Chapter 314: Academy Faction

Luo Jinyou, cradling a fairly large cardboard box, walked out of the logistics office; inside the box were five neatly stacked brand‑new Mitra Academy standard uniforms, complete from jackets and shirts to trousers.

The box was somewhat heavy, but Luo Jinyou held it steadily.

He not only obtained the school uniform smoothly, but also asked the logistics teacher for the general location of Chen Mo Zhi's dormitory.

Carrying the box toward the dormitory building, Luo Jinyou's thoughts involuntarily drifted back to that odd girl just now.

He still could not figure it out.

Mitra Academy harbors hidden talents, and there are many who possess various strange Aberrant Arts or come from unusual backgrounds.

That girl… if she isn't mentally unstable, could she also be one of them?

If that's the case, what exactly does she despise? Him? Or the Mutation inside him that even Professor Luo De'an treats as a taboo?

Before Luo Jinyou could think it through, a peripheral glimpse made his steps halt, and he instinctively held his breath.

About twenty meters ahead, several adult men who starkly clashed with the Academy's atmosphere were skulking beneath a large tree, whispering to each other.

What tightened Luo Jinyou's chest most was that one of them had several long strands of golden hair hanging from his shoulder; on closer look, he was carrying a blonde girl dressed in a Mitra Academy female uniform.

The girl's eyes were tightly shut, clearly unconscious.

Luo Jinyou's heartbeat skipped a beat.

In broad daylight, someone actually dared to break into Mitra Academy to kidnap and sell people?!

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A few minutes earlier—

Yu Cai walked alone along the school wall at a leisurely pace, wearing the Academy's newly issued uniform, her golden hair tied into a sleek high ponytail, and holding a clipboard.

As a member of the Disciplinary Committee, regularly inspecting the wall's Rune integrity is one of her duties; this task is usually rotated among the Committee's students, both to hone practical skills and to earn extra credits.

For a student like Yu Cai, who comes from an ordinary background yet entered Mitra Academy through her own effort, actively taking part in such work is an important way to gain experience and expand contacts.

Yu Cai walked while carefully examining the intricate Rune circuits on the stone wall.

When she reached a corner of the wall half‑concealed by dense vines, the Detection Device she carried emitted a buzz; Yu Cai halted, brushed aside the overgrown vines, and revealed the gray‑white stone beneath.

The Rune circuit here showed a conspicuous unnatural break, as if something had violently interfered from outside.

More crucially, at the junction where the wall meets the ground, there was a gap barely wide enough for a single person to squeeze through.

"Another restless one…" Yu Cai frowned, muttering softly.

Although the Academy enforces strict rules, it cannot curb the myriad abilities of the students and their yearning for 'freedom'; someone always finds a way to slip out.

This gap was clearly newly made, and the technique was quite professional—likely the work of a repeat offender.

Just as she rose, a corner of her eye caught several figures hiding behind the trees, concealed rather hastily, with one person's shoes showing most of their leather soles.

They were not students.

Yu Cai's heart sank sharply, "Who are they?!"

She immediately shouted the question, while calmly stepping back half a pace and discreetly pressing the alarm on her waist.

The few men clearly hadn't expected to be spotted here, and all were startled.

When they realized the person before them was a lone female student, the stern‑faced middle‑aged man leading them flashed a hint of sharpness in his eyes, but quickly suppressed it.

He stepped forward, trying to make his expression seem more gentle, and lowered his voice.

"Classmate, we're here looking for someone."

"Looking for someone? Who?" Yu Cai wasn't easily convinced; she stayed alert, her gaze scanning the men.

"If you entered through official channels, you should have a temporary Academy permit on hand, right?"

Of course they couldn't have such documents; upon hearing that, they merely exchanged a glance.

"Classmate, let's be frank with you; we're from the Zhao Family, and we're here only to bring back our family's young lady…"

The leading middle‑aged man rubbed his hands, pulling out that same story they'd rehearsed countless times.

Yu Cai's brow furrowed deeper at his words; Meng Kexin was indeed a notorious figure at Mitra Academy, though certainly not for a good reputation.

She'd heard at least three versions of the stories about how Meng Kexin got involved with Chen Mo Zhi, and how the Zhao Family suppressed the family that raised her.

"I can understand why you're doing this; after all, Meng Kexin hides inside the Academy and never leaves, and you just want some explanation…"

When Yu Cai said that, the leading middle‑aged man instantly relaxed a bit.

These fresh‑off‑the‑boat brats are easy to fool; they take everything at face value, have an inexplicable sense of justice, and will believe any story you spin.

"However," Yu Cai suddenly shifted tone, "regardless of who you're looking for, illegally breaching the Academy wall and sneaking in violates school rules and is unlawful; you must come with me now to report the situation, and if you want an explanation, the teachers can contact Meng Kexin themselves."

Her thinking was very 'Academy‑style' and naïve, believing all conflicts could be resolved through rules and teachers' mediation.

She didn't know the extreme measures the Zhao Family might take against Meng Kexin, nor the deeper entanglements between them.

"See a teacher?"

Upon hearing Yu Cai say she would take them to Mitra Academy, the men's faces darkened instantly, and they exchanged glances, a hint of murderous intent flashing in their eyes.

Their orders were to infiltrate covertly, locate the target and extract them, without alerting the Academy officials.

"Classmate, just pretend you didn't see anything; it's better for everyone," the leading man's voice grew cold as he stepped forward, trying to apply pressure.

Yu Cai sensed the danger and was about to press the alarm, but the opponent moved even faster.

The nearest slender tall man darted to her side, a precise hand‑slash striking the side of her neck.

Yu Cai felt only a sharp pain at the side of her neck, her vision darkening; she lacked the strength to press the alarm and collapsed limply, losing consciousness.

The leading man, quick‑eyed and swift, caught her, scooped up the fallen alarm, and confirmed it hadn't been triggered.

"What bad luck!" the slender tall man spat, "Who could have thought an accident would occur the moment they entered Mitra Academy?"