Chapter169: Interim Enforcers

Zen and Shibi walked home. The commoners were slowly returning back to the campus. He enjoyed this moment. The silence of the night, crickets singing, the hushed tones of students coming back. He wondered if he should go to the tiny hill where he had been sitting with Xue Shaonu a few hours earlier.

Then there was a light in the horizon. It was yellow and bright. He wondered what it was. His eyes widened when realised what it was.

“Fire!” he and Shibi said at the same time.

They ran towards the fire and Zen stopped. The temporary shelter that had been set up for the enforcers laid in flames. Some of the water elementalists poured water on the blaze in an attempt to kill it but it would be too late for the shelter.

And with this, Zen knew the commoners had struck back.

He found out the next morning that it was not just the shelter the enforcers were using during their stay at the academy that had burnt down but it was also one of the major barricks was also burnt down by the Black Cloth Gang.

A state of panic was declared in the city. A strict curfew that only applied to the commoners was also set. From what he heard from Deng Ai and Ao Li, the city was just as tense as the environment of the academy.

Everyone in the academy was made to stay in their rooms while investigations were being carried out. Zen, Shibi, Ai and Lo sat around the dorm. They were all doing tehri own tasks and doing the best to stay out of each others ways.

Zen woke from his Cracked Earth cultivation to look at his dorm mates. He looked at Deng Ai who was pouring of the scrolls on the floor.

“You really like reading, huh?”

Deng Ai looked up at him. “Yeah.”

“Its like you came to this academy to read.” Zen said jokingly.

Deng Ai frowned. “I did.”

Zen fell off his bed in surprise, bringing Shibi out of his meditation. Lo Ai laughed at that.

“You didn’t know?” Lo Ai said, running a comb though his hair while pouting in the mirror. “The knowledge in the academy library is the only reason Deng Ai spends any time getting stronger. If he was anoble, it would be easier but since commoners are rarely given access to that kind of information unless they are strong and have the right backers.”

“My dream is to assemble all of man’s knowledge about the history of the world from its creation with the Four Ancient Ones to now.”

“Your love of knowledge reminds me of my cousin Jao Cong.” Zen said.

“Jao Fuu?” Deng Ai said, his cheeks growing red.

“N-No, I said Jao… forget it.” Zen looked at Ao Li. “What about you? Why are you in the academy?”

“This is where all the hot girls are.”

“You seriously came to the academy only for hot girls?”

“Of course not.” He said. “Being in the one of the countries’top academy;s also makes mea hot guy.”

“Yeah, you should see the ladies back home,” he said with a smirk. “I could have any of them… but I don’t want any of them.”

“Real humble guy huh.” Zen rolled his eyes. “What about after? What do you want to do then?”

“Don’t realy know.” He shrugged. “Maybe I’ll get a government job or something. What about you, Wang Zen, what great goal are you pursuing in the academy?”

“To be honest, I don’t think the academy can help me with any of my goals.” Zen said, thinking of his brother Wang Han and his father’s quest to get vengeance. “I guess for now, I’m just here because it’s expected of me.”

There was shouting outside. The three boys exchanged worried looks. They opened the dorm room and saw two students duking it out in the hallways. Zen recognised that one of them was a noble. The noble used a ki move, covering his fist in a fiery ki that floated around his hand like a swirling white smoke that knocked the student out.

“Bloody commoner!” the noble born boy said with an excited look on his face. He looked up and saw the other commoners of the dorm come out and surround him. “Hey, get back all of you!” He said before pointing to the blue band around his arm. “I’ve been appointed by the academy and the city enforcers. This guy is a suspect in the burning of the enforcer barricks!”

“No fighting in the dorm hallways!” someone shouted the well known rule.

“Don’t you idiots listen?” the noble boy said. “Or has that commoner dirt plugged your ears?”

“No fighting in the hallways!” another said.

Then there was a chorus of shouting. The boy began looking scared, his activating his ki technique again but it dd not serve him as the mob descended upon him!

The students identified in attacking the noble boy were immediately suspended. Apparently, his claim was real. The academy had turned some of the students into interim enforcers, charged with help bringing in any of the students were suspected of having a hand in the Commoner’s Rebellion or the Black Cloth Gang attacks. Even worse, they had found a way to distabalize the commoner community in the school by also recruiting commoner students.

Things became very tense as no one knew who to trust. Some battles broke out and those who resisted were suspended and taken into Enforcer responsibility. Those who came willingly were set up somewhere on campus where the kept all their suspects.

Zen was walking to a class when he saw a group of students. They spoke amongst themselves. Zen squinted at the group as he saw a familiar face. He was very distinctive with his light skinned tone and long shiny black hair. Chen Jian looked at him, his blue eyes boring into his hazel ones. His eyes widened in shock and Chen Jian gave him a knowing smirk.

Chen Jian had a blue band around his arm.