# 1083
Chapter 1084: Assessment Concludes
Pamir Plateau.
Outside the Kayuishi Border Defense Company.
In the barren snowfield, rows of new recruits stood in neat formation, with Lin Qiye standing before them. Behind him, the members of [Nightfall] Squad were also standing in orderly rows.
Lin Qiye's gaze swept across their faces one by one.
Most of these recruits hung their heads in dejection, their faces filled with frustration and gloom. Only a handful stood with chests out and bright, star-like eyes.
This assessment system had directly eliminated over four hundred recruits. According to the arrangements made before the assessment, Lin Qiye had revoked their qualifications to become Night Watch. Those who stood at attention with abundant energy were essentially those who had passed the seven-day assessment and successfully climbed Mount Kongur.
"I know you still have doubts about this assessment."
Lin Qiye spoke slowly, "Before I begin the summary of this final assessment, does anyone remember the question I asked you before it started?"
Hearing these words, all the recruits present froze. Soon, someone reacted and said:
"Report!"
"Speak."
"Before the assessment began, you asked, 'If our own abilities are insufficient to bear the responsibility of protecting Great Xia, then why should we go to the battlefield?'"
Lin Qiye nodded slightly. His gaze swept across the recruits before him. "Now, does anyone have an answer to this question?"
The recruits looked up slightly. Among the recruits eliminated to the border defense company, some opened their mouths as if they wanted to say something, but their eyes betrayed a hint of confusion. After a moment, they低下头 quietly, falling into silence.
Su Zhe stood among the eliminated recruits. Hearing this question, his heart jumped.
For some reason, he suddenly thought of Ke Changlin that day, sitting there, slapping the table and pointing outside the border defense company, saying with absolute certainty, "If the border breaks, what happens to my family?"
In his mind, he recalled the border defense soldiers he had been with these past days—wearing heavy military coats, holding rifles, standing on the border line every day. They ate cold food, slept on hard plank beds, yet stood in the cold wind, using their straight spines to prop up the border defense of the entire nation.
In his mind, he recalled, not long ago, the countless Great Xia divine silhouettes that threw themselves bodily toward the National Foundation Stele.
For some reason, in Su Zhe's eyes, the soldiers defending the border and the Great Xia divine figures rushing toward the National Foundation Stele like moths to a flame began to merge together bit by bit.
Su Zhe suddenly lifted his head, and unprecedented clarity appeared in his eyes!
"Report!"
Lin Qiye's eyes brightened. He turned to look at Su Zhe and said calmly, "Speak."
He took a deep breath and shouted:
"I—I don't know if what I'm saying is correct, but I think... if we're not qualified to be Night Watch just because our abilities aren't sufficient to protect Great Xia, then no one in this world would be qualified to be Night Watch!"
Hearing these words, everyone present froze in place.
Lin Qiye narrowed his eyes slightly.
Seeing the entire area fall silent, Su Zhe swallowed hard, gathered his courage, and continued:
"Protecting Great Xia is fundamentally not something that can be measured by whether one's abilities are sufficient. It's not just us—even Commander Lin, even Commander Zuo, even the gods themselves wouldn't dare say they absolutely have the ability to protect this country well!
Otherwise, the casualty rate of Night Watch wouldn't be so high, and the Gods of Great Xia wouldn't have had to sacrifice themselves and transform into a stele to protect Great Xia's citizens."
Su Zhe raised his hand, pointing at the border defense company behind him. "These border-guarding soldiers are just ordinary people, yet they still carry rifles to defend Great Xia's borders. If a real disaster descended, there would be no way they could hold the line... but they came anyway.
The weak have their own ways of protecting, and the strong have their own ways of protecting.
What protecting Great Xia needs isn't absolute power sufficient to accomplish this, but rather the resolve to stand before the masses at the moment disaster arrives."
Su Zhe's words rang with conviction. After he finished speaking, the recruits eliminated to the border defense company standing beside him saw the confusion in their eyes gradually fade, their gazes growing brighter.
A look of approval appeared in Lin Qiye's eyes.
"Very good."
His gaze fell upon all the recruits as he spoke slowly: "What Su Zhe said is very well put.
Not everyone possesses extraordinary talent, and not everyone has formidable strength. What Night Watch needs isn't these things either... This is precisely why I had to set up the elimination mechanism for the assessment.
Those with talent and ability need to continuously climb the peaks, challenge their limits, and stand at higher places to protect all living beings.
Those with relatively weaker talent aren't without a place to use their abilities. In fact, to some extent, you are more important than those talented individuals, because you are the cornerstone that protects Great Xia.
From what I can see now, many of you have already learned something from this training."
Lin Qiye spoke slowly, "I've taught everything that needed to be taught. Although the assessment has concluded, I will give you one more chance... Everyone, close your eyes."
Hearing this command, all the recruits present were stunned. After a moment, they obediently closed their eyes.
Lin Qiye's gaze swept across everyone as he said calmly: "Those willing to become Night Watch and, from now on, take on the duties of Night Watch... raise your hand."
The recruits below raised their hands one after another. As far as the eye could see, nearly all the recruits raised their hands. Only a few hesitated briefly before still not lifting their arms.
Lin Qiye lowered his head and crossed out several names with a pen on the roster.
"Put them down, open your eyes." Lin Qiye tucked the roster behind his back and continued, "Everyone pack up your things and prepare to return to Shangjing... As for those who just raised your hands, you can start preparing for the oath ceremony."
"But wasn't our qualification to become Night Watch revoked?" Someone among the recruits asked cautiously.
"Having it temporarily revoked doesn't mean permanently stripped." Lin Qiye smiled faintly. "Now, I'm giving it back to you."
With that, Lin Qiye turned and left, and the members of [Nightfall] Squad followed behind him.
After a brief moment of dead silence, the recruits behind exploded into earth-shaking cheers.
"This assessment can be considered a complete success." Cao Yuan glanced at the boiling recruits behind him and laughed. "Finally we can go back... I've been so busy the past two days I haven't even had a proper sleep."
"After we get back, who's going to lead the oath ceremony for the new recruits?"
"That's a no-brainer. Obviously Qiye."
"Hehe, Little Lord could do it too. How cool would that be!"
"..."
Six figures draped in deep crimson cloaks walked嬉笑着 toward the distance amid the recruits' cheers and laughter.