Ma Hongjun

The little fat boy and Cui Hua froze at the same time and looked toward her.

The fat boy blinked his small eyes, the whiskers on his lips trembling as a gleam filled his eyes. "What a pretty girl. What, do you want to take her place and be my girlfriend? Fine, no problem. I agree."

"Bullshit."

Xiao Wu flew into a rage and kicked the hand he was using to hold Cui Hua, knocking it away. "You little hooligan, already this bad at such a young age. In broad daylight, are you trying to snatch a woman by force?"

Bai Ge could not help shaking his head with a sigh. Talking to himself, acting on his own assumptions.

Ma Hongjun truly was the most pathetic of Shrek's Seven Devils.

There was a reason he had failed to inherit the Fire God's position and could only obtain the position of the second-tier god, Phoenix God.

Tang San had given Ma Hongjun an opportunity, but unfortunately, he had failed to seize it. In the end, he could only regret it bitterly. Who else could he blame?

In this regard, Oscar had been far more tenacious than him.

(From a purely writing standpoint, if there was a protagonist, there had to be supporting characters. All that could be said was that Fatty was tragic.

Bai Ge took Ning Rongrong away, so Bai Chenxiang could go to Little Ao.

Fatty could just remain a single dog for the rest of his life. The outcome would not be any different anyway.)

The little fat boy's expression darkened. "You're trying to meddle in my business?"

At that moment, Tang San said in a low voice, "A forcibly twisted melon will not be sweet. Since the young lady is unwilling, why insist on forcing her?"

The little fat boy snorted. "My business is none of your concern. Stop yapping here."

"Whose father are you?" Tang San's expression darkened as well.

"Whoever answers me, I'm his father."

Tang San said no more. Using Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track, he stepped forward and kicked at the fat boy's chest.

Hidden force lay within this kick. If the little fat boy had merely been an ordinary person, at most it would only have knocked him down.

But if he possessed some special ability, the force within Tang San's kick could erupt at any time.

Sure enough, just as Tang San had guessed, the little fat boy was no ordinary person.

Seeing Tang San's kick coming, he met it without hesitation. He raised both fists before him to block Tang San's foot, while a faint purple glow shone from his body—clearly a fluctuation of Soul Power.

Tang San's kick suddenly halted in midair. The kick turned into a stomp as it shot toward the fat boy's lower abdomen.

The fat boy reacted quickly as well. His raised fists swung down simultaneously, smashing toward Tang San's foot.

With a muffled bang, Tang San withdrew his leg and retreated, while the fat boy was kicked back several steps.

The two had actually fought to a draw.

The little fat boy's Soul Power seemed to be only slightly weaker than Tang San's.

Fatty paused in surprise. "So you're a Soul Master too. No wonder you dared meddle in my business. Let me show you what real strength is."

As he spoke, Fatty gave a low shout. "Phoenix Avatar."

At the word Phoenix, Tang San and Xiao Wu both stiffened. Among Beast Martial Souls, several were exceptionally powerful, and one of them was the phoenix. Phoenixes were also known as immortal birds.

A Phoenix Martial Soul not only granted its wielder the ability to fly, but also bestowed powerful fire-attribute attacks. It was among the finest of assault-type Martial Souls.

Purplish-red light surged from the little fat boy's body. The short hair on his head suddenly grew longer and gathered toward the center, forming a mohawk hairstyle—commonly known as a cockscomb haircut.

Wings did not appear, but the moment the purplish-red light emerged from his body, it immediately released intense heat.

Two yellow Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet at the same time. Long feathers extended from his thick, bare arms, and his hands transformed into claws.

Looking at him, Xiao Wu burst out laughing. "Is there such a fat phoenix? No matter how I look at him, he seems like a free-range chicken."

Ning Rongrong was even harsher. "Shouldn't he be a broiler chicken?"

Bai Ge added gleefully, "Little San, don't tell me you can't even handle a grass chicken. Old Master Tang Jian would definitely throw you out of the sect."

It was as if Ma Hongjun's Reverse Scale had been touched. He flew into a furious rage. "Who are you calling a free-range chicken?"

He raised both hands, and the first Soul Ring on his body suddenly lit up. Opening his mouth wide, he spewed a thin stream of purplish-red flame toward Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong.

The intense heat distorted the air. The purple flame did not look especially violent, stretching through the air like a line of fire.

Yet with a flash of golden light, Bai Ge was already standing before Ning Rongrong.

With a casual wave of his hand, the seemingly fierce purple flame was instantly scattered into tiny sparks that drifted away on the wind and slowly went out.

Bai Ge had not even used his Martial Soul.

Ma Hongjun refused to let it go and was about to attack again, but Bai Ge merely narrowed his eyes. Invisible Telekinesis instantly sent him flying!

The fat boy flailed about as he tumbled through the air several times before landing heavily on his backside, leaving him dazed and disoriented.

"Stop fighting! Please, stop fighting!"

Miss Cui Hua suddenly spoke from the side and hurried toward Ma Hongjun.

Stars swam before Ma Hongjun's eyes, and his whole head spun. He barely managed to climb up from the ground.

Cui Hua supported Ma Hongjun and dusted the dirt from his clothes. "Are you all right?"

Ma Hongjun snorted. "I'm not dead yet."

But unlike how he had treated Xiao Wu in the original story, Ma Hongjun did not dare provoke Bai Ge again.

"Miss Cui Hua, what is this about?"

Seeing Cui Hua's concern for Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu could not help feeling confused.

Hadn't this fat boy been bullying her earlier? Why was she now...

Cui Hua pleaded, "Please stop fighting. Actually, Hongjun is a good person. We're just not suited for each other.

That's why I can only break up with him. Please leave. I'll explain things to him properly."

Just then, a surprised voice rang out. "What are you all doing?"

Tang San and Ma Hongjun looked toward the source of the voice at the same time. Dai Mubai, dressed in white with his hair combed exceptionally neatly, was walking toward them.

Xiao Wu snorted. "What happened? Ask him. This fat boy was bullying a girl in broad daylight. We couldn't stand it, so we taught him a lesson."

A smile suddenly broke across Dai Mubai's stern face. "Xiao Wu, I think you've misunderstood.

Miss Cui Hua, even you couldn't stand him anymore?"

Cui Hua blushed, nodded, then turned and ran away.

This time, Ma Hongjun did not try to stop her. He merely wore a dejected expression.

Tang San walked over to Dai Mubai and asked doubtfully, "What exactly is going on?"

Dai Mubai looked at Fatty. "Will you explain it yourself, or should I explain it for you?"

Ma Hongjun glanced at Dai Mubai, then lowered his head. "You explain."

Dai Mubai laughed heartily. "What? Even you, you dead fatso, know how to be embarrassed?

Fine, I'll explain."

As he spoke, he turned to Tang San, Xiao Wu, Bai Ge, and Ning Rongrong. "Do you remember when I told you that the academy had only three students in total, including myself?"

Tang San immediately understood. "You mean, he is..."

Dai Mubai nodded. "That's right. Fatty is the third one.

He was also the last student to enter the academy before you all arrived.

I didn't see what happened just now with my own eyes, but I can guess. Actually, this cannot entirely be blamed on Fatty. If anyone is to blame, it is his Grass Chicken Martial Soul."