The days moved forward like creeping frost. Shang Academy buzzed with talk of the upcoming academic test, but for Zhen Zenin, every moment was a calculation.
He trained alone under the waterfall behind the southern cliffs. The water struck his body like falling blades, but his stance did not waver. Beneath the roaring cascade, his Qi stirred faintly—he was still in the Mortal Realm, but the barrier to Qi Gathering had begun to thin.
> "In my past life, I shattered mountains with my fist. Now I must shatter my weakness first."
---
Later that afternoon, Instructor Yao handed out scrolls detailing each student's current ranking and predictions for the test.
Zenin, once mocked as a disgrace, now stood among the top ten in theory, and was climbing in martial prowess.
Zhen Yun, his sister, stared at his name, lips twitching.
"He's not that talented," she muttered.
Her friend replied, "Even the elders whisper about him now."
Rage danced behind her eyes.
---
Meanwhile, Zenin returned to the library, not for books, but to trace the flow of clan resources. He had found something—unusual funds being redirected through the Zhen household, under the seal of his mother.
> "She's moving coins like a noble. What are you buying with that silver, Mother?"
---
That night, Zenin wrote in a hidden ledger beneath his bed.
Each name, each movement. Every detail was inked in silence.
And then he added one more entry:
"Zhen Yun: Watched me train. Reeked of Yin Snake Powder. Either preparing poison… or already delivered it."
He leaned back, the shadows of the candlelight dancing across his face.
> "I once ruled the Thirteen Hells. Betrayal isn't new to me… but this time, I have no empire to lose—only blood to cleanse."
---