Chapter Forty-Two: Abandonment and Perseverance

"Only the two of us are left!" The words sounded stirring, but Han Tianyue and his companions felt no excitement whatsoever.

"In just three days, everything will be settled!" Looking back at the journey, which wasn’t really that long, the thought brought a sense of loss.

"We’ve come this far—maybe it’s best to withdraw from the competition." In truth, Teacher Song was already satisfied with how far they’d come. Up ahead awaited the legendary team, undefeated and shaped by the principal himself.

Everyone listened to Teacher Song in silence, heads bowed.

"No matter what, the principal will never allow his carefully nurtured legendary team to lose. Even with you, Mao Xuanzi, joining us, he wouldn’t permit their defeat!"

Mao Xuanzi, who had once belonged to the legendary team, knew well that the principal was fiercely competitive. Every time he spoke to the members, he stressed again and again: defeat is unacceptable.

"Are we really just going to give up?" Han Tianyue longed to finish the contest and leave the school to search for the Crown Prince, but his heart told him, "Even if the Crown Prince were here, he would never allow us to abandon halfway!"

Yet at that moment, whether it was Mao Xuanzi, Fang Zhe, Feng Shang, or Teacher Song, everyone silently agreed to withdraw.

After leaving the assembly hall, they all went their separate ways.

"Crown Prince, tell me, what should I do?" Han Tianyue wandered as he questioned himself. A leaf drifted down on the wind, and he was transported back to that day, that year, when Mao the Crown Prince stood before him. The autumn wind stirred Mao’s fiery hair, making him appear particularly fierce.

"Tianyue, you’ve disappointed me deeply!" Back then, Mao the Crown Prince knocked Han Tianyue to the ground, and Han Tianyue lay there, unable to get up, as Mao called out coldly.

In the end, Han Tianyue still couldn’t rise.

"Useless!" For a time, Mao the Crown Prince called Han Tianyue nothing else.

Han Tianyue never argued.

"Even the useless know to get up after falling; you’re not even as good as the useless!" The Crown Prince’s scolding echoed from the depths of Han Tianyue’s soul. "Never give up, never— even if it means death!"

That fiery hair was like burning hope. Whenever Han Tianyue thought of the Crown Prince, he saw hope. He told himself, "I cannot give up. Even if I know the path ahead is destined for failure, I cannot give up!"

Mao the Crown Prince smiled at Han Tianyue. Because Mao rarely smiled, Han Tianyue cherished every one.

"Don’t worry, Crown Prince. I’ll convince them not to give up!" Han Tianyue found his resolve again and turned towards the dormitory.

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