Flander returned to the academy feeling a bit down.
Ning Rongrong's current attitude had left him completely unsure of how to deal with her.
You could say she was spoiled, but at least she was being honest and cooperative.
And that was already quite impressive.
Even Flander knew how hard it was to get a young lady, raised by two Titled Douluo, to willingly obey the arrangements of a mere Soul Sage like himself.
Wait a minute...
Could it be that she's only being so obedient because he's Ma Hongjun's teacher?
"Am I taking advantage of my own disciple again…?" Flander muttered to himself.
The more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed—especially after witnessing Ning Rongrong's change in attitude toward Oscar.
"I'm still trying to teach Hongjun a lesson, and now I'm thinking maybe he should be teaching me instead."
Chuckling dryly, the dean of Shrek Academy patted his own head. Then he turned around and headed back toward his shop in Soto City, planning to do a bit of trickery to earn some money for the academy's operations.
This troublesome situation? Better to hand it off to Hongjun. Even Ning Fengzhi might be happy to see things unfold this way.
The day passed, and night fell.
"Alright, little monsters. Let's head out early and be back in time to sleep."
Zhao Wuji yawned lazily as he looked at the energetic boys and girls, a mischievous smile on his face.
"Of course, if anyone falls behind, don't blame Old Zhao for being rough. That's what the dean personally instructed before leaving."
He glanced over the group, then narrowed his eyes at one person.
"Especially you, Mu Bai. The dean said that tonight, everyone else can form teams—but not you. You're only allowed to participate in the singles matches."
Dai Mubai, once again given "special treatment," looked bitter but sighed in resignation.
I knew this was coming.
Ever since Flander made that decision, the others had been giving Dai Mubai the cold shoulder.
After all, in some ways, this increased punishment was partly his fault.
But Dai Mubai felt wronged. If it weren't for him, would they even know how petty the dean could be?
Doesn't this prove my point?
Of course, he didn't dare say this out loud. Who knew where Flander was lurking? If he overheard, Mubai would be dead meat.
"Alright, little monsters. Let's move."
Zhao Wuji yawned again and casually waved his hand.
"Destination: Soto City. Let's go."
Under the moonlight, the group walked through the streets of Soto City. The soft glow illuminated their faces—making the girls look even more charming and the boys even more handsome.
Aside from Zhao Wuji and Uncle Big Sausage (who looked much better after shaving his beard), the Shrek Seven Monsters were now undeniably good-looking.
Dai Mubai—tall, with blond hair and heterochromatic eyes.
Oscar—handsome, with captivating peach blossom eyes.
Tang San—not striking at first glance, but youthful and full of energy.
Ma Hongjun—dressed in pure white, with flaming red hair, well-defined features, and red-amber eyes.
The flame-shaped mark on his forehead gave him an aura of nobility and mystery.
The girls, of course, had their own unique charm.
Ning Rongrong—pretty, sweet, and pure.
Xiao Wu—her long scorpion braid reached her waist, and her legs were long and shapely, like they were crafted with golden proportions.
Zhu Zhuqing—her sleek black hair and mature figure clashed with her age, adding a cool allure.
And then there was Zhao Wuji—looking like a big black bear squeezed into a cast of handsome boys and pretty girls.
Such an eye-catching lineup was bound to attract attention.
"Brother Hongjun, where are we going?" Ning Rongrong asked sweetly as she walked over to the red-haired boy. Her big, glistening eyes sparkled with curiosity.
She glanced at Ma Hongjun and remembered what Oscar had said earlier. A flicker of heartache passed through her beautiful eyes.
"No matter where you go… I'll go with you," she declared seriously.
Ma Hongjun: ?
What is she even talking about?
The boy blinked in confusion. "We're heading to the Great Spirit Arena. It's a regular part of our academy training."
"Oh! Are we going to fight in soul master battles?"
Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up. "Then I want to team up with Brother Hongjun! With the support of my Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda, you'll definitely be even more powerful!"
The moment those words left her mouth, everyone's pace slowed slightly.
Each of them had different thoughts swirling in their minds.
Tang San: I must team up with Xiao Wu and use this opportunity to express my feelings!
Xiao Wu: Third Brother, don't tell me you're going to start acting weird again… If you are, I might as well team up with Rongrong and Zhuqing.
Dai Mubai: Well, I guess I had a chance… but not anymore.
Zhu Zhuqing: One agility-type, one power-type… Not impossible.
Oscar: Waaaah! I want to team up with Rongrong too!
These little thoughts running through their heads actually lightened the mood, taking the edge off the nervousness of going into battle for the first time.
"Hey, Oscar."
Dai Mubai quietly slipped over, grabbed Oscar's shoulder, and asked in a low voice,
"Ever since lunch, Ning Rongrong has been looking at me like I owe her money or something. Do you know what's going on?"
He glanced at her, troubled. She was happily chatting with Fatty Ma, but when she turned to look at Dai Mubai, he could practically feel her icy glare.
Did I offend her somehow?
Dai Mubai genuinely couldn't figure it out.
"Well… you know how noble girls are. Emotional instability is normal."
Oscar shivered slightly, averting his eyes with guilt.
What could he say?
Could he admit that earlier that afternoon, he'd tried to drag Ma Hongjun's name through the mud by revealing his past flings, only for Ning Rongrong not to believe any of it?
In fact, she ended up resenting Oscar instead.
To protect his fragile reputation, Oscar had no choice but to… tweak the story.
According to his version, Ma Hongjun had a tragic life. His parents died young, and he was adopted by Flander as his disciple.
Dai Mubai was painted as the bad influence who led Hongjun down the wrong path—chasing women. Meanwhile, Oscar was the good guy who had tried (and failed) to pull him back to the right track.
But even after exposing the fat man's romantic history indirectly, Ning Rongrong hadn't disliked Ma Hongjun. Instead, she felt sorry for him and blamed Dai Mubai.
And then she said:
"With me around, I'll definitely help Ma Hongjun change."
Oscar almost collapsed.
That's the exact method I used to trick girls!
How did it turn into a buff for Fatty?!
With no other choice, he had to go along with the script and curse Dai Mubai too.
If Ning Rongrong ever repeated this to Zhu Zhuqing, Boss Dai would be dead.
And if Boss Dai found out that Oscar had fabricated the whole thing...
He'd tear me apart for sure!
Oscar swallowed hard at the thought and forced himself to remain calm.
"Really?" Dai Mubai asked suspiciously, sensing something off.
"Of course! As real as real gold."
Uncle Big Sausage nodded confidently.
"Well… guess noble girls are just difficult to figure out," Dai Mubai muttered in frustration.
Fortunately, his mood didn't stay down for long.
They had arrived at the Soto City Fighting Spirit Arena.
...
Hey guys, I have some good news.
I think I'll start uploading two chapters a day, but I need your support. Please leave me a five-star review to boost my energy. It really means a lot to me.