Chapter 104
Chapter 104: Old Loach Finally Learns He’s Called Old Loach—and Educates Jiang Tea Tea on How She’s Breaking the Law
Chong Ming’s golden eyes sharpened.
He hadn’t even spoken before Jiang Tea Tea swung her leg and kicked Bai Mu Yuan squarely.
“What the hell is wrong with you? Pursuing me and asking someone else to ‘witness’ it? Who are you trying to morally kidnap?”
Bai Mu Yuan was caught completely off guard. He nearly rolled down the ramp.
A guard at the hatch shot out a foot, blocked him, then shoved him back onto the ship—right at Jiang Tea Tea’s feet.
Jiang Tea Tea pivoted and kicked again, slamming him into the ship’s wall.
Bai Mu Yuan hit with a booming crack and spat a mouthful of blood.
Sui Xuan Chu and Huang Da Zhuang and the others silently lifted their thumbs toward Jiang Tea Tea.
Sister Tea really was Sister Tea.
If she could use her feet, she didn’t waste words. If she could hit someone, she didn’t drag it out. Clean, brutal, and ridiculously cool.
Bai Mu Yuan wiped blood from his mouth, forcing indignation through the pain. “Jiang Tea Tea, I’m pursuing you. That’s not some unforgivable crime. How can you just hit people?”
Jiang Tea Tea clicked her tongue, contemptuous. “You say you’re pursuing me, and you just do it? Did you ask me?”
“No. You didn’t ask me. You asked the Commander-in-Chief to be your witness. What, you think I’m blind? You wanted him to pressure me.”
That little white dragon brat thought he could play mind games with her like she was the fake heiress of this world—someone who only knew how to talk.
She had fists. She had feet.
Bai Mu Yuan’s scheme was dragged into the light. His face went pale, then flushed, then pale again. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Chong Ming.
Sui Xuan Chu stepped in, voice calm and cruelly logical. “Roommate, it’s not just pressure.”
“He also knows you’re now officially certified as a 3S-rank plant-type healer. When he asked you to name a price, you said one billion per person. He didn’t accept it.”
“So he came up with a filthy method: ‘pursue’ you and ask the Commander-in-Chief to witness it. He’s betting that because he’s white dragon clan and 4S rank, and because the Commander-in-Chief is witnessing, you won’t dare refuse.”
“If you don’t refuse, you become his girlfriend—his fiancée. And then he can ‘properly’ demand you soothe his mind sea and clear his backlash for free.”
Sui Xuan Chu clapped his hands loudly, dripping with mockery. “Come on, everyone. Applaud. Senior Bai Mu Yuan really is the pride of the galaxy.”
Huang Da Zhuang, Ju Que, Cheng Lin Yue, and the others clapped too, palms snapping with ridicule.
“Yeah, yeah. What a genius. Took one kick and couldn’t even dodge. Still thinks he can pursue Sister Tea. Who gave you that courage?”
“To low-level nobodies like us, sure, your 4S-rank mental power is impressive. But at least we don’t get beaten like this with no dignity.”
“Is this what males are like these days? Moral kidnapping and freeloading as a dating strategy? Disgusting.”
“If you really want to play like that, I’ll go to your white dragon clan and pursue your females. Give you a taste of your own medicine.”
Chong Ming’s gaze swept over Jiang Tea Tea’s squad.
They were young. Their mental power levels weren’t high.
But they were unexpectedly united—standing shoulder to shoulder, hostile as one.
Soldiers like this could be trusted on a battlefield. Comrades could safely turn their backs to them.
Bai Mu Yuan kept his head lowered, trembling. He hadn’t expected Jiang Tea Tea to blow his scheme apart so brutally, right in front of Chong Ming.
Jiang Tea Tea wasn’t done.
She grabbed Bai Mu Yuan by the collar, hauled him up, and shoved him in front of Chong Ming like a hostage.
Then she looked at Chong Ming and launched a broadside that hit everyone.
“Commander-in-Chief, your Dragon Clan really is uneven as hell.”
Chong Ming’s face stayed expressionless, golden eyes cold and still. But the invisible pressure he radiated sliced into Bai Mu Yuan like a blade.
“You’re right, Jiang Tea Tea.”
Jiang Tea Tea tilted her head. “So do we have your Adjutant send this thing down, or should I send him down?”
Chong Ming handed her the choice. “What do you think?”
Jiang Tea Tea tossed Bai Mu Yuan toward Adjutant Ai. “Have your Adjutant send him down.”
“And have your Adjutant tell their principal and classmates that some people want mind-sea soothing and backlash calming but don’t want to pay—so they try to freeload by ‘pursuing’ a healer.”
“That’s an insult to females. Their school needs regulations and warnings for every female on campus so nobody gets fooled by shameless males.”
Chong Ming nodded. “Do as you said.”
Bai Mu Yuan’s voice shook. “Commander-in-Chief—”
Chong Ming lifted a hand. Adjutant Ai twisted Bai Mu Yuan’s arms behind his back and dragged him down the ramp like a criminal.
*
Twenty minutes earlier, the cadets had already been sent down. The school leadership, notified by Adjutant Ai, had gathered with a crowd of students on the main field, waiting for the Commander-in-Chief’s warship to circle overhead in a glorious show of honor.
They were thrilled. Proud. Almost trembling with it.
They watched their second-place squad members descend.
But their squad leader—Bai Mu Yuan—didn’t come down.
They assumed Chong Ming was giving him special instructions.
They waited… and waited…
Then Adjutant Ai appeared, hauling Bai Mu Yuan down like a prisoner.
Bai Mu Yuan’s face was ghost-white. Blood stained his mouth. His hair was a mess. His dragon horns were injured, still bleeding. He looked like he’d been beaten half to death.
The principal rushed forward, demanding an explanation.
Adjutant Ai repeated everything—clearly, loudly, without softening a single word—then turned and went back up. The ramp withdrew.
The warship should have circled the academy once.
It didn’t.
It rose into the sky and flew toward Royal Military Academy instead.
The Airborne Command Academy’s shining moment vanished like smoke.
And because Adjutant Ai hadn’t lowered his voice, Bai Mu Yuan’s scheme spread through the entire school within minutes.
Students whispered, mocked, and spat disgusted jokes. By the time it hit Starnet, the scandal had mutated into a feeding frenzy: people digging up the healer’s profile, screaming that she was eighteen, a first-year in the pacification department, the only 3S-rank mutant plant-type healer in M31—and that her healing could even boost a person’s ability rank.
Offers jumped from millions to tens of millions.
The galaxy wanted her.
Jiang Tea Tea knew none of it.
By the time the ship hovered above Royal Military Academy and Chong Ming began sending her and her team down, he said quietly, “Jiang Tea Tea, your healer identity has been certified. I reposted it, and the official accounts reposted it as well.”
“Now the entire galaxy knows you’re the Zhen Lin Empire’s 3S-grade mutant plant-type healer.”
“When you return to school, follow the study plan I gave you. If anyone disturbs you or tries to force you into treating them—no matter who they are—if you don’t want to, or the payment isn’t enough, message Secretary Wen or Adjutant Ai.”
“Their contact numbers are at the bottom of your study plan. Add them. If something urgent happens, contact them immediately. They’ll handle any unnecessary trouble.”
Jiang Tea Tea still hadn’t gotten this month’s dragon blood. She nodded, then turned to Sui Xuan Chu.
“Roommate, you take them down first. I need to say something to Chong Ming.”
Sui Xuan Chu didn’t want to leave—he wanted to hear what secrets his roommate and his uncle were hiding.
But… he didn’t dare.
Once the seven of them were gone, Jiang Tea Tea shamelessly pulled out three empty blood bottles.
“Commander-in-Chief, we agreed: if I do well, you give me two bottles of dragon blood per month.”
“I got first place by a wide margin. Our squad got first by a wide margin. So—one extra bottle for this month, plus two months’ worth in advance.”
“Three bottles total. Thank you.”
Chong Ming stared, speechless for a beat. “If you put this kind of dedication toward my dragon blood into your studies, your future would be limitless.”
Jiang Tea Tea smiled sweetly. “My future is limitless even without dedicating myself to studying.”
“Hurry up. I’m waiting.”
Chong Ming took her three empty bottles, stored them in his Storage Button, then drew out three filled ones.
Jiang Tea Tea’s eyes lit up. She reached for them, smug and bright. “So you prepared them already. Thanks, Old Loach.”
Chong Ming lifted his hand, easily dodging her grasp. His golden eyes glittered with danger.
“Old Loach. That’s what you called me?”
Jiang Tea Tea’s hand closed on air. Her gaze stayed glued to the dragon blood hovering just out of reach. She threw the blame instantly.
“Your precious nephew calls you that. I learned it from him. If you have a problem, go yell at him.”
Down on campus, Sui Xuan Chu sneezed hard, suddenly convinced someone was cursing him out of envy.
Chong Ming’s tone turned meaningfully calm. “Oh?”
“My nephew gave me the nickname ‘Old Loach.’ Very… distinctive.”
“Tell him to copy out the Empire’s criminal code.”
Jiang Tea Tea nodded rapidly. “Yes, yes. I’ll deliver the message and make sure he doesn’t slack off. About the dragon blood—”
Chong Ming looked down at her as if he hadn’t heard. “I’ll also have the Empire’s laws organized and sent to you. When you have time, read them. Flip through them. Memorize them.”
“So when someone tries something in front of you, you can cite the law and tell them clearly: you’re breaking it.”
“For example, casually giving someone a nickname like that can count as infringing reputation rights—public insult and defamation.”