Chapter 328

Tan Yicai sighed helplessly and whispered, "I submit." Shen Shaofen walked over to them with a blank expression and lashed each of their backs three times, saying coldly, "This is still just the lightest punishment." It was the first time Tan Yicai had ever been beaten. A burning pain surged across her back, where three bright red whip marks stood out sharply, as if mocking her weakness. During this training session, many trainees from ordinary families chose to quit, while relatively few came from official or privileged backgrounds. After some trainees dropped out, their elders spared no effort, pulling strings everywhere until they finally managed to send them back. However, double the punishment awaited them upon their return. Next, Tan Yicai's group managed to barely scrape through the rope-climbing event, but their multiple attempts at freehand climbing all ended in failure. When every other group had already finished and only theirs remained, Tan Yicai was faint with hunger and physical exhaustion from going so long without food. She tried climbing the human ladder over and over, only to roll down repeatedly, until the human ladder itself gave way under the strain and slipped. Those at the top watched anxiously, burning with worry yet completely helpless.