The artist pulls out a weeping willow tree

At 9 o'clock in the morning, all teachers and students were lined up in formal attire and waiting.

All I saw were people wearing black combat uniforms, even the teachers were wearing black combat uniforms.

As the only promising student from other academies, Jixiang stood at the front of the first row in the Mecha Combat Academy queue this time.

The only sound in the entire Heping District is the sound of the wind blowing, which is a hymn to nature, a hymn to life, peace, tranquility and beauty...

A pure black starship poked its head out from the sky in the distance, like a huge and majestic steel bird. Six combat starships circled over the Peace Zone, as if patrolling or paying tribute, and finally hovered over the Peace Flower Sea, three in a row, with their hatches opened and the starship gangway released.

The long starship gangway connected to the ground from mid-air. The sixth graders in black combat uniforms walked out of the starship with solemn expressions. Two people walked down the gangway side by side in an orderly manner, holding a black rectangular wooden box in their hands. On the lid of the wooden box was a golden flower-entwined heart and a weapon logo...

"The sixth-year graduates of the Far East Alliance Military War University have fulfilled their mission and have now all returned. A total of 567 sixth-year students have donated their hearts for the citizens of the alliance." The students of the six battle starships formed a complete team, and shouted in unison with all their might.

"I only wish that the loyal souls will not be extinguished, the noble spirit will live forever, and the heroic spirits will rest in peace."

Led by President Zhan Da who was standing at the front of the welcoming team, everyone bowed deeply in the direction of the sixth grade graduates and observed three minutes of silence.

After the moment of silence, President Zhan said, "Welcome home. Thank you for coming back."

At this moment, all the students couldn't help but have red eyes. Although the war took the lives of their companions, it could only take their lives...

The next step was to bury the victims. The obituaries of the sixth graders who died on the battlefield were sent to their parents or guardians shortly after their deaths. The sixth grade graduates actually brought back the school badges with the names of the victims.

Before going to the battlefield, they would put their school badges away carefully. If they died, they would all be collected together, and on the day of their return, they would rest in peace on the battlefield...

Jixiang sat in the unified tombstone placement area and carved the tombstone carefully. The epitaph was left at the same time as they left the school badge.

Originally, Zhan Da had used machines to carve the stone tablets. After Jixiang found out, he took the initiative to find Hong Peilu to recommend himself. So now Jixiang and the carving machine are both staying here and carving the tablets at a high speed...

Looking at the patterns, pictures and words gradually completed under the knife, Jixiang exhaled deeply and continued to recite "The National Mourning" from Qu Yuan's Nine Songs of Chuci, "... Sincerity is brave and also martial, in the end it is strong and cannot be bullied. After the body dies, the spirit becomes spiritual, and your soul becomes a ghost hero!"

The Nine Songs are sacrificial songs, while the "National Mourning" chapter mourns and praises the soldiers who died fighting for the Chu State. Because I like the Nine Songs, Jixiang has memorized them all. I didn't expect that I can now use them to mourn them...

Jixiang finished carving the last tombstone in his hand, and the epitaph read "I lived a happier life than anyone else." Jixiang carefully swept away the debris produced while carving the tombstone, and stood up to pick up the tombstone.

"Let's go together." Jixiang smiled at the senior who was holding the wooden box of the tombstone owner.

"Okay." The senior also smiled and nodded in agreement.

"...Let's choose a sunny place, what do you think?" Jixiang asked.

"That place looks nice." The senior pointed to a patch of peace flowers not far away.

The sun shines warmly on the peace flowers, as if it has been filled with golden vitality...

The entire burial process was silent and orderly.

After finishing, Jixiang and the senior stood silently in front of the tombstone, each praying.

I wish you happiness forever. Jixiang said silently in his heart.

It was not yet noon when all 567 victims were buried. All teachers and students returned to school. The six battleships had already flown back to the star terminal, and tomorrow they would carry new sixth-graders away from the war university to the battlefield.

The sixth grade graduates will have a short vacation, after which they will follow their own choices and start over...

After returning to school, we went directly to the school auditorium to wait, and delicious nutrient solution was distributed as lunch. The tradition of the National Memorial Day is that everyone must have a hard lunch at noon!

The sixth grade graduates who returned from the battlefield drank the delicious nutrient solution without changing their expressions. In the Zerg battlefield full of unexpected events, no matter how delicious the nutrient solution was, it would only have a limited appeal. The poison gas released by many Zergs that paralyzed the taste buds would make the soldiers experience even worse taste challenges...

Jixiang wiped her tears and drank a tube of delicious nutrient solution, trying hard to appear calm. She was so proud!

The first-year students all made a fool of themselves, and Jixiang was satisfied.

After everyone had returned to normal, President Zhan walked leisurely towards the podium.

"Children, I am glad that you are back. Our school motto is to stop war with war, to stop killing with killing, and to offer our hearts to the citizens of the Alliance. Now, do you really understand this sentence?"

"Can you accept the weak and the insignificant, and tolerate the strong and the powerful? For those of you who have already picked up the butcher knife, do you really feel the weight of the knife?"

"No matter what your final choice is, I just hope that you can have a clear conscience and not be trapped by the words of others. The road of the strong is destined to be full of thorns, but the road of ordinary people is not a smooth road either."

“I hope you will remember that when the experiences and warnings given by the outside world become obscure and difficult to distinguish, you should learn to make correct judgments and maintain your independent personality, and not be disturbed by external things or trapped by rumors.”

"I hope every child who graduates from Zhanda can stand up straight, and I will always be proud of you."

"Finally, I wish you a peaceful death. If not, I hope you can rest in peace on your ideal path."

"Similarly, today's words are also given to every child who has not yet graduated. When you graduate, I hope you will all be able to find your own answers."

After President Zhan University finished speaking, he walked off the stage without waiting for the students to react.

Everyone watched President Zhan's departing back in silence.

In this absurd world, in this world that values ​​martial arts and strength, in this world shrouded in war, there are still people who are seeking a balance between contradictions...

The Far East Alliance Military War University is actually a free and unrestrained university, isn't it?

All the students left in silence. Jixiang looked at her team members waiting for her outside the auditorium and smiled widely.