"Yeah..." Jasmine was hurt seeing as Chue Xue seemed to be hesitating at first. "..thanks for the save!" Gritting her teeth she was starting to regret not getting the Trident from Chu Xue.

"Tch!" Leroy was a little ticked off at how long it was taking. He pushed his Core qi into his legs and stomped onto the head of the bear. He then lunged in the direction of the new attacker, bypassing the out-of-control bear. Arm pulled back he did a thrust motion. "Hands off!"

*Boom!* The moment his front foot hit the ground he turned and launched the hastily made attack that formed a sword of flames. The qi channeled through his arm haphazardly causing it to shake in the air wildly.

'If that guy is the lead assassin I am willing to risk everything to kill that bastard!' Leroy didn't forget about the bear after that attack. Slowly words could be heard as it retreated on the spot, however. 'Damn it!'

"Humph!" The masked figure took the attack lightly from the rumored injured cultivator. It was their mistake for believing that intel. "What!?" The attack rammed into his chest and carried them off into the distance.

A trail of fire and lighting at least gave a straight shot to where the person went.

Leroy was hoping it exploded or caused some muscle spasms but that was not the case. He wanted to give pursuit but his body was somewhat numb. Instincts warning him to move despite no enemy nearby. It was somewhat suffocating but he realized it was someone using their Qi to suppress him from a distance.

"Leroy!" Jasmine shouted towards him but their was no response besides shaking and trembling. "What is going on with him?" Her questions went unanswered colorless wisps like smoke criclred around Leroy. 'That can't be right! No way can he produce weapon intent or killing intent!'

The reason Victoria said nothing is because she understood the colorless wisps were that of weapon intent. But for Leroy to show it despite cultivating long meant he was either blessed or had a special body.

'Which weapon does he use?' Victoria couldn't help thinking she never really saw he used anything besides his fists. 'Maybe it just the beginning stages and he missed his chance by not having used them yet?'

Chu Xue was quiet because he was terrified. Inside him the Ice Overlord Trident was shaking wildly. Threatening to break free from his suppression as a better Weilder was nearby. Despite the better bloodline choice Chu Xue brought one who could use it better was good for growth.

"Grr!" Stubbornly and afraid what would happen if he lost it, Chu Xue suppressed the Trident with all his might. 'I can't lose the rarest thing I have!'

The figure who put pressure on Leroy from a distance found itself losing against a youngster. In a contest of wills it was losing against someone who was less than a 100 years olf many realms lower than it!

"Raaahhh!" With a forceful shout and pushing the Metal Seed, Leroy broke himself free. "Dammit!!!" He damn near burst a blood vessel getting free.

Chu Xue ran over to see if he was ok. Jasmine and Victoria did the same after the princess recovered enough.

"Go.. after.. him.." Leroy forced out the words desperately. His eyes glazed over with lighting as he fought for control of his body. "..perfect time to take 'em out!" He forced out the fear his body felt still. 'I am scared... no that can't be right!'

Cold sweat caused him to shake as he felt the lingering traces of doubt try to assert itself. This was different than being trapped in a hole as insurgents tried to kill you. Different than doing surgery as bombs dropped in a barely sheltered building.

This was an animalistic type of mental hold that told his primitive brain to run away! His mind knew whatever targeted him in that brief instance was stronger and deadlier than what he came across since the Deity encounter.

However, its delivery was something primitive and did not understand the stupidity or boldness of a modern-day person to go into danger for duty. Especially someone as petty as Leroy who likes to get back at people who screwed with him.

*Ping!* The Metal Seed was flushed with Core Qi as he used Fire-lighting body as well. The dual sensation reassured him he had protection and that was all he needed to push on. A single step forward as he fought back against the compulsion from afar.

"My Qi was disrupted.. go ahead!" Despite his words, he knew it was more of his nervous system that was out of wack. Or to be precise a type of Soul attack against him.

Chu Xue wanted to make sure Victoria was ok and to take the time to get himself under control before going on. A little blood on her arm and chest had him worried. Spotting the masked person that arrived with Leroy earlier coming back he held back all the same altogether.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

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Split off-

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"Senior sister Victoria, you stay here with Princess Jasmine and the Clear Tang family member!" Chu Xue said as he departed after they argued a bit. He caught sight of a different hooded figure moving in the woods not too far from the one that was shot away by Leroy. "I'm going to take a look around the place for something to help move the princess safely!"

"Those blasted eyes make it hard to hide features." Leroy said with a sigh. He shrugged looking at the two girls as Tang Bo walked over to him. They eyed the new comer closely and suspiciously. "Yeah, he's a member of the Clear Tang Family but keep quiet to make the situation more in our favor. You do not need to know who it is."

They nodded in agreeance. No reason to have fight once more about what to do.

The Qi spasms ended soon enough as his soul settled down. Leroy could feel traces of fear still lingering in his body, however, in an odd way it was starting to dissipate. The reaction time of his fingers and head were off a little as they trembled.

With the brief push of the Metal Seed earlier and Spatial Sense, he found a trace of someone else far out of his range. Like someone being a blip on a map but the direction is generally given but not pinpointed.

"Someone attacked me from that far away!" Slightly indignant in the difference in his strength and the attacker, Leroy had a lot to learn about cultivation still. "Cowardly bastards!" Trying to fix himself, he focused inward and stopped speaking. But a pattern was forming a little more with trial and error and at least his Willpower went up just then. 'Response between my mind and body has improved after some time. Off a little but makes sense since instinctual behavior is a bitch. I adapted to the Cold Qi now I am adapting to other Qi's. Definitely adapted to other Fire Qi already. Just need a nice quiet place to...

The others looked to the surroundings to see if anyone was around.

"Why is that?" Victoria interrupted his thoughts.

"To keep problems from arising for now." Leroy said defensively. "Who knows what happened while we were all separated? And considering your little sister and few loyal family members happen to be your weakness, any threat to her might cause you to betray us."

"Do not get into an argument you two!" Jasmine said quickly as felt this would be the case. She stood between them looking back and forth. She decided to change the subject quickly to make sure. "What do you think Chu Xue went to do really?"

"Most likely running into the person behind this or collaborators." Leroy said neutrally. "Despite saying he would search the area he went in a straight direction. I am sure they will have a decent enough "talk" about matters."

"I don't think he is involved with those doing this." Victoria stated unsure of herself. "I mean that would just put his Family in a bind if he did."

"Not if they offered gold or something that could keep the Noble Family away that preside over them in check." Leroy was only speculating but wouldn't put it pass the Assassin Guild to do something like this. The best way to mess up a country was to do something like to mess up the populace.'

"Shouldn't we go help then!?" Both said together.

Of course, Victoria and Jasmine had different reasons to go after them now.

"Go help on your own, I will not be joining you." Leroy rather meets up with the other students. Or find their corpses if that was the case. Anything to push himself higher in case whoever launched that Soul attack made another move in different conditions. Neither of the two left to go help after thinking it over however. "Be prepared for his possible emotional mood swing when he comes back in case he is tempted further. Odds are he will be swayed a little."

"Chu Xue is not like that!" Victoria said pensively. She received just a shrug in response. "Have faith in our Junior Brother!"

Jasmine and the still-masked Tang Bo said nothing. Aware of how easy it was to bribe people to do what they needed. Then there was the fact of what he said bothered Jasmine. Where did he get the gall to not treat her during such a time.

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Collaborator or Fool-

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Chu Xue didn't have to go far as he met up with a Mask figure. With his senses on full display, he detected at least four more hidden in the trees. Each of them is at least at the Qi Refining Realm Peak.

"Kuff!" Spitting up some blood after downing a pill to save his life, the mask figure that Leroy struck was more anrgy that he almost died to some weaker than himself. "That little bastard will pay for this!"

"Calm yourself." From the ground a young man no older than Chu Xue appeared. So brazen with his strength he showed his face and even dared to introduce himself. "I am Clow Reave, the Branch leader of the Assassination Guild in this area."

"I would greet you but your people have been killing my classmates and teachers." Chu Xue had his Qi ready to strike and run at a moment's notice of hostility. "Why are you people doing this?"

"Of course because we were paid. Nothing more nothing less." Clow gave a smile that unnerved Chu Xue. "Some may be doing this for other reasons but not myself. Something or another about a pretty little rebellious girl. I don't know really. Not part of the finer mission."

*Sching!* With a quick draw of the sword, Clow slashed at the prepared Chu Xue. Pulling out the Ice Overlord Trident he was able to block briefly before returning inside himself. With the carried moment, the boy ran for his life.

"Don't pursue him!" Clow ordered his comrades. "Not worth it at this time, but keep an idea on him for full recruitment later!" As the various hooded figures dispersed to continue their mission, their leader stared at his katana. "Antilife Qi and Cold Qi... but in disharmony. He told me this brat was worth recruiting, but I do not see anything worthwhile in him."

Disappointed, Clow thought about the order from the Region Leader a few moments ago. Pulling out the scroll once more, he circulated Qi to have the paper reveal the words once more.

~Do not confront the vice-principals student.~

Of course, he just had to see what was so special about the student. However, Clow Reave had attacked the wrong student. Thinking Chu Xue was the better as he was the younger one and a commoner that showed promise one of his subordinates mentioned.