Zhou Mu kindly went to the edge of the pit to check on Gui Youqi and even had You Qi use wind control to lift him up. With a pampering tone, he said, “Guigui, you’re still injured. You should find a classmate to help you back.”
Gui Youqi, full of resentment, muttered, “Who’s Guigui… I… I… I am.”
Under You Qi’s gaze, his voice gradually weakened.
You Qi’s reputation wasn’t built solely on his fierce beast bloodline. A student in the ‘Immortal Herb Cultivation and Pharmatology’ program—just seeing the tiger eagle Zhou Mu ate was enough to know how terrifying he was in battle.
Gui Youqi had no choice but to extend a tentacle far out and randomly grab a passing classmate who had been circling three times just to sneak peeks at Zhou Mu. “Hey, help me back!”
That classmate had a look of pure misfortune, caught up in a classic case of big fish eating little fish, little fish eating shrimp.
Zhou Mu nodded in satisfaction. Then, hearing You Qi’s WeChat notification, he peeked over and saw that it was a message from You Qi’s mentor. The mentor’s WeChat name was ‘Daohong Pavilion’s Guest’ asking You Qi to come to the lab.
Zhou Mu’s mind flashed—this name sounded a bit familiar. He grabbed You Qi’s arm. “I’m coming too, I’m coming too!”
……
For the second time, they arrived at Chuanfang Tower. Zhou Mu noticed that the big hole You Qi had smashed into the wall last time had already been patched up.
At You Qi’s mentor’s lab, they could see from the doorway that there was only one middle-aged man inside, dressed in a dress shirt and slacks, sleeves rolled up, with a small ponytail tied at the back of his head. He was fiddling with the guardian grass You Qi had cultivated.
Previously, the mentor had mentioned to You Qi that he found the guardian grass’s vocabulary surprisingly extensive… and vulgar. So, he had taken it for further observation.
The guardian grass was twisting and turning impatiently to evade his touch. The moment it saw them, it immediately urged, “They’re here! Stop touching me, he’s here!”
“Teacher,” You Qi greeted.
You Qi’s mentor turned around, about to speak, but when he saw that You Qi had brought someone along, he looked at Zhou Mu with curiosity.
Zhou Mu obediently took the initiative to greet him, “Hello, teacher. Sorry to intrude. I’m You Qi’s roommate, Zhou Mu.”
The mentor had somewhat heard of the recent commotion and let out a long “Ohhh.”
After a couple of seconds, he realized his reaction was a bit slow and refined his response. “I am Daoist Cao Xueqin. You can just call me Teacher Cao.”
Cao!! Xueqin!!!
Zhou Mu lunged forward, grabbing the mentor’s shoulders and shaking him. “Where are the last forty chapters?! Where?!?!”
Maybe because he researched immortal herbs, Teacher Cao was rather delicate. Flustered, he weakly tried to fend off Zhou Mu, making him seem even more pitiful than the much smaller student. The roles were completely reversed.
It was You Qi who finally stepped in, plucking the wildly flailing Zhou Mu off his mentor.
Zhou Mu wailed, “Let me go! Let me go!!”
You Qi: “……”
Teacher Cao straightened his clothes and cautiously took a defensive stance. “Misunderstanding, misunderstanding! My original name was Cao Dagen, but I found it inelegant, so I borrowed the literary aura of Master Cao—You’re asking me for the last forty chapters? I want to know where they are too!”
What? So he wasn’t the real deal?!
Zhou Mu was utterly disappointed. Because of Teacher Luo’s example, he thought this one might be the real author too. But no—it was just a high-level imitation.
He had lost his composure.
Still, he was a little unwilling to let go, so he asked, “…Then why is your WeChat name ‘Daohong Pavilion’s Guest’?”
He had just recalled that Daohong Pavilion was the name of Cao Xueqin’s studio! Why would he not only borrow the man’s name but even his alias?
Teacher Cao looked puzzled. “I named myself ‘Daohong Pavilion’s Guest,’ not ‘Daohong Pavilion’s Master.’”
Zhou Mu: “……”
Teacher Cao gestured. “I really did visit Daohong Pavilion and stayed at Cao Xueqin’s former residence for a month.”
Zhou Mu felt numb. “…I’m sorry, Teacher. That was a misunderstanding.”
Suddenly, he realized he was still being held. He turned to glance at You Qi, who was watching him with an amused look.
Zhou Mu felt embarrassed, but times had changed. Instead of trying to escape, he casually reached out and lifted the neat folds of You Qi’s school robe over his face, playing dead.
“Teacher, why did you call me here?” You Qi finally turned back to Teacher Cao.
As he spoke, he kept an eye on Zhou Mu, and a childhood memory surfaced—when everyone in class had a desk partner except him. The closest classmate had a little pet, something he himself had never had.
He no longer remembered if it was a hamster or a kitten, only that it would scurry around in its owner’s arms, roll onto its back inside the hood, and play while the student worked on assignments. When it got in the way, the student would absentmindedly nudge it away with a pen.
But now, he had something even better. You Qi couldn’t help but chuckle softly.
It was a very faint laugh, but even that was enough to make Teacher Cao uneasy.
Their mentor-student relationship was never that solid—after all, how awkward was it to study immortal herbs with a beast-blooded student? The moment he heard You Qi laugh, he became paranoid: Why is he laughing? Is he mocking my research? Does he not want to cultivate plants anymore? Should I even bring this up?!
“Well…” Teacher Cao’s eyes darted around. “I conducted an experiment, propagating other guardian grass of the same species, but none of them turned out like this one. It’s possible, perhaps, that this guardian grass is mutated. I think it could serve as the basis for a new experiment? You could take it back and conduct further research…?”
Hearing his wavering tone, You Qi asked, “So do you want me to experiment on it or not?”
Teacher Cao hesitated. “Do you… want to?”
You Qi answered calmly, “Are you asking me? I think it’s necessary.”
Cao Xueqin: “………Right, yes.”
You Qi was already used to people at school behaving awkwardly around him out of fear, even though nothing had happened just now. He picked up the guardian grass and said simply, “Then let’s design the experiment. I’ll take the guardian grass back first. Goodbye, teacher.”
The moment Zhou Mu heard ‘goodbye,’ he immediately let go of You Qi’s school robe, even smoothing out the fabric twice, and followed up with, “Goodbye, teacher.”
“Hehehe, goodbye.” Cao Xueqin walked them to the door.
At the other end of the hallway, a noisy commotion erupted from another lab. Someone inside threw something out, shouting, “Senior, catch!”
The voice echoed from the floor above, followed by a loud series of crashes. A long, slender figure, Little Howl, suddenly shot out from the stairwell.
Chasing after the object, Little Howl leaped into the air and caught it mid-flight, but its momentum carried it forward, causing it to skid upon landing.
At this point, it was already quite close to the trio, and it looked like it would continue sliding forward.
When Senior Little Howl saw Zhou Mu, its pupils dilated in shock. It desperately tried to stop but failed, ending up on its knees. In a panic, it resorted to a ‘face-brake,’ pressing its left cheek against the floor to slow down successfully.
The object it had caught fell from its mouth—turns out it wasn’t a ball but a small bun.
“Oh, it’s senior!” Zhou Mu squatted down, patting Little Howl’s raised backside due to the face-brake, and casually stuffed the bun into his own pocket.
Little Howl froze, all four legs stiff, letting out a small whimper: “Woo~”
It propped itself up on its front legs, wanting to run but not daring to. Even its mouth barely opened, showing just the tip of its tongue, while its dog-like face sagged as it nervously observed their expressions.
You Qi thought to himself, Did it really get disciplined?
It didn’t even dare to drool over Zhou Mu anymore. Even when Zhou Mu patted its backside, it stayed completely rigid.
The guardian grass, acting all loyal and alert, positioned itself as if guarding the entrance, but it didn’t dare to be too arrogant around Little Howl. It only let out some vague, taunting noises from the side: “Ohh~~~ Hehe~~~”
Cao Xueqin, who spent a lot of time in Chuanfang Tower and liked dogs, had watched Little Howl grow up.
Seeing Zhou Mu completely unbothered, he took the opportunity to ease the atmosphere. “Zhou Mu, how’s your injury? Do you need me to check it and prescribe some herbs? I heard Director Cui gave Little Howl a serious lesson and even made it wear a special collar. It’s much more obedient now—almost too scared to approach students.”
“Really?” Zhou Mu, whether genuinely fond of Little Howl or just emboldened by his newfound status, reached out again to scratch the senior’s chin. He treated his own ankle injury lightly, showing no concern. “No need, professor. I’ll heal on my own.”
If this had been before, the senior would have definitely disciplined any bold freshman who dared to touch his head. But now, Little Howl remained motionless. Even when its forehead was flattened by Zhou Mu’s pats, it didn’t make a sound. The only time it reacted was when Zhou Mu mentioned his injury—it gave him a brief glance.
Maybe our Little Howl does feel guilty, Cao Xueqin thought. “Alright then. Little Howl, don’t be sad. Come on, give us a smile. You’ve learned from your mistakes, and everything will be fine now.”
Only then did Little Howl open its mouth, offering a timid smile.
But as soon as it smiled, everyone noticed—its sharp canine teeth were missing on one side! The left fang was broken off completely, leaving an empty gap. No wonder it hadn’t been barking much!
Cao Xueqin exclaimed, “Little Howl, your tooth?!”
Little Howl looked at Zhou Mu with a mournful whimper.
But Zhou Mu’s reaction was even louder than Teacher Cao’s. Shocked and sympathetic, he cried out, “Oh my god! Director Cui actually broke your tooth?!”
Little Howl: “……”
Teacher Cao sucked in a sharp breath. “Director Cui must have used some powerful weapon—divine dog fangs are incredibly strong, meant to tear through anything. What kind of artifact did he use to break it?”
“Sigh, even though you’re a divine dog, the school leadership must have wanted to discipline you properly rather than spoil you too much.”
Zhou Mu: “Right, right! Senior, I’ve already forgiven you!”
Little Howl: “……”
Seeing how easily Zhou Mu let things go, Cao Xueqin made another suggestion. “Zhou Mu, I heard the school is considering a training program to ease the fear among lower-year students. Little Howl will be trained to sit, shake hands, and perform other friendly gestures. During the retraining, it will also apologize publicly and interact with student council members for a demonstration. Since you were the victim and you two seem to be getting along now, how about you participate in the demonstration?”
“Sure, no problem!” Zhou Mu was extremely easygoing and immediately agreed, happily ruffling the senior’s head again.
As they left, Little Howl even escorted them all the way to the entrance of the teaching building before stopping.
Sunlight shone on Zhou Mu’s face, making his skin appear almost translucent. While stroking Little Howl, he even stretched his fingers toward its mouth. Though Little Howl stiffened at the contact, Cao Xueqin couldn’t help but marvel—What a daring guy, both in courage and attitude.
But then, he glanced at You Qi…
Hmm, compared to that, this didn’t seem like the boldest thing Zhou Mu had done.
When the school officially notified Zhou Mu about the training session, he was still acting like an invalid, claiming his legs were too weak and needing You Qi’s support to walk to Chuanfang Tower.
—Yes, Chuanfang Tower again. Where he had fallen was where he would rise. The gathering point was exactly where the last incident had happened.
By the time they arrived, it was still early, but more than half of the students had already gathered. Zhou Mu spotted Tian Qi in the crowd and called out cheerfully, “Team leader!”
He happily bounded forward two steps.
Looking back on the last incident, You Qi’s ability to resist his hunger had surprised Zhou Mu a little. But what was even more memorable was how Tian Qi, even in a moment of crisis, had still thought to pull him to safety.
Tian Qi ran forward and grabbed his hand. “Vice leader! Finally, I see you again. I’ve been busy with the election these past few days, so I only sent you messages on WeChat and didn’t visit in person. Are you recovering well?”
Zhou Mu blinked. “Ah, election?”
A confident, ambitious smile spread across Tian Qi’s young face. “That’s right, the class president election. A-Mu, you’ve been part of my old crew for a while. If I become class president, I won’t forget you.”
“…Oh, okay then. Good luck, team leader.” Zhou Mu thought to himself, Our team leader may be small, but his obsession with power is huge. After all, ‘team leader’ was a title Tian Qi had completely made up for himself.
“You two are still living together?” Tian Qi glanced at You Qi standing beside them. Damn, he’s scary.
You Qi was wearing a mask, which actually made him look less intimidating than when his muzzle was exposed. But Tian Qi was still a little afraid—his mother had explained to him what kind of fearsome beast You Qi was, and he had personally experienced the sheer pressure of his aura.
Even so, Tian Qi still whispered, “If you’re scared, you can apply to move in with me. I’m still small, so even if I lose control, I wouldn’t be able to eat too much of you.”
Gotta be bold if I want my people to respect me!
Zhou Mu burst into laughter. “No worries, no need for that. We get along great—he stops people from trying to eat me, and I take care of him in daily life and academics.”
“…” You Qi bent down, leaning in to whisper in his ear. “What did you just say?”
Zhou Mu turned his head, whispering back, “Huh? Can’t I brag a little?”
You Qi was momentarily speechless and slowly straightened up again.
Tian Qi, seeing that You Qi had leaned in so close without biting Zhou Mu’s ear off, gave a thumbs-up. “Not bad, I get it—partners in crime, right?”
Zhou Mu nearly choked. “Team Leader, you really need to read more books…”
By this time, most of the students had arrived. Because of You Qi’s presence, they all kept a certain distance.
Xu Tianyi arrived, leading Little Howl by the leash. As soon as he spotted them, he awkwardly raised a hand in greeting, then tapped the microphone. “Everyone, last time was an accident—Senior Little Howl lost control. Over the past few days, the school has been re-educating him, so there’s no need to worry.”
Despite his words and the school’s efforts to reassure students, the freshmen still looked nervous around Little Howl. The atmosphere wasn’t nearly as lively as last time.
The only upside was that Xu Tianyi didn’t have to keep re-organizing the crowd.
Fortunately, the school had anticipated this. Xu Tianyi waved at Zhou Mu, the direct victim from last time. “You all remember Senior Zhou Mu, right?”
Of course, they did—he was the delicious-smelling senior from before!
Xu Tianyi introduced him solemnly. “Last time, Senior Zhou Mu was bitten by Senior Little Howl. But now, they’ve reconciled!”
A gust of wind sent Zhou Mu straight to Little Howl’s side. You Qi, having completed his task of escorting Zhou Mu, stepped aside.
The students watched as Zhou Mu crouched down and began vigorously ruffling Little Howl’s head.
Surprisingly, Little Howl didn’t lash out. Instead, he obediently sat, then lay down, then even rolled onto his back, exposing his belly. His movements were a bit stiff—after all, he had never played cute before.
“Wow, look, he’s wagging his tail!”
“Senior is so well-behaved!”
Not only did he wag his tail, but when Zhou Mu told him to sit and shake hands, he followed each command without hesitation.
As the students saw this, their hushed discussions grew louder.
But the excitement still wasn’t at its peak—the kids were still uneasy.
This wasn’t what Xu Tianyi had expected. But he understood why. Because there was one extra person here.
Xu Tianyi sneaked a glance at You Qi, who stood silently at the side, his expression blank…
Little Howl might have been the one who attacked last time, but the most terrifying presence had actually been You Qi!
He hadn’t even done anything—his aura alone had left a lasting psychological shadow on the younger students.
Sigh, but studying at Hualing means getting used to this kind of thing. Besides You Qi, there are plenty of senior students with high cultivation who enjoy scaring people with their aura. At least they follow school rules and don’t bite.
People were still gossiping about how Zhou Mu was ‘occupied’ by You Qi—no one knew how long he’d last.
You Qi remained indifferent, standing tall, showing no interest in the younger students—or anyone, really.
Zhou Mu, however, was completely unaffected. He sat happily at You Qi’s feet, playing with Little Howl. He even tugged on You Qi’s robe. “Haha, look, look! It can do this too.”
Zhou Mu flattened his palm, and Little Howl obediently placed his head on it.
You Qi wasn’t interested at first, but after Zhou Mu tugged at him several times, he finally lifted his robe slightly, bent one knee, and crouched down. The two of them sat close together, though You Qi was clearly much larger. He merely watched indifferently as Zhou Mu played with the dog.
“Look, Senior is even getting a runny nose! Do you think he has a cold?” Zhou Mu was completely entertained, even lifting Little Howl’s soft lips to reveal his gleaming broken tooth. Xiao Xiao remained still, playing dead.
Zhou Mu got even more into it. He extended his other palm and shoved it in front of You Qi. “Hahahaha!”
You Qi: “……”
The younger students’ eyes widened, and Xu Tianyi’s face turned pale with fear—
Zhou Mu, oblivious, curled his fingers inward.
The surrounding murmurs grew louder—monsters all around were expressing their emotions in various ways.
You Qi clicked his tongue and leaned toward Zhou Mu. He lowered his head and rested his chin in Zhou Mu’s soft palm.
The author has something to say:
Senior Little Howl: I may not be human, but you guys are the real dogs…
Yametee i cannoootttt
Thnx ya for the chappiiee~