"Alright, Yu Xiaogang, it's your turn," Tang Yin murmured inwardly, a sly glint in his eyes as he unleashed his telepathy without restraint. With practiced ease, he slipped into Yu Xiaogang's subconscious, actively tweaking his memories and subtly molding his personality—setting the stage for the drama about to unfold.
Tang Yin let out a long, satisfied sigh. "Haah… finally done. Now let's sit back, relax, and enjoy the show from the sidelines to our heart's content."
In front of Blue Tyrant Academy stood a large notice board that instantly caught Flender's eye. His feet came to a halt, and he squinted at the poster, curiosity piqued. Right behind him, Zhao Wuji followed, nearly bumping into him.
"Recruitment: Lanba Advanced Soul Master Academy
Due to recent expansion, we are looking to fill the following positions:
– 10 Soul Ancestors (Level 40 and above)
— Candidates with exceptionally high soul level preferred.
— Generous treatment and benefits upon hiring.*"
Flender's eyes practically turned into gold coins. "Heh… I saw this same notice near the city gate earlier," he muttered, voice low with excitement. "Seems like their wallet's pretty fat."
Zhao Wuji gave him a long-suffering look. "Sigh… Flender, wipe your chin. For the love of the Gods, stop drooling—you look like you're about to propose to the notice board."
Ignoring the jab, Flender kept staring at the poster like it was a treasure map.
Meanwhile, Zhao Wuji turned his gaze to the tranquil surroundings of the academy—clean paths, well-maintained gardens, the distant sound of students laughing. "You know," he said, stretching, "this place wouldn't be a bad spot to retire."
Qin Ming, who had been silently observing, suddenly chimed in. "I've heard of Lanba Academy. They're famous for accepting only commoner students & reject all nobles."
Flender chuckled as he took a step toward the main entrance. "With that attitude and this kind of funding, they'll be challenging the Tiandou Imperial Academy in no time."
Everyone paused, the meaning sinking in.
Oscar's eyes widened. "Dean, you mean—?!"
Everyone's eyes lit up with excitement, their hope rising like a bubbling pot ready to boil over. Flender didn't answer. He simply walked toward the academy gate with a swagger in his step, hands behind his back and gold in his eyes.
As he swaggered inside, he was immediately intercepted by a guard. "Stop! Who are you? Show me your visitor's permit!"
Flender staggered slightly, then coughed to cover it up. "This gentleman—Isn't there a notice for recruitment? We're here to apply."
The guard eyed him from head to toe with a sharp glare. "Follow me," he said curtly, turning on his heel and marching off toward the recruitment quarter.
Flender, of course, couldn't keep quiet for a second. He bombarded the guard with question after question, not waiting for a single answer—something that clearly tested the guard's patience.
Eventually, the guard broke into a sprint, eager to escape the verbal barrage. They arrived at a quiet chamber where a middle-aged man sat cross-legged, meditating calmly despite the weighty armor he wore indoors.
"This is Teacher Yin shu," the guard said with a short nod toward the man. "He's in charge of recruitment. Direct any questions to him."
"Hmm?! What's up with this guy?" Flender muttered, eyeing the armored man suspiciously. But when he turned his head to the side—the guard was already gone.
Yin Shu opened his eyes, calmly exiting his meditation. "I'm Yin Shu, a war soul king at level 54. I'll be responsible for the recruitment of teachers. Please introduce yourselves."
Qin Ming stepped forward immediately, the youngest among Shrek's teaching staff. He released his martial soul and soul rings in one smooth motion. "Qin Ming, war soul emperor, level 62. Martial soul: Fiery Grey Wolf. I'm here to apply for a teaching position. Please advise," he said respectfully.
Yin Shu staggered slightly, his eyes widening. "A soul emperor at such a young age…!" he muttered under his breath, clearly shocked.
"Since you're a soul emperor, there's no need for further evaluation. You are hereby appointed as a teacher of Lanba Advanced Academy," Yin Shu said politely, even giving a small bow out of respect.
Not missing a beat, Flender perked up. "So there's no evaluation for soul emperors and above? That means all of us qualify directly." Flender pushed up his glasses with a smug grin, clearly trying to hype himself up.
"Hmph, show-off," Tang Yin snorted with clear disdain.
One by one, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the other Shrek teachers released their martial souls and soul rings. The entire recruitment quarter lit up in a blaze of dazzling colors and terrifying pressure.
Yin Shu instinctively took a step back, alarmed by the overwhelming presence of so many soul saint-level powerhouses. Still, he did his best to remain composed. "Esteemed seniors, please retract your martial souls. This matter is beyond my authority."
He quickly adopted a more flattering tone. "Why not allow me to escort you to our dean? She can make the final decision regarding your rank and salary."
Flender exchanged a meaningful glance with Yu Xiaogang and chuckled knowingly. "Very well. Lead the way."
Tang Yin rolled his eyes. "Why is this guy so eager to wear a green hat? Flender's basically serving Liu Erlong to Yu Xiaogang on a silver platter. Is he into that kind of thing? That's not normal…" A shiver ran down his spine as his own imagination horrified him.
Yin Shu led the way toward the back of the academy, chatting the whole way and showering Flender with flattery, clearly trying to earn some favor. The path was lined with colorful flowers, their petals dancing in the breeze, leading up to a quiet little cottage.
In front of the cottage, a graceful beauty was gently watering the plants, her voice carrying a soft, melancholic tune as she sang a heartbreak song.
Liu Erlong let out a long sigh. "Hah… Xiaogang, where are you? Leaving me here all alone..." she murmured between lyrics, her voice full of longing.
Off to the side, someone could be heard sniffing—soft, pitiful sobs. It was poor Yu Tianheng.
He had come to visit his aunt, hoping her company might help him forget his own heartbreak. But instead, her mournful song struck a chord deep in his chest, and before he knew it, he broke down even harder.
Both aunt and nephew stood there, drowning in their own sorrow—each lost in their own sea of sadness.
Ning Rongrong clutched her chest, brows furrowing. "Who's singing such a sad song? I don't know why, but my heart really hurts right now."
"Huh? Who's crying?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, looking around curiously.
Meng Yiran perked up and pointed ahead. "Look, it's that captain from the Emperor Team we fought last time—Yu Tianheng!"
"Pfft—LOL! I didn't expect this guy to be this pitiful," Tang Yin nearly burst into laughter, pinching his thigh hard to keep himself from laughing out loud at the sight of Yu Tianheng sobbing.
Even Dugu Yan, who had been keeping a cool front, caught sight of him and felt a tiny pang of guilt swell up inside.
But she quickly shook it off. 'Nope. This guy's clearly got something weird going on with his uncle. Doesn't he prefer both Bananas and peaches? Gross. This has nothing to do with me—I'm not at fault,' she reminded herself firmly, shutting the guilt down with disgust.
Hearing the soft murmurs of Ning Rongrong and Zhuqing behind her, Liu Erlong finally turned around, visibly displeased. "Yin Shu! Didn't I tell you not to disturb me when I'm watering the plants? And why on earth did you brin—" Her voice caught in her throat.
The words died as she froze in place, her eyes locking onto someone she had longed to see for over twenty years. Tears welled up instantly.
"Is that you, Yu Xiaogang? Did… did you come back for me?" she asked in a trembling voice, stepping forward with hesitant hope.
She was about to throw herself into his arms, her heart ready to burst—only to be beaten by someone faster.
"Uncle!!! I missed you sooo much!" Yu Tianheng cried, launching himself onto Yu Xiaogang like a flying squirrel, legs clamped tightly around his waist.
"Yu Tianheng!!!" Yu Xiaogang cried out, just as emotional. He embraced his beloved nephew with tears streaking down his face. "Uncle missed you too! You don't know how hard it was for me to fall asleep these past two months! It was agonizing! But no more—we'll never be apart again!"
Liu Erlong stopped mid-step, her body freezing mid-motion. She blinked in disbelief, almost tripping from the misstep. Her eyes darted between the pair, utterly baffled by the overly enthusiastic display of affection.
Something was… off. Very off.
But she forcefully tried to hypnotize herself as she shoved the doubts to the back of her mind. So what if it's a little weird? My Yu Xiaogang… he's finally come back to me. That's all that matters.