"Headmaster, stop drinking!"
A deep, steady voice came from behind him as Dai Mubai strode out of the house.
He reached out to snatch the wine jug from Flender's hand, but just as his fingertips touched it, Flender jerked away.
"Don't touch me!"
"Only wine can numb this heart of mine that hurts so badly it feels ready to burst!"
"Only when I'm drunk can I see Sister Erlong in my dreams, can I see her smiling as she calls me an old bastard!"
"Only then can I stop feeling like a useless man who couldn't even protect the people around him!"
"Tang San is dead, and Xiao Wu went with him..."
"Fatty, Rongrong, Zhuqing... so many children, gone one after another..."
"The once-lively Shrek Academy was not only forced to change its name, but in the end, only the four of us remained..."
"I've been such a pathetic headmaster!"
With reddened eyes, Flender let out a low growl like an injured beast.
"That is exactly why we must pull ourselves together!"
At that moment, a cold voice suddenly rang out from the entrance to the courtyard, instantly shattering its oppressive silence.
Flender whipped around, his clouded eyes fixed on the familiar figure at the gate.
"Impossible... I must have drunk too much... You were obviously dead. How could you be here?"
Flender blinked hard, then shook his heavy head, muttering to himself.
Standing at the gate was Tang San, whom he had believed had died without even a body left behind.
Tang San was dressed in a fitted blue outfit.
There was not a trace of color in his face, yet his gaze was sharper than it had ever been.
"Headmaster, you are not drunk."
"I am Tang San. I crawled back from hell."
Tang San walked in step