The predawn whistle came fifteen minutes earlier than yesterday. Tang San had just opened his eyes when he heard Xiao Wu feeling around for her clothes next door. He slowly sat up and deliberately dawdled over folding his blanket—Flender had said yesterday that they would increase the load. Fifteen-pound leg weights were much heavier than ten-pound ones, so he needed to save his energy for whatever difficulties came next. By the time he reached the training ground, Dai Mubai had already laid out everyone's leg weights. An extra two-pound iron plate had been tied to each one, bringing the total to a full seventeen pounds.
"Teacher Zhao said newcomers need more training. These iron plates are an extra addition." Dai Mubai raised a brow at Tang San, his tone carrying a hint of amused anticipation. Ma Hongjun had already fastened his weights and was baring his teeth as he worked his knees. "This is way too heavy. Won't twenty laps kill us?"
Tang San picked up his leg weights and deliberately slowed down as he tied the cords. His fingers "accidentally" brushed the edge of an iron plate, and he pretended to have scraped himself. "These iron plates are too sharp around the edges. I need to tie them looser, or they'll chafe my legs." By the time everyone else had already run a lap, he finally swayed after them. He deliberately lowered his center of gravity, making his steps look heavier than yesterday's, though he was actually using only half his Soul Power to handle the weight.
Using "avoiding chafing" as an excuse to adjust the leg weights and delay the start, avoiding premature high-intensity expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 49.
They had only reached the fifth lap when Zhao Wuji rode alongside the group on horseback, a whip in hand. "Tang San, why are you last again? Do you think seventeen pounds is too heavy? If you can't manage it, then stop running. Shrek doesn't keep trash!" His whip cracked against the grass beside them, startling Ma Hongjun into stumbling.
Tang San deliberately panted heavily and lowered his voice. "Teacher Zhao, the leg weights rubbed my legs raw yesterday. I don't dare use too much force, in case the wounds split open." As he spoke, he slowed down just enough to fall to the back of the group, keeping half a zhang between himself and Zhao Wuji's horse—far enough to avoid the whip, yet close enough for Zhao Wuji to see how "strenuous" it was for him.
Zhao Wuji narrowed his eyes at Tang San's pant legs. He said nothing more, but quietly urged his horse faster. The entire group's pace increased. Ma Hongjun soon began to fall behind, while Tang San remained at the rear, neither dropping back nor hurrying ahead.
Using "old injuries" as an excuse to maintain a slow pace, avoiding the deliberate acceleration and resulting expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 50.
When they finally finished the twenty laps, Tang San had barely untied his leg weights when Oscar handed him a sausage. "Eat up. Morning training is definitely going to be even harder." This time, he did not refuse, but only took a small bite—saving most of it for an "emergency." If the noon training load increased, it could replenish his strength.
The morning training was indeed another deliberate challenge. Zhao Wuji led them deep into the woods and pointed at an open patch thick with thorns. "Today, you'll train to clear obstacles with your martial souls. Use your martial souls to clear a five-foot-wide path. Tang San, you go last. I want to watch you train."
The others quickly got to work. Dai Mubai used White Tiger Claw to slash apart the thorns, while Ning Rongrong's Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda lit up and strengthened Dai Mubai. Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Flame made the thorns crackle as they burned, but he accidentally set a nearby branch on fire and got scolded by Zhao Wuji. When it was Tang San's turn, he summoned Blue Silver Grass and deliberately reduced the toughness of its blades. Each time they wrapped around the thorns, they would "just barely" tear away half, leaving the other half to be wrapped again before it could be fully cleared.
"Tang San, why is your Blue Silver Grass so weak? It can't even tear through thorns?" Zhao Wuji walked over, crushing the thorns near his feet with one step.
"Teacher, the thorns have barbs. If Blue Silver Grass is too tough, it can easily get snagged and torn. Lowering its toughness lets me clear them slowly. Otherwise, if it breaks, I'll have to summon it again, which wastes even more time." As Tang San spoke, he deliberately let a strand of Blue Silver Grass catch on a barb and snap in two. "See? It broke after all. Now I have to start over."
Using "avoiding martial soul breakage" as an excuse to lower toughness and slow the clearing speed, avoiding excessive expenditure. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 51.
Zhao Wuji said nothing more, but stood beside him and watched until Tang San took half an hour to clear the five-foot-wide path, more than twice as long as the others. At lunch, Xiao Wu leaned close. "Teacher Zhao was definitely making things difficult for you. You cleared that path far too slowly."
"Slow is still better than having my martial soul snagged and broken. I'll need it for team training this afternoon." Tang San slowly chewed on his steamed bun, deliberately tearing it into small pieces and eating them bit by bit—dragging out the meal so he could catch his breath. Otherwise, he would have no energy to deal with whatever new difficulties awaited that afternoon.
The afternoon team training was indeed even harder. Zhao Wuji split the six of them into two groups and ordered them to "escort a token" across an open space filled with traps. He also specifically decreed that Tang San's group would carry a heavy iron block, three times heavier than the wooden plaque assigned to Dai Mubai's group, while their traps would trigger twice as frequently.
"Teacher Zhao, this iron block is too heavy! Our group only has Oscar as support—we can't carry it at all!" Xiao Wu protested.
"If you can't carry it, then don't train. A Shrek team must be able to deal with any problem." Zhao Wuji stood nearby with his arms folded, his tone brooking no argument.
Tang San quickly pulled Xiao Wu back and deliberately frowned as he weighed the iron block in his hands. "It's fine. We'll share the load. Xiao Wu and I will lift the front, and Oscar will support the back. We can just move slowly." He deliberately lowered his posture while carrying the block and took tiny steps. Whenever they neared a trap trigger point, he would "just happen" to pause, pretending to inspect the trap. In truth, he was secretly using Blue Silver Grass to scout ahead, releasing only thirty percent of his Soul Power to activate the grass blades' senses and avoid Zhao Wuji noticing.
Using "sharing the burden" as an excuse to slow their movement, using trap observation as a buffer to avoid expenditure from triggering traps. Slacking Value +1. Current total: 52.
They had only made it halfway when Dai Mubai's group was already nearing the finish line. Tang San's group had covered only a third of the distance, and they had triggered two traps—one when Xiao Wu failed to notice a tripwire, and another when Oscar's hand slipped while supporting the iron block, nearly dropping it into a trap. Zhao Wuji shouted from the side, "Tang San, you're a control-type soul master. Why didn't you scout the path in advance?"
"Teacher, the traps trigger too quickly. Blue Silver Grass has to probe slowly. If it moves too fast, the traps can easily shred it." Tang San spoke as he deliberately slowed the probing speed of the Blue Silver Grass even further, extending it only half a foot at a time. "Look, we just avoided a Hidden Pit. If we had moved any faster, we would have fallen in."
In the end, Tang San's group reached the finish line a full hour after Dai Mubai's group. Yet Zhao Wuji did not criticize them. He merely said coldly, "Tomorrow, the load goes up another three pounds. Anyone who can't keep up can pack their bedding and leave."
Everyone groaned in misery, but Tang San secretly sighed in relief—he had earned four Slacking Value points today, and he had also exchanged them for Soul Power Increase. His Soul Power was now level sixteen. He slowly walked back to the dormitory, watching the sky outside the window darken as he calculated in his heart: Another three pounds tomorrow won't be a problem. I just need an excuse about needing time to adapt to the new load. Shrek's deliberate difficulties are the perfect opportunity to earn Slacking Value.
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