Ch74.2 - First Meeting

Nanfeng nodded in agreement, but the commotion quickly died down when someone entered from behind them. A man in long, flowing blue robes stepped inside, his waist-length hair cascading down his back. In a gentle voice, he asked, “Excuse me for interrupting—this is the student dormitory, correct?”

Everyone turned to see a stunning long-haired beauty standing in the doorway.

He smiled warmly. “Hello, I’m a new student this year—Lu Yunshi. You can just call me Yunshi.”

Nanfeng clicked his tongue and crossed his arms. “Ah, the second son of the renowned medical family. I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Shen Nanfeng.”

Yunshi bowed his head slightly in greeting. “Young Master Shen.”

The four of them didn’t linger outside for long before heading in. That was when Jian Mei finally realized just how luxurious the dormitory was. The entrance hall had a spacious lounge area, and there was even a kitchen. The second floor was designed for leisure, with entertainment spaces, a library, and multimedia rooms. The third floor housed the student dorms, where each person had their own private room.

Jian Mei chose a room for himself, while the little boy from the Xiwu family ended up next door. The space was large and airy, with bright windows overlooking the lush green forest. Sunlight filtered through the leaves, casting shifting patterns of light and shadow across the floor. The room was simply furnished, with only a bed and a desk.

“What a fascinating school,” Jian Mei murmured.

He spent the entire afternoon unpacking. Just as he finished, a knock sounded at the door.

“Anyone there?”

Jian Mei walked over and opened it to find Nanfeng standing outside. “It’s dinnertime. Let’s go eat.”

“Oh? Where do we eat?”

“If you can cook, you can make your own meal. If not, you can drink a nutrition supplement or eat at the cafeteria,” Nanfeng said with a shrug. “I’m heading to the cafeteria. You coming?”

Jian Mei noticed the boy next door had also opened his door, so he asked, “Want to eat together?”

The little boy nodded.

The three of them set out together, and after asking around a bit, their group grew to four—the same four who had gathered in the garden earlier.

As they walked, Jian Mei asked, “Are there other students in the dorm?”

“Yeah,” Nanfeng replied. “Some are asleep, and others are out on field training. They haven’t come back yet.”

Jian Mei nodded in understanding.

If Jian Mei hadn’t gone out with them, he never would have realized the dorms had small vehicles for getting around—he could have saved himself all that walking earlier.

By the time they arrived, the cafeteria was already bustling, packed with students and filled with the aroma of different dishes. As Jian Mei lined up for his meal, he overheard a group of students chatting excitedly.

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dGwYIwV wJHHIH. “TaGE’t bQVaE, uk XQwVLGwV.”

“KT’A dTGIJQGLYYp fUi ATJQfi,” ALQB dIT iTB-ILQiTB NQiY, xQJN, NYLJGQJN AQBTmLpA. “EIT pfUJNTAd NiLBULdT TaTi—AUqTi dLYTJdTB. W ITLiB dILd gLGs mITJ IT mLA QJ AGIffY, IT ILB LBPQiTiA diLQYQJN LSdTi IQP TaTipmITiT.”

QNyAJyq IfqCJz. “WCNm, No v yOm NI CNyzIOoJ NI Cfo?”

Ying scoffed. “Between you and the disfigured crown prince, I’d still pick him. Got it?”

Nanfeng clicked his tongue. “Women.”

Jian Mei, on the other hand, was intrigued. “Hearing all this, I’m kind of curious now.”

“You’ll see him tomorrow,” Ying said, popping a piece of cake into her mouth. “Our SA class sits closer to the front, so we’ll have a great view!”

Jian Mei found himself looking forward to it.

……

The next morning.

Jian Mei woke up early and put on his uniform. When he opened the door, he noticed a few unfamiliar faces standing in the hallway. But since they were also wearing gold uniforms, they were probably his classmates.

Nanfeng was making a scene. “Qiao-ge, Qiao-ge! Can you turn something into a mermaid for me?”

The guy called Qiao-ge was tall and broad-shouldered. He chuckled at the request, then casually tapped a nearby table. In an instant, a mermaid appeared out of thin air—its long, iridescent tail shimmering as it moved gracefully.

Jian Mei stared, completely dumbfounded.

Just then, Ying walked over and smirked. “You look shocked. That’s Qiao-ge. His specialty is illusion magic. He can transform inanimate objects into any creature he’s seen within the past three days.”

Jian Mei stammered, “That incredible?!”

A deep, resonant male voice rang out. “It’s not that impressive. Compared to your offensive divine powers, mine doesn’t even come close. This may look like a mermaid, but it has none of a mermaid’s abilities. It’s still just a table—only its shape has changed.”

Jian Mei blinked and quickly straightened up when he saw the person standing before him. He immediately bowed. “Hello, Qiao-ge.”

“Oh? A new student!” Qiao-ge grinned, scratching the back of his head. “Since it’s our first meeting, how about a little gift? Name anything you’d like to see, and I’ll transform something for you.”

Jian Mei wasn’t sure what to ask for, so he simply said, “Anything’s fine.”

“Alright, let’s go with this.” Qiao-ge’s gaze landed on the emblem pinned to Jian Mei’s uniform, and he smiled. “How about a little cat?”

Jian Mei had no idea how transformation worked. When Qiao-ge reached for the emblem, he accidentally brushed against Jian Mei’s hand. Lowering his head, he muttered a few incantations. A soft glow flared up, and in a flash of light, the little cat they had imagined appeared—but Jian Mei was gone!

A snow-white kitten tumbled across the floor, rolling a few times before coming to a dazed stop.

Everyone froze.

“Where is he?” someone finally asked.

Nanfeng ran over in a panic. “Qiao-ge, where did he go?! What did you do?!”

“I—I—I don’t know!” Qiao-ge stammered, just as flustered. “I’ve never messed up before!”

“Meow!” A soft, high-pitched meow caught everyone’s attention.

Ying stared down at the tiny kitten for a long moment before hesitantly speaking. “Do you guys think… maybe this kitten is Meimei?”

……

The room plunged into an eerie silence.

After a long pause, Qiao-ge muttered, “Turning people into objects… Our clan leader has done it before, but his power is hundreds of times stronger than mine. I’m nowhere near that level…”

Ying frowned. “Now that you mention it, my fireball yesterday was way bigger than usual too.”

The little kitten let out a sharp “meow,” its fur puffing up as if in protest.

Everyone snapped back to their senses. Ying was the first to break the silence. “So… what do we do now?”

Qiao-ge quickly reassured them, “It’s fine, it’s fine. I’ll contact the clan leader later—he’ll definitely have a solution. But this is the first time I’ve ever messed up like this… I’m not sure if there’ll be any side effects.”

At his words, the little kitten’s ears drooped.

Nanfeng groaned. “The opening ceremony is about to start. We have to go. The principal made it clear—every student has to be there. If anyone skips, we’re dead meat.”

Qiao-ge nodded, scooping up the kitten and holding it in his arms. “Whatever happens, we’ll deal with it after the ceremony.”

Jian Mei had been briefly dazed when he suddenly turned into a cat, but after hearing that he could change back, he quickly calmed down. Honestly, being a cat wasn’t uncomfortable at all—everything around him was just much bigger, and the sensation of being effortlessly picked up felt almost surreal.

They arrived at the main hall, where students sat in neat rows, divided into color-coded sections.

The moment the SA class entered in formation, they immediately became the center of attention. As the academy’s top-ranking class—the ones at the very peak—it was only natural for them to take the front row.

Just as they settled into their seats, the opening ceremony began.

At the front of the hall, someone was delivering a speech. After speaking for quite some time, they finally cleared their throat and announced, “We are honored to welcome His Highness, Crown Prince Lu Xingwang, to the academy. As one of our most distinguished graduates, he has returned to guide the new students…”

Thunderous applause erupted throughout the hall as a figure stepped onto the stage.

Jian Mei poked his tiny head out from Qiao-ge’s arms, his snow-white fur contrasting sharply with the dark fabric. The little kitten’s gaze locked onto the stage, where a tall, slender man stood.

Dressed in an ink-black robe, he wore a silver emblem on his shoulder. A half-mask veiled part of his face, and an air of innate authority surrounded him—his mere presence carried an unspoken pressure. He didn’t seem like someone easy to approach.

So this was the legendary prince!

He certainly looked intimidating, but at the same time, there was something oddly familiar about him—though Jian Mei couldn’t quite put his finger on it.

Lu Xingwang’s gaze swept across the audience as he stepped up to the podium. His lips parted slightly as he spoke, “Hello, everyone. I am Lu Xingwang.”

The moment he finished speaking, a wave of enthusiastic applause erupted.

Everyone else was thrilled, but Jian Mei was completely dumbfounded. The shock of hearing that voice hit him even harder than the fact that he had turned into a cat. T-this voice… there was no way he could be wrong. This was Dazhuang-ge’s voice!

Just as the applause faded and the hall fell into silence, right when the crown prince was about to continue—

“Meow!”

A sharp, clear meow suddenly rang out from the first row. The snow-white kitten stared straight at the prince, its fluffy little body practically quivering with excitement.

In an instant, every pair of eyes in the hall turned toward it.

Translator’s Notes:

Updates will continue to be released every Monday, with no changes to the schedule for April. But, if I finish the chapters ahead of the schedule, I’ll post them earlier as a bonus update.