Dog Eat Dog

"Well..." Lotus smirked as she went on to recounting the events from that day and what she had heard later from the staff.

When the two guardians heard of the results, A-Cong had a thoroughly bewildered look on his face and Hei Hui gave a chuckle, "Haha... That truly does sound rather entertaining and lively that day. Ah, if only I were there to witness such a scene. If I were in position, I'd give that brave kitty a chance for my own entertainment..."

As she said this wishfully, A-Cong heaved a heavy sigh of heartache. Here, she goes again. As much as he respects her, it was still difficult to imagine her wise and delicate nature to have such a dark sense of humor in her. But, bear with it, he must.

"So, after that incident, it must've been clear that another incident with a pet in the school grounds would further irritate the teachers, correct?" A-Cong said in his usual gruff tone.

Raaji nodded his head tearfully. As the guardians of the dorms, he knew that they were naturally in a higher position and power in comparison to the dorm leaders and vice-dorm leader. However, he realized half way through the conversation that their existence are meant to be a secret that the guardians are unable to take advantage of aside for emergencies. So, what use was it for him to ask them for help? At least, he hoped that they won't be the first to decide to kick him out of the dorm or put him into detention or suspension.

"Do they no longer ship animals in packages anymore?" Hei Hui said curiously.

Raaji was horrified when he thought of poor Wes taped into a package and shipped overseas back home. Wouldn't he suffocate to death or escape before he made it back home?!

"No, they don't." Lotus replied with a sigh, "Nowadays, humans have begun to take into considerations for the well-being of animals as they would an infant. As long as the animals have safe conditions for travel and are healthy enough, they can be shipped across countries and kingdoms given that they have papers to prove it with an approval from the departments that manages the shipping and wellbeing of the creatures. I believe they called it animal rights and animal protection, just as humans would call theirs human rights. Otherwise, there'd be a long list of complaints and case files against illegal shipping of living creatures. It is indeed very strict."

"So many rules..." Hei Hui shook her head sadly, "If one does not study them well, it is very easy to get themselves into trouble. I'm afraid we can no longer live outside of our dorm as easily anymore. Times have changed so much... For the better and the worst."

She looked back to the antidote and examined it carefully followed by a waff of its scent before passing the pink liquid over to A-Cong. After the examination, the two looked to one another as A-Cong wore a look of reluctance and Hei Hui had a satisfying smile over her face. Seeing the smile on her face, A-Cong knew that the girl had successfully completed the antidote in less than a day as she had promised.

Raaji stood on the sidelines in confusion. That smile but A-Cong's expression was contradictory. He couldn't even guess if she succeeded or not!

"You've upheld your end of the promise..." Hei Hui nodded her head pleased with the results though disappointed at the same time.

For the sake of the students, it was good to have a counter against their poison for the students would survive an accidental encounter with their kind. However, to have an antidote created so easily was a little bit like an insult to their own abilities as the producers of the poison. A small sense of defeat and slightly miserable feeling. As if their existence and abilities were taken a little too lightly. However, the result of this was the discovery of an individual with a bright future ahead of her and a long road ahead. It was then that Hei Hui concluded in her mind. She might forge a good relationship with this little human girl!

If she were to toss away her whole pride in her own abilities, she wouldn't mind being on a friendly relationship with this human in exchange.

Hearing her words, Raaji breathed a small sigh of relief having seen that Lotus was successful in her endeavors. She was truly amazing! It was hard to believe that they thought she had nothing more than a good head on her shoulders!

Thinking back on Jamil's intentions, he found it ridiculous how he tried to monitor her so closely with one person. He had underestimated her by a long shot. How could he ever dream of being able to plot against her?

Rather, she must've already figured everything out in that little mind of their vice-dorm leader!

After seeing this, Lotus nodded with a smile, "Now you don't have to worry about hiding all of your scorpions all the time."

Surprised, A-Cong looked to her in bewilderment. It was their secret that he had scorpions hidden around the dorms. While his partner can supervise the dorms in one manner, he has another way of supervising the dorm and that was through his scorpions that he rules over. How could she have known about it, though?!

However, Lotus didn't really knew if it was true or not. Rather, it was her own assumptions as she knew that they need to be able supervise the dorms from afar and what better way does the job than to have trusted underlings to do the job for them?

If Hei Hui was using the waters from afar, then A-Cong could use the eyes of others instead. Getting an antidote for Hei Hui's venom was only a precautionary measure should something were to occur on her account. As for A-Cong's venom, it was to be able to prevent casualties from death.

"If I were to do that, the scorpions would get caught and they try to do something to the scorpions." A-Cong refuted with a frown.

"Can they really do much if you are their king?" Lotus responded with a wide smirk, "Since you've been watching the dorm all these years, there should be something you can do, such as... a spell for invisibility."

A-Cong looked to her in surprise when he heard this. Raaji quickly grew confused. From what he heard, he wasn't certain if cultivators could use magic, but Lotus was able to use magic earlier, right?

"Normally, cultivators can't use magic the way magicians can, but the guardians here have been exposed to this world's flow of mana for many years. If it's only one or two little spells, you should be able a manage. Moreover, spirit beasts capable of producing poison are generally capable of controlling dark elements as well. I've seen the blot that magicians produce. The energy is dark element and evil, but not so much that it can be considered to be demonic in any way. Though it could easily be mistakened for it."

"It's not demonic?" Raaji looked to her in confusion. It was one thing after another and now they were talking about demons?! Just what sort of world did these guys come from?! He was only joking when he imagined how there'd be topics of demons coming up next!

"People capable of manipulating dark elements are consider part of the evil categories in our world." A-Cong explained simply, "They are not necessarily evil, but the dark element has a bad reputation. Aside from dark elements, people capable of producing poison with their bodies are also a part of those categories most of the time. There can be many explanations to how they got this type of body conditions, but Lady Hei and I received ours through birth and blood. A common method. So, you can say that we are a part of the evil category."

"But they aren't necessarily evil." Raaji nodded his head understanding that part as the more important. It reminded him of the history they learned in Mister Trein's class of history of magic. Discrimination hit the world hard many years ago and wars erupted. A lot of wars. It wouldn't be a surprise if there were wars in their world as well.

"Wars are as common as the sun rising each day in our world." Hei Hui responded after easily reading his thoughttful expression, "It may not even have been between demons, devils, ghosts and cultivators. Wars between plant fairies and humans, between spirit beasts and humans, between ghosts and cultivators. If it weren't that, it was between clans of family and many feuds."

Raaji looked to them in bewilderment, "Th-There's even ghosts?!"

"Our world was no different from how this world was during the older ages." A-Cong responded, "However, it was more chaotic. There are no rules or regulations protecting the people and the children. Spirits beasts contracted to humans are no different than disposable slaves in battle and Plant spirits were slaughtered for their mana and the benefits of the plant parts. Humans were hunted down by demons and devils. Monsters wrecked the world and discriminations ran across the world at the speed of light. There was no mercy, not even for the infants or the pregnants mothers. All were victims of this cycle and all perished in that world they were pulled into. Even when order finally came upon the world, the order still brought upon suffering because it has split the worlds apart into realms. The underworld, the mortal realm, and the higher level. However, the spirit beasts and plant spirits are supressed by the humans. Ghosts and demons are trapped in the underworld. Only the strong can have power in that world. There was a phrase often used in that world to describe the order we had to live in. A dog eat dog world."