Today was cloudy, breezy, and cool—quite suitable for a stroll.

The coolness was perfect for a stroll, preferably a solo one. However, Zhou Li, holding Brother Nan's hand, was already sweating a little.

The freshmen undergoing military training were even hotter.

They were facing a female squad, where the girls had all rolled up their pant legs, showing off sections of soft, tender calves or delicate ankles. The Female Instructor had humanely chosen to ignore this.

At a glance, there was nothing but a sea of camouflage, making it hard to tell which one was attractive, but Brother Nan had stood out last year.

"Hey, look!"

Brother Nan suddenly pointed in a direction, her eyebrows raised.

Zhou Li followed her gaze and saw a not-so-tall Female Instructor standing in front of a squad, her skin a bit dark.

That must be Brother Nan's former instructor, if I remember correctly. A quick glance at Brother Nan's expression confirmed it.

These instructors were from who knows where. In any case, it was always this group of people who came to give the freshmen military training every year.

Brother Nan got along pretty well with her instructor. Her instructor seemed to be called... what was it? Lili? Fang Fang? Fei Fei?

Zhou Li furrowed his brow in thought.

By now, Brother Nan had already pulled him over. They quietly circled behind the Female Instructor without making a sound.

It was probably a few minutes before the Female Instructor noticed someone behind her.

She turned and looked, a trace of perplexity on her face. Clearly, Brother Nan, being so tall and beautiful, was quite recognizable. Then her gaze imperceptibly shifted towards the top of Brother Nan's head, and her confusion instantly vanished.

"Li Nan!!"

"Haha, Sister Xiangxiang! I can't believe you still recognize me!" Brother Nan laughed.

"Of course I remember! You were the prettiest squad leader I've ever encountered in all my years of military training!" The Female Instructor had dark skin, but her teeth were white, and her smile was attractive, carrying a bit of a dainty, sweet charm. "And also your carefree..."

"Not that common, right?" Brother Nan chimed in.

"This one I seem to have an impression of..." The Female Instructor's gaze then turned to Zhou Li. "Now I remember! You look a bit different without your uniform!"

"Hello, Instructor," Zhou Li nodded.

"Last year, I said you two were definitely a couple, but you lied and said you weren't!" The Female Instructor scrutinized them from head to toe.

"Hehe!"

"Wait for me a moment."

Since they were still in training, it wasn't convenient for the Female Instructor to chat with them for too long. So, she simply waved her hand and gave the group of boys a rest. When she walked under the shade of a tree with Zhou Li and Brother Nan, her usual strict military training demeanor was gone, replaced by that of a cheerful young woman.

"Why are you leading a male squad this year?" Brother Nan asked.

"There are fewer girls this year."

"Is it still our department?"

"Not anymore. This time it was decided by drawing lots."

"Oh, I see..."

The rest period was about ten minutes, and this Female Instructor was quite good at slacking off. She had Brother Nan supervise the boys standing at attention while she went to get a drink.

Brother Nan, ever playful, immediately adopted an instructor's air, acting quite convincingly.

Zhou Li had no choice but to sit down under the tree, resignedly watching her bark orders. If I remember correctly, she never managed to stand at attention properly last year and was punished with who knows how many laps by the instructor.

"Don't move!"

"Can't even last five minutes? How can young guys like you only last five minutes?"

"I think you're standing worse than the girls next door!"

"Hah, you don't agree, huh?"

"Why are you sticking your chin out? Feeling arrogant? Back when I was out there, you were still getting your game coins stolen by older students! If you've got a problem, come challenge me one-on-one!"

"That boy in the second row..."

"Yes, you!"

"..."

Her voice echoed crisply over the track and field in the afternoon sun.

The lush foliage blocked the harsh light, and patches of blue sky peeked through gaps in the white clouds. Zhou Li began to feel a bit sleepy.

Just then, he heard a delicate, soft voice calling his name.

"Zhou Li~"

He turned his head and saw a small creature bounding towards him from not far away. Its pace was light and quick, covering the ten-odd-meter distance in the blink of an eye.

It was a half-grown calico kitten.

The kitten suddenly jumped onto his lap.

Zhou Li naturally stroked its back, softly asking, "Lord Dumpling, what brings you here?"

"Lord Dumpling came to play with you~"

"Weren't you in the dorm, Lord Dumpling?"

"The dorm is boring~"

"How did you find your way here, Lord Dumpling?"

"Lord Dumpling is very capable!"

"Oh, is that so!"

At that moment, Huai Xu's voice came from behind. "I brought her over. I tell you, this stupid cat is really a handful. When you go to class and stuff, can't you just take her with you? Just stuff her in a drawer; that'll do."

Zhou Li looked up and back, his gaze traveling up Huai Xu's form. This Old monster is truly something else; even from this angle, she's startlingly beautiful.

No doubt about it, she's in her female form again today.

"Brother Nan is serving as an instructor here?" Huai Xu asked.

"Yes."

"And you're here watching her serve as an instructor?"

"Yeah."

"Well, that's alright too," the Old monster nodded, playfully twirling a strand of his hair with her finger. "You two always manage to find fun even in the most boring things!"

"I'm also here to watch their military training, to see others taste the bitterness we've tasted," Zhou Li said softly, "to find some comfort."

"Bitterness? What bitterness did you taste!" Huai Xu scoffed.

"..."

Zhou Li really had no reply. After a few seconds of silence, he retorted, "Didn't your elementary school teacher ever teach you not to swear?"

Huai Xu didn't make a sound, but Zhou Li could feel she was still standing behind him.

So, he continued to stroke Tuanzi's back. The man and the Demon watched the camouflage squares on the sports field.

Since it was the first day of military training, all the freshmen were almost silently standing at attention, making the instructors' voices particularly clear.

"You stood at attention on your first day too, right?" Huai Xu spoke again.

"Yes."

"Time flies so fast, doesn't it? In the blink of an eye, another year has passed," the Old monster's voice sounded surprisingly sentimental. "It feels like just yesterday I followed you to this school, and now you guys are sophomores, with a whole new batch of freshmen."

"Do all older people like to get sentimental?" Zhou Li wondered aloud.

"You're the old one!"

"You're over two thousand years old. A single year shouldn't make much difference to you, right?"

"It might not make a difference to me, nor to this stupid cat you're holding," Huai Xu's eyes shifted, "but that doesn't necessarily apply to you two."

"..."

Zhou Li felt a little uncomfortable. This Old monster was suddenly springing this on him.

After about half a minute of contemplation, he asked, "The longest-lived Heavenly Master you've ever seen—how long did they live?"

"Not counting Master Ming, just over two hundred years."

"I see..."

That answer already exceeded my expectations. Even with such advanced modern technology, people haven't lived to be two hundred. According to the Jiang Family's books, the world granted Heavenly Masters power purely to combat Invaders, with no significant benefits to lifespan. It's just that Heavenly Masters have better constitutions, remain very healthy in their later years, aren't prone to illness, and therefore live longer than average people. The fact that Heavenly Master lived to be over two hundred must have something to do with the abilities of Demons.

Zhou Li suddenly didn't feel like talking anymore.

Huai Xu also remained silent.

It was Tuanzi in his arms who, as if sensing his mood, turned around. She gently patted his hand with the soft pads of her little paws in comfort, her bright, sparkling eyes fixed on him unblinkingly as she said crisply, "Don't be scared, Zhou Li. To die is just to return to the source~~"

Huai Xu's disdainful voice came from behind. "Who says that?"

"Your Highness said it!!" Tuanzi declared.

"That's for Demons! Demons return to the source. Humans just get eaten by bugs and dissolve into the soil."

"Uhm..."

Tuanzi looked doubtful, staring at Zhou Li with wide eyes. "Really, meow?"

Zhou Li didn't answer, only said softly, "Lord Dumpling always comes to comfort me when I'm unhappy..."

"If you're unhappy, Lord Dumpling can smell it!"

"Is that so?"

"All cats are like that!"

"Really?"

"Would Lord Dumpling lie to you, meow!"

"I see..."

"Don't be scared, meow~" Tuanzi continued, "Stupid Huai Xu used to be human too, and now she's still bouncing around, irritating Lord Dumpling every day!"

"Yeah..."

Zhou Li lifted his head to look forward.

Brother Nan was standing in the sunlight. She had just punished a boy, who was sassing her, by making him run laps and was looking quite pleased with herself. It seemed she was proving that happiness could indeed be built upon the misery of others.

She turned her head, intending to share her joy with Zhou Li. Instead, she saw him sitting quietly under the tree, holding a small cat and watching her. The wind rustling through the leaves added a touch of wistfulness to the scene.

Brother Nan furrowed her brow slightly and walked over.

"What are you doing?"

"Waiting for you."

"Where did this cat come from?"

"Huai Xu brought it."

"Ah~~ it's that stupid cat!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Li instinctively looked down at Tuanzi.

But Tuanzi, accustomed to Huai Xu calling her a stupid cat, had already developed a filtering mechanism. Right now, for instance, she didn't seem to hear Brother Nan calling her a stupid cat at all, only gazing up unblinkingly at Brother Nan.

"You seemed to be talking just now," Brother Nan continued, "were you talking to this stupid cat or to Huai Xu?"

"Both."

"What about?"

"About what to eat tonight," Zhou Li's voice was steady. "Tuanzi said she wants chopped chili crucian carp, and Huai Xu wants to gnaw on big bones. Do you know any food stall near the school that makes good sauced bones? Of course, it'd be best if their rice porridge is also well-made, not the kind cooked with leftover dry rice."

"..."

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.