Chapter Summaries

Registered Wizards led by Thomas swiftly subdued the dragon, then opened a passage through the Eucalyptus Tree and began evacuating the young hunters. Zheng Qing worried about the black tiger, but Thomas denied that it was a demon and questioned Zheng Qing’s reasoning.

• Several dozen black-robed wizards combined thunder and control spells to defeat the dragon in less than a minute.
• Zheng Qing admired the Registered Wizards’ strength as the hunters crowded Thomas with questions, and Matthew quieted them.
• Thomas gave the young wizards Calm and Focus potions and blamed Zheng Qing for causing trouble.
• Thomas opened a hollow passage in the Eucalyptus Tree and ordered the hunters to retreat through it in a set order.
• Zheng Qing asked whether the black tiger should evacuate with them, and Thomas said it was not a Black Tiger Demon.

Zheng Qing and the others emerged from the hunting grounds into a School Hospital lounge, where Madam Bella began examining them after their encounter with a Demonic Dragon. Old Yao stormed in to berate Thomas and the Hunting Committee, then called Zheng Qing out because his hunting team was due on stage.

• Zheng Qing and the young wizards emerged into the lounge, where Madam Bella ordered them to undergo adjustment examinations.
• Thomas told Madam Bella that the students were shaken after facing a real dragon, and she warned him that Old Yao was furious.
• The black tiger sprawled on the carpet and pulled out a monkey head, prompting Madam Bella to shout at it to put the filthy thing away.
• Old Yao entered the lounge and accused Thomas and the organizers of negligence for leaving an unmarked Demonic Dragon in the hunting grounds.
• Old Yao called Zheng Qing out and said it was time for his hunting team to take the stage.

Old Yao explained to Zheng Qing why the Freshman Competition had gone wrong and why the school had ended it early. Zheng Qing learned that he had drawn nearly every monster to himself, leaving the other teams without prey, and that an unregistered Demonic Dragon had made the hunt genuinely deadly.

• Old Yao told Zheng Qing that the You Zui Hunting Team had won the monster tally and that Zheng Qing was expected to accept the award.
• Zheng Qing angrily asked Old Yao whether the school had caught the Puppet, but Old Yao explained that it was an old hand at the school.
• Old Yao revealed that Zheng Qing had attracted almost every monster in the hunting grounds, and that the Big Black Cat had killed the prepared prey, ruining the competition for the other teams.
• Old Yao explained that the school had failed to find the unregistered Demonic Dragon during its inspections of the hunting grounds.
• Old Yao told Zheng Qing that the school had ended its meeting and sent the Teaching Assistant Group to force an early end to the competition because the dragon could have killed the students.

Zheng Qing questioned Old Yao about the dangers and strange events in the freshman hunting competition. Old Yao explained that the school had used the Karma Reversal Spell to return students who were eaten to safety, though the spell had strict limits and the Big Black Cat had destroyed many costly monsters.

• Zheng Qing asked Old Yao why the school used such a dangerous test, how the dead returned to life, and why monsters pursued him.
• Old Yao said the test taught students to face danger and advised them to attack monsters or run, then confirmed Zheng Qing's right eye only had a blood clot and suggested he consult Professor Monteria about his bloodline.
• Zheng Qing asked Old Yao for a recommendation to see Professor Monteria, but Old Yao told him to ask Su Shijun instead and teased him about her.
• Old Yao began explaining that the Karma Reversal Spell linked curses placed on the monsters with blessings given to students by the Secret Garden Elf, returning eaten students to the school's safe zone.
• Old Yao said the spell lasted less than two hours and depended on Archwizards inscribing each monster, which was why the competition organizers were furious that the Big Black Cat had torn so many apart.

Old Yao explained how the school managed the dangers of the hunting grounds, then told Zheng Qing that the black tiger had a profound connection to him without saying what it was. Zheng Qing entered the awards lounge to reunite with his teammates, where Zhang Jixin immediately punched him.

• Old Yao explained the school’s safeguards for students who were injured or killed by demons in the hunting grounds.
• Zheng Qing asked whether the black tiger was a demon, and Old Yao said he had not investigated it but knew it was profoundly connected to Zheng Qing.
• Old Yao pushed Zheng Qing into the awards lounge and vanished before Zheng Qing could ask more.
• Zheng Qing entered the lounge and found the Youzui Hunting Team gathered there.
• Zhang Jixin rushed over and punched Zheng Qing, sending him flying.

After Zheng Qing returned from the hunt, Zhang Jixin confronted him for putting the team to sleep, while Xiao Xiao explained that the black tiger had emerged from Zheng Qing’s body. Zheng Qing was left to investigate what the tiger had taken and insisted that his intelligence had not declined.

• Zhang Jixin punched Zheng Qing and angrily accused him of making mistakes during the hunt.
• Zheng Qing guessed that his mistake had been casting all three Slumber spells, and Zhang Jixin tried to attack him again.
• Xiao Xiao calmed Zhang Jixin and suggested that the black tiger’s appearance had left Zheng Qing confused.
• Xiao Xiao explained that the black tiger was connected to Zheng Qing’s escaped shadow and inner projection, but said Zheng Qing would have to discover what it had taken himself.
• Zheng Qing protested that he was one of Jiuyou Academy’s smartest students, and Xiao Xiao responded with a skeptical snort.

Xiao Xiao explained that the Big Black Cat might have been a manifestation of Zheng Qing’s shadow, while Zheng Qing and his teammates argued over his reckless actions in the hunting ground. After comforting him, the You Zui Hunting Team proposed removing him as captain, just as someone arrived to comment on their dispute.

• Fatty Xin pointed out that Zheng Qing’s shadow remained, and Xiao Xiao explained that it might be a separate shadow left behind after the original changed dimensions.
• Xiao Xiao described how Crimson Flame consumed demons as sacrifices and caused black shadows to take the form of a Big Black Cat, while acknowledging his explanation was speculation.
• Zhang Jixin rebuked Zheng Qing for abandoning his teammates and putting himself in danger, and Zheng Qing denied that he had meant to leave them behind.
• Fatty Xin and the other hunters embraced Zheng Qing, then Zhang Jixin proposed removing him as captain, with Xiao Xiao and Lan Que seconding the motion.
• A familiar voice outside the lounge remarked that the Freshman Competition was not over and the team was already trying to remove its captain.

Thomas brought a Silent Contract for the You Zui Hunting Team to sign before Zheng Qing went to the awards ceremony. He explained that it would seal their true memories of parts of the Freshman Competition for four years, preserving their experience while preparing them for later training.

• Thomas warned Zheng Qing that replacing the team's commander during the competition was taboo and reminded him that the team's victory would bring pressure at the awards ceremony.
• Thomas presented a Silent Contract and told Zheng Qing, as captain, to sign it first.
• Xiao Xiao identified the document as a Silent Contract, and Thomas explained how First University had moved its full Hunting Ground Training to second year after earlier freshmen suffered psychological harm.
• Xiao Xiao recalled Professor Charles's words after the Special Plane landing, and Thomas explained that Charles usually said them to freshmen returning from death during training.
• Zhang Jixin asked whether knowing about the training would undermine its purpose, and Zheng Qing realized the contract kept freshmen unaware of it.
• Thomas explained that the contract would seal the team's true memories of parts of the competition for four years, and Zheng Qing agreed to sign.

After Zheng Qing and the other freshmen signed a Silent Contract, Thomas explained how it concealed sensitive memories and why competitors faced stricter terms than spectators. He then hurried them toward the stage, warning that the hosts would not call them up themselves.

• Zheng Qing signed the Parchment Scroll and joked about writing a tell-all report after graduation, but Thomas warned him that the school controlled what could be revealed.
• Thomas explained that graduates received different Silent Contract terms depending on their careers and that the contract concealed protected memories without erasing them.
• Fatty Xin asked whether demons could force information out of them, and Thomas said the contract would keep sensitive knowledge hidden even under magical interrogation.
• Thomas confirmed that all freshmen, including spectators, signed contracts, though competitors received longer and stricter versions.
• After collecting the signed contract, Thomas herded the young wizards toward the stage and mocked the hosts for failing to call them up.

The You Zui Hunting Team was announced as champion of the 2008 Campus Cup Freshman Competition, but the crowd’s cries of cheating left Zheng Qing stunned. As his teammates explained the accusations and defended their victory, a white Cocoon Chestnut Horn bull was brought onto the podium for the captain’s prayer.

• His Highness the Puppet introduced the You Zui Hunting Team as champions and welcomed its five hunters onto the stage.
• Students from Alpha and Atlas shouted that the team had cheated, while Starry Sky students withheld their usual support.
• Fatty Xin, Zhang Jixin, and Lan Que explained that some spectators believed the team’s trophies came from a big cat killing the prey and that the team’s fallen members made the victory unfair.
• Zhang Jixin told Zheng Qing that the team had voted to remove him as captain so he would not face the crowd’s backlash.
• Xiao Xiao defended the team’s victory, arguing that it took courage and effort to draw in and defeat the demons.
• The Puppet brought a white Cocoon Chestnut Horn bull to the podium and called for the captain to pray to Heaven and Earth.

At the Freshman Competition awards ceremony, Zheng Qing and the You Zui Hunting Team received a ritual blessing from Professor Yao Xiaomi. Yao declared that the competition’s true treasure was the virtues the young wizards had shown, leaving them recognized as its real champions.

• The Puppet brought a white calf to Zheng Qing, who pricked its ear and collected a little blood for the ceremony.
• The Puppet stirred up the Alpha audience by accusing the university of ending the competition unfairly, but Old Yao’s arrival silenced it.
• Old Yao marked Lan Que, Fatty Xin, Xiao Xiao, Zhang Jixin, and Zheng Qing on the forehead with ox blood, offering each a lesson in virtue.
• Old Yao praised Zheng Qing for drawing away the crazed demons and said his resolve to do what was right was his greatest gain from the competition.
• Old Yao told the crowd that courage, kindness, trust, and other wizardly principles were the Great Secret Treasure and that those who gained them were the true champions.

Zheng Qing accepted the You Zui Hunting Team’s first-place award, then met a school investigator who discussed the Big Black Cat’s relocation and safety training. The cat agreed to go, and Zheng Qing discovered that it could speak.

• A budgerigar serving as the ceremony attendant argued with the Puppet before handing the medals to Old Yao.
• Zheng Qing accepted the first-place medal and completed the awards ceremony, then waited in the lounge as Old Yao had instructed.
• Old Yao introduced Forty-One, an investigator from the school's Relevant Department, and explained that he had come to discuss the Big Black Cat.
• Forty-One proposed moving the Big Black Cat somewhere safer for training, and Zheng Qing agreed if the cat consented.
• The Big Black Cat agreed to go with the organization, then spoke aloud and startled Zheng Qing.

After the Freshman Competition, Zheng Qing hid from rumors and awkward attention while his friends gathered in Room 306. Lin Guo arrived with Lan Que and the long-absent Shi Yuan, bringing the Sin Absolution Knight Order together for a meeting.

• Zheng Qing tried to leave Magic Philosophy early so he could hide in Book Mountain Hall, but Xiao Xiao stopped him and said Lan Que and Lin Guo were coming to a meeting.
• Zheng Qing and his friends discussed how the Freshman Competition’s accusations and gossip had made them feel isolated from their classmates.
• Fatty Xin asked about Ilena, but Zheng Qing said he had not seen her in class or at the library since the competition.
• Zheng Qing told his friends that the Big Black Cat had gone to the Silent Forest to sharpen its claws.
• Lin Guo returned to Room 306 with Lan Que and Shi Yuan, announcing that he had gathered the members of the Sin Absolution Knight Order.

Xiao Xiao gathered the You Zui Hunting Team to discuss countering rumors about their competition and visiting Dylan before the Lower Yuan Festival. The group agreed to visit Dylan at the School Hospital on Thursday and bring him dumplings.

• Xiao Xiao explained that the team needed to refute rumors accusing them of cheating and said Fatty Xin and Zheng Qing could help through their connections.
• Fatty Xin offered to prepare a newspaper article, while Xiao Xiao told Zheng Qing to handle negotiations with the Wanderer Wizard as the club president.
• Xiao Xiao reminded the team that Dylan was staying in the School Hospital ahead of the Lower Yuan Festival and needed a visit.
• Xiao Xiao rejected a weekend visit because of unfavorable schedules and chose Thursday, Start of Winter, as the day to visit Dylan and bring dumplings.

Xiao Xiao and Shi Yuan diagnosed Zheng Qing with Cognitive Obstruction and gave him the Heart Sutra to calm his mind. Just as Zheng Qing began to feel better, Andrew Taylor arrived with the Ouroboros Hunting Team, having tracked down the You Zui Hunting Team with Amber’s divination.

• Xiao Xiao told Zheng Qing that his mind had become unusually sensitive since his lost shadow returned, and Shi Yuan identified the condition as Cognitive Obstruction.
• Shi Yuan gave Zheng Qing a copy of the Heart Sutra and explained that reciting it could help settle his mind.
• Zheng Qing read the scripture several times and felt his worries and agitation ease.
• Andrew Taylor entered Classroom 403 with the Ouroboros Hunting Team and greeted Zheng Qing after Amber had divined their location.
• Xiao Xiao questioned how Amber had pinpointed them despite the school’s magical interference.

Andrew Taylor visited Zheng Qing on behalf of Mike King Ceplano, confirming their bet was settled and offering help with school rumors. Andrew also gave Zheng Qing ten Transformation Potions, and the You Zui Hunting Team’s guests left after thanking them for their help in the Freshman Competition.

• Amber explained how he used divination to locate Zheng Qing, and Andrew praised his lifelong practice of the craft.
• Andrew delivered a card from Mike King Ceplano congratulating the You Zui Hunting Team and confirming their agreement was settled.
• Andrew told Zheng Qing that Ceplano would help address rumors about him and might meet him for afternoon tea.
• Andrew gave Zheng Qing a box containing ten certified Transformation Potions, saying they were a gift from him and Ceplano.
• Andrew thanked Zheng Qing for helping him during the hunting competition and offered assistance at Alpha Academy before leaving with the others.

With the School Hunting Meet drawing to a close, Zheng Qing avoided the crowds and went with his friends to visit Dylan at the School Hospital. The visit ended with Dylan inspecting the frog-filled dumplings they had brought and the group debating where the meat came from.

• Andrew Taylor warned Zheng Qing that the Blood Fellowship had been searching around Book Mountain Hall and advised him to stay in his dorm.
• Zheng Qing planned to visit Dylan after practical class, patrol on Saturday, and take the Elf for an examination on Sunday.
• Xiao Xiao rejected Zhang Jixin’s suggestion of bringing Dylan a Pandora’s box and chose dumplings as a Start of Winter gift instead.
• Dylan complained about the dumplings and joked that his age kept changing, then asked what filled them.
• Xiao Xiao explained that the dumplings contained frog meat supplied by Iseni, and Fatty Xin worried that Iseni had sacrificed his pet frog.

As the Lower Yuan Festival approached, Zheng Qing and his friends visited hospitalized Dylan, who complained about his confinement and asked about their hunting team's controversial victory. Xiao Xiao explained that the press backlash reflected wider scrutiny of First University, and the chapter ended with Fatty Xin confidently defending the school while Xiao Xiao noted that the headmaster's presence mattered.

• Dylan complained that the School Hospital had refused his requests to move his coffin into his ward, then asked how Zheng Qing's hunting team had taken so much prey.
• Zhang Jixin read newspaper coverage criticizing the team's methods and suggesting penalties under an old hunting convention.
• Xiao Xiao explained that the convention did not apply to their magic and that media outlets had been using recent incidents to question First University's management and safety.
• Xiao Xiao suggested that forces within the Wizard Alliance were testing the university's limits through public opinion.
• Fatty Xin declared that nothing could shake First University, and Xiao Xiao replied that this was theoretically true if the headmaster was there.

Zheng Qing visited the Wander Bar to discuss buying something from the Wanderer Wizard, fitting the meeting between his crowded weekend obligations. The chapter ended just after Zheng Qing clarified that he had come to buy, not sell, something.

• Zheng Qing weighed his assignments, patrol, and appointments before planning to visit the Wander Bar on Sunday afternoon.
• Zheng Qing arrived at the Wander Bar carrying a paper house for the little elves and bribed the gatekeeping frog with dried flies.
• A Multi-armed People waiter escorted Zheng Qing to a private room, where he waited among sleepy Firefly Beetles.
• The Wanderer Wizard welcomed Zheng Qing, lit up the room, and offered him a glass of his private reserve, Flowing Golden Years.
• The Wanderer Wizard guessed that Zheng Qing wanted to sell his Freshman Competition winnings, but Zheng Qing said he had come to buy something.

The Wanderer Wizard offered Zheng Qing a high price for his demon materials, but Zheng Qing explained that he wanted help stopping rumors that he had cheated. The Wanderer Wizard began telling him a story about a Jiuyou Academy reporter whose article condemned the academy despite its lavish hospitality, and hinted that the story had more to it.

• The Wanderer Wizard offered Zheng Qing roughly thirty percent more than the school's purchase price for his demon materials.
• Zheng Qing asked whether the Wanderer Wizard could curb the rumors that he had cheated and how much it would cost.
• The Wanderer Wizard asked whether the rumors were true, and Zheng Qing insisted they were false and needed to be exposed.
• The Wanderer Wizard recounted how Jiuyou Academy's External Relations Department lavished gifts and hospitality on a Beta Town Post reporter from Alpha Academy.
• The reporter accepted the hospitality, then published an article accusing Jiuyou Academy's Student Union of corruption, leading to disciplinary action against its External Relations Department.
• When Zheng Qing suggested the department would have been fine if it had treated the reporter properly, the Wanderer Wizard called him naive and said the story was not over.