Chapter 18: A Smile That Captivates the City

Chapter 18: A Smile That Topples Cities

That slap left Qin Zhe feeling utterly refreshed, as if his entire being had been elevated to a higher plane.

In contrast, the Cold Moon Divine Hound received the blow without any defense, howling mournfully in canine instinct, then stood frozen for a moment.

Not hurt?

Not hurt at all?

Could this human’s strength really be so weak?

Seeing the hound stunned, Qin Zhe didn’t hold back, raising his hand to deliver another slap to its head.

“Smack!”

“Stupid dog! You so tough? Bite me then!”

This time, the Cold Moon Divine Hound finally snapped out of it, its eyes blazing with boundless fury.

This human before it was so feeble, a single slap barely like a tickle, yet he kept beating its head mercilessly—how could it stand for that?

“Woof!”

The hound barked fiercely and lunged forward, its powerful body pinning Qin Zhe to the ground. It opened its mouth full of sharp fangs and bit down on his neck.

Qin Zhe, knocked down, showed no panic and instead brightened with interest.

Wanna bite me?

Good!

First, I’ll shatter a few of your big teeth, and then I’ll really teach you a lesson!

Without hesitation, Qin Zhe raised an arm and decisively shoved it into the hound’s chilling maw.

Just as he did, a slightly anxious voice whispered in his ear—Liu Qingzhi’s.

“Don’t hurt it!”

Qin Zhe, who had been hoping to shatter some of the hound’s big teeth, was instantly frustrated.

Minister, this isn’t right! I’m the one being tackled by a huge beast, a third-tier spirit beast no less, and you’re more concerned about the dog than me? Are you serious?

With no other choice, and knowing the minister had a fondness for this dog, Qin Zhe silently deactivated his recoil talent.

The next moment, the Cold Moon Divine Hound bit down hard on his arm.

Then, like a typical canine, it fiercely tore at Qin Zhe’s arm, as if determined not to let go until it tore the limb apart.

There was no denying the hound’s bite force was terrifyingly strong.

Despite the tearing, Qin Zhe could distinctly feel a slight stinging sensation where its teeth clamped on his elbow.

Although he had deactivated his recoil talent, his absurdly tough body was still formidable.

Even if Zhou Wentong struck with full force, Qin Zhe would only feel as if bitten by a mosquito.

That the Cold Moon Divine Hound could cause him such pain was a testament to its prowess as a third-tier spirit beast.

Of course, this level of power was hardly enough to trouble Qin Zhe seriously.

Letting the hound’s two front paws press on his chest and its teeth wildly thrash his arm, Qin Zhe suddenly felt his mission was going surprisingly smoothly.

He might not look graceful at the moment, but he’d already held the hound down, hadn’t he?

Had he known he could settle this with just a couple of slaps on the dog’s head, he wouldn’t have wasted so much thought earlier!

Just as he was thinking this, four longswords, wreathed in violet energy, appeared out of thin air, forming a square formation around the man and the dog on the snowy ground.

As the swords touched down, the violet energy rippling along their blades extended instantly, transforming into four chains of spiritual energy that wrapped tightly around the hound’s limbs.

Caught so suddenly, the Cold Moon Divine Hound had no time to react before being ensnared.

Immediately, it stopped tearing at Qin Zhe’s arm.

It instinctively sensed the threat, bouncing and struggling fiercely, but it was utterly unable to break free from the chains.

Moreover, as it struggled, the four violet chains, like parasitic maggots, crept along its limbs, tightening ever more.

Qin Zhe finally freed his arm from the dog’s jaws and, seeing the situation, breathed a sigh of relief.

This should be over now, right?

Glancing at his shredded sleeve and the increasingly weak struggles of the hound, Qin Zhe couldn’t resist delivering another slap.

“Smack!”

“Behave, don’t move! If you move again, as soon as we leave the secret realm, I’m taking you to the pet hospital to be neutered!”

No sooner had he finished speaking than Liu Qingzhi appeared, hovering in midair.

“This one’s female.”

“…”

Qin Zhe was momentarily stunned but shrugged and slapped the hound’s head again.

“If it’s female, it gets spayed!”

Watching Qin Zhe picking on the dog relentlessly, Liu Qingzhi couldn’t help but smile faintly.

“Thank you for your effort. Once we’re out of the secret realm, I’ll treat you to a meal to make up for it.”

Qin Zhe barely paid attention to the dinner offer.

But catching sight of Liu Qingzhi’s radiant smile, he was utterly shocked.

The minister actually smiled!

And with such beauty!

If the academy knew that just catching a dog could cheer Liu Qingzhi up, wouldn’t they all go mad?

Before Qin Zhe could admire the splendid smile any longer, Liu Qingzhi quietly withdrew it and raised a hand to form a sword formation gesture.

“Binding Spirit Array, retract!”

The four swords that had stood guard around them slowly converged, shrinking the formation to just the size needed to contain the hound.

At this point, the Cold Moon Divine Hound had given up struggling, its fierce eyes now filled with fear and despair.

Liu Qingzhi’s aura radiated a fourth-tier spiritual energy, a threat so palpable that even the notoriously cowardly hound felt its life was at risk.

Satisfied that the hound had calmed, Liu Qingzhi reached out to stroke its head.

“Don’t be afraid. Sister will take you out for good food and drink. No one will bully you.”

“Minister, the dog’s caught. Where do we go next? The assessment has barely been underway for half a day. We still have plenty of time to gather resources.”

Qin Zhe feigned ignorance of her words but inwardly grumbled.

The minister truly was a remarkable woman!

No expression for people, but so gentle with a dog, even coaxing it—if the news department got wind of this, wouldn’t it make headlines?

“Let’s not rush to collect resources. We’ll visit the Cold Moon Divine Hound’s habitat.”

Liu Qingzhi nodded.

“I checked around earlier and found several creatures near the hound’s dwelling. The Cold Moon Secret Realm has been known for nearly a century, and such large-scale migration has never happened before. Something must have changed inside the realm; we should go and see.”

“Isn’t that outside the scope of the Discipline Inspection Department?”

Qin Zhe frowned, his expression odd.

He had hoped to gather more spiritual items here to convert with his essence talent and possibly gain a potential point.

But now the minister had seized her favored spirit beast and wasn’t interested in gathering resources, which left him a bit displeased.

“Indeed, this isn’t normally the Discipline Department’s business,” Liu Qingzhi admitted.

“But if something in the secret realm threatens the participants in this assessment, as student council members, we have the duty to investigate.”

“Fine.”

Qin Zhe smiled wryly, giving up the struggle decisively.

The minister’s sense of responsibility was so strong—what could he do?

Seeing his reluctance, Liu Qingzhi hesitated slightly.

“If you’re eager to gather spiritual items and complete the assessment, we can split up for now. I’ll investigate and come find you when I’m done.”

“No, I don’t trust you going alone. I’ll go with you.”

Qin Zhe waved his hand, resolutely refusing.

No joking!

Without riding on the minister’s coattails, he wouldn’t get far in this secret realm.

Besides, the realm claimed to be its own world, all a vast expanse of snow and ice. On just two legs, Qin Zhe doubted he could travel far at all.

...

(End of chapter)