Eight Devils and Her Awakening

By the time they returned to Shrek Academy, daylight had fully broken. Their bedraggled state—especially that of the three seriously injured members—gave Teacher Shao Xin and Teacher Lu Qibin, who were up early sweeping the grounds, quite a fright.

"Oh, my little ancestors! What happened to you?" Teacher Shao Xin hurried over. Seeing the wounds on Tang San's back, the blackened shoulder of Zhu Zhuqing, and then Xiao Xiaoxiao lying unconscious on Zhao Wuji's back with weak breathing, the color instantly drained from his round face.

"Quick! Get them to the infirmary first!" Teacher Lu Qibin was relatively composed, though his brow was tightly furrowed as well.

A flurry of activity followed. Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing were settled into adjacent beds, and Master personally cleaned their wounds and applied more suitable medicinal herbs. Xiao Xiaoxiao was placed alone in the inner room, where Teacher Shao Xin carefully examined the state of her Spiritual Power.

Flender rushed over after hearing the news. Looking at the scene before him, his heart ached fiercely—not for the medical expenses, though those certainly pained him too, but for these little monsters whom he regarded as his own children.

"Damn it, Ghost Shadow Spiders... Those underhanded bastards!" Zhao Wuji cursed as he dropped onto the steps outside the infirmary. He had quite a few scrapes himself.

Dai Mubai, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, Oscar, and Ma Hongjun all stood guard outside the infirmary, their faces heavy with worry and their mouths shut. The danger and exhaustion of the previous night had not yet faded, and now fresh concerns weighed upon them.

Time crawled by amid the torment.

It was not until the afternoon that Master emerged from inside. He looked exhausted, but his eyes had relaxed somewhat.

"Xiao San and Zhu Qing's toxins have basically been cleared. They need time to recover, especially Zhu Qing. Her wound was deep, and she lost a great deal of blood." Master looked at the crowd gathering around him. "Xiaoxiao's condition is more troublesome. Her Spiritual Power was overdrawn too severely, damaging her foundation. Teacher Shao used calming medicine to stabilize her for now, but when she wakes up will depend on her own recovery ability."

Everyone let out a breath, but their hearts still hung in the balance.

Over the following days, the atmosphere at Shrek Academy was somewhat gloomy.

With the aid of medicine, Tang San and Zhu Zhuqing recovered quickly. Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill truly had remarkable healing effects. Combined with his own iron will, the wound on his back began to scab over, and the numbness gradually faded. Though Zhu Zhuqing's face remained pale, she was already able to get out of bed and move around slowly.

The one everyone worried about most was Xiao Xiaoxiao. She remained unconscious, like an exquisite porcelain doll, with only her faint breathing proving that she was still alive. Xiao Wu and Ning Rongrong took turns caring for her, feeding her liquid food and wiping her body. Occasionally, Tang San would lean on a stick and stand at the doorway to the inner room for a while in silence before leaving.

That day, the scabs on Tang San's back had begun to fall away, revealing tender pink flesh beneath. He stretched his body and felt his strength returning. Dai Mubai's injuries had mostly healed as well, and he was doing simple rehabilitation exercises with Zhu Zhuqing in the courtyard.

Oscar sidled up to Tang San, waggling his eyebrows. "Xiao San, not bad. You took on a thousand-year Gold Devouring Rat head-on and killed the Ghost Shadow Spider leader in return. You're the number one tough guy among us Eight Devils now!"

"Eight Devils?" Tang San paused.

"That's right!" Ma Hongjun came over too, a blade of grass hanging from his mouth. "Look—Boss Dai, me, Oscar, you, Xiao Wu, Zhu Qing, Rongrong, and Sister Xiaoxiao. That makes exactly eight! The Shrek Eight Devils! Sounds more imposing than the Seven Devils!"

Dai Mubai finished his punch sequence and walked over, amusement in his evil eyes. "For once, Fatty said something sensible. The eight of us have faced life and death together. Xiaoxiao may have joined later, but if it hadn't been for her this time, the consequences would have been unimaginable. She qualifies to be called a Devil alongside us."

Xiao Wu supported Zhu Zhuqing as she came over, nodding emphatically. "Exactly! Sister Xiaoxiao saved Xiao San! She absolutely has to count!"

Ning Rongrong smiled as well. "I think Eight Devils sounds great."

Zhu Zhuqing said nothing, but her cool eyes also showed approval.

Tang San looked at his companions, warmth stirring in his heart. He understood that after their battle in the Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Xiaoxiao had truly won everyone's recognition and acceptance through her actions and sacrifice. The Shrek Seven Devils might truly become the Eight Devils from this day onward.

He nodded. "All right. Eight Devils."

"Haha! Then it's settled!" Oscar rubbed his hands excitedly. "Once Sister Xiaoxiao wakes up, we have to celebrate the founding of the Eight Devils properly!"

At the mention of Xiao Xiaoxiao, the mood fell quiet again.

At that moment, Master and Flender walked over.

"You've recovered well." Master looked over Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing, then nodded. "Since everyone is here, let's discuss the lessons from this trip to the Star Dou Great Forest."

Everyone immediately composed themselves and listened attentively.

"First, underestimating the enemy." Master's gaze swept over Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun. "The Gold Devouring Rat was strong, but if you had gone all out from the beginning, Mubai, you would not have been so badly injured. Fatty, your Evil Fire lacks suppressive force and can easily provoke the ferocity of soul beasts."

Dai Mubai and Ma Hongjun both looked ashamed.

"Second, insufficient adaptability." Master looked at everyone. "The Ghost Shadow Spider's ambush was indeed well concealed, but after Oscar absorbed his soul ring, you relaxed too much and let down your guard. You especially lacked contingency plans for possible second and third waves of attack."

"Lastly, and most importantly," Master said gravely, "there are still gaps in how you protect and trust your companions."

His gaze fell on Tang San. "Tang San, you chose to kill the head spider in the final moment. Tactically, that was not wrong. But did you consider what would have happened if Xiaoxiao's illusion had been even half a beat slower, or if it had not been powerful enough? You placed your own safety too heavily on someone else pushing themselves to their limit."

Tang San's body trembled slightly, and he lowered his head. "Yes, Master. I understand."

"I am not denying your courage or teamwork." Master's tone softened slightly. "On the contrary, the trust and resolve you displayed in that desperate situation were your greatest gains. Xiaoxiao in particular exceeded my expectations. But I want you to remember this: true strength lies not only in defeating powerful opponents, but in protecting yourselves and your companions at the smallest possible cost."

Everyone fell silent, carefully considering Master's words.

"All right, keep your spirits up." Flender took over, pushing up his glasses. "You may have been in a sorry state this time, but you gained quite a lot as well. Oscar obtained an exceptional third soul skill, and the teamwork of you eight has been tested through life and death. It could be called a blessing in disguise. For the next while, focus on recovery and consolidation. At the same time, think carefully about how this 'Eight Devils' group can be twisted into one rope!"

In the days that followed, training continued, though the intensity was adjusted. The focus shifted more toward recovery, Soul Power control, and team coordination.

After recovering, Tang San visited Xiao Xiaoxiao in the infirmary more often. Sometimes he brought calming medicine newly prepared by Teacher Shao Xin; other times, he simply sat quietly beside her and read for a while, or wiped down his Hidden Weapons. He still did not say much, but that silent companionship carried a subtle concern.

Xiao Wu caught him once and secretly said to Ning Rongrong, "Rongrong, don't you think Brother Xiao San looks like a silent, stuffy dragon guarding a treasure now?"

Ning Rongrong covered her mouth and laughed softly.

A few more days passed, and some color finally returned to Xiao Xiaoxiao's face. Though she remained unconscious, her breathing had become much steadier.

That night, the moon was beautiful. After wiping down his final Hidden Weapon, Tang San glanced at the bright moonlight outside the window and, as if possessed, made his way to the infirmary again.

Teacher Shao Xin, who was on night watch, had already fallen asleep with his head on the table. The inner room was quiet, with only Xiao Xiaoxiao's steady breathing audible.

Tang San lightened his footsteps as he entered and sat in the chair beside her bed. Moonlight streamed through the lattice window and fell across Xiao Xiaoxiao's face, coating her pale skin in a soft silver glow.

He looked at her peaceful sleeping face and recalled the resolute look in her eyes at the end of the battle in the forest. He remembered her usual lively, sly smile, and the packet of Osmanthus Cake she had handed him...

He watched her in silence for a long time. Then he took that packet of Osmanthus Cake from Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night. He had bought the pastries himself after returning from Suotuo City that day and had kept them ever since. Picking up one piece, he carefully broke off a small corner. After hesitating for a moment, he gently placed it beside Xiao Xiaoxiao's pillow.

The sweet, delicate fragrance of osmanthus slowly spread through the air.

After doing something so inexplicable, he seemed to let out a breath, yet also seemed a little embarrassed. He was about to rise and leave.

The person on the bed suddenly had her eyelashes flutter lightly.

Tang San froze instantly, his gaze locking tightly onto her face.

Under the moonlight, Xiao Xiaoxiao's long eyelashes fluttered several more times. Then the eyes that had been closed for days slowly, laboriously opened a narrow slit.

At first, her gaze was blank and unfocused. After adjusting to the dim light, her eyes moved sluggishly before meeting the pair of eyes beside the bed, which seemed especially deep beneath the moonlight.

Their eyes met.

The air seemed to freeze for an instant.

Xiao Xiaoxiao's lips moved, and she let out an extremely faint, dry sound:

"...Water..."