Not only that, Ning Rongrong had waved her hand and bought all the nourishing ingredients needed for the "foot soak"!
With that, as they learned together, Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong grew even closer.
It was afternoon, and the sun's rays were so warm and bright.
In a remote village on the outskirts of Suotuo City.
Outside Shrek Academy.
Tang San, Oscar, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu were running laps around the academy.
The five of them were drenched in sweat, panting heavily and utterly miserable.
Still, none of them dared stop and slack off.
That was because Dean Flender was watching them from the sidelines.
Anyone who dared stop without permission and take a break would be scolded by Flender—or even punished physically!
What was more, Flender kept standing nearby, relentlessly feeding them words of encouragement.
"Better to sweat more now so you'll bleed less on the battlefield later!"
"The battlefield is merciless. If you don't run in your training, you'll regret it when danger strikes!"
"Especially you, Oscar—and you, Tang San!"
"Support Soul Masters are key figures on the battlefield, while Control System Soul Masters are the brains of a Soul Master team."
"You're the ones the enemy will be most likely to target and knock flat!"
"So the ability to escape is crucial for both of you. Don't even think about slacking off!"
"And you too, Xiao Wu!"
"Female Soul Masters are born weaker. If you don't train harder, you won't stand a chance against male Soul Masters!"
"Get moving! No slacking off!"
"..."
Chapter 31: Devilish Training and Poor Xiao Wu
Flender's voice seemed to possess some kind of magic, echoing in the ears of Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others.
It kept the five of them from daring to stop.
Even when their legs had gone weak, they kept pushing on.
What's twenty laps if it'll make me stronger?
Tang San gritted his teeth and kept running.
Time trickled by.
Before long, Tang San, Dai Mubai, Oscar, Ma Hongjun, and Xiao Wu had all finished their laps.
At the finish line, they sprawled across the ground in every direction, greedily gulping down fresh air and finally letting themselves relax.
"Everyone, rest right where you are for thirty breaths!"
"When time's up, sprint one lap at full speed!"
"Whoever comes in last will run five extra laps tomorrow!"
Dean Flender's voice, like a demon's groan, rang out beside the Shrek Seven Devils.
The five of them heard him and felt their hearts sink. Their faces fell, as they realized how exhausting school was.
But they didn't dare disobey. They simply accepted the order and prepared to carry it out.
Flender was very pleased to see his students looking utterly spent.
He planned to make his students run twenty laps during the day, then have Tang San, Dai Mubai, and the others fight in Soul Fighting matches at night to earn Gold Soul Coins!
That was Flender's devilish training regimen.
Soon, the thirty breaths were up.
Tang San, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and Xiao Wu started running.
Knowing how terrifying extra training could be, Ma Hongjun and Oscar ran like men possessed.
They knew the difference between suffering for a while and suffering all the time!
The final sprint ended with Dai Mubai in first, Oscar in second, Ma Hongjun in third, Tang San in fourth, and Xiao Wu in last.
At the finish line.
Flender's long, pointed face was stern as he said, "Xiao Wu, as a female Soul Master, you need to put in more effort!"
"You came in last this time, so tomorrow you'll run five extra laps!"
"I hope you'll grow from the extra training and try to beat last place next time—to overtake Ma Hongjun and Oscar!"
"Mm... all right..." Xiao Wu replied weakly, not daring to argue, since Third Brother was at the academy.
She was exhausted, feeling like a puddle of mud and ready to collapse at any moment.
If she hadn't been holding on through sheer willpower, Xiao Wu might have fallen asleep right there.
But in Flender's eyes, and those of Dai Mubai, Oscar, and the others nearby, the problem wasn't the intensity of the training.
They thought Xiao Wu simply hadn't exercised enough in the past, so even a little training left her looking half-dead.
They figured that if she kept running, she'd get used to it!
Then.
Flender furrowed his brow, his expression turning even more severe, and said coldly to Tang San:
"Tang San, I don't want you letting your feelings get in the way."
"This is extremely important training. I want you to run with all your strength and set your feelings aside for now."
"Xiao Wu is important to you, of course, but that's no excuse to let it affect your training!"
"With your ability, you might not be able to beat Dai Mubai, but you should have no trouble placing second!"
"But you let your feelings get the better of you and only came in fourth. I'm disappointed!"
"I hope you'll get your mindset in order and keep working hard!"
Flender's rebuke crashed over Xiao Wu and Tang San like a clap of thunder.
Xiao Wu's eyes grew damp. She felt aggrieved, but at the same time, she was touched by her Third Brother.
It's all my fault. Third Brother didn't get second because of me... sob!
"All right, Dean. I understand," Tang San replied with a nod, neither servile nor arrogant.
Flender waved a hand. "That's enough. Dismissed! Go get some rest and prepare yourselves for tonight's Soul Fighting matches!"
Then he clasped his hands behind his back and looked from Ma Hongjun to Dai Mubai. "Mubai, Hongjun, come with me. I have some important questions for you."
"Coming, Dean!" Ma Hongjun trotted after Flender.
"I'm coming." Dai Mubai followed, his Evil Eye gaze cold.
Oscar didn't want to be a third wheel, so he left on his own.
With no one else around, Xiao Wu's tears pattered down as she said miserably, "Third Brother, I'm sorry. It's all my fault for affecting your training!"
"You could've placed second, or even beaten Dai Mubai and come in first. It's my fault for holding you back and making you come in near the bottom with me!"
"Waaah!"
Xiao Wu spoke through her tears, sparkling drops continually sliding down her lovely face.
"It's all right, Xiao Wu," Tang San comforted her gently. "I'll run harder next time and try to come in first!"
"Mm, Third Brother, do your best!" Xiao Wu nodded. "I'll work hard at my extra training too, so I can stop coming in last as soon as possible!"
"Silly girl. I'll do the extra training with you tomorrow!"
"Third Brother, don't be silly. The dean already told you not to let your feelings get in the way. Extra training is exhausting!"
"You're the silly one, Xiao Wu. When I do extra training with you, I'll be getting stronger too. Then I'll definitely beat Dai Mubai and take first place!"
"Oh, you're right, Third Brother. Thank you for being willing to keep me company!"
"..."
Actually.
Tang San could easily have come in last himself and taken the bottom spot.
That way, Xiao Wu wouldn't have had to do extra training.
But having lived two lives,
Tang San understood the ways of the world and had high emotional intelligence. He knew that coming in fourth would benefit him more.
As expected, Tang San's choice not only touched Xiao Wu, but also left everyone with the impression that he was a man who valued his feelings!
Meanwhile.
Flender took Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai to an empty pavilion and sat down.
He looked straight at Dai Mubai and asked, "Mubai, have you heard anything about Zhu Zhuqing? She's been gone for a day and a night!"
"How would I know?" Dai Mubai replied with a cold shake of his head. "That Ning Rongrong, who's got princess syndrome from head to toe, kept Zhuqing behind by herself and talked to her. Zhuqing hasn't come back to the dorm since."
"Is that so?" Flender's shrewd eyes shifted as he quickly considered the matter.
Then he figured it out and said, "Zhu Zhuqing probably went to try to persuade Ning Rongrong to stay at the academy and continue studying."
"I trust Zhu Zhuqing. She wants to grow stronger, so no matter how the conversation goes, she'll come back to the academy!"
Dai Mubai shrugged. "It doesn't matter. Zhuqing's a rose covered in thorns—so prickly she's a pain to deal with. The less I see of her, the better."
Flender could see the tension between Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing, so he advised, "Mubai, matters of the heart call for patience!"
"As long as you're sincere, you'll be able to win Zhuqing over!"
"Besides, your Martial Souls can fuse together and unleash a powerful Martial Soul Fusion Skill."
"You're a match made in heaven. Make an effort and seize your chance."
At that, Dai Mubai's expression eased a little. "All right. I'll keep trying."
Chapter 32: A Wonderful Day
"That's right. You have to keep trying!" Flender nodded solemnly. "Zhuqing isn't an ordinary girl, Mubai. You'll have to put in even more effort to win her over!"
A glint of wicked light flickered in Dai Mubai's Evil Eye. "Dean, I understand. I know what to do!"
Dai Mubai had always had a bad temper.
He'd tried to please Zhu Zhuqing many times, but every time he'd been met with cold indifference and made a fool of himself.
That had made Dai Mubai furious.
He silently vowed that he would win Zhu Zhuqing over and then punish her severely!
"Good. As long as you know what to do," Flender replied with a nod.
Beside him, Ma Hongjun seemed to think of something and asked at just the right moment, "Dean, you said Zhu Zhuqing would bring Ning Rongrong back."
"About when do you think they'll return?"
"I've noticed that Oscar's been down in the dumps ever since Ning Rongrong left!"
Ma Hongjun had deliberately mentioned Oscar.
It sounded as if he were asking on Oscar's behalf, but he was really asking for himself.
With his Evil Fire Phoenix, Ma Hongjun had an intense desire for women and was extremely lecherous.