With the Dragon Flame King’s reply, Marquis Longyin was finally at ease and no longer had to hold back.

He immediately dispatched Order Enforcement Team Members to tail Lu Chao and report any developments at once...

He then looked back at the ancient residence, and Marquis Longyin began to consider which students from the Small Institutes should be brought here to observe in preparation for tomorrow’s revival battle... Once he settled on a list, he would dispatch more Order Enforcement Team Members to bring them over.

With everything arranged, he and Dongfang Ren waited quietly inside the ancient residence.

’Tonight, there’s bound to be another small storm. Zeng Quan will definitely retaliate against Dragon Flame Academy, but he’ll stay within the rules.’

Marquis Longyin muttered to himself...

Dongfang Ren, meanwhile, returned to the seven carvings Lu Chao had repaired. He paced back and forth, observing them and letting out occasional gasps of admiration.

...

Inside the Beast Flame Inner Courtyard, Zeng Quan and the Beast Flame leadership were gathered once more.

The Dean of the Tiger Institute began with a chuckle...

"It’s been quiet these past three days. Dragon Flame Academy and Marquis Longyin must think nothing’s going to happen. They’ve surely let their guard down..."

"Little do they know, all the real action is set to begin on the eve of the third trial."

Hearing this, Zeng Quan and the other senior members of Beast Flame all laughed...

Over the past three days, they had thoroughly investigated every student from Dragon Flame Academy, and they planned to strike all at once on the eve of the third trial.

The goal was to catch both Dragon Flame Academy and Marquis Longyin completely off guard.

Li Wumian was also present, seated next to Zeng Quan...

He replied with a smile, "That fake Lu Chao has been with Marquis Longyin for the last three days. He’s probably undergoing some special training for the third trial. But he’ll soon find out he won’t even be able to participate."

Three days ago, when Marquis Longyin had notified Sun Shijin, he’d only said that Lu Chao was staying with him.

He hadn’t mentioned that Lu Chao and Dongfang Ren were repairing the Azure Flame Seven Walls...

Thus, Zeng Quan and his people concluded that the fake Lu Chao and Marquis Longyin were likely engaged in some sort of special training, perhaps even plotting how to handle any dirty tricks in the third trial...

But it was all useless. The Beast Flame leadership was exceptionally confident in tonight’s operation.

"I wonder how many will publicly announce their withdrawal from Dragon Flame Academy tomorrow? I can’t wait," the Dean of the Wolf Institute snickered.

However, just as he finished speaking... THUMP THUMP THUMP!

The sound of frantic footsteps suddenly echoed from outside...

A Celestial King Tutor cried out in a trembling voice, "Dean-General, something terrible has happened! It’s Zheng... Zheng... Zheng..."

Zeng Quan shot to his feet at the sight...

He said to the Celestial King Tutor, "What are you panicking about? Slow down and speak clearly. Did Zheng Zhuhe run off to cause trouble at Dragon Flame Academy? Didn’t I tell you all to watch him and keep him from acting rashly?"

This was because three days prior, after seeing Wu Yiyi’s frail and pitiful state, Zheng Zhuhe had wanted to get revenge on the spot.

But Zeng Quan had stopped him, ordering him not to make a move without express permission.

The Celestial King Tutor shook his head frantically. "No, it’s not Young Master Zheng! Vice Dean Zheng Liyuan... something terrible has happened to him!"

「Fifteen minutes later...」

In the Beast Flame meeting hall, the academy’s leadership stared intently at Zheng Liyuan, his knees smashed to a pulp. Then they looked at the four corpses, each pierced through the heart by a single sword strike. All of them were trembling violently.

All their earlier smugness was gone.

Li Wumian said in a chilling voice, "They couldn’t have just ’found’ him in the woods. And it couldn’t have been that Jiang fellow. He doesn’t have that kind of power."

When Marquis Longyin’s Order Enforcement Team Members dropped him off, they only said they had found Zheng Liyuan in the woods before leaving.

But the Beast Flame leadership knew very well...

Zheng Liyuan had gone to deal with Dragon Flame’s Dean Jiang, but... there was no way Dean Jiang could have done this.

Li Wumian, the so-called Medical Dao Master, was examining Zheng Liyuan. He quickly made his diagnosis: "His knees are ruined. Smashed to bits with a rock. There’s no chance of recovery."

All the senior members of Beast Flame clenched their fists. Murderous intent exploded from those who belonged to the Saint Bone Zheng Family.

"Wake him up," Zeng Quan said, his voice tight with suppressed fury.

Hearing this, Li Wumian hastily applied a potent treatment...

Zheng Liyuan finally stirred, groggily coming to. He looked at everyone in the hall and rasped, "Fake Lu Chao... Marquis Longyin... Dongfang Ren..."

After uttering those three names, he immediately passed out again.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

True Qi erupted from all the members of the Saint Bone Zheng Family in the hall. "Dean-General," one of them roared, "we must have revenge! First, we’ll slaughter everyone at Dragon Flame Academy!"

With that, they turned to leave. The Saint Bone Zheng Family had never been humiliated like this.

But Zeng Quan bellowed, "Stop!"

After halting them, Zeng Quan grimly explained the situation—just as Lu Chao and Marquis Longyin had predicted. If this escalated, the fact remained that Zheng Liyuan had moved against Dean Jiang first.

Blowing this up would do them no good. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Especially with Dongfang Ren involved. Moreover, the Dragon Flame King could very well use this as a pretext to interfere in the affairs of Beast Flame Academy.

"So we’re just supposed to let this go? Are we to tolerate an Elder of our great Saint Bone Zheng Family having both his knees smashed?" one of the family’s experts continued to roar at Zeng Quan.

Zeng Quan quickly interjected, "Calm down..."

"Of course we’re not letting this go. People from Dragon Flame Academy... must die!"

"But it can’t be open retaliation. We need an excuse. I will personally take Zhuhe with me. He will use what happened to Wu Caicai three days ago as a pretext to kill a few of their people first."

With that, Zeng Quan strode out without hesitation to find Zheng Zhuhe.

Seeing that Zeng Quan was going to handle the revenge personally, the members of the Saint Bone Zheng Family managed to calm down slightly, suppressing their rage as they waited.

...

「At the same time...」

Not far from the courtyard where Dragon Flame Academy was staying, there was a small lake.

At this moment, a woman in a yellow dress stood gracefully by the lakeside, looking like a tranquil little wildflower under the moonlight.

In the next instant, a figure descended and reported...

"Miss Yiyi, the note has been delivered to the fake Lu Chao’s wife. She should be on her way to find you shortly."

Indeed, the woman in the yellow dress was none other than Wu Yiyi.

She let out a soft laugh upon hearing this. All sense of tranquility was gone, replaced by an aura that felt almost vulgar.

"You weren’t spotted by anyone from Dragon Flame Academy’s leadership, were you?" Wu Yiyi asked softly.

Her guard chuckled. "Of course not. Sun Shijin and the others are in a complete panic right now."

Wu Yiyi smiled again at this, her eyes suddenly brightening. "She’s here," she said conspiratorially. "Go hide in the shadows."

The guard heard her and immediately vanished into the shadows...

A few moments later, a graceful figure emerged from the Dragon Flame Academy’s courtyard and walked toward the lake.

It was Cheng Yunsu. She was clutching a slip of paper in her hand—the very note Wu Yiyi’s guard had delivered to her moments before.

Cheng Yunsu stopped and looked at Wu Yiyi by the lakeside.

Cheng Yunsu’s expression was calm as she asked evenly, "Wu Yiyi. Miss Wu. I’m not sure I understand your note. What do you mean, ’Lu Chao is about to die because of me’?"

That was right. The note had said...

I am Wu Yiyi. Lu Chao is about to die because of you. If you want to save him, meet me alone at the small lake.

If you dare not come, Lu Chao won’t live to see another day.