Untitled Chapter

Zhu Zhuqing walked over from the side. Watching this scene, a hint of barely noticeable softness flashed through her eyes.

She crouched down and gently patted Guilmon's back with her uninjured hand, her voice quiet but sincere. "Right, we can't blame Guilmon. If we were a little stronger, maybe we wouldn't have had to be afraid of that Titan Giant Ape."

That was what she said, but her thoughts drifted away despite herself.

If I were a little stronger... would I be able to survive the struggle for the throne in the Star Luo Empire?

Zhu Zhuqing looked at her unconsciously clenched fist, feeling somewhat lost inside.

Her elder sister Zhu Zhuyun's figure surfaced in her mind—those eyes so similar to her own yet even sharper, those merciless attacks, those ambushes that had nearly taken her life...

She shook her head, flinging those thoughts away.

"Mm..." Oscar looked at the teacher and classmates who had all ended up in such a state to help him obtain his third spirit ring. Though regret still lingered in his heart, he nodded and agreed to Zhao Wuji's suggestion. "All right, Teacher Zhao, I'll listen to you."

"All right, Little Ao, stop blaming yourself too." Dai Mubai, covered all over in medicinal plasters, walked over and patted Oscar on the shoulder, grinning. "Once we're healed, we'll definitely go to the Hunting Soul Forest and hunt you down an amazing spirit beast."

"Then... Teacher Zhao, what should we do about Tang San and Xiao Wu?" Ma Hongjun asked the question everyone cared about while rubbing his shoulder, which had been injured by the shock.

"What else can we do? We can only burn incense and pray for them." Zhao Wuji shrugged, his tone helpless.

That question was far too pointless. They couldn't very well have the group enter the Star Dou Forest again, could they? If their luck was bad again and they ran into the Titan Giant Ape one more time, wouldn't the whole team be finished?

Before, Zhao Wuji hadn't run because he was afraid of being held accountable by the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect afterward—after all, Ning Rongrong was still in the team, and he couldn't bear responsibility if something happened.

But now? Zhao Wuji did not think Tang San had any remarkable background, so why should he risk his life for that brat?

"All right, then it's settled." Zhao Wuji made the decision. "We'll rest for the day. Oscar, make more recovery sausages and let everyone heal up. Tomorrow, we return to Shrek Academy."

And under the guidance of the marks Tang Hao had left along the way, Tang San held Xiao Wu's hand and finally reached the inn before dinner, meeting Zhao Wuji and the others.

At this moment, aside from his hair being a little messy and eight holes in the back of his clothes, Tang San actually had not suffered any injuries.

The Eight Spider Lances were the greatest cheat Asura God had arranged for Tang San, so how could he possibly miss them just because he had gone there a day early?

As for Xiao Wu, because her clothes had also been torn a little when she used the branches to reduce the force of her fall, what she was wearing now was the coat Tang San had taken off.

As soon as Tang San entered and saw the room full of teachers and classmates wrapped in bandages and wearing casts, he knew he had to immediately make his stance clear. Otherwise, what his father had told him about "building a good relationship with Qian Ren Shuang" would fall apart right here.

He let go of Xiao Wu's hand, bent deeply at the waist in a standard ninety-degree bow, and apologized sincerely.

"Everyone, I'm sorry! I shouldn't have abandoned you."

Tang San straightened and swept his gaze over each person, his tone low and solemn. "Xiao Wu is the only family I have now, so she's extremely important to me. Back then, when she was thrown away, I was truly too anxious. My mind went completely blank, and I instinctively ran in her direction... I'm sorry, I'm truly sorry."

Standing behind Tang San, Xiao Wu thought disdainfully, What could possibly happen if Er Ming grabbed me? If Brother Shuang and Growlmon hadn't suddenly charged in from the side, our group wouldn't have ended up in such a sorry state.

The room was quiet for a few seconds.

Everyone looked at one another, not knowing what to say for a moment. That explanation of "the only family I have" was indeed reasonable, yet it still left a sour taste in their hearts.

Tang San had his only family, but what about us? At a critical moment, are we people who can simply be abandoned?

No one spoke. Everyone's gaze turned to Zhao Wuji, waiting for him to speak.

Zhao Wuji did not hurry to reply. Instead, he first took a sip of wine.

Only after doing all this did Zhao Wuji finally speak. "...It's a good thing that the two of you were able to come back in one piece. Our Shrek Academy is an academy of monsters, and every one of you is extremely precious to us."

The words were very proper, giving Tang San face while also pointing out the weight of the word "team."

But proper was proper. Though it was true Tang San had apologized the moment he returned, Zhao Wuji still decided to make an example of him.

Otherwise, how was he supposed to lead this team in the future? Today, you ran off for your little sister; tomorrow, someone else ran off for some other reason. Once the team fell apart, was he still supposed to be a teacher?

At this point, Zhao Wuji slammed the wine cup in his hand down onto the table.

With a muffled bang, a few drops of wine splashed out. "However, just like I said earlier, every person is extremely precious. Tang San, for the sake of one person, you disregarded the other seven. In the future, when you form a spirit master squad and go out to carry out missions, how are you going to make your teammates feel safe handing their backs to you?"

Tang San's face burned. It felt awful to be criticized in public, especially in front of classmates he had only met not long ago.

But he had no way to refute it, nor did he dare to. He lowered his head, his voice pressed very low. "Teacher Zhao, I know I was wrong. I didn't think it through."

"Forget it, forget it." Zhao Wuji waved his hand, seemingly feeling that if he kept talking, even he would not know what else to say.

That speech just now had already been the limit of his intellect. As for how to handle this matter afterward, he could not think of any better method either, so he simply closed the case and turned the page, no longer bringing it up.

"You should think about how to get along with your classmates from now on." After leaving those words behind, Zhao Wuji went upstairs to rest.

Tang San understood. He turned toward Qian Ren Shuang and all the students present, then bowed again. "Brother Shuang, everyone, great kindness needs no thanks."

Qian Ren Shuang's position at Shrek Academy was rather special.

In terms of age, he was a generation older than Dai Mubai and the others. On top of that, his reason for coming to Shrek this time was as Ning Rongrong's guard.

He was neither an official student nor an official teacher, so he had become a "half-teacher, half-student" sort of existence.

At Shrek Academy, he was someone who held a teaching post in name but did not need to teach at all.

As for the matter of "what to call him," Qian Ren Shuang himself was not particular.

Dai Mubai was still "Boss Dai." As for Qian Ren Shuang, whether these seven people called him by his full name or Brother Shuang, he answered all the same.

Xiao Wu, however, felt rather unhappy inside.

She sat beside Tang San, her expression full of defiance.