Great! I'm surrounded by villains!
Chapter 124 - 44: You, are already dead.

Chapter 124: Chapter 44: You, are already dead.

"As the head of the book academy, I protect the knowledge passed down through generations. We will continue to grow and strike back with actions against those who only talk big but are unwilling to walk the path with us, the harmful elements in our group."

"The teachers and students of Yunhai Book Academy are always guarding Qing Chi Peak, but they are too few to stand alone. Anyone who enlists tonight can get an extra chicken leg for lunch tomorrow."

...

Night fell, and Mo Song’s aged yet inspiring speech echoed in every dreamland without ceasing.

The entire academy was silent save for the faint glow of dim lights.

Duan Mingyuan eventually took Jiuyue’s suggestion.

Since he had no experience with war and was not adept at giving speeches, why not brainstorm and draw inspiration from the pre-battle speeches of others?

Duan Mingyuan also gradually uncovered the true secret to brainwashing—besides stirring emotions, incessant and uninterrupted repetition was essential.

Every teacher and student in the academy was prepared, filled with a sense of mission, understanding that when their consciousness fell into the world of dreams, upon awakening on the other side, they would be facing a battle.

They had no retreat and had to win the victory of this war.

It was not just for the academy but for every one of them as well.

Mo Song and the other two headmasters were among the few who were awake, as the academy’s last line of defense. They had to guard different areas of the academy without a moment’s rest until dawn.

His responsibility was the most important—the dormitory area—with the sleeping teachers and students behind him.

Mo Song could never have imagined that before the Second Prince launched a full-scale attack, Duan Mingyuan once again made a decision that left everyone in the dark—he ordered all teachers and students to return to their dormitories, ensuring they entered dreamland before nightfall.

There were no patrol teams, no carefully arranged traps, and no corresponding deployments. It all seemed like a surrender, a choice to lay down arms and capitulate.

At least they could spend one last night sleeping in their familiar beds before the academy was taken over by the Imperial Court.

However, after witnessing the odd behaviors of the "Defensive Arts Against Malevolence" teacher, the three headmasters could only choose to trust.

"The barrier has been broken."

Soon after, Mo Song suddenly spoke.

Yin Die arrived as expected, and he secretly let out a sigh of relief.

The entrance to the barrier had been violently destroyed. Although he didn’t know what means the Second Prince had employed, at least it meant that Chu Xingluo, who had broken out of jail, hadn’t revealed how to enter the barrier.

Meanwhile, hooded assassins dressed in uniform night travel clothes passed through the breach in the barrier and, after ensuring the safety at the foot of the mountain, launched a red flare into the sky.

"This is Qing Chi Peak."

The Second Prince, who was at the end of the line, looked up. Shrouded in the night, Qing Chi Peak indeed seemed like an earthly paradise, "No wonder some call this place a utopia."

In stark contrast to the steel jungles of the city, the peak, protected by the barrier, had been left untouched by the outside world’s transformations, preserving its original appearance.

Once he had taken the academy for the Imperial Court, he too intended to preserve this pristine landscape as much as possible.

Once the dust had settled, he might as well move a chair to the cliff’s edge to enjoy the sunrise.

But before that—

"Kill all the resisters without question, except for the Elder Princess."

"Understood."

The shadow quickly vanished into the depths of the darkness.

The academy’s people were not to be feared, the only concern being the outsider mentioned by the teacher. The Second Prince hadn’t been able to find out much about the "Defensive Arts Against Malevolence" teacher, only that he was from Yunlong City, still working at the company a week ago, and never showed any signs of being extraordinary.

The Life Science Department of Universe Company seemed to have had dealings with him, but when the Council sought information, they were turned away by the newly appointed director, left standing at the door.

Today, the Second Prince was in high spirits. This was his last trial on the path to the throne.

Although there had been some hiccups in the process, so long as there was a teacher present, no accidents would occur, and he could slow his pace and ascend the mountain path leisurely, thoroughly enjoying the rare mountain scenery.

However, this relaxed feeling didn’t last long before the Second Prince sensed something amiss.

Qing Chi Peak was far too silent.

Nothing like the eve of a great battle.

If the old poison had failed, then it was likely the academy knew their attack was coming tonight, and they were bound to fight them to the death.

Yet on his way there, the Second Prince hadn’t seen any corpses along the way.

The mountain’s painted scroll traps hadn’t been replaced either; Yunhai Book Academy seemed to have opened its gates, welcoming their arrival.

Without realizing it, they had crossed the last of the painted scrolls according to the map provided by Chu Xingluo, and standing there now, they could vaguely see the outline of the academy in the night.

Torches burned at the entrance of the book academy, yet it remained eerily quiet.

Curious, the Second Prince strolled leisurely to the entrance.

The bold, powerful characters "Yunlong Book Academy" inscribed overhead were said to have been written by the very first dean of the academy, who, though a scholar, was a man of fierce character and could be counted as a valiant general during wartime.

His expertise was in a curious art known as "Penmanship into Battle."

The capabilities of the various deans were already clear to them, just like at this moment, standing alone at the academy’s entrance was the dean of the music academy, Su Yunru.

With her playing the guqin, a dozen or so elite members of the Yin Die assumed a confrontational stance, yet no one dared to step forward.

To counter the Demon Sound Array, they had prepared special earplugs well in advance.

These earplugs were not only able to block out the melodies of the guqin but also shield against Life Energy.

The Second Prince looked around – aside from Su Yunru, there was not even a shadow of a student at the academy’s entrance.

"Dean Su, in such a beautiful scene, why are you guarding this place all by yourself? Could it be that you’ve finally come around, willing to hand over the academy to us?"

He said this on purpose.

Dean Su, despite her gentle demeanor, was tough on the inside and would never betray the academy. They had once tried to contact her privately, only to be coldly sent away by her stern expression.

If she was to maintain the grand academy’s array, she had to concentrate fully. The Second Prince’s goal was to disturb Su Yunru’s inner peace, "If Dean Su gives up resistance now, I might just look the other way, immediately clear a path for you and allow the music academy’s disciples to descend the mountain... Of course, this does not include the Elder Princess. My sister has been wandering outside for so long; it’s time she came home."

"Ru Yue won’t go anywhere."

Su Yunru faced the menacing Yin Die assassins with no hint of retreat in her cold expression.

Up to this point, everything had gone as Duan Mingyuan had predicted.

This was the primary battlefield. Duan Mingyuan had left her with a talisman, which would call for surprise reinforements once the Yin Die assassins drew near.

However, she knew nothing about the identity of the surprise reinforcements.

Now wasn’t the time for excessive concerns, though. Seeing the Second Prince appear, she gripped the talisman hidden in her sleeve and, the moment she activated Life Energy, the talisman burst into green flames.

Seeing this, all the assassins retreated a step, prepared for battle.

The Second Prince watched the talisman consumed by the ghostly green flame with curiosity, for his teacher had never told him about such a skill.

Seconds ticked away.

Some time had passed since the talisman had burned out, yet nothing happened.

Su Yunru also showed a puzzled expression; the entrance of the book academy remained tranquil.

Where was the promised intervention?

Finally, one of the assassins could no longer hold back; they leaned forward, diving into the ground, merging with the shadows in a speed beyond sight as they closed in on Su Yunru.

Just at this critical moment, a figure appeared out of nowhere and stood in front of Su Yunru.

Even Su Yunru’s pupils contracted – the figure’s speed was so fast that she couldn’t discern when it had appeared.

All she saw was the figure stomping on the ground, causing a crack to burst open and sending the Yin Die assassin who had blended into the earth flying out from underfoot.

The assassin’s eyes were wide open, as if they had seen something terrifying.

It seemed to Su Yunru that the shadowy figure threw a punch at the assassin yet simultaneously remained motionless on the spot.

The figure’s speed was too fast, too fast for the human eye to catch the movement of the punch.

In front of him, time seemed to have stopped.

A second later, the assassin screamed in agony, his body caved inwards, and a massive impact sent him flying over ten meters back, falling into the crowd like a kite with its string cut.

"You are...!"

Su Yunru and the Second Prince spoke simultaneously with surprise.

The iconic leather jacket and tights, along with that distinctive mohawk hairstyle.

Before that was a rugged face with sharp angles.

The unexpected newcomer pulled back his still-steaming fist, his voice deep and magnetic, mercilessly sentencing the fate of the Yin Die assassin, "You’re already dead."

"Who are you!?"

At that moment, everyone shared the same question.