"I understand. That is, of course, sound reasoning, sir," said Wei Shan with a respectful nod.
Lu Heng smiled faintly. "It's good that you understand. You have a bright future in this institute, Wei Shan. I expect great things from you. Now go and continue with the plan. Everything must proceed as intended."
"Yes, sir." With a slight bow, Wei Shan turned and left the tent to carry out his orders.
Left alone, Lu Heng picked up a stack of documents and sifted through them. His smile lingered, but there was a sharp glint in his eyes.
"That is... if you live through this ordeal," he thought. "I have a strong feeling the Jiang Clan will escalate this into war—at least one fought between students. The situation is too strange. We've never had direct enmity with them, so why now?"
He leaned back in his chair slightly, tapping a finger against the armrest.
"Still, I hope—for their own good—that they keep it between their juniors and ours. But if they dare involve their elders..."
His smile sharpened.
"Then I'll just slaughter every last one of them. Let's see how well their cheap tricks work when used against someone like me."
He returned to reading, calm and composed, yet prepared for war.
Elsewhere, Lin Shu stood in a loose formation with dozens of students, arranged into rows before a row of tents where instructors handed out missions. Those lucky enough to be assigned near the mine would guard it or work on setting up defenses. The less fortunate were being deployed for high-risk raids and ambushes on Jiang Clan assets.
"So this is how they're dividing us up," Lin Shu thought, glancing sideways at the students around him.
Xu Jin was ahead in line. As he stepped forward, there was a faint smile on his lips—barely noticeable.
"Xu Jin," the instructor called, scanning a slip of paper, "you'll be stationed on the east side of the mine. Last tower. You'll serve as a watchman. Clear?"
"Yes, sir," Xu Jin said, bowing slightly before turning back. As he passed Lin Shu, he grinned.
"Looks like luck was on my side, huh?"
"I guess that's a good thing," Lin Shu replied flatly, though his thoughts told a different story.
"Luck? as if. That fat bastard bribed someone, I'm sure of it. No way he gets a safe post like that while others stronger than him are being sent into assassination squads. I'm stronger than him too—and I could kill him if I had the time. So who helped him?"
His eyes narrowed slightly as Xu Jin walked off.
"If I can find out who he bribed, maybe I can secure a safer position too. The start of a war—especially with poison users—is always a bloodbath. They'll pick us off one by one, staying out of reach and leaving no traces. I have the Venombane Pill to save me once... but one dose won't be enough if things spiral."
His turn came.
"Lin Shu," the instructor said, not bothering to look up. "You're assigned to intercept and raid a Jiang Clan envoy heading to Ironclad Ridge. They're transporting goods for sale. You'll be part of a five-man squad. Your orders are to take everything. Do not touch the spoils. Your rewards will be distributed by us. Understood?"
"Yes, sir," Lin Shu replied.
"So they're sending me to ambush merchants," he thought as he walked toward the designated tent. "Even if I steal something, they probably won't find out... but with four other people in the squad, one of them would definitely rat me out. I don't trust any of them. Better play it safe. I plan to stay here longer—and eventually join the Stormbreak Sect."
He arrived at the tent where detailed instructions and target information would be handed out. The war was just beginning, and Lin Shu knew only the careful and ruthless would survive what came next.
Lin Shu stepped into the tent, his gaze sweeping over the four students already gathered inside.
The first was a girl around fifteen, her brown hair tied into a high ponytail. Her green eyes sparkled with arrogance, her stance confident and unbothered. Her name was Ya Fen. Beside her stood a boy named Ming De, likely around fourteen. His short black hair and puffed-up chest gave him the air of someone who thought far too highly of himself. The moment Lin Shu entered, Ming De's lips curled into a smirk.
To Lin Shu's left stood a quiet boy named Jun Jie. His eyes remained closed, arms folded, clearly disinterested in the others. He didn't spare Lin Shu even a glance, but there was no mockery in his silence—only indifference. That in itself was rare and almost respectable.
The last member of the group made Lin Shu pause. It was someone he hadn't seen in months: Yan Qing.
"The righteous pest again," Lin Shu thought, a flicker of irritation crossing his face. "What a damn coincidence."
A small laugh broke the tension—Ming De's voice rang out.
"Hah, and here I thought this mission was supposed to be dangerous. Turns out we're just here to babysit a couple of juniors!" he said, clearly referring to Lin Shu and Yan Qing. "What a joke."
Lin Shu narrowed his eyes. Though he was only a little over ten years old, he knew he was stronger than most his age. Still, their ages—Lin Shu and Yan Qing—made them the youngest in the group. The rest were between fourteen and sixteen, old enough to mistake arrogance for strength.
Jun Jie didn't react to the insult. Though he hadn't acknowledged Lin Shu's presence, he also didn't join in the mockery. He understood that anyone chosen for this mission had to have earned it through merit—age didn't matter. That kind of silence said more than words.
Ya Fen's gaze finally turned toward Lin Shu. She looked him up and down with a scoff.
"I guess they're letting anyone in now. Let me be clear—don't expect me to save your sorry ass if you screw up the mission," she said with a sneer. "I already told that little hero over there the same thing."
Lin Shu raised an eyebrow, then let out a low chuckle. He stepped forward with a smirk.
"I guess that's true. They let you in, after all," he said calmly. "If you want to see what dead weight looks like, why don't you go find a mirror?"
Ya Fen's eyes flared with anger, but before she could respond, Lin Shu stepped even closer.
"I'm not much of a talker. I let my fists speak for me. So how about we test who's really a dead weight—right here, right now?"
A sudden thunderclap echoed through the tent.
"ENOUGH!"
The voice struck like lightning.
An instructor appeared out of nowhere, his hands still glowing faintly from the force of the soundwave he'd just created.
"I don't have time to watch a bunch of arrogant brats throw insults at each other," he snapped. "This mission will not be as simple as you think."
He pointed directly at Ming De and Ya Fen.
"Those two were picked because they completed missions equal in danger to yours. If you had half a brain, you'd realize what that means. So drop the arrogance. I won't tolerate infighting, and I will punish anyone who endangers their teammates because they're too proud to work together. This is a state of emergency. Is that clear?"
"YES, SIR!" the group shouted in unison.
"Good," the instructor said, his tone still sharp. "Now gather around. I'm going to explain the mission details."
He began outlining their objective—intercepting a Jiang clan envoy transporting goods to Ironclad Ridge. He explained their numbers, the number of guards, and the route they'd be taking. He pointed out the most ideal ambush spots, warned them about the most dangerous locations to avoid, and emphasized coordination and speed.
Lin Shu listened silently, his expression blank. But inside, he was already calculating every possibility, every risk—and every opening he could exploit.
After finishing his briefing, the instructor gave them all a final, sharp look.
"Jun Jie will be your group leader. You'll follow his orders—so long as they don't conflict with the mission. Is that clear?"
The group nodded in unison.
"You're to depart immediately to catch up with the Jiang Clan carriages. I have other matters to attend to, so take this as my final warning: do not ruin this mission. Every operation we undertake is of utmost importance, and I expect the results to match our standards. Those who perform well will be rewarded. Those who go against what I've said—"
His eyes narrowed coldly.
"—will be punished severely."
With one last sweeping glare to ensure his words were burned into their minds, he turned and walked away.
Jun Jie wasted no time.
"Let's move out. I assume everyone is prepared?"
They all nodded.
"Good. Then remember—no infighting or petty nonsense. Save that for when we return. For now, the mission is our only priority."
"Fine," Ya Fen muttered, shooting Lin Shu a poisonous glare. She clearly hadn't forgotten his insult—or the challenge he'd thrown her way.
"Alright. Let's go."
Without another word, the group left the mine and began making their way toward the ambush site where they'd intercept the Jiang Clan's carriages.
As they ran, Lin Shu kept his pace steady, his expression unreadable. But inside, his thoughts were far from calm.
"If I could, I'd kill her for running her mouth… but that'd be too obvious. My methods are too direct—too brutal. The Jiang Clan hides behind poisons and shadows. Me? I break things until they stop moving."
"Still… she'll pay, sooner or later. I didn't become a cultivator to let insects yap at me without consequence. I can lower my head to someone stronger—that's survival. But never to someone beneath me."
Let one ant crawl over you, and soon the whole colony will swarm you.
His eyes narrowed as the wind rushed past them.
"No. I'll crush the first ant that dares bite."