NEC Chapter 135: The Fall of Cloudmist Domain, Lady Frost's Rampage

The Royal Central Spiritual Energy Academy of Resting Moon Dynasty had never heard of such a thing as summer vacation.

News from the southern war had long become the hottest topic on campus. Every so often, various official and unofficial, formal and informal battlefield intelligence would become heated discussion material among the students.

Occasionally mixed in were some messages of dubious authenticity from unknown sources, stirring the nerves of these hot-blooded young men and women.

For instance, yesterday's intelligence about Resting Moon's Third Heavy Cavalry Regiment "Silver Spears" heading south to join the war instantly ignited the entire academy.

The young students' faces flushed red as they confirmed information with each other, slapping their not-yet-sturdy frames with resounding smacks. Some excited children even jumped onto the instructors' podiums, shouting at the top of their lungs, "Kill those southern bastards!"

The crowd below erupted in waves of frenzied shrieks and roars.

Only a few direct heirs from truly great noble families with high succession rankings stood far outside the crowd.

They exchanged views in low, calm, rational voices, using the "comprehensive perspective" they had absorbed from their elders' influence to look down with a trace of pity on these "naive and ignorant children," as they called them.

Sure enough, by evening, accurate news arrived: the Third Heavy Cavalry Regiment had only sent a battlefield observation group, totaling less than a hundred people.

Feeling toyed with, the students angrily overturned dining hall tables, loudly cursing those "weak thieves" and "traitorous parasites"!

Days passed like this, and during this period, Frost received two letters from her domain.

One was an official document bearing the domain's seal. Though it contained only a few lines of text, its implications left the young girl momentarily at a loss.

This was the domain's formal notification, also an authorization document, declaring that Frost, holder of this authorization and twenty-second in line of succession to Cloudmist Domain, would automatically inherit the lordship if the current lord died and all twenty-one higher-ranking heirs were unable to fulfill their duties.

The domain was already preparing for the worst.

However, her father's personal letter soon followed.

In the letter, Earl Liuyun was full of confidence, telling Frost not to worry. He had been preparing since the end of the last war and had even borrowed an elite cavalry unit from Emerald Duchy in advance.

The first battle had already achieved great victory, the enemy was now defensively cowering, temporarily lacking offensive capability, and the domain was safe and secure.

At the end of the letter, Earl Liuyun revealed the true intent of his correspondence.

"I previously arranged a good marriage for you. The other party is the heir of a landed noble from Sky Empire. Though only an ordinary successor, he's guaranteed at least a viscount title in the future."

"I've met the person too, seems honest enough. I don't think he'd bully you."

"I've mentioned this several times before, but they remained noncommittal, probably looking down on us. However, recently an elder from their family passed through Cloudmist and brought up this old matter."

"I estimate they probably heard about you having a unicorn. Who would have thought our little girl now has a bigger reputation outside than her father."

"Though they have some profit considerations, which noble family doesn't? Regardless, Sky Empire is much safer than Cloudmist or Emerald."

"As for that boy Chen Mo, I can't see through him, but I always feel he's too soft-hearted and acts on impulse. Besides, he's in that drought-stricken place with unrest both north and south, making him an unsuitable marriage prospect."

"In any case, I think regarding this arranged marriage, you could meet them first. If you don't find them disagreeable and can settle this matter, it would also help your father gain some support from Sky Empire."

"Of course, if you're truly unwilling, we'll drop the matter."

The young girl didn't read a single word of Earl Liuyun's subsequent rambling.

If not for that final phrase "we'll drop the matter," Frost would probably have torn up the letter.

However, Earl Liuyun's impressive military achievements did bring Lady Frost considerable popularity at the academy. Many classmates who heard of the "Iron Wall of Cloudmist's" reputation would often come chat with Frost during their free time.

Through one battle report after another, the moment of truth finally arrived.

The academy's curriculum typically alternated between theory and practical combat classes. Since the history general education course had been distorted beyond recognition by Resting Moon Dynasty in the young girl's opinion, she had long stopped attending that class.

Thus, she missed the latest battle report from the south.

Even when the second practical combat class began and Frost punctually entered the training ground to don her protective gear, she still hadn't noticed the strange looks and whispered conversations behind her.

After finishing her equipment preparation, she faced an unexpected opponent.

Lucia.

That disgusting girl who had once bullied her terribly because Frost had punched her brother, wanting to ruin her hair in ground combat and injure her horse in mounted combat.

Until she got her new mount and took fierce revenge.

This annoying girl had then disappeared from her sight, not only avoiding her in mounted combat and ground combat but even slipping away silently whenever Frost appeared somewhere.

Frost had almost forgotten this person's existence.

Though a trace of puzzlement crossed her mind, Frost maintained basic etiquette and performed a standard sword salute to her opponent.

She gripped her training sword with both hands and had just assumed a textbook starting stance when she saw Lucia across from her slowly lift her face guard, revealing a half-smiling expression.

"I really underestimated you, little girl. Your country's already fallen and your family destroyed, yet instead of mourning your father, you still have the mood to practice swordplay here?"

Frost paused slightly, responding coldly, "Shut your foul mouth! Cloudmist Domain is fine, and my father is fine too! Keep spouting nonsense, and even without protective gear, I'll tear you apart!"

Lucia looked momentarily stunned, examined Frost carefully for a few moments, then suddenly laughed.

"So you don't know yet!"

"Cloudmist Domain is finished! Today's fresh battle report, official news, Cloudmist City has fallen, and the Lord of Cloudmist Domain, your father, is gone!"

"Poor little girl, don't you have many good friends at the academy? Didn't any of them tell you?"

The training ground suddenly fell quiet.

Frost looked up at those classmates, and their pitying gazes made her suddenly realize this might not be a malicious joke.

Finally, Frost cast a hopeful look toward the instructor.

This was a middle-aged swordsman who, because of his long face and nearly bald head, had been privately nicknamed "Baldy Big Horse" by the students.

Though this instructor had skilled combat techniques and taught quite seriously, he was timid and somewhat obsequious toward noble families.

When Lucia had bullied Frost repeatedly before, he had only dared to mutter quietly from the sidelines, "Between classmates... mind the boundaries..."

Seeing Frost's questioning gaze, "Baldy Big Horse" frantically avoided eye contact. His Adam's apple bobbed several times as he squeezed out a few words in a dry, trembling voice:

"Military... military battle report, Cloudmist... Cloudmist City... has indeed fallen, the Lord of Cloudmist Domain... died in battle..."

Frost felt her head spinning, everything around her suddenly seeming very far away.

The world seemed to lose weight and distort in an instant. The noisy sounds of the training ground, the metallic clashing of armor, even the instructor's stuttering words all came through as if filtered through thick water, blurred, intermittent, distorted.

As if she were submerged in seawater, with figures and sounds on shore slightly twisted by the waves, indistinct and hazy.

"Hey, hey!"

Several shouts close at hand pulled Frost back from her daze.

"Little girl, seeing your pitiful state, I don't feel like teaching you a lesson today. Just surrender!"

"Your old man's gone, but don't you still have that little lover boy? Wonder how long his broken territory will last..."

"Shut up!" Frost suddenly roared, interrupting Lucia's seemingly pitying mockery.

"Come fight!"

"Fight!"

Lucia sneered, pushed down her mask, and provocatively beckoned with her finger.

Unsurprisingly, Frost pounced like an enraged little lioness.

Seeing Frost's now completely chaotic sword work, Lucia executed a nimble sidestep, her training sword delivering a vicious horizontal slash directly toward Frost's wide-open abdomen.

Frost's figure suddenly vanished!

No, not vanished! It was an extremely fast explosive movement! Like a long-accumulated volcano finally finding an outlet for release!

"Bang!"

A muffled sound!

Lucia's sword swung empty as Frost had somehow crouched and charged forward, her shoulder guard striking Lucia's chest like a battering ram! Lucia felt a tremendous force transmitted through, her vision darkening as she staggered backward uncontrollably, nearly dropping her training sword!

Before she could steady herself, Frost's attacks descended like a violent storm!

Training swords were blunt instruments without sharpened edges, but now Frost wielded hers as the most primitive of weapons! Chopping, hacking, smashing, sweeping! No fancy moves, only the most direct, most violent release of power!

Each strike carried heavy striking sounds, blow after blow landing on Lucia's protective gear, helmet, breastplate, arm guards, the collision sounds rising and falling in succession.

The protective gear slightly deformed, emitting groans of strain!

Lucia was completely stunned! Her prized techniques were fragile as paper toys before absolute speed and violent force! She could only futilely parry and retreat, each collision numbing her arms and shaking her internal organs!

"Clang!"

A cunningly swift upward strike hit Lucia's hastily swinging arm. The intense pain made her unable to grip her sword hilt any longer, and the training sword spun through the air.

According to regulations, victory was decided!

But Frost's movements showed no pause! She reversed her grip, using the hard pommel of her sword like a heavy hammer to viciously strike Lucia's chest!

"Cough!" Lucia let out a short cry of pain, her body curling like a shrimp.

Frost closed in again like a hunting cheetah! This time she didn't use her sword but directly smashed her left fist toward her opponent's chin below the neck guard, an uppercut that sent her opponent flying.

Lucia's piercing scream rang out as she flew up and crashed down, hitting the cold hard floor like a broken sack, rolling several times before stopping.

Ignoring the students' cries and the instructor's terrified expression, Frost stepped forward and planted one foot on her opponent's chest.

"I practice sword every day!"

"While you were playing and frolicking I was practicing, while you were learning those hypocritical lies I was practicing, while you were flirting with little boys I was practicing sword, and while you trash were mocking me, I was still practicing sword!"

"What! Do you have! To compete with me?!!"

Accompanied by this low roar, Frost hooked her right foot, kicking Lucia's body halfway up from the ground, then followed with a fierce whip kick that sent Lucia flying horizontally again.

"I've seen people more hardworking than me. He led me out of enemy battle formations. His territory, I believe, will definitely stand firm, lasting longer than your broken dynasty!"

"Frost, stop!"

The instructor on scene shouted repeatedly, trying to use words to stop the berserk young girl. According to the academy's practical combat regulations, once one party dropped their sword, attacks must cease.

But this "Baldy Big Horse" couldn't stop Lucia before, and naturally couldn't stop Frost now.

Frost turned a deaf ear. She strode forward, grabbed Lucia by the neck guard, and hauled her up from the ground like picking up a chicken! Then, a knee strike concentrating her full body strength struck like a cannonball at her opponent's ribs!

"Ugh, !"

Lucia's wailing abruptly stopped. Her eyes rolled back, her body convulsed violently once, then went limp.

This storm-like beating made all the students involuntarily step back several paces, holding their breath in silence, not daring to make a sound.

Frost bent down, grabbed Lucia by the neck and shook her, confirming she was truly unresponsive before casually releasing her grip.

Lucia's head heavily struck the ground again with a crisp "thunk."

The students shrank further into the corners.

Too vicious!

This was beating a dead horse!

"Baldy Big Horse" watched as Frost calmly removed her protective gear and properly placed her training sword back on the weapon rack before tiptoeing over to Lucia's side to check on her.

Fortunately, she seemed to still be breathing.

A few minutes later, Frost walked out of the training hall doors, and the healer who had been crouching in the corner quickly rushed forward.

Instructor "Baldy Big Horse" immediately followed in pursuit, jogging a few steps along the tree-lined academy path to catch up with Frost.

He bent slightly at the waist, rubbing his hands with anxiety and unease on his face as he softly admonished:

"That, Liu... Frost, continuing to attack after your opponent lost fighting ability was definitely against regulations. The academy might have... might have punishment!"

"But the Vice Principal knows you well, so it should be fine. I'll testify for you then, saying... saying Lucia provoked you with news about your father, you momentarily lost emotional control... a momentary slip..."

"No need, teacher!"

Frost wrinkled her nose, "You misunderstand, I wasn't slipping up momentarily. I wanted to beat her!"

"Before, I wanted to learn more at the academy. Now, I've decided to leave. If I don't give her a good beating now, when else would I?"

The instructor was stunned, "You... where are you going?"

"Home!" Frost looked up toward the south.

"Actually, with father dead, I'm... not particularly sad."

The girl's voice was very light, like slowly falling feathers, floating and swaying.

"He wasn't very good to me. Um... not good to my mother either."

"He only remembered his sons and his subjects. Before my elf aunt found me, he couldn't even remember my name."

Two figures, one tall and one short, slowly walked along the academy's tree-lined path as sunset filtered through dense branches, casting dappled light and shadow.

Perhaps because she had decided to leave, Frost had resolved her inner conflicts and chatted casually with this instructor who, though somewhat opportunistic, had indeed taught her many things.

"My mother treated me best, but she died."

"My father didn't treat me well before, then got a little better, and now he's dead too."

"There used to be Aunt Linda and Uncle Paven who were very good to me, but they're all dead now."

Frost stopped walking and gazed south for a long time, her eyes sparkling with a completely different light than before.

"But I still have to go back."

"When I left, Uncle Paven's brother had just joined the guard, Grandpa Locke's granddaughter was just learning to read, Aunt Annie said she'd made new shoes for me, and Little Mushroom and the others promised to help tend mother's grave..."

"They're all people I need to take care of."

The balding instructor softly advised, "Cloudmist Domain has already been captured, it's enemy occupied territory now. Going back is too dangerous!"

"Don't you know a very wealthy lord who takes good care of you? Why not find him and ask him to help locate people, or ransom back those you're looking for..."

Frost fingered her newly ear-length hair, "Mm, he does treat me well, but he's not from Cloudmist Domain."

She looked up at the instructor and said seriously, "Cloudmist Domain is my home, not his. How could I drag him into this?"

She resumed walking, her tone carrying an almost naive resoluteness.

"I'll go look myself first. After studying sword for so long, if I don't use it when enemies attack my home, when would I ever use it?"

After walking a few more steps, seeing they were about to reach the girls' dormitory area, the balding instructor stopped.

"Going back... be careful. You hit too hard today, those people... those people might retaliate. I'll go find the Vice Principal shortly and have him send a female teacher to stay with you. Don't go out alone these few days without an instructor!"

Only then did Frost realize that this usually submissive, obsequious instructor had uncharacteristically followed her for such a long stretch because he was worried she might be targeted for revenge by those noble children.

"I'm leaving right away, going back to get my things then leaving. In the future... I probably won't come back. Don't worry, I won't run into those people."

"Thank you!"

Frost bowed, said farewell, and turned to leave when "Baldy Big Horse" suddenly called out to her.

"Frost!"

Frost turned back in confusion.

"Mm?"

The balding instructor slowly interlaced his hands, his face showing unprecedented solemnity. He took a deep breath as if making some kind of resolution and slowly began:

"Though I've taught you many classes, those were all academy... regulation sword technique classes."

"I... still have some 'little techniques' learned through battlefield experience. They're not honorable things, and the academy doesn't allow teaching them. But since you're going back to such a dangerous place, perhaps... perhaps they might be useful."

"Want to learn them?"

Frost's eyes flickered as she bowed deeply to the instructor.

"Please instruct me!"

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