That’s right—when Zhou Mu arrived at the auditorium for the orientation training, he realized that nearly all the other participants were elementary school students, with a handful of middle schoolers. Standing among them, he was ridiculously conspicuous. And to top it off, these little kids were pointing at him and whispering.
“I’m twenty. I took the entrance exam from another region,” Zhou Mu explained weakly to one of the elementary schoolers.
The kid’s eyes darted around as he sized Zhou Mu up. After a few seconds, he asked, “Then do you want to join me?”
The question came out of nowhere, leaving Zhou Mu a bit confused. “Join you for what? Aren’t we all here for the same training?”
“Attention, students!”
At that moment, the senior ghost cultivator in charge of the training floated up onto the stage and grabbed a microphone.
The little demon students below didn’t quiet down immediately. Instead, they looked up at him excitedly, some even trying to tug at the mic cord. Zhou Mu stood in the middle, feeling so out of place that he was almost embarrassed for himself.
“Settle down now. If you misbehave, you’ll have to stand in timeout,” the ghost cultivator instructed. “Now, everyone, form teams of five. Line up properly as we move forward, and don’t get separated!”
“Quick, let’s team up! Hold hands with your teammates so you don’t get lost!”
The elementary schooler quickly grabbed Zhou Mu’s hand. “Hurry, you’re on my team now!”
Zhou Mu: “…”
So that’s what he meant…
Clearly, this kid had done his homework in advance. He wasted no time in securing his group, swiftly pulling in three other students.
Using the excuse that their team had an ‘older student,’ he made it difficult for the others to refuse.
As the first team to form, the kid then declared loudly, “I’ll be the team leader. Anyone got a problem with that?”
None of the other kids objected.
Zhou Mu: “…Fine.”
He didn’t really mind. This kid seemed to have a knack for organizing things—even though, as far as Zhou Mu remembered, no one had mentioned the need for a leader.
Once all the teams were formed, the ghost cultivator went around checking and making adjustments.
Zhou Mu stood behind the self-proclaimed team leader, who, despite his young age, was quite diligent. Every so often, he’d straighten the formation and even turned to Zhou Mu, saying, “I’ll make you the vice leader. You’ll assist me. Let’s add each other on WeChat.”
“Alright.” Zhou Mu had already given up on questioning the legitimacy of his new role. What else could he do? He was already in this little team. When he glanced over, he saw that the kid was using a smartwatch to add him.
The team leader’s WeChat name was simply: Tian Qi.
Just then, the ghost cultivator in charge of training floated over and noticed Zhou Mu. He grinned and gave a playful wink—but miscalculated, and his eyeball nearly fell out. Flustered, he hurried to shove it back in before nonchalantly saying, “Hey, junior, remember me?”
Zhou Mu didn’t know many people at Hualing, but he recognized this one immediately. It was the same ghost cultivator from the student council who had helped distribute textbooks.
Zhou Mu recalled his name. “Ah… Senior Xu, yeah, I remember.”
Xu Tianyi gave him a once-over, then chuckled. “Wow, you’re still in one piece, huh?”
It had been a few days since Zhou Mu moved in with You Qi. Yet here he was—looking perfectly fine, even glowing with health. Not a single sign of mental breakdown or exhaustion. He must have a strong will to survive.
“Of course, I’m fine. Senior, you’re biased against You Qi,” Zhou Mu replied. After all, You Qi didn’t seem like someone tormented by the six desires. If anything, he had zero appetite—he had barely reacted to the scent of Zhou Mu’s slow-cooked ribs!
“Hahahahaha! Hilarious!” Xu Tianyi burst into laughter. He wanted to chat more with this amusing little junior, but he had responsibilities to attend to. For now, he let it slide.
Xu Tianyi floated ahead. “Alright, kids, follow me!”
He led the newcomers on a school tour, introducing various landmarks while also giving a brief history lesson. “Don’t be fooled by the fact that our school’s founder was a disciple of Erlang Shen. Though he was highly respected, his beginnings were quite humble. Our founder was originally a half-human, half-demon hybrid—something heavily discriminated against back then. His mother was an ordinary human, and he grew up in a human village, enduring constant ridicule from both his relatives and the villagers. For years, he was rejected by countless mentors…”
A little student raised their hand. “Teacher, then how did the founder end up clinging to Erlang Shen’s thigh?”
Xu Tianyi grinned. “Oh, that’s a long story, and it starts with the person who bullied him the most—his own uncle…”
Zhou Mu: “…”
Well, that was new information.
“Alright, watch your step! There’s a hole in the ground here—walk around it,” Xu Tianyi casually reminded them. He was already used to all the random pitfalls around Hualing. After all, they didn’t affect him.
He nonchalantly added:
“These holes will be filled by the school’s maintenance crew at the end of the month. But do be careful—because new ones will appear next month. If the maintenance workers slack off, you can file a complaint on the school’s website to speed things up. Also, be extra cautious on Jinjiang Road. That area has way more pits.”
Zhou Mu: What has my senior been through on Jinjiang Road?
“…Up ahead is the school clock tower. It only chimes at noon or in case of emergencies.”
“…This is the library. We have an extensive collection of books, but the librarian is quite strict. They are an ancient book spirit who has cultivated wisdom over the ages, so please treat all books with respect—otherwise, you might get blacklisted.”
Finally, Xu Tianyi led them to a towering twenty-story building with a sleek, futuristic design. The exterior walls had a deliberate mix of dark and light tones, mimicking sunlight filtering through tree leaves.
Xu Tianyi introduced, “This is one of the experimental buildings of our Beast Academy, called Chuanfang Tower. Among the many teaching and research buildings, this is one you must be especially careful around. Why? Because inside lives the Howling Celestial Dog…”
The students collectively held their breath.
Xu Tianyi dragged out the suspense before finally finishing: “…descendants.”
He squinted and looked around but couldn’t spot the descendant of Howling Celestial Dog. Feeling a bit deflated, he muttered, “I don’t have the authority to command Little Howl to come out. This is a divine beast raised by the academy, and it’s been here longer than any of us. Everyone on campus calls it ‘Senior.’
“Senior Little Howl has the most sensitive sense of smell in all of heaven and earth. It’s still young and quite playful, so make sure you’re not carrying any contraband. Otherwise, don’t say I didn’t warn you. School regulations are clear—if you get injured or worse because of the celestial dog, the academy isn’t responsible.”
This successfully intimidated the elementary schoolers. Who hadn’t heard stories about the legendary Howling Celestial Dog? They nodded cautiously, looking nervous.
Xu Tianyi thought to himself that freshmen were still easy to scare. Unlike the seasoned students, who deliberately threw frisbees in front of Senior Little Howl just to mess around…
“Senior, what do they do inside?” a student pointed at a section of the Chuanfang Tower and asked.
“That’s where our outstanding upperclassmen conduct their experiments. What you see are their hardworking research bod—” Xu Tianyi’s explanation trailed off as he looked up at the indicated window.
Behind the glass, two figures were locked in a heated fight. One person was running with something on his shoulder, while the other swung a weapon at him—
“Boom!”
The entire window shattered.
With the glass gone, the figures inside became even clearer.
Xu Tianyi hesitated. “…It’s, uh, probably just a disagreement over research.”
Zhou Mu quickly pieced things together—so the mismatched colors on the building’s walls weren’t a design choice, but the result of years of patchwork repairs with different materials!
But the next moment, he got a clear look at the people inside and immediately waved excitedly. “Roommate~”
One of the people fighting up there was unmistakably You Qi.
And the other…
That person turned around. It was Chun Shijiu.
Zhou Mu slowly lowered his hand.
Chun Shijiu wiped the corner of his mouth and chuckled. “No way. You’re willing to help little monster use my cauldron for refining—cough, cooking scorched rice, but I can’t borrow it?”
“You call that borrowing?” You Qi shot back. “You stole it while I wasn’t around.”
“Of course, I had to wait until you weren’t around. Otherwise, you’d beat me up.” Chun Shijiu twisted logic shamelessly. “Just like you are now.”
You Qi didn’t waste time arguing. With a wave of his hand, the wind surged through the broken window, snatching the cauldron from Chun Shijiu’s arms.
“Woof! Woof! Woof!!”
A loud barking sound rang out as a figure appeared at the laboratory door.
Meanwhile, the students below were whispering among themselves.
Wasn’t that Senior Little Howl’s bark?
Zhou Mu, like everyone else, turned to watch where the sound was coming from.
The descendant of the Howling Celestial Dog—what a divine creature! He had never seen it before.
Hua Ling Academy was full of treasures!
The barking grew closer. Suddenly, a white, long-legged sighthound appeared on the third floor, drawing cheers from the students below as they called out, “Hello, Senior!”
You Qi and Chun Shijiu assumed Little Howl had rushed over because someone was destroying the lab. After all, the entire window and part of the wall had just collapsed—it had been a loud crash.
But unexpectedly, Little Howl’s nose twitched, then it let out a rapid series of barks and leaped straight from the third floor to the ground in a single bound. Without stopping, it charged directly at the freshmen!
Divine beast indeed! Though still young, its muscles rippled beneath its satin-smooth fur. With its long legs and slender waist, it moved like the wind and, in an instant, reached the crowd.
Xu Tianyi panicked. “Why is Senior out here?!”
He raised his hand, signaling everyone to back up.
But the little demons weren’t nearly fast enough. Little Howl had already chosen its target—it leaped at Zhou Mu and tackled him to the ground!
The elementary schoolers screamed in terror.
Xu Tianyi opened his mouth, about to shout for Little Howl to stop.
“Vice Leader!!!”
Tian Qi burst into tears, his wail so tragic that Xu Tianyi nearly choked on his own words.
Seeing his second-in-command being knocked down, Tian Qi bravely stretched out his tiny hand, urging Zhou Mu to grab on and stand up.
“…Uh, Senior, please have mercy!” Xu Tianyi hurriedly asked, “Zhou Mu, do you have any contraband on you?”
Zhou Mu shook his head innocently. Of course, he couldn’t grab the leader’s hand—he tried to roll over and get up by himself.
Little Howl sniffed him a few times, then clamped down on his pocket, tearing it apart along with a hidden concealment talisman—
In an instant, an enticing aroma spread through the air.
It wasn’t contraband. It was Zhou Mu himself.
…So fragrant!
Xu Tianyi had originally been thinking about contacting the disciplinary office for an inspection. But now, his brain buzzed, and half of his rationality vanished.
What a delicious scent—so tempting. His mouth watered uncontrollably as he locked his gaze on Zhou Mu.
Not only Xu Tianyi, but the other little demons and even the students inside the experimental building stuck their heads out, itching to get closer. The commotion upstairs had already drawn a crowd, and as soon as they caught wind of the situation, their attention shifted. Though they were further away and could only faintly catch the scent, they all had the same thought—getting closer.
But Zhou Mu was in the worst situation. After Little Howl tore through the concealment talisman, it became visibly more agitated. First, it bared its teeth and let out a low growl, warning off any would-be challengers for its prey. Then, it suddenly lunged and sank its teeth into Zhou Mu’s ankle just as he tried to escape!
Blood gushed out instantly, seeping through his pant leg and dripping from the corners of Little Howl’s mouth.
Xu Tianyi gasped in shock. He instinctively shut his eyes and forcefully shoved Little Howl away.
To his surprise, the divine beast seemed completely unguarded against his sudden action. He actually managed to fling it three meters away, where it landed with a whimper.
Huh? Did my strength increase?
Xu Tianyi was momentarily baffled, but there was no time to dwell on it. He immediately reached out to Zhou Mu. “Are you okay?”
Xu Tianyi had seen Zhou Mu’s records, but his clearance level wasn’t high enough to see details beyond the fact that he was an out-of-region transfer. It didn’t specify his race…
Damn, Zhou Mu definitely wasn’t human. What exactly was he to smell this delicious?!
Xu Tianyi’s words remained rational, but as he got closer to Zhou Mu, faint black ghostly energy began to rise around his face. Even his outstretched hand, trembling slightly, was a sign of the struggle to maintain control.
Everything happened in the blink of an eye.
With a loud bang, another student leaped down from the experimental building, charging straight toward them.
From that person to Xu Tianyi, whether near or far, still or moving, countless pairs of eyes were locked onto Zhou Mu—
“Hey, that’s mine!” From above, Chun Shijiu used one hand to push off the window frame and flipped down. He landed directly on the charging student’s back, grabbed them by the neck, and slammed them into the ground with a heavy thud!
The student instantly lost the ability to move.
Chun Shijiu flung the person aside but immediately sensed a figure rushing past him, his expression darkening.
It was You Qi.
His speed was terrifyingly fast, but what shook everyone even more was the sudden eruption of another scent—one that triggered an instinctive response in everyone present.
Little Howl, still lying on the ground, whimpered and crawled further away. Xu Tianyi snapped out of his trance as if waking from a deep dream.
It was the aura of a primordial beast—leaking from You Qi.
This was the bloodline of an ancient predator, a remnant from the primordial era that had survived countless tribulations without perishing. The sheer presence of such a top-tier hunter ignited a bone-deep fear. In an instant, even the sounds of cicadas and insects fell silent.
Tian Qi let out a frightened hiccup.
Hic—
His whole body twitched.
By then, You Qi had already reached three meters in front of them.
His deep, heavy gaze locked onto Zhou Mu as he raised his hand—
Zhou Mu only felt a powerful force lifting him from Xu Tianyi’s side. Looking down, he saw nothing—no hands, no visible force—only the wind. An unnamed gust wrapped around him, sending his robes fluttering. In the blink of an eye, he was delivered directly into You Qi’s arms, where his waist was firmly caught.
You Qi stared at Zhou Mu, his expression completely different from before. His gaze was colder, carrying an almost bestial hunger.
He wanted—desperately—to devour every last bit of this scent. Even…
You Qi’s long fingers pressed against the muzzle covering his mouth, as if about to rip it off—to better take in that intoxicating scent.
The cinnabar runes on the leather straps flared to life. With a muffled grunt, You Qi’s expression didn’t show pain but instead became even more crazed. Despite the suppression of the talismans, he stubbornly inched closer to Zhou Mu, step by step!
Zhou Mu, who was also smelling You Qi’s scent for the first time, widened his eyes in shock. The pain from his wounded leg, combined with fear, made him tremble all over as he stammered, “You Qi…”
At the sound of his voice, You Qi immediately lowered his gaze! His breath came heavy and uneven, the runes on his muzzle flickering erratically.
Zhou Mu forced himself to suppress his trembling and whispered, “The school rules… don’t allow eating classmates.”
Xu Tianyi’s legs nearly gave out. Oh my god, what’s the point of saying that right now?!
But no one could blame Zhou Mu… Under the overwhelming pressure of You Qi’s aura, no one could move, let alone escape. Running or speaking—it was all equally futile.
Sure enough, You Qi suddenly lowered his head—
Zhou Mu could feel it. A beast was right in front of him, separated by mere centimeters. The muzzle between them strained against the tension, barely keeping its shape. Each breath carried the heat of danger, close enough to consume him.
Then, a hand grabbed his wrist and stuffed something into his palm.
This is…?
Before Zhou Mu could react, something cold and metallic pressed against him. The last bit of distance vanished as You Qi leaned in, his tall frame pressing close. His head dipped, almost resting against Zhou Mu, as if savoring the heartbeat beneath his fingers, the faint shivers of his body.
The cool touch of metal brushed Zhou Mu’s cheek and slightly parted lips. Behind that, barely touching yet radiating warmth, was You Qi himself. So close—so close, as if tasting the last traces of that irresistible scent before it could fade away.
![Dissatisfied [e-sports]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/4997572.jpg "Dissatisfied [e-sports]")