Chapter 33
Chapter 33: Beat Them Into a Pighead and Ask If They Yield—Even a Headshot Costs Points
Beat them until they liked her. Beat them until they behaved. Jiang Tea Tea approved.
“Deal,” she said. “That’s settled.”
Sui Xuan Chu nodded. “Then I’ll go tell them.”
In just a handful of exchanges, he pulled together an eight-person team.
Two females. Five beastfolk males. One halfbeastfolk male.
All eight were first-year students: two abilityless cadets from the Pacification Department, one from the Combat Department, one from the Reconnaissance Department, one from the Intelligence Department, one medical water user, one from the Disguise Department, and one from the Information Department.
After they formed the team, the next day after classes ended, they agreed to meet at the training grounds to get acquainted and build coordination.
The training grounds were far from the Pacification Department. By the time Jiang Tea Tea and Huang Da Zhuang arrived, everyone else was already there.
Huang Da Zhuang stepped through the door, saw the group clustered around Sui Xuan Chu, and lit up like a puppy spotting its favorite toy. “Sister Tea, Sister Tea—don’t tell me those people sitting with Chief Sui Xuan Chu are our teammates?”
Jiang Tea Tea glanced at him. “Why are you shaking? Did they beat you up?”
Huang Da Zhuang almost choked. “I wish they’d beat me up. They’re all so aloof they can’t even be bothered to look at me.”
Every one of them was a top student in their department. Every one of them had an ability. None of their ranks were below S-rank. To Huang Da Zhuang—an abilityless nobody—they were untouchable.
Jiang Tea Tea looked him up and down, saw his ears about to droop, and said, “Your beast form is big and fierce. You can take on a mutant tiger. You’re not weak.”
Huang Da Zhuang’s puppy eyes brightened instantly. “Seriously? In your eyes, Sister Tea, I’m big and fierce—like a wolf clan image?”
Jiang Tea Tea humored him like a child. “Yes.”
Then she tipped her chin. “So lift your head. Puff your chest. If they won’t look at you, don’t look at them.”
Huang Da Zhuang barked a single “Woof!” like a pledge. “Got it!”
Jiang Tea Tea led him toward the group.
The training grounds were huge; their group wasn’t the only one meeting. Other squads were also sitting in circles, getting acquainted, testing chemistry.
Sui Xuan Chu saw them arrive, waved, and shifted to make space for two seats.
When Jiang Tea Tea and Huang Da Zhuang sat down, Sui Xuan Chu began introductions in a straightforward, no-nonsense voice.
“Jiang Tea Tea. Pacification Department. No ability. Pure human female.”
“Huang Da Zhuang. Pacification Department. Canine beastfolk male. No ability.”
“Cheng Xiao Ting. Reconnaissance Department. Wolf clan beastfolk. 2S-rank gale-sprint ability.”
“Yan Yu. Intelligence Department. Fox clan halfbeastfolk male. 2S-rank blink ability.”
“Cheng Lin Yue. Healing Department. Pika-kind female. S-rank water-element ability.”
“Ju Que. Disguise Department. Feline beastfolk male. 2S-rank hypnosis ability.”
“Zhang Ting Zhou. Information Department. Octopus-kind male. S-rank chromatic mutation ability.”
“And me. Sui Xuan Chu. Red-black dragon clan beastfolk male. 2S-rank lightning-element ability.”
Huang Da Zhuang grinned and dipped his head, polite and earnest. “Hello, everyone. I’m very happy to meet you. It’s an honor to team up with you.”
Silence answered him.
It fell like winter wind—bleak, cold, empty. Not a single person responded.
Huang Da Zhuang’s smile stiffened. He glanced at Jiang Tea Tea, uncertain, his puppy eyes wobbling.
Jiang Tea Tea’s mind flashed to the dog she’d raised back in the demon clan. Fine, bully her if you dared—but bully her dog?
No.
Her gaze slid to Sui Xuan Chu.
Sui Xuan Chu met her eyes, expression loose like this was normal. He cracked his knuckles, fingers popping.
Jiang Tea Tea understood.
She stood, ruffled Huang Da Zhuang’s yellow hair, and looked down at the other five like a judge.
“Huang Da Zhuang greeted you,” she said. “Are you all mute?”
Cheng Lin Yue raised a hand timidly, voice trembling. “I-I’m not mute. I’m just… socially anxious. I’m timid. I’m scared of canines.”
Jiang Tea Tea’s mouth hooked into a crooked smile. “That’s funny. You’re scared of Huang Da Zhuang, but you’re not scared of the wolf sitting right beside you. Come on—tell me. Who are you looking down on?”
Cheng Lin Yue waved her hands frantically. “I-I’m scared of him too! But he’s my roommate. I’m… used to being scared.”
Cheng Xiao Ting leaned back and gave Jiang Tea Tea a smug, wicked grin—the kind that begged to be punched.
Zhang Ting Zhou and the others wore the same look: nostrils tilted up, eyes half-lidded, watching like it was entertainment.
Jiang Tea Tea’s smile vanished.
Her fist snapped forward with a whistling rush of air and slammed straight into Cheng Xiao Ting’s face.
Cheng Xiao Ting’s expression twisted. He shoved Cheng Lin Yue aside and tried to dodge, but he was still half a beat too slow.
Bang.
Jiang Tea Tea’s fist landed. His head snapped back, and the back of his skull cracked against the floor.
He flipped up with a snarl and swung at her.
Jiang Tea Tea’s kick shot out—fast as lightning—then shot out again. She nailed both his knees.
He dropped with a thud, forced onto his knees.
Jiang Tea Tea stepped in and started punching like a piston—left, right, left, right—hammering that arrogant face until it swelled like dough. Blood spilled from his mouth. He couldn’t find a single opening to strike back.
When she was done with his face, she circled behind him and kicked him square in the back, sending him face-first toward Huang Da Zhuang. Then she planted her foot on his back.
“Now,” she said, voice sharp, “say hello to Huang Da Zhuang.”
“Fuck you—” Cheng Xiao Ting started.
Jiang Tea Tea pressed down like a mountain, crushing him flat. Before he could finish the curse, her hand snapped to his arm.
Crack.
She twisted and broke it.
“Say hello,” she repeated, almost bored. “Say it.”
Cheng Xiao Ting’s teeth chattered. His whole body trembled. “O-okay! Classmate Huang Da Zhuang… I’m… glad to meet you. And Classmate Jiang Tea Tea. It’s an honor to team up with you.”
Jiang Tea Tea released his broken arm, lifted her foot, then kicked him hard in the ass.
He slid even closer to Huang Da Zhuang.
Huang Da Zhuang yelped and hopped back, ending up behind Sui Xuan Chu. His eyes shone with stunned devotion.
Sister Tea was legendary.
Jiang Tea Tea didn’t stop.
She turned and went straight for Yan Yu.
Halfbeastfolk males couldn’t fully hide their beast traits the way beastfolk and beastfolk females could after transforming. Yan Yu had a large, fluffy red tail that refused to vanish.
After watching Cheng Xiao Ting get folded with no chance to counter, Yan Yu had been itching to fight.
He didn’t expect Jiang Tea Tea to come at him first.
He activated blink and flashed behind her. His tail snapped out like a whip.
Jiang Tea Tea’s hand shot up.
Her target had been his tail from the start. He’d handed it to her.
Demon power pressed down. She seized that red tail like a handle and swung Yan Yu like a living sledgehammer—straight at Ju Que and Zhang Ting Zhou.
Ju Que and Zhang Ting Zhou thought she was going to fight them one by one.
They didn’t realize they didn’t deserve a one-by-one beating.
They scrambled to dodge, but Jiang Tea Tea swung Yan Yu again and again. Hit or miss didn’t matter. The point was the smashing.
Minutes later, Yan Yu’s pretty red hair was a tangled nest. His delicate face had swollen into a mess.
Ju Que and Zhang Ting Zhou ran until they were panting; every time they slowed, Yan Yu’s body slammed into them again.
Twenty minutes later, Jiang Tea Tea wasn’t winded. She wasn’t even flushed.
Ju Que, Zhang Ting Zhou, and Yan Yu, however, were battered back into beast form, sprawled and wheezing, aching everywhere.
Jiang Tea Tea dragged their beast forms and dropped them in front of Huang Da Zhuang. “Now. You three. Say hello.”
How did beasts say hello?
They couldn’t.
So they lifted trembling paws and octopus tentacles and waved at him, pathetic and obedient.
Sui Xuan Chu gave Jiang Tea Tea a thumbs-up, then pointed at Cheng Lin Yue. “She didn’t greet him either. You want to beat her too?”
Cheng Lin Yue’s eyes went huge. “Classmate Jiang, I wasn’t refusing! I really have social anxiety!”
“Waaah… you beat them already, you can’t beat me too! My beast form weighs less than two pounds. I can’t take one punch from you!”
Jiang Tea Tea dusted her hands like she’d finished a chore. “You’re cute. I won’t hit you.”
She flicked a glance at Cheng Xiao Ting. “But if your roommate—the wolf—ever bullies you again, come find me. I can beat people, and I can skin wolves.”
Cheng Lin Yue nodded so fast she looked like a pecking chick. “Yes! Thank you! If you ever feel unwell, come to me. I’m in Healing. I’ll treat you—I won’t charge you.”
Jiang Tea Tea grunted. “Good.”
Then she turned away like she’d done something ordinary. “Keep working. Keep coordinating. Keep learning to get along. I’m going to eat.”
Huang Da Zhuang followed instantly. “Sister Tea, me too!”
They strode off together.
Only after they left did the four battered ones finally release the breath they’d been holding. Then the whining began.
Sui Xuan Chu opened his lightbrain, snapped a neat nine-grid photo—one human and three beasts—then squatted in front of them and grinned.
“I told you,” he said, gloating, “don’t judge people through a door crack. Don’t look down on them with dog eyes. You wouldn’t listen.”
“Now look at you. Beaten back into beast form. Pathetic.”
Cheng Xiao Ting, face swollen like a pig’s and one arm broken, lifted his middle finger at Sui Xuan Chu.
Sui Xuan Chu grabbed it.
Crack.
He snapped that finger too, then widened his eyes in fake surprise. “Cheng Lin Yue! Your roommate’s finger broke! Hurry, call a transport robot. Get them to the Medical Department for treatment. We can’t have them missing the championship.”
Cheng Xiao Ting groaned, slammed his head against the floor, and played dead—swearing that if Sui Xuan Chu ever fell into his hands, he’d pluck every last scale and break every dragon claw.
—
Jiang Tea Tea and Huang Da Zhuang hit the cafeteria like a raid, ate their fill, and went back to their dorms. Study when it was time to study. Sleep when it was time to sleep. They didn’t care about squad registration or naming—Sui Xuan Chu and the others handled it.
Two days for manual team formation passed. One day for system matching passed. Another two days passed.
No one announced when they’d leave.
Just as the whole academy settled into restless waiting—thinking the notice could come anytime within the next week—at 3 a.m., every dorm exploded with a sharp alarm and an instructor’s loud, obnoxious voice.
“Dear classmates, darlings—wake up. The thirty military academy championship officially begins. You have thirty minutes to gather at the school’s largest field. Latecomers lose fifty credits!”
Students jolted awake across campus. They rolled out of bed in panic, throwing on clothes, forcing shoes on crooked.
Before half of them could even get their laces tied, the alarm blared again.
“Dear classmates, darlings—I forgot to mention: on your way to the field, the instructor team has prepared attack training. Lose a hand, a foot, or an arm—minus ten credits. Get your head blasted—minus twenty!”