MRSG Chapter 18

Many students who had been eavesdropping or peeking nearly fell off their chairs. With that one loud outburst, Lord Cong completely shattered everyone’s elegant imagination of him—he went from being an untouchable flower on a high peak to just a literal scallion on that peak.

Only Tian Qi, with an innocent and puzzled expression, asked, “Xiaomu, what does ‘拔腚’ (ba ding) mean?”

Zhou Mu’s voice was soft, but everyone could hear him: “It means ‘get lost.’”

“……” Chun Shijiu was left speechless, but since he was the one picking a fight first, he wasn’t exactly in the right. He could only respond sarcastically, “Alright, a famous sword is truly a famous sword.”

As sharp in words as in blade.

Lord Cong shot him a cold look and let out a disdainful “Hmph!”

Sensing the tension, Zhou Mu tried to smooth things over. “Senior, this is Chun Shijiu. He lives in the dormitory across from mine. He’s just a bit sensitive because of some past experiences of being scammed. Don’t take it to heart. He’s actually… pretty bad.”

Chun Shijiu: “…………??”

He wanted to leave.

Zhou Mu then turned to the others. “Back in high school, it was just me and Senior Cong, who was from the demon clan, so he took great care of me. He’s just very straightforward and doesn’t like being questioned, but he’s actually very refined. You’ll understand after spending time with him.”

Lord Cong regained his composed and ethereal demeanor, bowing slightly. “I was momentarily anxious earlier. Apologies, everyone.”

When his gaze swept over Chun Shijiu, despite his dissatisfaction, he still nodded slightly in acknowledgment. “Since Zhou Mu said so, of course, I will listen to him and not hold your rudeness against you.”

I will listen to him.

The words were spoken so naturally, yet they were unexpected.

This was a legendary sword, a thousand-year-old divine weapon. Not the kind to conform to stereotypes, but much like how fearsome beasts are naturally unapproachable, beings like him were typically proud and aloof. Even if he had a good relationship with Zhou Mu, saying something like that was definitely unusual.

Tian Qi immediately cast an encouraging look at Zhou Mu. Our vice leader is truly amazing. Forget the fearsome beast You Qi, even the sacred sword of Duke Huan of Qi is under his thumb.

Zhou Mu returned a smile and introduced, “This is my team leader, Tian Qi.”

Tian Qi immediately reached out to shake hands with Lord Cong. Surprisingly, the once aloof Lord Cong shook hands firmly and said, “Nice to meet you!”

He didn’t treat him casually just because he was a kid—maybe he didn’t even know how important a team leader’s position was.

“And this is my roommate, You Qi.” Zhou Mu finally introduced You Qi.

“Roommate?” Lord Cong repeated the word, pausing briefly before reaching out to shake hands with You Qi, offering a friendly smile. “Classmate, it must be tough for you.”

You Qi: “……”

You Qi’s face darkened slightly, but he still shook hands with Lord Cong, replying coldly, “It’s my duty.”

Lord Cong gave him a curious glance, as if about to say something, but Zhou Mu cut in, “Senior, you came to eat, right? Why not join us?”

“Uh…” Lord Cong hesitated. He was obviously considering that he had come with his superiors, and separating from them might not be appropriate. But unexpectedly, after a brief pause, he agreed. “Alright.”

With that, his earlier words—‘I will listen to him’—became even more evident. He wasn’t just saying it casually. He and Zhou Mu were truly close.

Chun Shijiu had been brimming with irritation earlier, but after witnessing that scene, his annoyance turned into pure amusement. He decided not to leave and instead sat back down with them.

He glanced at Lord Cong, then at You Qi, finding the situation extremely entertaining.

Chun Shijiu even started piecing together the logic—Zhou Mu had said Lord Cong used to take care of him, and Lord Cong also said he would listen to Zhou Mu. Didn’t that mean Lord Cong was essentially the high school version of You Qi? That couldn’t be wrong, right?

You Qi also noticed Chun Shijiu’s entertained expression, but he kept a blank face.

Actually…

Unlike the not-so-bright Chun Shijiu, You Qi could tell that Zhou Mu’s attitude was open and casual, while Lord Cong, as a noble and honorable figure, had no suspicious behavior. Zhou Mu had always been friendly, and it was only natural for him to be enthusiastic about seeing an old friend after so long.

Yet, despite all that reasoning, those words from Lord Cong still made You Qi uncomfortable. Ferocious beasts were born with a strong sense of possession and extreme vigilance—toward food, territory, and mates. This was even more pronounced for You Qi, who had been entangled with his six natural desires since birth.

He had always kept himself restrained, but that didn’t mean his instincts had faded. Otherwise, why would he need to bind himself with rules?

Lowering his gaze, You Qi’s expression darkened with self-reflection. I can’t be like Chun Shijiu, judging others with a petty mind.

Tian Qi quietly scooted a bit further away as he ate. He didn’t know why, but today, even though You Qi always seemed fierce and intimidating, there was something different about him…

Meanwhile, under Zhou Mu’s introduction, Lord Cong had picked up a tray of food. He took a sniff and nodded approvingly. “As expected of the cuisine you admire.”

“Of course! Our Hualing Academy’s cafeteria is top-notch. I especially love this scallop wonton today.” Zhou Mu had already finished his own serving of scallop wontons. He happened to notice that You Qi still had some in his bowl, so he shamelessly reached over with his chopsticks to take one.

You Qi noticed Lord Cong watching Zhou Mu’s actions closely, and his expression relaxed slightly, even showing a hint of a smile.

But then, after observing for a couple of seconds, Lord Cong suddenly paused and, with an eager look, asked, “Then… do you want all of mine?”

You Qi: “……”

…Truly despicable.

But Zhou Mu was already looking at Lord Cong expectantly, and Lord Cong was about to lift his bowl and offer it.

You Qi suddenly reached out at lightning speed, gripping Zhou Mu’s tray.

Zhou Mu looked at him, puzzled, and tried to pull it back.

You Qi didn’t budge an inch.

Zhou Mu: “……”

Zhou Mu looked at You Qi with a grievance—What are you doing? You never stopped me from eating before!

Without even glancing at Zhou Mu, You Qi said calmly, “Lord Cong is our guest at Hualing. How could we possibly let him serve us instead? That would be impolite.”

With that, he forcibly stopped Lord Cong and, with his other hand, grabbed his own bowl of wontons. Without giving them a chance to refuse, he unceremoniously dumped all of it into Zhou Mu’s tray.

Lord Cong saw that there was no more room for him to pour the wontons, so he had no choice but to withdraw his hand and even had to express his gratitude: “…I was being presumptuous, thank you.”

Zhou Mu no longer felt aggrieved and was about to put down his plate to start eating, but You Qi’s hand still hadn’t let go. Leaning down to Zhou Mu’s ear, he murmured: “Whatever you want to eat isn’t what’s in my bowl enough?”

No one else could hear what You Qi was saying, but they could see Zhou Mu’s ears suddenly turn red. The two then let go and continued eating.

Chun Shijiu was already full just from watching the drama unfold—he didn’t even need his meal anymore.

He hadn’t had enough of the fierce beast guarding his food, so he rested his chin on his hand and maliciously provoked: “Humans always say that the best friendships are the ones formed in high school—it’s when everyone is the most innocent, and the bonds are the strongest. Zhou Mu, you must really miss your time at your old school with Lord Cong, right?”

Before You Qi could react, Zhou Mu immediately refuted. “Absolutely not! That’s something only pure humans say. Even though I have human blood, at the end of the day, I was still a minority in a human school. Back then, all I felt was loneliness and monotony. Sure, Senior Cong helped me a lot, but to say I miss those days? No way. It doesn’t compare to the vibrant life at Hualing, where even the school leaders genuinely care for us minority demon students.”

Lord Cong: “Ah, yes, exactly.”

You Qi had once thought that Zhou Mu, having lived among humans, had picked up a lot of their habits.

But hearing Zhou Mu speak now, he finally realized the kind of experience Zhou Mu had gone through. His words about Lord Cong taking care of him back in school, as well as the joy of their reunion, suddenly made a lot more sense.

Although this Lord Cong…

You Qi turned to him and said, “Thank you for looking after Zhou Mu back then.”

“It wasn’t a hardship.” Lord Cong smiled. No, it wasn’t a hardship—just a miserable fate.

……

By the end of the meal, everyone had grown a lot more familiar with each other—and also a lot more at odds.

As they headed downstairs, Cui Jue and his group had also finished eating. Lord Cong was just about to rejoin his team when the two groups happened to cross paths. He explained to his superior, Xie Rulin, why he had stayed behind to eat—it was because he ran into his junior.

Cui Jue naturally provided a few introductions. “This is Zhou Mu from our Water-Element Demon Ecology and Resource Studies. He and his classmate, You Qi, have signed up for this year’s team combat event, so you’ll be seeing them in the arena.”

Following Cui Jue’s introductions, Xie Rulin looked over each of the students.

The legendary Xiezhi was said to be ‘honest and upright, ramming the unjust when witnessing a fight, and biting the dishonest when hearing a debate’—a creature born with the ability to discern right from wrong, good from evil. His gaze was piercingly cold, like an icy blade slicing through them, as if he could see straight into their souls.

When he locked eyes with each student, they couldn’t help but feel exposed under his scrutiny. As expected of a law beast with qilin blood—he was the perfect choice for head referee.

“You are certainly strong contenders for the championship,” Xie Rulin remarked with a subtle expression. “That said, Hualing really has a rather unique approach when it comes to handling its fierce beast students.”

Cui Jue chuckled. “Judge Xie, I assure you, our school’s policies are very well thought out.”

Xie Rulin nodded slowly.

A fleeting sense of unease flashed through You Qi’s mind. Anyone else hearing Xie Rulin’s words would assume he was referring to the muzzle on You Qi’s face—but You Qi himself, with his sharp instincts as a fierce beast, sensed that there was something more to his words.

But before he could dwell on it, Xie Rulin had already nodded and strode out of the cafeteria.

That strange feeling still lingered in You Qi’s heart. What exactly had Xie Rulin meant…?

“By the way, since I was coming from home, I brought some local specialties with me—just in case I started missing home,” Lord Cong suddenly said, cutting through You Qi’s thoughts. He had originally been about to leave but now retrieved a package from a colleague and pulled out a clear glass jar. Inside, neatly layered and glistening with oil, was a jar of red, glossy braised pork.

Lord Cong handed it to Zhou Mu with both hands. “Just a small gift…”

“Wow, I haven’t had this in so long!” Zhou Mu immediately took it, cradling it in his arms as he inspected it from all angles, barely restraining himself from opening it on the spot.

This time, You Qi didn’t intervene. Seeing Zhou Mu’s eager expression, he even took out a pair of chopsticks from his spatial sleeve, offering them so Zhou Mu could dig in if he wanted.

Sure enough, Zhou Mu opened the jar on the spot. The meat was slow-cooked to perfection—tender yet springy, rich but not greasy. The aroma alone was enough to make someone want to swallow their tongue along with it.

Suddenly, he remembered how You Qi had given him all his wontons earlier—he probably hadn’t eaten enough and had to go get more food. Wasn’t that discouraging his enthusiasm for eating?

With that in mind, Zhou Mu carefully picked out a piece that was evenly balanced between fat and lean meat and held it up to You Qi’s lips. “Here, have a bite too!”

You Qi, without hesitation, leaned in and took the piece straight from Zhou Mu’s chopsticks.

Chun Shijiu couldn’t stand this kind of scene—it always made him think about how he’d missed his chance with Zhou Mu, leaving him feeling sour. So, he muttered under his breath, “Tch, picking the smallest piece too?”

The others didn’t react much, but Lord Cong’s expression completely cracked. His hands slipped, and his package tumbled to the ground, spilling some of its contents, but he didn’t even notice. He just stood there, utterly shocked, staring at You Qi. “You…”

You Qi: “?”

Lord Cong looked completely rattled. “My god!! Zhou Mu actually fed you?!”

Judging by his expression, it wasn’t just that he had never been fed—he had probably never even been given a single bite to eat. Chun Shijiu almost wanted to mock him. Here he was, thinking Lord Cong was the ‘high school version’ of You Qi, yet he hadn’t even managed to score a single free meal?

You Qi bared his fangs in an effortless smirk, nonchalantly saying, “Apologies for making you laugh.”