Cheng Duoyi smiled. "Why call me godfather and ask me to make all the arrangements? We're all students of Teacher Wu, so of course we should follow his arrangements."
"Right, right, we'll all do as Teacher Wu says." Xie Xie and Yun Xiao hurriedly turned to Wu Changkong.
Cheng Duoyi looked at Wu Changkong. "Teacher Wu, are you confident you can train us to get into Shrek Academy?"
Wu Changkong had never met students like these before. Cheng Duoyi's words rekindled his spirits, restoring a hint of his old self.
"The students are all this confident. If I, their teacher, weren't confident, what kind of teacher would I be?" Wu Changkong smiled. "But being my student will be exhausting. Can you stick with it?"
"Teacher Wu, you'll have to ask them."
Cheng Duoyi turned to Tang Wuling and the others.
Tang Wuling said firmly, "Teacher Wu, I'm not afraid of hard work!"
Xie Xie and Yun Xiao chimed in. "Neither are we."
Wu Changkong looked at Cheng Duoyi and Gu Yue. "What about you two?"
"Me? I'm just here to go to school with Ling'er. I'm not going to put myself through hardship."
Cheng Duoyi's answer left Wu Changkong at a loss. Thinking it over, he couldn't find anything wrong with it. Besides, Cheng Duoyi didn't seem to be in the best of health.
"I'll let that pass, then. Gu Yue, what about you?"
Facing Wu Changkong's question, Gu Yue replied confidently, "I'm sure I can get into Shrek Academy, and I'm confident I can complete your training."
"Good! You said it yourselves." Wu Changkong smiled. "In that case, head back first. I'll arrange different training for each of you."
Cheng Duoyi and the other four nodded. "All right, Teacher Wu."
With that, they turned and left the office.
Only Wu Changkong and Leng Xue'er remained in the office.
Leng Xue'er looked at Wu Changkong and said coolly, "You can put the others through any special training you like, but not Yi'er."
Wu Changkong frowned slightly. "Is something wrong with Cheng Duoyi's health? If you can, tell me the details. Maybe I can help him."
Wu Changkong rather liked Cheng Duoyi.
Though they had only just met, he approved of Cheng Duoyi's leadership ability. A powerful Soul Master wasn't defined by strength alone; their leadership mattered too.
Leng Xue'er thought for a moment. She didn't consider Cheng Duoyi's health a secret. Many powerful forces knew that, back then, Leng Yaozhu had searched for healing-type Soul Masters to save Cheng Duoyi. The reward was still being offered: cure him, and you'd receive a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit!
Unfortunately, although people had tried over the past three years, not one had succeeded. They had, however, gathered quite a few rare treasures that replenished life force.
Leng Xue'er explained more precisely now, hoping Wu Changkong might think of a solution. In particular, Wu Changkong would surely return to Shrek Academy one day.
When that time came, with Wu Changkong making the request and her aunt Leng Yaozhu paying some price, they might be able to get the Golden Ancient Tree to bless Cheng Duoyi.
"Yi'er's Martial Soul is unusual. When he awakened it at six, it began devouring his life force every moment. Back then, the ninety-fourth-ranked Life Douluo gave him a drop of his source blood essence and ten Millennium Life Fruits. That was enough to keep Yi'er alive, but it didn't cure him. His life force is still slowly draining away."
As she spoke, pain showed on Leng Xue'er's face. She truly felt for all Cheng Duoyi had suffered.
"Yi'er was lucky, though. He met Wuling. As long as the two of them stay together, the rate at which his life force drains slows considerably."
Wu Changkong was stunned. "Even a drop of Life Douluo's source blood essence and ten Millennium Life Fruits couldn't cure him? What kind of Martial Soul did Cheng Duoyi awaken?"
He had thought he might be able to help Cheng Duoyi, but it seemed that was impossible.
Wait.
Wu Changkong looked at Leng Xue'er. She nodded.
He understood what she was thinking.
"All right. If I get the chance in the future, I'll give it a try."
"Thank you." Leng Xue'er thanked him sincerely.
The five of them went outside.
Tang Wuling looked at Cheng Duoyi and stopped.
"Ling'er, what's wrong?" Cheng Duoyi asked, stopping too.
Tang Wuling took a deep breath. "Yi'er, thank you..."
"What are you thanking me for?" Cheng Duoyi asked.
"Thank you for coming back for me. Because of me, you gave up your chance to enter Shrek Academy. I..."
Tang Wuling felt a little guilty as she spoke.
In her heart, Shrek Academy was a sacred place. She had never imagined she could get in. Cheng Duoyi had a chance, but he had given it up because of her. How could she accept that?
"'I' what?" Cheng Duoyi let go of Gu Yue's hand and stepped in front of Tang Wuling, scolding her good-naturedly. "What does this have to do with you? It was my decision. And what kind of relationship do we have that you need to thank me? If you really feel bad, then work hard and improve yourself. Get into Shrek Academy with me!"
As he spoke, Cheng Duoyi raised his right hand.
Tang Wuling glanced at Gu Yue, then looked back at Cheng Duoyi and nodded firmly, placing her left hand on his right. "Yi'er, I won't let you down!"
"That's more like it!" Cheng Duoyi said. "Don't let me hear you say anything so defeatist again, or I'll get angry!"
Tang Wuling looked flustered and hurriedly said, "I promise it won't happen again!"
"That's more like it." Cheng Duoyi nodded.
Then he saw Xie Xie and Yun Xiao looking as if they were about to burst into tears.
"What are those looks for?"
Xie Xie covered his mouth. "Cheng-ge and Tang Wuling are so close. They've made me believe in the power of family."
Then he looked at Gu Yue. "Unlike certain people, who actually wanted to tear them apart. How awful."
At that moment, Xie Xie firmly took Tang Wuling's side. He was a Yi-Ling Fan now. As for Yi-Yue Fans? Whoever wanted to be one could be one!
Yun Xiao saw the look in Gu Yue's eyes and hurriedly shut his mouth. Lowering his head, he silently repeated to himself, You can't see me, you can't see me, you can't see me...
Xie Xie turned to look at Gu Yue and was startled too.
"Uh, I meant Cheng-ge and Tang Wuling have a familial bond. Right, a familial bond." Xie Xie hastily corrected himself.
He was afraid Gu Yue would murder him if he didn't take it back.
That look in her eyes was terrifying!
Gu Yue snorted coldly. But when she looked at Cheng Duoyi, her eyes softened. Xie Xie really wanted to call her a hypocrite!
Gu Yue looked at Cheng Duoyi. "Xiao Yi, you and Ling'er are so close. I'm really envious."
Xie Xie couldn't understand.
That was obviously jealousy.
Gu Yue had only known Cheng Duoyi for a short time. What did she have to be jealous about?
Cheng Duoyi smiled. "Ling'er and I have known each other for a long time. If you all think of me as family, I'll think of you as family too."
Cheng Duoyi looked at Tang Wuling. "You're hungry, right? Come on, let's go eat."
Tang Wuling really was hungry. She nodded. "Mm-hmm."
"Big Sister Yue'er, want to come along?"
Cheng Duoyi held out his left hand to Gu Yue. When she heard "Big Sister Yue'er," her unhappy expression vanished in an instant, and she happily took his hand.
What a face-changing act worthy of Sichuan opera!
Xie Xie wondered if Gu Yue had something wrong with her.
But he didn't dare say it. "Cheng-ge, I'm coming to eat too."
"Cheng-ge, count me in!" Yun Xiao hurriedly raised his head.
"Let's go," Cheng Duoyi said.
Before you continue