Turmoil in the Inner Academy: Who Was Plucking the Strings in the Shadows?

After the law enforcement team took Mu Chen and the others away, a brief silence returned to the woods. Xiao Yan gazed in the direction they had disappeared, his fingertips lightly tapping the Heavy Xuan Ruler. His Emperor Realm Soul spread like ripples as he carefully searched the surroundings for any hidden watchers.

Only after confirming it was safe did he turn onto the path leading to the safe zone. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the foliage, weaving patches of light and shadow across the ground. The fresh scent of grass, trees, and earth filled the air, yet it could not conceal the undercurrents lurking beneath.

The safe zone was an open valley, with an ancient stone stele standing at its center. The words "Cease War" were carved into it, and it emitted faint restrictive fluctuations that suppressed all clashes of Dou Qi above the Dou Shi realm. Quite a few students had already gathered in the valley, most of them newcomers. Relief at having survived disaster showed on their faces as they exchanged stories about the Fire Energy Hunting Competition in small groups.

"Have you heard? The Wolf Fang squad was wiped out. Apparently, they ran into an avalanche!"

"And Mu Chen from the Mu Family was just taken away by the law enforcement team. They say his cultivation went berserk!"

"This hunting competition is downright cursed, isn't it? All this happened in just one day..."

The chatter reached Xiao Yan's ears. Without betraying anything, he found a corner and sat down, seemingly closing his eyes to rest while actually taking in every bit of information. These "accidents" had already caused quite a stir among the students, and that was precisely the effect he wanted—to use an unbroken string of "coincidences" to unsettle the forces hiding in the shadows and make them expose their weaknesses.

Just then, a clamor of footsteps approached. A group of students in matching clothes came over, surrounding a young man in brocade robes. The Fire Energy pouches at their waists bulged, clearly indicating a rich haul. Their crimson chest badges bore the character "Bai." They were members of the Inner Academy's Bai Family.

The young man leading them was named Bai Cheng. At the peak of Nine-Star Dou Shi, he was one of the most outstanding members of the Bai Family's younger generation. Brash by nature, he held considerable sway over the newcomers. His gaze swept across the valley before settling on Xiao Yan in the corner, a barely perceptible sharpness flashing in his eyes.

"You're Xiao Yan?" Bai Cheng approached with several lackeys and looked down at him, his tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

Xiao Yan slowly opened his eyes, displaying just the right amount of "wariness," and nodded. "That's me."

"Were you involved in what happened to Mu Chen and the Wolf Fang squad?" Bai Cheng went straight to the point. He had just learned from the law enforcement team that Mu Chen had clashed with Xiao Yan before his mishap, and traces of Xiao Yan's movements had also been found near the mountain ravine where the Wolf Fang squad had been wiped out.

At those words, the surrounding students turned curious gazes toward them. Even the quiet conversations came to a halt.

Xiao Yan understood. The Bai Family and the Mu Family had always been at odds. With Mu Chen in trouble, Bai Cheng probably wanted to seize the opportunity to gather information. He might even want to recruit Xiao Yan—or crush him outright. The power struggles of the Inner Academy had always been this blunt.

He put on a "bewildered" expression and shook his head. "I was just lucky enough to escape a few accidents. Senior Mu Chen ran into problems with his own cultivation. As for the Wolf Fang squad... I've never even met them."

"Oh?" Bai Cheng raised an eyebrow, plainly unconvinced, but did not press the matter. Instead, he changed tack. "I heard your alchemy was quite good during the entrance assessment?"

Something stirred in Xiao Yan's mind. He nodded. "I only know the bare basics."

"Perfect." Bai Cheng took a purple medicinal herb from his Storage Ring and held it out to Xiao Yan. "This is Purple-Leaf Orchid. Refine it into Qi-Gathering Powder for me. If you do a good job, I can guarantee your safety in the hunting competition. I might even give you a few high-grade Fire Energy Talismans."

The surrounding students gasped. Purple-Leaf Orchid was the main ingredient in Qi-Gathering Powder. Though not rare, it demanded extremely precise control of the heat, and ordinary novice alchemists rarely refined it successfully. Bai Cheng was clearly testing Xiao Yan's alchemy while putting pressure on him in a roundabout way.

Xiao Yan looked at the Purple-Leaf Orchid, a cold gleam flashing deep in his eyes. He could sense an extremely faint trace of poison lingering around its roots and stem. Had his soul not reached the Emperor Realm, he would never have detected it. It was a slow-acting toxin. Mixed into Qi-Gathering Powder, it would not take effect immediately, but would quietly erode the meridians during cultivation, eventually throwing the victim's Dou Qi into turmoil—much like the symptoms Mu Chen had just displayed.

Was the Bai Family trying to use alchemy to cripple me without a sound? Or were they testing whether I had ties to the Soul Hall? After all, such vicious methods bore some resemblance to the Soul Hall's way of doing things.

"I appreciate your kindness, Senior Bai." Xiao Yan pushed the herb back, putting on a "troubled" expression. "I've only just begun learning alchemy. Purple-Leaf Orchid is too delicate. If I ruin it, I'm afraid I'll have betrayed your trust."

Bai Cheng's expression darkened. He had not expected Xiao Yan to refuse. In his eyes, a newcomer blessed with the Bai Family's "favor" should have been overwhelmed by the honor.

"Do you know what happens when you refuse me?" A threat crept into Bai Cheng's voice, and Dou Qi began surging around him. Though suppressed by the safe zone's restrictions, it was still enough to put pressure on an ordinary Dou Shi.

Xiao Yan "shrank back," but still shook his head. "My abilities really are limited. I wouldn't dare embarrass myself."

"Fine. Very fine." Bai Cheng sneered and put away the Purple-Leaf Orchid. "Let's see how far you get in this hunting competition without the Bai Family's protection."

With that, he turned and left with his lackeys. Before leaving, one of them shot Xiao Yan a vicious glare, malice flashing in his eyes.

Seeing this, the surrounding students gave Xiao Yan looks of either sympathy or delight in his misfortune. Having offended the Bai Family, he would likely have a rough time in the rest of the hunting competition.

Xiao Yan seemed wholly unconcerned. He closed his eyes again, his fingers gliding lightly over the Heavy Xuan Ruler.

The instant Bai Cheng had taken out the Purple-Leaf Orchid, Xiao Yan had used his soul power to memorize the toxin's aura. This poison was called Vein-Eroding Powder. It was not native to the Dou Qi Continent, but a vicious concoction refined by the Soul Hall using special methods, specifically to deal with alchemists who refused to submit.

The Bai Family was indeed colluding with the Soul Hall as well.

Interesting, Xiao Yan sneered inwardly. The Mu Family, the Bai Family, and the Wolf Fang squad... The Soul Hall has more tentacles in Jia Nan Academy than I imagined.

He had originally thought the Soul Hall's watchers were only scattered here and there. Now, it seemed they might already have infiltrated the Inner Academy's major factions, secretly weaving an enormous net. The Fire Energy Hunting Competition might well be the signal that this net was beginning to tighten.

Just then, a commotion erupted elsewhere in the valley. A student rushed in, panic written all over his face. "Something terrible has happened! More than a dozen bodies were found in the Misty Forest to the east. They were all newcomers like us!"

At those words, the entire safe zone erupted like a boiling pot.

"What?!"

"The Misty Forest? Wasn't that place supposed to be safe?"

"Which squad did it? That's too ruthless!"

Xiao Yan's eyes snapped open, and his soul power instantly locked onto the student who had brought the news. There was no killing intent on him, so his report was probably true. But a trace of poison residue similar to Vein-Eroding Powder clung to his cuff—very faint, as though picked up through indirect contact.

"The Misty Forest..." Xiao Yan stood and walked toward the commotion. He remembered that it was one of the Bai Family's territories, as well as a common spot for newcomers to obtain low-grade Fire Energy Talismans during the hunting competition.

Looks like the Bai Family intends to kill with a borrowed blade. Xiao Yan already had a theory. They did not dare act in the safe zone, so they had laid an ambush in their own territory, slaughtered newcomers, and sent the news back to sow panic. Having refused Bai Cheng, he was very likely to become their target for "killing the chicken to warn the monkeys."

Sure enough, when Xiao Yan reached the valley entrance, he happened to hear Bai Cheng's lackey calling out to the other students. "Something happened in the Misty Forest. It must be the Black Wind Stronghold's doing! They're experts at laying ambushes in the mist, and their methods are vicious! Xiao Yan just offended Brother Bai, so the Black Wind Stronghold might set its sights on him. You'd better keep your distance, or you'll get dragged into it!"

The words sounded like a warning, but in reality, they bound the "Black Wind Stronghold" and "Xiao Yan" together, implying that Xiao Yan would bring deadly trouble upon them. They might even be hoping to use the Black Wind Stronghold's hand to eliminate him.

Sure enough, apprehension appeared on the surrounding students' faces, and they instinctively moved away from Xiao Yan.

Xiao Yan did not care in the slightest. Instead, he played along, putting on a "worried" expression. "The Black Wind Stronghold? Are they really powerful? I... I only want to collect enough Fire Energy Talismans in peace. I don't want any trouble."

"Scared now?" Bai Cheng's lackey scoffed. "What were you thinking before? You offended someone you shouldn't have. You'd better pray for good fortune!"

Xiao Yan "sighed," then turned and walked in the opposite direction from the Misty Forest, as though he truly were avoiding the Black Wind Stronghold.

But he had not gone far before he used a bend in the path as cover. His figure flickered, and like a phantom melting into the shadows, he sped silently toward the Misty Forest.

He unleashed his Emperor Realm Soul in full, taking in everything around him. He could clearly sense several concealed presences lingering along the forest's outskirts—the watchers Bai Cheng had sent. Deeper inside, more than a dozen figures brimming with killing intent lay hidden. Their auras were nothing like those of the "Black Wind Stronghold" mentioned by Bai Cheng's lackey. Instead, their Dou Qi fluctuations resembled those of the Bai Family's members. Clearly, these "Black Wind Stronghold" men were simply Bai Family members in disguise.

"Disguising your own people as a rival force, slaughtering newcomers, then shifting the blame... The Bai Family's methods really do come from the same mold as the Soul Hall's." Cold light flickered in Xiao Yan's eyes.

Rather than charging straight into the forest, he circled around to a cliff behind it. Vines grew thickly there, and few people ever visited, but it was an excellent vantage point for watching the forest's interior.

Xiao Yan leaped up and clung to the vines like an ape, silently climbing to the top of the cliff. From there, the entire Misty Forest lay spread beneath him. The Bai Family members disguised as Black Wind Stronghold men were moving through the trees, clearing away bodies and laying new traps. Clearly, they intended to keep shifting the blame.

"Since you enjoy putting on a show, I'll add another scene for you."

Xiao Yan's fingertips stirred, and a strand of soul power reached like a fine thread into a swamp deep within the forest. A kind of magical beast called Mist Poison Mosquitoes lived there. Their poison was not especially potent, but they excelled at attacking in swarms and were extremely sensitive to Dou Qi fluctuations.

He did not disturb the mosquitoes directly. Instead, he used his soul power to quietly guide the residual Dou Qi aura of the Bai Family members toward their nest. At the same time, he planted several low-grade Explosive Flame Talismans at key points along the forest's outskirts. These talismans would not injure anyone directly, but they could detonate at specific moments to create the illusion of "infighting within the Black Wind Stronghold."

Once everything was done, Xiao Yan silently left the cliff and headed back toward the safe zone.

He had barely returned to the valley entrance when he heard startled cries from within. "Something seems to have happened over in the Misty Forest! There were explosions!"

"And a whole swarm of poisonous mosquitoes flew out! They covered the sky in black. It was terrifying!"

"Could the Black Wind Stronghold be fighting someone?"

Xiao Yan mingled with the crowd, wearing a "surprised" expression, while inwardly remaining perfectly calm.

Back on the cliff, he had already foreseen what would follow. Drawn by the Dou Qi aura, the Mist Poison Mosquitoes would attack the Bai Family members in a frenzy, while the detonating Explosive Flame Talismans would make them believe they had been ambushed, throwing them into chaos. With both mist and poisonous mosquitoes disrupting them, they would struggle to tell who the enemy was. In the end, it would become nothing more than a farce of "mutual slaughter."

To everyone outside, all of this would merely look like an accidental outbreak of "Black Wind Stronghold infighting" or a "magical beast rampage."

Sure enough, an hour later, several Bai Family members who had escaped the Misty Forest brought back news. "The Black Wind Stronghold people started fighting among themselves in the forest, and they disturbed the Mist Poison Mosquitoes too. A lot of people died! We barely managed to escape!"

The news made the students in the safe zone even more frightened, but it also cemented the impression that "the Black Wind Stronghold's methods were vicious." No one suspected the Bai Family.

When Bai Cheng heard the news, his expression shifted slightly, and a trace of doubt flashed in his eyes. The people he had sent were all elites—why would they suddenly turn on one another? But with things already at this point, he could only suppress his doubts and continue playing the "victim."

Only Xiao Yan sat in the shadows of a corner, his fingertips gently tapping the Heavy Xuan Ruler, as though plucking invisible strings.

The turmoil in the Inner Academy had only just begun. The Mu Family, the Bai Family, the Soul Hall's watchers... All these hidden forces would become pieces on his chessboard. All he had to do was gently pluck the strings from the shadows and let this symphony called "accidents" resound throughout Jia Nan Academy.

The sun sank in the west, staining the safe zone's stone stele gold. Xiao Yan gazed at the evening clouds on the horizon, the corners of his mouth curving almost imperceptibly.

Whose turn should it be next?