Chapter 1084
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Chapter 1084: End of the Assessment
Pamir Plateau.
Outside the Kashi Border Defense Company.
In the desolate snowfield, rows of new recruits stood in neat formation. Lin Qiye stood before them, with the members of the Nightfall team standing in equally orderly lines behind him.
Lin Qiye’s gaze swept across their faces.
Most of these new recruits looked dejected, their faces filled with frustration and gloom, while only a small portion stood tall, their eyes bright like stars.
This assessment system had directly eliminated over four hundred new recruits. According to the arrangements made before the assessment, their qualifications to become Night Watchmen had been completely revoked by Lin Qiye. Those who stood upright and exuded vitality were mostly the new recruits who had passed the seven-day assessment and successfully ascended Mount Konger.
“I know you have doubts about this assessment.”
Lin Qiye spoke slowly, “Before we begin the summary of this final assessment, does anyone remember the question I asked you before the assessment started?”
Upon hearing this, the new recruits present were momentarily taken aback, but soon someone reacted and spoke up:
“Report!”
“Speak.”
“Before the assessment began, you asked, ‘If our abilities are insufficient to bear the responsibility of guarding the Great Xia, then why step onto the battlefield?'”
Lin Qiye nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the new recruits before him. “Now, does anyone have an answer to this question?”
The new recruits raised their heads slightly. Among those eliminated to the border defense company, some opened their mouths as if to say something, but their eyes revealed a hint of confusion. After a moment, they lowered their heads and fell silent.
Su Zhe stood among the eliminated new recruits, and upon hearing this question, his heart skipped a beat.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Ke Changlin from that day, sitting there, slamming the table, pointing outside the border defense company, and saying, “What will happen to my family if the border is breached?”
In his mind, he recalled the border guards who had stood on the border line with heavy military coats and rifles, eating cold meals and sleeping on hard wooden beds, yet standing firm in the cold wind, supporting the entire country’s border with their straight backs.
He also remembered not long ago, the countless souls who rushed toward the National Guardian Monument for the sake of the Great Xia.
For some reason, in Su Zhe’s eyes, the soldiers guarding the border and the figures of the Great Xia rushing toward the National Guardian Monument seemed to overlap little by little.
Su Zhe suddenly raised his head, his eyes shining with unprecedented clarity!
“Report!”
Lin Qiye’s eyes lit up. He turned to look at Su Zhe and calmly said, “Speak.”
Taking a deep breath, Su Zhe shouted:
“I—I don’t know if what I’m saying is right, but I feel that… if our abilities are insufficient to bear the responsibility of guarding the Great Xia, and we don’t go to the battlefield, then we are unworthy of being Night Watchmen… then there would be no one in this world worthy of being a Night Watchman!”
Hearing this, the new recruits were all stunned in place.
Lin Qiye narrowed his eyes slightly.
Seeing the entire venue fall silent, Su Zhe swallowed hard and gathered his courage to continue:
“Guarding the Great Xia is not something that can be measured by whether one’s abilities are sufficient. Not just us, even Instructor Lin, even Commander Zuo, even the gods would not dare to say they have the absolute ability to protect this country!
Otherwise, the casualty rate of Night Watchmen wouldn’t be so high, and the gods of the Great Xia wouldn’t have sacrificed themselves to protect the people of the Great Xia by turning into monuments.”
Su Zhe raised his hand, pointing to the border defense company behind him. “These border guards are just ordinary people, yet they can still carry guns to guard the Great Xia’s borders. If true disaster strikes, they wouldn’t be able to stop it at all… but they still came.
The weak have their own ways of guarding, and the strong have their own ways of guarding.
Guarding the Great Xia does not require absolute power capable of doing everything, but rather the determination to stand before thousands in the face of disaster.”
Su Zhe’s words were powerful. After he finished speaking, the new recruits standing beside him, also eliminated to the border defense company, gradually lost their confusion, and their eyes became increasingly bright.
A look of approval appeared in Lin Qiye’s eyes.
“Very good.”
His gaze fell on the many new recruits as he slowly spoke: “What Su Zhe said is very good.
Not everyone possesses extraordinary talent, nor does everyone have strong abilities. What is needed to become a Night Watchman is not these… This is also why I set up the elimination mechanism for the assessment.
Those with talent and ability need to constantly climb to new heights, challenge their limits, and stand at a higher place to protect all beings.
Those with relatively weaker talents are not without their uses; in fact, from a certain perspective, you are even more important than those with talent because you are the foundation of guarding the Great Xia.
It seems that many of you have already learned something from this training.”
Lin Qiye spoke slowly, “I have taught you everything I needed to teach. Although the assessment has ended, I will give you another opportunity… Everyone, close your eyes.”
Upon hearing this command, the many new recruits were momentarily taken aback, but after a moment, they obediently closed their eyes.
Lin Qiye’s gaze swept over everyone as he calmly spoke: “Those willing to become Night Watchmen and take on the responsibilities of Night Watchmen from now on… raise your hands.”
The new recruits below raised their hands one after another. Looking around, almost all the new recruits had their hands raised, with only a few hesitating for a moment before not raising their arms.
Lin Qiye lowered his head and crossed out a few names on the list with a pen.
“Put your hands down, open your eyes.” Lin Qiye turned the list behind him and continued, “Everyone pack your things and prepare to return to the capital… Those who just raised their hands can start preparing for the swearing-in ceremony.”
“But, wasn’t our qualification to become Night Watchmen revoked?” someone among the new recruits asked cautiously.
“Temporarily revoked does not mean completely stripped away.” Lin Qiye smiled slightly, “Now, I am giving it back to you.”
As soon as he finished speaking, Lin Qiye turned and left, with the members of the Nightfall team following behind.
After a brief silence, the new recruits behind erupted into thunderous cheers.
“This assessment can be considered a complete success.” Cao Yuan glanced at the excited new recruits behind him and smiled, “Finally, we can go back… I’ve been so busy these past two days that I haven’t had a good sleep.”
“Who will lead the new recruits in the swearing-in ceremony when we return?”
“Is there any doubt? Of course, it’s Qiye!”
“Hehe, I can do it too; it’s quite impressive!”
“…”
Six figures draped in deep red cloaks walked away amid the laughter and cheers of the new recruits.
