Two hours later, on Sea God Island...
"Director Du, are you sure Dean Yan meant for me to go and uncover the secrets of those little kids from Nine Treasures?"
Looking at the solemn-faced Du Weilun before her, Zhang Lexuan instinctively copied Ning Huan's ear-picking gesture, her pretty face full of astonishment.
Who gets it, guys?!
I'm just a young woman, minding my own business in the Inner Court!
After finally making it to evening, I'd only have to wait a little longer before I could go to my Contract partner in Spirit Body form.
I'd just been about to send an invitation when the higher-ups suddenly gave me an order.
And the task just happened to involve my own Contract partner.
What kind of situation is this?
"I understand taking them on a tour of Shrek Academy, but probing them..."
"Leaving aside whether it might damage diplomatic relations with Nine Treasures Glazed Academy, the absolute disparity in strength alone makes this a no-go."
"Forget the three of them together; even if you joined them, you might not beat me."
"Picking on the weak doesn't sound good~"
Du Weilun: "..."
Say what you want, but why sneak in a jab at me!
So what if you're strong!
So what if you have a Hundred Thousand Year Soul Ring and Spirit Bone!
Oh, that really is impressive...
Never mind, then.
After a bout of inner turmoil, Du Weilun realized he really couldn't beat her. The delight he'd felt at figuring out his superior's "deeper meaning" vanished completely.
He could only put on a strictly businesslike attitude, his voice turning prim and proper.
"Because of his position, Dean Yan can't voice his suspicions openly, even though he has them. So some things can only be handled by us."
"Besides, everything we're doing now is for the Academy's future. There can't possibly be a problem!"
Hearing that he'd already invoked the greater good to pressure her, Zhang Lexuan didn't feel right pressing him any further.
She promptly put on a serious face and agreed without another word. Her decisiveness made Du Weilun nod again and again.
Just what you'd expect from the Inner Court's senior sister—she knew what was important!
What he didn't know was that Zhang Lexuan had never intended to refuse in the first place.
Her repeated questions had only been to test the attitudes of him and Yan Shaozhe.
Now that she'd confirmed this was Du Weilun's personal opinion, there was no need to keep talking with him.
Besides, going in person was even better.
She'd already been worried that her Spirit Body might be exposed. Every time she went, she had to stay on edge for ages, keeping watch all around her.
Seeing that it was getting late, Zhang Lexuan wasted no time.
Leaving Du Weilun behind, she sped off toward the Outer Court without looking back.
She moved so fast that she carved a long, unclosing fissure across the nearly glazed surface of Sea God Lake.
The sight set one's heart surging.
Du Weilun: With such a remarkable talent, how could Shrek fail to prosper!
Zhang Lexuan: Faster! Or I'll miss dinner!
Shrek Academy covered a vast area.
So vast that even if a high-ranking Soul Emperor went all out, no one could arrive in time to rescue them.
And yet it was also small enough that a Soul Douluo could run for just over ten minutes and find the person they wanted to see.
"That's the situation. I've become the person in charge of you for the next three months."
"And I'll use the opportunity to confirm your real talent and help determine whether you're worth approaching."
At a restaurant in Shrek City, Zhang Lexuan laid out the purpose of her visit in full.
Then she grabbed her chopsticks and launched into battle with the dishes covering the table.
Her casual words and mannerisms bore no resemblance to the dignified, gentle woman she'd been in the Inner Court.
Across from her, Ning Huan and Ning Tian, now aware of the whole story, exchanged a silent look.
A moment later, they said in perfect unison:
"They're really working their abacuses loud and clear."
As their words fell, Wu Feng, who still had no idea what was going on, seemed completely removed from the conversation.
She looked from Ning Huan to Zhang Lexuan.
Then she turned her gaze to her own mistress, her clear eyes brimming with bewilderment.
"What are you talking about? From the moment we left the Dean's Office until now, I haven't understood a single word!"
"With your intelligence, it's perfectly normal not to understand."
Ning Tian teased her with a smile.
But Wu Feng, who'd suffered countless losses over the past three years, didn't take the bait.
She rolled her eyes at him, then turned away and sidled up to Ning Tian with a pitiful look.
"Hmph! Showing off, are you? Mistress~"
"Honestly, you love picking fights even though you can't win."
Seeing this, Ning Tian discreetly pushed Wu Feng, who was pressed against her, away. Her expression was helpless.
This girl...
She always seemed to be hiding some kind of secret!
"To put it simply, Brother Ning Huan and I had already guessed before we came that Dean Yan would be envious of us."
"We thought about a lot of possibilities, but couldn't figure out what kind of attitude he'd take toward us."
Wu Feng swayed her head, looking as though she only half understood.
Clearly, her brain didn't have enough processing power to think through this kind of thing.
The quickest way for her to understand it all was obviously to ask questions and get answers.
"So now you know?"
"Yes. More or less, he'll treat us like Father treats Brother Ning Huan..."
"Then will we be in danger?"
"Possibly."
"If there's danger, why come here?"
"Because we need to test Shrek Academy's attitude toward Nine Treasures Academy. Besides, this was Brother Ning Huan's decision."
"Oh... so Mistress is a love-struck fool."
Ning Tian: "..."
You, Wu Feng!
There's no place for you in this family anymore!
No!
Sister Lexuan is here. I absolutely can't lose my composure!
Unfortunately, what we hoped for rarely matched reality.
Zhang Lexuan, having already cast off her burdens, would never miss such a wonderful chance to relieve her boredom.
"Pfft~ Xiao Huan, I never realized your everyday life was so entertaining."
"It's all right. Most of the fun usually comes from the little lunatic. You don't see her often, so of course you're missing out."
"So that's why you like teasing her."
Ning Huan and Zhang Lexuan's casual conversation drifted leisurely around the private dining room.
To Ning Tian, who still hadn't recovered her composure, it was like a catalyst, and a remarkably potent one.
And so, lucky Wu Feng got to witness her mistress's face-changing trick for the first time: from white to red, then purple, and finally black.
"M-Mistress?"
"Wu Feng! Get over here and die!"
"Eee-yah-yah-yah!!"
(Outside the door: Young people sure know how to have fun.)
Under Ning Huan's tireless tutelage, Ning Tian was no longer the weak support-type Soul Master who couldn't lift a finger or carry a load.
If she went all out, with her Martial Soul and a full set of Level 3 and Level 4 Soul Tools boosting her, she could even take on an ordinary Soul Ancestor by herself.
What's more, as a guardian, Wu Feng resisting her mistress was one of the greatest taboos of all.
In that back-and-forth, how could she possibly be a match for the enraged Ning Tian?
Her fate was surely to be pinned to the ground and thoroughly pummeled.
Of course, that alone would have been fine. She could just endure it for a while, and it would be over.
But someone nearby kept adding fuel to the fire.
"Lexuan, what do you think of the students I've trained?"
Ning Huan had sat off to the side the entire time, watching with a smile and making no attempt to stop them.
"They're no worse than Shrek Academy's, right?"
"Indeed."
Zhang Lexuan responded at just the right moment, as though she shared his sentiments.
Before you continue