Reincarnated as a Tabby Cat: Daily Life with the School Beauty Empress

Chapter 70 Welcome Home

The aircraft landed on the Royal Academy's dedicated runway. The wind pressure from the propellers made the psionic flags on both sides of the runway flutter loudly. Before the hatch was even opened, Yi Chen glanced out the window.

At the end of the track, a dark mass of people.

Not dozens, but hundreds.

The students of the Imperial Academy in the capital city were arranged in four rows, each holding a bouquet of golden chrysanthemums—the national flower of the Dragon Soaring Empire. On both sides of the formation stood honor guards, uniformed soldiers holding golden dragon flags, standing straight in two rows.

Further back, rows of dark gray armored vehicles were parked by the roadside, their psionic turrets on top still slightly rotating, scanning the surrounding environment.

Professor Fang stood at the cabin door, glanced outside, and his hand trembled.

He arrived looking disheveled, but returned with a grand entrance that he never dared to dream of.

"Get out of the car." Murong Qingfeng patted Instructor Fang on the shoulder and walked out first.

Su Qianxue followed behind. Yichen perched on her shoulder, his golden fur ruffled slightly by the evening breeze of the capital.

My foot had just stepped onto the track.

"play music!"

A loud voice came from the direction of the honor guard, followed by the simultaneous explosion of brass pipes and war drums.

The last time this piece, Triumph of the Empire, was played in the academy was five years ago.

The drumbeats were rapid, the horns were loud, and the sound waves squeezed from both sides of the track toward the center, making everyone's chests resonate.

The student formation moved.

Welcome home!

The four rows of soldiers shouted in unison, their voices so synchronized that they sounded as if they came from a single person.

After the shout, applause erupted, a dense chorus of claps mixed with whistles and screams, drowning out the final notes of the triumphal march.

Murong Hui walked behind Su Qianxue and her eyes welled up with tears when she saw this scene.

She turned her head and wiped it.

Ye Chen followed at the back, his expression complicated, because this pomp and circumstance was clearly not prepared for him.

At the end of the formation, Li Kaishan stood there.

The principal was dressed in a formal black suit with gold trim, and a golden dragon emblem of the Dragon Empire pinned to his chest. Standing beside him were a dozen senior instructors from the academy, each with a smile on their face.

Su Qianxue walked up to Li Kaishan and stopped.

Li Kaishan received a wreath from the honor guard beside him. It was no ordinary wreath; it was an honor wreath woven from golden chrysanthemums and spirit vines, with pale golden light clinging to its petals. Wearing it would continuously radiate warmth.

He raised the wreath with both hands and placed it around Su Qianxue's neck.

"Congratulations, Su Qianxue."

Li Kaishan's voice wasn't loud, but the amplification arrays on both sides of the runway amplified every word.

"The Four Great Empires Youth Championship: Group One Champion. This is the honor of the empire, and also your personal honor!"

He paused for a moment.

Welcome home.

The applause erupted again, even louder than before.

Yi Chen perched on Su Qianxue's shoulder, his golden cat ears folding back slightly from the applause.

The presentation is perfect.

He glanced at the sea of ​​heads below, then looked at Su Qianxue's profile.

Her expression remained unchanged, still that face so cold it could freeze someone to death. But Yichen noticed her eyelashes tremble slightly, so lightly it was almost imperceptible.

In her previous life, when the Ice Phoenix Empress stood above thousands of people, she probably looked just like this, her face expressionless, with all the turmoil in her heart hidden beneath her eyelashes.

The golden chrysanthemums on the wreath emitted a faint warmth, resting on the skin near Su Qianxue's collarbone.

[Ding! Warmth Value +300! (Honor Bonus!)]

Yichen's ears perked up again.

[Honor can also increase warmth points? So, as long as Qianxue is happy, there will be rewards? This system is getting more and more sensible.]

The ceremony lasted about twenty minutes. The whole process, including the chrysanthemum wreath, group photo, principal's speech, and student representatives presenting flowers, was completed. Su Qianxue only said three sentences from beginning to end.

"Thanks."

Thank you everyone.

I will continue to work hard.

It was as brief as a memo written on a sticky note. But the students in the audience bought into it; a lukewarm "thank you" from a student carried more weight than a hundred words from a chatterbox.

After the event ended, the crowd slowly dispersed.

Su Qianxue was stopped by Li Kaishan.

"Su, come to my office."

Principal's Office.

Murong Qingfeng was also there.

Li Kaishan didn't beat around the bush.

"Su, let me get straight to the point." He sat behind his desk, twirling a pen in his hand. "You've passed the initial screening at the Dragon Royal Genius Training Center. Starting tomorrow, you'll officially begin your training at the center."

Su Qianxue's gaze shifted slightly.

Dragon Royal Genius Training Center.

The place that Murong Hui had mentioned to her in the garden.

"Let me briefly explain the nature of the training center." Li Kaishan put down his pen and placed his hands on the table. "Nationwide, we recruit three to ten people each year. Note, nationwide. How many contract masters does the Dragon Empire have? A conservative estimate is thirty million. Three to ten out of thirty million people—do the math."

Su Qianxue did a simple calculation.

"Since its establishment, the training center has recruited no more than 120 people in total." Li Kaishan said, his tone becoming slightly more serious. "Of these 120 people, seven later became Immortal Realm level experts, and most of the rest are still active in the highest decision-making level of the empire."

Murong Qingfeng stood by the window without saying a word.

"Upon entering the training center, your status will change. All members of the training center will be automatically added to the royal family's membership list."

The resources they enjoy, the confidential information they access, and the privileges they have are on a completely different level from those in an academy.

Li Kaishan looked at Su Qianxue.

"Of course, the corresponding responsibilities are also heavier. The members of the training center are the empire's swords. Swords must be used where they are most needed."

Su Qianxue: "I understand."

"There's one more thing," Li Kaishan turned to Murong Qingfeng, "Considering the manpower issue, we've applied to the training center to have Teacher Murong Qingfeng continue as your exclusive training mentor. The application has been approved. Starting tomorrow, Teacher Qingfeng will come to the training center with you."

Murong Qingfeng nodded in confirmation.

"Time," Li Kaishan said, "Meet in this office at nine o'clock tomorrow morning. Someone from the training center will come to pick you up."

Su Qianxue stood up and bowed slightly: "Okay."

It was already dark when I walked out of the building.

The night sky in the capital was very clear, with more stars than in Blazing City.

Yichen perched on Su Qianxue's shoulder, its tail swaying gently.

[Royal Genius Training Center, Royal Family Member Status, Exclusive Resources — This platform is high enough. How many years did it take Qianxue to reach the position of Empress in her previous life? With this springboard in this life, the speed will be at least three times faster.]

His cat-like eyes rolled upwards, looking at Su Qianxue's chin.

There was a slight curve at the corner of her mouth.

She wasn't smiling, but she seemed a little more relaxed than usual.

[Ding! Warmth value +150!]

Yichen buried his head in her hair with satisfaction.

Tonight is destined to be a good night.