Defecting to Class Nine, Relentless Pursuit

Early the next morning.

The air at Shrek Academy was permeated with a damp, cool chill.

Dai Huabin stood beside the large tree beneath the freshman dormitory building, carrying two neatly packed, exquisite breakfasts in his hands.

His white school uniform was laundered clean, accentuating his tall and upright posture.

Before long, the sound of light, brisk footsteps echoed from the dormitory entrance.

Zhu Lu walked out, her long black hair draped over her shoulders, the hem of her white school uniform skirt swaying gently with her stride.

Beside her stood a tall girl.

That girl had striking long pink hair, and her skin possessed a healthy, rosy glow.

As she walked, her waist swayed, and she exuded an innate sense of charm, especially with her slightly pointed ears that added a touch of liveliness.

"Huabin, have you been waiting long?"

Zhu Lu quickened her pace, naturally stepping to Dai Huabin's side.

"I just arrived."

Dai Huabin handed one of the breakfasts to her.

Zhu Lu took it, blushing slightly, and introduced the girl beside her in a low voice.

"This is my roommate, Cui Yajie."

Cui Yajie scrutinized Dai Huabin.

As the possessor of the Nine-Tailed Fox martial soul, her perception was extremely keen.

The young man before her carried an understated sense of oppression, yet he presented himself like a gentle aristocrat.

"I've long heard that Lulu's fiancé is the young master of the White Tiger Duke Mansion. Seeing you today, Lulu truly is blessed."

Cui Yajie spoke with a grin, her voice crisp and sweet.

"You're too kind. I'll have to ask you to look after Lulu in the dorms," Dai Huabin replied in an easygoing tone, showing no airs.

"That goes without saying; we're good sisters."

As Cui Yajie said this, she cast a provocative glance at Zhu Lu, though her hands remained well-behaved and did not reach toward Dai Huabin.

The three were just chatting about where to finish their breakfast.

A commotion erupted from the stairwell again.

A young girl with long powder-blue hair strode down the steps, followed by a small girl with green twin tails.

Wang Dong'er was currently wearing a well-tailored white Shrek Academy uniform skirt.

Her straight, long legs were faintly visible beneath the hem, and her powder-blue hair was almost blinding in the morning light.

Her appearance was so exquisite that she looked like a painting.

Xiao Xiao followed behind; the petite, loli-like Xiao Xiao looked like someone who would easily evoke a desire to protect her.

Wang Dong'er spotted Dai Huabin under the tree at a glance. As if remembering something, she rushed over.

She stopped in front of Dai Huabin, hands on her hips.

"Hey! You dead blondie, look closely!"

Wang Dong'er spun around in front of Dai Huabin, her skirt fluttering.

"This young lady has changed her attire. How is it? Is it still like what you said yesterday?"

As she spoke, Wang Dong'er held her chin high, looking as if she were asking, "Isn't this young lady beautiful?"

Xiao Xiao, standing to the side, curiously poked her head out to stare at Dai Huabin.

"Wow, Dong'er, is this the perverted blondie you said was bullying you?"

Xiao Xiao was blunt, her voice sounding exceptionally clear in the quiet morning.

Dai Huabin laughed in spite of himself, ignoring the "perverted" label.

"Hmm, it is indeed very beautiful. But not as good as my Lulu."

With that, Dai Huabin affectionately put his arm around Zhu Lu, showing off in front of Wang Dong'er.

Wang Dong'er froze on the spot.

She had originally felt that her outfit would be enough to stun everyone and make that hateful, lecherous blondie feel ashamed of himself.

However, Dai Huabin's gaze had lingered on her chest for half a second before shifting pointedly toward Zhu Lu.

Although Zhu Lu was only eleven, the physical improvements brought by her Hell Spirit Cat martial soul made her figure much more mature than other girls her age.

The form-fitting uniform outlined a fullness that was indeed more impactful.

In contrast, Wang Dong'er had been habitually restraining herself to hide her identity.

Standing before Zhu Lu now, she did indeed appear somewhat "flat as a board."

"You! Where are you looking!"

Wang Dong'er's cheeks burned with a terrifying heat, her hands instinctively shielding her chest.

She was both ashamed and annoyed, wishing she could strike Dai Huabin with a Wing Blade Guillotine right then and there.

Dai Huabin shrugged his shoulders, offering no reply.

He maintained his posture with his arm around Zhu Lu's shoulder, his expression even bordering on languid.

This blatant disregard made Wang Dong'er feel as though the "grand debut" she had meticulously prepared was nothing more than a joke.

"Let's go, Xiao Xiao, let's go! Get away from this hooligan!"

Wang Dong'er pulled Xiao Xiao by the hand and walked toward the exit of the dormitory area without looking back.

Xiao Xiao was yanked into a stumble, not yet having processed what was happening.

Before leaving, she glanced back at Dai Huabin, thinking to herself that this blond-haired handsome guy looked quite upright, so why had he angered Dong'er to such a degree?

Just as Wang Dong'er was pulling Xiao Xiao a few steps away, a thin, small figure emerged from the dormitory stairwell.

It was Huo Yuhao.

He was just heading to the cafeteria for breakfast.

However, when he looked up and saw the scene under the tree, his footsteps came to an abrupt halt.

Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting a glow on Dai Huabin, who stood at the center, his blond hair shining brilliantly.

His left hand rested on the shoulder of a black-haired beauty, while to his right stood a charming girl with pink hair, looking up at him with a coquettish smile.

What made his heart twitch even more was that not far ahead, the pink-and-blue-haired girl he had seen once at the registration desk—whose beauty had stunned him—was staring at Dai Huabin with an indignant expression, one that looked less like hatred and more like she was throwing a tantrum.

Huo Yuhao felt a surge of inexplicable rage rush straight to his head.

Why?

Back at the White Tiger Duke Mansion, this man was the young master around whom everyone revolved, while he could only live in a leaky woodshed.

Now at Shrek Academy, everyone was a freshman; he was still all alone, while Dai Huabin was already surrounded by beauties of this caliber.

That was a scene he dared not even dream of, yet for Dai Huabin, it seemed to be an everyday occurrence.

Huo Yuhao gritted his teeth so hard that his nails dug into his palms.

He did not step forward to provoke him, for he knew he was too weak right now.

Huo Yuhao simply lowered his head, quickened his pace, and brushed past them like a transparent ghost.

Dai Huabin had actually noticed Huo Yuhao, even sensing that intense resentment.

But he didn't spare him so much as a glance; the current Huo Yuhao wasn't worth wasting his energy on.

"Huabin, that freshman just now—the way he looked at you was off."

Zhu Lu whispered a reminder, her keen senses having picked up the flash of hostility Huo Yuhao had erupted with.

"It's fine, don't worry about him."

Dai Huabin patted Zhu Lu's hand.

"Lulu, there's something I need to tell you two first. I intend to apply for Freshman Class 9."

Zhu Lu paused, her dark, bright eyes fixed on Dai Huabin for a moment, but she didn't ask why.

"Wherever you go, I go."

Cui Yajie, standing to the side, looked a bit puzzled. She brushed back her long pink hair, her voice crisp and sweet:

"Huabin, I remember the class assignment list has already been posted, and all three of us are in Class Five. Why go to a bottom-ranked class like Class Nine?"

Freshman Class 9, according to Shrek's years of sorting logic, was usually determined by the ranking of the teachers assigned to them.

Dai Huabin smiled without answering.

Class 9 had Ning Tian, that heir to the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect who possessed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda.

"The teachers in Class Five are too rigid; they don't suit my cultivation plan."

Dai Huabin tossed out a casual excuse.

"As for the faculty, at Shrek, as long as you are strong enough yourself, it doesn't really matter who the teacher is."

Cui Yajie blinked, smiling as she hooked her arm through Zhu Lu's.

"Since Lulu is going, it would be boring for me to stay in Class Five alone. I'm going too!"

Once the three had reached an agreement, they prepared to head toward the Academic Affairs Office.

As it happened, Wang Dong'er, who hadn't gone far, overheard this.

She stopped, pulling Xiao Xiao with her, and turned around to look at Dai Huabin with a suspicious expression:

"Hey, what did you just say? Going to Class Nine? Do you even know which class you're in yet?"

Dai Huabin stopped and glanced at her sideways.

"Wang Dong'er, are you too lazy? The class assignment list has been posted on the bulletin board all morning."

With that, Dai Huabin continued walking forward with Zhu Lu and the other girl.

"Stop right there!"

Wang Dong'er's mind was racing, her little schemes spinning at full speed.

She had come to Shrek Academy to gain experience, as Big Uncle and Second Uncle had told her there were many geniuses here.

Yet, so far, aside from this annoying blond, she hadn't seen anyone stronger.

If she left this guy behind, who would she go to for trouble? Ah, no, who would she go to for sparring?

"Class Nine, is it? Hmph, what's so great about that?"

Wang Dong'er lifted her chin and said to the still-bewildered Xiao Xiao:

"Xiao Xiao, let's switch to Class Nine too! If a guy like that can stay there, there must be something fishy going on. We'll go to Class Nine and crush him, show him who's really the boss!"

Xiao Xiao opened her mouth, looking completely lost:

"Huh? But... Dong'er, I heard the teaching environment in Class Nine is quite mediocre. Besides, our admission letters say Class One, and the teacher seems to be named Zhou Yi. I heard she's very strict, so we should be able to learn a lot, right?"

As soon as Wang Dong'er heard the word "strict," she shrank her neck.

She was already being managed strictly enough back at the Clear Sky Sect; why would she want to find a strict teacher after coming out to school? She wasn't a masochist.

"Oh, being strict doesn't mean they're capable! Let's go to Class Nine; there's much more room for us to do our own thing."

While coaxing Xiao Xiao, Wang Dong'er shouted at Dai Huabin's retreating back:

"Dead blond, you just wait for me! The class monitor of Class Nine, this young lady is going to be it!"

Dai Huabin stopped in his tracks, turned his head, and revealed a meaningful smile.

"Want to come? Then keep up. But Director Du Weilun isn't easy to talk to; without enough weight, he won't just help a new student transfer classes."

Wang Dong'er huffed, pulled a glittering token from her bosom, and gave it a shake:

"You don't need to worry about that, this young lady has plenty of connections!"