Douluo: Poisonous Tongue, Loves Telling the Truth

Heaven Dou Royal Academy! If one could join as a genius, the teaching resources there would be a hundred times better than that so-called Shrek!

Having made up his mind, a flash of imperceptible sharpness flickered in the eyes of Tang San.

"Brother Tianheng! My teacher is currently out of danger; the toxin of the Shadow Demon Spider is not fatal. But right now, I still need to absorb my soul ring, so you see..."

Yu Tianheng smiled heartily, looking at the soul beast carcass on the ground, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

He was clearly younger than himself, yet he dared to bring a 29th-rank Soul Grand Master into the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a soul ring. He truly had guts!

The educational philosophy of the Upper Three Sects made him feel an urge to recruit Tang San, so he spoke immediately.

"Since you are the student of my uncle, Brother Tang San, rest assured. Leave the guarding to us!"

"Many thanks!"

Shrek Academy, Dean's office.

Xia Ran and Zhu Zhuqing sat on somewhat dilapidated wooden stools, facing Flender, Zhao Wuji, and a group of other teachers.

"Have you really thought this through? Must you leave?"

It was Zhao Wuji who spoke, his rugged face filled with reluctance, while Li Yusong and Shao Xin behind him wore equally sorrowful expressions.

Xia Ran had lived in the academy since he was six, and these old fellows had watched him grow up bit by bit. Now that he was leaving, who with a heart of iron could bear it...

"I have the ability to protect myself now. I can't live under the wings of you old guys forever, right!"

"Besides, after Dai Mubai returns to the Star Luo Empire, he will definitely come looking for trouble. How will you handle that then?"

As his words fell, everyone turned their gaze toward the silent Flender.

When Dai Mubai left the academy, these people had wanted to stop him; there was no logic in running away after hurting someone.

Tang San had slipped away when they weren't paying attention, but now, if they let Dai Mubai go again, how cold would Xia Ran's heart be?

Yet, even in such a situation, Flender still insisted on his idea of prioritizing harmony, preventing the others from detaining Dai Mubai at the academy.

Xia Ran was a bit surprised when he found out, but now that things had reached this point, there was no need to blame the other party too much. Everyone had their own principles they had to uphold.

One could only say that this old fellow truly hoped every child in the academy would be well, but unfortunately, his strength was insufficient!

"No need to look at him! It's mainly because I'll feel stifled if I don't go out and see the world!"

"Besides, it's not like I'm never coming back."

"When I am one day glorious and boundless, I'll bring you all along, hahaha!"

After all, Flender had taught him for over six years as a teacher; there was no need to make the atmosphere so awkward before leaving.

Xia Ran smiled and said goodbye to everyone, then took Zhu Zhuqing's small hand and stood up to walk outside.

At the academy gate.

The young man looked up at the old, dilapidated wooden plaque. Under the sunlight, there seemed to be a few tiny green buds faintly visible on it—perhaps seeds brought by other birds.

Thoughts surged in his heart as he recalled the scenes from the past six years. He had run between the back mountain and the playground every day; almost every corner of the academy had witnessed his presence and sweat.

Li Yusong patted Xia Ran on the shoulder and sighed.

"Be careful out there! Don't listen to what Old Zhao says: those who don't dare to cause trouble are mediocre!"

"If you encounter a powerful enemy, run if you can. If you can't outrun them, spend money to resolve the disaster. In short, staying alive is what matters."

"As long as the green hills remain, there will be no shortage of firewood."

Shao Xin walked up to Xia Ran and handed him a jar of sugar beans. They were of various colors, and it looked like they had a little bit of every effect.

"Eat them as snacks on the road. They won't last too long, so don't save them."

Zhao Wuji stood at the very back with his back to Xia Ran, hands on his hips, looking up at the sky.

Only Flender stood rooted to the spot, his expression conflicted, remaining silent!

A smile appeared on the corner of Xia Ran's mouth. He gave everyone a reassuring look, then turned away resolutely, leaving only his back behind.

"I'm off! See you later!"

In the sunlight, the two figures, one black and one white, gradually drifted further and further away!

Until they disappeared from everyone's sight, Flender watched the distance silently, his usually shrewd and calculating eyes looking incomparably lonely at this moment.

I'm sorry! Xia Ran...

He hadn't expected the result to end up like this. Having repeatedly favored the outsider, Flender didn't even have the courage to face Xia Ran.

This little guy who had lived in the academy for six years, now...

Just as they were parting in sorrow, a pink figure ran over, panting heavily!

"De... Dean, where is Xia Ran?"

She had just wanted to check on Zhu Zhuqing's physical condition and went to Xia Ran's wooden house, only to find that many of his daily necessities had disappeared.

A bad premonition immediately arose in her heart. Sure enough, she searched the entire academy but couldn't find the two of them, until she saw Flender and the others at the academy gate.

Xia Ran and Zhu Zhuqing hadn't gone far when they heard a shout from behind.

"Xia Ran! Xia Ran! Wait for me..."

The two turned back to see Xiao Wu, currently in her Martial Soul Avatar state, stumbling toward them.

"What's going on? Why is she here?"

Facing Zhu Zhuqing's questioning, Xia Ran was equally bewildered.

He recalled having no entanglements with Xiao Wu; in fact, over these past few days, he had spoken more to Ning Rongrong than to her.

Now that Zhu Zhuqing had confirmed their relationship, he couldn't afford any complications at such a critical juncture!

While he was lost in thought, Xiao Wu reached them.

With her hands on her knees, the long run had her chest heaving violently as she gasped for air.

Seeing this, Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward to support her.

"What is going on with you?"

Xiao Wu adjusted her soul power for a long while before she could finally swallow a few times.

"You... where are you two going? Can you take me with you!"

As the words fell, Zhu Zhuqing and Xia Ran exchanged glances, their eyes filled with confusion.

Then, it was as if Xia Ran realized something.

Now that Tang San and Xiao Wu had completely broken ties, and Tang Hao was no longer monitoring her, the plot had deviated entirely from the original story.

Xiao Wu's initial purpose for coming to the human world was to avenge her mother; it was only after meeting Tang San that her progress in that regard had been delayed.

Now that Tang San was gone and there was no possibility of reconciliation, Xiao Wu was bound to return to the path of vengeance, meaning her current goal was to become stronger.

The reason she came to find Xia Ran was likely because of this.

Before either of them could answer, Xiao Wu caught her breath and continued.

"Xia Ran, could you teach me how to cultivate for a while, just like you did for Zhu Zhuqing?"

"I want to become stronger too, and I'm not afraid of hardship..."

Chapter 48: Xiao Wu Accompanies Them

The moment Zhu Zhuqing heard the word "teach," she thought back to the events of that morning while they were in the Martial Soul Avatar state, and her face instantly flushed red.

Xia Ran also looked awkward upon hearing this.

However, thinking about the teaching, he frowned slightly. Why were they all coming to him for instruction? He wasn't an academy teacher, and even if he had been, he had already resigned; how could they keep chasing him down?

He turned his head to look at Zhu Zhuqing beside him, his meaning quite clear: it was up to her to decide.

They were classmates, after all, and had lived in the same dormitory for so long; if she agreed, they would take her, and if she didn't, she should just say so.

To be honest, Xia Ran was quite tempted by the favorability mission regarding Xiao Wu. As the heroine of this world, the final reward shouldn't be as simple as just a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

But hindered by the fact that he had already confirmed his relationship with Zhu Zhuqing, he didn't show too much.

"Xiao Wu, actually, we..."

"Have already confirmed our relationship!"

"Wouldn't it be a bit inconvenient for you to be with us..."

Zhu Zhuqing believed she had rejected the other party quite tactfully; no one wanted another woman around their boyfriend, and she was no exception.

But how could Xiao Wu be willing to give up? The opportunity to become stronger was right in front of her. If she could grasp it, she could avenge her great grudge; if she couldn't, she didn't know how long she would have to wait.

She immediately put on a pitiful expression.

"I beg you! Zhuqing!"

"After you left, I was the only girl left in the academy. Facing that Evil Phoenix and that lecherous Oscar every day, I'm about to have a breakdown!"

What Xiao Wu said was the truth. Of the original Shrek Seven Devils, two had run away, one had returned to their sect, and another had been whisked away by Xia Ran; she was indeed the only girl left in the academy.

Ever since Tang San left and Zhu Zhuqing was injured, Xiao Wu had been holed up in the dormitory, contemplating her next steps.

After much thought, it seemed there were only two paths: returning to the Star Dou Forest or following Xia Ran to cultivate.

Therefore, she decided to try her luck with Xia Ran first. After all, he possessed methods to rapidly increase one's strength, and his soul rings—which exceeded the limits of human absorption—made her yearn for his guidance.

Facing Xiao Wu's pleading, Zhu Zhuqing cast her gaze toward Xia Ran, seeking help.

However, Xia Ran simply turned his head away, offering no advice.

In this situation, he felt that saying anything would be wrong, so he chose to remain silent.

"Please, Zhuqing, I won't disturb the two of you!"

"Think about it from another perspective; aren't I in the exact same position you were in back then?"

As soon as this sentence was uttered, Zhu Zhuqing was clearly moved for a moment.

That's right! When she begged Xia Ran to teach her how to cultivate, wasn't it the exact same scene as this?