Chapter 82: The Darkest Dawn

"That's it?"

Pang Bai Shan stood over the torn corpses of Hong Wu and Lan Yu, their body parts scattered across a sea of blood. He shook his head and chuckled.

"I was wondering how powerful Yellowed Lands realm would be, but it seems like they are still only at this level. Or perhaps the other students at Seven Stars Academy are garbage?"

He glanced at the hooded figures behind him, gloating.

"I'll have to trouble you with the rest. Clean the mess up. Even though the academy will find out about this eventually, we wouldn't want to alert the Blue and Red Factions too soon."

It was fortunate that the teachers and headmaster were currently away, attending a meeting at the center of Xing Hao Island, or the Shadow Gang would never be able to get away with committing such atrocities.

"However, they still managed to take out twelve of the new members."

At the voice, Pang Bai Shan scowled, glancing behind him. A distance away from the corpses of Hong Wu and Lan Yu, the bloodied bodies of twelve of his Shadow Gang members were sprawled across the crater that was now etched into the once pristine courtyard.

However, Pang Bai Shan wasn't looking at his deceased comrades. His attention was focused on a single hooded figure – the person who succeeded in killing both Hong Wu and Lan Yu. The hooded figure turned to regard Pang Bai Shan, his eyes and mouth the only features under his hood that were visible.

"They are not to be underestimated. If it weren't for me, I don't know how your gang would have fared."

"Yes, Sir Han Sha." Pang Bai Shan felt a chill run down his spine and he automatically dropped to his knees, bowing his head subserviently. "I apologize for my…arrogance."

"Not at all." Han Sha regarded the dark-haired student. "You have grown extremely powerful after learning the demonic techniques that I had taught you. Your progress has been remarkable and you have achieved a breakthrough in strength. Arrogance is perhaps inevitable."

He turned toward the corpses of Hong Wu and Lan Yu, his lip curling scornfully into a sneer.

"So these two are the second and third ranked students of the Seven Stars List?"

"Yes! They are the ones I mentioned before." Pang Bai Shan kept his head lowered, his hair drenched in cold sweat. He couldn't help but feel fear in the presence of Han Sha. There was something about his new mentor that he couldn't place a finger on. A malevolent entity…a monster.

But to avenge his brother, Pang Bai Shan had no hesitation in selling his soul to the devil.

"Where is Shu Cong?"

Han Sha's voice chilled Pang Bai Shan further to the bone. He swallowed, unable to lift his head and meet the gaze of the fearsome hooded figure.

"I do not know. I heard that he went out for a mission with his two friends from his Black Faction. He might not have returned yet."

"Remember…Shu Cong is the real objective here…the most important target. Even if you fail to kill anyone else, it doesn't matter…but Shu Cong must die."

Han Sha clenched his fists. That was the whole reason why he risked the Temporal Tribulation and traveled back through time and space…just to eliminate the man who would one day become the greatest threat to the demonic sects in the Celestial Realm.

If he didn't terminate that man before he grew too powerful, then…the demonic sects of the future were doomed.

As for Pang Bai Shan, he bore a grudge against that person for killing his brother. Han Sha smiled to himself when he recalled that. The vendetta that Pang Bai Shan held made him easy to manipulate. The scheming demonic cultivator was able to turn him into a pawn, offering him sweet promises of getting revenge and tempting him with demonic techniques that would increase his strength within a short period of time.

There were tradeoffs, of course, but Pang Bai Shan didn't need to know that. In time, he would find out, when the demonic qi corrupted his body and slowly destroyed his organs from the inside out, but in the short term he wouldn't notice the damage. Hell, he was sure that Pang Bai Shan wouldn't mind sacrificing his body in order to obtain the strength necessary for his revenge. On the other hand, Pang Bai Shan would mind being deceived and discarded like a pawn.

But Han Sha didn't care about that. All he cared about was using his pawn in the most effective way possible to eliminate his target. He was willing to expend whatever resources he had…and he would achieve his objective, no matter the cost.

Leaving the kneeling Shadow Gang behind, Han Sha disappeared into the darkness and left them to clean up the mess.

*

I was in the library, busily studying Yin Yang Swordsmanship while cross-referencing with other techniques for more clues on how to successfully combine yin and yang elements together when my peace was abruptly disturbed by a sudden loud voice.

"Bad news!"

Si Nan and Mu Zi Xing were sharing the table with me. Mu Zi Xing had been playing with her smartphone, unlike Si Nan and me, who were diligently studying, and she raised her voice when she saw the news.

"What is it?"

Mu Zi Xing was unable to answer. Seeing that her eyes were transfixed on the screen of her phone, Si Nan checked his own smartphone. He swiped at his screen and checked it, only to turn pale. He raised his smartphone up for me to see his screen.

It was the Seven Stars List. And I could see the second-placed Hong Wu and third-placed Lan Yu vanishing from the ranking board, their names replaced by "deceased."

"They…are dead?"

A chill ran down my spine. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Neither could Si Nan. He shook his head.

"Someone must have killed them. That's the only reason. There's no way they would have died so simply."

"Why the hell are the sixth to tenth ranked students missing?" I asked, staring at the Seven Stars List. The names were gone, replaced with "Withdrawn from School." This couldn't be a coincidence. It made no sense that the lower half of the top ten students decided to mass withdraw from Seven Stars Academy at the same time.

And now the second and third-ranked students were dead.

"You'll be next, given that you're fourth. That, or it will be Pang Bai Shan, who is fifth place…or the first-placed Qin Lie."

Speaking of which, I had yet to meet Qin Lie. I wondered what sort of person he was. But Pang Bai Shan sounded familiar.

"Is he related to Pang Hei Shan?"

"Yeah, he's Pang Hei Shan's brother."

Somehow I had a bad feeling about this. I wasn't very fond of interacting with the brother of someone who tried to kill me a few months ago…and ended up killing instead. No doubt Pang Bai Shan would hold a grudge against me because of that. He wouldn't care that his brother tried to kill me first. In any event, I was certain he wouldn't want my help.

"Then we might have to meet Qin Lie and discuss this with him. He, Pang Bai Shan and I might be the next targets."

"I've been hearing rumors that the top students have been targeted and attacked by Shadow Gang. All those who didn't join Shadow Gang were beaten up so badly that they were forced to withdraw from school in order to recuperate."

Si Nan sounded grim. I nodded. That explained why the sixth to tenth ranked students were gone from the list. I hoped it was a temporary withdrawal.

"Why aren't the teachers doing anything? Where is Headmaster Qi Xing? Isn't he supposed to enforce the rules?" I scratched my head. Qi Xing had promised me a safe training environment, but this was anything but safe. Hell, two students had already lost their lives. Why weren't the instructors stepping in when there was such a crisis?

"You haven't heard?" Si Nan sounded surprised. "Headmaster Qi Xing, Instructor Su Yan and all the other teachers have gone for a meeting in Central."

Central referred to the center city right smack in the middle of Xing Hao Island. While each of the six academies had their own territories established in the edges of the island, Central was the administrative, commercial and political hub. It was where the council governed, and if the headmasters and headmistresses of the various academies were required to gather, they would all meet in Central.

"Even so, if we contact them, I'm sure they will rush back. This is an emergency!"

"I've tried to call them or send an email…but it seems that our signal is being jammed. We only have access to the local Wi-Fi." Mu Zi Xing sounded glum as she waved her smartphone about. "Whoever is doing this is being thorough."

"This is bad news," Si Nan muttered, clasping his hands. "Whoever is responsible for this, they must have been planning this for a while now."

"What reason would the enemy have for getting rid of the top ten students in Seven Stars Academy?" Mu Zi Xing asked, confused.

"No idea. I'll ask them when I see them." I sighed in frustration. "We don't even know the identity of the attackers."

"I'm sure we'll encounter them soon enough." Si Nan's tone was ominous. "They will undoubtedly target you eventually."

"Then let's look for Qin Lie," I suggested, getting up from my seat.

"Eh? Why?" Mu Zi Xing asked, puzzled. Si Nan sighed and rolled his eyes, but I patiently explained.

"Strength in numbers. If we are divided, then it will be easy for the enemy to pick us off one at a time."

"Of course, that's assuming Qin Lie isn't the culprit," Si Nan said. When I glanced at him, he narrowed his eyes. "Who else would have the strength to kill both the second and third ranked students in our academy at the same time?"

"Actually…" I gulped. "I think it's likely that the culprit is from the outside…someone not from our academy."

*

"You…! What's the meaning of this?!"

Zhang Ping and Liu Yu Feng were standing in front of the remnants of their Blue and Red Factions, confronting Pang Bai Shan and his Shadow Gang.

"Rampaging about, attacking the other students and even murdering people…when the headmaster returns, he will definitely…!"

"By the time the headmaster returns, all of you would be long dead." Pang Bai Shan couldn't stop himself from laughing maniacally. "No one will be able to save you!"

"Hmph! You really have guts!" Zhang Ping stormed at them. "Even though you're just a bunch of scheming cowards! If you guys didn't plot behind our backs, you would never have defeated our boss!"

"Zhang Ping, don't be impulsive!" Liu Yu Feng warned.

"I'm sorry, but I have to take revenge for our boss!" Kicking off the ground, Zhang Ping launched himself toward Pang Bai Shan and his Shadow Gang.

"Zhang Ping!" Liu Yu Feng shouted, but she was unable to stop him. Pang Bai Shan laughed as he watched the Blue Faction vice-leader charge at him.

"Fool," he sneered. "You were never a match for me back then, and you're still no match for me now."

Springing forward, he met Zhang Ping's strike with a punch of his own. Their fists collided in an explosive burst of qi, and then Zhang Ping was sent hurtling backward, blood spurting from his mouth and his right arm dangling uselessly from his side. He crashed onto the ground, and Liu Yu Feng rushed forward to help him.

"Are you all right?"

"Ugh…he crushed my arm! That Pang Bai Shan…he's at the peak of Heaven realm now!"

"Heh." Pang Bai Shan chortled as he stepped forward. Raising his hands, he conjured a gigantic white mountain that floated over his head, ready to crash upon the gathered Blue and Red Factions. "You realized that too late. Now…it's time for you to die."

Then he hurled his massive white mountain at the students of Seven Stars Academy, determined to pulverize all of them in a single go.