The classroom where Instructor Wei Cang taught smelled like ink, dust, and the faint musk of old paper. Along the walls were rows of crystal tablets that glowed faintly. Each one had a contract for a beast from long ago.
The benches were full of students, and their beasts were curled up in corners or sitting next to them. Zhao Yunxian leaned against the wall on the other side with an air of arrogance, while his snake curled up in the shadows. Li Jian sat in the front row, his smirk sharp as a knife. And behind him, Lu Han lay back with his shadow cat, pretending to be uninterested while his eyes missed nothing.
Chen Ho sat quietly in the middle, and Phoenix sat next to him on the bench. Its flames went out politely, but the golden shine in its feathers couldn't be missed.
The Lesson
Wei Cang opened a scroll with great care. His voice was dry as dust but heavy as a rock.
"A contract is not a chain." It is a mirror. To tie up a beast is to tie yourself up. Weak masters make weak bonds, and strong masters make strong beasts. The law is easy to understand. Not the art.
He tapped the scroll. Glyphs sparkled in the air, with lines of blood, fire, and spirit intertwined.
"Now. Can anyone tell me what the three problems are with a contract that is too strict?
There was a pause. Then Li Jian stood up with a smug smile. "One: the rebellion of beasts. Two: contracts that aren't stable. Three: the master's life was cut short.
Wei Cang nodded once. "Yes." And how do you stop it?
Li Jian smiled even more. "Discipline." The master should never give the beast more freedom than it needs. "Obedience comes from a firm hand."
A few students nodded. Zhao Yunxian laughed and ran his fingers over the scales of his snake.
But Chen Ho's hand went up.
Wei Cang's eyebrows went up a little. "Chen Ho?"
The answer from Chen Ho
Chen Ho said in a calm voice, "The three weaknesses are true." "But the way is wrong. A forced hand may get people to do what you want, but it breaks up harmony. A beast that is afraid is like a blade that is rusty—it cuts once and then breaks. "Real stability doesn't come from being in charge; it comes from being in sync."
The Phoenix let out a loud chirp, and its golden feathers flared up, as if to agree with what was said.
There was a low murmur in the hall. Some people laughed, while others looked deep in thought.
Wei Cang's eyes got sharper. "And how would you do this 'synchronization,' student?"
Chen Ho looked him in the eye calmly. "By aligning intent." Not just orders, but will. When a beast fights you not because you told it to, but because it wants to.
For a long time, there was a heavy silence.
After that, Wei Cang nodded very slightly. "That's right." Very few masters ever learn it. Even fewer people do it.
The Show
Wei Cang pointed to the Phoenix. "Then show us."
Chen Ho got up. The Phoenix jumped into the air, its wings on fire. It spun up into the air without saying a word, leaving flames behind like ribbons.
Chen Ho lifted his hand a little. The Phoenix swooped down and turned the fire into a spear. It hit the target dummy in the middle of the hall, right in the middle, leaving a clean circle of burned stone instead of ash.
The crowd gasped. No chant. No orders. Only instinct shared.
Wei Cang's eyes shone with a faint light. "Very good. You know more than you let on.
Rivalries Start
But Zhao Yunxian's voice broke through the awe. "Synchronization? Please. Bird tricks. Let's see him deal with a real beast without all the drama. His snake hissed, and its scales shook.
Li Jian laughed. "Obedience is the only truth." When the Phoenix meets a real predator, we'll see how long his "harmony" lasts.
Their followers laughed.
Lu Han chuckled quietly from the back as he stroked his shadow cat. "Interesting philosophy, Chen Ho." Balance, harmony, and synchronization. But keep in mind that only money talks when animals die. "Will your ideals fill your wallet when your bird dies?"
The Phoenix's beak snapped, and a spark flew through the air toward Lu Han's cat. The shadow beast hissed and ran back into its master's cloak.
The hall went quiet when Wei Cang spoke. "That's enough." There will be rivalries, but not in my class. Keep this in mind: people who don't know their animals will bury them. And themselves.
What happened next
As the hall emptied, whispers floated through the air.
"He talked like an old man..."
"The Phoenix does what it's told without being told to do it."
"Maybe it's true—maybe he woke up something that shouldn't have been..."
Chen Ho walked out quietly, and Phoenix sat proudly. The flame was warmer than ever, and in the morning light, golden threads sparkled.
He petted its head. "They don't have to believe." We just have to keep going.
The Phoenix sang softly, its eyes burning with a promise.
Thunder rolled across the city again, faint but steady, far above. The Dragon remembered.