Boss Lin Feng, Lady Paimon, Slow Down and Wait for Me!

Chu Yuan paused and glanced at Ning Rongrong, who had stopped beside him and was looking up at him with a sweet, obedient smile on her fair little face.

"Serving tea and water?"

Chu Yuan's tone was indifferent, and not a ripple stirred in his deep black eyes.

"The Heavenly Principles Divine Court does not accept proud young ladies who bargain over terms. If you wish to remain at my side, you must obey the Divine Court's rules and be a dutiful maid. As for when your Martial Soul can truly shed its imperfections, that depends entirely on your conduct from now on."

At the word "maid," Ning Rongrong's long eyelashes trembled slightly.

She was the esteemed little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Even Titled Douluos had to coax her in the sect. When had she ever served anyone as a maid?

But when she thought of the illusory eighth and ninth tiers of the pagoda that had appeared so clearly beneath the light of the Crown of Heavenly Principles, then looked at Zhu Zhuqing, the black-clad girl behind Chu Yuan whose presence was sharp as a blade and who obeyed his every command, the last bit of young-lady reserve in Ning Rongrong's heart was instantly suppressed.

As long as she could make the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda evolve into the legendary Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda, serving tea and water was nothing. Even pounding this mysterious young master's legs and kneading his shoulders every day would be a small price to pay!

"I agree! From today onward, Rongrong will do as my lord commands and never throw a young lady's temper!"

Ning Rongrong cleverly changed the way she addressed Chu Yuan, following Zhu Zhuqing's earlier example. She obediently stepped back half a pace and took her place beside Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing gave her an indifferent glance and said nothing more, merely narrowing her dark-purple lightning eyes slightly.

Chu Yuan gave a noncommittal nod, and the group of five descended the auction house steps and walked slowly toward the city.

Meanwhile, outside Suotuo City's south gate, at the entrance to a dilapidated little village surrounded by vast cornfields.

A crude wooden sign stood at the village entrance, with the words "Shrek Academy" carved crookedly into it.

Today was the day Shrek Academy opened its doors for its annual recruitment.

A battered wooden table sat beneath a large tree at the village entrance. Li Yusong, the old Soul Emperor in charge of the preliminary test, was dozing. Most of the boys and girls who had lined up to register had been chased away for failing to qualify, leaving only Tang San and Xiao Wu at the end of the line.

"Twelve years old and level twenty-nine Soul Grandmasters? Good, good! Mubai, take these two straight in for the fourth test!"

After feeling the bones in Tang San's and Xiao Wu's hands, Li Yusong's eyes shone brilliantly. His earlier laziness vanished as he excitedly called to Dai Mubai, who was standing nearby.

Tang San withdrew his hand with a smile, though a barely perceptible trace of blood still lingered deep in his eyes.

Last night, on the streets of Suotuo City's night market, he had tried to use the Purple Demon Eye to see through the black-haired youth in white. Instead, a terrifying law of a seven-colored crown of light had injured his eyes and meridians. He had spent the entire night regulating his breathing before he could barely suppress the surging of his Qi and blood.

"Brother, this is the Monster Academy Grandmaster told you to come to? It looks even more run-down than our Nuoding Academy."

Xiao Wu tugged on Tang San's sleeve, her scorpion braid swinging as her big eyes examined the thatched cottages around the village.

"Since Teacher recommended this place, it must have something special about it."

Tang San answered quietly, his gaze falling on Dai Mubai's back as he led the way ahead.

Dai Mubai's expression, however, was dark and unpleasant, and there was an absentminded air to his steps.

Yesterday at noon, in the lobby of the Rose Hotel, he had not only been driven back in public by a single lightning-lit sword strike from that purple-haired girl, losing all face. What rankled him even more was the black-clad girl named Zhu Zhuqing.

Judging by Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul presence and appearance, he was almost certain she was the fiancée he had never met in the Star Luo Empire.

Dai Mubai had been sure that Zhu Zhuqing had come to Suotuo City to find him at Shrek Academy. Yet he had waited at the village entrance all morning without seeing a trace of her, and there was likewise no word of the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, whom Dean Flender had heard beforehand would also be registering today.

After passing several rows of wooden houses, Dai Mubai led Tang San and Xiao Wu to an open space within the academy.

In the middle of the clearing, the burly vice dean Zhao Wuji sat sprawled in a chair, resting with his eyes closed. Beside him stood a hooked-nosed middle-aged man with a goatee and a pair of black-framed crystal glasses perched on his nose.

"Dean, Teacher Zhao, I've brought the new students who passed the preliminary test today. Just these two."

Dai Mubai stepped forward to report, then couldn't help looking back toward the village entrance, his brows knitted tightly.

"Strange, it's almost noon. Why isn't there a single person left in line outside?"

Flender pushed up the black-framed glasses on his nose and swept his gaze over Tang San and Xiao Wu through the lenses. A trace of a satisfied smile had just appeared on his face when his brows furrowed.

"Only two?"

Flender rose and paced a couple of steps across the clearing with his hands behind his back, then said in a low voice:

"That's not right... A few days ago, that fellow Ning Fengzhi had someone pass me a message saying his precious daughter Ning Rongrong had run away from home to the Balak Kingdom, and asking me to keep an eye on her. And Mubai, didn't you say yesterday that you ran into that girl from the Star Luo Empire's Zhu Family at the Rose Hotel? By rights, they both should have come to register today."

Beside him, Zhao Wuji grinned broadly and laughed in his deep, muffled voice.

"Flender, could it be those two little girls thought our run-down village was too shabby and changed their minds halfway here? Either way, taking in these two level twenty-nine Little Monsters today means our work this year wasn't for nothing!"

As he spoke, Zhao Wuji flexed his thick wrists, preparing to step in and properly size up Tang San and Xiao Wu as usual.

Just then, Li Yusong, the old Soul Emperor guarding the village entrance, suddenly hurried in, looking anxious. He was clutching a Soul Master news bulletin that had just arrived from Suotuo City.

"Dean Flender! News just arrived from Suotuo City. Quickly, take a look!"

Flender took the note and glanced at it, and his expression changed at once.

"The Rare Treasures Auction House in western Suotuo City auctioned off three strange objects from beyond the heavens this morning, all of which fell from the Heavenly Abyss Rift the night before last? And the mysterious youth who bought them casually tossed out a priceless, top-grade Life Spirit Crystal, with several girls his own age whose presence was unfathomable following him?!"

By the time he reached the end, an incomparably fervent light burst from Flender's eyes!

Strange objects from beyond the heavens! A top-grade Life Spirit Crystal!

What did Flender value most in his life? Apart from nurturing monster disciples, it was money and treasures!

More importantly, the note clearly stated that Ning Rongrong, the little witch of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, had also appeared at the Rare Treasures Auction House that morning. After losing to the mysterious youth in the bidding, she had followed his group away as soon as the auction ended!

"No wonder Ning Fengzhi's daughter didn't come to our academy. Someone snatched her away in Suotuo City?!"

Flender put away the note and turned to Dai Mubai.

"Mubai, this says the mysterious youth had a purple-haired girl with a lightning sword and a black-clad girl following him. Were they the group you ran into at the Rose Hotel yesterday?"

Dai Mubai's fists clenched with an audible crack the instant he heard this, and humiliation and jealous fire flashed in his eyes.

"A black-clad girl? Could it be Zhuqing never stayed at the hotel yesterday, but got together with that pretty boy instead?! Dean, it has to be them! Yesterday at the Rose Hotel, it was that brat in white and that purple-haired woman who ruined my plans!"

When Tang San, standing nearby, heard the words "youth in white" and "purple-haired girl," his pupils also contracted sharply. He spoke in a low voice:

"Dean, Brother Dai, Xiao Wu and I ran into the group you're talking about at Suotuo City's night market last night too. The black-haired youth leading them was no ordinary Soul Master. I merely glanced at him and suffered an extremely overbearing spiritual backlash."

"Oh? Even the disciple Xiaogang took a liking to suffered a hidden setback?"

Flender pushed up his glasses, a trace of gravity and intense curiosity flashing in his eyes.

"Old Zhao, skip today's entrance test. Tang San and Xiao Wu are admitted directly!"

Flender made his decision on the spot and waved his sleeve.

"Let's go! You and I will take Mubai and the others into Suotuo City to meet this mysterious young master right now! I'd like to see just what kind of person dares to snatch prospective students from my Shrek Academy in Suotuo City. While we're at it, we'll see what those so-called strange objects from beyond the heavens are really worth!"

"Haha, we should have done this ages ago! Someone actually dared to bully our academy's Boss Dai. I'll make sure I win back Mubai's honor today!"

Fearing the world was too peaceful, Zhao Wuji roared with laughter and slapped his chest with a hand as large as a palm-leaf fan. He immediately followed Flender and the others as they rushed toward Suotuo City.