That Greedy Profiteer Is You

"Mm... let's go take a look first."

"Since Teacher sent me here, there must be a reason."

Tang San thought for a moment, then stepped forward to join the line.

Xiao Wu spread her hands and followed him helplessly.

At that moment, there were roughly a hundred applicants ahead of them.

Yet as time passed, not a single one of those hundred people met the admission requirements.

Soon, it was Tang San's turn to register.

The old man seated at the registration desk lazily tapped the small wooden box in front of him. "The registration fee is ten Gold Soul Coins."

Tang San took out ten Gold Soul Coins and placed them in the wooden box.

"What is your Martial Soul?"

the old man asked lazily.

"Blue Silver Grass."

Tang San revealed his Martial Soul without any hesitation.

"Not accepted!"

"Please leave."

The old man lightly waved his hand.

"My teacher recommended that I come..."

Tang San was cut off halfway through his sentence.

"No matter who recommended you."

"Rules are rules. Please leave!"

The old man waved his hand again.

"Third Brother, I told you earlier not to waste your time, but you wouldn't listen."

Xiao Wu stepped forward and reached for the small wooden box, preparing to take back the registration fee.

Smack~

The old man slapped Xiao Wu's arm, the sound crisp and clear.

"Once the registration fee is paid, it will not be refunded!"

The old man raised his eyes and glanced at Xiao Wu.

"Hiss~"

"That hurts~"

Xiao Wu shook her hand and glared at the old man angrily. "Hey, do you have any sense of fairness? At any other academy, if you don't get admitted, the registration fee can be refunded. Why can't you refund it here?"

Tang San also looked at the old man with displeasure.

Well, what displeased him was not that the old man refused to refund the fee, but that he had actually hit Xiao Wu.

"The rules of our Shrek Academy are that once the registration fee is paid, it will never be refunded."

"And didn't you see that wooden sign over there?"

"We do not accept people whose Martial Soul is Blue Silver Grass."

The old man pointed at a wooden sign not far away, then continued waving at Tang San, signaling for them to leave quickly and stop causing trouble.

"Give us back the registration fee."

Xiao Wu stepped forward.

The old man rose from his seat. A long staff-shaped Martial Soul appeared in his hand. One white, one yellow, three purple, and one black—six Spirit Rings emerged beneath his feet.

He slammed the long staff in his hand against the ground, unleashing the full pressure of a Spirit Emperor.

"Registration fees are never refunded!"

"Next!"

Under the old man's oppressive aura, both Xiao Wu and Tang San involuntarily took several steps back.

The anger in Xiao Wu's eyes only grew stronger.

"What's going on?"

Flender's voice sounded from behind them.

Tang San and Xiao Wu looked toward the source of the voice. When Xiao Wu saw who it was, she pointed at Flender. "So it's you, you money-grubbing profiteer who'd reach into a coffin for cash."

Hearing this, Flender glanced at Xiao Wu but said nothing. Instead, he walked directly over to the old man and asked about what had happened.

After hearing the old man's account, Flender's gaze fell on the Twenty-Four Bridge Moonlight Night hanging from Tang San's waist. A look of reminiscence appeared in his eyes, only to be replaced by a bitter smile.

The Soul Tool Tang San wore had originally belonged to Yu Xiaogang.

And Yu Xiaogang, as the Wisdom Horn of the Golden Iron Triangle, had once been Flender's very close brother.

"How has your teacher been these past few years?"

Flender asked softly.

"Teacher is doing very well."

Tang San's tone was somewhat unfriendly as he quietly watched the old man behind Flender.

"Mm, you should go back first."

"After your teacher comes to Suotuo City, I have something to discuss with him. Given my relationship with your teacher, admitting you would normally take only a word. But I cannot admit you now. I have my own difficulties."

Flender looked toward the wooden sign at the side.

The matter had become troublesome.

As Yu Xiaogang's disciple, Tang San should have been admitted no matter what.

But now, Flender neither dared nor could agree.

Suotuo City was Bai Wanwan's Fief. Shrek Academy stood within her Fief, and the agreement they had made back then was written on the wooden sign not far away.

If he admitted Tang San and broke the agreement they had set, what consequences would follow—and whether those consequences could be borne—were both unknown.

"Hey, profiteer!"

"Give us back the registration fee."

Xiao Wu glared at Flender.

"Registration fees are never refunded. This is an unchangeable rule."

Flender answered without hesitation.

Well, being close with Yu Xiaogang was one thing, but the registration fee absolutely could not be returned.

No matter how small a mosquito was, it was still meat.

What Shrek Academy lacked most was money.

"You..."

Xiao Wu pointed at Flender and was just about to say something when Tang San pulled her back.

"Xiao Wu, let's go first."

After soothing Xiao Wu, Tang San led her away.

In the dark.

A figure completely shrouded in a black robe silently watched Tang San and Xiao Wu. Then, after a few flashes, he vanished from the spot as though he had never appeared.

Flender, silently watching Tang San leave, let out a sigh before walking into Shrek Academy toward his office.

When he arrived at the office door.

He turned the handle. With a click, the door opened, but Flender did not enter. Instead, he quietly stared at the figure sitting straight ahead, completely shrouded in a black robe.

"Flender, could you do me a favor?"

A somewhat hoarse voice sounded from within the office.

The Clear Sky Hammer appeared in the Black-robed Figure's hand. Two yellow, two purple, four black, and one red—nine Spirit Rings flickered continuously around his body.

Staring at that blood-red Spirit Ring, Flender stepped into the office and closed the door behind him.

A while later.

Flender stood before the open window in the office, silently watching the direction in which the Black-robed Figure had left.

"Headache."

"What a headache. If possible, I don't want to offend either side. I hope you can resolve this matter."

Flender murmured to himself.

Suotuo City.

Inside a noodle shop.

Bai Wanwan lowered her head as she ate the Plain Noodles before her.

"Um, didn't you have something to take care of?"

"But these past few days, it seems like we've just been shopping."

Zhu Zhuqing picked up her chopsticks and looked at the bowl of noodles in front of her, appearing somewhat embarrassed.

Well, whether it was meals or lodging these past few days, Bai Wanwan had paid for everything, which made her feel a little embarrassed.

"Mm~"

"No rush. The time hasn't come yet."

"Eat first. The noodles won't taste good once they get cold."

Bai Wanwan kept her head lowered, eating her noodles by herself, her tone exceptionally calm.

Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing thought for a moment, nodded to Bai Wanwan, and said nothing more as she lowered her head to taste the noodles before her.