Guangxi Society
When Smith returned with Wang Yan's lifeless body, the entire Guangxi Society erupted in chaos.
"Who the hell did this?!"
"They actually dared to kill our vice president? If we don't take revenge, what will happen to the reputation of the Guangxi Association?!"
Anger flared up from all sides. Emotions surged, and several members were already gearing up, ready to rush out with weapons in hand.
It was only after a moment of madness that Zhang Yi stepped in to stop them.
As the president of the Guangxi Society, Zhang Yi maintained a semblance of calm, but the fire burning in his eyes betrayed his fury. His voice was strained as he asked, "Smith, do you know who did this?"
Smith nodded gravely, his voice low. "It was the Burning Fire Clan. Their target is anyone with S-level potential. Wang Yan was S-level... they hunted him down."
The air grew heavier with those words.
Zhang Yi's fists clenched tightly. "The Burning Fire Clan… That explains it. Wang Yan was indeed our only S-level psychic. He was still young, still growing, but with his talent, he had the potential to surpass even the strongest A-levels and B-levels. That clan… they didn't just kill Wang Yan. They destroyed our future."
"They weren't targeting our society directly," Smith explained, "Their target was simply the S-level psychics—anyone who poses a threat to their ambitions."
"That doesn't matter," Zhang Yi replied coldly, his voice trembling with suppressed rage. "From this day forward, my Guangxi Society and the Burning Fire Clan are enemies. This hatred is irreconcilable!"
"Irreconcilable!" the members echoed in unison.
In that instant, the Guangxi Society's collective hatred turned toward the Burning Fire Clan. No one cared about the danger anymore. Zhang Yi personally began mobilizing his forces to investigate their whereabouts.
Smith shared what he knew. The Red Queen had told him that the Burning Fire Clan had a base located beyond Dusk City, but by the time anyone arrived there, it had already been abandoned.
The Guangxi Society's mobilization didn't go unnoticed. In a place as volatile as the Dark City, such a large-scale movement stirred up panic and rumors. Whispers began circulating: Was the Guangxi Society preparing for war? Were they targeting the infamous Night Demon faction?
But those rumors were quickly dispelled when people discovered something shocking—the Night Demon's leader, Dong Mie, was already dead!
Even Zhang Yi was taken aback by the news, and even more stunned when he learned that Smith was the one who had killed him.
Smith had explained everything—how the Burning Fire Clan had joined forces with the Night Demon faction, how a confrontation had taken place, and how, in the aftermath, Youli had suddenly appeared and taken Wang Yan away. Since then, Youli had vanished without a trace.
Despite the chaos, the Guangxi Society continued its search for the Burning Fire Clan. Smith didn't stop them. He knew that their hatred couldn't be cooled so easily.
However, Smith himself had other things to worry about. He could feel the winds shifting, the invisible hand of destiny tugging at him. It was time to leave the Dark City.
But before he could begin his journey, the Dark City was visited by an unexpected and uninvited guest…
The Storm Is Coming
That day, the sky darkened unnaturally early. Ominous clouds rolled across the horizon, and thunder rumbled like the growl of a slumbering beast. Though it looked like a storm was about to break, the air was eerily still. Not a single breeze stirred.
The atmosphere was stifling—like an invisible weight pressing down on every chest.
That's when someone in the city shouted.
"Look over there! Someone's coming!"
"There's a lot of them!"
"They don't look friendly..."
In the dense forest outside the Dark City, a large group of people emerged—somewhere between thirty to fifty figures.
Many of them drove wooden carts, while others rode strange flying beast-mounts that hovered ominously in the sky. The most eye-catching detail, however, was the badge worn on each person's chest.
Jinghai College.
At the front of the group stood a squad from the Executive Department of Jinghai College.
"It's… Jinghai College!"
Once someone recognized the emblem, the entire city broke into a panic.
Jinghai College—the most powerful academic institution in the southeastern districts—was located hundreds of miles away. The fact that a team from Jinghai had suddenly appeared here, without warning, was a thunderclap no one saw coming.
Though there were only a few dozen of them, the sight of their uniformed presence alone was enough to terrify many.
Half of them wore distinctive masks—the hallmark of the Executive Department, the elite combat force of Jinghai College. In essence, they were the academy's sword and shield, carrying out dangerous missions and eliminating threats with brutal efficiency.
The Dark City was home to many people who had once lived in Jinghai's territory. Some had fled, some were wanted, and a few even had bounties placed on their heads by the college.
So when these masked agents appeared, panic set in.
The Dark City was chaotic, violent, and lawless—but in comparison to the Executives of Jinghai College, even the darkest gangsters in the city seemed like children.
"Jinghai College…"
Smith had just returned from making arrangements to leave when he heard the uproar outside. He rushed to the city gate and his eyes locked onto the squad standing just outside the city's border.
His heart sank.
They've come for me.
There was no doubt in his mind.
The Dark City had existed for many years and had never once provoked Jinghai College. For the academy to send people hundreds of miles just to "visit" was unthinkable.
Besides, while the team before them was elite, they were not large enough to conquer the city.
They weren't here for the Dark City—they were here for him.
To think Jinghai College would go to such lengths just for one person…
Smith couldn't help but chuckle bitterly at the irony. "You sure value me highly…"
As the Executive Department neared the gate, the citizens of the Dark City fell silent. Not a soul moved. Not a word was spoken.
Despite its strength, the Dark City was fragmented. A loose alliance of rogues, thieves, bounty hunters, and mercenaries—it had no unified leadership.
In front of Jinghai's elite, their arrogance faded to silence.
The team finally stopped a hundred meters away. A masked figure, standing atop a massive winged beast, called out in a commanding tone:
"Smith, come out. We know you're here."
"The Dark City is surrounded. You can't escape."
The crowd murmured.
Everyone knew who Smith was.
Just a short while ago, countless bounty hunters had tried to take him down for the reward offered by Jinghai College.
But every single one of them had failed—and died.
Smith's name had become a legend in the Dark City. No one dared mess with him anymore.
And now, the very institution that placed the bounty had come to claim him.
"So it's really me they're after…"
Even though he'd already guessed, hearing his name publicly declared still surprised Smith. He looked around the city, noting the presence of Jinghai scouts at every exit point.
From a quick estimate, there were easily a hundred of them in total.
"Jinghai College really is generous…" he muttered with a bitter smile.
With a sigh, he stepped forward and made his way to the city gate, standing tall before the agents of Jinghai College.
"I didn't expect the Executive Department of Jinghai College to come all this way just to arrest me. I must be quite the big deal, huh?"
The wind remained still. The clouds rumbled. The city held its breath.
Smith stood alone, facing an elite task force from the most powerful college in the southeastern region.
But he didn't flinch.
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