Chapter 30: The Master’s New Familiar

Su Liyue and Mu Wanqing naturally gravitated towards each other, forming a team as they made their way to the secluded corner of the training grounds.

Perched gracefully on Mu Wanqing’s shoulder, Jiuwu meticulously preened its feathers, occasionally nudging her hair with its beak to subtly guide their path.

“It’s much quieter over here,” Mu Wanqing remarked, unfolding a blueprint for a magic array.

Descending from her shoulder, Jiuwu then swept its tail feathers along the diagram’s edge, leaving a shimmering circle of golden light in its wake.

Su Liyue cast a discreet glance towards Ye Xingchen, who stood nearby in his male form. The instant their eyes met, a silent, knowing understanding passed between them, as if they’d communicated volumes without a single word.

With an air of composed confidence, Ye Xingchen strode across the training grounds, ultimately taking a place beside them, much to the astonishment of the onlookers.

The expressions of the surrounding students instantly shifted, becoming subtly charged with curiosity:

“Quick, look! The Alchemy Maniac is heading straight for the two campus beauties! What’s going on? Is he trying to worm his way into their group?

As if Su Liyue, the campus belle, and Mu Wanqing, the goddess, would let just anyone join their team! If he actually gets in, I’ll bet two bowls of mashed potatoes he’ll be brutally shot down.”

“Hush, have you forgotten? Didn’t Ye Xingchen just sign some sort of boyfriend-familiar contract with Su Liyue, the campus belle?

He’s the first mage in history to achieve such a feat! Perhaps he possesses a certain masculine charm in other aspects that we don’t know about.”

“Even if he did sign a familiar contract with Su Liyue, that doesn’t mean others will accept him, does it? After all, Mu Wanqing is already part of Su Liyue’s team. Is he seriously planning to just walk over and suggest a ménage à trois?”

‘Rejected by myself? My apologies, but I fear I’m about to disappoint every one of you.’

Ye Xingchen, however, merely feigned deafness to the surrounding whispers. Maintaining an utterly composed expression, he approached Su Liyue’s side and, with a practiced air of solemnity, cleared his throat.

“According to the academy’s familiar management regulations,” he began, “a contract holder is obligated to guide their familiar through the fundamentals of spellcasting.”

Noticing his performance, Mu Wanqing instantly embraced her inner actress, batting her wide, limpid eyes in a show of feigned distress.

“But the instructor explicitly stated we needed to work in pairs…”

Her exaggerated, drawn-out words made Su Liyue press a hand to her forehead in exasperation. This girl was truly squandering her talent by not pursuing an acting career on Earth.

“Stop! Hold it right there!” Su Liyue interjected, her face flushing crimson as she cut short their impromptu skit. She simply couldn’t endure the sheer mortification of performing a two-person act with herself.

“Let’s make this simple,” she declared. “Call me ‘Master,’ and I’ll let you join our ranks!”

‘Calling myself ‘Master’ might seem utterly humiliating to outsiders, but to me, it’s merely a designation.’

“Master,” Ye Xingchen uttered, his voice remarkably clear and devoid of emotion, causing the surrounding students, who had been shamelessly eavesdropping, to collectively suck in a sharp breath.

‘Ye Xingchen has completely abandoned his pride just to join them?! He truly is the ultimate simp!’

‘Damn it! The real issue is how incredibly envious I am!’

“How is this even possible? Ye Xingchen actually managed to get into the team with Su Liyue, the campus belle, and Mu Wanqing, the goddess?

What happened to them being the two ice-cold beauties of the academy? They let him join just for saying ‘Master’? This makes no sense!”

“Unreasonable? It’s beyond outrageous! It almost makes me want to go over and try calling them ‘Master’ myself.

Ye Xingchen is clearly nothing more than a bottom-feeder, so why does he get to join the campus belle’s team while we’re left to merely gawk? I refuse to accept this injustice!”

“Whether you accept it or not is irrelevant. The crucial question is how Ye Xingchen managed to utter the word ‘Master’ with such utter shamelessness.

If I were in his shoes, subjected to such humiliation, I’d surely dig a hole and bury myself on the spot.”

Amidst the cacophony of whispers, Ye Xingchen officially became a member of the girls’ small circle.

Meanwhile, Su Liyue feigned a fierce glare at the surrounding spectators, understanding that her female form commanded far greater deterrent power over this crowd than Ye Xingchen’s could.

“What are you all staring at?” she snapped. “Isn’t it only natural for a contract holder to guide their familiar’s studies?

If you have an issue with it, why don’t you go contract a respectable familiar of your own? What exactly is the point of constantly gawking at someone else’s familiar?!”

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd at Su Liyue’s words; her protective stance over Ye Xingchen was unmistakable. Moreover, everyone was well aware of her famously aloof nature towards men, weren’t they?

Who among them would dare to step forward and court trouble now? Besides, a human familiar—that was an unprecedented occurrence even within the magical world!

If they possessed such power, wouldn’t they, too, summon a beautiful familiar on par with Su Liyue or Mu Wanqing? Even if their strength fell short, merely having an eye-catching companion would be a boon!

Just then, the phoenix Jiuwu let out a mischievous chuckle, joyfully fluttering its wings. With its tail feathers, it drew a conspicuous “3” on the ground—its meaning blatantly clear.

The most audacious part was that it then deliberately encircled the number with a ring of sparkling little hearts.

It even seemed poised to draw a tiny baby above the numeral. Su Liyue, realizing Jiuwu was becoming increasingly outlandish, swiftly grabbed the gossipy little creature with lightning-fast hands.

Meanwhile, the summoning instructors, who were directing the entire lesson, tacitly chose to turn a blind eye to the situation.

After all, according to school regulations, familiars were not officially counted as part of a team’s headcount.

Following this, the instructor cast a meaningful glance at Su Liyue’s peculiar quartet—three individuals and a phoenix—before adding:

“Um… certain special cases among students will be handled accordingly. However, during training, you must still maintain proper decorum and not engage in anything untoward.”

Having delivered their warning, the instructor feigned preoccupation with organizing lesson plans, though inwardly, they wiped away a bead of cold sweat.

In all their years of teaching, this was the first time they had ever witnessed such an eccentric combination of a contracted familiar and human students training together.

“Understood, Instructor,” Su Liyue responded politely.

***

With Mu Wanqing positioned between them, Ye Xingchen maintained a facade of composure, intently studying a familiar training manual.

Su Liyue, having already confided in Mu Wanqing about her and Ye Xingchen, was acutely aware of her friend’s potential for outlandish remarks. Thus, a faint blush dusting her cheeks, she feigned intense interest in her fingernails.

Apart from the ‘gossiping’ Jiuwu, now only Mu Wanqing remained, observing the awkward master-familiar pair with keen interest, a delighted, knowing smile playing on her lips as if she were watching a captivating play unfold.

“Um… since we’re meant to sense abilities, perhaps we should let Qizai emerge and take a few turns first?” Su Liyue suggested, feigning politeness towards Ye Xingchen.

Recalling the spiritual sword that had inexplicably manifested earlier, she mused that this might be the opportune moment to study its properties.

“Cough, cough…” The head instructor cleared his throat, commanding attention.

“Now that all groups have been finalized, I ask everyone to proceed according to the course requirements…”

He deliberately glanced in Su Liyue’s direction before continuing, “Establish a profound resonance with your respective familiars, and keenly perceive each other’s unique abilities and characteristics.”

As the instructor’s voice resonated, the training grounds instantly burst into a flurry of activity. Students, accompanied by their newly summoned familiars, quickly sought out appropriate spots and commenced their training.

Some students were seen gesticulating wildly at their Blazing Winged Lions, appearing for all the world like foolish owners attempting to train a rambunctious husky.

A few wind-element students darted across the field, relentlessly pursuing elusive air elementals—a sight that might well liken them to modern-day dream chasers.

There was even one unfortunate soul who stumbled and fell, his robe caught beneath the heavy foot of his own gargoyle familiar.

The entire scene was a bizarre spectacle, evoking the awkward bewilderment of a group of students encountering pet ownership for the very first time.

As for Su Liyue and her companions, they had long since secured a secluded corner for themselves.

Mu Wanqing, brimming with excitement, was busily unfurling a magic diagram.

“Jiuwu, hurry over! Tell me all about Chaos Fire…”

However, before Mu Wanqing could even finish her sentence, the small phoenix, mid-flight, suddenly halted in the air, its every feather bristling.

Its golden-red pupils abruptly constricted, locking onto a distant point with an intense, murderous stare that seemed capable of setting the very air ablaze.

As if sensing something amiss, Ye Xingchen followed Jiuwu’s unwavering gaze, only to find Xiao Qicai and his retinue coincidentally advancing towards their location.

Unmistakable, unhealed bruises still marred the man’s face, his eyes shadowed with malice as his gaze remained fixed, unwavering, upon their group.

‘Truly a persistent specter.’

“Focus on your practice,” Ye Xingchen stated, subtly shifting half a step. His wide sleeve perfectly concealed the two girls behind him, even calculating the precise angle of the sun’s shadow to offer them cover.

Su Liyue pursed her lips. “I must admit, healing magic is truly remarkable,” she murmured, “some people recover with astonishing speed.”

“Yueyue, should we perhaps…” Mu Wanqing began, a hint of worry in her voice as she observed Xiao Qicai’s menacing demeanor, but Ye Xingchen’s voice cut her off before she could finish.

“No need,” he replied, his voice chillingly calm. “If he dares to cause trouble later, I shall ensure he experiences what it means to have his ‘chrysanthemum petals fall, wounds scattered across the ground'”

Within his sleeve, Ye Xingchen subtly formed a sword seal. In the alternate dimension, Qizai immediately pulsed with excitement, as if poised to strike at any moment and inflict a ‘chrysanthemum withering’ upon that ‘Xiao-something’.

Had he not been tempered by nine years of compulsory education on Earth, according to the unforgiving rules of the cultivation world, a brazen fool of that caliber would have long since been reduced to dust and scattered ashes.

Furthermore… his divine sense swept towards the academy’s main gate, a cold, knowing sneer playing on his lips. It wouldn’t be long now before Duke Xiao himself would be compelled to rush over and offer his apologies.

If the Duke were to discover his son still dared to instigate trouble, he might very well be forced to stage a live performance of “the iron tree blooming” (TL Note: A Chinese idiom referring to something extremely rare or difficult happening, often implying a surprising and drastic change in character or behavior under duress.) on the spot.

Jiuwu, too, appeared profoundly displeased with Xiao Qicai. It suddenly flew to Ye Xingchen’s shoulder, making a throat-slitting gesture with its small wings.

The Chaos Fire on its tail feathers condensed into a line of small characters:

[I can let him experience the taste of a phoenix’s nirvana… The kind that starts from ashes]

Ye Xingchen subtly shook his head, gently tapping the tip of the small phoenix’s beak with his index finger.

Jiuwu tilted its head, then flapped its wings in slight displeasure, flying back to Mu Wanqing’s shoulder.

Before departing, it didn’t forget to flick out a few sparks from its tail feathers, which coalesced in the air to spell out the word “What a pity.”

At the other end of the training grounds, Xiao Qicai was gesticulating wildly at his cronies, clearly putting on a show for them, his aim being to intimidate the group.

Ye Xingchen didn’t even need his divine sense to discern that the other party was merely posturing. After all, class was still in session, and several high-level mage instructors were standing nearby.

Unless the man was truly brain-damaged, what audacity would he have to make a move in plain sight?

“However…” Ye Xingchen mused idly, a wisp of sword qi flickering faintly between his fingers, “if some imbecile insists on crashing into the blade’s edge…”

The melody of ‘Chrysanthemum Terrace’ (TL Note: A popular Chinese song by Jay Chou, often associated with themes of tragedy and war.) from his previous life automatically played in his mind, and a smile curved his lips—a smile that made Mu Wanqing instinctively take half a step back.

Given his mastery of force control over the years, ensuring someone experienced ‘the city filled with golden armor’ (TL Note: A phrase from the same Jay Chou song, ‘Chrysanthemum Terrace,’ implying a magnificent but ultimately destructive display, or a scene of widespread devastation/injury.) would be child’s play, wouldn’t it?

As for whether the medical team could arrive before the ‘localized blooming,’ that was simply beyond his concern.

Meanwhile, the healing instructor, drinking tea some distance away, seemed to sense something, his hand trembling, nearly spilling his tea.

‘How strange? Why do I suddenly feel such a terrifying surge of killing intent?’