Yan Qing looked at Ren Hao, then turned back to Lin Shu. His voice lowered, every word laced with bitter certainty.
"We plan on deserting the institute."
He didn't wait for a reaction before continuing.
"You see, it's obvious now. We're being sent to our deaths—especially us three. And even if by some miracle we survive, what do you think waits for us afterward? Zeng Shiyang won't rest until Ren Hao's bleeding on the ground. I'll have half the students lining up to stab me. And you? You'll have Yun Qiu and Wu Jian chasing you down the second you step foot back on institute soil."
He leaned forward slightly.
"From what we heard… your situation might be worse than either of ours."
Lin Shu remained quiet, unreadable, but his stillness spoke volumes.
Yan Qing pressed on.
"And don't think the Stormbreak Sect is some salvation either. It only gets worse there. These so-called prodigies here, the ones who walk around like they're invincible? In that sect, they're just regular disciples. Because that place… it's crawling with heirs of high-ranked clans—sons of patriarchs with Rank 3 cultivation. You know what that means?"
He didn't wait for an answer.
"That's the Emberwake Realm. A titled cultivation rank. These aren't just strong—they're monsters walking in human skin. And that's not even the worst part. You think the mid-sized sects are any better? Their leaders are CoreForged Realm cultivators. Rank 4. A single flick of their sleeve, and a hundred of us would be ash."
Ren Hao finally spoke, his voice low and grim.
"We're not going to stay and be slaughtered here. We're finding our own path, even if we have to carve it through stone and blood."
Then they both looked at Lin Shu.
"You've survived worse than most. So we're asking… are you coming with us?"
Lin Shu didn't actually need time to think—but he acted like he did, eyes narrowing, lips pressed in a thin line. In truth, he had already decided to leave the institute. This just gave him a better opportunity.
He looked at them and gave a slow nod.
"Alright."
Yan Qing's face lit up.
"Great. But there's one more thing we need to talk about."
Lin Shu raised an eyebrow.
"What?"
Ren Hao leaned in, his voice low.
"We're not leaving empty-handed. We're going to rob the mine. Azure crystals—boxes of them. After all they've done, using us like meat shields, we deserve real payment. Think about it. A single big box of those things can net us a few thousand gold coins. And if it all goes according to plan? Tens of thousands. Each."
That got Lin Shu's attention. He didn't show it on his face, but he was already calculating. His current wealth stood at 13,000 gold coins. It sounded like a lot, but it wasn't nearly enough—not for the peak-tier body refinement method he was aiming for, not for the techniques he wanted to master, not for the pills and resources he'd need. This could give him a chance to push past his current limits.
"Alright," he said. "I can work with that. But we leave immediately once we get what we came for."
They both nodded.
"Of course," Yan Qing said. "Now—here's the plan."
He began drawing a rough shape into the dirt with a stick as he spoke.
"I worked in the mines before the institute decided I'd be more useful dying on the battlefield," he said with a sneer. "While I was there, I found an old Sawtooth Beast hideout. Looked like they used to lay eggs there, but it's been abandoned for years. I don't know why no one else ever found it, but the thing is… it connects to a bunch of tunnels. I followed one of them all the way until I found a trail leading outside."
Lin Shu listened without blinking, already memorizing every detail.
"It's small—too small for us right now," Yan Qing admitted. "But we can widen it. Slowly. Carefully. The only reason I didn't do anything back then was because the place is under tight surveillance. Formations, cultivators, sound detection. The whole thing. Making even the smallest sound when others are nearby is basically asking to die."
"And now?" Lin Shu asked.
"Now that war's about to break out?" Yan Qing smirked. "Now most cultivators will be too busy preparing for the bloodbath. So I reinforced the area to make sure no one stumbles on it, and left it untouched."
Ren Hao cut in.
"The institute doesn't let you carry spatial rings or pouches into the mine, either. You either leave them behind or let someone inspect them every time you enter or exit. That means we can't just stuff the crystals inside and walk out."
"That's why I didn't try to hide anything back then," Yan Qing added. "Didn't want them tracing a stolen fragment back to me and getting executed before I even made it out. But now, with everything about to collapse… we can do it."
He leaned back.
"All we need is the right moment. And once it begins, there's no turning back."
Lin Shu's gaze sharpened.
"Alright. But how exactly do we leave the battlefield without being noticed?"
Ren Hao gave a shrug, arms crossed over his chest.
"That's… situational. We'll have to improvise. Maybe fake injuries, maybe claim we're escorting wounded. Depends on what chaos is unfolding around us. The main thing is—we each find the best way out when the moment comes."
Yan Qing nodded in agreement, his voice low and steady.
"We'll adapt based on the scenario. That's the only way it'll work."
They spent the next hour going over details—escape routes, possible patrol timings, crystal loading methods, how to split the boxes without raising alarms. Quiet, tense voices traded strategy after strategy, until even the rustling wind outside their tent seemed to listen in.
Eventually, Yan Qing stood and stretched.
"Alright, since it's settled, let's prepare. And as discussed—if we can't make it back together, we regroup at the checkpoints. No matter what."
The others nodded. A silent oath bound them tighter than any contract.
Without a word, the three moved to share the same tent. Too many eyes burned with quiet hatred in this place. Too many grudges brewed just beneath the surface. If they were going to survive the coming storm, they couldn't afford to sleep apart. Not now.
Lin Shu sat cross-legged in quiet cultivation. Qi slowly coursed through his meridians like a steady tide. Ren Hao was off to the side, reading a scroll under the flickering light of a lantern, while Yan Qing wiped his blade with deliberate focus, his brows furrowed slightly as he polished the edge. The sun dipped beneath the horizon, and night draped its silence over the camp.
Meanwhile, at Dark Veil Crossing, tension simmered beneath the calm surface. Lu Heng sat beside Kui Jinhu and Jun Fen. Two hours had passed, yet there was no sign of Jiang Wuyu. Across from them, the Jiang clansmen sat in practiced calm, as if silently insisting their patriarch's arrival was only a matter of time.
But Lu Heng's thoughts were dark and restless.
"What the hell is taking him so long? No matter how urgent their internal damage is, this is war we're talking about. He left in the middle of a major negotiation—why?" His expression stayed unreadable, but his inner monologue turned colder with each passing second. "Could it be… has the Empire gotten to him? Are they trying to buy him off? Or maybe he's just stalling because he knows joining us means he'll get nothing. He's too clever for that. Or maybe they're pressuring him and he's trying to shake them off."
His eyes narrowed. "No. It doesn't matter. Something's off. I can't lose that beast. That's why I came in person. Lu Zhenhai tried to come instead, but I insisted. That's also why I brought Han Yi, Zeng Shiyang, and Yun Qiu along—just in case I need hostages. If Lu Zhenhai tries to stop me, I'll have leverage. Maybe I should've just killed the damn beast back then. Sure, I would've had to hide it, and people would suspect, but it might've been better than waiting like this."
His fists clenched, then relaxed. "I'll have to use my backup plan now.The Jiang Clan's probably tangled with the Empire." He knew about that beast from the start. Months ago, one student bled over the mine's crystals and as they showed their true nature lu Heng was there and made sure the news didn't reach anyone the boy died in an 'accident,' of course. He have been waiting ever since, making sure no more crimson rubies left the mine. He even examined them himself and disposed of anyone who bled near the crystals.
His eyes gleamed coldly. "I need that beast. And I'll take it, no matter what I have to do."
He stood up suddenly.
"You two wait here," Lu Heng said flatly. "I'm heading to the auction. Let's see if there's anything worth my gold."
One of the Jiang elders stood immediately, bowing with forced calm. "Vice-Dean Lu Heng, please be at ease. Our Patriarch will arrive shortly. He's been handling matters related to the damage during the recent conflict. We ask for your patience."
Lu Heng's gaze was sharp. "Didn't you hear me? I'm not leaving. I'm just going to see if the auction has anything interesting. That's all." Without another word, he turned and walked off.
Jun Fen chuckled, standing up as well. "Please excuse our Vice-Dean. He doesn't like sitting around. He'll probably just wander about, maybe blow some gold, maybe not. He gets bored easily."
The Jiang elder bowed again, still smiling—but his fingers made a subtle sign behind his back.
Near the entrance, one of his men nodded and quietly slipped away, trading places with another guard. With smooth, trained movements, he vanished into the street, his eyes already locked on Lu Heng's distant silhouette.