On the Use of the Sea God Pavilion Master's Thick Skin

"Is this a bad idea of what we should do?"

"I think so too, but do you have any other ideas?" Ye Xinglan rubbed her shoulders.

"It's really not good. The main problem is that Elder Cai's rules are too absurd. We can't think of any other way but to challenge the academy."

Tang Wulin stretched and glanced in the direction of the Blacksmith Association.

"It's still early, how about... I take on a job? Earn some money, and then we can have a nice meal?"

"I think it's okay. Wait, where did those four go?"

"Oh? Right, you went to the restroom just now. Jing Heng and Xiao Yan went to the Mecha Association to pick up a mission, Gu Yue went to the Spirit Pagoda to ask about something, Xie Xie..."

Tang Wulin carefully considered his words, "He went... to check the road conditions."

Ye Xinglan's lips twitched slightly after hearing this. "Observe the road conditions? Xie Xie's exact words?"

"The exact words."

Tang Wulin looked completely innocent. "He even made a 'shh' gesture, saying it was a top-secret mission."

"Is he probably going to stake out some girl's usual route again?"

Tang Wulin coughed lightly. "Actually, he's not that kind of person..."

Do you think he says anything entirely reliable?

"... No."

The two exchanged a glance and sighed simultaneously.

"Forget about them."

Ye Xinglan walked towards the door first, saying, "You continue with your case; I'll go see where we can spend the night."

"Okay, see you later."

"See you later."

Shrek Academy, Sea God Pavilion.

The setting sun slanted in through the French windows, casting a warm golden hue on the rustic wooden floor.

Yun Ming sat in the main seat, his slender fingers rubbing his temples, his eyes filled with exhaustion.

"Thinking about Jing Heng again?" Ya Li put down the file in her hand, her voice gentle.

"Um."

Yun Ming sighed, "His fifth Soul Ring came from killing Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast, and I searched for it for a long time. We can't exactly go looking for more Soul Beast, can we? We don't have many to begin with, and suitable ones are even fewer."

Ya Li seemed lost in thought.

"Hmm... Is it possible that it works even if the attributes aren't suitable?"

Yun Ming was taken aback. "Huh?"

Ya Li began her analysis with great clarity, "Look, Sea God Tang San, has the Blue Silver Emperor as his Martial Soul, which is a life attribute."

"However, it was endowed with poisonous properties, and later it even had Sea Soul Beast as its Soul Ring. This attribute is clearly..."

Yun Ming covered his face, looking distressed. "What's the logic behind it? But if the attributes are right, then the needs can be maximized, right?"

"How about we order a custom-made Soul Spirit?" Ya Li asked tentatively.

Yun Ming paused, slowly lowered his hand, and looked at Ya Li with a blank expression. "You want me to beg the Eternal Thief?"

Ya Li spread her hands, "Then tell me, what should we do?"

"Hiss... Should I go to the Tang Sect?"

"Didn't you go there before?"

"Hey, think about it, the Tang Sect's Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well..."

Ya Li rolled her eyes at him. "Would they let you in?"

"What if? Right? I need to go ask. Could you help me with the file? I'll go take a look."

As Yun Ming was about to get up, Ya Li grabbed his sleeve.

"Sit down."

Yun Ming around and saw Ya Li's unusually serious expression, and his imposing manner immediately diminished by three points.

"W-What's wrong?"

"What reason do you have for going to the Tang Sect now? 'My son doesn't have enough Soul Ring, so I need to go into the Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well to steal two Immortal Herb '? Are you going to pay a visit or to rob them?"

"What robbery? That's a really harsh way to put it. But for our son's sake, we have to give it a try, right?"

Ya Li's lips twitched. "I seriously suspect that he learned his 'borrowing, not stealing' theory from you."

"Pah! What are you saying?! I didn't teach him such shameless ways."

Ya Li stared at him for three seconds, her lips twitching slightly. "You didn't teach me?"

"No!"

Yun Ming said resolutely, "I, Yun Ming, have lived a life of integrity and uprightness, and have never—"

"Once, during a meeting at the Sea God Pavilion, Yue'er said that the funds were insufficient, and you immediately replied, 'Then why don't we go and borrow some from the Tang Sect?' I recorded your exact words."

Yun Ming's voice abruptly stopped.

"Why are you recording this?"

"Habit."

Ya Li remained expressionless. "So you admit you said it?"

I meant 'borrow'.

"When Jing Heng was caught last time, he told Yue'er, 'I was just borrowing the Soul Tool from the training ground, I wasn't stealing it.'"

Yun Ming fell silent.

There was a long silence.

"... Can these be the same?"

"What's different?"

"I borrowed money from the Tang Sect, while he borrowed equipment from the academy. The nature of these items is completely different, legally speaking—"

"Brother Ming."

"Um?"

Why are you blushing?

Yun Ming subconsciously touched his face; it was indeed a little hot.

"... It's hot inside."

Ya Li leaned back in her chair, arms crossed over her chest.

Keep making things up.

Yun Ming coughed lightly and looked away. "Alright, alright, let's not talk about this anymore, let's get down to business."

"The important thing is that you don't embarrass yourself at the Tang Sect."

Ya Li sat up straight again. "The Ice and Fire Yin Yang Well is the lifeblood of the Tang Sect. Let alone you, even Tang Sect elders have to go through layers of approval to get in."

"You, a Pavilion Master of Shrek Academy, go there and say you want to go in and steal the immortal Immortal Herb. You're not ashamed, but I am."

"I can't just ignore Jing Heng's Soul Ring problem, can I?"

"I didn't say I wouldn't take responsibility."

Ya Li picked up the teacup on the table, took a small sip, and said, "I mean, don't use such a shameful method to manage things."

Yun Ming frowned. "Then tell me a method that isn't shameful."

"Spirit Pagoda."

"Another Spirit Pagoda?"

"It's not about finding the Qiangu Dongfeng, it's about finding Leng Yaozhu."

Ya Li put down her teacup. "She's the deputy tower master now, and the chief of the Soul Spirit Research and Development Department of the Spirit Pagoda. Going to her will be more effective than going to anyone else."

Yun Ming frowned even more deeply. "She's... not a very easy person to talk to."

"It's hard to talk to you, but you're perfectly normal when you're talking to other people."

Ya Li smiled slightly, "Do you know what this means?"

What does this mean?

"That means the problem lies with you."

Yun Ming opened his mouth, wanting to refute, but found that he couldn't find a point to refute.

Because it seems that's indeed the case.

Leng Yaozhu was always professional and polite to everyone else, but when it came to him, she always had an expression that said, "You owe me eight million."

As for why...

Yun Ming decided not to think about this problem.

"Alright."

He stood up. "I'm going to the Spirit Pagoda."

Be nicer.

"My attitude has always been very good."

"Don't bring up the past with her."

"Am I crazy for bringing up things from the past?"

Don't eat alone with her.

"Ya Li..."

"Don't make eye contact with her for more than three seconds."

Do you want me to go or not?

Ya Li smiled, picked up her teacup, and said with a slight curve in her eyes, "Go on, go on, come back soon."

Yun Ming took a deep breath, turned around, and strode out of the Sea God Pavilion.