Kill Dai Huabin

In that dark corner, a figure pressed himself against the wall, every muscle in his body rigid with sheer terror.

It was Dai Huabin.

He had followed those family dead soldiers, wanting to watch Ji Jing be crippled or even killed with his own eyes, so he could vent the hatred in his heart.

But he had never imagined that what he would witness was a one-sided slaughter, as if gods and demons had descended upon the world!

The moment Ji Jing's gaze swept over him, Dai Huabin felt as though a Ferocious Beast had fixed its eyes on him. An icy chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the crown of his head, freezing his blood in an instant.

Run!

That was the only thought in his mind.

But as soon as the thought arose, his body proved completely incapable of responding.

The next second, a wisp of eerily cold, pale flame appeared beneath his feet without warning, as if it had grown out of his shadow.

"No—!"

Before Dai Huabin could finish his horrified roar, the seemingly frail Dingsi Nether Yin Spirit Fire suddenly surged, becoming a towering pillar of pale flame that engulfed him completely.

There was no scream, no struggle, not even the faintest smell of something burning.

The flame vanished in a flash. In its place remained only ground frozen by an extreme chill. Dai Huabin, along with every trace that he had ever existed, had vanished completely from this world.

Having done all this, Ji Jing hovered in the air as if he had merely crushed an ant.

The brilliant golden sacred flames and eerily cold pale spirit flames around him slowly drew back into his body, while the enormous black Soul Ring behind him, deep as a black hole, also faded away without a trace.

The night sky returned to its original silence and darkness.

Ji Jing slowly descended from the air, his feet touching the solid ground without a sound.

He did not look back at the site of the battle. Turning toward Shrek Academy, he walked away with steady steps and an impassive expression, as if the earth-shaking battle had nothing to do with him.

He had not gone far when a figure hurried over from ahead. It was Wang Dong, who had doubled back.

Seeing that Ji Jing was unharmed, Wang Dong visibly relaxed and hurried up to him. Her sapphire-blue eyes held a trace of worry and curiosity.

"What... exactly happened just now? Are you all right?"

"I'm fine."

Ji Jing's reply was as brief as ever.

"Just some worthless trash who didn't know their place."

Wang Dong looked at his calm expression, then thought of the terrifying scene that had seemed to destroy heaven and earth. For a moment, she did not know what to say.

She could feel that Ji Jing seemed to be hiding secrets far beyond anything she could imagine.

"Let's go. We're heading back."

Ji Jing offered no further explanation and started walking.

"Oh... all right."

Wang Dong froze for a moment, then hurried after him.

In a spacious dormitory, a sturdy young man with brilliant blond hair and strange, mismatched pupils was enjoying some leisure time.

He was Dai Yueheng, the eldest son of the Duke of White Tiger and a prodigy of the Inner Court.

"Bang!"

The door was shoved open with brute force, and a burly figure stumbled in, reeking of alcohol. It was Xuan Zi.

"Elder Xuan?"

Dai Yueheng was startled. He quickly bowed.

"What brings you here?"

Xuan Zi ignored his greeting. His murky eyes fixed on him, the pressure in them nearly leaving Dai Yueheng unable to breathe.

"Your younger brother is dead."

Xuan Zi got straight to the point.

"What?!"

Dai Yueheng was struck as if by lightning. He jerked his head up, his eyes instantly bloodshot as violent Soul Power burst uncontrollably from his body.

"Who?! Who did it?! I'll tear them limb from limb!"

"Silence!"

Xuan Zi roared, his voice exploding beside Dai Yueheng's ears like thunder.

An invisible, terrifying pressure crashed down at once, forcing Dai Yueheng's rampaging Soul Power back into his body and pinning him firmly in place, unable to move.

"Listen, boy."

Xuan Zi's voice was bone-chillingly cold, devoid of emotion.

"Your brother's death began with his foolish decision to send a few dead soldiers to assassinate a new student of the Outer Court."

The words doused Dai Yueheng like a bucket of ice water, turning his fury into shock and disbelief.

"What? Th-that can't be! How could he dare...? The family knew nothing about this!"

"Of course we know your family had no idea."

Xuan Zi snorted, a trace of mockery in his eyes.

"Otherwise, do you think I'd be the only one standing here talking to you? The Sea God Pavilion elders would have already paid your family a visit!"

Dai Yueheng's face turned deathly pale, and cold sweat poured down him.

He understood that Dai Huabin had secretly mobilized forces to assassinate a Shrek student. That had seriously crossed the Academy's bottom line. By any reasonable account, the White Tiger Duke's Mansion had no leg to stand on.

"But... but he didn't deserve to die!"

Dai Yueheng protested, unwilling to accept it.

"Didn't deserve to die?"

Xuan Zi sounded as if he had just heard the funniest joke in the world.

"Those who kill will be killed in turn. He lacked the ability to avoid getting caught, so he deserved to die."

Dai Yueheng was utterly speechless.

Xuan Zi stepped closer, until he was almost nose to nose with him, and spoke each word distinctly.

"Here's some advice—and it's an order from the Sea God Pavilion. From this moment on, you're confined to the estate. This matter ends here."

With that, Xuan Zi turned and left, leaving Dai Yueheng frozen in place, overwhelmed by a helplessness he could not suppress.

The atmosphere in the Duke's Mansion study was as oppressive as an ice cellar.

Duke of White Tiger Dai Hao had just finished his military duties and returned to the estate, still dusty from the road. He had not even had a chance to remove his armor when he received a report from Shrek City.

There were two copies of the report: one official and one from a secret channel.

Reading the notice sent by Shrek Academy, Dai Hao's face turned ashen. His fingers gripped the paper so hard they turned faintly white.

The notice was simple:

His son, Dai Huabin, had gathered outlaws without authorization to assassinate a student of the Academy, triggering a clash in which he had died.

The evidence was conclusive, and the facts were clear. Shrek Academy reserved the right to further hold the White Tiger Duke's Mansion responsible for its failure to discipline him.

"Wretch!"

Dai Hao brought his palm down on the sandalwood table in front of him, smashing it to pieces. His chest heaved violently.

He was not angry with Shrek Academy. He was furious at his foolish, arrogant son, who had no idea how high the heavens were!

How had he dared?!

How had he dared commit such a suicidal act in Shrek City, under Shrek Academy's very nose?!

The Duchess had already dissolved into tears, slumped on the floor and repeating over and over:

"Huabin... my Huabin..."

"Cry! What are you crying for?!"

Dai Hao looked at her, fury and grief intertwining in his heart and rising into a stifled roar.

"You spoiled him every day, and that's why he grew up so lawless! And now look where it's got us—he's dead!"

Though he cursed her, painful red veins had surfaced in his tiger eyes.

After all, Dai Huabin was his own son!