Cat Meets White Tiger, Curious Ning Rongrong

Just as he arrived at the edge of the field, Tang San's gaze was drawn to the two people in the center.

One of them was Dai Mubai, whom he had seen yesterday, while standing opposite him was a tall, slender young girl.

The girl was currently staring coldly at Dai Mubai, her entire being radiating an aura that warned others to keep their distance.

Standing before her, Dai Mubai had completely lost the calm and steady demeanor he displayed when dealing with thugs yesterday, nor was there any trace of his previous high-spirited confidence.

He kept his head slightly lowered, his hands seemingly having nowhere to rest, and the expression on his face was incredibly complex, a mixture of deep guilt and helplessness.

He was saying something to the girl in black, his voice kept very low, his tone filled with an unprecedented level of caution.

"Zhuqing, I'm sorry, I am truly sorry. Back then, I was too cowardly, too selfish; I only thought about running away myself, leaving you there alone to bear all the pressure and criticism. I—"

Dai Mubai's voice was strained. These years of settling down and reflecting at Shrek had allowed him to truly understand the harm and predicament he had caused this girl, who had been betrothed to him since childhood and bore the same weight of family destiny, by simply walking away.

In the cruel struggle for the throne within the Star Luo Empire, the partners of the defeated often met a miserable end. His escape was, at the time, equivalent to pushing Zhu Zhuqing into an even more dangerous situation, leaving her to endure the immense pressure and humiliation from both their family and the empire alone.

Listening to Dai Mubai's apology, Zhu Zhuqing's icy face remained devoid of any fluctuation, though a trace of an extremely subtle ripple seemed to flash across her eyes and vanish.

She did not respond to the apology, merely staring at him coldly.

Dai Mubai took a deep breath and looked up, his gaze earnest as he looked at Zhu Zhuqing: "Zhuqing, I cannot change the past; anything I say seems pale. But I hope, I hope you can stay—stay at Shrek Academy. Perhaps this place can give us a different kind of opportunity."

He began to introduce Shrek to Zhu Zhuqing, his tone serious: "The teachers here are very strong, and their teaching methods are quite unique, focusing on practical combat. The Dean is a Spirit Douluo, and Teacher Zhao Wuji is a Spirit Saint; their experience is incredibly valuable. More importantly, there are some special things here."

He paused, emphasizing specifically, "There is a Food-type Spirit Master in the academy named Oscar. The 'Clear Heart Sausage' he creates with his spirit skill has the effect of calming the mind and increasing meditation efficiency. Long-term use is beneficial to one's cultivation speed."

"There is also Teacher Zhao Wuji's gravity control ability, which can create gravity environments of different multiples for physical and spirit power control training; the results are excellent. The reason I was able to break through to level forty in these few years is largely due to the help they provided."

Dai Mubai spoke with great sincerity; he truly believed that the special conditions Shrek possessed were a rare opportunity for them, as they were in urgent need of improving their strength.

He hoped Zhu Zhuqing would stay, not just to make amends for his guilt, but because he hoped the two of them could carve out a glimmer of hope together in this relatively pure environment.

Just as Dai Mubai was earnestly introducing the school, on the other side of the field, a girl who had appeared to be watching leisurely but was actually pricking up her ears suddenly had her eyes light up.

Ning Rongrong had originally come to this "Monster Academy" with a playful and somewhat critical mindset, but hearing Dai Mubai's words, her heart stirred.

A Food-type Spirit Master who can aid in cultivation?

Ning Rongrong was astonished. As the little princess of the world's number one support-type sect, her knowledge of support-type Spirit Masters far exceeded that of ordinary people.

Food-type Spirit Masters were rare to begin with, and their spirit skill effects were usually limited to immediate recovery, buffs, or minor healing; she had never heard of one capable of directly increasing the efficiency of meditation cultivation!

If this were true, its significance was extraordinary, and it might even open up an entirely new line of thinking for support-type Spirit Masters, especially for their Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

Curiosity gnawed at her like a cat's claws, making it impossible for her to hold back. She stepped out from the side, interrupting Dai Mubai's introduction, her crisp voice carrying undisguised interest:

"Hey, Dai Mubai, is that Food-type Spirit Master who can make 'Clear Heart Sausages' really in your academy? Where is he right now?"

Dai Mubai, who had been focused entirely on trying to persuade Zhu Zhuqing, was startled by Ning Rongrong's sudden interruption. He subconsciously raised his hand and pointed toward the direction of the academy gate:

"Oscar? He should be over by the academy gate selling sausages right now, saying he needs to save up money to research a new recipe..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Ning Rongrong had already followed the direction of his finger and run toward the outside of the academy, leaving behind only a single phrase: "I'm going to go take a look!"

At the academy gate, not far from the registration table, a smaller stall had appeared at some point.

There was a low wooden table covered with a clean piece of coarse cloth, upon which sat a small charcoal stove. A small frying pan rested on the stove, and on the plates beside it were some grilled meat sausages, sizzling with oil and exuding a fragrant aroma.

Oscar sat on a small stool behind the stall, his hair neatly combed, his pair of peach-blossom eyes seemingly carrying a hint of a smile even when he wasn't laughing.

He was selling the "low-spec version of the Recovery Big Sausage" he had made. This type of sausage was something he had discovered by accident while researching his spirit skills.

Oscar only needed to reduce the injection of spirit power and control the effect it exerted to obtain a sausage that had only ten or twenty percent of the effect of a standard Recovery Big Sausage, but could be produced in large quantities and stored for a longer period.

The price of the sausages was very cheap, as Oscar mainly sold them to merchants or villagers passing by the village to earn some pocket money, while also practicing his fine control over spirit power.

Ning Rongrong ran out of the academy gate, and with one sweep of her gaze, she immediately spotted the small stall and Oscar behind it.

She didn't stop, walking straight up to the stall. She caught her breath slightly, curiously sizing up Oscar, then looked at the charred, yellow, and ordinary-looking sausages on the plate.

"You, are you Oscar? That Food-type Spirit Master?"

Ning Rongrong asked, her voice crisp and pleasant.

Oscar looked up at the sound, and when he saw Ning Rongrong standing before his stall, he was visibly stunned.

The girl before him was only twelve or thirteen years old, yet she already displayed astonishing beauty, especially that noble temperament, which felt completely out of place in this dilapidated village and humble stall.

Oscar had grown up seeing many pretty girls in Suotuo City, but this was the first time he had seen someone with such a combination of appearance, temperament, and spirit. He felt his heart skip a beat, and his cheeks began to heat up uncontrollably.

"It's me. Are you a new student this year?"

Oscar quickly stood up, smiling as he responded to Ning Rongrong. He noticed that Ning Rongrong had run out from the academy, so she must be a new student who had come to register today.

Ning Rongrong nodded, her gaze falling on the sausages: "How much for these sausages?"

"No, no money! Let me treat you to one!"

Oscar blurted it out, and once the words were out, he felt it was a bit abrupt, so he quickly added, "You're a new classmate, consider it a welcome! Besides, these aren't the ones I make seriously. If I use my spirit skill properly, the effect will be even better."

Oscar felt that words alone weren't enough, and wanting to take the opportunity to show off in front of Ning Rongrong, he composed himself. He held his right hand out in front of him, his lips moving slightly as he quickly chanted the spirit incantation in a very low voice: "Recovery Big Sausage."

A faint, almost imperceptible white light flashed across his palm.

The next moment, a sausage larger than the grilled ones on the stall, carrying a faint ripple of spirit power, appeared out of thin air above Oscar's palm.

Oscar skillfully picked up a sharpened bamboo skewer from the side, skewered the sausage, and then, with undisguised anticipation, handed it to Ning Rongrong.

"This is the Recovery Big Sausage I condensed by seriously using my spirit skill. It has the effect of restoring physical strength and healing minor injuries. Give it a try!"

Oscar looked at Ning Rongrong, his peach-blossom eyes shining with sincerity and a hint of imperceptible nervousness.