Chapter 128: Joining the Fun

"What are you afraid of?" Wanqi Yi glanced at Wanqi Lianhao. This son of his was perfect in every way except for being too cautious; he lacked his father's flair. "I am actually hoping they jump out. They've grown too used to being turtles; if I don't corner them, how will they ever emerge?"

"Father, are you planning to deal with them?" Wanqi Lianhao finally understood.

Wanqi Yi sighed. "It's a last resort. The situation with the Zerg is escalating, and I won't have peace of mind until they are dealt with."

Wanqi Lianhao nodded; that much was true.

Chin in hand, Xuan Xuan nibbled on a piece of dried meat. Was he talking about those rats making moves in the shadows? Using potions to lure them out was certainly a clever idea.

The next morning, Wanqi Weihao checked the schedule and breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that Zhan Yu was not teaching. He then escorted Xuan Xuan to her classroom.

The second period was "Mecha Piloting," a mandatory course for both the Mecha Engineering and Command departments. The instructor was a battle-hardened veteran, and both Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan were quite excited. No man could resist the allure of a mecha, but opportunities to actually touch one were rare. Since the class was held in the Mecha Training Hall, it was clear they would finally have that chance. In a culture where martial prowess was highly esteemed, the passion for mecha knew no gender, and all the students, including the Wanqi brothers, were brimming with anticipation.

Just as they reached the entrance of the training hall, Wanqi Weihao exclaimed, "Xuan Xuan?"

Wanqi Weihan looked up at his brother’s words, and sure enough, it was indeed Xuan Xuan.

"What are you doing here?" the two brothers asked, stepping forward. "Isn't your next class 'Design Aesthetics'?"

Xuan Xuan shrugged helplessly. "I don't know. The schedule was changed at the last minute."

"Even if it was changed, shouldn't you be learning 'Mecha Design' instead?" Wanqi Weihan asked, confused. "Mecha Piloting" was quite a stretch from mecha design.

"They said you have to know how to pilot a mecha to understand how to design the best ones," Xuan Xuan replied, repeating what the principal had told them. Though the explanation was a bit of a reach, it was passable. Xuan Xuan was interested in mecha piloting, so she didn't mind learning.

In reality, Xuan Xuan had no idea that Liao Kun had gone to great lengths to ensure Kuang Shao would be her instructor. A talent like Kuang Shao had to teach the top-tier classes of the premier departments; otherwise, it would be a waste. After checking the schedule, Liao Kun found that the "Mecha Piloting" class for the Mecha Engineering and Command departments fell on this morning. He then decided to add the Mecha Design department to the mix. There was no precedent for such a thing, and after an emergency meeting where he faced significant opposition, Liao Kun had made the final executive decision. That was why Xuan Xuan and her classmates had their schedules shifted.

Despite their confusion, no one dared to question the curriculum of the First Federal Military Academy. Once inside the training hall, they discovered it was filled with mecha, each one of B-rank or higher. The students around them were practically drooling; a B-rank mecha was something even a wealthy family could barely afford, and even small noble families in the Imperial Capital would be lucky to own one or two. Many of these students had never seen a B-rank mecha before, and they stared at the row of machines, itching to jump in and try them out.

"Xuan Xuan," a faint voice whispered from behind.

"Why are you here?" Xuan Xuan asked. It was Lou Yitong. Xuan Xuan didn't know her original major, but it certainly wasn't one of these three.

Lou Yitong grinned. "I transferred to the Command department."

Command? Xuan Xuan mused; it made sense. For a Soul Singer, command was exactly where she belonged.

"That's great," Xuan Xuan nodded. Ever since they started sharing a dorm, and Xuan Xuan had taught her a few melodies and saved her twice, Lou Yitong had come to rely on Xuan Xuan’s judgment. She was thrilled that Xuan Xuan approved, and moving to the Command department meant she would be in the same class as Wanqi Weihao and closer to Xuan Xuan. After the military training, her family and the principal had suggested the transfer so she could better utilize her abilities.

"It's not just me," Lou Yitong laughed. She had run into two other familiar faces while filing her transfer paperwork.

"Did they make you come here too?" Just as they were mentioned, the three people from their military training dorm arrived: Zheng Chao, Zuo Chen, and Xiao Daopeng.

Zheng Chao was originally in Mecha Repair, so transferring to Mecha Design wasn't too strange, but why were the other two joining in? Xuan Xuan didn't know that Zuo Chen and Xiao Daopeng had transferred to Mecha Design because of her. For Zuo Chen, his teacher, Elder Ji, had told him that if he wanted to learn, he might as well learn from his senior uncle—few could compare to him. As for Xiao Daopeng, his family had decided he should study under Xuan Xuan the moment they began participating in the research on the new mutated Zerg.

Before anyone could speak, a soft chuckle drifted from behind them. Everyone turned around.

"Heh."

Xuan Xuan was puzzled; the voice sounded familiar. When she turned, she rolled her eyes. Why was Kuang Shao here too?

The others in the room gasped. Why was this "smiling tiger" here? One "dark-faced god" like Zhan Yu was enough, and now Kuang Shao had joined the mix. When it came to ruthlessness, no one could compare to him.

Seeing their reactions, Kuang Shao nodded with satisfaction. His charm hadn't faded at all; that girl from the Wanqi family was just unappreciative—he would ignore her. He curled his lips into a light smile. The students who had been stunned were now completely mesmerized. Kuang Shao wasn't in his military uniform but dressed in blood-red robes; that slight smirk held the power to topple kingdoms. He cast a provocative glance at Xuan Xuan, who remained unmoved.

"It seems everyone is very happy to see me," Kuang Shao clapped his hands, drawing everyone’s attention back. "We will be spending the next school year together, and I will be teaching 'Mecha Piloting'."

Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan groaned internally. How were they supposed to study properly now? They had just been worried about Zhan Yu, and now Kuang Shao had appeared. Surely, Kuang Shao was at the very top of their third uncle's blacklist.

Kuang Shao strolled past the students, patting the mecha in front of him before waving a hand to summon his own machine, "Dazzling Sun." In the vast training hall, "Dazzling Sun" stood out like a crane among chickens. They had just been impressed by B-rank mecha, and now an S-rank machine had appeared, blinding everyone with its brilliance. S-rank mecha were the stuff of dreams, forever out of reach. Seeing one in reality was something they hadn't even dared to imagine.

Everyone was struggling to contain their urge to touch it, but one look at Kuang Shao’s beautiful, dangerous smile sent a chill down their spines.

"Well? Want to touch it?" Kuang Shao patted "Dazzling Sun." Seeing the students nod like bobbing chickens, he asked, "Want to try it out?"

"Heh," he dismissed his mecha. "You think you're qualified to pilot an S-rank mecha?" His tone was laced with mockery and disdain. Piloting an S-rank mecha required at least A-rank capability; otherwise, one couldn't even tap into its potential, and the requirements went far beyond that. For this group of students, it was impossible. Even Wanqi Weihao and Wanqi Weihan could only barely control an A-rank machine.

The students didn't dare to speak up, though they were fuming. They had heard such mockery from Kuang Shao before, and they knew only true strength would make him take back those words.

"Good, at least you have some self-awareness," Kuang Shao glanced at them. He hadn't wanted to come; he had never imagined himself as a teacher. He was a free-spirited person, but after thinking about teasing Zhan Yu—and knowing that if he didn't show up, his grandfather would probably chop him into pieces—he had finally decided to come to the academy. Besides, crushing these arrogant youths seemed like it might be fun.

He straightened his face, turning more serious. "If you want to touch these mecha and try them out, it’s not impossible." He narrowed his eyes, sending a shiver through the crowd. "First, learn the structure of a mecha inside and out. The moment you can disassemble one and put it back together perfectly, I will let you pilot."

The students from the Mecha Engineering and Command departments stared in shock. Were they in "Mecha Structure" or "Mecha Piloting"? They weren't in repair, manufacturing, or design!

The students in the Mecha Design department, however, were delighted. By the time the others finished disassembling and reassembling those mecha, they would have probably grown bored of them already.

"You want to pilot mecha when you haven't even studied them thoroughly?" Kuang Shao looked at the students with their mixed expressions and said coldly, "To pilot a mecha, you must at least understand every part of it. Only when you know everything about it can you make it cooperate with you."

Wanqi Weihao, who had been stunned, lowered his head in thought. He had always felt his control over his mecha wasn't quite fluid, and Wanqi Lianhao had once told him that to master a mecha, one must understand it. But Kuang Shao’s idea of "cooperation" struck a chord. Do mecha have their own emotions? He looked up at the row of machines.

Xuan Xuan couldn't help but look at Kuang Shao with curiosity. How could someone so eccentric have such a rational moment? She curled her lip. Was Kuang Shao doing this just to follow Zhan Yu? One leads, the other follows? They really were in sync, showing up to cause trouble at the same time.