Chapter 4

Zhou Mu was speechless too. He hadn't expected the Door-Protecting Grass to not only distinguish residents but also master the skill of bullying the weak and fearing the strong...!

The Door-Protecting Grass respectfully helped Zhou Mu open the door so he could haul the Tiger Hawk inside.

The interior space of Hualing Dormitory was sufficient enough — after all, plenty of students here had enormous true forms.

Most convenient was that the door had a certain elasticity — otherwise, given the strength of many students here, door-breaking escapes would be a regular occurrence. There was also enormous storage space inside for students' personal belongings.

This suited Zhou Mu perfectly. He had brought luggage packed to the brim, and — fearing the School might lack Human Race cuisine — had even brought a bag of long-grain fragrant rice and some seeds, planning to grow scallions in the dorm.

Zhou Mu carefully cleared the counter and laid out his knives — a full set.

Then, with great satisfaction, he bled the Tiger Hawk and plucked its feathers.

One cut! Severed the spine, removed the head.

The wings came off separately — a sharp blade pierced the inner edge of the scapula, cutting through layer after layer of muscle until the shoulder blade separated from the chest wall.

After the limbs were dealt with, he split open the abdomen, removed all the organs, sorted them by category, and even labeled them.

His movements were like flowing water and floating clouds — not a scrap wasted.

Zhou Mu wore a mask and rubber gloves on both hands. He held up a rack of ribs, eyes shining, and turned to You Qi: 'Look, what big ribs! I knew it — the meat's so firm! I love bone-in cuts the most, you know, the parts close to the bone have more connective tissue, so fresh and tender, so many layers, and once roasted the juices are just—'

You Qi had watched the entire process from start to finish.

This weak roommate who could trip standing still had dismembered with practiced ease. His earlier impassioned objection to cremation had not been without reason — and now he was enthusiastically preparing to cook his favorite cut the Human Race way.

A thought flickered through You Qi's mind: this thorough understanding of flesh and bone, applied to combat...

But his thoughts quickly returned to Zhou Mu himself, scanning inch by inch — the frail frame, the slender limbs, the mask hiding half his face, leaving only a pair of shining eyes reflecting the ribs.

Truly — weak and ferocious at once.

How to put it — unexpectedly, a very likable little creature.

This was not merely because You Qi hadn't kept a pet since kindergarten — most creatures instinctively kept their distance from him. Hardwired by genetics, both innate fear and learned behavior taught them not to approach a Fierce Beast.

You Qi tapped the table with his fingers: 'Tell me if you need anything else.'

Zhou Mu was even happier: 'Thank you! You're so nice!'

You Qi: ? That was the first time he'd heard that.

Half an hour later, the roasted ribs were done.

Just as Zhou Mu had imagined, the high heat triggered a browning reaction on the surface — a perfect golden, with slightly charred edges. Bits of spice dotted the skin between the sizzling beads of oil, the sauce already baked in, and even the small bit of bone poking out from the meat looked so cute he wanted to gnaw it.

One never tires of the finest food, the most carefully sliced meat.

Zhou Mu, raised among the Human Race, had certain standards when it came to food.

He couldn't wait to take a bite — feeling the tender, cohesive meat peel away from the bone layer by layer between his teeth, the rich juices wrapped beneath the crisp outer skin flooding his mouth.

'Amazing, waaah, Tiger Hawk, Tiger Hawk, I have to write this down — Tiger Hawk is delicious.' Zhou Mu's face was full of emotion. He pushed the plate toward You Qi, hesitated, then picked out the smallest piece as thanks to the raw-material supplier: 'Eat it while it's hot!'

You Qi tilted his head and watched quietly.

He wasn't particularly fond of eating like this, but something about Zhou Mu's manner inexplicably pleased him. He reached out a hand.

That hand didn't reach for the plate in midair — it passed over and landed squarely on Zhou Mu's head. A pat.

Zhou Mu: 'Mm?'

He looked at You Qi with only mild puzzlement, not the slightest intention of dodging.

You Qi ruffled his hair absentmindedly, said offhandedly: 'You eat.'

Zhou Mu's gaze at him gained a few threads of pity: Maybe the Mouth Cage can't be taken off by himself, so he can't eat — how sad, waaah waaah waaah hahahaha hehe I can have another piece.

Zhou Mu cheered up quickly, gnawing ribs as he sighed: 'Something seems missing.'

You Qi: '?'

.

Hualing Academy not only had a Canteen — it was quite large.

And because this was a comprehensive institution that admitted students of all races, every kind of food was available. Not quite everything under the sun, but actually not as barren as Zhou Mu had feared.

After the Opening Ceremony, Chun Shijiu headed straight for the Canteen. Today, savoring yesterday's taste of Zhou Mu, he drank an extra two liang of wine.

Sigh. Little monster, why do you keep hiding from me — didn't you hear the Principal call out You Qi by name today as a warning?

Right, he had to go talk some sense into Zhou Mu. Living with You Qi was too dangerous.

Move in with him instead — at least... anyway... at least it wouldn't be so scary.

On his way back to the dorm, he'd only reached the stairwell when he saw a crowd of students gathered at a careful distance around Room 1203's door, buzzing with discussion.

Hm?

Chun Shijiu sniffed, catching a thread of charred, savory meat-scent in the air. Even though he'd just eaten, the smell was tempting enough — but when he drew closer, he heard the others discussing:

'What kind of pill smells this good? And it has a meat flavor??'

'What pill is You Qi refining, anyway! It's killing me with how good it smells.'

'Who's going to knock and ask?'

'You dare? Just passing by gets you a five-minute spray from that Door-Protecting Grass — damn, foul mouth.'

Chun Shijiu clicked his tongue. Many people still didn't know You Qi had a roommate — they actually thought the meaty aroma was You Qi refining pills.

He hadn't drunk too much today. Chun Shijiu stepped forward and, before the Door-Protecting Grass could speak: 'Oh, I know, I'm a freak.'

Door-Protecting Grass: '...'

The Door-Protecting Grass said: '&*%￥# I swear you've got some nerve, I XXXXXX have never seen anyone so XXXX, if I had hands I'd swing them around and slap you XXX all the way to the Classroom!'

Chun Shijiu turned a deaf ear, pounded on the door and shouted: 'You Qi, are you secretly eating my stored Zhou Mu? Open up, share half with me!'

At that moment, Room 1203's door opened and You Qi appeared.

Even though people had been gathered there moments ago, the moment they saw You Qi's face, everyone collectively remembered urgent business and scattered.

'Class is starting, class is starting.'

'Going back to the dorm to collect laundry.'

You Qi's gaze settled on the only one who hadn't moved — Chun Shijiu. He said: 'Perfect timing. Where's your Tripod Cauldron? Lend it to me.'

'Don't you have your own? Never seen you borrow from me before.' Though he said this, Chun Shijiu still opened his door and fetched his pill-refining Tripod Cauldron, trying at the same time to peek into Room 1203 and catch a glimpse of Zhou Mu.

Door-Protecting Grass kept up the output: 'You XXX what kind of thing are you, don't you know yourself hehehehehe, even when borrowing things don't act so entitled XXXXX'

Zhou Mu was hiding behind You Qi, reaching out to take Chun Shijiu's Tripod Cauldron — but the moment he saw Chun Shijiu's face, he immediately hugged the cauldron and ducked back inside.

Chun Shijiu called after him with a regretful face: 'Why are you hiding from me? So that's why you needed a cauldron — you didn't have one ready when school just started, right? You should've said so earlier, would I not lend it? My cauldron's brand new — if you'd move in with me—'

Door-Protecting Grass, ever professional: 'Get lost XXXXXX don't come to my house acting like a pervert, you're so oily XXXX!'

Just then, Chun Shijiu caught a whiff of fire — fire alone was nothing unusual, what pill-refining didn't involve fire? But beyond that, there was also the scent of some kind of plant fruit. Where had he smelled it before? The Canteen, maybe...

Chun Shijiu felt a bad premonition: 'Zhou Mu! What are you refining in my Tripod Cauldron?'

Facing him, Zhou Mu's voice wavered: 'Making rice crust.'

The point being, ribs without rice just didn't feel complete enough.

Chun Shijiu: '...'

Holy shit!!!

Chun Shijiu couldn't hold it together — he lunged for the cauldron.

Zhou Mu inside, as if reading his thoughts, said in a wronged little voice: 'You just said you'd lend it to me.'

Chun Shijiu's face was iron-gray.

It was because he hadn't known what Zhou Mu would use it for — the Nine Star Cauldron he'd saved up three months to buy, never once lit, was about to suffer such an indignity.

Chun Shijiu tried to enter and have a proper talk with Zhou Mu, but You Qi stood motionless, blocking the doorway. He thought: this is revenge, this must be revenge!

You Qi had always lived alone — it was because of Chun Shijiu that Zhou Mu had been led to his dorm. And this little monster raised among the Human Race was stubborn; even this hadn't scared him off.

You Qi had gotten himself into trouble — this time he probably wanted to watch Chun Shijiu make a fool of himself. After all, if Zhou Yu was born, why was Zhuge Liang...

Chun Shijiu imagined all sorts of things.

But the Nine Star Cauldron was already gone — his dignity couldn't be lost too.

Chun Shijiu forced a faint smile, put on a show, and said with a threatening edge: 'I meant for you to use it properly. Don't let anything happen.'

Zhou Mu, all innocence: 'Don't worry, I know my limits. I rarely burn the pot.'

Chun Shijiu: '...'

Door-Protecting Grass: 'Dying laughing.'

Chun Shijiu: '...'

.

'&#%￥ Did you wash it properly!' Chun Shijiu, brimming with grievance, held the Tripod Cauldron Zhou Mu had returned and peered inside — he really was afraid Zhou Mu had scorched it.

'I washed it.' Zhou Mu said.

Chun Shijiu narrowed his eyes at him, leaned in close to his cheek: 'This meal's on me, but I'll collect someday.'

Zhou Mu's throat bobbed a few times as he retreated into the bounds of Room 1203.

'You haven't done the Orientation Training yet, do you really think... there's a safe place.' Chun Shijiu smiled faintly, closed his own dorm door with the cauldron in his arms. 'One day, you'll come find me yourself.'

Zhou Mu closed his door too.

The Orientation Training Chun Shijiu mentioned — Teacher Luo Guanzhong had also spoken of it.

Hualing Academy didn't have military training after the start of term like Human Race schools — but correspondingly, they had Orientation Training.

Because Hualing had stood for several hundred years — as the Dean of Studies and Principal had warned — there were quite a few taboos within the School. New students who stumbled into one by accident could lose their lives. Since its founding, such incidents had never been in short supply.

From this, one could see that Orientation Training was quite necessary.

This training wasn't full-time — it was conducted during off-class hours and lasted half a month.

Now, Zhou Mu was about to complete this training.

As notified, Zhou Mu came to the School's Great Hall to assemble...

Note: this Orientation Training was for those coming to Hualing for the first time. As mentioned before, although Hualing was a comprehensive institution, due to geography and other reasons, outsiders rarely gained admission.

The higher the grade, the more so.

This year, among Zhou Mu's grade, the number of new outside students was so scarce that he was the only one — the rest had come up through the main School or branch campuses.

And because the Yao Clan had come to value education more and more, it was also rare for someone to enroll at an advanced age.

Having said all this, what it really means is...

'Bro, what grade are you in? How'd you get so tall?' A primary-school-section freshman, one meter four, hands on hips, looked up at Zhou Mu and struck up a conversation.

Zhou Mu: '...'