Night settled over Shang Academy, but rest never came for Zhen Zenin.
He stood alone beneath the spirit tree near the outer training grounds, watching leaves shimmer under moonlight. The sparring match had changed everything. Now, even silence had weight.
Behind him, footsteps.
"You made enemies today," said a soft voice.
Zenin didn't turn. "Let them come."
A young girl stepped from the shadows—Lin Yue, a quiet scholar known more for books than blades. She looked at him strangely.
"You weren't using normal Qi. That fire… I've only read about it in old demonic texts."
Zenin's eyes narrowed. "You read too much."
Lin Yue smirked. "And you lie poorly."
Before he could speak, a chill swept the air. Both froze.
They're here.
Zenin's senses flared. He turned sharply—four masked figures stepped into the clearing, their movements silent, lethal.
"Zhen Zenin," the leader said, voice cold, "your name is written on the Crimson List."
Raven Sect assassins.
Zenin pushed Lin Yue behind him. "Stay out of this."
White flame burst to life in his palm, his aura igniting like a storm.
"You picked the wrong night."
---
The first assassin dashed forward, blade aimed at Zenin's throat. He ducked, twisted, and grabbed the attacker's wrist—white fire surged through his arm, incinerating flesh in seconds.
The second came with a shadow step, slashing low. Zenin jumped, kicked him in the chest, and sent him flying into a tree.
The third and fourth flanked from either side.
Zenin raised his hands. "Hellfire Lotus."
A swirling flower of flame erupted, engulfing both assassins in a roaring blaze.
Moments later, only smoke and ash remained.
---
Lin Yue stared in horror. "You… killed them all."
Zenin looked at her, his voice distant.
"They weren't the first. They won't be the last."
---