Destiny is ashes

Chapter 15 Rapid Elimination

An Jing's exploration of Xuanming Manor ended in vain, and he did not sleep well for the first time in a long time.

The roars of beasts, blood, grinding of teeth and beating hearts always made An Jing feel anxious in his dreams. Only the clear sound of the sword could calm him down a little.

The strange visions in his dreams, the unstable sleep, and the heavy worries made An Jing seem quite listless during his morning exercises.

However, this did not arouse suspicion from others, because most of the children who ate animal meat showed this behavior, and it was even more serious than An Jing.

It's not all bad, though.

After a few days, everyone discovered the effects of the 'ferocious beast meat' and 'potion' they had eaten.

First, the time they spent feeling tired after exercise was significantly reduced, and their strength was indeed gradually increasing.

The various movements that were originally considered difficult and the training that required insufficient physical strength gradually became easy... Of course, the instructors who noticed this would immediately intensify the training, but they rarely felt that they were overwhelmed and that the nutrition in their bodies was empty.

An Jing had the same feeling. With the training at Xuanming Manor and the abundant supply of food and medicine, his body, which had been damaged due to fleeing, had fully recovered.

In fact, because he had a much larger supply of ferocious beast meat than other young boys and girls, his newly trained but somewhat weak muscles and fat once again condensed and contracted. They clung to his bones, which were also becoming increasingly solid, so that he looked nothing special from the outside.

Only when you actually touch his flesh can you realize in amazement how strong An Jing's flesh and bones are.

As time goes by, boys and girls are growing up at an astonishing rate.

However, as time goes by, more and more people are eliminated.

Those who use more resources but fail to grow as expected will naturally be eliminated.

After Zhang Ying, it was Ye Xiuyuan.

One morning twenty days later, Ye Xiuyuan also left Xuanming Manor.

This has become the norm in Xuanmingzhuang, with people coming down the mountain and leaving all the time.

Gu Yeqi wiped his tears for this, Cang Linzu pretended to be stubborn and dismissive, but he was actually crying secretly in the toilet.

Even Zhan Feng was so depressed that he didn't finish his dinner, because Ye Xiuyuan would teach him how to write and read. If it weren't for Ye Xiuyuan's teaching, he wouldn't even be able to read the "Emperor Heaven Sutra" fluently.

He used to be a beggar who just wanted to have enough food to eat, but he still wanted to learn how to write, because only those who can read can eat better.

Although Ye Xiuyuan always talks about lessons from ancient texts, always talks about old stories when his family was prosperous, always hesitates, and always sighs, he also plays a role similar to that of a military strategist in An Jing's small group. He has many clever ideas and they are all very popular.

After a while, Zhan Feng also left. Before going to bed, this tall and simple-minded beggar was still mumbling that he must hold on as long as possible so that he could eat more meat, which he would not be able to eat after going down the mountain.

More acquaintances who could be named and known by name had left.

Half of An Jing's roommates left, and the number of children in Xuanming Village, which originally numbered more than 200, gradually shrank to just over 100.

An Jing remained silent. He remained calm and said nothing.

Some people once secretly complained about An Jing's ruthlessness, some people retorted that An Jing was not ruthless, he remembered everyone's name, he just knew that those people were weak and could not keep up with the pace, so it was a good thing that they left.

Some people say that An Jing is the one who decides who to let go and who to stay, while others say that An Jing is actually a ruthless steel machine who only knows how to practice martial arts and study, and is a natural strong man.

An Jing did not comment on these comments. He was not as heartless or sentimental as they imagined.

When the first elimination began, he already knew that this was inevitable, and that many 'familiar people' would not be able to keep up and would be eliminated.

He just accepted it and remembered it silently.

At this time, the children's sadness is still real and pure.

But as time goes by, separation happens again and again, and everyone's hearts gradually become cold and hard.

Gradually, the children in Xuanming Village began to think that this was not a strange thing.

Being left behind is a testament to their excellence. They are thankful and proud of it. Although those who left are all friends, they only spent a few months together. Although they miss them, they are not too sad.

Those who value friendship and have truly become close friends are also looking forward to the day when they can reunite after coming down the mountain.

But more often than not, it is gradually forgotten.

As the intensity of the training gradually increased, everyone was busy with training every day. They finished the drills exhausted every day, ate greedily, and fell into a deep sleep with a blank mind.

No one can remember all those who left.

Except for An Jing.

From beginning to end, no matter who left, An Jing was silently observing and remembering.

He said nothing on the surface, but doubts were surging in his heart.

He was the only one who remembered everyone's face, so he knew that most of those who left... at least nine out of ten were the ones who failed to suppress the urge after eating the beast meat and "roared" in public.

These people happen to be the ones who are not efficient in absorbing animal meat and whose growth rate is not fast enough.

"What are the uses of those beast meat and potions?"

"And who was that voice that reminded me not to get close to the medicine cabinet?"

"Why do you remind me?"

This is the biggest doubt in An Jing's mind in recent times.

Not to mention that strange voice, since the first time they ate the ferocious beast meat, every ten days, all the young men and women in the manor could eat the ferocious beast meat and herbal potions.

There are fewer and fewer children who cannot endure the heat and medicinal effects of animal meat, but perhaps because of this, the children's personalities have also changed.

It's not obvious, but it does exist - everyone's personality has become more stable.

But to say that you are calm may seem more like being radical and extreme?
The calm will become calmer, the silent will become silenter, and the enthusiastic surface will become indifferent, but to truly close friends, they will also be more enthusiastic than before.

Even An Jing couldn't help having this feeling. His relationship with Gu Yeqi and Cang Linzu was getting better and better, and it was becoming increasingly difficult for other children to be truly recognized as friends by An Jing.

If he is like this, what about others?

——Is this the effect of the animal meat or the effect of the herbs?

An Jing couldn't be sure, he just knew that his dreams were becoming more and more unstable.

He was awakened from his dreams several times in the middle of the night. He always heard strange noises, some like the grinding of teeth of wild beasts, some like the clanging of swords, and some like the sound of a river of blood rushing, which made him furious and resentful for no reason.

These are actually not important. The real question is why Xuanmingzhuang did this?

"Maybe it's puberty?"

An Jing guessed: "Maybe it's because the 'death warriors' or the awakening of destiny require such an extreme personality?"

In terms of age, most of the children collected by Xuanming Manor have begun to enter puberty and entered a period of rapid growth.

The meat of ferocious beasts can promote development and make people stronger and more powerful. The potion can suppress impulses and prevent children from rebelling due to adolescent impulses, affecting training progress and missing this period of rapid growth.

Those who cannot suppress their impulses will not be able to successfully survive this period of rapid growth, so they are abandoned and sent down the mountain.

After all, An Jing is the son of a Wu family, so he is naturally very clear about his physical development. It is not surprising that Xuanming Manor chose to suppress it with drugs based on this consideration.

Everyone's personality changes... Living in such an isolated manor, with many teachers teaching by example, things would naturally become extreme.

As for the strange dreams I have, perhaps they are also a side effect of physical growth?
(End of this chapter)