Han Li's Ledger

Early morning, the canteen of Shrek Academy was filled with the mixed scent of thin porridge and pickled vegetables.

Dean Flender was famously stingy; the academy's breakfast always consisted of only three things: white porridge, pickled vegetables, and steamed buns.

Oscar once complained that this was "pig slop," for which he was punished by Flender with twenty laps around the field. Since then, he dared not speak of it publicly, only daring to grumble to Dai Mubai in private.

Han Li sat in the corner of the canteen, his back against the wall and his face toward the entrance.

This was his habit; no matter which world he was in, he preferred a seat from which he could observe everyone.

It was so in the Seven Profound Sect during his past life, so in the Yue Kingdom, and so in the Chaotic Star Sea. Upon arriving at the Douluo Continent, it remained the same.

On the table before him sat a bowl of white porridge, a steamed bun, and a small dish of pickled vegetables.

The porridge remained untouched, the bun unmoved, and the pickled vegetables ignored.

Han Li held a calligraphy brush, a tattered notebook spread open before him.

The cover of the notebook was so worn its original color was unrecognizable, its corners curled and pages yellowed, yet the handwriting inside was meticulous, every stroke radiating a chilling sense of earnestness.

His expression was focused, his eyes calm, and the corners of his mouth even curled slightly upward—if one ignored the bone-chilling cold light in his eyes.

He dipped the brush in ink and set it to paper.

"Person number 301."

Han Li moved the brush with fluid speed, his script as neat as printed text.

"Canteen lady. Said I looked like this yet ate so much while serving food this morning. Recorded. Age approximately forty to fifty. Martial Soul suspected to be related to kitchenware. Spirit Power around level thirty. Location of offense: Shrek Academy canteen window. Time of offense: 7:45 AM. Note: Her hand shook significantly while serving; suspected of intentionally giving less."

After finishing, Han Li gently blew on the ink, examined it with satisfaction for a moment, then flipped to the previous page to review the earlier entries.

Person number 287, Suotuo City fabric shop owner, said, "This ugly freak can't afford good fabric."

Retaliation completed: Infiltrated his shop that night using a Stealth Talisman and trimmed all his fabric by three inches. The owner has yet to discover it.

Person number 289, a child on the roadside, said, "Mom, look, that person is so ugly." Retaliation completed: Used an Illusion Array to scare the child, making him believe he saw a ghost, causing him to cry for three days. The child's parents hired seven Spirit Masters to exorcise the spirit, all to no avail.

Person number 295, Shrek Academy gatekeeper, said, "Coming to our academy looking like that." Pending retaliation: In planning.

Han Li curled his lips, closed the notebook, and prepared to drink his porridge.

"Yo, Han Li, what are you hiding here for?"

Xiao Yan walked over carelessly with his tray and plopped down opposite Han Li.

He was in a good mood today; his cultivation of the Exotic Flame had a breakthrough last night, and the fusion between his Green Lotus Core Flame and his Spirit Power had increased by a few percentage points.

Han Li was quick; the notebook vanished in an instant, tucked away into his Storage Bag.

Xiao Yan raised an eyebrow: "What's so precious in there?"

Han Li remained expressionless: "None of your business."

"Tch, so mysterious." Xiao Yan took a bite of a steamed bun and frowned, "This bun is harder than a rock. Is Dean Flender raising us like pigs?"

Han Li didn't respond, lowering his head to drink his porridge.

Xiao Yan didn't mind, eating on his own. He ate with extreme speed, wolfing down his food as if afraid someone would snatch it away. In a few bites, he stuffed the bun into his mouth and downed the bowl of porridge in one go.

"Hiccup!" Xiao Yan burped and wiped his mouth, "Han Li, lend me that Heavenly Bottle of yours. I want to grow some herbs."

"No."

"Stingy."

"Mm."

Their conversation was as brief as that of two strangers. In fact, they were strangers; before transmigrating, each had dominated their own world. After transmigrating, they became brothers in misfortune, but their relationship was far from intimate.

Xiao Yan's impression of Han Li: unattractive, quiet, devious, and not to be trifled with.

Han Li's impression of Xiao Yan: talkative, reckless, loves to show off, but his strength is passable.

The one thing they had in common: neither wanted to get close to the other.

If life had continued in such a dull fashion, this ledger might never have been discovered.

But Shi Hao arrived.

"Breakfast! Breakfast! Breakfast!"

Shi Hao's voice boomed from the canteen entrance, making the windows rattle. He strode in, shirtless, his muscles gleaming with a bronze luster in the morning light. His pant legs were still stained with mud; clearly, he had just finished smashing rocks in the back mountains and had come straight to the canteen without even putting on a shirt.

"Shi Hao, can you put on a shirt?" Xiao Yan said with disgust.

"Wearing clothes affects my performance!" Shi Hao retorted righteously.

He carried five bowls of porridge, ten steamed buns, and six dishes of pickled vegetables, stacked like a small mountain. He slammed them onto the table next to Han Li and pulled out a chair to sit.

As he sat, the chair let out a groan of protest.

Shi Hao didn't care, grabbing a bun in his left hand and another in his right, attacking both sides at once, his cheeks bulging like a hamster.

Xiao Yan watched his appetite, his mouth twitching: "You're eating five people's worth of food by yourself?"

"Not enough," Shi Hao said indistinctly, "I can only eat until I'm seventy percent full for breakfast; it affects my cultivation."

"Seventy percent full?" Xiao Yan glanced at the mountain of food in front of him, "You call this seventy percent full?!"

"Hmm, seven points," Shi Hao said, swallowing the bun in his mouth. "Three more and I could take down a thousand-year soul beast."

Xiao Yan: "..."

Han Li drank his porridge in silence, trying his best to minimize his presence.

But his efforts were in vain.

As Shi Hao finished his fifth bun, his gaze suddenly landed on Han Li—or more accurately, on the bulging Storage Bag at Han Li's waist.

"Han Li, what do you have in that bag?" Shi Hao asked. "I see you carrying it every day like it's some kind of treasure."

Han Li's hand instinctively pressed against the Storage Bag. "Nothing."

"Let me see!"

"No."

"It's not like you'll lose a piece of meat just by showing it!" Shi Hao said, reaching out to snatch it.

Han Li's face darkened like water, and just as he was about to dodge, Shi Hao's speed proved far greater than he had anticipated.

That fan-like hand bypassed Han Li's block and grabbed the strap of the Storage Bag.

Han Li's pupils constricted.

With a tug from Shi Hao, the Storage Bag was ripped away. Han Li retreated two steps, his face turning livid. "Shi Hao, give it back."

"Just let me look, you stingy guy." Shi Hao carelessly untied the bag and dumped its contents out.

Clatter, clatter.

A pile of items tumbled out: bottles and jars, formation flags and talismans, spirit stones and pills, herb seeds... and that tattered notebook.

The notebook hit the floor and fell open.

Shi Hao's attention was drawn to the book; he bent down to pick it up and read aloud, "Person number 301, cafeteria lady. This morning while serving food, she said, 'You look like that and still eat so much.' Recorded..."

His voice was loud enough for the entire cafeteria to hear.

Xiao Yan stopped gnawing on his bun.

Ma Hongjun, who was serving food, froze.

The porridge bowl in Dai Mubai's hands nearly dropped to the floor.

Zhu Zhuqing raised her head coldly.

Ning Rongrong covered her mouth.

The pickled vegetables on Oscar's chopsticks fell onto the table.

Tang San and Xiao Wu, who were whispering intimately in the corner, also looked over.

Shi Hao, completely oblivious to the surrounding stares, flipped the page and read aloud, "Person number 12, passerby A, said this guy looks like a bamboo pole. Person number 13, passerby B, said this bamboo pole has become a demon. Person number 14, passerby C, said stay away from him, don't get poked by the bamboo pole. Person number 89, vegetable-selling farmer, said, 'Young man, was your face stepped on by someone?'..."

Xiao Yan put down his bun, his mouth hanging open wide enough to fit a fist.

Ma Hongjun leaned in, took a glance at the notebook, and gasped. "My god..."

Shi Hao flipped to the middle of the page. "Person number 156, Shrek Academy student, said, 'That ugly freak is here again.' Person number 157, same person, said, 'He's walking over, run!' Person number 158, same person, said, 'He's looking over, help!' Han Li, you recorded the same person three times?"

Han Li's expression remained unchanged, but his fingers were clicking and clacking.

Wang Lin appeared at the cafeteria entrance at some point, dressed in white, his face pale and refined. Hearing Shi Hao's reading from afar, the corners of his mouth twitched slightly.

He walked over and looked down at the notebook in Shi Hao's hand. "Are you planning to record everyone on the entire continent?"

Han Li looked up, his eyes as calm as stagnant water. "Debts must be repaid, and insults must be answered with one's life."

The entire room fell silent.

Xiao Yan swallowed hard, checking to see if he had said anything offensive while talking to Han Li earlier. It seemed he hadn't—probably hadn't—most likely hadn't.

Ma Hongjun silently scooted his chair further away.

Dai Mubai lowered his head, pretending to focus on his porridge. Three days ago, he had mentioned that Han Li "looked quite unique." That shouldn't count as an insult, right? It shouldn't... right?

Zhu Zhuqing remained expressionless, but the frequency of her eating increased significantly. She had said last week that Han Li "didn't look like a good person," and she wondered if that had been recorded.

Ning Rongrong blinked her large eyes, looking from the notebook to Han Li, and whispered to Oscar, "This person is terrifying."

Oscar nodded like a chicken pecking at rice. "I'm never going to say he looks like a bamboo pole again."

"You said that?" Ning Rongrong's eyes widened.

"No! Absolutely not!" Oscar shook his head frantically.

Tang San finally gathered the courage to walk out from the corner, wearing his standard "peacemaker" smile. "Brother Han, when will this cycle of vengeance end... We are all classmates, why go this far?"

Han Li turned his head, his gaze landing on Tang San's face, pausing for three seconds.

Tang San's smile stiffened.

"If you say one more word," Han Li's voice was soft, but every word pierced Tang San's ears like a blade, "you will be person number 302."

Tang San's smile vanished completely.

He opened his mouth, wanting to say something, but didn't know what to say. In the end, he chose the wisest course of action: shut his mouth, turn around, return to Xiao Wu's side, and hug her. "Resurrect, My Love..."

Xiao Wu rolled her eyes. "I'm not dead."

"I know, I just wanted to hug you."

"Do you have to say that every single time?"

"It's a habit."

"..."

Xiao Yan looked at Han Li, then at the notebook in Shi Hao's hand, and hesitated. "Uh, Han Li, why don't you put that notebook away? Stop trying to scare everyone here."

Han Li didn't speak. He stepped forward, took the notebook back from Shi Hao, straightened the pages one by one, and tucked it into his Storage Bag. His movements were slow and meticulous, as if he were handling something incredibly precious.

Shi Hao scratched his head. "I'm telling you, Han Li, aren't you being a bit petty? You're writing it down just because I cursed at you twice? Can you even keep track of it all?"

Han Li finished securing his Storage Bag, looked up, and said expressionlessly, "I have a thousand-year lifespan. I can take my time recording it."

Shi Hao: "..."

Xiao Yan: "..."

Wang Lin: "..."

Tang San: "..."

The cafeteria fell into a deathly silence once again.

A fly buzzed past, its sound clearly audible.

Dean Flender happened to walk into the cafeteria and frowned at the scene. "What's wrong with you all? You look like you've seen a ghost."

No one answered.

Flender shook his head and walked toward the serving window. "Ma'am, one bowl of porridge, please."

The cafeteria lady served him a bowl with a warm smile. "You're looking quite radiant today, Dean."

Flender took the porridge and turned to leave, but suddenly remembered something. He turned back and asked, "By the way, have you seen Han Li? I need to talk to him about something."

Everyone's gaze shifted in unison toward Han Li.

Han Li remained unfazed.

Flender followed their eyes and frowned. "Han Li, what's wrong with you? Why is your face so dark?"

Han Li was silent for a second. "Didn't sleep well."

"Oh," Flender nodded. "Come to my office when you're done eating."

Han Li nodded and watched Flender leave.

The atmosphere in the cafeteria eased slightly, but everyone looked at Han Li with a subtle, wary gaze, keeping their distance.

Xiao Yan finally couldn't help himself and whispered, "Han Li, did you really record three hundred people in that notebook?"

"Three hundred and one," Han Li corrected. "Including Dean Flender just now."

Xiao Yan was stunned. "Dean Flender? What did he say?"

"He said my face was dark."

"..." Xiao Yan was silent for a moment, then asked, "So, who is recorded on the first page?"

Han Li didn't answer.

But Shi Hao still remembered; he had seen the first page when he flipped through the notebook earlier.

"Person number one," Shi Hao's voice suddenly rang out. This time, he didn't read it aloud, but whispered in a tone of disbelief, "The black hole itself, for calling me ugly while I was traveling through the black hole. Note: Suspected to have consciousness, pending verification."

The entire room fell into a dead silence again.

Then, Xiao Yan laughed.

He laughed so hard he doubled over, slapping the table so violently that his porridge bowl nearly tipped over. "A black hole called you ugly? Hahahaha! Han Li, you don't even spare a black hole?!"

Ma Hongjun couldn't help but laugh either, but fearing he might be recorded, he quickly covered his mouth, his face turning red from holding it in.

Dai Mubai's mouth twitched, and a rare trace of a smile flashed in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes.

Oscar slumped over the table, his shoulders shaking.

Even Ning Rongrong covered her mouth to stifle a giggle.

Tang San looked at Han Li's expression and wisely chose not to laugh.

Wang Lin stood to the side with his arms crossed, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly, but he quickly returned to his cold, aloof expression; he didn't want to be recorded by Han Li.

Han Li scanned the room, expressionlessly picked up his bowl of porridge, downed it in one gulp, then picked up a steamed bun, took a bite, chewed, and swallowed.

Then, he stood up, grabbed his Storage Bag, and walked toward the cafeteria exit.

As he passed by Shi Hao, his footsteps paused.

"Person number 302, Shi Hao, for browsing this person's belongings without permission. Recorded."

Shi Hao's smile froze on his face.

Han Li continued walking, passing by Wang Lin.

"The 303rd person, Wang Lin, watched without intervening. Noted."

Wang Lin's expression twisted subtly.

Han Li continued walking, passing by Tang San.

Tang San hurriedly said, "I wasn't laughing! I really wasn't!"

Han Li glanced at him. "The 304th person, Tang San, meddling in others' affairs. Noted."

Tang San felt like crying without tears.

Han Li walked out of the cafeteria, his silhouette desolate, like a lone wolf burdened by deep-seated hatred.

Inside the cafeteria, Xiao Yan's laughter finally ceased.

He looked in the direction Han Li had departed and said thoughtfully, "That man is truly not to be trifled with."

Shi Hao rubbed his neck. "He said he was going to note me down..."

"You brought it upon yourself," Wang Lin said coldly. "Who told you to snatch his things?"

"You didn't stop me!"

"Why should This Seat stop you? You getting noted down, what does that have to do with This Seat?"

"You!"

"Alright, alright," Xiao Yan waved his hand. "Both of you, say less. Be careful he notes you down too."

The four of them looked at each other and simultaneously shut their mouths.

But their eyes were all saying the same thing.

That man is truly not to be trifled with.