MRSG Chapter 26

The Demon sport competition had always been known for their brutality. There had even been several discussions in the past about whether to cancel the event altogether, but in the end, only a few rules were added to make it seem more in line with modern times.

Even so, no one could’ve imagined the combat tournament would turn out like this.

Being lawless and wildly savage used to be its defining traits—now those traits have become the reason why no one can stop Zhou Mu’s behavior.

Gui Youqi had once complained that Zhou Mu threw his weight around the cafeteria just because he had You Qi backing him. But now they realized—that wasn’t throwing his weight around. This was!

Zhou Mu rode on You Qi’s back as if he were strolling through a marketplace, hunting down hidden contestants just to ‘have a taste.’ ‘This team’s got a nice chew to it, that one tastes sweet and tender, fatty but not greasy…’

After carefully sampling and evaluating like he was picking ingredients, he chose two teams—not necessarily the strongest, but definitely the tastiest—and handed them the flags.

“You guys are it. Three more days until the finals—get ready, okay?”

The other two teams: “…………”

Get ready for what?! To fatten ourselves up so you can eat us again?!

One of the selected contestants, a Shenpeng who had apparently earned points for his team because of their ‘crispy texture,’ could no longer bear the humiliation. He lifted his head with quiet indignation and said, “Zhou Mu, we admit defeat—but give the flag to someone else. I don’t believe I deserve a ranking.”

As a demon, he could accept the law of the jungle—but to win a spot not by strength, but by being tasty? That felt shameful to any demon with a shred of pride. There had to be someone stronger than him in the arena—someone more deserving.

Zhou Mu’s sweet smile faded. He rode up in front of Shenpeng on You Qi’s back, leaning down with a predator’s ease under the gaze of several hovering cameras. “You think someone else deserves the prize more than you? But I can’t tell you apart. When you all start fighting, you all look the same to me.”

The same—as in equally weak.

To him, the differences in combat skill were too minor to matter. But taste? That, at least, varied.

Shenpeng met his gaze. Under the pure, unfiltered scrutiny of a high-ranking predator, so close and so overwhelming, all the defiance drained from his face. His heart pounded, his hair stood on end, and he muttered, “…You’re right.”

Spectators—especially the students from Hualing Academy—stared wide-eyed at the screen.

Zhou Mu usually seemed human: a youthful, innocent boy. But now, he exuded aggression—an overwhelming, oppressive presence that terrified the demons watching him… and awed them, too. Some even felt a strange desire to kneel before such power.

His identity had only been exposed for a short time, yet already, many demons were beginning to shift their mindset in front of such a fearsome beast.

This—this was what it meant to sit at the top of the food chain. And besides, wasn’t this what the competition was about? The victor reigns supreme. The contestants had their chance to fight—some even formed alliances. Once defeated, why not accept Zhou Mu’s evaluation system? Was there really shame in that?

After all, it’s not just anyone calling you ‘delicious’—it’s Zhou Mu.

And just like that, the bitter atmosphere began to subtly shift.

Shenpeng, who had initially spoken out against Zhou Mu and even dared call him ‘you,’ now bowed low and offered a third sentence: “After graduation, I wonder… would there be a chance to work for you?”

Zhou Mu didn’t even blink. He answered lazily, “Report to my ranch when the time comes.”

……

With the match officially over, Zhou Mu led the group away from the arena.

“Junior Brother… you have your own ranch?” Yan Xingke asked with a trembling voice.

Well, it made sense. A glutton like a taotie couldn’t possibly hunt down every meal by hand in this day and age. Owning a ranch or a farm really was the most practical solution.

“It’s mine, not my family’s,” Zhou Mu clarified. For beasts like them, even family members kept things very clear. “I just left home, so the ranch isn’t fully set up yet. But it will be. I even took elective courses in management.”

They had exited the competition zone now and could see the massive crowd of spectators ahead. Zhou Mu scanned the stands, letting out two light chuckles.

Yan Xingke shivered at the sound. Hualing was remote and filled with all kinds of beasts—it suddenly hit him: was Zhou Mu attending Hualing to scout locations and livestock for his future ranch?!

“Oh, right. I should start a fishery too.” Zhou Mu mused, pointing into the stands. “Senior Brother, you studied aquatic resources, right? Come work for me as an admin. But you can’t be the boss—I already picked Tian Qi for that. He’s serious and has great organizational skills.”

Yan Xingke was still freaking out about the ranch idea, but now he was extra offended. A top student like him couldn’t even be in charge? He’d have to work under Tian Qi? “We’re senior and junior brothers—you’re not even going to do me that favor?” he grumbled.

What’s wrong with you, thought Xu Tianyi and Gui Youqi, both shooting Yan Xingke a side-eye.

Xu Tianyi even felt lucky he’d died early. Sure, taotie could technically eat ghosts, but Zhou Mu clearly didn’t seem as interested in him.

“You really care about Tian Qi, huh,” You Qi said thoughtfully. He’d always felt that, aside from himself, Zhou Mu treated Tian Qi best. He had assumed it was just because Tian Qi was nice. Turns out there was more to it.

Zhou Mu thought to himself, Of course. Senior Brother loves to dig tunnels. Tian Qi’s responsible and dependable—he’ll treat the ranch like it’s his own.

Meanwhile, little Tianqi, currently volunteering somewhere, had no idea he’d already been recruited by a future employer—and he was only in first grade.

Usually, when athletes left the field, the crowd would cheer loudly. But now, as Zhou Mu exited while pointing out random people in the audience, he sent chills down everyone’s spine. They all froze in their seats. The air was painfully awkward.

Sensing the awkwardness, Cui Jue stood up and said, “Host! Say something already!”

The host wiped his sweat and finally played the passionate background music. He then read the lines with a strange expression. “Ahem, let’s give a round of applause to welcome the top three teams coming off the track. They fought fiercely and demonstrated outstanding combat ability. We look forward to seeing their performance in the finals in three days—may they compete with style and skill. So, which team will win the championship in the finals? Students, you can vote for your favorite athletes on the official website…”

Everyone: “……”

There was originally supposed to be an interview segment for the top three teams, but no one dared to go up. Only Cui Jue and Xie Rulin approached, now carrying a new muzzle along with cinnabar and other sealing materials. “Student Zhou Mu, student You Qi, apologies, but we still need to reapply the restriction—please understand.”

This was something that had been agreed upon since You Qi first enrolled, witnessed by heaven and earth, and couldn’t be casually broken.

When You Qi saw the object, his mood soured. Even though he had worn it on his face for years, he couldn’t forget how much he had loathed it as a child, yet had no choice but to wear it.

He turned his gaze away coldly.

At first, the audience thought Cui Jue was going to put it on Zhou Mu. But they quickly realized there was only one muzzle.

Zhou Mu even took it himself from Cui Jue’s hands, saying: “Let me be the one to place the restriction.”

“Uh…” Cui Jue hesitated. Logically, this should be done by Teacher Hand himself. How could a student apply it to another student? Even if the previous one had already been broken by Zhou Mu, and You Qi didn’t seem as dangerous anymore…

Zhou Mu patted the neck of the You Qi beneath him and said firmly, “Teacher, You Qi is under my care now.”

Cui Jue backed down immediately. “Then you do it.”

Teacher Hand tapped the tray with his index finger, expressing his discontent. But honestly, Zhou Mu could control You Qi better than the muzzle ever could.

Zhou Mu hopped off You Qi’s back, holding the muzzle. You Qi calmly stepped forward and voluntarily placed his snout into it, allowing Zhou Mu to strap on this symbolic restraint.

His form shifted into human shape, and the muzzle transformed to fit accordingly.

Zhou Mu tugged the leather strap, pulling the tall You Qi downward.

You Qi obediently bowed his head.

At this angle, Zhou Mu was now looking down at You Qi—just like when they first met and You Qi had leaned in, towering over him. But now, the roles had completely reversed…

Zhou Mu dipped his fingers in the cinnabar and drew runes on the muzzle in a bold, elegant hand. Those close enough to see noticed that although his runes differed slightly from Teacher Hand’s, the power that surged the moment they were completed was no less.

With some cinnabar left on his fingers, Zhou Mu signed his name in the gaps.

You Qi could tell what he had written and turned his face, gently nudging Zhou Mu’s retreating hand.

Zhou Mu pulled out his phone and switched to selfie mode, showing it to You Qi: “Look, the rune I drew. Way prettier, right?”

You Qi saw on the screen that his lowered head was right next to Zhou Mu’s cheek—and couldn’t help but smile.

“Hey, let’s take a pic.” Zhou Mu was about to tap the shutter but thought better of it, wanting a full-body shot. So he shoved the phone into the hand of Teacher Hand—who was still holding the tray. “Teacher, help us out!”

Teacher Hand: “…………”

Wow, just… no respect at all?

After their picture, Zhou Mu invited the rest of their team to join for group photos, then even called over Lord Cong and Tian Qi to take a few more.

At first, everyone was a little stiff. But seeing as Zhou Mu had shown restraint during the competition, and was staying calm now, they gradually dared to move. I mean, if anyone was getting eaten, it’d be You Qi or Chun Shijiu first. The rest of us only admired Zhou Mu a bit—they literally kept him in their dorm!

Gradually, everyone loosened up. By the end, even Teacher Hand was reluctantly flying up to take overhead shots, and the whole student section was boldly standing up, waving to get in the frame: A chance to take a photo with a taotie—with Teacher Hand as the selfie stick? Gotta get in on that!

The scene was full of life—finally capturing the spirit of past sports competition.

After the day’s events ended, Zhou Mu returned to dorm 1232—his shared room with Chun Shijiu—and changed out of his dirty, battle-stained clothes.

Chun Shijiu beamed and said eagerly: “Then, shall I help you move your luggage across the hall?” He didn’t find it a hassle at all—he was just desperate to get Zhou Mu out. Others might not see the truth, but he did. Though he often failed to predict Zhou Mu’s next move…

“You really don’t want to live with me?” Zhou Mu sat on the desk and asked.

Prediction failed again! Chun Shijiu realized he’d gotten too carried away and quickly dialed back his grin: “No, no! I just thought you’d be happier across the hall. Of course I’d love to live with you!”

“Yeah, you’ve always said that.” Zhou Mu crossed his legs. “I think it’s pretty nice here. Might as well finish out the semester.”

Chun Shijiu was struck like thunder had hit him—but forced himself to smile: Of-of course! That’s… great news!”

Just then, You Qi came in: “I’ll help you move back.”

They’d been apart for days, and You Qi still hadn’t adjusted to the emptiness of his room. After today, he was even more desperate to stay close to Zhou Mu and wanted to move him back right away.

“Nope,” Zhou Mu said, “Chun Shijiu said he wants to live with me, so I’ll stay and keep him company a bit longer.”

You Qi looked at Chun Shijiu. “Oh?”

Chun Shijiu: “…………”

Chun Shijiu held back tears and went to help Zhou Mu do laundry.

You Qi took Zhou Mu’s hand. His fingers were smooth and uncalloused—long, fair, glowing like jade, with healthy pink fingertips. No one would ever guess these hands wielded unimaginable strength—just like the soft pink paw pads on his beast form, light as feathers with every step.

You Qi couldn’t help but place a finger against the edge of the muzzle. To his surprise, his finger easily slipped through the metal bars and touched Zhou Mu’s lips, making You Qi pause in shock.

…Ah, right. The seal had been applied by Zhou Mu himself—he must have tampered with the runes when drawing them.

You Qi looked up. Zhou Mu was watching him with a sly, knowing smile. Even without any romantic experience, Zhou Mu instinctively knew how to tame other beasts.

A surge of heat flared in You Qi’s chest, his breath coming faster. He stepped forward, trapping Zhou Mu between his body and the desk, sniffing from his soft pink fingertips all the way up his palm and wrist.

Zhou Mu felt ticklish and tried to pull away.

Nope, not allowed! You Qi grabbed his waist and pulled him back, pressing him down against the desk. A portion of Zhou Mu’s lower back was exposed—still flat and slender, despite all the ‘tasting’ that had gone on earlier. You Qi bent down, tracing from the small of Zhou Mu’s back up his spine until he clamped his jaws gently around the back of his neck. It looked wild, like he was devouring prey—but this time, it had nothing to do with hunger.

The nape is a sensitive spot for most mammals—it brings a sense of calm, a remnant of being carried by their mothers when young. But not Zhou Mu. Being bitten anywhere only made him more alert. And now, aside from alertness… he also felt—

The bloody-red glow of the sunset poured in through the window, perfectly matching the feral tension in the room.

Unlike the earlier clashes laced with killing intent, these touches were damp with yearning. The massive beast was brimming with frustration and desire as he pressed down clumsily. “When are you moving back? How about tomorrow?” he asked.

Zhou Mu’s ears burned from the question. His voice was soft but resolute as he turned the big dog down: “Give it some time. I need to deal with Chun Shijiu first.”

You Qi’s eyes dimmed slightly, and he bit down—but his teeth couldn’t pierce that supple skin. All it caused was a ripple of shivers…

Zhou Mu turned and wrapped his arms around You Qi’s neck. You Qi easily lifted him up, holding him tightly against his chest. Zhou Mu’s back was pressed firmly against the bedframe from the force, and the metal creaked under the strain—turning the turbulent emotion between them into something almost tangible.

“…Fine. If you sneak over after lights out tonight, I’ll let you sleep at the foot of my bed.”

……

In the washroom, Chun Shijiu squatted with a bucket of damp laundry, clutching his head: When can I leave??