Jealousy

The night passed without incident.

The genuine leather sofa was soft and comfortable; as Yan Shaozhe's personal disciple, her living conditions were indeed superior.

Lin Feng slept quite soundly on the sofa. At the first glimmer of dawn, he rose quietly to wash up and slipped out of Ma Xiaotao's room.

Ma Xiaotao was still sleeping deeply. The academic exchange regarding soul master cultivation last night had left her physically and mentally exhausted.

After leaving the dormitory, Lin Feng didn't even bother with breakfast, heading straight toward the Freshman Teaching Building.

Today was the first day of class, and he didn't want to be late.

As he passed the entrance to Class One, he subconsciously quickened his pace.

He had originally intended to choose Class One during registration, but after hearing from Ma Xiaotao that the head teacher, Zhou Yi, had an extremely harsh teaching style and used simple, brutal methods—suspected to be at the age of menopause—he immediately transferred to Class Nine, which was known for its relaxed atmosphere.

"My name is Mu Jin, and I am your head teacher..." The female teacher on the podium had barely finished speaking when the classroom door was gently pushed open.

"Teacher, I apologize, I am late." Lin Feng stood at the door, his tone filled with self-reproach.

"It's fine, come in and find an empty seat," Mu Jin said in a calm tone, showing no signs of blame.

Lin Feng breathed a sigh of relief; if this had been the menopausal Zhou Yi, he likely wouldn't have escaped a good skinning.

This class was truly filled with beauties.

Lin Feng walked quickly into the Class Nine classroom, scanned the room, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

When it was Lin Feng's turn to go on stage for his self-introduction, his gaze naturally swept across the room, immediately noticing two girls in the front row with distinct temperaments.

"My name is Lin Feng, twelve years old, martial soul Fire Lotus, level 30 assault-system battle soul master."

As soon as he finished speaking, a low murmur of astonishment rippled through the classroom.

Twelve years old, level 30!

This strength was absolutely top-tier among the freshmen.

Even the head teacher, Mu Jin, revealed a look of surprise; Lin Feng had been the last to complete registration, and she hadn't had time to look closely at his file.

After class, the two girls who had been particularly eye-catching during the lecture indeed walked over together.

The elegant-looking girl in the lead spoke first: "Hello, classmate Lin Feng. Let's get to know each other, my name is Ning Tian. Like you, I am also a level 30 Soul Grand Master."

The tomboy beside her with short red hair and a slightly haughty expression said impatiently, "Wu Feng."

Just as Lin Feng was about to respond, a fiery red figure appeared at the classroom window without warning.

"Yo, chatting quite happily, aren't we?" This sudden, familiar voice made Lin Feng's hand tremble, nearly dropping the new textbook he was holding.

"Why didn't you wake me up to go together this morning?" Ma Xiaotao stood with her arms crossed, arriving in front of Lin Feng and staring straight at him.

"You were sleeping so soundly, I didn't have the heart to disturb you," Lin Feng said helplessly.

At this moment, Wu Feng, standing to the side, chuckled, her tone carrying a hint of subtle provocation: "Interrupting others while they are speaking is very impolite. This older sister, who are you?"

Ning Tian gently tugged at Wu Feng's sleeve, whispering a reminder: "Wu Feng, say less; we can't afford to offend her."

She was all too familiar with Ma Xiaotao. The two had deep roots, both being direct descendants of the first generation of Shrek's Seven Devils, and their martial souls were both highly orthodox.

Hearing this, Ma Xiaotao lifted her chin, her red hair like a leaping flame. She didn't even look at Wu Feng, declaring her territory: "It's good that you know you can't afford to offend me. He is my little junior brother; the two of you, stop trying to get any ideas about him."

As the saying goes, three women make a play...

Watching the scene thick with jealousy, Lin Feng didn't dare to take sides.

"Come with me, let's go get breakfast." Ma Xiaotao didn't give anyone else a chance to speak, grabbed Lin Feng's wrist, and dragged him out without further ado, leaving the two girls behind with complex expressions.

"This isn't good, I still have class. The teacher will mark me absent later."

Lin Feng was dragged forward by Ma Xiaotao, unable to help but look back, catching Ning Tian's thoughtful gaze and Wu Feng's clearly indignant expression.

It seemed this academy life was destined to be anything but peaceful.

"Little Feng, what do you want for breakfast? My treat."

Just after stepping out of the Freshman Teaching Building, Ma Xiaotao's attitude did a complete 180-degree turn, patting Lin Feng on the shoulder like a big sister.

"Then I won't be polite," Lin Feng laughed, though he felt a mischievous urge to tease her.

The two arrived at the high-end area on the second floor of the cafeteria, where the environment was elegant and the prices were clearly not cheap.

Lin Feng glanced at the prices and looked at Ma Xiaotao with slight hesitation: "Sister Xiaotao, isn't this... a bit too extravagant?"

"Order with confidence!" Ma Xiaotao waved her hand grandly. "Your sister here has a high soul master subsidy; supporting you is more than enough."

"Since that's the case..." A faint, imperceptible smirk curled the corner of Lin Feng's mouth as he turned to the window attendant and said, "Auntie, please give me an order of vinegar-braised spicy rabbit heads, a bowl of hot and sour beef noodles, and a bowl of sour plum juice—no, make that two bowls, thank you."

As this string of dishes starting with the word "sour" was announced, the smile on Ma Xiaotao's face instantly froze, and the corner of her mouth twitched slightly.

When the tray was served and she saw the dishes reeking of vinegar, her face turned almost green.

This guy was definitely doing it on purpose!

"Lin! Feng!" She squeezed these two words out from between her teeth.

"Hmm? Sister Xiaotao, what's wrong? Are these dishes not to your taste? I saw you didn't have much of an appetite last night, and this pickled cabbage is great for stimulating the appetite." Lin Feng blinked, looking completely innocent, while his heart was blooming with joy.

Ma Xiaotao took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the urge to hit him, when a sudden idea struck her. She put on a weak and uncomfortable expression: "Ugh, I suddenly feel like the evil fire in my body is getting hard to suppress. Little Feng, accompany me to the Sea God Lake and help me channel it..."

Lin Feng watched her clumsy acting without calling her out, honestly saying, "Fine, since you're the senior sister."

Upon arriving at the shore of Sea God Lake, Ma Xiaotao immediately revealed her true colors, manifesting a terrifying soul ring configuration of two yellow, two purple, and two black rings.

"First Soul Skill, Phoenix Fireline!"

"Second Soul Skill, Phoenix Bathed in Fire!"

Her strikes were ruthless, the scorching flames sweeping toward Lin Feng without mercy, clearly venting all the jealousy from moments ago into this burst of fiery temper.

Fortunately, Lin Feng possessed a formidable physique, and with the Burning Art in operation, he absorbed every one of these primary fire-attribute soul skills.

After this round of venting, Ma Xiaotao felt refreshed, the stifled frustration in her chest completely swept away.

Although Lin Feng remained uninjured, his newly issued school uniform had become charred and brittle under the high heat, crumbling away in large patches at the slightest breeze.

Looking at his nearly ruined clothes, he felt like crying but had no tears, sighing helplessly: "Sister Xiaotao, my new school uniform... how am I supposed to go back to class?"

Watching his disheveled and helpless appearance, Ma Xiaotao finally couldn't help but burst into laughter, waving her hand in high spirits: "Out with the old, in with the new! Come on, Sister will go with you to get a new one!"

Lin Feng finally understood: never provoke a woman who has just overturned a vinegar jar, or the consequences will be miserable.