"Arrogant!!!"
Xu Sanshi flew into a rage, the veins at his temples throbbing.
Who did this guy think he was looking down on?
"..."
Jiang Yi smiled without saying a word, simply watching him coolly.
If he wanted to secure investment from Shrek Academy, Xu Sanshi alone didn't carry enough weight. Add Bei Bei, and it would be worth considering.
"Since you're asking to die, I'll grant your wish!"
Seeing how Jiang Yi wouldn't be swayed by reason or temptation, Xu Sanshi forced down his anger and abruptly turned to Bei Bei.
"Bei Bei! Are you still going to put up with this?"
Today, he was determined to teach this pretty boy a good lesson. So what if winning wouldn't be honorable?
With the two of them joining forces, they could at least beat the piss out of the kid.
"..."
Bei Bei fell silent.
He didn't answer. Instead, he turned to look at Tang Ya, as though waiting for her to give him an answer.
Xiao Ya... wouldn't get angry, would she?
But—
The next moment, he clenched his fists.
Jiang Yi strode forward, pulled Tang Ya into his arms, and lowered his head to kiss her right in front of Bei Bei.
"Mmm~"
Tang Ya didn't resist. She wrapped her arms around Jiang Yi and expertly returned his kiss.
The sight of the two embracing was reflected in Bei Bei's eyes. At that moment, the world fell silent.
"Xiao Ya!"
Bei Bei's heart shattered.
How could they do that right in front of him? Couldn't they at least have gone somewhere private?
He wanted to run, but his feet felt rooted to the ground. He stared fixedly at the kissing couple.
A few seconds later, they parted.
"Hehe~"
Tang Ya covered her little face and giggled foolishly, savoring the lingering taste on her lips.
Jiang Yi, meanwhile, looked at Bei Bei.
"Senior Bei Bei, Senior Xiao Ya is already with me."
Tang Ya had already been intimate with him, so there was no way he could let her go. They might as well settle this all at once.
"Bei Bei!"
Xu Sanshi roared, his neck turning red.
This was too much! Bei Bei!
Bei Bei clenched his fists and slowly closed his eyes. When he opened them again, they were bloodshot.
His eyes were red, and he was panting like a bull!
"Fine!"
Bei Bei gritted his teeth.
Enough was enough. Don't bully an honest man!
The news of the three-way challenge soon spread through passing students, and the entire Outer Academy erupted.
"Extra! Extra! Someone's challenging Thunderbolt Bei Bei! Turtle King Xu Sanshi is involved too..."
"Who is it? How bold can you get?"
"I heard it's a new student! Could some heaven-sent powerhouse have appeared?"
The Outer Academy was abuzz.
Jiang Yi was still a stranger to the Outer Academy, but Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, the Outer Academy Twin Stars, were both famous names.
And this wasn't just any challenge. One man was taking on the Outer Academy Twin Stars. If he won, it would be explosive news.
At the other end of the street.
A lavish grilled fish stall stood on the street corner. Several people bustled about, and the aroma of grilled fish filled the air.
At the cashier's counter, a pretty girl wearing sunglasses lounged in a rocking chair, legs crossed, holding a cup of iced orange juice.
Two students took turns fanning her from behind. She couldn't have looked more content.
"Boss, how much?"
A customer approached with an empty plate.
"Three Copper Soul Coins a skewer, ten for two! You ate six skewers, two times six is twelve. That'll be one hundred and twenty Copper Soul Coins!"
Tang Wutong yawned. Without even looking up, she announced a number that left everyone stunned.
"How does the price keep going up the more you count? Are you taking me for a Sun Moon Person?"
The customer stared wide-eyed, almost convinced his ears had stopped working.
"Hm? Did I get it wrong?"
Tang Wutong pushed her sunglasses up onto her head, revealing her beautiful pink-and-blue eyes. She glanced around, looking completely innocent.
Who in the entire Divine Realm didn't know she was a little genius? Even Daddy Er Ming couldn't beat her at arithmetic.
"Big sis... it's eighteen Copper Soul Coins."
A boy beside her, the one in charge of fanning, reminded her quietly.
"Fine, eighteen."
Tang Wutong waved a hand. It had been so long since she'd used her brain that she was a little rusty.
"..."
The customer was speechless, but still paid.
Tang Wutong didn't care. She sank back into her chair and took a satisfied sip of ice water.
She'd bought the whole Huo Style Grilled Fish Stall. She was the boss. So what if she got the price wrong?
"Big sis—huge news—!"
Suddenly, a skinny, monkey-like boy came sprinting over and rushed up to her, looking like a eunuch delivering an imperial decree.
"Speak!"
Tang Wutong glanced at him.
Ever since she'd outmaneuvered Zhou Yi and removed a great menace from Class One, the whole class had rallied behind her, and she'd ascended to the class monitor's throne.
These past two weeks and a half had been pure bliss. Who said the lower world was filthy and wretched? She thought it was a blast.
"A new student's challenging an older one! And it's an upperclassman! I heard he's someone called Thunderbolt Bei Bei..."
The boy hurried over eagerly.
"A new student? Who's got that kind of guts?"
Tang Wutong stood up and asked, intrigued.
She would not allow anyone among the new students to be more impressive than her. Shrek Academy could have only one king!
"It's someone from Class Nine. I think his name is... Jiang Yi? Yes, Jiang Yi! He's in the same class as Ning Tian and the others!"
"Jiang Yi?!"
Tang Wutong shot to her feet, eyes wide, the corners of her mouth visibly curling upward.
Oh, an old friend!
"Xiao Xiao, Yutong! Stop grilling! Pack up! No, wait—close the stall!"
She turned toward Xiao Xiao and Huo Yutong, who were still grilling fish, and waved grandly, her voice brimming with schadenfreude.
"We're going to watch the fun!"
As Jiang Yi and the others headed toward the Soul Fighting Zone, their entourage of curious onlookers grew larger and larger.
A vast, surging crowd followed, with more and more students streaming in.
Watching a spectacle was human nature, and Douluo Continent was no exception.
"Your matches will start in ten minutes. Head to the waiting room and wait there."
The teacher on duty in the Soul Fighting Zone handed the three of them their number plates, discreetly glancing at Jiang Yi.
This kid sure was bold!
The Soul Fighting Zone was one of Shrek Academy's busiest facilities, but one-on-two matches were still uncommon.
"Mm, thank you, teacher."
Jiang Yi smiled and nodded. He took the number plates, then led Jiang Nannan and Tang Ya to the waiting room behind them.
The Soul Fighting Zone was packed today, and it would be a while before their turn. That suited him just fine. The bigger the commotion, the better.
What was the point of secretly leveling up if he didn't show off? Then coming to Shrek would have been a waste!
On the other side, Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei watched Jiang Yi leave hand in hand with the two girls. They were so jealous their teeth nearly cracked from clenching.
"Come on, Bei Bei!"
The two headed in the other direction.
While both sides waited, more and more students arrived after hearing the news.
Whether the teachers had deliberately leaked the information was anyone's guess, but the academy's broadcast system even announced the challenge.
The Soul Fighting Arena's nearly three thousand seats were seventy to eighty percent full in no time.
But the match wouldn't begin so soon. With nothing better to do, some people started taking bets.
"Place your bets! Place your bets!"
A plump student set up a table and hollered at the top of his lungs.
"Outer Academy Twin Stars versus a mysterious new student! Fighting for love, who will win? Place your bets now! No tricks, no lies!"
"I'm betting on Xu Sanshi and Bei Bei! One thousand Gold Soul Coins!!!"
"I'm betting on them too!"
"Count me in!"
Soon, people began placing bets, but most of them backed Bei Bei and Xu Sanshi, even with odds of only one and a half to one.
"Come on, at least bet on the other guy! Don't put everything on them!"
"That new student—I heard he's Dean Xian's illegitimate son... Really! Ten to one! Please, somebody bet on him!"
The chubby bookie was at a loss. He'd hyped Jiang Yi to the skies, but it hadn't done any good.
"Fatty, we're gamblers, not idiots!"
Someone in the crowd sneered, his voice full of contempt.
"He's a new student. He's probably only a two-ring Soul Master. How could he win? If he does, I'll eat a freaking thunderbolt on the spot..."
"..."
The fat bookie looked like he was about to cry.
Just then, a path opened through the crowd, and two girls walked in one behind the other, their steps graceful.
At the front was a golden-haired girl with a straight, elegant figure and stunning looks. An innate air of nobility shone between her brows.
Smack!
She walked up to the betting table and casually slapped a gold card onto it.
"I'm betting ten thousand Gold Soul Coins on Jiang Yi!"
"Hm?"
The fat bookie jerked his head up, his eyes shining as if he'd spotted his savior.
A sucker had arrived!
"What are you standing there for? Announce it!"
The golden-haired girl frowned and urged the student.
"A-announce what?"
The fat bookie stared blankly, failing to understand.
Seeing how hopelessly slow he was, the golden-haired girl rolled her eyes and shot the red-haired girl beside her a look.
The next moment, a clear shout burst through the noisy crowd—
"Ning Tian, ten thousand!"
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