Then Tang San and the others arrived one after another. When everyone saw their companions showing up, they exchanged knowing smiles. Shrek was a whole, and they wouldn't abandon a single companion. Tang San's decision had simply been to let everyone make their own choice. After all, no one could decide another person's life or death without a reason. From that moment on, their bond grew stronger.
Jiang Siming watched them grinning like fools and asked Zhu Zhuqing, "Zhuqing, what's gotten into them? They're grinning like a bunch of idiots." He teased them without mercy.
Seeing how close the two of them were, the others understood what was going on.
"Hey, Brother Siming, did you just play the hero and save the beauty? I was all ready to show off today, but you beat me to it." Ma Hongjun winked at Jiang Siming.
"Siming, you just got back and you're already rubbing your romance in our faces. The rest of us are still single, you know? No way around it—you'll have to treat us to a meal once we get out." Dai Mubai teased him too.
Everyone chimed in, completely forgetting that they were still in the dangerous Star Dou Great Forest.
Soul Masters had feelings, too. This was a brief moment of peace after coming so close to losing one another.
"Ahem, all right, all right. Stay alert. Teacher Zhao is injured, so I'll help everyone get their Soul Rings." Jiang Siming hurriedly cut them off. He might have been shameless by nature, but with his girlfriend beside him, he still wanted to save some face.
As if sensing his embarrassment, Zhu Zhuqing wrapped both arms around his and claimed him for herself.
Jiang Siming's body stiffened slightly. His heart, which hadn't even raced much when he faced Beast God Di Tian, was now pounding uncontrollably. A flush rose to his cheeks.
The others had finally caught Jiang Siming at a disadvantage, and they burst into laughter again.
"All right, Zhuqing's the only one who still needs a Soul Ring. That's what matters right now. Once we're out of the Star Dou Great Forest, you can fool around all you like," Zhao Wuji said, suppressing a laugh.
"Of course our Siming has to handle this himself," Oscar said, grinning like a flower.
"Zhuqing, come on. Let's find the Soul Ring that suits you best." Jiang Siming gave up trying to save face, wrapped an arm around Zhu Zhuqing's slender waist, and led her away.
"Xiao San, look at those two. They're so shameless," Dai Mubai teased.
"By the way, you all go ahead. I'll take Zhuqing to get her Soul Ring," Jiang Siming said, turning back.
"Brother Siming, why don't we go together? There's strength in numbers," Tang San said with some concern.
"No need! Let's go. If we follow them, we might just get in the way. Look at that Blood Armor Beetle," Zhao Wuji said with a helpless sigh. He was injured himself, and his fighting strength had taken a serious hit.
At his words, everyone turned their attention to the Blood Armor Beetle they'd long since forgotten about.
"Teacher Zhao, am I seeing things, or does that Blood Armor Beetle not have a single wound?" Ma Hongjun looked at the motionless corpse and couldn't resist reaching out to touch it.
The Blood Armor Beetle immediately split into four sections. Everyone sucked in a sharp breath. Jiang Siming was so strong that they couldn't treat him like an ordinary twelve-year-old.
"All right, let's go. Are you planning to eat that disgusting bug?" Zhao Wuji impatiently waved them along.
Meanwhile, elsewhere.
"Zhuqing, look. This 1,200-year-old Nether Ghost Tiger can boost your speed and strength. And this Earth Cave Demon Spider, which is about a thousand years old, might give you a Soul Skill that conceals your presence. Which one do you want?" Jiang Siming asked, looking at Zhu Zhuqing as if he were waiting for praise.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't answer. She looked at the young man before her. In her heart, she had already decided that she would spend her life with him.
"What? You don't like them? It's fine. I'll go catch a couple more." Jiang Siming turned as if to hunt more Soul Beasts.
Zhu Zhuqing grabbed him from behind and hugged him, rubbing her cheek against his back.
"That's enough. Thank you."
Jiang Siming turned around and hugged Zhu Zhuqing.
"Zhuqing, we're still young, so we can't do anything too extreme!" Just when she'd thought Jiang Siming was about to make a move, he suddenly said that. Zhu Zhuqing was so annoyed she punched him twice with her little fists.
Unlike her usual aloof self, Zhu Zhuqing stamped her foot and pouted, then pointed at the Nether Ghost Tiger.
"That one."
Three hours later.
The two returned to the small town outside the Star Dou Great Forest.
Tang San and the others had been waiting for quite a while. They all looked at the two of them with grins.
Zhu Zhuqing quickly let go of Jiang Siming's arm.
"What's wrong? You were holding my arm in front of everyone earlier. Now you're shy?" Jiang Siming teased.
"Say that again!" Zhu Zhuqing shook her small, fair fist at him, looking adorable.
Jiang Siming immediately gave a sheepish smile, then turned to the others. "I'm in a good mood today, so I, Young Master Jiang, am paying for everything tonight."
Everyone cheered.
"Tonight, we're eating the host out of house and home!"
"Boss, bring us fifty pig trotters!"
The next day, it was nearly noon before everyone finally got up. They saw that Tang San had risen early to practice and couldn't help admiring him.
"You're all up? Get ready, and then we'll go," Jiang Siming said, waving them along.
"Siming, where'd you go so early this morning? Why's there blood on you? Don't tell me you—" Dai Mubai said, giving him a suggestive look.
"What are you thinking? Teacher Zhao is injured, so there was no one to spar with me. I went to practice against some Soul Beasts." Jiang Siming struck a pose, as if to say that being invincible was a lonely business.
No one objected. Everyone knew Shrek Academy had two people they admired most: Tang San, the cultivation maniac, and Jiang Siming, the battle maniac.
Jiang Siming's relentless fighting was partly a result of his past life. He had seen things clearly by now, and he wasn't as obsessed with fighting as before, but he still couldn't break the habit. This world wasn't a game where you could clear one dungeon and move on to the next. The people in the Douluo World weren't NPCs. Sometimes it was nice to stop and take in the scenery around you.