Chapter 212: We are the champions (I)
Ten days later, Holy City. General assembly of the Alliance.
The 61 members of the ten newly formed Demon Hunt Squads stood in front of their respective seats.
Compared to the time they left Holy City, clear changes could be detected on them.
Including their time on the road, three months had already passed since the team selection. After those three months, their faces had already lost all childishness, and gained an unswerving determination acquired through many hardships.
Yesterday evening, they reached Holy City. And this morning, they were immediately called to this assembly.
The completion of their three months of tests implied that the Demon Hunt Selection Competition had finally come to a complete end. Today would be their last gathering. The next day, they were going to part ways, starting their own individual journeys with their respective Demon Hunt Squads.
The ten Demon Hunt Squad leaders entered in a line, from the main door of the assembly, and were followed by the symbolic leaders of the Six Great Temples.
They were the chief knight of the Knight Temple, Han Qian, the heroic grand chief of the Assassin Temple, Ying Suifeng, the grand berserker head of the Warrior Temple, Ren Wokuang, the auxiliary hall master of the Priest Temple and head of the Sacrificial Hall, Ruoshui, the head of the mage regiment, Lin Chen, from the Mage Temple, as well as the grand spiritual master from the Spiritual Temple, Sanshui.
At this time, these six auxiliary heads of the Six Great Temples all had benevolent expressions while taking their seats in succession. Except for Gao Yingjie, the other nine leaders sat in a row, at their back.
Gao Yingjie stepped on the stage in the front, and after the six auxiliary hall masters took their seats, he stood straight, performing a knight salute. This was the sign for the official beginning of this conference.
Han Qian nodded to him.
Gao Yingjie declared in a deep voice, “Leader of the 1st soldier grade Demon Hunt Squad, reporting. The ten newly formed Demon Hunt Squads performed satisfactorily during their test. They gained the approval of the Exorcist Mountain Pass’ military and received a rather good evaluation. All members of the newly formed Demon Hunt Squads performed outstandingly well, and completed this test brilliantly.”
Han Qian nodded to him, “Thanks for your trouble, the ten of you. Please return.”
Gao Yingjie clenched his fist before his chest, returning to the second row after completing another knight salute. Han Quian rose and stepped on the stage.
Han Qian smiled faintly, looking at the 61 youths below, declaring, “We are very satisfied. You used your own abilities and actions to prove your capability to the Alliance. You are the pride of the Alliance, and the pride of your respective Temples. Compared to knowing about your performance, I am even happier to be able to see all of you return before me safe and sound.”
“Now, the end of the tests signifies that you completed the whole process of the Demon Hunt Selection. Your performances were exceptional, and for all the hardships you have faced on the battlefield, the Alliance decided to bestow your final rewards according to the contribution points you earned. Next, I will read your ranks, from lowest to highest.”
“8th Demon Hunt Squad of soldier grade, total amount of contribution points of the team: 1,280. 9th Demon Hunt Squad, total amount of contribution points of the team: 1,346. 6th Demon Hunt Squad, total amount of contribution points of the team: 1,451(…) 5th Demon Hunt Squad, total amount of contribution points of the team: 2,041. 3rd Demon Hunt Squad, total amount of contribution points of the team: 2,062.”
After announcing the total amount of contribution points for seven of the Demon Hunt Squads, Han Qian paused for a little moment.
Up until today, all of the newly formed Demon Hunt Squads didn’t know how much contribution points the other teams earned. But hearing that the 3rd Demon Hunt Squad he led actually ended up 4th, not entering the top three, Duan Yi’s and his whole team had ugly expressions. The fact they didn’t get into the top three implied that they wouldn’t get any reward in the team contest.
At this moment, the only ones that hadn’t been called out yet were the 1st, the 2nd and the 4th Demon Hunt Squads.
After shortly glancing at the 42 discouraged Demon Hunt Squads members, Han Qian continued, “The results of the final top three were extremely close to your scores. And although the rewards for the team contest are not negligible, they are no more than a drop in the ocean compared to everything you will gain in the future. At the 3rd rank is the 2nd Demon Hunt Squad with a total amount of 2,115 contribution points. They receive a reward of 300 contribution points per person.”
Hearing Han Qian’s announcement, Yang Wenzhao’s pupils immediately shrank, unconsciously clenching his fists tightly. Lost… I lost once again. And this time, I only got the third position. His look fell unconsciously on Long Haochen at his side, thinking to himself secretly, How is that possible?! They missed roughly 50 days of missions!
At this very moment, the most nervous ones were the members of the 1st and the 4th Demon Hunt Squads. As their captains, Long Haochen and Luc Xi couldn’t help but straighten up.
“Second position, 4th Demon Hunt Squad with a total amount of 2,158 contribution points. They receive a reward of 500 contribution points per person.”
Hearing this announcement, Luc Xi leaned back in disappointment. His shock was even greater than Yang Wenzhao’s. That’s right, in terms of ability as captain, he couldn’t compare with Duan Yi and Yang Wenzhao, but the 4th Demon Hunt Squad had the best balance in terms of its vocations. They went all out, and obtained such outstanding results. But even though they defeated the 2nd and the 3rd squads, they still lost in the end.
Han Qian revealed a smile, “The final 1st position naturally belongs to the 1st Demon Hunt Squad. It’s too bad for the 4th Demon Hunt Squad, because you only lost with a difference of 2 contribution points and no more. The 1st soldier grade Demon Hunt Squad gained a total of 2,160 contribution points. They win the final team award of 1,000 contribution points per person, excluding their retainer knight.”
“Senior Saint Knight Chief.” Luc Xi stood up, and although he was clearly agitated, he still gave Han Qian a reverential salute.
Han Qian smiled, “Luc Xi, do you have any questions?”
Luc Xi took a deep breath, barely controlling his own emotions, and looked at the nearby Long Haochen, saying, “Senior Saint Knight Chief, I have two questions. Our Demon Hunt Selection is supposed to be fair, and has impartiality as its doctrine. I am not calling the Alliance’s final decision into question, but as the captain of the 4th Demon Hunt Squad, I wish to understand why we lost.”
“Okay, give us your questions then.” Han Qian was clearly unperturbed, and answered with a smile.
Because of the excitement Luc Xi’s face was somewhat flushed, as he said aloud, “Senior Saint Knight Chief, for this test, my companions and I already did our utmost in the Exorcist Mountain Pass, sparing no efforts. And after more than two months of hard work, we finally obtained a total amount of 2,158 contribution points. My first question is, although the 1st soldier grade Demon Hunt Squad is remarkable, and obviously a lot more powerful than ours, under circumstances where they didn’t participate in any missions for 49 days, how is it possible that they earned a total of 2,160 contribution points? And I believe the other Demon Hunt Squads are also questioning this fact.”
As he said so, the majority of the Demon Hunt Squads could only nod in approval. Although Yang Wenzhao and Duan Yi, who didn’t express dissatisfaction, also lost, they were in a different position. Compared to the 4th Demon Hunt Squad that almost ended up as champions, they naturally at least wished to see the 1st soldier grade Demon Hunt Squad led by Long Haochen, from the same Knight Temple as them, obtain this honor. After all, Long Haochen was also the one who won the final victory in the individual competition.
“My second question is about Long Haochen’s retainer knight. Senior Saint Knight Chief, according to the rules of the Alliance, retainer knights can not contribute to the team’s total amount of contribution points. But contribution points can be passed to each other through the contribution tiles. How can the Alliance guarantee that Long Haochen’s retainer knight didn’t pass all his contribution points over to Long Haochen? Even if he only handed Long Haochen two contribution points, it would have influenced the final results of the team contest.”
Reaching this last point, Luc Xi clearly felt quite agitated. The difference of awarded contribution points between the first and the second place was after all over 3,000! To say nothing of the even more important glory that the final victor received.
At this time, even Li Xin whose relationship with Long Haochen was the best, couldn’t pacify Luc Xi. It was because Luc Xi’s speech was done out of consideration for the whole team, and not only out of selfishness.
Hearing Luc Xi’s speech, Han Qian nodded and said in response, “Please sit, captain Luc Xi. The Demon Hunt Squad Selection is of course fair, and has impartiality as its principle. Since you are asking for it, the Alliance has to give everyone an explanation. Leader Gao Yingjie, please enlighten us and answer Luc Xi’s two questions.”
“Yes.” Gao Yingjie stood up, once more coming to the front.
Again offering a knight salute to the six seniors, he declared in a deep voice, “I pledge on my honor as a knight, that everything I am about to say is pure truth.”
The six auxiliary hall masters nodded altogether.
Gao Yingjie was an extremely influential figure in the Knight Temple. In his youth, he had also been the captain of a Demon Hunt Squad. It was the squad the father of that young lady, Shi Xiaoxue, belonged to. During an operation, they had been victims of a demon ambush. Gao Yingjie had gone all out to protect his comrades in this situation of siege, but the enemy was led by a demon god whose strength surpassed theirs vastly. Ultimately, Gao Yingjie had ignited his own life with the holy fire, making use of the ability Sacrifice. In the process, he also ignited Shi Xiaoxue’s father and mother, to secure their other three companions’ escape.
Gao Yingjie had originally been resigned to die at the hands of the enemy, but at the time the demons were about to strike the final blow, another formidable Demon Hunt Squad came to his rescue. They had gotten the news, and ultimately saved him as he was on the verge of dying. Afterwards, Gao Yingjie blamed himself a lot for the death of Shi Xiaoxue’s parents. After spending three long years of rehabilitation to recuperate, he never again joined any other Demon Hunt Squad. But because he did not spare anything and even had the resolve to sacrifice his own life in order to save his companions, gaining common acknowledgement. He was also considered as having great odds to become a Pure Gold Foundation Knight in the future.
Thus, even the six auxiliary hall masters held him in great esteem.
Gao Yingjie turned back, looking at Luc Xi, and declared in the same deep voice, “I will first address your first question. The fact the 1st soldier grade Demon Hunt Squad obtained over 2,000 contribution points is equally linked to strength as to luck. Long Haochen formerly received the order from the military chief of the Exorcist Mountain Pass, Sheng Lingxin, to participate in an important military operation outside of the city by himself. Relying on the Eyes of Truth released by his mount, he saved the Brilliant Angel Knight Regiment from the danger of annihilation!”