The space around Lam Minh twisted. He felt as if he were traveling through a river of turquoise light. The speed was beyond imagination.
In the blink of an eye, the light faded.
He found himself standing in the middle of the artificial lake at Lac Hong Academy. The water only reached his knees.
"Spatial divine abilities... truly terrifying," he murmured, unable to help but admire the Golden Turtle's power.
He immediately retracted his Dragon God Battle Armor, concealed his entire aura, then glided across the water, landing softly on the shore without a sound.
It was the middle of the night. The entire academy was shrouded in silence. But this silence made Lam Minh feel uneasy. It was too quiet, unnaturally so.
His Golden Core spiritual sense spread out, enveloping the entire academy.
And immediately, he discovered anomalies.
He saw that in the dormitory area, many students were in an unusually deep sleep, and a faint anesthetic fragrance hung in the air.
He saw that the academy's security patrol teams had all been replaced. The ones currently on patrol were not students or Blacklight soldiers, but individuals with mixed auras—they were the "Saint Children" of the "Saintly Way."
And he saw, in the central square, a large formation of several hundred people gathering. Leading them was none other than instructor Hung Ba.
"Damn it! They've already made their move!"
He immediately understood the meaning of "harvest" in Minh Thu's message. They weren't just recruiting students. Tonight, they were planning to carry out a purge, or a large-scale kidnapping, right inside the academy. They intended to turn the most elite students into their new "products."
Lam Minh didn't rush out. He moved through the shadows, heading towards the central control room. He needed to meet Minh Thu and To Quyen first to get a clear picture of the situation.
As he neared the command building, he discovered another anomaly.
There were no guards outside the control room. The door was wide open.
He cautiously stepped inside. To Quyen, Quynh Nhu, and Ly Thien Ba were all there. But they didn't look like they were in a fight.
They were sitting and drinking tea.
And sitting opposite them, in Lam Minh's own headmaster's chair, was a figure he never expected to see.
A petite girl in a cat-eared hoodie, holding a laptop, her legs dangling, a cup of milk tea in her hand.
It was Minh Thu.
"Minh... Minh Thu?" Lam Minh was stunned. "Why... why are you here?"
Hearing his voice, all four of them turned around.
To Quyen and Quynh Nhu let out a sigh of relief. "You're back!"
Minh Thu saw him, and her large, round eyes lit up. She jumped off the chair, ran over, and... did something no one expected.
She threw her arms around him in a hug.
"You... you're back..." she mumbled, her voice a little choked up. "I... I was so worried..."
Lam Minh was completely frozen. This socially awkward hacker girl was actively hugging him?
"Wait... hold on," he gently patted her back. "What on earth is going on? Why are you here? And what about outside...?"
To Quyen stepped forward and explained. "It was Minh Thu who discovered their plot. A few days ago, she hacked into Hung Ba's internal communication system and learned about their 'harvest' plan for tonight. She came here immediately to warn us."
"She didn't just bring us news," Quynh Nhu added, crossing her arms, her expression a mix of admiration and a hint of... jealousy. "She single-handedly hacked the entire academy's security system, disabled the enemy's patrols, and tricked them into thinking everything was still under control. Then, she sent you the message."
Lam Minh looked at the small girl in his arms, a sense of astonishment and gratitude welling up inside him. This shy little girl was capable of such great things.
"So... why didn't you take action? Why didn't you inform General Khang?" he asked.
"We were about to," Ly Thien Ba said. "But Minh Thu said there was no need. She said, 'Just lure them to one spot, then wait for him to come back. He alone is enough to take out the trash'."
Minh Thu looked up at Lam Minh, her big round eyes full of trust. "I... I believe in you."
Lam Minh sighed and ruffled her hair. He knew that in this little girl's eyes, he was invincible.
"Alright," he said, his voice turning serious. "The plan is good. But now, we must act. The 'weeds' outside must be pulled out by the roots."
He looked at the surveillance monitor, where Hung Ba and his subordinates were still gathered in the square, seemingly waiting for an order.
"Who are they waiting for?"
"They're waiting for a higher-ranking 'Deacon' to arrive," Minh Thu replied. "According to the intel I hacked, a Deacon is coming to supervise the 'harvest' and take away the best 'products'."
"A bigger fish?" Lam Minh's eyes lit up. "Good! Excellent! We'll catch the whole nest in one go."
He turned to his friends. "Everyone, get ready. To Quyen, you continue to control the system, completely isolate the square, don't let a single one escape. Minh Thu, you support To Quyen, be ready for electronic warfare if needed. Quynh Nhu, Ly Thien Ba, you two come with me."
He looked out the window, a cold smile on his lips.
"It's time... for this headmaster to clean up his garden."
The undercurrent at the academy was about to erupt into a bloody purge.
...
"Wait a minute," Lam Minh suddenly frowned, looking at Hung Ba's image on the surveillance monitor. "Something's not right. Hung Ba should be in Blacklight's highest-security prison. Why is he here?"
His question left To Quyen and Quynh Nhu stunned as well.
"That's right!" Quynh Nhu said. "I escorted him there myself. There's no way he could have escaped."
"Unless," To Quyen said, her voice thoughtful, "he was never truly captured. Or... the one who was captured wasn't the real Hung Ba."
Minh Thu, who was still typing intently, suddenly spoke up. "Negative. Biometric data and aura... a 100% match. That is Hung Ba."
The room fell silent. Someone who had been imprisoned in the most secure facility was now here, commanding an attack. This pointed to only one possibility.
"A mole," Lam Minh said, his voice turning cold. "A mole again. The 'Saintly Way' has infiltrated Blacklight's ranks so deeply that they can easily break out an important prisoner."
This was even more alarming than an attack. It showed that the enemy's network had extended its tentacles to places no one could have imagined.
"So... what about our plan?" Ly Thien Ba asked, gripping his war hammer tightly.
"It remains unchanged," Lam Minh replied, his gaze becoming sharp. "The more cunning they are, the more thoroughly we must eliminate them. But this time, I'm going alone."
"What? Alone again?" Quynh Nhu protested. "The enemy has a high-ranking Deacon and hundreds of others. You..."
"Listen to me," Lam Minh interrupted, his voice filled with decisiveness. "Hung Ba's reappearance proves that there is a traitor among those we trust. Right now, I can't be sure who is a friend and who is a foe. The fewer people involved, the safer it is. You all stay here with Minh Thu and protect the command center. That's an order."
He looked at them, his eyes allowing no room for argument. "This is my fight. I will end it myself."
His friends, though very worried, understood the gravity in his words. They could only nod in obedience.
"Be careful," To Quyen urged.
Lam Minh nodded, then vanished alone into the darkness.
He didn't go straight to the square. He moved through the deserted paths and dark buildings like a ghost. He was waiting. Waiting for the "big fish" that Hung Ba was expecting.
In the square, Hung Ba looked up at the night sky, a hint of impatience on his face.
"Why hasn't the Deacon arrived yet?" he muttered.
Just then, from high above, a streak of silver light shot down, landing gently in the middle of the square.
The light faded, revealing a person.
It wasn't a grotesque mutant, nor a warrior in a black robe.
It was a woman.
An incredibly beautiful woman, dressed in a pristine white silk gown, her long silver hair like a waterfall of moonlight. Her aura was refined and otherworldly, like a celestial fairy untouched by mortal dust.
But the aura radiating from her was that of a Peak Golden Core expert, cold and powerful.
Hung Ba and all the "Saint Children" immediately knelt on one knee, bowing their heads respectfully.
"We welcome Deacon Yue!"
The woman, Deacon Yue, gave a slight nod. Her silver eyes glanced around, then rested on Hung Ba.
"How are the preparations?" her voice was as clear as a silver bell, but devoid of any emotion.
"Deacon, everything is ready. We just await your order to begin the 'harvest'," Hung Ba replied.
"Good," Deacon Yue said. "But before we begin, I need to deal with a little mouse that's hiding."
With that, she looked up, her sharp gaze fixed on a dark building in the distance, where Lam Minh was concealed.
"Come on out. I know you're there. The breath of the Dragon race, no matter how well you hide it, cannot escape my notice, Lam Minh."
In the darkness, Lam Minh's heart pounded.
I've been discovered.
This woman's spiritual sense was terrifyingly strong. She had detected him the moment she appeared.
He knew hiding was useless.
He slowly stepped out of the shadows, standing on the roof of the building, looking down at the woman in the white dress below.
Two Golden Core experts, one righteous and one evil, one man and one woman, faced each other under the moonlight.
"Who are you?" Lam Minh asked. He could sense that this woman was far more dangerous than Eleventh.
"I am the one who has come to take your life," Deacon Yue replied, her voice still cold. "You have caused too much trouble for the Saintly Way. The Holy Master has given the order that you must be erased."
"With just you?" Lam Minh sneered.
"Just me... is more than enough."
The moment she finished speaking, a silver crescent moon suddenly appeared behind her. The moonlight grew colder, carrying an icy energy that caused the temperature in the entire square to drop abruptly.