Chapter Summaries

On their way back, Deng Xiaojian taught Zheng Qing hunting lore and explained how Sacred Will and the Judgement Hunting Team got their names. He began recounting how Will’s decline nearly erased it from First University, leaving Zheng Qing listening at a moonlit pavilion.

• Deng Xiaojian warned Zheng Qing about hunting preparations, demon kings, using codenames, and several hunters’ taboos.
• Zheng Qing asked why Deng Xiaojian’s society was called Sacred Will while his hunting team was named Judgement.
• Deng Xiaojian explained that the organization had originally been called Will and had once become First University’s most powerful student society.
• Deng Xiaojian said Will later lost its ideals and unity, and that infighting nearly caused it to disappear from First University.
• Deng Xiaojian and Zheng Qing stopped at a pavilion as Deng Xiaojian described Will’s period of fragmentation.

Deng Xiaojian explained to Zheng Qing how Judgement grew out of the Will’s schisms and eventually became Sacred Will’s hunting team. He traced the story to the merger of Judgement and the Will under the name Sacred Will.

• Deng Xiaojian described how traditionalists, reformers, and revolutionaries split from the weakened Will and founded more than thirty societies.
• Deng Xiaojian told Zheng Qing that Judgement emerged from the Will and grew stronger before its hunting team won the Academy Cup.
• Deng Xiaojian explained that Judgement’s leader claimed the title of Lei Zhe, creating a conflict because the original Will still existed.
• Deng Xiaojian said the nameless principal ordered Judgement and the Will to merge as Sacred Will.
• Deng Xiaojian explained that Lei Zhe renamed Sacred Will’s hunting team Judgement to commemorate the former society.

Zheng Qing learned from Deng Xiaojian why the other academies had remained despite students once recognizing Jiuyou Academy’s Will. On his way back to Dormitory Hill, he encountered Poseidon, who claimed a young lady had taught it something.

• Zheng Qing asked Deng Xiaojian about the former Will societies and why Jiuyou Academy had not unified First University, and Deng explained that the academies’ leaders and histories had mattered as much as student opinion.
• Deng Xiaojian reminded Zheng Qing to get a note from Dean Yao or another professor for intensive training, then left him at the corridor fork.
• Zheng Qing considered going to the ball by Linzhong Lakefront but kept walking toward Dormitory Hill instead.
• Zheng Qing heard familiar squeaks, called for Poseidon, and caught the Little Fox as it leaped into his arms.
• The Little Fox told Zheng Qing that a young lady had taught it something, startling him.

Zhan Yuchen spent a leisurely night on duty at First University's Pet Garden, checking the animals and refusing several pets permission to roam campus during the School Hunting Meet. The shift ended with several witches arriving with the dean's note to borrow Little Foxes.

• Zhan Yuchen relaxed on night duty, drinking Amber Light and watching the Pet Garden's animals.
• He used his spellbook to summon the pets for roll call, and they lined up for inspection before returning to their nests.
• Zhan Yuchen denied the sable, caterpillar, old owl, and Red-bellied Golden Pheasant permission to leave without a professor's note.
• The disgruntled pheasant left droppings by Zhan Yuchen's feet, and the sable scratched his blanket before they went away.
• Zhan Yuchen recalled that several witches had brought the dean's note and asked to borrow Little Foxes from the garden.

Zhan Yuchen met fox-maidservants from the Qingqiu Su Clan, who asked to borrow foxes from the Pet Garden for their young miss’s ball. With Professor Yao’s approval, he chose several foxes to accompany them, then irritated Su Ya by dismissing their names as casual rather than True Names.

• Zhan Yuchen recognized the black-and-white-clad maidservants as fox girls when he saw their furry ears.
• The leading fox girl explained that their young miss needed foxes as dancing companions for a ball, while Su Ya protested that the animals were not slaves.
• The leading fox girl showed Zhan Yuchen a letter of approval signed by Professor Yao, and he agreed to let several foxes leave the garden.
• Zhan Yuchen selected Kurama, Tamamo-no-Mae, Poseidon, Fourteenth Lady, Princess Pangpang, and Jade Face from the register.
• Zhan Yuchen said the foxes’ names were not True Names and need not be treated too seriously, prompting Su Ya to glare at him furiously.

Zhan Yuchen lent the fox girls six little foxes for the ball, and Su Ya ended up with Poseidon, whose unruly behavior kept her busy all night. After Poseidon dashed away, Su Ya found someone holding it and shouted at them to put the little fox down.

• Zhan Yuchen used his spellbook to bring six little foxes from the Pet Garden and warned the fox girls to return them by the end of the ball.
• The fox girls each chose a little fox, and Su Ya took Poseidon, the blue-marked white fox belonging to a Jiuyou Academy scholarship student.
• Poseidon ran wild on the way to and at the ball, leaving Su Ya to clean up after it and thank wizards who gave it gifts.
• After the fox girls performed, Poseidon caught a scent and dashed away, so Su Ya asked Su Man for help finding it.
• Su Ya searched around Linzhong Lake and the nearby grounds, then spotted someone holding Poseidon and shouted, "Put down that little fox!"

Zheng Qing reunited with Poseidon, but his red eye made Su Ya mistake him for a demon who had abducted the Little Fox. Zheng Qing played along with the misunderstanding and pretended he planned to eat both her and Poseidon.

• Poseidon complained to Zheng Qing about its troubles at the Pet Garden, cheering him up.
• Su Ya found Zheng Qing holding Poseidon and ordered him to put the fox down.
• Su Ya saw Zheng Qing’s red right eye in the Firefly Bugs’ light and called him a red-eyed demon.
• Zheng Qing realized his eye had frightened Su Ya, then pretended to be a demon who wanted to eat her.
• Poseidon acted as if it were struggling to escape Zheng Qing’s grasp.

Zheng Qing frightened Su Ya by pretending to be a demon while holding Poseidon, then calmed her and explained that his red eye came from a blood clot. Su Ya introduced herself as a maid accompanying her Young Lady to First University and explained she had been searching for Poseidon so she could return him after the ball.

• Su Ya saw Zheng Qing's red eye and begged him to let go of Poseidon, fearing he was a demon.
• Zheng Qing pretended to threaten Poseidon, and Su Ya burst into tears.
• Zheng Qing used calming talismans, apologized, and returned Poseidon to Su Ya.
• Zheng Qing showed Su Ya his normal eye and explained that he was a student, not a demon.
• Su Ya introduced herself and said she needed to return Poseidon, whom she and the others had borrowed for the ball.

Su Ya reunited Poseidon with Zheng Qing, who agreed to let the fox stay with her temporarily, then returned to her companions and went to meet her lady. The chapter ended as the red-robed wizard left an office after arranging to visit Book Mountain Hall next Monday.

• Zheng Qing let Su Ya keep Poseidon for a while longer and learned that she served Su Shijun.
• Su Ya praised her courage to Zheng Qing, then lost her companions while wandering the crowded lakeside with Poseidon.
• Su Man found Su Ya, arranged for Su Hua to return Poseidon, and told Su Ya to explain the rest to her lady.
• Su Ya met her lady outside an office as a black-robed wizard spoke with the red-robed wizard.
• The red-robed wizard dismissed the black-robed wizard's assurances and said she would make time to visit Book Mountain Hall next Monday morning.

Su Ya recounted her encounter with Zheng Qing to Su Shijun as the foxes walked through campus, where they met Hun Buyu, the Ghost Princess. Hun Buyu revealed tensions within the Ghost Clan and learned that First University might summon the Under the Moon Council for help, leaving Su Shijun quietly pleased by the prospect.

• Su Ya told Su Shijun about the Pet Garden and complained that Zheng Qing had frightened her, while Su Man stopped her from boasting too freely.
• Su Shijun heard singing and summoned the attention of Hun Buyu, who appeared in the moonlight with a rabbit.
• Hun Buyu explained that she was representing her brother at First University because he was disputing the council's attempt to make him take the blame for the Dark Blue Castle incident.
• Hun Buyu blurted out that she wanted a Forbidden Curse, and Su Shijun warned her that the Alliance forbade it.
• Su Shijun told Hun Buyu that Dean Yao expected the school might summon the Under the Moon Council if unstable forces on the island kept growing, and Hun Buyu teased her about welcoming the prospect.

Zheng Qing struggled to decipher ancient talismans while keeping a low profile, until Fatty Xin returned with two mysterious seeds. Xiao Xiao identified them as seeds that could replay past images and sounds, and Fatty brought over a flowerpot to plant them.

• Zheng Qing spent his days studying ancient talismans after frightening Su Shijun's maid, while hiding the reason from his roommates.
• Xiao Xiao woke Zheng Qing with a Calming Talisman and reminded him to rest before his patrol assignment.
• Fatty Xin returned to the dormitory without lunch and showed Zheng Qing two peanut-sized seeds.
• Xiao Xiao explained that the seeds could grow into Trumpet Flower and Projection Grass, which let wizards relive past images and sounds.
• Fatty Xin fetched a small blue-and-white porcelain flowerpot.

Fatty Xin showed Dormitory 403 how to grow magical seeds that projected a recording of Su Shijun. The chapter ended with Su Shijun singing beside a river as the image played in the dark dormitory.

• Zheng Qing mistook the seeds Fatty Xin brought back for recordings, while Fatty Xin explained they were magical seeds from the editorial department.
• Dylan prepared a flowerpot with East Mao green soil, and Fatty Xin planted the seeds using Time Sand and Setting Water.
• The seeds grew into Tricolor Projection Grass and a string of Trumpet Flowers, which produced images and sound.
• The plants projected Su Shijun standing by a river on an aged stone bridge.
• Su Shijun sang a song about time, memories, and the passing seasons.

Before the Judgement Hunting Team’s training began, Zheng Qing and his friends speculated about Su Shijun’s mysterious video and song. When Zheng Qing let slip that he had met Su Ya, his companions questioned him until he explained their brief encounter, with Dylan’s truth ring confirming he was not lying.

• Zheng Qing asked what Su Shijun’s song meant, and Fatty Xin said she might have been reminiscing about William and Milton.
• Dylan warned Zheng Qing not to gossip about the Under the Moon Aristocrats’ relationships and ages.
• Zheng Qing and his companions speculated about who had recorded and released Su Shijun’s video.
• Zheng Qing mentioned Su Ya, prompting Fatty Xin to ask for her contact details and Dylan to question how Zheng Qing knew her.
• Zheng Qing admitted that he had met Su Ya on the night of the ball after Poseidon ran away from her, and Dylan’s truth ring confirmed his account.

Zheng Qing defended his plan to train with the Judgement Hunting Team, but Xiao Xiao pointed out that the Youzui hunters still needed to settle several practical matters. The discussion left Zheng Qing assigning Fatty Xin the role of Team Doctor before Xiao Xiao raised the unresolved question of their Team Manager.

• Xiao Xiao argued that Fatty Xin's account of Su Shijun's feelings might be sincere without being reliable, then asked Zheng Qing about the hunting team's plans.
• Zheng Qing defended training alongside Judgement and showed the others Old Yao's authorization, while Fatty Xin tried to learn when Zheng Qing might see Su Shijun again.
• Xiao Xiao asked about a cheerleading squad, uniforms, an emblem, and a flag, and Zheng Qing said they could postpone most of those expenses.
• Dylan explained that he and Elder had ordered matching long cloaks to serve as uniforms, and Xiao Xiao said Elder had gone down the mountain to watch Judgement train.
• Fatty Xin criticized Zheng Qing for not planning for a Team Doctor, so Zheng Qing assigned Fatty the role and joked about squeezing him for the job.
• Xiao Xiao asked whether the hunting team had chosen a Team Manager, and the others turned to Zheng Qing for an answer.

Zheng Qing’s team met with Judgement Hunting Team for training, and Judgement captain Erwin Hoffman recognized Zhang Jixin as the younger brother of his Sacred Will colleague, Zhang Shuzhi. The teams began introductions before Deng Xiaojian was set to devise a crash-course training plan.

• Zheng Qing explained that Lan Que was competing in Starry Sky Academy’s arena tournament and Lin Guo was assisting Professor Tesla with an experiment.
• Deng Xiaojian arrived and warned Zheng Qing’s team about the demands of official hunting-team training.
• Erwin Hoffman arrived and asked Deng Xiaojian to create a crash-course training plan for Zheng Qing’s team.
• Zheng Qing introduced Zhang Jixin as his lead hunter, and Hoffman recognized him as Zhang Shuzhi’s younger brother.

Zheng Qing introduced the You Zui Hunting Team to Hoffman, whose visit prompted speculation about Zhang Jixin’s ties to the competition for Sacred Will’s next Lei Zhe. Hoffman avoided Fatty Xin’s pointed questions and focused on Dylan O'Brien Talbot, repeating his name.

• Zheng Qing recalled that Zhang Shuzhi, Hoffman, and Zhao Qiao were contenders to succeed Lei Zhe, and the team grew uneasy about Zhang Jixin’s brother observing their training.
• Hoffman mentioned Zhang Jixin’s brother and the School Hunt Team’s closed training, while Zhang Jixin gave a stiff reply.
• Zheng Qing introduced Xiao Xiao, and Hoffman teased him about confessing his love to a teacher; Xiao Xiao defended his decisive approach.
• Fatty Xin questioned Hoffman about the Hunting Meet result and the treatment of tricksters, but Hoffman evaded him and used Deng Xiaojian to block his way.
• Zheng Qing introduced Dylan O'Brien Talbot as a Starry Sky Academy scouting hunter, and Hoffman repeated his name.

Erwin Hoffman and Deng Xiaojian outlined the Youzui hunters’ training plan, beginning with learning to identify demons and distinguish them from ordinary spirit beasts. The freshmen were told to choose code names before entering the hunting grounds, and Deng Xiaojian promised supervised practice with tamed demons if they mastered the basics.

• Hoffman recognized Dylan’s Talbot heritage and remarked on rumors about O’Brien marrying into the family, making Dylan’s expression darken.
• Zheng Qing redirected the conversation by asking about the training plan, and Hoffman praised the Crimson Hunting Team’s captain-and-Lead-Hunter arrangement.
• Hoffman and Qi Qinglan left to resume training, while Deng Xiaojian took charge of instructing the Youzui hunters.
• Deng Xiaojian told the hunters to choose individual code names and never reveal their real names in the hunting grounds.
• Deng Xiaojian explained that the hunters first needed to learn to distinguish demons from ordinary spirit beasts, noting that red eyes alone did not prove a creature was a demon.
• Deng Xiaojian said that after the team mastered identification, he would arrange practice with tame demons, prompting Zhang Jixin to ask whether they would be alive.

Deng Xiaojian taught the Youzui Hunting Team what to do upon entering a hunting ground, correcting their guesses and explaining the importance of assessing its environment. He left them with basic spells and skills for surveying and securely tracking positions.

• Deng Xiaojian asked the Youzui hunters to name the first thing a team should do after entering a hunting ground, and Zhang Jixin suggested establishing a defensive base.
• Xiao Xiao proposed checking the team's magical equipment and abilities, and Deng Xiaojian agreed that hunters needed to test whether their magic worked in the new environment.
• Dylan suggested dressing neatly to deter demons, while Fatty Xin said the team should eat first, prompting Deng Xiaojian to joke that they needed Mind-Clearing Powder.
• Deng Xiaojian explained that the team should first familiarize themselves with the hunting ground's terrain, size, and environmental conditions, a task assigned to the Assistant Hunter.
• Deng Xiaojian taught the team spells for determining direction, measuring time, and monitoring their surroundings, then explained how Jing Wei Ge coordinates could track hunters, prey, and competitors securely.

Deng Xiaojian taught Zheng Qing’s hunting party how to assess demonic energy and prepare carefully for the Freshman Competition. The group found that none of them had a suitable animal companion to bring to the hunting ground.

• Deng Xiaojian explained that scouting, patrols, and other early preparations were already part of the hunt, then taught the group the Jinjin Qi Ming incantation for sensing demonic energy.
• Deng Xiaojian described demonic energy intensities, from weak softball demons to Wild Demon Kings, and warned the hunters to account for conditions, conserve magic, and use spells appropriately.
• Deng Xiaojian suggested that the group bring a trained animal companion to gain an advantage in the Freshman Competition.
• Dylan said he had no animal companion, and Fatty Xin suggested Tuantuan, but Zheng Qing rejected the lazy cat as unsuitable.
• Zheng Qing asked Xiao Xiao about an animal companion, but Xiao Xiao joked that his old turtle would be better used for divination.

Zheng Qing struggled to find a suitable hunting beast for Youzui and agreed to consult Poseidon and Lan Que before giving Deng Xiaojian an answer. The team’s first training session ended with Deng Xiaojian assigning study materials and providing tactical seeds, with their costs eligible for reimbursement through public funds.

• Zheng Qing concluded that most Youzui members’ pets were unsuitable as hunting beasts and considered Li Meng’s flying pigeon and Lan Que’s Purple Sable as possible options.
• Xiao Xiao suggested that Zheng Qing train Little Fox, but Zheng Qing worried it was too young and decided to discuss the matter with Poseidon and Lan Que.
• Zheng Qing agreed to send Deng Xiaojian a paper crane later with his decision about the team’s hunting beast.
• Deng Xiaojian ended Youzui’s first group training session by giving Zheng Qing a thick stack of materials to study before the next session.
• Deng Xiaojian gave Zheng Qing seeds containing hunting tactics and scenes, explaining that their cost could be reimbursed through public funds.