For the two days before school started, Cao Longyan, Huo Yuhao, and Wang Dong shared a dorm room. Unlike in the original story, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong hadn't gotten into a fight and grown distant. They'd each kept busy with their own things, but they'd also gotten to know one another a little. Still, each of them had secrets they hadn't shared.
They'd even gone out through the academy's East Gate and eaten together on Snack Street.
Wang Dong had insisted on paying, though.
But Cao Longyan and Huo Yuhao had secretly bought Wang Dong a pillow, too.
Huo Yuhao had also caught a whiff of a business opportunity here. Maybe he could sell his grilled fish and make some money...
One evening, Cao Longyan happened to catch a glimpse of the cultivation method Huo Yuhao used while meditating. It was unmistakably the Soul Suppressing Art of Rakshasa Street, a technique Cao Longyan had created himself. He knew it better than anyone.
The corners of Cao Longyan's mouth curled up slightly.
Who would've thought that, by a twist of fate, Huo Yuhao would join the faction he had founded? It seemed Tang Ya and the others hadn't told Huo Yuhao the information they'd given him.
Tang San, oh, Tang San. You've made the wrong move with this one... One wrong move leads to another, and Cao Longyan would make your chess piece slip from your grasp, one step at a time!
Two days passed in the blink of an eye, and at last it was the official first day of school for the new students.
Cao Longyan and the others changed into Shrek's standard white uniforms. Each had a little green monster emblem over the left breast, symbolizing Shrek Academy.
The three of them walked side by side toward the white classroom building, drawing plenty of looks from the new students along the way.
Especially from the girls, though most of their attention was on Cao Longyan and Wang Dong.
Just as Cao Longyan had expected, the three of them had been assigned to the same class.
Freshman Class One!
The moment they entered the classroom, the chatter quieted. Every gaze snapped toward Cao Longyan, some of the girls staring with fascination and admiration, while the boys looked on with envy and jealousy.
How could a boy be so handsome? Wasn't he almost too good-looking?
Dressed in white, with blue hair and blue eyes, Cao Longyan had a cool, aloof air about him. He looked like a prince stepping out of the snow, radiating light and effortlessly outshining everyone in the room.
Seeing everyone's eyes glued to Cao Longyan while they completely ignored him, the "peerless beauty" Wang Dong, he felt a little put out. Puffing out her cheeks and pouting, she leaned toward Cao Longyan and Huo Yuhao and complained in a quiet, teasing voice.
"Look at them. They're so shallow! They only care about looks, not strength. I'm handsome too, so why is nobody paying attention to me?"
Seeing how full of himself he was, Cao Longyan and Huo Yuhao immediately put some distance between them and shook their heads with a helpless sigh.
They didn't know anyone this conceited...
Cao Longyan paid no attention to the people around him and went straight to an empty seat by the window.
But as soon as he sat down, before Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong could follow him and take the seats beside him, several quick-witted girls rushed over and claimed every empty seat around Cao Longyan.
They moved so fast that Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong, who were standing nearby, stared in disbelief.
Watching this, Wang Dong grumbled inwardly.
Seriously? He was only a little handsome... Did they really have to fight over the seats beside him, too?
She turned to Huo Yuhao and put on a defiant front.
"Hmph, as if I wanted to sit with him. Yuhao, let's find our own seats!"
Huo Yuhao stood to one side, watching the girls crowd around Cao Longyan until he was completely hemmed in. He couldn't help but marvel.
Longyan really is popular...
But before Huo Yuhao could answer Wang Dong, she changed her tune in the blink of an eye.
Seeing that there were no seats left around Cao Longyan, the girls turned their attention to Wang Dong.
There was no denying that Wang Dong was strikingly handsome. Though she fell a little short of Cao Longyan, she was still a rare beauty, and she immediately caught the eyes of plenty of girls.
Feeling everyone's heated gazes, Wang Dong straightened her back, a proud smile lifting the corners of her mouth. She ran a hand through her short pink-and-blue hair, pretended to ignore the girls with an air of coldness, and strode over to an empty seat. She basked in the feeling of being surrounded, her earlier annoyance vanishing in an instant.
Huo Yuhao watched Wang Dong change her tune faster than he could turn a page, speechless.
Come on, man. How did you change your attitude that fast...
He kept his thoughts to himself and found an empty seat toward the back.
A pretty girl sat beside him. She had an arrogant air, a little like Wang Dong when Huo Yuhao had first met her. With her chin raised, she didn't even glance at Huo Yuhao. Instead, her gaze was fixed on Cao Longyan and Wang Dong.
Still, Huo Yuhao didn't mind that nobody was paying attention to him.
His goal was clear: work hard to grow stronger and avenge his mother as soon as possible. He didn't care what other people thought of him.
He sat up straight and looked resolutely toward the lectern, waiting for the teacher to arrive.
Before long, the bell rang. The noisy classroom fell silent, and every gaze turned toward the lectern.
An old woman with graying hair and a white robe strode in through the classroom door and stepped up to the lectern.
Cao Longyan looked up and recognized the teacher at once.
Zhou Yi, the famous "devil instructor" of Shrek Outer Court. She seemed stern and harsh, but deep down she treasured talent and held her students to extremely high standards. She had also been Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong's first teacher in the original story.
Still, he didn't entirely agree with her teaching philosophy...
Standing at the lectern, Zhou Yi swept her gaze over the class. Her voice was stern and icy, and the pressure instantly weighed on everyone's hearts.
"My name is Zhou Yi, and I'm your homeroom teacher. I can't say for certain..."
Just as Cao Longyan remembered, so he couldn't be bothered to listen again. He closed his eyes and began to rest.
After Zhou Yi finished her harsh speech, she paused and once more looked over the students' shocked faces. Of course, she noticed Cao Longyan sitting with his eyes closed, but she didn't call him out. Instead, she threw the class a question that caught everyone off guard.
"Anyone who's gotten into a fight since registration began, stand up."
Her words left everyone in the class except Cao Longyan utterly dumbfounded.
Silence filled the classroom for a moment. In the end, only Huo Yuhao slowly got to his feet.
Wang Dong froze. After seeing Huo Yuhao stand, she hesitated for a moment, then stood up too.
Every student in the class turned to look at them.
Zhou Yi raised an eyebrow at the two standing students.
"Only two? You're all useless! Everyone except those two, run a hundred laps around the square. If you don't finish, you're expelled!"
As soon as she finished speaking, one student stood up.
"Teacher, I don't accept this. Why are we only spared punishment if we've gotten into a fight?"
A vast wave of Soul Power pressure burst out from Zhou Yi. The aura of a Six-Ring Soul Emperor swept through the classroom, leaving every new student gasping for breath.
Zhou Yi addressed the others flatly.
"Because I said so... I'm your homeroom teacher, and I have the right to expel any student. If you don't like it, you can get out on your own! I'm giving you one minute. If you're not on the square and running by then, the whole class gets expelled!"
Under the crushing pressure, no one dared to argue. The students silently rose to their feet and prepared to leave the classroom. None of them wanted to lose this hard-won opportunity.
But as everyone got up and headed for the door, Cao Longyan remained seated, still as a rock. He even slowly opened his eyes, the corners of his mouth lifting into a cold smile. His quiet scoff rang clearly through the classroom, instantly drawing every gaze.
Wang Dong and Huo Yuhao went pale. They quickly turned to Cao Longyan with their eyes wide, even mouthing the words:
Longyan, don't do anything reckless!
To them, Cao Longyan had to be crazy. He was openly challenging the devil instructor under the pressure of Zhou Yi's aura.
The other new students stared at Cao Longyan in confusion, their faces full of disbelief.
What was he trying to do? They didn't want to get expelled!
Zhou Yi abruptly lifted her head and stared straight at Cao Longyan. Her forehead wrinkled, and her brows drew together.
"You dare to stay seated? And you dare to sneer? Are you asking me to expel you right now?"
But no one knew that, deep down, Zhou Yi was burning with curiosity.
This child was only eleven or twelve years old, yet he wasn't the least bit afraid in the face of her Six-Ring Soul Emperor's pressure. He sat there so calmly, completely unaffected. Just who was he?
Cao Longyan remained seated, his expression cold and his eyes calmly meeting Zhou Yi's. He showed no fear whatsoever. A direct confrontation between the new student and the devil instructor was on the verge of erupting.
The atmosphere in the classroom turned unbearably tense. Everyone held their breath, waiting for Cao Longyan to respond and wondering what kind of storm this mysterious, handsome boy would unleash.
Before you continue