Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

”You have the nerve to say you’re tired?” Sun Yang sneered. ”Your control over your Electric Energy is a complete mess. My suppressing fire is way more stable!”

”Oh, give me a break. If your suppressing fire had been half a second slower, we’d all have been goners!” Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes at him, her retort merciless.

”Alright, that’s enough from both of you.” Li Chang’an sat at the table, rubbing his shoulders. ”Training has been intense these past few days, but you still need to pace yourselves. Don’t just think about slacking off, but don’t try to rush things either. When a mission comes, we need to be in peak condition!”

”The Captain’s right. After all, we’re the top Insect Hunter Squad in the 42 Combat Group. We can’t drop the ball!” Sun Yang immediately nodded in agreement, though he couldn’t resist a bit of teasing. ”But Captain, when are you going to take us out to see some real insects? All these drills... I’m starting to forget what they even smell like!”

”What’s the rush? There are plenty of real insects out there. When you finally see them, just make sure you don’t regret it,” Li Chang’an said lightly.

”How could I regret it? I was born to kill insects! Seeing them is like coming home for me!” Sun Yang said with a grin, seemingly full of confidence in his abilities.

”Yeah, right,” Han Ruoxi muttered, rolling her eyes. ”Whenever we run into real danger, you run faster than anyone!”

”That’s a tactical retreat, you understand?” Sun Yang said with a straight face. ”If you don’t get it, don’t talk nonsense. It’s called an intelligent response!”

”Fine, fine. You’re so intelligent, so amazing,” Han Ruoxi said, too tired to argue anymore. She turned and leaned back on the sofa, sipping her drink.

”Stop bickering. If we get a mission tomorrow, you need to prepare properly. Don’t get distracted.” Li Chang’an glanced at the two of them. ”If it’s a major mission, everyone will need to give it their all!”

Shen Qiuyue suddenly chimed in, ”Captain, I just saw the base patrols. They seem to have doubled. Is something going on?”

”It’s possible.” Li Chang’an nodded. ”Command has been monitoring the Insect Race’s movements. There’s been a lot of activity on the border recently. We have to stay on high alert.”

”So that means we’ll be getting a mission soon?” Sun Yang immediately leaned in, his face full of anticipation.

”Don’t get ahead of yourself. Wait for the official word.” Li Chang’an shot him a look, then stood up. ”But you’d all better be ready. I’m going to Command first thing tomorrow to see what’s what.”

”Whoa, that’s great!” Sun Yang jumped up in excitement. ”Finally, some action! I’ve been going stir-crazy!”

”Just you wait. When the time comes, don’t you dare complain about being tired,” Han Ruoxi scoffed. ”I really don’t get why you love fighting so much.”

”It’s not about loving to fight, it’s about pursuing honor!” Sun Yang corrected her earnestly. ”Don’t you think killing enemies on the battlefield is, like, a man’s ultimate dream?”

”Ultimate, my ass!” Han Ruoxi said irritably. ”You’re just a warmonger. You don’t have a steady bone in your body!”

”What do you mean I’m not steady?” Sun Yang spread his hands, a look of innocence on his face. ”I’m the one charging to the front lines for the sake of the Combat Group and for everyone’s safety!”

”Alright, that’s enough!” Li Chang’an slapped the table, signaling for quiet. ”Once we have a mission tomorrow, we’ll discuss the division of labor. For now, get some rest. Don’t waste time!”

”The Captain’s right. Everyone should rest when they can. We don’t want to run out of stamina when it counts,” Shen Qiuyue added, in a rare moment of agreement.

”Hey, you hear that? Even Shen Qiuyue is speaking up. You guys better get some rest!” Sun Yang leaned back in his chair with a grin, lacing his hands behind his head. ”I’ll just take a quick nap here. Gotta be ready to go all out tomorrow!”

「The next morning.」

Li Chang’an did as he said and went to Command early to ask about a mission.

Just as he walked into the main hall of Command, he saw Instructor Wei Zhuang standing off to the side, speaking in low tones with several other officers.

”Ah, Captain, you’re here!” Wei Zhuang spotted Li Chang’an at once and waved him over.

”Instructor!” Li Chang’an walked over and gave a simple greeting.

”You’ve come at the right time. Command just assigned a mission to your squad.” Wei Zhuang got straight to the point, his expression serious. ”This one isn’t simple. It’s a reconnaissance and cover operation. The target is an area of Insect Race activity on the border.”

”Understood.” Li Chang’an nodded, his gaze turning grim. ”My squad is ready to depart at any time.”

”Excellent.” Wei Zhuang nodded and clapped Li Chang’an on the shoulder. ”I know you can handle it, but this mission is extremely dangerous. The Insect Race activity is more complex than we anticipated. You must be careful.”

”Don’t worry, Instructor.” Li Chang’an gave a calm smile, his tone radiating confidence. ”My squad won’t let you down.”

Wei Zhuang nodded, satisfied. ”Good. Go back and prepare. You leave this afternoon.”

Li Chang’an acknowledged the order and left Command, already planning the mission’s specifics in his mind.

When he returned to their quarters, Sun Yang and the others were already waiting.

”Captain! Any news?” Sun Yang was the first to rush over, asking eagerly.

”We have a mission,” Li Chang’an said curtly. ”Border reconnaissance and cover. We leave this afternoon. Everyone, get ready now.”

”That’s great!

Finally, a mission!” Sun Yang pumped his fist in excitement.

”Alright, calm down and get ready.” Li Chang’an clapped him on the shoulder, then looked at the others. ”Everyone, hurry up. I’ll see you this afternoon.”

「In the afternoon.」

Li Chang’an led the fully-equipped Insect Hunter Squad to the assembly point, ready to depart.

The temperature on Lion’s Fang Star was still scorching, and a fine dust hung in the air, but no one paid it any mind.