Enlightenment: Attaining the Dao at Age 8

Li Chang’an sat down with his tray and glanced at everyone. ”Good work on the mission today. Eat up and get some rest. We might have another one tomorrow!”

Sun Yang looked up and asked, ”Captain, do we ever get a break? It’s missions every day. Can’t you give us some time to breathe?”

”This *is* your time to breathe... right now!”

Li Chang’an replied nonchalantly and went back to eating.

Hearing this, everyone sighed helplessly, but the relaxed atmosphere quickly returned.

Time flew by, and before long, a while later...

”Li Chang’an! Li Chang’an! Get up!”

Han Ruoxi stood at his dorm room door, shouting at the top of her lungs while impatiently knocking with one hand.

”What are you knocking for? You’re going to break the door down!”

The door opened with a CLICK. Li Chang’an peeked his head out, bleary-eyed, his hair a mess as if he’d just been hit by a shockwave. ”It’s not even light out, is it? What’s all the shouting for?”

”It is light out! It’s almost time to assemble!”

Han Ruoxi crossed her arms, a hint of smugness in her voice. ”Don’t sleep in, Comrade Captain. You’re supposed to be our role model!”

”A role model is a role model!”

Li Chang’an rubbed his face. ”But even role models have to eat, right? Is breakfast ready?”

”Who do you think I am, your maid who brings you breakfast?”

Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes and turned to leave. ”Just hurry up!”

Li Chang’an checked his watch and shrugged, muttering to himself, ’So I’m one minute late. What’s the big deal?’ He picked up his Saw Chain Sword, casually hung it at his waist, and shuffled toward the assembly point.

On the training ground, Shen Qiuyue was methodically practicing with her Dueling Sword against a dummy, her movements clean and so focused she seemed oblivious to everyone around her.

”Shen Qiuyue, practicing your sword work?”

Sun Yang jogged over from a distance, a Pulse Gun cradled in his hands and a curious look on his face. ”How is this dummy still standing? Don’t you claim you can take anything down in three strikes?”

Shen Qiuyue stopped and shot him a look. ”Taking down an enemy in three strikes is different from practicing on a dummy!”

”Oh, right, right! Good point!”

Sun Yang nodded quickly and waved his hands placatingly. ”But seriously, when are we going to see some real combat? All this training against dummies every day is driving me crazy!”

”If you’re going crazy, then practice more!”

Li Chang’an’s voice suddenly came from behind them. He sauntered over, a steamed bun in his hand. ”The Insect Race on the battlefield won’t give you any time to breathe!”

”Captain, you’re here! Is that bun any good?”

Sun Yang stared at the bun in Li Chang’an’s hand, a crafty glint in his eyes.

”Want some?”

Li Chang’an held up the bun.

”Yeah!”

”If you want one, go get it from the cafeteria yourself!”

Li Chang’an took a large bite, making sure to chew loudly.

”Tch, you’re something else!”

Sun Yang pouted. ”Forget it. I’ll be the bigger person today and won’t hold it against you. So, Captain, do we have a mission today?”

”Nope!”

Li Chang’an clapped him on the shoulder. ”But the instructor will be here later. If you don’t perform well, I can’t protect you!”

”The instructor?”

Sun Yang froze, then turned to Han Ruoxi. ”For real? What’s the instructor coming for today?”

”Wei Zhuang said he wants to inspect our training progress!”

Han Ruoxi stood to the side with her arms crossed, a hint of schadenfreude in her eyes. ”You guys had better not slack off. Otherwise, if the instructor loses his temper, the whole squad will get chewed out with you!”

Sun Yang scratched his head, a little uneasy. ”An inspection? Sounds pretty formal... Alright, I’d better go practice with my gun!”

Sure enough, Wei Zhuang arrived. He stood at the edge of the training ground with a stern expression, his hands behind his back, watching the Insect Hunter Squad busy at work.

”Li Chang’an!”

Wei Zhuang called out in a low voice, his eyes fixed on him without blinking. ”How has the squad been performing lately?”

”Instructor, they’ve been doing pretty well overall!”

Li Chang’an stood ramrod straight. ”There are some areas that need improvement, but the team members are all working hard!”

”Working hard?”

Wei Zhuang sneered, pointing a finger at Sun Yang practicing at the firing range nearby. ”What is that Comrade Sun Yang shooting at? The Pulse Gun is a precision weapon, and he’s treating the bullseye like background decoration!”

”Instructor, don’t be so harsh!”

Sun Yang hurried over with a sheepish grin. ”My hand slipped just now, it slipped! It won’t happen next time, I promise!”

”Next time?”

Wei Zhuang glared at him. ”Li Chang’an, if he keeps messing around like this, whether or not your squad survives the next mission will come down to luck!”

”Don’t worry, Instructor. If his hand ’slips’ again, I’ll make sure he doesn’t get any sleep!”

Li Chang’an nodded, his tone light.

”You’d better remember that!”

Wei Zhuang waved his hand. ”Keep training! The base will be issuing off-site missions in the next few days. Don’t you dare screw up when the time comes!”

Hearing ”off-site missions,” Sun Yang’s eyes lit up. He whispered to Han Ruoxi next to him, ”Did you hear that? Off-site missions! We finally get a chance to go out and have some fun! I’m about to grow mold from training here every day!”

”Fun? You think this mission is a field trip?”

Han Ruoxi rolled her eyes. ”Just try not to get yourself lost. It’ll save the Captain the trouble of having to find you!”

Sun Yang rubbed his nose and chuckled. ”Don’t worry, I definitely won’t hold you guys back!”

In the evening, after training ended, the squad gathered in the base’s recreation area.

”Chang’an, if it’s an off-site mission tomorrow, where do you think we’ll go?”

Shen Qiuyue asked from a corner, holding a hot drink.

”Who knows?”

Li Chang’an leaned back in his chair, his eyes half-closed. ”The Insect Race, Alien Martial Artists, the Rebel Army... any of them are possible. We just follow orders!”

”Makes sense!”

Han Ruoxi nodded. ”But are you guys really ready? Don’t let me, the sole Superpower User, be the one holding the front line while you all hide in the back!”

”Oh, come on!”

Sun Yang protested loudly, ”You holding the front? The way I see it, you’ll be the one putting up an Electric Grid to keep me in the back!”