Conflict

Wang Dong'er stood beside her seat, watching Lin Shuo surrounded by a group of girls. A flicker of irritation, one she didn't even notice herself, crossed her powder-blue eyes.

"Make way."

She pushed through the crowd and grabbed Lin Shuo by the sleeve.

"I'm hungry. Let's go eat."

The girls surrounding Lin Shuo turned to look at her in unison, their gazes filled with dissatisfaction and scrutiny. Wang Dong'er glared back without backing down, her chin tilted slightly upward like a small beast guarding its food.

Lin Shuo didn't struggle as she tugged at his sleeve; he merely raised an eyebrow. "Little Sister Wang, I haven't agreed to anything yet."

"Who cares if you agree or not?" Wang Dong'er didn't look back or offer a rebuttal, but her ears were tinged with red as she dragged him toward the classroom door. "Yu'er went out, so you have to keep me company for lunch."

"Oh?" Lin Shuo's tone rose slightly at the end. "So you stayed behind specifically to wait for me?"

"Who—who stayed behind for you! I just happened to be heading to the cafeteria too!" She released his sleeve and quickened her pace to get in front, her short powder-blue hair bouncing with every step, looking for all the world like a cat with its fur standing on end.

Lin Shuo followed behind her at a leisurely pace, the corners of his mouth curving into a faint arc.

Huo Yu'er had successfully become Fan Yu's disciple and would begin her studies in soul guidance from this point on. Before Huo Yu'er arrived, Martial Soul Department Dean Yan Shaozhe and Soul Guidance Department Vice Dean Qian Duoduo had come together to discuss Zhou Yi's situation, with Qian Duoduo strongly suggesting that he make a clean break.

As an eighth-rank soul engineer—the closest person in Shrek Academy to a ninth-rank—Fan Yu was naturally a smart man who could read between the lines of Qian Duoduo's words. Thus, he had composed himself before Huo Yu'er and Wang Yan arrived. Originally, Huo Yu'er would not have been able to apprentice under Fan Yu directly, but when she demonstrated her Spiritual Detection Sharing, it shocked him. After that, the apprenticeship followed as a matter of course.

After the ceremony, Wang Yan excitedly took Huo Yu'er to the cafeteria for a meal. "Student Huo Yu'er, is your martial soul the Body Martial Soul, Spirit Eye?"

Wang Yan had wanted to ask ever since he discovered it in the Soul Guidance Department, but he had held back until now so as not to distract her. Seeing Huo Yu'er nod, he nervously pressed on, "Then, do you know about the Body Sect?" Seeing her blank expression, Wang Yan hurriedly finished his meal in his excitement.

"Student Huo Yu'er, I have matters to attend to, so I shall take my leave." With that, Wang Yan hurried away; he had to tell Elder Xuan—this was a Body Martial Soul! He had studied martial souls for so many years and had never encountered one.

Huo Yu'er had just stepped out of the cafeteria when she ran straight into Tang Ya.

"Yu'er!"

Tang Ya rushed over like a gust of wind and grabbed her arm.

"Teacher Xiao Ya?" Huo Yu'er stumbled slightly from the embrace. "Why are you here?"

"Oh, I've been looking everywhere for you! Do you remember what I told you before school started? I got some green fish from the cafeteria staff; let's go outside the school and sell grilled fish!" Once Tang Ya finished speaking, she pulled Huo Yu'er toward the exit.

"But, Teacher Xiao Ya..."

"Oh, no 'buts,' let's go, let's go."

Before Huo Yu'er could say that she didn't need to sell grilled fish for the time being, she was interrupted by Tang Ya and had no choice but to follow her toward the school gate.

Just this once, Huo Yu'er thought to herself. I'll talk to Teacher Xiao Ya after we're done.

Lin Shuo and Wang Dong'er were taking a walk on campus after lunch.

"There are students selling grilled fish outside the school. I heard it's delicious; let's go check it out."

Lin Shuo had been wondering why Huo Yu'er was setting up a stall outside when he had already given her some Gold Soul Coins, when he heard Wang Dong'er call out to him: "Grilled fish? Lin Shuo, let's go take a look. You treat me."

"You just finished eating, didn't you? And treat you? Call me 'Big Brother' and I'll treat you," Lin Shuo said to Wang Dong'er with a smile.

"No way, no way. I was the one who treated you to lunch just now. What's wrong with you treating me to grilled fish?" Wang Dong'er said coquettishly. Her short powder-blue hair swayed gently as she shook her head, and her beautiful, large eyes held a hint of playfulness and coquetry.

Lin Shuo glanced at her, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. "I treated you and Yu'er once before, too."

"Well, I—I served the plates for you!" Wang Dong'er puffed out her chest, though her argument lacked conviction. Realizing the point didn't hold much water, her voice dropped slightly. "Besides, I kept you company while you ate. Isn't company worth money?"

Watching her act so unreasonable while feeling inexplicably guilty, Lin Shuo chuckled and didn't expose her further. He walked toward the school gate, his voice drifting back on the afternoon breeze. "Why does it feel like you're the one who should be paying me to eat with you? Alright, let's go. Let's see this grilled fish you're so obsessed with."

Wang Dong'er felt a twinge of guilt, remembering the lingering glances others had cast at Lin Shuo during lunch. But hearing his words, her eyes lit up, and she hurried to catch up, walking side-by-side with him. The two crossed Shrek Plaza and followed the tree-lined path.

The afternoon sun filtered through the branches and leaves of the ancient trees, casting dappled light and shadows upon them. Wang Dong'er's steps were much lighter than usual, and the corners of her mouth curled up involuntarily—whether because of the grilled fish she was about to eat or something else entirely, she couldn't say.

In the distance, a crowd had gathered at the street corner outside the East Gate. A rich aroma of grilled fish drifted on the wind, and a small line had already formed in front of Huo Yu'er's stall. Lin Shuo frowned; Xu Sanshi was about to snatch the grilled fish from the stall.

Just as Xu Sanshi's fingers were about to touch the fish—

A faint sound of wind being broken rang out.

Lin Shuo raised his right hand, his fingertips pointed toward Xu Sanshi, and gave a light flick.

A visible current of cold air surged from his fingertips like a transparent ice snake, skimming silently across the ground. Wherever it passed, a layer of fine white frost bloomed on the stone pavement, and the water vapor in the air instantly condensed into countless tiny ice crystals, refracting a blinding white light.

Xu Sanshi's hand froze in mid-air.

It wasn't that he didn't want to move; he couldn't. From his feet to his knees, a thick layer of ice had completely encased his legs before he even realized it. The soul power of a three-ringed Soul Master surged frantically within him, attempting to shatter the ice, but no matter how he pushed his power, the freezing force remained unmoved.

Then, a sensation colder than the ice rose from the depths of his heart.

Lin Shuo was looking at him.

The boy's gaze was as calm as stagnant water, devoid of anger, killing intent, or any superfluous emotion. Yet, it was precisely this calmness that caused countless hallucinations to flash through Xu Sanshi's mind—he saw a pair of massive dragon eyes slowly opening in the endless darkness, with seven-colored light swirling within them. That gaze pierced through layers of the void, looking down at him as if he were an insignificant ant. It was as if he were being stared at by a ferocious beast.