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"Xue Mo, this is the academy! You dare…."

She was acting wantonly within Skyspan Academy's territory. The school explicitly forbade private duels on campus.

However, the instant Xue Mo unsealed her sword, Sun Jialing felt true terror.

"Do I dare? What wouldn't I dare do?" A cold smile surfaced on Xue Mo's lips. Against a backdrop of snow, her bright red lips were dazzlingly bright.

She waved her hand, and the sword howled. Instantly, Xue Mo fused with her blade, becoming sharp and unstoppable, then slashed viciously at Sun Jialing's chest.

It was clear that Xue Mo wasn't just trying to scare Sun Jialing; she really wanted to kill her.

"Xue Mo!" Sun Jialing shrieked. Countless defensive talismans activated in front of her.

These talismans were expensive to produce, but Sun Jialing tossed them frantically, as if money didn't mean a thing.

Unfortunately for her, they were as weak as ordinary papers before the sheer might of Xue Mo's sword.

When her final talisman broke, when Sun Jialing's spatial ring was empty of all protective tressures, Sun Jialing saw nothing but a woman and her sword.

The woman's face was dark, and her sword glinted with icy light.

"No….!" Sun Jialing closed her eyes, put her hands in front of her, and cried out.

Suddenly, a flash of light shot through the cloud.

Claaaaang!

Xue Mo stopped, and her blade and body crackled faintly with electricity. Her hands went a bit numb.

"Pang Zheng, are you trying to get involved in others' affairs?"

The onlookers focused in on the source of the lightning. It was a smiling, white-robed youth well over six feet tall with long green hair. He'd reappeared ten meters away, carrying Sun Jialing in his arms.

This was the head of the Grizzly Bear Society, and one of the strongest students in Skyspan Academy, the half-step diviner…

Pang Zheng.

He gently patted Sun Jialing's shoulders, then chuckled, "The academy forbids private duels. I did this out of concern for you too, Society Head Xue. Besides, Sun Jialing is one of our platoon commanders. As her leader, both logic and emotion compel me to rescue here from danger."

"She's got a dirty mouth on her, dammit!" Xue Mo's gaze frosted over as she cursed.

"I sincerely apologize for my subordinate's poor manners. Once we return to our headquarters, I'll teach her a lesson and make sure she remembers the price of misspeaking. This is our academy's new student recruitment day, so arguing will only hurt us both. How about we just end this here? Once we get through this, I'll pay a visit in person and apologize. At the time, I hope you'll do me the honor of letting me pay my respects."

Pang Zheng smiled as he spoke. His polite, humble words were as refreshing as a spring breeze, and left a good impression on students both old and new.

Xue Mo still held her sword aloft. Unlike the others, her expression didn't haver in the slightest until Chen Guangfa approached and whispered a few words in her ear. Finally, she returned the sword to the plum blossom mark and forced a smile at Sun Jialing and Pang Zheng.

"Fine. Pang Zheng showed up today, so I'll spare your petty life. If you dare say such things to me next time, though, not even the dean can save you. I, Xue Mo, always keep my word. As for our former bet, let's carry on as planned."

She snorted, then glanced at Ye Zichen. "Follow me."

The onlookers all cleared a path. This incident was so sudden that, if not for Pang Zheng's timely arrival, Sun Jialing might have really died.

Even after Xue Mo had left, Sun Jialing's face was still a mask of terror.

"Cousin."

"In the future, try growing a brain. Don't ever bring up that incident again. This time, you were lucky; I got here in time to save you. If you offend her again, nevermind the dean, not even your father can save you."

"She…."

"Don't ask about things that aren't for you know. I have other business to attend to. You… behave yourself."

He glanced off in Xue Mo's direction. Others might not have known what Xue Mo's plum blossom mark represented, but Pang Zheng knew it with utter certainty.

"A bloodline power! No wonder!"

…

Xue Mo led Ye Zichen to a simple, rustic estate.

"No way, why am I following you?" Not even Ye Zichen himself knew why, after Xue Mo gave the order, he obediently followed her away.

"Surely you know why you're following me?" Xue Mo stopped, and a crystal card appeared between her fingers.

When Ye Zichen saw it, his pupils constricted, and he tried to snatch it.

However, Xue Mo put it away before he could take it.

Ye Zichen frowned. "That's my crystal card. Hurry up and give it back!"

"So, you know that's your crystal card, huh?" Xue Mo rolled her eyes at Ye Zichen, then kept on walking forward.

She had his crystal card in hand; there was nothing he could do but follow her.

Xue Mo walked until she reached a lotus pond, then came to a stop. "These cards are super important, but you lost yours! Fortunately, a good samaritan like me picked it up. Otherwise…. You'd be doomed!"

She tapped the card against Ye Zichen's forehead. He tried to retrieve it, but she immediately pulled it back and out of reach. "Do you want your card back?"

Ye Zichen frowned. "Hurry up and give it back to me."

When she saw his anger, Xue Mo smiled flatly and fidgeted with his card. "If you want it back, you just have to do one simple little thing for me: join my student society."

"Okay, okay, okay! I'll join! Just hurry up and give me back my card so I can register. Once I've registered, I'll immediately join your student society, okay?"

"Your admission has already been taken care of. Guangfa…." she called out to her companion, who dashed right up to her in a flash. He carried a single sheet of golden paper.

He placed it before Ye Zichen. To his surprise, this was an application to enter a student society.

"Sign your name here in your blood essence. Once you do, you'll have official joined, and I can naturally return your card."

So straight-forward!

Entering the student society required his natal blood essence. Obviously, there was some sort of contract involved.

If it were any other gang, he might have just given up on it. After all, he had the Yao-Sealing Pagoda. He wasn't overly concerned with cultivation resources and all that.

Rather, he was more concerned by the student society's name.

The Anti-Upheaval Society!

The gang he'd established was called "Upheaval," while this society was "Anti-Upheaval." Didn't that mean they were diametrically opposed to each other?!

His heart rejected the ida, but his gaze darkened. He gnashed his teeth and swiped the contract from Chen Guangfa's grip.

He filled it out and passed it to Xue Mo. "I joined you, so give it back."

Indeed, when she looked it over, she saw Ye Zichen's name written in blood.

"Mm, here you go." She flicked the card back into his hands, then stretched and patted Ye Zichen on the shoulder. "I'll leave new student recruitment up to you, then."

"You must be imagining things," said Ye ZIchen, sitting beside the lotus pond like an old man.

Xue Mu laughed, utterly unconcerned. "That's fine too. You don't want to recruit new students? Fine, just sit and wait for your divine punishment."

With that, she glanced at Cheng Guangfa, who passed the admission application back to Ye Zichen.

"Take a look at the bottom line of text."

Ye Zichen accepted it suspiciously then looked down at the final lines of text. There wasn't anything overtly strange.

Xue Mo seemed to know what he was thinking. "Look closer," she added. "It's all the way at the bottom!"

When he focused on the very bottom of the paper, Ye Zichen discovered a line of text so small, no ordinary person could have sensed it.

"Xue Mo, you played me!"