In a wide field on the outskirts of the city,
Rai Kang, Kogan, and a group of individuals stood together.
During his time getting familiar with the place, he trained for no less than an hour.
Pew!
Pew!
Pew!
The members of the squad fired arrows toward their targets. Out of ten released arrows, nine would hit the mark—
and sometimes, all ten would strike true.
Mei Lan focused on the target in front of her and swung her crossbow along with it, then closed her eyes.
She continued to track the target with the crossbow, imagining the scene in her mind. After a short moment, she released the arrow.
Bullseye!
The arrow stuck to the target and kept swinging with it.
Since most missions are carried out at night with limited lighting, the members are trained to predict the target's path after catching just a glimpse of its movement direction.
Although living creatures aren't programmed like inanimate targets that obey the laws of physics, sometimes, predicting animal instinct is actually easier for humans.
Kogan held the crossbow—it resembled a small rifle, made of reinforced, polished wood—and aimed at a small, swaying circular target.
Pew!
The arrow shot swiftly toward the swaying target.
"I missed."
"It's alright, you're getting better with time," the captain encouraged him.
Kogan had already practiced several times. Out of ten shots, he would only hit once—and sometimes, not at all.
Not to mention aiming with his eyes closed—if he tried that in the dark, there was a high chance he'd hit one of his teammates instead.
The squad members looked his way, but there was no contempt or mockery in their eyes—they understood the situation.
And as long as he kept training, he was bound to improve.
The training wasn't too complicated for those who hadn't reached the First Rank yet.
The basic skill that everyone was proficient in was crossbow shooting.
No matter your rank, you had to learn how to shoot with a bow and arrow.
Everyone had at least ten years of experience in archery.
After that came swordsmanship training—but it wasn't considered that important.
They only learned the fundamentals, since most of their missions required keeping a distance from the target.
And in cases where they were ambushed by bandits, they could do nothing but blame their bad luck.
After all, the one who strikes first always holds the upper hand.
*****
After the training session ended for the day, the squad left the preparation grounds.
That was just the scheduled time—many members would return later during their free time to work on improving other skills.
In this way, some of them became proficient with various weapons and techniques.
"There's a reward today," the captain announced.
"Really?" Kogan raised an eyebrow.
"Yes."
After walking for a while, they reached a place that looked like a small stall.
'Is this a vegetable shop?' Kogan wondered as he looked around.
Various fruits were neatly arranged on tables for easy access—
bananas, apples, kiwis, oranges, pomegranates, and a few other unfamiliar kinds.
"Take whatever you like, but don't be greedy," the captain announced pointing toward the fruits.
"I'll take this one—I haven't tasted it in ages."
"Ooooh, I'm gonna make some fresh orange juice today!"
"Don't take too much," the captain reminded them again.
He glanced at Kogan, who was standing still, while Mei Lan was picking a few fruits.
"Aren't you going to take some? It's free," he said, pointing toward Kogan.
"I can't eat them. They taste awful," Kogan shook his head, a clear discomfort showing on his face.
Rai Kang laughed. "Do you think we're like those strange creatures? These fruits are perfectly edible."
"What do you mean?" Kogan raised an eyebrow.
"What I mean is—these fruits aren't the same as the ones you know. They come from the Great Tree."
'Hoh!!' Kogan was a bit shocked.
"But that's just a theory. We don't know their exact origin. It's said that people who crossed over from the other side throughout history brought some of these fruits with them, and over time they cultivated them until they became what they are today," Rai Kang explained, sharing what little he knew.
In the back courtyard of the central palace where the ruler lived, a decent area had been planted with various trees.
That area was under tight security—personally guarded by the ruler and aided by the four leaders under him.
The reason for their value was twofold:
First, because they were impossible to replace if destroyed.
They had already tried many times to regrow the fruit trees from seeds, but every attempt failed.
Second, because they were nourished by essence.
The more essence they were infused with, the greater the yield of fruit they produced.
"Don't worry—they're completely free," Rai Kang smiled.
Kogan smiled back. "If that's the case, I'll definitely take some."
These fruits were more precious than meat and were offered to them only once a month, under the label of "free" and "reward."
Kogan began picking out some of the colorful and exotic fruits and placed them in a basket.
The basket would later be returned to the store.
*****
Kogan entered the bathroom to take a shower.
He couldn't help but sigh—this life was truly luxurious for him.
A spacious and clean house, the ability to bathe whenever he wanted, and an abundance of food.
It was paradise.
After finishing their training, each pair returned to their place of residence.
Since all the squad members were below the First Rank, their accommodation was at an inn.
They had to wait their turn to shower and wait again for their turn to eat.
Thus, they envied Mei Lan, as she had lost her partner and, on top of that, had been promoted.
Mei Lan knew how they felt, but she didn't care about them. All she wanted was to enjoy her current life.
If improving and enjoying my life causes them sadness and misery, let them wallow in their despair until death.
In the kitchen, Mi Lan prepared dishes of grilled venison with some of the fruits she had picked earlier to add flavor.
Two cups of deep red juice, freshly squeezed from one of the fruits.
After setting the table, she went to call Kogan.
He was lying on his bed, eyes closed, with one hand on his forehead and the other on his chest.
He had chosen the room with the single bed, while Mei Lan took the room with the double bed.
For Mi Lan, sleeping in the double bed felt like swimming in the ocean, and she felt a sense of gratitude toward Kogan.
He gave her the best and most comfortable, while he took the small and cramped one.
This was a practical application of the third rule: "Your partner's life comes before your own."
Mei Lan reached his side and gently shook his hand.
Kogan opened his eyes and looked at her.
"Dinner is ready," She gestured toward him, indicating that the food was ready.
He exhaled deeply, then got up and followed Mei Lan to the kitchen.
Preparing dinner wasn't a mandatory task for women, as it wasn't tied to the three major sins.
But, inevitably, women were drawn to the kitchen—caring for the home and preparing food were things that enhanced a woman's femininity and beauty.
Mei Lan was no different. She had never cooked in her life.
She had lived at her parents' house, and all things related to the kitchen were handled by her mother. Until her parents died when she was thirteen, and she left home for the inn, where she met Shan Yu, who was nearly in the same situation as her.
They became official partners and worked together diligently to improve their lives, no matter the cost.
After twelve years of working together, their adventure came to an end—forever.
This sad and gloomy event developed in a strange and unexpected way to become the savior of Mi Lan's life and future.
Thus, the price Mei Lan and Shan Yu paid to change their lives for the better was Shan Yu's life.
Sometimes, death is a wonderful turning point in a person's life.
Would she mourn the loss of her partner, with whom she had shared all those events and adventures, or would she rejoice because her life had become better?
'It would have been better if Shan Yu were here,' Mi Lan thought.
She sat on the chair across from Kogan, who was seated on the other side of the table.
Mi Lan gave him a long look, then sighed.
'It's all because of him.'