By morning, the academy was buzzing. Four charred corpses had been discovered near the spirit tree. The elders were silent, but rumors spread like wildfire.
"Raven Sect assassins… all dead?"
"And Zhen Zenin? He walked away without a scratch?"
Some whispered in awe. Others in fear.
But one thing was certain—Zhen Zenin was no longer just a nameless outcast.
---
Within the inner chambers of the Raven Sect, Fang crushed a jade slip in his hand.
"He killed them all," he growled. "Even the twin blades."
An elder beside him asked, "Do we send more?"
Fang shook his head. "No. We move to Stage Two. We break him from within."
---
Back at the Zhen Clan estate, Zenin stood before the ancestral shrine. The halls were quiet, dimly lit. His hand hovered above a faded plaque—his father's.
"Zhen Hao," he whispered. "If only you knew what blood runs through your son's veins."
Behind him, a servant coughed nervously. "Young master… the clan head wishes to see you."
Zenin turned slowly. "Let him wait."
---
In the clan meeting hall, Zhen Rong—Zenin's arrogant cousin—slammed his fist on the table.
"He's a demon! First, he shames our name with that street performance at the spar, and now this? Killing assassins?"
An elder snorted. "He's protecting the clan whether you like it or not."
Rong snarled. "Mark my words, if he rises higher… we'll all suffer."
---
Meanwhile, Zenin returned to the academy library. Lin Yue was there, waiting.
"You've been added to the Crimson List," she said, handing him a scroll. "It's real. Look."
The parchment glowed faintly with blood Qi. Dozens of names were etched into it—traitors, enemies, targets.
At the very top:
Zhen Zenin – Target: Kill on Sight – Priority Level: Black Flame
Zenin smirked. "Good. Now they've admitted I'm a threat."
He burned the scroll in his palm without blinking.
---