Chapter 109

Chapter 109: Hyped Up on Adrenaline, They Went to Study the Cub’s Father’s Famous Battle

Jiang Tea Tea’s mouth twitched as her soul left her body.

She asked the only question that mattered. “Does the study plan table actually say we have to memorize the criminal code during meal breaks?”

“It doesn’t, does it? Are you sure you didn’t misread? Or did your uncle add it again?”

Sui Xuan Chu blinked innocently with his disguised red-black eyes. “It does. The Empire’s criminal code has eight hundred fifty-eight articles. My uncle wants us to memorize sixty a day. Thirty days in a month—so we finish it two and a half times.”

“Also, he told me you’re smarter than me. You’ll probably memorize it three and a half times, maybe four and a half. He believes in you. I believe in you too.”

Jiang Tea Tea’s lips curled into pure misery. “Thank you. Thank you for believing in me. Long live the Commander-in-Chief.”

Fine. Let’s compete. Let’s see who breaks first.

She refused to believe she’d be crushed to death by his schedule.

Sui Xuan Chu coughed. “Roommate, be normal. I didn’t even blame you for dragging me into this. Why are you being so sarcastic?”

Jiang Tea Tea snorted. “Who’s being sarcastic? I’m thanking your uncle for letting me go to bed at ten.”

Sui Xuan Chu corrected her with cheerful cruelty. “No, no. My dear roommate, you won’t be in bed at ten.”

“After 9:30 p.m. training ends, you go back and do homework, write summaries and reflections, and preview tomorrow’s classes.”

“That takes until at least 12:30 or 1:00 a.m. Then you wash up. Earliest you’re in bed? Probably 1:30.”

“Tomorrow’s schedule is different—four classes. Morning 8:00 to 12:00, you’re in Healing Department and Pacification Department. I’m in Emergency Trauma Care Department. 12:00 to 1:00, lunch and criminal code. 1:00 to 5:00—”

Jiang Tea Tea raised a hand. “Okay. Stop. One day at a time. Let’s survive today before talking about tomorrow.”

She was a tea tree, not a bitter gourd vine.

Sui Xuan Chu nodded. “Fine. Go wash up. I’ll wait here. Move faster. Show some energy.”

Jiang Tea Tea slammed the door in his face.

For dragon blood.

For the cubs.

For restoring her magic power.

She endured.

*

She washed at record speed, pulled on her combat uniform and boots, and ran out with Sui Xuan Chu toward the main field.

They weren’t the only ones. Along the way, they ran into Cheng Xiao Ting, Huang Da Zhuang, Cheng Lin Yue, and the rest.

The six looked like they’d been injected with adrenaline—excited, happy, bouncing.

“Sister Tea! Sui Xuan Chu! Good morning! From today on, the eight of us study together and switch departments together!”

“Sister Tea, thank you! I told my mom and dad yesterday. They said when we have a break, they’ll invite you to our home. They’ll cook for you, make you good drinks!”

“Me too! My family—my mom and dad, my grandparents, my maternal grandparents—all heard your name. They’re obsessed with you. They want to come see you during break!”

“My parents said if I don’t learn well, you can hit me and scold me. If you beat me crippled, toss me into a medical pod—they’ll pay!”

They were so loud that other cadets on their morning runs kept looking over.

Jiang Tea Tea watched them with complicated pity. They were cubs—young, naive, easily charmed. They’d never seen truly seductive demons and celestial beauties. They’d only learned how to worship Old Loach like he was the sun.

Still, seeing their bright faces, she didn’t have the heart to crush their joy.

She smiled. “Work hard. Become your families’ pride. Become your idol husband’s pillars.”

The six nodded like their lives depended on it. “Yes, Sister Tea! We won’t let you down! We won’t let our male idol down!”

At the main field, Jiang Tea Tea saw just how many people trained at dawn. Some weren’t even running light—they were weighted down, legs strapped, backs burdened with dozens of pounds.

Beastfolk bodies were terrifying. Even with weight, they ran like predators, leaving others behind.

Huang Da Zhuang, Cheng Xiao Ting, Sui Xuan Chu, and the other males were fast too, as if competing to see who could suffer more.

Cheng Lin Yue ran beside Jiang Tea Tea, worry in her eyes. “Sister Tea, you—”

“I’m fine,” Jiang Tea Tea said. “Moderate exercise is good for me. Run your pace. Don’t worry.”

Cheng Lin Yue trusted her blindly. “Okay. I’ll stay near you. If you feel unwell, tell me immediately.”

“You don’t need to stay,” Jiang Tea Tea said. “You have to hit thirty kilometers in ninety minutes to meet the excellent standard.”

“I… I’ll do twenty,” Cheng Lin Yue admitted. “I’m just training my body. My main focus is other departments.”

Cheng Lin Yue thought about it and nodded. Jiang Tea Tea’s excellence didn’t need running to decorate it—she’d already outrun everyone in the competition.

Cheng Lin Yue sped up. “Then I’ll aim for thirty. I won’t disappoint my idol.”

“Go,” Jiang Tea Tea urged. “Go.”

Cheng Lin Yue quickly vanished ahead.

Jiang Tea Tea murmured a spell under her breath and began absorbing spiritual energy even as she ran.

Her cubs were calm—fed by the soothing mental pressure she’d absorbed in the last two days. Running was nothing.

Sui Xuan Chu, as Crown Prince, set an example. He ran forty kilometers.

Cheng Xiao Ting, Huang Da Zhuang, Ju Que, Yan Yu—wolf, dog, big cat, fox—were built for speed. Each ran fifty.

Zhang Ting Zhou, the deep-sea giant octopus beastfolk, gritted his teeth and ran thirty-five, chanting to himself that he couldn’t disappoint his idol.

Cheng Lin Yue, the rabbit beastfolk female, ran thirty.

Jiang Tea Tea ran twenty—face calm, breath steady, not a bead of sweat on her forehead.

After training, they returned to their dorms, showered, changed into uniforms, and met at the canteen.

They ate at lightning speed, then arrived early to class and sat down for review.

A massive tiered lecture hall.

Only their eight-person group was there early.

Others trickled in around 7:50, with most showing up in the last two minutes—some sliding into seats at 7:59.

As they entered, they couldn’t help staring at the front row where those eight sat.

Why were the competition champions sitting in their Campaign Analysis class?

Shouldn’t they be in their own departments?

And the front row, of all places—where only top students, high-pressure types, or shamelessly confident people sat.

The instructor arrived exactly at 8:00.

He wasn’t young. He was one hundred and ninety-five years old, posture straight, hair streaked, eyes bright and sharp.

After the students stood and saluted, he spoke in a booming voice.

“Before class begins, I have a few words. You’ve gained eight new classmates.”

“They come from the first-year Pacification Department, Healing Department, Reconnaissance Department, Intelligence Department, Disguise Department, Information Department, Combat Department…”

“As for their names, I won’t list them one by one. If you don’t know who they are, check the school boards or the school intranet.”

“In the coming days, these eight will study alongside you. If they outperform you and earn excellent grades, they can apply to skip grades.”

“And I hope you’ll work hard too. No more arriving at the last minute. No more coming without textbooks, Lightbrain, paper—waiting for me to remind you, hoping I don’t notice.”

Everyone except Jiang Tea Tea’s group sat up straighter, shame painted across their faces.

“Good. Now,” the teacher said, “we begin.”

“Today we will analyze a famous battle: the Ju Xi Star campaign.”

He tapped a control panel, and a massive projection lit up behind him.

“The Ju Xi Star campaign took place one hundred and thirty years ago.”

“Commander-in-Chief Chong Ming led a fleet of 3,582 ships, fought for twenty-eight days, and annihilated Ju Xi Nation—absorbing the star-system territory it governed into Zhen Lin Empire.”

“It was one of Chong Ming’s most famous signature victories—one that remains unmatched.”