"Heh. Since you know of this organization, you must have some understanding of it, right?"
Fang Xiu sneered. With a hard shove, the masked man tumbled across the ground, rolling to a stop in front of Jian Ying and the others.
"This is..."
When they got a clear look at the mask, Jian Ying, Fan Gang, and the others were all stunned.
Then they cried out involuntarily, "Mercury Mercury?"
Jian Ying looked at Fang Xiu in shock. "What element is he?"
"Water Element."
Fang Xiu replied impassively.
GULP.
Jian Ying and Fan Gang exchanged a look, both swallowing hard.
’A Level 43 Water Element Awakened from Dianxing Studio, and with that mask... there’s no doubt. It has to be Mercury Mercury.’
This wasn’t the masked man’s real name, but his codename in Dianxing Studio.
"Fang Xiu, how did you kill him?"
Fan Gang asked Fang Xiu timidly.
’This guy was a real powerhouse in Dianxing Studio.’
"I just killed him."
Fang Xiu said flatly.
He didn’t elaborate.
After all, with Kajimi here, saying too much would only make him look suspicious.
This was why Fang Xiu had immediately started questioning and provoking Jian Ying and the others the moment he arrived.
He wanted to make them too intimidated to ask too many questions, forcing them to find the answers themselves.
"Fang Xiu, let’s go talk about this over there."
Jian Ying said after a moment’s hesitation.
Fang Xiu gave a slight nod. They would be colleagues, after all. He was only doing this to get some information and find some answers.
He wasn’t trying to make enemies.
After all, when Chu Qingxue and the others arrived, Fang Xiu would be responsible for their safety.
If he didn’t have a thorough understanding of this so-called Dianxing Studio...
...he might have to tread on eggshells.
It could also put Chu Qingxue and the others in danger.
"Can I see who he is first?"
Jian Ying asked, looking at Fang Xiu.
"Mm."
Fang Xiu wasn’t particularly interested, so he just grunted in assent.
Jian Ying and Fan Gang exchanged a look.
Fan Gang reached out and removed the man’s mask.
HISS!
Everyone gasped when they saw the man’s face.
Fan Gang’s voice trembled. "Senior Si Qian!"
Fang Xiu frowned slightly at their reactions.
...
"So, what’s the full story?"
There were only a few of them in Jian Ying’s quarters.
Fang Xiu was the first to ask.
"His name was Si Qian. He was a senior from our school who led our group when we first came to the Demon Beast Battlefield. Then he suddenly went missing. We all thought he’d been killed by a Demon Beast... We never imagined he would end up joining Dianxing Studio."
Jian Ying explained, gathering her thoughts.
"He used to be an Awakened who hunted Demon Beasts on the front lines."
Fan Gang added, "I don’t know why he became Mercury Mercury of Dianxing Studio."
"And what’s this ’Mercury Mercury’?"
Fang Xiu had heard them mention the name several times already.
"People in Dianxing Studio don’t use their real names. They use stars as codenames."
Jian Ying explained.
Hearing this, Fang Xiu nodded. "You seem to know quite a bit about Dianxing Studio."
Jian Ying and the others didn’t know how to respond.
"Tell me about Dianxing Studio. What kind of organization is it, how strong are they, and how many other groups like them are on this Demon Beast Battlefield?"
Fang Xiu wanted to understand the whole picture.
Otherwise, he couldn’t relax and let the others come here.
"Principal Xiang was right, after all."
Jian Ying said suddenly.
"Principal Xiang knows these organizations exist? Looks like I’ll have to have a serious talk with him when I get out of here."
Fang Xiu heard that Xiang Babang knew about this.
He instantly became even more furious.
Hearing this, Jian Ying and the others shook their heads helplessly. ’Only Fang Xiu would dare say he’s going to confront Principal Xiang.’
Then, she said with a wry smile, "Yes, Principal Xiang knows. It was also his idea not to tell you."
"Oh? Ganging up on me?"
Fang Xiu shot back.
’Ganging up on you? We should be thankful you’re not ganging up on us.’
Of course, that was a thought Jian Ying and the others wouldn’t dare say out loud right now.
The Fang Xiu standing before them was someone who had killed a Level 43 powerhouse from Dianxing Studio.
If he wanted to, he could probably kill everyone in the room.
’This guy... his strength is just monstrous!’
"Fang Xiu, please listen. Principal Xiang believes you have enormous potential. He also knew that if you discovered these organizations, you would stop at nothing to protect the other students. That’s why he told us not to tell you just yet."
Jian Ying said with a sigh.
"So he was testing me?"
Fang Xiu shot back.
Jian Ying shook her head. "You’re only eighteen. You’ve just had your Awakening, and you’re still a student, yet you’re already an instructor. Some people here have toiled for three to five years and still don’t have that qualification."
"So, people weren’t happy about it?"
Even though Jian Ying hadn’t said it explicitly, Fang Xiu understood immediately.
’Someone held a grudge!’
’So, they needed me to root out an organization on my own. Preferably, to drag one of their members back here and shut everyone up.’
Jian Ying didn’t answer, merely giving a slight nod.
The answer was obvious.
Not everyone here could accept a Level 27 student who hadn’t even started college yet as their instructor.
So Fang Xiu needed to prove himself.
And dealing with these organizations was the perfect way for him to do it.
Whether it was to test Fang Xiu’s strength or to silence the resentful Awakened...
...it was the perfect opportunity.
"I see."
Fang Xiu nodded slightly. It was understandable.
He then looked at Jian Ying and the others. "Well, I’ve put on my show. You can tell me everything now, right?"
"Yes, of course."
Jian Ying said, "There are three organizations like Dianxing Studio on the Demon Beast Battlefield. Besides Dianxing Studio, there’s the Gen Mountain Society and Qing Hongyue."
"What kind of stupid names are those?"
Fang Xiu hadn’t expected there to be two more of them. He couldn’t help but ask, "How strong are they?"
"The names are just labels. Inside Dianxing Studio, members are named after stars, and their strength is evenly distributed with plenty of members in the mid and low tiers. The Gen Mountain Society is more of a mixed bag—lots of powerful members at the top and bottom, but not much in the middle."
Jian Ying explained, "Qing Hongyue is the most mysterious of them all. They aren’t hostile toward us, but they don’t cooperate either. They seem to be looking for something here on the Demon Beast Battlefield."
"It’s worth noting that all their leaders are above Level 80. Otherwise, we wouldn’t have spent all these years unable to wipe them out."
Jian Ying said helplessly, "We’re not the only ones with access to the Demon Beast Battlefield; there are other ways in. Plus, the Battlefield is so enormous that they can hide just about anywhere. They’re incredibly difficult to find!"
"I never would have thought..."
Fang Xiu lamented.
’To think that there are such powerful organizations on the Demon Beast Battlefield, with experts above Level 80 no less.’
"Sister Jian, Brother Fan, bad news! A large number of Level 40 Demon Beasts just appeared outside!"
Just as Fang Xiu was taking this all in, a figure rushed in.
Hearing the news, the expressions on Jian Ying and the others’ faces changed. They exchanged glances. "Let’s go take a look!"
"Right!"
Everyone quickly headed outside.
Jian Ying, walking at the rear, said to Fang Xiu, "I’ll fill you in on the rest later."
"Mm!"
Fang Xiu nodded, stood up, and followed them out.
Fang Xiu knew that even though he was annoyed that Jian Ying and the others had hidden things from him...
...at least these Awakened were genuinely hunting Demon Beasts and protecting humanity.
In other words, the fact that he was able to live to the age of eighteen, before his own Awakening, was partly thanks to them.
And now that he was one of them, he naturally wouldn’t stand by and do nothing.
Fang Xiu was capable of distinguishing between priorities, between public duty and private grievances.
As the group exited the room, they quickly arrived at the outskirts of the settlement.
The sky was already growing dim as evening approached.
And there, on the horizon where the sun had not yet fully set, Fang Xiu saw it.
A black, swarming tide of countless Demon Beasts was rushing toward them.
It was nothing short of a Beast Tide!

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