What Should I Call You, Xiao Wu?

Early morning.

Zhu Zhuqing had gotten up at dawn. She shared a dormitory with Ning Rongrong, so when she woke up, she woke Ning Rongrong as well.

This pampered young lady had originally wanted to linger in bed a little longer, recalling her father's instructions when she had arrived. But now, she had no choice but to give her new classmate some face and get up obediently.

After washing up and tidying their appearance, the two opened the door, intending to get breakfast first.

After asking passersby, they soon found the academy cafeteria.

The so-called cafeteria was really just an agreement between the academy and the village. A few villagers had been hired to handle the students' meals. Breakfast was nothing more than a bowl of thin porridge with White Flour Steamed Buns, perhaps accompanied by some Pickled Vegetables.

Looking at the cafeteria's crude fare, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing could not help frowning. Soul Masters were people too, and they needed food to survive. Compared to ordinary people, Soul Masters needed to eat even better at their daily meals because of their cultivation. Those Soul Masters with the means even ate Spirit Beast Meat.

Spirit Beast Meat contained energy that greatly benefited a Soul Master's body. Thus, the food provided to students at some intermediate and advanced academies was basically Spirit Beast Meat, or meals made from Plant-type Spirit Beasts.

But what did this academy have?

Thin porridge and White Flour Steamed Buns. Oh, and Pickled Vegetables.

What nutrition could this kind of food possibly provide?

It might barely suffice for ordinary people.

But for Soul Masters, it was far too meager.

And they were only twelve years old, still at the age of development. They were supposed to eat this every day? What if they had to undergo intense training too? Wouldn't that ruin their bodies?

Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing's opinions of the academy fell even further. They were already beginning to regret enrolling here.

Was this academy really reliable?

Though they had plenty of complaints about the academy, neither girl showed any disgust on the surface. They calmly accepted a breakfast of porridge, Steamed Buns, and Pickled Vegetables from the Cafeteria Aunt, then casually found a seat.

They silently began eating.

Zhu Zhuqing aside, although Ning Rongrong had been pampered since childhood, she was not incapable of enduring hardship. After trying the Steamed Buns and Pickled Vegetables for the first time, she found them acceptable enough—not inedible. After all, she had never eaten such common food before. It was novel.

But if she were truly expected to eat this kind of food every day from now on, she definitely would not stand for it.

Just as the two were eating,

a dense set of footsteps sounded at the cafeteria entrance. A moment later, four boys walked in.

Aside from Tang San and Dai Mubai, one of the other two was a handsome youth with a pair of Peach Blossom Eyes. The other was a short, chubby little fatso with two Mouse Whiskers.

"Wow! Two beautiful girls!" The little fatso spotted Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing the moment he entered. His eyes immediately gleamed as he unconsciously rubbed his hands together. He looked utterly lecherous.

Dai Mubai hurriedly jabbed him with his elbow and whispered, "Behave yourself. You'd better keep your Evil Fire under control."

The little fatso snapped, "Why? Are you planning to make a move again? Come on, Boss Dai, even if you're the boss, you have to leave some soup for your brothers."

Dai Mubai jabbed him again and secretly glanced toward Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing seemed not to have noticed them at all. She continued eating her breakfast slowly, her expression as cold as ever.

"Cough, cough."

Dai Mubai coughed and said, "Since everyone is here, we'll be living and studying together for a while. Let's get to know each other. Let me introduce you. This fat guy is our academy's other student, Ma Hongjun. His Martial Soul is grass—oh, no, Phoenix."

At the word Phoenix, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing both raised their heads. When they saw Ma Hongjun's fat, stubby build, they immediately began wondering whether Dai Mubai had introduced him incorrectly.

This was a Phoenix?

When Martial Souls awakened on Douluo Continent, the type of Martial Soul had a certain influence on the Soul Master themself. Thus, Soul Masters with tiger-type Martial Souls were usually imposing, muscular men or tall, beautiful women. Those with cat- or fox-type Martial Souls were generally either handsome or beautiful.

And a Phoenix was undoubtedly a top-tier Martial Soul.

It combined beauty and power.

Shouldn't its owner be some kind of handsome man?

As for this little fatso before them, it would be more believable if they said his Martial Soul was a Pig.

A Phoenix? Was he worthy of one?

Sensing the girls' distrustful gazes, Dai Mubai said awkwardly, "I know it's hard for you to believe, but Fatty's Martial Soul really is a Phoenix... Oh, right. This is Oscar. Food System. His Martial Soul is sausage." He hurriedly pointed at the other youth with Peach Blossom Eyes.

"Hello..." Oscar said nervously, extending his hand in greeting.

After the introductions, Dai Mubai continued, "We'll all be living and cultivating together from now on, so there's no need to be too formal with how we address each other. With the three of you newcomers, there are only six people in the academy altogether. Little Oscar and Fatty both call me Boss Dai because I'm a little older than them. You can just call me Mu Bai. As for Ma Hongjun, just call him Fatty. That guy Oscar—you can call him Little Oscar or Big Sausage Uncle."

At this point, Dai Mubai looked at Tang San and said, "Lan Wu, how about I call you Xiao Wu from now on?"

Xiao Wu?

Hearing that form of address, Tang San's mouth twitched. He somewhat regretted choosing that alias.

"Just call me by my name," he said quickly.

"Right, Xiao Wu sounds like you're calling a girl. Then I'll call you Lan Wu from now on." Dai Mubai came to his senses and also felt that calling a man Xiao Wu was a little disgusting.

Tang San nodded, indicating that he had no objection. Though he had not been at Shrek Academy for long, he had already developed a slight sense of belonging. Dai Mubai, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun all had their own distinct traits, but none of them repulsed him. Birds of a feather flocked together.

Before Dai Mubai could introduce her, the young lady Ning Rongrong said readily, "You can all call me Rong Rong. My family and friends all call me that."

A smile remained on her face. With that simple sentence, she invisibly narrowed the distance between herself and the others. Only Zhu Zhuqing remained.

When Dai Mubai's gaze fell on Zhu Zhuqing, she stood up and said calmly, "Zhu Zhuqing. You can call me by my full name or just my given name." With that, she turned and walked outside.

Ma Hongjun looked at Dai Mubai in surprise. "Boss Dai, aren't you supposed to be invincible among women, the famed Girl Killer? How come this new beauty isn't even willing to look at you twice?"

Dai Mubai's expression turned somewhat ugly. He shook his head without explaining. After all, his act of running away alone had been far from manly. Anyone who learned about it would look down on him. Naturally, he would not bring it up and make himself a laughingstock.