As soon as Tang San arrived at the edge of the training ground, his gaze was drawn to the two people standing in the center.
One of them was Dai Mubai, whom he had met yesterday. Standing opposite Dai Mubai was a tall, slender girl.
The girl stared coldly at Dai Mubai, an air of "keep your distance" radiating from her.
Standing before her, Dai Mubai was nothing like the composed, steady man who had dealt with the thugs yesterday, nor did he have any of his earlier swagger.
He hung his head slightly, his hands seeming unsure where to rest. His expression was complicated, tangled with deep guilt and helplessness.
He was saying something to the girl in black, his voice low and his tone more cautious than ever.
"Zhuqing, I'm sorry. I'm truly sorry. Back then, I was too cowardly, too selfish. All I could think about was running away, leaving you there alone to bear all the pressure and criticism. I—"
Dai Mubai's voice was strained. Years of reflection and growth at Shrek had finally made him understand the harm and hardship his flight had brought to the girl who had been betrothed to him since childhood and, like him, bore the weight of her family's fate.
The Star Luo Empire's struggle for the throne was cruel, and the partners of those who lost often met terrible ends. By fleeing, he had pushed Zhu Zhuqing into even greater danger, leaving her to shoulder the enormous pressure and humiliation imposed by her family and the empire all alone.
Zhu Zhuqing listened to Dai Mubai's apology, her icy face utterly still. Only the faintest flicker of emotion seemed to pass through her eyes.
She did not respond. She only looked at him coldly.
Dai Mubai took a deep breath and raised his head, looking at Zhu Zhuqing with earnest eyes. "Zhuqing, I can't change what happened, and words feel empty. But I hope—I hope you'll stay at Shrek Academy. Maybe this place can give us a different chance."
He began telling Zhu Zhuqing about Shrek Academy, his tone serious. "The teachers here are powerful, and their teaching methods are unusual. They focus on practical combat. The dean is a Soul Douluo, and Teacher Zhao Wuji is a Soul Saint. Their experience is invaluable. More importantly, this place has a few special things."
He paused, then put particular emphasis on his next words. "There's a food-type Soul Master at the academy named Oscar. His Soul Skill can make a 'Clear Heart Sausage' that calms the mind and improves meditation efficiency. Used over a long period, it can help you cultivate faster."
"Teacher Zhao Wuji can also control gravity. He can create environments with varying levels of gravity for physical training and Soul Power control practice, with excellent results. I broke through to level forty over the past few years largely thanks to their help."
Dai Mubai spoke sincerely. He truly believed the unique resources Shrek had to offer were a rare opportunity for people like them, who desperately needed to grow stronger.
He hoped Zhu Zhuqing would stay, not just to make amends for his guilt, but also so that they could join hands and fight for a chance to survive in this relatively untainted environment.
As Dai Mubai earnestly explained, a girl on the other side of the training ground—who seemed to be casually watching but was actually listening intently—suddenly lit up.
Ning Rongrong had come to take a look at this "Monster Academy" out of curiosity and with a hint of disdain. But when she heard Dai Mubai's words, something stirred in her heart.
"A food-type Soul Master who can help with cultivation?"
Ning Rongrong was astonished. As the little princess of the world's foremost support-type sect, she knew far more about support-type Soul Masters than most people.
Food-type Soul Masters were rare to begin with, and their Soul Skills were usually limited to restoring one's condition in the moment, providing a boost, or offering minor healing. She had never heard of one that could directly improve meditation and cultivation efficiency!
If that was true, it was no ordinary matter. It might even open up an entirely new path for support-type Soul Masters—especially for their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!
Her curiosity gnawed at her like a cat's claws. Unable to hold back, she stepped out and interrupted Dai Mubai's introduction, her clear voice brimming with undisguised interest.
"Hey, Dai Mubai, that food-type Soul Master you mentioned, the one who can make 'Clear Heart Sausages'—is he really at your academy? Where is he now?"
Dai Mubai had been completely focused on persuading Zhu Zhuqing. When Ning Rongrong interrupted him out of the blue, he froze for a moment, then instinctively raised a hand and pointed toward the academy gates.
"Oscar? He should be by the entrance, selling sausages. He said he wanted to save up money to research new recipes..."
Before he could finish, Ning Rongrong had already run in the direction he'd pointed, leaving only a quick, "I'm going to take a look!"
Not far from the registration table by the academy gate, a smaller stall had appeared.
A low wooden table was covered with clean, coarse cloth. On top sat a small charcoal stove, with a little frying pan balanced over it. A few plates beside it held grilled sausages, browned and glistening with oil, their aroma wafting through the air.
Oscar sat on a small stool behind the stall, his hair neatly combed. Even when he wasn't smiling, his peach-blossom eyes seemed to hold a hint of a smile.
He was selling his own "low-grade Recovery Big Sausages," which he had discovered by chance while studying his Soul Skill.
Oscar had found that by using less Soul Power and controlling the effect, he could produce sausages with only one or two tenths of the effect of a Recovery Big Sausage. But he could make them in large quantities, and they kept for quite a while.
The sausages were cheap. Oscar mainly sold them to passing merchants and villagers, earning a little pocket money while practicing fine control over his Soul Power.
Ning Rongrong ran out through the academy gate. With one glance, she spotted the little stall and Oscar sitting behind it.
Without slowing down, she hurried straight over, catching her breath as she looked Oscar over curiously, then glanced at the sausages on the plates. They were charred golden-brown, but otherwise looked rather ordinary.
"Y-you're Oscar? The food-type Soul Master?"
Ning Rongrong's voice was clear and sweet.
Hearing her, Oscar looked up. When he saw Ning Rongrong standing in front of the stall, he visibly froze.
The girl before him was only twelve or thirteen, yet she was already astonishingly beautiful. Her noble air especially seemed completely out of place in this shabby village and beside this humble stall.
Oscar had seen plenty of pretty girls in Suotuo City, but he had never met anyone with Ning Rongrong's combination of beauty, grace, and liveliness. It felt as if his heart had skipped a beat, and his cheeks began to warm despite himself.
"That's me. Are you one of this year's new students?"
Oscar quickly stood up and answered with a smile. He had noticed that Ning Rongrong had run out from inside the academy, so she was probably a new student who had come to register that day.
Ning Rongrong nodded, her gaze falling on the sausages. "How much are these?"
"N-no money! Have one on me!"
The words slipped out of Oscar's mouth before he could stop them. As soon as he said them, he realized how forward he sounded and hurried to add, "You're a new classmate, so it's a welcome gift! Besides, these sausages aren't made with my full effort. If I use my Soul Skill properly, they'll have a stronger effect."
Feeling that words alone wouldn't convince her, and wanting to show off a little, Oscar gathered himself and held his right hand out in front of him. His lips moved as he quickly muttered the Soul Skill incantation in a barely audible voice. "Recovery Big Sausage."
A faint white light flickered across his palm.
The next moment, a sausage appeared above Oscar's hand, larger than the grilled ones on the stall and pulsing with a faint trace of Soul Power.
Oscar deftly picked up a sharpened bamboo skewer from beside him and threaded the sausage onto it. Then, unable to hide his anticipation, he offered it to Ning Rongrong.
"This is the real thing—a Recovery Big Sausage I made by properly using my Soul Skill. It restores your stamina and heals minor injuries. Give it a try!"
Oscar watched Ning Rongrong, sincerity and a faint, barely perceptible nervousness shining in his peach-blossom eyes.
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