If You're Still Hungry, Come Find Me

Dorm 108 had returned to its original state. Aside from the ceiling being raised slightly higher than before and the windows being replaced with larger ones, there were no other differences.

Even the two wooden beds and metal lockers inside had been fully restored. Other than Wang Dong's bedding and luggage being absent, it was over ninety percent identical to the old Dorm 108.

Logically, Wang Dong should have been delighted to have the new Dorm 108 all to himself. Yet whenever he thought of the ceiling in this room, he involuntarily recalled what had happened yesterday evening.

Perhaps it was post-traumatic stress, or perhaps he was worried whether the repaired ceiling was sturdier than before. In any case, Wang Dong was now deeply afraid that the ceiling would come crashing down again.

He had been lucky last time. Everything had happened in the evening, and with Wang Dong's strength as a great soul master, he naturally did not need to worry about being injured by falling stones.

But what about next time? What if the ceiling collapsed again in the middle of the night? What would he do then?

Wang Dong felt that if the ceiling really collapsed in the middle of the night, it would probably smash him half to death. The reason was simple: he basically did not cultivate at night. At most, he cultivated for a short while before bed, spending most of his nights asleep.

That might indeed have been a waste of his talent, but Wang Dong did not care in the slightest. He had always lived this way, so naturally he did not think there was anything wrong with it.

Unlike most people his age, who spent the night meditating until their meridians ached so badly that they could no longer endure it before lying down to rest, Wang Dong lived completely differently. He had hardly ever cultivated voluntarily, usually spending his evenings simply sleeping.

That was why Wang Dong feared that the ceiling above him might suddenly collapse while he was asleep.

So Wang Dong did not want to stay in this dorm at all. But he could not exactly live with someone else, and he would certainly be more comfortable living alone.

As for Jiang Yue's earlier suggestion that he come clean to Shrek Academy about being a girl and have them transfer him to the girls' dormitory, Wang Dong felt it was better not to do that for now. Wouldn't that be publicly declaring that he was some pervert who had disguised himself as a boy to live in the boys' dormitory?

Wang Dong still did not want to become the subject of everyone else's gossip, nor did he want his reputation ruined.

Besides, the girls in class had already begun forming their own little groups. Even if Wang Dong reverted to being a girl now, he would basically have no way to fit into those circles or make any friends.

The boys' side was much the same. Wang Dong was too proud, and his looks—which appealed to both boys and girls—made him especially popular with the girls. Naturally, he could not make friends there either.

Overall, returning to being a girl now would bring Wang Dong more disadvantages than benefits. That made Wang Dong decide to keep things as they were for the time being. At worst, he would continue living in this hazardous dormitory for a while longer.

Wang Dong thought of Jiang Yue. Since Jiang Yue knew he was a girl, it was even less likely that he could go live with him.

Wang Dong could not help sighing that Jiang Yue was a good person. Even in a situation where the enemy was in the open and he was in the shadows, Jiang Yue had not wanted to take advantage of him.

"Come to think of it, how did I even come up with the idea of disguising myself as a boy and sneaking into the boys' dormitory? Why didn't Eldest Daddy and Second Daddy try to stop me? Why can't I remember?"

Wang Dong rubbed his head, momentarily bewildered. His memories of when he had first come up with the idea of disguising himself as a boy had become incredibly vague. No matter how hard he tried, he could not remember what exactly he had been thinking at the time. It was as though the one who had made that decision had not been him at all.

But how could that be possible? Wang Dong was a living person, and the young sect master of the Clear Sky Sect. Before coming to Shrek Academy, he had always lived in a place like Clear Sky Castle. He did not believe anyone could alter his thoughts.

Leaving aside whether there were even spiritual-type Titled Douluo above the level of Super Douluo in this world, even if there were, no one could have tampered with his mind right under Eldest Daddy's and Second Daddy's noses. Besides, risking being beaten to death by two Limit Douluo just to sneak into Clear Sky Castle, alter his thoughts, and make him disguise himself as a boy to attend Shrek Academy—only an idiot would do something like that, wouldn't they?

At any rate, Wang Dong did not think anyone would be so bored as to do such a thing.

Wang Dong shook his head and stopped thinking about these pointless matters. The deed was done, and whatever happened, happened. From now on, he was going to enjoy academy life properly.

When class began the next day, Dai Huabin, with medicine patches on his face, drew all the attention in the classroom. Almost everyone's gaze kept shifting back and forth between Jiang Yue and Dai Huabin.

Over the course of yesterday, what had happened in the boys' dormitory the night before had spread like a plague. It could be said that every new student already knew about it.

The students who had originally been in Jiang Yue's class had thought his combat ability was not particularly strong among those of the same rank, which was why he had not dared compete with Dai Huabin for the position of class monitor.

Now, it seemed that he had not been unable to defeat Dai Huabin at all. He had simply disdained competing for the so-called position of class monitor.

They believed that only the strongest person in the class was qualified to serve as class monitor, yet Jiang Yue did not seem to consider it important at all. That left them utterly confused. They did not understand why Jiang Yue had been unwilling to compete; such a temperament was rare among eleven- and twelve-year-olds like them.

Aside from their confusion, the students looked at Jiang Yue with even more excitement.

The freshman assessment would be held in three months, and anyone who failed it would be expelled from Shrek Academy.

Normally, with two Soul Elders in the class, as long as they were not both assault-type, the homeroom teacher would not split them apart. That would give them a better chance of competing for the freshman assessment championship.

But Jiang Yue and Dai Huabin clearly had a terrible relationship now. If they were made to form a team under such circumstances, problems might arise between them during the competition. Forget winning the championship—they might not even make it into the top four.

There were rumors that their year had a total of four Soul Elders, three of whom were specially recruited students. Though no one knew whether the rumor was true, it was better to believe it than not.

If Jiang Yue and Dai Huabin formed a team now, they would most likely only hold each other back. They would have no chance of dealing with teams led by the other two Soul Elders. After all, the teachers were not fools. Compared with ordinary students, they would certainly place their hopes of winning on Soul Elder-level students and assign them teammates who were not too weak.

That was why several students in Class Five who considered themselves fairly capable had already set their sights on becoming teammates of either Dai Huabin or Jiang Yue.

Dai Huabin already had Zhu Lu. Since members of the White Tiger Dai Clan and the Netherworld Zhu Clan of the same generation appearing together naturally meant they were engaged, and Zhu Lu was not weak either, she could not possibly be replaced. That left only one open spot on Dai Huabin's team.

Therefore, compared with the sole remaining spot on Dai Huabin's side, more people had their eyes on Jiang Yue. After all, Jiang Yue had two vacant positions.

As long as they teamed up with a Soul Elder—especially a battle-type Soul Elder rather than an auxiliary-type one—as long as they were not among the weakest in the entire year, they could at least make it into the top sixteen. If things went normally, reaching the top eight or even the top four was highly likely.

Yet the moment class ended, Jiang Yue skillfully jumped out the window and left the classroom, giving the Class Five students no chance to speak with him.

After rushing all the way to the entrance of the cafeteria, Jiang Yue gradually slowed down. He casually picked up several decent dishes, then sat cross-legged on the ground, preparing to eat. Suddenly, four slender white legs appeared in his field of vision. Following that scenery upward with his gaze, he saw two girls wearing the same freshman uniforms as him standing there.

One had short platinum-blond hair and bright aqua-blue eyes. A perfectly polite smile rested on her face, giving people an instinctive sense of warmth.

The other girl was different. Though she also had short hair, both it and her eyes were an uncommon fiery red. Her features were exquisite, and even her skin was as white as jade. Unfortunately, her gaze was cold, and impatience was practically written across her face.

Sensing one of them studying him while the other felt irritated from the bottom of her heart, Jiang Yue immediately recognized their identities.

Ning Tian, the young sect master of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, and Wu Feng, the guard beside her who harbored improper feelings for the young sect master she protected.

Ten thousand years ago, after Ning Rongrong's martial soul evolved into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda and she attained the divine position of the Nine-Colored Goddess, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect changed its name to the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Of course, in the end, only its name had changed.

As for inheriting the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, they could forget about it. It was already generous enough that Ning Rongrong had helped them change the sect's name. Did they expect her to leave behind a bloodline in the mortal world too? Don't make Sister Rong laugh. She held the important position of overseeing finances in the Tang Sect. She was a member of the Tang Sect, so who still cared about being the young sect master of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?

Without the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda martial soul, the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had gradually fallen behind the times over the past ten thousand years. It had declined from the second-greatest sect in the world to a force that could now only barely be considered the bottom rung of first-rate powers.

Although the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had declined somewhat, compared with other powers during the era of the Unrivaled Tang Sect, it was still one of the few sects that people could join directly and receive all sorts of benefits from as long as they possessed sufficient talent.

Jiang Yue had already expected that the two from the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would come looking for him sooner or later. After all, among all the sect members in Shrek City and Shrek Academy, the only one who could openly approach and recruit talented students was Ning Tian, who was still a student herself. Still, he had not expected them to come so soon. It truly exceeded Jiang Yue's expectations.

"Hello, Jiang Yue. I'm Ning Tian, and she's Wu Feng. No one's sitting here, right? May we sit here?"

Jiang Yue looked at the empty ground around them, then at Ning Tian, who was waiting for his answer. In the end, he nodded.

"Suit yourselves. As long as you don't mind sitting directly on the ground."

Wu Feng was straightforward and carefree, and she did not care whether she had to sit on the ground to eat. Compared to standing the whole time, sitting down was at least more comfortable.

Seeing Wu Feng sit down about a meter away from Jiang Yue and gesture for her to sit on the other side, Ning Tian gave Jiang Yue an apologetic smile before taking her seat.

Jiang Yue did not find Ning Tian and Wu Feng's sudden appearance strange. Shrek Academy itself was a platform for major factions to recruit talented soul masters.

Moreover, as the young sect master, Ning Tian personally recruiting talented individuals was itself a display of humility and respect toward the academy's young geniuses. It could leave them with a favorable impression of the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, while also making those who received invitations believe that Ning Tian would honor her promises, invisibly adding another layer of trust in the sect.

The next sect master had personally invited you. If you joined now, then once she inherited the position, you would be one of her earliest supporters—her confidant. The treatment you received would certainly differ from that of others.

Even if they ultimately did not join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they were unlikely to develop any bad impression of it.

Of course, that was under normal circumstances. The variable here was Wu Feng beside Ning Tian.

Wu Feng had an intense possessiveness toward Ning Tian. If she wanted to rise in status and ensure that the young mistress in her heart would never leave her, she would not allow any man to appear at Ning Tian's side, trying to cut off at the root any possibility of being abandoned.

Jiang Yue did not even need to concentrate to sense Wu Feng's emotions. Her wariness and irritation were already written all over her face. There was no need to guess what she was thinking; the answer was plastered right there.

Open attacks were easy to dodge, but hidden arrows were hard to guard against. Jiang Yue would much rather have people like Wu Feng around him—people with simple emotions who did not hide their thoughts. That was far better than being surrounded by scheming old foxes.

Besides, someone like Wu Feng, who wore her emotions on her face and never concealed what she thought, was extremely easy for Jiang Yue to manipulate emotionally.

Of course, Jiang Yue only hoped to be surrounded by people like Wu Feng because he was certain he could suppress her in terms of strength. If it were a ticking bomb like Ma Xiaotao, he certainly would not be pleased. He was not anyone's punching bag.

Ning Tian and Wu Feng's attention was clearly not on the most expensive set meal in their hands, but entirely on Jiang Yue.

Ning Tian was more focused on observing Jiang Yue, wanting to understand him better so that her chances of recruiting him into the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect would increase.

It was not just Shrek Academy and other major factions that liked unaffiliated geniuses like Jiang Yue. The Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect coveted them even more! As long as Jiang Yue was willing to join the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, they would immediately prepare and deliver all the cultivation resources he needed.

Wu Feng was different. Her gaze was filled with vigilance, but it quickly turned somewhat stunned.

Jiang Yue completely ignored them, instead focusing wholeheartedly on eating the food in his lunchbox. Seeing how deliciously he was eating, Wu Feng also picked up her lunchbox and began wolfing down the food.

When Jiang Yue saw Wu Feng eating like a starving ghost, he subconsciously looked over at her, only for their gazes to meet. Wu Feng immediately seemed to receive some sort of signal and fiercely glared at Jiang Yue. Then, in a few swift bites, she finished the luxurious meal in her lunchbox, not forgetting to shoot Jiang Yue a provocative look afterward.

Seeing Wu Feng devour her food so ravenously, Jiang Yue silently pushed the untouched dishes from his own meal toward her.

"Um, if you're still not full, I can share some of mine with you. Don't worry, I haven't touched any of these, so there's no need to worry about hygiene. And don't feel embarrassed. Being full is more important than anything."

"You... I..."

Wu Feng's gaze darted repeatedly between Jiang Yue's lunchbox and his face. She could not detect even the slightest hint of mockery. His eyes were full of admiration for how quickly she ate, and... a trace of sympathy?

What? What did that sympathy, practically overflowing from his eyes, even mean?!

Wu Feng could not understand. Her brain was nearly crashing from thinking so hard, yet she still could not figure out why Jiang Yue was looking at her that way or why he had suddenly said such things.

"What a pitiful child. How about this—if you can't get enough to eat in the future, feel free to come find me. I'm not particularly wealthy, but it's only one more mouth to feed. Feeding you until you're full won't be a problem."

"What?! I don't need you to feed me!"

"It's fine. Don't be embarrassed. I can't guarantee much else, but I can at least make sure you eat your fill at every meal. Don't worry."

"Why, thank you so much!"

"No need to thank me. I believe everyone would lend a hand to someone who couldn't get enough to eat."

Wu Feng gritted her teeth, looking thoroughly stifled. Yet she could not find the slightest trace of teasing on Jiang Yue's face. Everything about him was so utterly sincere.

That was the crucial point. If Jiang Yue had been mocking her, she could have started fighting him right then and there. But he was not. Getting angry at someone like that almost seemed like it would be her own fault. Wu Feng had never encountered anything like this before and had no idea how to handle it. She could only turn her face away in irritation and stew in the inexplicable anger rising within her.