention before the spectator stands.
At this moment, the casual chatter among the sixteen students in the stands had ceased entirely. Their attitude towards Gu Ya had undergone a 180-degree turn. However, Xu Jie’s gaze was still unfocused, showing a trace of defiance. Fei Ming then caught up, matching Gu Ya’s steady stance. Wu Chuyang’s powerful presence cast a palpable tension over the atmosphere, and everyone remained silent, awaiting his words. Wu Chuyang, his demeanor always calm, seemed unfazed by this display of what he considered petty squabbles, his experience with great storms leaving him uninterested.
After a prolonged silence, he spoke plainly, "No." With that, he signaled for everyone to return to training.
Following this brief exchange, Shao Yang’s conviction regarding Gu Ya solidified further. He called Fei Ming and Wang Yu over, lowering his voice. "Let's re-evaluate our combat strategy."
Wang Yu stated nonchalantly, "What's there to discuss? I'll take down Gu Ya, and you two handle Xu Jie and Hei Ye."
Fei Ming countered, "Wang Yu and I will keep Gu Ya occupied. Shao Yang, you're the strongest. You take down the other two. Then, the three of us will focus on Gu Ya."
Shao Yang stroked his chin, pondering for a moment. "Fei Ming's loss was due to underestimating his opponent. But in terms of individual strength, Gu Ya might not be Fei Ming's match."
"Gu Ya is the strongest in Class E, while Fei Ming is the weakest among us. Let Fei Ming engage Gu Ya, and Wang Yu and I will quickly deal with the other two."
"Then, we’ll all focus on Gu Ya. What do you say?"
Fei Ming agreed. Wang Yu, however, found it too troublesome. He preferred a direct approach, believing they could win without such complications. Shao Yang’s expression darkened. "It’s always better to be cautious. Let's practice our tactics against Class B again, and then immediately practice against Class E."
On Class E's side, Gu Ya kept a close watch on Xu Jie. Ever since he discovered his mech had been tampered with, he had harbored suspicions about Xu Jie. Class A was too strong and wouldn't stoop to such low tactics. But Xu Jie was different; he was a petty individual.
Xu Jie, feeling Gu Ya’s gaze, retorted defensively, "What?"
Gu Ya uttered a seemingly casual remark, a subtle test, "Nothing, I just felt you were acting strange today."
Hei Ye, oblivious to the tension between them, excitedly told Gu Ya, "I didn't expect you to be so strong! I think we might even be able to defeat Class C!"
"Gu Ya, what strategy should we use against them?"
Gu Ya thought for a moment. "Strategy? Well, since our strength is so low, let's adopt a strategy of defensive encirclement and counter-attack when opportunities arise."
Xu Jie scoffed, remaining silent.
Each class returned to their respective training grounds. Wu Chuyang made his rounds, correcting students' mistakes, and finally arrived at Class E's area. He observed Gu Ya thoughtfully for a while, pondering a question that lingered in his mind. Gu Ya's performance had clearly outmatched his opponent, but why had he initially allowed himself to be on the defensive? Was he testing the opponent's strength? Self-testing was a major taboo in combat. Did he have some hidden agenda? He would have to have a serious talk with him later.
At that moment, a bright, thick bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, followed by rolling thunder. Strangely, there seemed to be unusual sounds hidden within the thunder’s roar. Wu Chuyang looked up at the sky. Accustomed to the roar of mechs, he became alert. "Mechs?" As he gazed, several tiny black dots, like grapes, appeared to be rapidly traversing the cloud formations, visible and then disappearing. Wu Chuyang immediately felt a sense of unease. He activated his communication bracelet. "Report, unidentified mechs have appeared above the training grounds for reserve mech pilots at the No. 12 wastewater treatment area. Approximately five to seven units, speed around Mach 2, heading towards the upper city."
After the report, Wu Chuyang quickly sprinted to an idle mech. Within seconds, he successfully activated it. With an explosive blast from the thrusters, the mech shot skyward. The academy students watched Wu Chuyang's mech ascend, exchanging bewildered glances. "What's going on? Where is Instructor Wu going?" "I don't know, an emergency mission?" "The instructor's gone, let's slack off for a bit..."
The three students from Class E were closest to Instructor Wu. Hei Ye, seeing the instructor leave, immediately stopped his mech, settled comfortably into the cockpit, and turned on his communication ring to listen to music. Xu Jie also released the control stick. "The new instructor's aura is so strong, it makes me feel suffocated." Gu Ya watched Instructor Wu's mech disappear into the clouds, exhaling a long sigh of relief.
Wu Chuyang piloted his mech towards the dark clouds, lightning flashing beside him. His gaze was unwavering, like an eagle fixated on its prey. Suddenly, his communication ring received a response: "Confirmed. The approaching units are an attack squad from Black Star, consisting of six 'Guishun' class mechs and one modified 'Shanxiao' class mech. Guard Unit 12 has been assigned to intercept."
"Understood. Unit 12's Wu Chuyang is flying at the same speed, 2 kilometers behind the enemy, piloting an academy combat trainer mech."
"Chuyang, you are unarmed. Maintain distance and leave the combat to your teammates."
"Understood."
Just as the call ended, Wu Chuyang's mech radar displayed ten white dots rapidly approaching from his right, heading towards the Black Star mechs. The Guard Unit mechs fired missiles, targeting the incoming enemies. The seven Black Star mechs shifted formations in the air, with five breaking off to engage the Guard Unit. Wu Chuyang continued pursuing the remaining two, one of which was a rather conspicuous 'Shanxiao' class mech. This model of mech was the primary combat unit active in the Yadaya region thirty years ago. After Yadaya was occupied by the Black Star Empire, many Yadayan mech pilots became mercenaries, hiding in remote wilderness areas and continuing their guerrilla resistance against the Black Star walkers. Of course, many Yadayan mech pilots surrendered, so the presence of a 'Shanxiao' in the Black Star forces was not unusual.
The two enemy mechs ahead seemed to have spotted Wu Chuyang. The 'Shanxiao' detached from the formation and flew to engage him. Wu Chuyang's mech was unarmed, but he still flew forward to meet it. A long-lost serious smile spread across his face. "You want to play with me? Then I'll play until the very end."
The opponent was piloting an older model mech, but its performance was superior to Wu Chuyang's trainer mech, and it was equipped with close-quarters combat weapons. The relative speeds of the two were high. Within seconds, they met head-on. Their metal fists and short swords clashed directly, sparks flying. Wu Chuyang’s skill was clearly superior. He rapidly adjusted his posture, activating auxiliary thrusters on all limbs, and pursued the opponent fiercely. After a brief hesitation, the opponent quickly changed its combat strategy, diving below Wu Chuyang.
"Trying to attack my weak points?" Wu Chuyang decelerated sharply and adjusted his posture for a vertical descent. The opponent did not wish to prolong the fight. It drew another close-combat dagger, held both daggers forward, and spun its body rapidly, like a high-speed drill aiming to pierce Wu Chuyang. Wu Chuyang smiled faintly, spread his limbs, and activated reverse thrusters simultaneously. His mech, like a falling leaf, hovered in the air. The opponent drilled past him below and headed towards the dark clouds.
By this time, the five enemy mechs in the main engagement had been dealt with by the Guard Unit. Seven friendly mechs met the 'Shanxiao' head-on. When Wu Chuyang adjusted his posture and looked back, the 'Shanxiao' had been pierced by three friendly mechs, emitting thick smoke and trembling, slowly flying towards the outskirts of Wu He City. One friendly mech flew up from behind the 'Shanxiao' and delivered the final blow with a cold beam sword. Two other friendly mechs flew up, seized the 'Shanxiao's' arms, and carried it towards the Guard Unit's encampment.
Wu Chuyang shook his head, still unsatisfied. "Ah, it's over before I even got warmed up."
"But the pilot of this 'Shanxiao' is quite skilled. To control a 30-year-old mech so smoothly."
"Perfect, let's go see who the pilot is."
...
Wu He City Guard Unit No. 12 Encampment.
In the observation room adjacent to the interrogation room, Wu Chuyang pushed the door open and stepped in quietly. He nodded to another mech pilot beside him, then turned to look at the screen. To his surprise, he asked, "This, this is the pilot of the 'Shanxiao'?" The mech pilot beside him gave a helpless chuckle and nodded. "I didn't expect it either." Wu Chuyang's expression shifted from confusion to astonishment, then back to calm. "Ah, are foreign mech pilots this dedicated?"
"In our Xian Xia, children this age are still learning how to fly mechs, aren't they?" The mech pilot shrugged. "Who can say?"
In the interrogation room, a slender girl was handcuffed, her head bowed, sitting behind the interrogation table. Her messy long hair obscured her face, and her fair neck bore smudges of engine oil. Inside the interrogation room, two interrogators spoke in low voices. "Black Star attacker squad, 'Shanxiao' pilot, begin interrogation."
"Name?"
The girl slightly lifted her head. Her eyes were clear, lacking the ferocity of an invader; instead, they held a hint of innocence and fear. The girl spoke softly, "Ye Ying."