Xiao Wu Joins Them

Heaven Dou Royal Academy! If he could join as a talented student, the educational resources there would be a hundred times better than that Shrek place!

Having made up his mind, Tang San's eyes flashed with a glint that was hard to detect.

"Brother Tian Heng! Teacher's condition is stable for now. The Shadow Demon Spider's poison isn't fatal, but I still need to absorb a Soul Ring. What do you think...?"

Yu Tianheng laughed heartily. Looking at the Soul Beast's corpse on the ground, he couldn't help marveling to himself.

He looked even younger than me, yet he dared to bring a level-29 Soul Grandmaster to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for a Soul Ring. What guts!

The Upper Three Sects' educational philosophy had made him want to recruit Tang San, so he said at once, "Since you're Uncle's student, don't worry, Brother Tang San. Leave guarding you to us!"

"Thank you!"

Shrek Academy, the dean's office.

Xia Ran and Zhu Zhuqing sat on somewhat shabby wooden stools, facing Flender, Zhao Wuji, and the other teachers.

"Have you really made up your mind? You absolutely have to leave?"

It was Zhao Wuji who spoke. His rugged face was full of reluctance, and Li Yusong and Shao Xin behind him looked just as sad.

Xia Ran had lived at the academy since he was six. These old fellows had watched him grow up, bit by bit. Now he was leaving just like that. What person with a heart of stone could bear to let him go...?

"I can protect myself now. I can't spend my whole life under the wings of you old fellows, can I?"

"Besides, once Dai Mubai returns to the Star Luo Empire, he'll definitely come looking for trouble. What will you do then?"

At that, everyone turned to look at Flender, who had remained silent.

When Dai Mubai left the academy, they'd wanted to stop him. It made no sense to hurt someone and then run away.

Tang San had slipped away while they weren't paying attention. If they let Dai Mubai leave too, Xia Ran would be so disappointed.

But even in those circumstances, Flender had stuck to his belief that peace should come first, stopping them from keeping Dai Mubai at the academy.

Xia Ran had been surprised when he found out, but at this point there was no need to blame Flender too much. Everyone had principles they had to uphold.

All he could say was that the old fellow genuinely wanted every child at the academy to be all right. It was a shame he wasn't strong enough!

"No need to look at him! I just feel cooped up if I never go out and see the world!"

"Besides, it's not like I won't come back after I leave."

"Once I'm famous and successful, I'll bring you all along too. Hahaha!"

After all, Flender had taught him for over six years. There was no need to make things awkward before he left.

Xia Ran smiled and said goodbye to everyone. Then he took Zhu Zhuqing's hand and stood up, walking out of the room.

At the academy gates.

The young man looked up at the old wooden sign. In the sunlight, a few tender green shoots seemed to peek out from it. Perhaps some birds had brought seeds there.

His thoughts churned as he remembered everything that had happened over the past six years. He'd spent every day running between Back Mountain and the training grounds. Almost every corner of the academy bore traces of his presence and sweat.

Li Yusong patted Xia Ran on the shoulder and sighed.

"Take care out there! Don't listen to Old Zhao when he says, 'Those who don't dare get into trouble are good-for-nothings!'"

"If you run into a powerful enemy, run if you can. If you can't outrun them, give them some money and make peace. The important thing is to stay alive."

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

Shao Xin stepped in front of Xia Ran and handed him a jar of Sugar Beans. They came in all sorts of colors, and it looked like there was one for every effect.

"Have them as a snack on the road. They won't keep for long, so don't save them."

At the back, Zhao Wuji stood with his back to Xia Ran, hands on his hips as he looked up at the sky.

Only Flender remained where he was, his expression conflicted, saying nothing.

A smile touched Xia Ran's lips. He gave everyone a reassuring look, then turned resolutely and left, his back the only thing they saw.

"See you! Until next time!"

Under the sunlight, one black figure and one white figure gradually receded into the distance!

When they finally disappeared from view, Flender silently watched the road ahead. The sharp, calculating look he usually wore had turned utterly desolate.

I'm sorry, Xia Ran...

He hadn't expected things to end like this. He'd repeatedly put other people first, and now Flender couldn't even face Xia Ran.

That little fellow who had lived at the academy for six years was now...

Just as they were sadly parting, a pink figure came running over, panting hard!

"D-Dean, where's Xia Ran?"

She'd just wanted to check on Zhu Zhuqing's condition. When she went to Xia Ran's cabin, she found that many of his belongings were gone.

A bad feeling immediately rose in her heart. Sure enough, she searched the entire academy without finding either of them, until she spotted Flender and the others at the gate.

Xia Ran and Zhu Zhuqing hadn't been gone long when they heard someone shouting behind them.

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

They turned around. It was Xiao Wu, in her Martial Soul Possession state, staggering toward them.

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

At Zhu Zhuqing's question, Xia Ran was just as confused.

He remembered having no entanglements with Xiao Wu. In fact, lately he'd spoken more with Ning Rongrong than with Xiao Wu.

Now that he and Zhu Zhuqing had confirmed their relationship, he hoped nothing troublesome would happen at a time like this!

While he was thinking, Xiao Wu had already reached them.

She braced her hands on her knees. After running for so long, her chest heaved as she gasped for breath.

Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward and helped Xiao Wu steady herself.

"What's going on with you?"

Xiao Wu circulated her Soul Power to catch her breath. It took a while before she managed to swallow a few times.

"Where... where are you going? Could you take me with you?"

At that, Zhu Zhuqing and Xia Ran exchanged glances, both looking utterly confused.

Then Xia Ran seemed to realize something.

Now that Tang San and Xiao Wu had completely fallen out, and Tang Hao was no longer keeping watch over Xiao Wu, the story had strayed completely from its original course.

Xiao Wu had entered the human world in the first place to avenge her mother. It was only after meeting Tang San that she'd put off pursuing that goal.

Now that Tang San was gone, there was no chance the two of them would reconcile. Xiao Wu would surely set out on the path of revenge again, so her goal now was to grow stronger.

That was probably why she'd come to find Xia Ran.

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, the way you taught Zhuqing?"

"I want to get stronger too. I'm not afraid of hardship..."

Xiao Wu Joins Them

As soon as Zhu Zhuqing heard the word "teach," she remembered what had happened that morning while the two of them were in their Martial Soul Possession states. Her face instantly flushed red.

Xia Ran looked awkward too.

But the thought of teaching made him frown slightly. Why did one person after another keep coming to him for lessons? He wasn't an academy teacher. Even if he had been, he'd already quit. How had they managed to follow him out here?

He turned to Zhu Zhuqing beside him, leaving the decision entirely to her.

They were classmates, after all, and had shared a dormitory for so long. If Zhuqing agreed, they could take Xiao Wu with them. If not, she could just say so.

To be honest, Xia Ran was quite tempted by the favorability quest involving Xiao Wu. As the heroine of this world, the reward at the end should be more than just a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone.

But since he and Zhu Zhuqing had already confirmed their relationship, he didn't show how he felt.

"Xiao Wu, actually, we..."

"We're together now!"

"Wouldn't it be a little awkward for you to come with us...?"

Zhu Zhuqing thought she'd turned Xiao Wu down as gently as she could. No one wanted another woman hanging around her boyfriend, and she was no different.

But how could Xiao Wu give up so easily? The chance to get stronger was right in front of her. If she seized it, she could avenge her mother. If she let it slip, who knew how long she'd have to wait?

She immediately put on a pitiful expression.

"Please, Zhuqing!"

"Once you leave, I'll be the only girl left at the academy. Having to face that Evil Phoenix and that lecherous Oscar every day is going to drive me crazy!"

Xiao Wu was telling the truth. Of the original Shrek Seven Devils, two had run away, one had returned to his clan, and another had been whisked away by Xia Ran. That left her as the only girl at the academy.

Ever since Tang San left and Zhu Zhuqing was injured, Xiao Wu had stayed holed up in the dormitory, thinking about what to do next.

After turning it over and over in her mind, she'd decided there were only two options: return to the Star Dou Forest or follow Xia Ran and cultivate with him.

So she'd decided to try asking Xia Ran first. After all, he knew a way to help people improve their strength quickly, and his Soul Rings exceeded the human absorption limit by years. Both made him irresistible to her.

Faced with Xiao Wu's pleading, Zhu Zhuqing turned to Xia Ran, hoping he'd help.

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

In this situation, he felt that anything he said would be wrong, so he decided to keep quiet.

"Please, Zhuqing. I won't get in your way!"

"Think about it from my perspective. Isn't what I'm going through now the same as what you went through back then?"

Those words visibly struck a chord with Zhu Zhuqing.

That was true! When she'd begged Xia Ran to teach her how to cultivate, hadn't she been in exactly the same position Xiao Wu was now?