The Nine Lotus Academy...

In the middle of the night...

High atop Sword Mountain, inside a secluded chamber, the first prince of the imperial family, Mark Smith, stood near a wide window overlooking the distant peaks. The moonlight reflected faintly on his sharp features, giving him an almost cold, calculated appearance.

’Tak... Tak...’ A faint knock echoed.

"Enter."

The door opened quietly as two servants stepped in and bowed deeply.

"Master," one of them spoke in a respectful tone, "we have gathered information regarding Tony Clark."

Mark didn’t turn immediately. He remained still, his gaze fixed outside, as if the matter held no real weight. Only after a brief pause did he speak.

"Speak..."

The servant continued without hesitation. "As we planned, Tony Clark has been placed in the Healing Tower. Not only that... the Peak Master Natasha personally gave him a residence next to her."

For the first time, Mark turned... A flicker of surprise crossed his eyes.

"Next to Natasha?" he repeated with a look of surprise.

"Yes, Master... we thought it would be easy to deal with Tony once he joins as a helping nurse. But the Peak master Natasha saved him."

The room fell silent for a moment as Mark processed the information. Then, slowly, a faint smile formed on his lips. "Interesting..."

The second servant stepped forward quickly, eager to add more. "Not only that Master. Tony Clark already began bullying his clan mates by gathering them on the first day itself. As far as we know he threatened them to work as his lackeys."

Mark let out a soft chuckle.

In his mind, Tony’s image had already been defined— a spoiled, talentless heir relying on family backing. Hearing this only reinforced that perception. Sadly, the servant didn’t report what Tony is doing with his family members.

"A rich fool with no brain," Mark muttered under his breath, amusement clear in his tone.

However, the servant hesitated before speaking again. "But Master... we can’t do anything to Tony as long as he stays close to Peak Master Natasha."

Mark’s expression didn’t change. Instead, his smile deepened slightly, carrying a dangerous calm.

"Don’t worry about that," he said confidently. "We will use the top disciples of Healing Tower to throw out Tony Clark or may otherwise make him work as an attending nurse. In any case we will take our revenge sooner or later."

The servants immediately straightened with a gleeful look.

"Yes Master. We must take revenge for what Tony did to the Imperial Family. The Ninth Prince brought disgrace to the Imperial Family name," another servant added with his teeth clenched tightly.

Mark’s gaze turned colder.

"Tony is a small fly," he said slowly. "My brother Edward made a big mistake by underestimating him in the fist fight. This is also good for us. My brother Edward will know his place and in future he will become a lackey of mine."

A faint, cruel grin appeared on his face.

The servants exchanged looks, clearly pleased.

"Master, what should we do next? We should make Tony come out of his hole," one of them asked carefully.

Mark waved his hand lightly, dismissing the urgency.

"Don’t worry. We still have one full month to play with Tony. Don’t rush things. We should make it natural and smooth and Tony shouldn’t know what hit him. He must become a laughing stock of this world."

Mark said before weaving his hand in dismissal.

As the servants turned to leave, Mark spoke again. "Spread the word."

They stopped immediately.

"Everyone should know about Tony as the useless talented who got into the academy with his connections without any talent. Also everyone must know Tony is an evil bully who steps on the weak servants to prove his dominance, like a demon who makes servants his playthings."

The servants smiled like they got an interesting job to do.

"It will be done, Master," they said in unison.

And within seconds, they disappeared into the night, carrying rumors that would soon infect the entire academy.

Mark returned to the window, his gaze distant. "Let’s see how long you last, Tony Clark."

***

Far away, within another peak, the atmosphere was completely different.

Inside her residence, Lily Frost sat cross-legged on a meditation platform. The faint glow of life energy surrounded her, swirling gently as she attempted to focus.

But soon she lost all the balance. Her breathing grew uneven as her thoughts drifted again.

She opened her eyes with an irritated look... She cursed Tony repeatedly before calming down.

"Which idiot spoiled everything...?" she muttered under her breath, frustration evident in her voice.

Her gaze darkened slightly as she recalled the situation. "There must be someone who made Tony go into the Healing Tower."

Her fingers tightened slightly. "I thought of protecting Tony by placing him close to me. But I never expected Tony to be so headstrong and join the Healing Tower and accept the tasks from Peak Master Natasha. Is he an idiot?"

The words came out sharper than she intended.

Her thoughts shifted again... To that moment where the attending doctor collapsed after seeing Tony.

Her brows furrowed. "That wasn’t normal... Something was off. She lost her balance when she saw Tony. Do they know each other...?!"

She could feel it... But she couldn’t see it clearly. Which Annoyed her dearly.

"In any case I need to protect Tony from killing himself, This is fellow is ticking time bomb...!" Lily muttered, her voice soft but firm.

***

Midnight deepened... All the fellows of the academy slept in deep slumber.

Inside the shadows of the Healing Tower, a figure moved silently.

’Tony Clark.’

Dressed in dark clothing, his presence blended seamlessly with the night as he navigated through the corridors with careful precision. His steps were light, controlled, leaving no sound behind.

He paused... Watched... Waited until confirmation.

The guarding disciple stationed near the corridor shifted slightly before walking away to drink water.

That was enough... Tony moved instantly.

He slipped into the elevator without hesitation and pressed for the thirteenth floor. The ascent was silent, smooth, and brief, but his mind remained sharp throughout.

The doors opened... A quiet corridor greeted him.

Dimly lit corridors welcomed him.

He stepped out slowly, scanning every corner, every shadow, ensuring no one was present. Before moving forward... He sent the elevator to its previous floor.

Finally—

He reached the observation room.

Inside Emma Rock lay there in peaceful sleep... still unconscious from the Yin cold stroke.