CHAPTER 576: CHAPTER 33: THE HOT-BLOODED "REAL MEN" PROGRAM

"You want me to join the army?" Yue Jinghua wiped her mouth and widened her eyes.

Jin Nuo’s words were the most absurd thing Yue Jinghua had heard since she arrived on the Canglong Continent.

You must know that before transmigrating, Yue Jinghua was a female spy.

In the world of espionage, most of her time was spent struggling against the government and military.

Even up to the moment before her transmigration, she was still wrangling with the soldiers from the United States Pentagon.

After arriving on the Canglong Continent, apart from her identity as the young miss of the Duke Mansion, Yue Jinghua’s other significant role was as the captain of the July Mercenary Team.

Merenaries and the Imperial Army might not be in direct conflict like water and fire, but they also couldn’t be considered friendly.

Given such a premise, Jin Nuo’s invitation for Yue Jinghua to join the Imperial Dragon Cavalry Group was met with her spitting wine in his face, which was rather polite of her.

Jin Nuo had never been spat on his face like he was today, but upon seeing Yue Jinghua’s slightly annoyed expression, his anger immediately dissipated without a trace, and he could only wipe his face while feeling aggrieved.

As he wiped his face, he complained, "What’s with that ghostly expression? You are a citizen of the Dragon War Empire, and even though the Empire, given its vast land and powerful army, does not implement a conscription system like the Ruison Federation does. As a hot-blooded good man of the Empire, joining the Dragon Rider Team is a matter of honor that glorifies eight generations of one’s family. If your parents knew, they would be happy too."

"My father has gone missing, no idea if he’s alive in some corner or not. As for my mother, cough cough, I think she would not be happy about me joining the army. As you know, joining the army inevitably involves fighting and killing enemies, and the Yue Family is already lacking in manpower. Right now, the Duke Mansion only has my brother and me. My brother has already joined the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp, so I think I’ll pass," Yue Jinghua quickly shook her hands in a cowardly manner, pretending to be afraid of death.

She thought to herself, well played Jin Nuo, always coming up with bad ideas.

As a woman, if she were to mix in with the likes of Jin Nuo and other grown men every day, she couldn’t help but wonder if Lie Rou would faint from excitement.

"It’s precisely because this matter involves your brother and the Duke Mansion that you should join the Dragon Rider Team. Let me be frank with you, even if Yue Minzhi is saved by Cheng Ying, he won’t be able to return to the Dragon Rider Reserve, let alone participate in the Dragon Pulling Test and gain the recognition of a Sub-Asian Dragon to become a true Dragon Knight," Jin Nuo’s expression became solemn as he mentioned the Imperial Dragon Knight.

Unlike most of the officials’ descendants in the Imperial City, Jin Nuo, although a member of the Dragon Rider Camp, is one of the very few who became a Dragon Knight through his own strength.

He was well aware of the strictness and the brutality of the selection for Dragon Knights.

The selection for Dragon Knights takes place every five years, and those who are selected to join either come from first-class noble families or are geniuses with exceptional talent.

Yue Minzhi’s selection previously was already beyond the expectations of many.

His performance in the Dragon Rider Reserve was consistently just moderate, nothing outstanding.

If he could make it through the training period and by some luck pass the Dragon Pulling Test next month and gain the recognition of one of the Sub-Asian Dragons, he might have a chance to become a Dragon Knight.

Yet at a critical juncture, due to his concern for his sister Yue Jinghua, he went out without permission, on his own.

If he had managed to return to the training camp quietly on time during his unauthorized absence, perhaps the matter would have been dropped.

But what Yue Minzhi should never have done was to miss the return time to the camp in his attempt to save Yue Jinghua, thus exposing the fact that he went out without authorization for everyone to see. Should someone covertly inform the Dragon Rider instructors at the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp of this matter, the consequences would be foreseeable.

"The instructors at the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp are notoriously strict. Once discovered violating the camp rules, there’s only one outcome - expulsion from the camp.

Yue Minzhi losing the chance to be a Dragon Knight would mean the Duke Mansion would never have a chance to turn things around, so for the sake of Duke Mansion, you must also join the Dragon Rider Team. I am confident that as long as you utilize your talent for getting along with the Dragon Clan, you will certainly be successfully selected by the Dragon Rider Team," Jin Nuo, as one of the heirs from a military family within the core circle of the Imperial City, is well aware of the rules of conduct there. If Yue Minzhi were still the esteemed Young Master Long Zhan, everyone would turn a blind eye to his private departure from the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp, but today’s Duke Mansion is in name only, not in reality.

When the road is broken, everyone steps on it, and Long Rui also went out privately this time. However, Jin Nuo can assert with certainty that people from the National Guardian General Residence will quietly cover up the fact that she left without permission.

But not for Yue Minzhi - if he doesn’t return to the Dragon Rider Camp tonight, there is only one outcome waiting for him.

Decline is decline, even though the Duke Mansion was once illustrious; now it is nothing but a muddy path that everyone tramples upon.

Yue Minzhi’s unauthorized departure has become an excuse for some people to hold onto.

Once he is kicked out of the Dragon Rider Reserve Camp, the National Guardian General Residence is very likely to seize this matter to call off the marriage.

A reckless act may lead to a cascade of consequences.

Though Jin Nuo’s words are unpleasant to hear, they are the harsh truth.

Upon hearing this, Yue Jinghua also fell into a brief silence.

"This time, your elder brother really did not think it through. By stepping forward, he not only ruined his own future prospects but also indirectly destroyed his own marriage and the hope for the Duke Mansion to rise again," Jin Nuo lamented. Although he felt it was unjust for Yue Minzhi, there was nothing he could do.

Yue Jinghua recalled the moment in the Beast Fighting Arena when Yue Minzhi stood in front of her, the steadfast determination he showed in his eyes, which deeply moved her.

As clever and careful as Yue Minzhi is, enduring humiliation and burden, surviving alone in the Imperial City for so many years, Yue Minzhi knew all too well the intricate net of interests involved.

He wasn’t thoughtless. Faced with the safety of his younger sister and his personal prospects, he made his decision resolutely.

Whether it was four years ago or four years later, when facing a crisis, he unhesitatingly stepped forward to confront it.

Such an elder brother is worthy of her calling him ’big brother’.

"Thank you for the reminder, Brother Jin Nuo, but I cannot agree to join the army and become a Dragon Knight. I can only say that if anyone from the Duke Mansion does become a Dragon Knight, that person will only be my elder brother," Yue Jinghua stood up abruptly, "My brother’s injuries are still unclear right now, I need to visit the Imperial Hospital. Once the road to Fengdan County is clear again, I personally will send a cart of beer to your residence."

Having said that, Yue Jinghua bowed and, despite Jin Nuo’s repeated attempts to keep her, left the tavern.

After seeing Yue Jinghua leave, Jin Nuo muttered to himself, reluctantly settling his bill and getting up to leave.

Hongling had been waiting outside the tavern for a long time, and when she saw Yue Jinghua, she hurriedly approached her.