Zhu Cheng: “Our inexperienced junior sister can make a fireball too. Fortunately, due to this little cat’s efforts and spiritual roots, she was able to ring the bronze bell seven times.” Zhu Cheng’s words held a subtle pride. He looked at the people behind him. Seeing their expressions changing, he smiled at Xiaohan and said, “Junior sister, what are you doing just standing there? Ignite a flame and show it to your senior brothers and sisters.”
The little cat obeyed and immediately raised her paws to ignite a fireball.
The fire spirit within the purple-red fireball immediately went on a rampage. The energy contained in it made the group frown. It was too close to them. The fire spirit inside was very strong and menacing; if it exploded, their cultivation might not be enough.
Their group was about to retreat when the leader raised his hand and held the fireball in a posture like Lang Chen’s.
The fire spirits within the fireball still rampaged. Seeing their leader like this, the humans sat back down.
The leader lowered his eyes to look at the little cat, his voice was clear and cold as he commented:
“It’s okay, junior sister is very talented.”
Qi Xiaohan meowed and peeked at her senior brother. She saw Zhu Cheng smiling and nodding at her. Only then did the little cat absorb the fireball back.
Zhu Cheng stroked the little cat’s head and teased, “It’s not easy to get a word of praise from senior brother Cui Huan.”
The members in the rehearsal hall also laughed along, even though the atmosphere was inexplicably tense.
Cui Huan picked up the handkerchief the girl next to him handed over. He carefully wiped his hands and gave it back to her, then looked at Zhu Cheng.
“It’s getting late; let your senior sisters rest. We should also leave and just catch up tomorrow.”
After saying that, he walked towards the door while the rest of his group followed him.
The rehearsal hall finally relaxed after they left. The little cat also lay on the ground.
Zhu Cheng sat on the spot and looked at the little cat with a very satisfied smile.
It was really the right choice to teach this little cat from the beginning, no, to train a cat for a thousand days to use it for an hour.
(T/N: The original idiom was 养兵千日，用兵一时, ‘training an army for a thousand days to use it for an hour’ – the word ‘army’ is replaced by ‘cat’ which means that extensive preparation eventually pays off.)
The results of her recent training had also been excellent.
Zhu Cheng quietly said to the little cat, “Tired? Senior brother will give you a raise.”
After unexpectedly hearing those words, the charming senior sister beside the little cat asked, “Brother, aren’t you going to increase our wages too? We’re also very tired.”
Zhu Cheng wasn’t angry. He smiled, stood up, and told everyone, “Everyone, get up! You’ve had a long day. You’ll be having an increase in pay, so clean up first. I’m inviting you all to barbecue later!”
The entire rehearsal hall all cheered at once.
The little cat came over to Yan Chong’s side. She meowed and asked curiously, “Senior brother, what’s with these people? Do we have a bad relationship with the Immortal Seal Sect?”
When Yan Chong heard the little cat’s question, he immediately said, “Of course we do! When you see people from the Immortal Seal Sect in the future, stay away from them. Do you know what the Immortal Seal Sect did before the Alliance was formed? They made it their mission to eliminate demons, and after the establishment of the school, they even killed our alumni. Just because relations have eased a bit over the years doesn’t mean the previous rift doesn’t exist.”
Another senior brother added: “Immortal Seal Sect people do not like the demon race in particular. Didn’t you see that when they came in and saw the untransformed ones, their faces went red?”
Qiu Xiao: “They control a lot of talented people. We have great difficulty with asking students to enroll, so both sides have to snatch talented students upon encountering them.”
“The Immortal Seal Sect’s results are good every year in the military training off-campus competition. After competing with each them, they won and we considered ourselves as losers. It was only in the previous year when the vice president, who was still a freshman, led people to thwart the sharpness of the Immortal Seal Sect. We won a big victory and the juniors right now only raise their eyebrows at them.”
“Even if we were even after three military training competitions are over, they still don’t have a good attitude when encountering their old rivals, unlike the harmonious Yin and Yang.”
Qi Xiaohan listened, ears perked up. She was thinking that the students would party in this rehearsal hall later while the others talked about the Immortal Seal Sect.
Zhu Cheng cleaned up at his side. He slapped the table, and shouted at them from the corner, “What are you doing? Take the time to go eat late-night snacks then come back to train!”
“Brother, coming back to train-“
There was a wail.
Zhu Cheng wasn’t affected. He lead the group of juniors outside.
Qi Xiaohan remembered her previous agreement with Lang Chen. It seemed that she would be done late that night, so she didn’t want her senior brother come over again to wait.
The little cat found her phone and sent a message to Lang Chen.
- Xiaohan Is a White Cat: “Senior brother, I’ll be out late today; don’t come pick me up.”
- Lang Chen: “What time?”
- Xiaohan Is a White Cat: “I don’t know, it should be very late. Brother Zhu Cheng is going to take us out for a late-night snack.”
When Lang Chen saw ‘late-night snack’, he smiled and typed into his phone, “Go eat. I have other things on my side. I’ll just guess what time you’ll be out and pick you up.”
After typing, Lang Chen put his phone away and walked towards the people from the General Bureau of Supernatural.
It was almost eleven o’clock when they came back from the evening snack.
The students were about to go back to the rehearsal hall when they saw Lang Chen standing at the entrance.
Hearing the noise, Lang Chen looked over, a little smile in his eyes.
Qi Xiaohan ran towards Lang Chen and meowed.
Zhu Cheng and the others hadn’t expected to see Lang Chen there, so they were a little surprised.
Lang Chen opened his arms and the little cat skillfully jumped into his arms.
Lang Chen, carrying the little cat in his arms, walked towards Zhu Cheng and greeted him.
“Senior brother.”
Zhu Cheng looked at the little cat, then at Lang Chen, and smiled. “I didn’t expect that.”
Lang Chen bowed his head and laughed.
Zhu Cheng: “Are you done on your end?” Lang Chen was in charge of the General Bureau of Supernatural. After all, Lang Chen had a previous record of conflict with the Immortal Seal Sect. If he was to entertain the Immortal Seal Sect again, he was afraid that there would be a fight.
They were trying to not let them encounter each other.
Lang Chen stroked the little cat’s soft fur and looked at Zhu Cheng: “Senior brother, can I come in and watch?”
Zhu Cheng smiled and said, “Yes, please come in. Of course, you can! Since you’re here, give your junior brothers and sisters some pointers. Don’t come over for nothing.”
Lang Chen nodded in agreement and looked at his senior brothers and sisters standing not far away.
Senior brothers and sisters: ……
No, they didn’t want him to.
With the little white cat in his arms, Lang Chen followed Zhu Cheng inside. He didn’t find a seat, so he stood next to the stage and watched the members of the fire control team start their rehearsal on stage.
After the rehearsal was over, the students were about absorb their flames back when they suddenly heard the Lang Chen’s slightly cold voice from the stage. “Stop, don’t move.”
The students subconsciously froze and did not move any further.
Lang Chen stood on the stage, his long, slender fingers moving. The dyed flames began to change. The bright and dark colors coalesced, gradually forming a colorful phoenix in place of it.
The flames were gradually absorbed into the colorful phoenix Lang Chen created. The phoenix cried out shrilly, its wings flapping as streams of fire landed. Its gorgeous tail feathers slowly spread out, carrying the dignity of the king of all birds.
The colorful phoenix looked down on all the beings and then dissipated into the air.
All the students watched this scene with amazement.
Lang Chen withdrew his hand and told Zhu Cheng, “Senior brother, how about combining the remaining flames after they spread without immediately retracting them into a colorful phoenix?”
Zhu Cheng pondered for a moment before saying, “That’s a great effect, too. Let me think about it.”
After saying that, he began to draw upon the paper.
This effect wasn’t difficult, and didn’t require any special fire control skills; merely fire cohesion of a shape. The sophomores could do it.