Qin Ye stood at the least crowded area at the academy gates. The early morning breeze gently tousled his fringe, and he drew several deep breaths to calm his heart down.

This was the calm before the storm. He could already feel the undercurrents stirring beneath the surface, yet it was apparent that every party involved was doing their best to maintain tranquil appearances.

“Why do I feel so uneasy about everything? What else could they possibly bring to the battle at the memorial hall?”

Qin Ye didn’t think that they would still throw themselves into the fray with wanton disregard to their own lives despite knowing that their formation arrays have all been shattered. By his judgment, they would at best toe the line and test the waters, and leave as soon as they realized it was impossible.

But he still had his reservations.

Based on intuition.

The hidden gazes were causing his hair to stand on end. He could even sense a trace of desperation emanating from these hidden entities.

“This is because you don’t understand these underworld emissaries at all.” The paper crane that Arthis had transformed into silently landed on his shoulder and whispered into his ears, “Someone like you would never be able to understand these things… You would never understand the earnest longing and sense of duty and belonging that an emissary feels after having lived in their underworld for hundreds of years.”

“They would never back...