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Chapter 83: The Whetstone
"Get out!"
The swarthy Principal roared into the phone once again.
"Alright then."
The voice on the other end responded and hung up without hesitation.
In that moment, the Principal's anger intensified. He almost punched the wall in frustration but managed to restrain himself, controlling his emotions.
"When will Spirit Martial Academy ever get someone with brains!"
"At this rate, what's the difference from the Reserve Forces!!!"
His painful murmurs filled the conference room.
...
Border City now found itself engulfed in an eerie atmosphere.
Despite the bustling crowds and lively scenes.
Mo Pavilion Academy was eerily silent, its gates firmly shut. In recent days, not a single student or teacher had been seen coming or going.
Even the lurking Cult members and other criminals seemed to have vanished.
Amid extensive media coverage, the atmosphere in Border City seemed almost too good to be true.
It was as if no one lost things, and no doors needed locking at night.
In a hotel.
Zhao Zicheng browsed through news articles about himself, clicking his tongue in amazement, a relentless smile on his face.
"Look at this, just look at what they are saying!"
"A rising star about to ascend."
"Beneath his handsome exterior lies a cold heart."
"He made the Cult flee in terror."
"Given time, he is sure to become the pride of humanity."
"How well they speak."
Zhao Zicheng was clearly basking in the adulation, imagining a day when he would spectacularly vanquish his enemies.
Though his awakened item was a punching bag, and it even had bizarre properties,
As he continued to awaken...
Who knows?
What if all his remaining skills were offensive ones, and the punching bag became like a massive mountain, ruthlessly crushing down?
One strike to annihilate a thousand demons.
How domineering!
Yu Sheng quietly watched Zhao Zicheng revel in the praises being showered upon him, then pondered for two seconds, "Do you think there’s a chance that the Cult might kill you to make a statement?"
"After all, everyone is calling you a future super genius, the nemesis of the Cult."
...
Zhao Zicheng stiffened.
That... made sense.
If he were the Cult, bragging about someone like this, using him as a stepping stone, especially since they were bold enough to kill...
Perhaps, eliminating Zhao Zicheng would let everyone know that the Cult was still formidable. The benefits would be huge.
And it could also serve as a publicity stunt.
Then someone could step forward and declare to the media, "I am from the Cult, and I take responsibility for the death of Zhao Zicheng."
The topic would explode.
The impact would be sensational.
“The more famous you are now, the sooner you might die,” Yu Sheng added quietly.
Zhao Zicheng swallowed hard, mustering his courage, "No way, being handsome is a lifetime thing!"
"Am I supposed to be scared off by just the Cult?"
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"Besides, I don’t believe the Cult would dare to kill someone inside Mo Pavilion Academy, and I’ve got Big Brother Yu watching my back."
Saying this, Zhao Zicheng flashed a sycophantic smile toward Yu Sheng.
Yu Sheng seriously considered this and eventually shook his head, "Given how hot your topic is right now, if the Cult has designs on you, the people they send... I can’t stop them."
"Then I'll just stay in Mo Pavilion Academy!"
"Worst case, I'll just stay inside for a year or more!"
"Do they really dare to invade the school to kill someone?"
Zhao Zicheng looked fiercely determined, speaking with such force that, even without hearing his words, his demeanor alone suggested a readiness to fight back hard.
"Good luck."
Yu Sheng, still clutching a demon crystal, looked out the window over the city below and said faintly.
...
"From today onwards, all followers of the Pantheon Sect in Border City are under my command."
"Of course, some people need not worry about me blocking their path. In at most half a year, I will be promoted to God-Attendant and transferred to another province."
"If everyone cooperates, we’ll have no issues."
"But if anyone has other ideas, don’t blame me, Zong Ren, for eliminating a few to establish authority during my tenure here, understood?"
In Baichun, a God-Servant wearing a mask, his cold gaze fixed on those below him.
In just a few days, he had visibly gained weight and even appeared slightly shorter.
The several high-ranking followers below exchanged glances, communicating silently, then bowed respectfully in unison, "We naturally heed the teachings of God-Servant Zong."
Half a year...
If it was just a stint to burnish his credentials, enduring it didn’t seem too bad.
"Anything unusual happening in Border City lately?" Zong Ren asked, nodding with satisfaction at the reactions of those around him. Settling into his chair with some difficulty due to his weight, he continued the inquiry.
"There haven't been any other abnormalities," one of the followers responded.
"It's the enrollment period at Mo Pavilion Academy. According to the unwritten rules of Border City, this isn't the time to stir up trouble."
"No one wants to incur the wrath of Mo Pavilion Academy."
Zong Ren nodded. "With the strength of Mo Pavilion Academy, it would probably be easy for them to sweep through Border City, wouldn't it? How have you managed to operate right under their nose?"
Even he was curious about this.
The Cult's branch in Border City wasn't particularly strong, and even he, the leader, was only a fourth-time awakener.
It wasn't an exaggeration to say that any janitor from Mo Pavilion Academy, in a good mood and stepping out for a stroll, could potentially wipe them out.
"This..."
There was a noticeable awkwardness among the group. "Because we are useful."
"Useful? Have you defied the will of God?" Zong Ren’s tone turned icy as he stared at them, his gaze flickering.
The followers quickly shook their heads. "Absolutely not, we always steadfastly follow God’s path."
"It's just that Mo Pavilion tacitly allows us to exist."
"Due to the unique nature of Border City, where the population is sparse, as long as we do not harm the civilians, Mo Pavilion Academy actually keeps us for the students to gain experience."
"Including some notorious villains in the city, there’s even a list inside Mo Pavilion Academy."
"It's used for students to take on missions."
"For instance, our heads are worth... um... twenty."
Their words carried a tone of bleak despair.
Zong Ren, his brows furrowing beneath his mask, asked, "Worth just twenty?"
"No, not that."
"Twenty credits, which translates to twenty thousand Mo Coins."
"But that’s too little for them to bother with us, so they haven’t troubled us."
"However, if they ever run into someone desperately in need, that could change."
"Our predecessors were all lost that way."
The followers recalled the past, visibly anxious.
Clearly, it was a chapter of their history they did not fondly remember.