Smooth Enrollment, Old Acquaintance Appears

"They... they'll be here in a moment."

Thinking of the pair likely still high above the clouds, Su Qing's lips curled into a handsome arc. A mischievous thought suddenly sprouted in his mind...

"Ah!!!"

Bei Bei, who had been soaring through the sky with Huo Yuhao, suddenly felt a tugging sensation on the wings behind him. Before he could react, the two of them plummeted toward the ground at breakneck speed. Terrified by the thought of being smashed into pieces from such a height, they could do nothing but let out ear-piercing screams of despair.

The two had already closed their eyes in resignation, but when the sensation of falling vanished, they felt no pain at all. Confused, they opened their eyes to see Su Qing stifling a laugh and Tang Ya covering her mouth to keep from giggling.

"You brat!"

After that ordeal, Bei Bei had officially marked Su Qing as a scoundrel. As for Huo Yuhao, he remained completely immersed in the lingering terror until Su Qing patted him, snapping him back to reality. Honestly, in that split second, he had already prepared his final words.

"Cough, cough. My apologies. I retracted the Wind-Gathering Wing-Weaving too quickly and startled you both."

Seeing that the two were genuinely shaken, Su Qing realized he had gone a bit too far and turned to look at them with an apologetic expression.

"It... it's fine."

The two exchanged a glance and spoke with trembling voices.

Hearing this, Su Qing gave a bright smile and said, "Since you're fine, let's get moving."

Su Qing had originally suggested using Wind-Gathering Wing-Weaving to carry everyone, but after the recent incident, Bei Bei and Huo Yuhao had developed a psychological shadow. The suggestion was met with two votes of rejection. Seeing this, Tang Ya and Su Qing didn't press the matter, so the group decided to walk out of the Star Dou Great Forest.

During the journey, Tang Ya successfully recruited Huo Yuhao into the Tang Sect, securing him a special admission spot at Shrek City. Huo Yuhao was deeply moved, and after swearing to help Tang Ya revitalize the Tang Sect, he began affectionately calling Bei Bei his Senior Brother.

However, Tang Ya did not ask Su Qing to join the Tang Sect. In her heart, whether Su Qing joined or not, he was her younger brother. With her there, if the Tang Sect ever faced a crisis, Su Qing would surely help. In that case, did his membership really make a difference?

Because Bei Bei had to teach Huo Yuhao some Tang Sect secret techniques along the way, it took them a full two weeks to exit the forest. Fortunately, Huo Yuhao had left early enough; otherwise, he would have missed the freshman registration period.

As for the Datura Snake from the original story, perhaps because the group had altered their route, they never crossed paths with it before leaving the forest.

"Cough, cough. Bei Bei, take little Huo Yuhao to handle the enrollment. I'll take little Su Qing to buy some decent clothes."

Upon arriving at Shrek City, Tang Ya pulled Su Qing away from the others. She figured that since there were still three days left before freshman registration closed, she might as well take Su Qing around the city.

Besides, the clothes Su Qing was wearing were ones Tang Ya had bought for him in Tiandou City years ago. She had bought every size back then, thinking it would be enough until he enrolled, but she hadn't expected his physique to grow so rapidly after awakening his martial soul. Even the largest set was now in tatters.

"My, our little Su Qing has grown so handsome. I wonder which young lady will be lucky enough to have you."

In truth, Su Qing's appearance in his past life had been outstanding, though still a notch below Gu Yuena. Now, bearing a face that was ninety percent similar to hers, he would likely become a heartthrob at Shrek. The more Tang Ya looked at her brother's peerless face, the more satisfied she felt.

"Stop, stop, stop. Don't even think about it. I'm only eleven, Sister Tang Ya."

Facing Tang Ya's wild imagination, Su Qing felt a bit embarrassed. However, she was still as lively as before, which meant she still had many close friends in Shrek and hadn't let her desire for revenge turn her personality gloomy. Thinking of this, Su Qing felt genuinely happy for her.

He had always held to the belief that one should cherish everyone who, despite having no blood relation, cared for him.

After taking Su Qing all over Shrek City, Tang Ya had to return to report in. Considering Su Qing might be short on cash, she gave him some loose Gold Soul Coin and silver/copper coins before leaving, ensuring he wouldn't go hungry in the city.

As for the ten Gold Soul Coin tuition fee, she wasn't worried. Bei Bei had told her that recommendation letters from Inner Court students held higher priority than those from city lords or special sect quotas, meaning no tuition was required for enrollment.

Watching Tang Ya depart, Su Qing rubbed his face, which was sore from her pinching, and after tucking away his tattered clothes, he turned toward the registration office.

Along the way, his white hair and purple eyes, which stood out from the crowd, combined with his handsome appearance, drew many gazes. Some even mistook him for a girl and made teasing remarks, but he turned a deaf ear to them, simply revealing the three soul rings beneath his feet to silence them.

At the freshman registration, anyone displaying three soul rings—aside from senior students—could only be a sect prodigy or an exceptionally gifted student. People weren't foolish enough to provoke such a person, and the three soul rings allowed Su Qing to walk unimpeded to the senior in charge of admissions.

"This little guy is already the fourth three-ring Soul Elder this year. It seems this batch is full of little monsters."

The seniors had noticed Su Qing while he was still in the crowd. Among the many yellow soul rings, that touch of purple was particularly eye-catching. They had been waiting for this little guy to come and register his information.

"Hello, please show me your recommendation letter."

The senior at the registration desk gave a polite smile. When he saw Su Qing take the letter from his storage ring, his expression shifted. Why was the color of this person's letter different from the others? Could it be fake?

But when he saw the prominent signature—the name Zhang Lexuan written in large characters—his eyes widened. While few in the Outer Court heard the names of Inner Court students, as a sixth-year student, how could he not know Zhang Lexuan, the captain of the previous Shrek's Seven Devils?

After a brief moment of shock, he hurriedly signaled the senior accompanying him:

"Hey, this is someone recommended by an Inner Court senior. Take him for a tour of the academy. Remember, be respectful."

The moment the other senior heard it was a recommendation from an Inner Court student, his casual attitude turned instantly respectful. For years, those recommended into Shrek by Inner Court students were usually from the same family or direct relatives.

"Student Su Qing, let me show you around the academy."

Seeing the other party's enthusiasm, Su Qing was just about to agree when a cold yet gentle voice reached his ears.

"No need to trouble yourself. I'll do it."