"Phew~"
Seeing the Fire Meow Meow lazily lying in Yu Keke's arms, Shui Xinrou couldn't help but let out a long sigh of relief.
If this soul beast refused to obey Yu Keke and caused a commotion in Skywater Academy, the so-called Five Great Elemental Academies of the continent might as well be renamed the Four Great Elemental Academies.
But right now, the little Fire Meow Meow looked completely different from before.
As long as it didn't reveal its soul power, who would guess that this seemingly harmless pet-like creature could transform into a beast king of overwhelming strength?
The more she marveled, the more reverence she felt toward that His Excellency.
What kind of power must one possess to tame a hundred-thousand-year-old beast king, making it willingly serve as a mount and bodyguard…
It's worth remembering that, historically, the relationship between soul beasts and humans has always been hostile, like sworn enemies glaring at each other.
Shui Xinrou shook her head to clear her thoughts and noticed many students around, all gazing longingly at the Fire Meow Meow in Yu Keke's arms.
Their eager expressions seemed almost ready to leap out.
"Cough, cough~"
Clearing her throat a few times to divert everyone's attention, she continued, "Students engaged in mimesis training, please continue as usual. Keke, Zhuqing, I'll first explain some points regarding mimesis training…"
Zhu Zhuqing, who had been standing by, stepped beside Shui Xinrou upon hearing this. Yu Keke was just about to approach, but the Fire Meow Meow, as if sensing something, suddenly wriggled free from her arms. Its four short legs moved so fast it ran out of the training ground without looking back.
"Fire Meow Meow, where are you going…?"
Yu Keke panicked as she saw two familiar figures appear at the corner outside.
"Brother! Paimon!"
Unable to contain her excitement, she called out loudly.
"Keke, look what I brought for you — delicious candied hawthorns~"
Paimon waved her little hand to Yu Keke, a faint smile playing on her empty lips.
"Your Excellency, miss Paimon, you're here?"
Shui Xinrou and the others happily greeted the visitors once they saw it was Aether and Paimon.
"Keke, here you go, it's really good. I begged the Traveler for a long time before he finally bought it for me. You have to try it!"
"Thanks, Paimon."
Yu Keke took the candied hawthorns with both hands and happily licked them, her big eyes curving into two adorable crescent moons.
"Hehe~"
Seeing Yu Keke so pleased with the little gift, Paimon felt quite satisfied.
Then she glanced at Fire Meow Meow sitting at Aether's feet like a stone lion guarding a mansion, and scolded in a half-joking tone:
"Fire Meow Meow, what's wrong with you? I could hear you howling from afar…"
"Roar~"
Fire Meow Meow, feeling wronged because Yu Keke had a treat and it didn't — and now it was being scolded — felt an overwhelming sense of injustice, as if life couldn't get any tougher.
It raised Its head and looked at Aether with eyes full of grievance and innocence.
"Headmistress, what happened just now?"
Ignoring Fire Meow Meow's pitiful gaze, Aether asked Shui Xinrou.
On the way to Skywater Academy, he and Paimon had already heard Fire Meow Meow's howls.
He activated his elemental vision then and, besides the figure in the Skywater Spirit Hall branch, he detected no other particularly strong soul power fluctuations in Skywater City.
Especially inside Skywater Academy, no one cast a deeper shadow on his elemental vision than Fire Meow Meow.
He figured It and Keke hadn't encountered any threats, so he hadn't been concerned.
But the academy looked perfectly normal now, with nothing unusual — yet Fire Meow Meow wouldn't howl without reason, which left Aether a bit puzzled.
"Your Excellency, here's what happened just now…"
Shui Xinrou bowed slightly and recounted everything that had happened without leaving out a single detail. Then she said apologetically:
"Your Excellency, it was my failure in management that made you witness such a spectacle…"
"Heh? Are there really people like that?"
Paimon sighed from the side.
"Well done."
Aether nodded slightly, crouched down, and patted Fire Meow Meow's head.
"Roar~"
With Aether's approval, Fire Meow Meow's innocent, wronged look vanished, replaced by a determined gaze.
"Alright, I misjudged you. Here, take this."
After some thought, Paimon flew over, took a candied hawthorn off her skewer, and offered it to Fire Meow Meow in her palm.
Fire Meow Meow glanced at Paimon's expression, saw nothing unusual, and carefully licked the candied hawthorn with its tongue.
Its throat moved once, and before it could really taste it, the treat was swallowed whole.
"This isn't tasty either…" it thought to itself.
Since coming to the human world with its master these past few days, it had been eating human food.
Though there was meat, it still missed the feeling of feasting back home.
There, one meal could last for many days. Here, it had to eat multiple times daily and still couldn't get full — what a hassle.
But it didn't dare say so. Being able to follow its master was already a great blessing. As for cravings, it could endure them…
"Headmistress, sorry to trouble you."
After understanding the situation, Aether clasped his fists toward Shui Xinrou.
"Not at all, Your Excellency. Please don't say that. I'm ashamed such an incident happened at the academy."
Shui Xinrou hurriedly waved her hand, then added,
"But rest assured, His Highness, it won't happen again. Keke is here, and I promise to take good care of her!"
Aether nodded slightly and was about to call Yu Keke when a familiar figure beside her caught his eye.
Why was this person here? Had those from Shrek Academy come all at once to join Skywater Academy?
That thought was immediately dismissed.
His only memory of Tang San and company from Shrek Academy interacting with Skywater Academy was at the Soul Master competition, nothing else.
Could there be some reason he had forgotten?
Suddenly, Aether thought of something and glanced at Shui Xinrou with a strange look: 'Is Yu Xiaogang's hand really that wide?'
This thought came from knowing that although that guy's strength was pitifully low, his skills with women were top-notch.
No matter how he pulled it off, he had made the highly talented Liu Erlong and even Bibi Dong, the Spirit Hall's Pope, so devoted to him.
If Shui Xinrou now told him she also had some unclear relationship with Yu Xiaogang, Aether would believe it a million times over.
After all, Yu Xiaogang was truly a master in affairs with women…
Aether withdrew his gaze and looked toward the figure.
"Zhu Zhuqing?"
Slightly stunned, he called out her name directly.
"His Excellency… His Excellency recognizes me?"
Zhu Zhuqing's originally nervous face turned very shocked. She parted her pink lips and responded with a trembling voice.
_
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