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At that moment, two branches of possibility emerged. The first was that Mi Xiaoji would choose cloth, while Cui Ming would choose scissors to break it. The second possibility was that Mi Xiaoji would choose scissors. This logic mirrored the previous rounds, a back-and-forth understanding. It seemed like there was only a 50% chance of winning, purely a gamble on luck. But Cui Ming did not rely on luck, which allowed Mi Xiaoji to gain an advantage; a tie would count as a win for Mi Xiaoji.
Mi Xiaoji was not cunning, but he was not foolish either. He quickly deduced his surefire winning strategy: to choose a hammer. Regardless of whether Mi Xiaoji would choose cloth, Cui Ming, in his reflective thought process, could not possibly choose cloth either, as he needed to strive for victory rather than settle for a draw. With only hammers and scissors left, holding onto the hammer would secure his chance at winning.
Unless Cui Ming had anticipated that Mi Xiaoji would think this way…
Would he think this way? Yes, and it was highly likely. Because when Mi Xiaoji boasted loudly, his eyes darted around, clearly deep in thought.
Thus, the final outcome of this round was that Mi Xiaoji chose a hammer while Cui Ming chose cloth. As they turned around, Mi Xiaoji was taken aback while Cui Ming released the cloth and said, "In this round, I only had an 80% certainty. I bet on you being a smart person, and you are indeed clever, so I won." Perhaps Mi Xiaoji could have engaged in reverse thinking endlessly, but there wasn't enough time for that; he needed to focus on his own thoughts. Meanwhile, Cui Ming's considerations had become instinctual by this point. Every move and glance were noted… all of which hinged on what Mi Xiaonan had said: Mi Xiaoji lacked cunning.
Mi Xiaoji got off his chair and stood up straight, bowing earnestly as he said, "Brother Cui, I may be unworthy of your attention, but please do not take me lightly."
Cui Ming hurriedly replied, "Just playing around; don't take it seriously."
Mi Xiaoji insisted, "I am taking it seriously because this is a duel. It's not just about life or death; the honor of the York Clan is at stake."
Mi Xiaonan added, "Xiaoji has loved explosives since childhood and rarely played with his companions; he hasn't interacted much with others. The first time he left the York Clan, he encountered the Bomb Demon."
Cui Ming asked, "Xiaoji, the Bomb Demon must know you very well?"
"Yes," Mi Xiaoji replied irritably. "I can't pretend to be him."
"That's simple. No need for any tricks; just go with the plan. He understands your strength and your character. Even if he is stronger than you, he will resort to underhanded tactics. The duel is something you have to handle yourself; I can't help with that. Just believe this: he will definitely use a trick, and you can think of a way to turn his trick against him."
Mi Xiaoji pondered for a moment and asked, "For example?"
"For example, pretend to faint. When he comes over to finish you off, he'll step on your massive trap," Cui Ming replied. "To make it more convincing, you could even extinguish your own Force; that requires you to think on your feet. There's another method: if he doesn't think you'll play dirty, you can use the feigned retreat strategy. And Xiaoji, don't listen to Mi Xiaonan's nonsense; I only have this little bit of theoretical knowledge."
Mi Xiaoji nodded slowly. "I understand now, thank you, Brother Cui... But Brother Cui, there's one thing I can't figure out. After months of hard training in seclusion, why am I still not as good as someone who plays dirty?"
Cui Ming sighed. "When I said my knowledge was theoretical, I wasn't joking; it's the truth. With my level of strength, even if I had a plan, I couldn't execute it effectively. Strength is crucial. A powerful warrior isn't afraid of any schemes. If you poison me, I could still take you down while I'm poisoned. Once strength reaches a certain level, no amount of cunning can defeat it. Look at me; I can't outsmart Beiyue."
Beiyue nodded in response. She had been silent, listening and contemplating. She quite liked this side of Cui Ming—measured and aware of his own strengths and limitations, yet rare in his honesty to persuade others with the truth. Cui Ming was right; he lacked the strength to play tricks on others, but others had the ability to carry out his plans. Unfortunately, Cui Ming was still a bit too stingy; if he had the boldness of a commander, even an ordinary person would dare to form a team and represent the City-State in competitions.
Throughout history, there have been some classic battles. For instance, two thousand years ago, Sakura Island invaded Dawn City. The soldiers from Sakura Island were well-trained and well-armed, while the soldiers of Dawn City couldn't hold them back. At that time, Dawn City employed a strategy of trading space for time by sending in mixed troops to resist step by step, buying time to mobilize their elite forces for defense in the rear. Although the soldiers from Sakura Island kept winning and advancing into the heart of Dawn City, they eventually reached their limit. With all of Dawn City's elite forces mobilized together, they withstood the assault and later defeated Sakura Island alongside their allies. Even now, many people criticize the emperor of Dawn City for his non-resistance policy... Should they be criticized? Looking at the outcome—since they held their ground—it proved that the strategy was successful. Beiyue believed there should be no blame attached. However, history allows everyone to express their views as long as it is not distorted.
After Li Qing agreed to join, Beiyue felt the weight of leadership responsibilities. First and foremost, a captain must understand their team members—their personalities, strengths and weaknesses, areas of expertise, and so on. In the current team setup, Ding Ze was undoubtedly the primary attacker; Mi Xiaonan had strong offensive capabilities but lacked sustainability—her strengths lay in her agility and adaptability. As for Li Qing, no opponent liked facing her unless they were as formidable as Joker Jack.
Since Beiyue had important matters to attend to, after staying for one night, they bid farewell the next morning. Mi Xiaoji saw everyone off from the mountain while also purchasing some necessities. Mi Xiaoji, Mi Big Head, and Mi Xiaonan were childhood friends who had drifted apart upon reaching adulthood. Meanwhile, Mi Xiaobo was part of their group but couldn’t be called a friend; she was more like the goddess admired by all three.
Currently in Twilight City, Mi Xiaobo had joined a team called Eagle Squad and would participate in this year's assessment with them. Because of this, both Mi Big Head and Mi Xiaoji signed up for the assessment as well. They remembered what Mi Xiaobo had said when they parted ways: "I hope my husband will be a hero of the alliance." So first steps involved joining the alliance before becoming a hero.
...
After bidding farewell to Mi Xiaoji, they rented a local car to head towards Twilight City—a small truck with only one passenger seat beside the driver—so all three squeezed into the backseat while enjoying the early spring breeze.
The vehicle jolted along the road as Beiyue leaned to one side and asked the two across from him, "Should we give our team a name?"
Mi Xiaonan and Cui Ming fell into deep thought. Mi Xiaonan spoke first, "How about the Mi Yue Squad?"
Cui Ming raised a hand and playfully gave her a light smack on the head. "That's too arrogant. If we're going to be bold, it should be the Yue Mi Squad."
Mi Xiaonan rubbed her head and said, "Then let's go with the Bei Nan Squad."
Cui Ming chimed in, "Justice will prevail; we should call ourselves the Justice Squad. It's a good omen."
Beiyue sighed and said, "Forget it; pretend I didn't ask."
The journey was long, and boredom set in on the vehicle. Cui Ming and Mi Xiaonan began competing to slice leaves from the trees by the roadside—one using a paper card and the other a shuriken. They were having a great time, making so much noise that Beiyue couldn't find a moment of peace. Finally, in frustration, Beiyue pulled out his Greatsword and swung it, effortlessly shearing off all the branches along the highway.
Cui Ming praised him, "Beiyue, impressive!"
What was so impressive about that? Beiyue couldn't be bothered to respond. He watched as the two continued their game, thinking to himself that Cui Ming could be quite childish at times.
Since they had set off late, they spent the night in a village along the way. The next morning, they resumed their journey and finally reached the outskirts of Twilight City.
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