The Strongest Talent Tree

Chapter 75: Chapter 73: Oddball

The Arts Department had the highest ratio of female students, so its popularity went without saying. Even before the entrance assessments began, hordes of "wolves" from the other departments were already staking out the area.

From a distance, it seemed there were more guys than girls, but very few of them were actually students of the Arts Department.

Feng Hao and Houhuiyao were two soldiers in this vast army, squeezed into the restless pack of wolves and craning their necks. To avoid unnecessary trouble, Chief Black Cat had shrunk down to its petite form again. Even so, it still drew the gazes of quite a few female students.

What could they do? A cute pet was a cute pet. With a cute pet in hand, you had the upper hand!

"Thank goodness you have that Midnight Cat to help, Brother Feng. Otherwise, who knows how long we’d be stuck in this crowd?" Houhuiyao remarked with heartfelt gratitude.

Feng Hao grinned, stroking Chief Black Cat’s head. "You’re not wrong. This little beast might eat a ton, but it does come in handy sometimes."

"Stop being so smug, Brother Feng. Plenty of people would kill for a magical beast pet and can’t get one. You should count your blessings," Houhuiyao said, clicking his tongue.

"Are magical beast pets worth a lot?" Feng Hao asked thoughtfully.

"More than just valuable. They’re the kind of thing money can’t always buy."

Hearing this, Feng Hao patted Chief Black Cat with a mischievous grin. "So, how much do you think this little beast would sell for?"

"A few hundred million, at least," Houhuiyao answered without thinking. He then realized what he’d said and paled. "Brother Feng, you’re planning to sell this Midnight Cat?!"

"Tsk, tsk. I’d love to, but unfortunately, this little beast isn’t mine," Feng Hao said, his eyes full of regret.

Chief Black Cat shot Feng Hao a look of disdain. ’I’m a Tier Six Magical Beast, for crying out loud. How could I possibly be tricked and sold by a mere Second Rank human?’

Houhuiyao’s eyes flickered as he stared intently at Chief Black Cat. "If you really want to sell it, Brother Feng, be sure to let me know. My old man may not be much, but he’s loaded."

"I already told you, the little beast isn’t mine." Feng Hao was a little speechless. ’I was just kidding, and he actually took it seriously.’

"C’mon, as long as it’s with you, isn’t it your call whether to sell it or not?" Houhuiyao urged.

"No way. I don’t have a death wish." Feng Hao hurriedly shook his head and waved his hands. "This little beast’s owner is extremely powerful. I can’t afford to mess with them, at least not yet."

"True. Someone who can make a Tier Six Magical Beast submit must be at least a Seventh Rank Mage. My dad might be rich, but his strength is nothing special. We can’t afford to provoke a Seventh Rank expert." Houhuiyao wisely chose to give up.

Feng Hao gave a faint smile and continued to jostle his way through the pack of wolves. Just when he finally spotted a pretty girl and was about to strike up a conversation, she was whisked away by a luxury sports car.

Fortunately, there were still plenty of girls with discerning taste. Every now and then, a few would come over to say hello, making Houhuiyao grin from ear to ear.

Although Feng Hao also enjoyed the pleasant scenery, that wasn’t his real purpose for being there.

The main reason he had come with Houhuiyao was to see if he knew anyone. After all, many members of the Rongcheng Academy Dance Team were also coming to Five Provinces Academy, including his disciple’s wife, Xu Zhenzhen.

Speaking of which, ever since getting together with Miao Feng, Xu Zhenzhen had become a completely different person, transforming from a female bandit leader into a gentle, demure lady.

The change was so drastic it was hard to believe.

"Excuse me, can I hold it?" a girl with a small freckle under her eye called out softly.

"Huh?" Feng Hao snapped back to reality and said awkwardly, "Sure, you can."

The freckled girl took Chief Black Cat in her arms, and her heart immediately melted. She was as happy as could be, as if holding a beloved doll. "Is its name Chief Black Cat? What a strange name."

"Right, right? I think so too," Houhuiyao chimed in, nodding in agreement.

Feng Hao pursed his lips. "I think it’s a badass name. Isn’t that right, Chief Black Cat?"

Chief Black Cat shot Feng Hao a sidelong glare and ignored him completely, burrowing into the girl’s arms and nuzzling against her. Seeing its emperor-like enjoyment, Houhuiyao couldn’t help but swallow hard.

’Damn it, can’t you cooperate a little?’ Feng Hao was annoyed and secretly decided he would never bring this little beast out with him again.

The nuzzling made the freckled girl giggle. While stroking Chief Black Cat, she asked, "Um... excuse me, what department are you freshmen in? I’d like to come hang out with you guys sometime."

Feng Hao clicked his tongue inwardly. ’This girl... she clearly wants to hang out with Chief Black Cat but has to be so roundabout about it.’

"We’re in the Pharmacy Department next door. It’s really close!" Before Feng Hao could speak, Houhuiyao had already answered for him.

"Really? Then I’ll have to visit often," the freckled girl said happily.

"You’re welcome anytime, absolutely welcome." Houhuiyao was practically bowing and scraping, without a shred of masculine pride.

Even after the freckled girl left, the guy was still staring after her, reluctant to let go. His body was there, but his soul had been completely captivated. "Tsk, tsk. See? Beauties with a little flaw are totally my type."

"Dude, have you never seen a woman before?" Feng Hao asked, his face darkening with exasperation.

Houhuiyao gazed wistfully in the direction the freckled girl had gone and said with a completely serious expression, "You don’t get it, Brother Feng. For a guy like me with no power and no looks, I have to cast a wide net to have any chance of catching a fish."

"Alright, you win." Feng Hao nodded, speechless. The guy’s theory actually made some sense.

Feng Hao had just finished speaking when Houhuiyao started shouting again. "Brother Feng, look! More beauties are heading our way! And it’s a group of three! Tsk, tsk, they’re all top-tier."

Feng Hao looked up, and his expression immediately soured. "Tone it down," he said irritably. "They’re friends."

"Huh? You know them, Brother Feng?" Houhuiyao asked in surprise.

Feng Hao couldn’t be bothered to answer him and walked straight toward Xu Zhenzhen and her two friends. "I finally found you. I was starting to think you hadn’t arrived yet."

The three girls from the Dance Team, led by Xu Zhenzhen, had eyes full of joy. After all, anyone from Rongcheng was a friendly face here. As the old saying goes, there’s nothing like meeting someone from back home.

"We just got here this morning. We rushed over to get familiar with the campus without even grabbing a bite to eat." Xu Zhenzhen smiled sweetly, her gaze falling on Houhuiyao. "And this is?"

"Oh, him? He’s a new student in the Pharmacy Department I just met. He has a rather... unique name. It’s Houhuiyao," Feng Hao introduced.

Hearing the name Houhuiyao, the three girls froze. A moment later, they all couldn’t help but cover their mouths and giggle.

Houhuiyao laughed awkwardly. "Hello, beautiful ladies. We’ll all be classmates from now on. You can just call me Houhui."

"Hey, hey, hey," Feng Hao quickly interjected. "The one in the lead is my disciple’s wife, so don’t even think about getting any ideas. As for the other two, you can do as you see fit."

"Brother Feng, what kind of talk is that? Am I really such a shallow person in your eyes?" Houhuiyao said with a righteous expression.

"..." Feng Hao was instantly rendered speechless.

’At that moment, Feng Hao really wanted to slap him twice. He was just talking about casting a wide net to catch a big fish, and in the blink of an eye, he’d turned into a perfect gentleman. He was just as bizarre as his name.’

Feng Hao had wanted to chat a little longer, but with this weirdo Houhuiyao around, he could only exchange a few brief pleasantries.

"The Pharmacy Department is right next door. If you have any questions about your Dance Arts in the future, you can come find me. Especially you, Zhenzhen. If any clueless bastards like him"—Feng Hao pointed at Houhuiyao—"give you trouble, let me know immediately. Before he left, Xiaomiaozi entrusted me to look after you."

Xu Zhenzhen covered her mouth and chuckled softly. "Then I’ll have to trouble you, Senior Brother."

"We’re all friends here, no need to be so formal," Feng Hao said with a faint smile. "I’ll treat you all to a meal after the assessments tomorrow. For now, I’m taking this bastard back to the Pharmacy Department before he can corrupt any more of our female classmates."

"Take care, Senior Brother." The three girls giggled and nodded, watching quietly as Feng Hao hauled Houhuiyao away.