Roommates

Meanwhile, at the Academic Affairs Office.

Du Weilun, the Martial Soul Department's director of instruction for the Shrek Outer Court, was deep in discussion with someone from the Academic Affairs Office.

"We've got so many little geniuses this year. Just look: Chen Zifeng, whose Martial Soul is the Soul-Chasing Sword; Gongyang Mo, whose Martial Soul is the Rainbow Dragon; and then there's Dai Yueheng, whose Martial Soul is the Evil-Eyed White Tiger. He's obviously from the White Tiger Duke Mansion. They're all born with Innate Full Soul Power. Hahahaha!"

A middle-aged man from the Academic Affairs Office narrowed his eyes and looked in surprise at a tiny white speck in the distant sky.

"Old Du, Old Du, hold on a second. Take a look—is someone flying over there?"

"Hey, they really are! That's outrageous. Which student dares to fly around inside Shrek Academy? I'll teach them a lesson!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xuan Zi came plunging down in front of them with an orange-haired boy.

"Who are you going to teach a lesson?"

Du Weilun's mouth twitched twice as he hurriedly stammered, "X-Xuan... Xuan Zi?!"

"What's going on here?" He pointed to the boy lying on the ground behind him, stars dancing in his eyes.

"Oh, him? He's my disciple. From now on, he's a member of Shrek."

"Du Weilun, register him for me. I've got other things to do in a bit."

"Oh, sure... But we have to test a few basic things. Is he really up to it like this?"

Before Xuan Zi could say anything, Yue Ling sprang to his feet in one swift motion, as if nothing had happened.

"Of course. I'm in great shape. I'm completely fine!"

"That's enough. I'm off. The food in the pot will burn if I don't get back soon!"

"Teacher, you knew there was food in the pot?"

Xuan Zi had been thinking only about eating. He turned and left, leaving Yue Ling standing there in stunned bewilderment.

He was so annoyed he could barely contain himself.

"What a greedy old glutton!"

"Hmph, you cheeky brat. You don't get to boss me around!"

The voice drifted down from the sky, making Yue Ling's mouth twitch.

The three of them watched Xuan Zi until he disappeared from sight, then finally came back to their senses.

"Um, young man, even though you're Xuan Zi's disciple, we still have to follow the rules for some things..."

"I understand!" Yue Ling nodded knowingly.

Seeing this, Du Weilun let out a sigh of relief and adjusted his glasses.

"Name?"

"Yue Ling."

He checked Yue Ling's bone age.

"Twelve years old. Good."

"Show me your Martial Soul, please."

Yue Ling's heart surged. A mass of deep-purple, velvet-like petals burst into view around him, and the enormous flower-shaped phantom unfurled behind him, obscuring half the sky. A rich, fragrant aura of vegetation swept through the surroundings, while one yellow and two purple Spirit Rings appeared beneath his feet.

Du Weilun pushed up his glasses, his gaze full of caution.

"Purple? A thousand-year second Spirit Ring! Tsk... Such a rich aura of vegetation..." He looked at the little chrysanthemum that had sprung up out of nowhere on the ground, his heart giving a jolt.

As expected of Xuan Zi's disciple. Truly a dragon among men.

"Golden petals, deep purple within. Could this be..."

The middle-aged man beside him gaped, considering the possibility.

"Could this be the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum? How could anyone have an Immortal Herb as their Martial Soul?"

"You know what it is?" Du Weilun stroked his chin.

"Of course. The God of War Dai Mubai is said to have eaten an Immortal Herb, the Singular Velvet Sky Chrysanthemum, and gained the effect of Indestructible Diamond!"

"The God of War? You mean the one who ascended alongside the Sea God, Tang Ren, who founded Shrek Academy ten thousand years ago?!"

"Mm-hmm!" He nodded emphatically, his eyes full of disbelief.

"As an Immortal plant Martial Soul, it's practically a disaster for anyone else with a plant Martial Soul."

"Suppression by a higher-ranked being... The academy's really struck gold this year. No, Xuan Zi's struck gold!"

Du Weilun's eyes shone.

A promotion and a raise were no longer just a dream...!

"Ahem. Yue Ling, is it? I hope you don't mind me asking, but will your teacher let you choose between the Spirit Guidance Department and the Martial Soul Department for your studies?"

Du Weilun rubbed his hands together, as if he'd just found a priceless treasure.

Yue Ling didn't even hesitate. "Of course I'm choosing the Martial Soul Department!"

"Good, good!"

After getting Yue Ling's answer, Du Weilun took a white school uniform out of a Soul Tool and handed it to him.

"This is your uniform. Make sure you keep it safe. And here's your identity token. It has your Dormitory location on it, so don't lose it..."

Du Weilun rattled off a long list of things, afraid Yue Ling wouldn't remember them.

Yue Ling knew the teacher meant well, so he listened patiently.

Watching the boy behave so politely, Du Weilun looked at him with approval.

He was neither arrogant nor obsequious, and hadn't been spoiled into conceit. His disposition was perfect—what a promising young talent... Too bad he already had a teacher. What a shame.

"All right, Yue Ling. There's a notice board not far from the freshman dormitory. It'll tell you which class you've been assigned to. Don't forget your lessons tomorrow."

Yue Ling nodded. "Thank you, teacher. Goodbye!"

"Mm, goodbye. Come find me if you have any problems."

"Okay!"

He put the uniform and token into his Soul Tool, said goodbye to the two of them, and prepared to leave.

The little chrysanthemum left on the ground swayed gently, as if sharing its owner's happiness.

I can't wait. I wonder who my new roommate will be~

Yue Ling hummed as he walked toward the dormitory, feeling carefree.

"The dormitory... The dormitory."

"Right, this is it!"

At first, Yue Ling had been full of anticipation, but when it came time to meet someone new, a hint of nervousness crept in.

He stood outside and took a deep breath, ready to push the door open. But the moment he laid his hand on it, the door opened by itself. The two of them looked at each other, their faces separated by nothing but the door.

Yue Ling's eyes widened as he looked at the exceptionally handsome person before him. His heart gave a jolt.

The person had delicate, handsome features and a gentle, warm expression. His skin was so fair it looked as if you could pinch water from it, and he had a serene air about him.

He really was... beautiful. You'd think he was a girl if you didn't know better.

Feeling awkward, Yue Ling quickly greeted him, trying to break the tension.

"Hello, I'm Yue Ling, your new roommate!"

"Hello, I'm Gongyang Mo. I need to go to the bathroom...!" With that, he hurried out. Yue Ling watched his roommate's retreating back helplessly, then got ready to make his bed. He ran his hand over the bedding.

Mm... It was very soft.

Zhang Lexuan had already bought Yue Ling's daily necessities before he arrived, saving him quite a bit of time.

But why was it, uh... p-pink?

Yue Ling stared blankly as he picked up the quilt.

Well, it was pretty soft and comfortable to touch. He sniffed it lightly; it even had a faint, pleasant fragrance. It'd feel great over him.

Yue Ling finished making his bed and clapped his hands. Just then, his roommate returned. When he saw the playful pink bed, the corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. He nodded at Yue Ling as if nothing were amiss, took off his shoes, and lay down on his bed.

Yue Ling's face darkened instantly. He knew Sister Zhang Lexuan never gave much thought to shopping. There was only one person who'd buy pink daily necessities for a boy.

Han Ruoruo! Just you wait...

If nothing else, all his daily necessities were probably pink...

Annoyed, Yue Ling took the pink toiletries out of his Soul Tool and put them on the table. Even his nail clippers were pink.

Gongyang Mo was on his bed, trying not to laugh.

His roommate really did seem to like pink.

"Hey, what are you laughing at?" Yue Ling had spotted that figure twitching away from a distance.

"I'm not... I don't usually laugh," Gongyang Mo said hurriedly, sitting up and shaking his head.

"Then why aren't you laughing?"

"So, should I laugh or not?"

His innocent gaze turned toward Yue Ling, who sighed softly.

"All right, I'm just teasing you. Gongyang Mo, right? Which class are you in? Maybe we'll be in the same one."

"Me? I'm in Freshman Class One. What about you?"

Yue Ling thought about it. Even though he'd arrived late, he'd still been assigned to Freshman Class One. He really was a transfer student in every sense.

"Me? I'm in Class One too. I look forward to getting along with you over the next few years!"

"Mm!" Gongyang Mo nodded firmly. "Want to go get something to eat? I'm a little hungry..."

"Sure, let's go!" Yue Ling placed three pots of little chrysanthemums on the windowsill, then followed Gongyang Mo out of the dormitory.

At first, the two of them were a little reserved around each other. Maybe it was because they were the same age, but once they'd talked for a while, they found they got along really well.