The first group-stage match of the exchange tournament, Eastsea Academy versus Star Luo Imperial Soul Master Academy, was set to begin at nine in the morning. Early that morning, everyone from Class Zero had assembled on the first floor of the guesthouse, their uniforms neat and their equipment inspected. Xie Xie was so nervous that he had polished his Light Dragon Dagger countless times, while Zhang Yangzi had flipped through the tactical handbook so often that the page edges had frayed. Wang Jinxi's Bone Dragon Shield Armor was several shades brighter than usual, and Wei Xiaofeng, unusually, was not slumped over a table but sitting properly in his chair, staring at the wall clock. Tang Wulin checked the Golden Dragon Spear once more while Gu Yue rested beside him with her eyes closed.
Wu Changkong stood at the doorway and swept his gaze across the group, confirming that everyone had their equipment. Then he frowned slightly—Lu Menge was missing. He turned toward the stairwell. Just then, Lu Menge came downstairs. Instead of her black formal suit, she wore a beige knit cardigan with dark brown trousers and flat ankle boots. She carried a thermos in one hand, with the Little White Tiger sprawled across her shoulder. She was clearly not dressed to watch a match.
Wu Changkong watched her in silence. Lu Menge walked up to him, rose on her toes, and kissed his cheek as naturally as if she were merely switching the thermos to her other hand. In a relaxed, cheerful tone, she said, "Good luck with the match. I'm going out for a walk. The last time I came to Shrek City was hundreds of years ago. I heard a lot of new shops have opened."
Xie Xie pointed at her with a trembling finger, opening his