Look at You, So Brave

Three days later, the Royal Hunting Grounds camp Heaven Dou City was bustling with activity.

The fifteen qualifying teams, along with their instructors and accompanying personnel from various academies, and five hundred Royal Knights soldiers dispatched by the Heaven Dou Empire, formed a grand procession of over a thousand people, gathering in the open field outside the camp.

Five hundred Royal Knights soldiers were dressed in silver-white armor, which gleamed with a cold metallic sheen in the morning light.

They rode identical fine horses, long swords at their waists, and lances in their hands, the tips of which gleamed coldly in the sunlight, forming two long lines on either side of the procession.

Beneath the helmets were stern faces, their gazes sharp as hawks, sweeping across the crowd.

They were the most elite cavalry of the Heaven Dou Empire, ordered to safely escort this group of elites from the Heaven Dou Division to Spirit City.

The caravan was long, consisting of fifteen carriages, and was divided into three squads by the Royal Knights.

Each carriage was pulled by four strong horses, and the interior was lined with thick, soft cushions. Shock-absorbing springs filtered out most of the bumps from the road.

According to the rules, male students rode in one carriage, and female students rode in another.

Tang San stood beside the Shrek Academy carriage, preparing to board, when he caught a glimpse of a familiar figure emerging from the depths of the camp.

Yu Xiaogang walked to Flender's side, turned slightly to the side, and his shoulder was almost touching Flender's arm.

Flender nodded to Yu Xiaogang without saying anything, then turned and walked towards the carriage, with Yu Xiaogang following behind.

Tang San's lips twitched, and he stopped in his tracks.

He glanced at Yu Xiaogang and Flender's retreating figures, and a terrifying thought flashed through his mind.

This journey will take more than twenty days; am I really going to be sitting in the same carriage as Yu Xiaogang?

Tang San shivered, took a deep breath, and steeled himself as he walked towards the carriage, lifted the curtain, and climbed inside.

Inside the carriage, Yu Xiaogang had already sat down next to Flender, the two of them very close.

Seeing Tang San enter, Yu Xiaogang looked up and gave him a charming smile, "Xiao San, you're here."

Tang San nodded, sat down in the opposite seat, and tried to make his expression look natural. "Teacher, what brings you here too?"

Yu Xiaogang waved his hand gently. "I'll go with Flender to revisit the old haunts and take another look at Spirit City."

Tang San simply said "Oh" and didn't ask any more questions.

He turned his head to look out the window, glancing left and right, pretending to be captivated by the scenery outside.

The carriage was more spacious and comfortable than I had imagined; the seats were made of soft leather and covered with thick wool cushions, making it very comfortable to sit in.

The floor beneath my feet was carpeted, soft and silent underfoot.

The shock absorption is excellent; you can barely feel any bumps.

This is also the most luxurious carriage the Empire has provided so that its team members can get proper rest.

But even the most luxurious carriage couldn't alleviate the torment Tang San was experiencing.

He sat by the window, absentmindedly watching the scenery rushing past. Fields, villages, and forests flashed by one after another.

Tang San only lasted one day.

Before setting off the next day, Tang San made up an excuse, saying that His Crown Prince summoned him, and left the carriage.

The moment he stepped out of the carriage, he let out a long sigh of relief.

He walked to the middle of the procession, where Prince Xue Qinghe's carriage was parked.

Everyone knew that Tang San was a member of Xue Qinghe's group, so no one said anything when they went to his carriage.

Tang San walked to the carriage, lifted the curtain, and climbed inside.

The prince's carriage was slightly smaller than the students' carriage, since it didn't need to carry as many people, but the interior was more luxurious.

Xue Qinghe was leaning back in his chair, holding a book in his hand, slowly turning the pages.

Seeing Tang San slip in, she lifted her eyelids slightly, and a faint smile curved her lips, revealing a hint of barely perceptible joy.

"Why are you here?" Xue Qinghe's voice was calm and unhurried.

Tang San sat down next to her, deliberately sighed, and said in a wronged tone, "I just wanted to see you!"

Xue Qinghe couldn't help but smile slightly, but quickly regained his calm expression and lowered his head to continue reading.

Tang San leaned closer, inhaling the faint fragrance emanating from her, and felt completely relaxed.

After sitting for a while, his hands started to wander, eventually covering Xue Qinghe's hand, which was resting on the book.

He gently stroked the back of her hand with his palm, and his thumb drew circles on her knuckles, slowly and deliberately.

Xue Qinghe's fingers were long and soft, and her skin was as delicate as jade, like a piece of warm white jade.

"Stop fooling around, there are plenty of experts around." Xue Qinghe rolled her eyes at Tang San, her eyes full of helplessness and reproach, her voice low as if afraid of being heard by those outside the car.

But she didn't pull her hand away, nor did she refuse; she simply let Tang San hold it, as if in some kind of tacit consent.

Tang San's lips curved into a smile, and his hands didn't stop moving; instead, they became even gentler.

The carriage traveled smoothly on the official road, its wheels making a monotonous and dull sound as they rolled over the gravel.

After a while, Tang San suddenly turned his head to look at Xue Qinghe, his expression becoming more serious.

"Xiao Xue, do you think Bibi Dong might ambush us on the way?"

Tang San's voice wasn't loud, but it carried a hint of barely suppressed worry.

He paused, then continued, "Given our current strength and those four Soul Bones, she definitely doesn't want anyone else to take them. What if she tries to wipe us out halfway..."

Tang San's meaning was already quite clear.

In the original novel, the Spirit Hall ambushed Tang San on his way.

In this life, Shrek Academy has demonstrated strength far exceeding that of the original story, and this lineup has seriously threatened the Spirit Hall Academy's championship plans.

If Bibi Dong didn't want those four Soul Bones to fall into the wrong hands, taking action halfway through would be the best option.

Once Shrek is dealt with, the other academies are no threat.

Qian Renxue looked at Tang San and slowly said, "It's hard to say. She's the kind of person who will stop at nothing to achieve her goals. What wouldn't she do to maintain her authority?"

Tang San frowned. "Really? Don't scare me. Now the whole continent knows that our Shrek Team is on your side, Crown Prince's Residence's. Would she still try to ambush us?"

Seeing the worry in his eyes, Qian Renxue smiled and calmly said, "Don't worry, your girlfriend Dugu Yan's grandfather Dugu Bo, as well as Ning Fengzhi and Sword Douluo Chen Xin, are definitely nearby. With two Titled Douluos here, even if Bibi Dong really sends someone, they will surely return empty-handed."

She paused, a meaningful smile curving her lips, "Even without them, I'm still here, aren't I? No one can hurt you. In times of crisis, someone will naturally come to your rescue."

Tang San leaned back in his seat, patted his chest, made a "you scared me to death" expression, and breathed a sigh of relief, "That's good, my life depends on you."

Qian Renxue burst out laughing at his cowardly appearance.

She reached out and slapped Tang San's hand, scolding, "Look at you, so pathetic."

Tang San chuckled twice, then leaned closer, putting one arm around her waist, and said with a smile, "Hehe, that's all I'm good for."