Hu an was absent minded after leaving Bai li yue. She had only just stepped into her courtyard when an explosion rocked the ground beneath the sect. 

Boom!

Several people screamed in the distance. 

"Is the sect under attack? That's impossible! Who is crazy enough to do that?"

She turned to go outside when her gut told her to stop. Hu an trusted her gut more than her mind. It had saved her more times than she could count. The only time it had failed her was the first time she'd met Bai li yue, but that didn't mean that her gut wasn't trustworthy. Outside, students were watching the sky. Their eyes mirrored excitement and confusion and fear when the sect experienced another explosion. They could already see plumes of smoke signaling that something had caught fire. 

For most of the students, life in the sect was a very peaceful one. Most of them originated from wealthy families and clans. They were used to living under the protection of the sect. This wasn't part of what they signed up for when they joined the sect. The sudden explosions assaulted their fragile pampered minds and sent them reeling with agitation. Their immediate response was to vacate the zone of conflict. They headed for the exit. The more talented among them were more steadfast. They avoided the panicked crowds and returned to their courtyards where it would be presumably safer to be.

Those who were running for the exit were met with a thick iron plate. A fog barrier manifested out of thin air in the sky above them. It blotted out the sun and enclosed them under a dome. The two sects were now separated from the outside world. 

Hu an watched as a group of elders whizzed by on their way to check one the site of the explosions. Some curious students around went to spectate, but were stopped halfway by elders-in-training posted around. A new group of elders landed near the small crater a few minutes later. They went to work identifying the source of the explosion for their report only to get alarmed when they heard another explosion. 

Boom!

Grand elder Mo, head of the discipline hall frowned when he heard another explosion coming from the east. 

"Send a group to seal off the new site!"

"What is the report from the first site?"

"We've heard nothing so far." 

His second-in-command, elder Tao, replied.

"Elder Pan is with them. We'll know what's going on soon."

"We better do or i'll have your hide. I leave you in charge for a second and this happens."

Grand elder Mo pointed out in dissatisfaction. Elder Tao didn't see how the situation was in any way connected to him. He'd done everything perfectly. Perfectly!

"Has the perpetrator been found or identified yet?" 

Grand elder Mo asked. When he didn't receive a quick response he scowled at elder Tao.

"Do i have to tell you how to do your job?"

"Elder Mo, I have sent men to search, but- but-"

"But what?"

"Where do we even begin? The sect has too many enemies."

"You're a miserable failure, Tao yang. Once this matter comes to a close, i will definitely review your promotion. Now get out of my sight!"

Grand elder Mo released his aura and sent elder Tao tumbling out of the room. The ceremony was supposed to take place in the morning. Whoever it was had specifically targeted them on the eve of such a momentous occasion. Why was that? They could just as easily have interrupted the ceremony while it was in progress but they chose to act a day early. Why? They didn't want the ceremony to take place in the first place. Why? Who were the attackers? What was their motive for impeding the sword river sect? Who? Who? Who?

Grand elder Mo frowned until his veins almost popped. 

Boom! Boom!

The same thing was happening in the Sword mountain sect. The explosion was timed at the same time in both places so none of them had a chance to take immediate measures or help the other. 

Boom!

The grand elder of the punishment hall, elder Ao was also going through a similar conundrum. Who was the person or people behind the attack on the sword mountain sect? Who had they offended recently or in the past? Who or what power had the power to make a move against them without making any ripples? Who? Just who was it?

Probably among all the people faced with the riddle, the only one who came close to answering it was Hu an in her courtyard. She watched the events unfolding from the safety of her courtyard.

"She is truly terrifying when she acts."

Boom!

The situation had now taken a turn for the worse. The elders in the vicinity of the explosions were trapped behind similar light barriers all over the sect. In the beginning, they'd believed it to be a response by the sect. Isolating the areas of explosion from the entrance seemed like a thing the sect would do. They hadn't paid much attention to it; that is, until they tried to leave. They were met with another iron plate. To make things worse, none of their devices could send messages outside the barrier. They were stuck in a bubble.

Elder Pan, who had followed the first team of elders sighed half in admiration and frustration after the twentieth attempt to break the barrier ended in another failure.

"I hope grand elder Mo notices the problem soon, or the whole sect will be like a sitting duck."

"What does that mean?"

"How many explosions have there been so far?"

Elder Pan asked.

"Five, i think."

"Eight. I heard eight."

Another said. Elder Pan shook his head.

"There have been seventeen explosions so far."

"Seventeen? That's not possible! I counted."

"En. That's because you were counting with your ears. If you use vibrations from the explosions instead, you'll know i'm right. Even as we speak, the sword mountain sect is also experiencing the same thing we are. Both of us are under attack."

"Elder Pan! Do you mean that help won't be coming soon?"

"What do you think? If your beard is on fire, will you have time to think about your neighbour?"

"What about the old monsters around the sect? Will they make a move?"

"Who's to say? However, don't get your hopes up? They only act when the sect is facing imminent destruction."

"What? Elder Pan, are you saying we are stuck here?"

"We are just stuck here. At least we are in no danger for now. If anything, we might be the lucky ones since the purpose of the barrier is to keep us here. It's those outside who are in danger, in my opinion. 

"So we shouldn't try to get out?"

Upon hearing the question, the scholarly looking Elder Pan's aura changed. The elder got nervous. He'd forgotten who elder Pan was.

"Elder Pan, punish me!"

"Your colleagues are out there fighting for their lives and you are thinking selfish thoughts. You will report to the hole for a two year punishment. Understood?"

The elder trembled. He knew any sign of resistance would aggravate elder Pan.

"Thank you, elder Pan."

"Good! Lead the rest. We need to break out as soon as possible so we can assist those outside."

"Yes, elder Pan."

Grand elder Mo was growing more disheartened with each passing minute. The hall of discipline was surrounded by a light barrier. They'd tried calling for help but other buildings were unresponsive. Their communication devices were no longer working and the men who'd tried breaking the barrier had been seriously hurt by the rebounding force. Nobody was willing to brave it when they didn't know what was going on. From the window, he could see that the sword tower, the cultivation tower and hall of elders were also enclosed with a light shield. There were numerous people trapped in those locations too. 

Just who was the mastermind behind this attack? And what did they hope to achieve? 

Although most of the sect had come to a stand still, the situation was not completely out of hand. The elders who hadn't been caught in the barriers quickly addressed the situation to the best of their ability. They ordered all students wandering around the sect to return to their courtyards where it was safer. They instituted a state of emergency and sent out groups of elders-in-training to canvass and report back with any findings. As of that moment, the sect was on high alert. Any student found violating the curfew would be arrested and dealt with as a possible suspect.

Under the cloak, Bai li yue left the Dawn court with her sword in her hand, a splatter of blood on her sleeve was the only clue of what had happened inside. She slipped past a group of elders sending students back into the safety of their courtyards.

She smiled as she headed toward the Sword mountain sect. It was time for the first reckoning. 

Feng jia lin!

A stranger who wanted her dead for something that was no fault of hers.

Hu qi! 

A foolish idiot who had crossed her. 

Tang Meixiu! 

The friend who had turned traitor. Had she ever been a friend?

And finally Shen duyi. 

She was going to save him for last.