The Cold Girl and the Wealthy Young Lady!

Heaven Dou Empire, Suotuo City, outskirts!

In a rather dilapidated village, several young men and women were training frantically. Every movement seemed to push them to their limits. In the courtyard behind them, a somewhat down-and-out middle-aged man was brewing medicinal herbs.

Above their heads hung a signboard that looked ready to fall at any moment.

Shrek Academy!

"Xiao Gang, are you sure this won't damage the little monsters' foundations? They're still growing. Even if you've arranged for the best herbs, this can't sustain them for long."

The extremely stingy Flender watched Yu Xiaogang use up the medicinal herbs bit by bit, his tone carrying a hint of sourness.

He could not even bear to use them himself!

"I know the little monsters' limits better than you do. Don't worry, the wool comes from the sheep. Once this stage of training is over, I'll have them enter the next stage. By then, the academy's financial troubles will naturally be resolved."

Yu Xiaogang tended to the herbs in his hands without looking up, then let out a quiet sigh.

"Compared to that, I'm more worried about their ability to work together as a team."

Flender secretly picked up a piece of fruit and tossed it into his mouth. After chewing twice, he quickly swallowed it.

"A team? Aren't they working together pretty well? Even Zhao Wuji suffered quite a bit at their hands."

Flender found it rather strange. In his eyes, while the little monsters' teamwork was not flawless, it was still outstanding among their peers. What was there to worry about?

"Ah!" Yu Xiaogang sighed deeply, his gaze seeming to rest on the young men and women who had gone off into the distance.

"Haven't you noticed? Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong have never truly opened their hearts to the other five. How could a team like that not have problems?"

Hearing Yu Xiaogang's words, Flender did not take them too seriously.

Leaving Zhu Zhuqing aside for the moment, that was simply her cold personality. It would not be easy to change even if one wanted to.

As for Ning Rongrong, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's sect master had specifically written to say that she was somewhat spoiled and willful. But after she came here, Flender found that aside from liking to cling to Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong was simply an exceedingly adorable girl!

Perhaps the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's discipline was too strict, so they called a girl who liked acting cute and playing small pranks spoiled and willful.

Flender nodded to himself, completely ignoring the concern in Yu Xiaogang's eyes.

"Flender, Flender, the biggest problem lies with Ning Rongrong! I don't know why, but I can tell that she wears a mask around everyone! Especially when she is with Zhu Zhuqing—there is killing intent hidden within her occasional impatience, yet even you, a Soul Saint, failed to notice it!"

Yu Xiaogang stopped fiddling with the herbs and carried them all over to the large pot in the kitchen to boil. He was preparing medicinal porridge for the Shrek Seven Monsters after their training.

Outside Suotuo City, the seven Shrek students, having finally returned after exhausting every ounce of strength, staggered into the kitchen. They gulped down all the medicinal porridge Yu Xiaogang had brewed in one go. Ma Hongjun even slapped the table and demanded another pot!

In the end, the red-eyed Flender flicked him on the forehead and sent him flying out of the kitchen.

That night, Zhu Zhuqing's eyes narrowed as she bathed. She then looked helplessly at Ning Rongrong, who was walking toward her wrapped in a bath towel.

"I brought you to Shrek Academy ahead of time and even helped you see Dai Mubai's true nature. So you should repay me, right?"

Ning Rongrong stepped into the bath. She had deliberately waited for Xiao Wu to finish bathing before coming over, because she knew Zhu Zhuqing did not like bathing naked in front of outsiders.

Looking at Ning Rongrong's smiling eyes and brows, Zhu Zhuqing felt a chill for no reason at all!

More than two months ago, she had finally arrived in the Heaven Dou Empire from the Star Luo Empire. Unfortunately, she might have missed Shrek Academy's enrollment ceremony, which meant there was a high chance she would be unable to enter Shrek Academy and get close to Dai Mubai.

Just as she was feeling lost, she encountered members of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect who seemed to be searching for something. When she saw the portrait in the hands of one of their disciples, she was clearly stunned.

In the portrait, a Jade Pendant looked lifelike.

She had seen that Jade Pendant before!

The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's disciples were all exceptionally shrewd. The moment they saw Zhu Zhuqing freeze, they understood. Without drawing attention, they blocked off every path on the street.

Before Zhu Zhuqing could resist, the Qian Yin sisters who had cared for her in Waterfall City appeared. Along with them came a powerful soul master!

Under Zhu Zhuqing's bewildered gaze, the soul master, who was obviously close to Qian Yin and the others, engaged in a fierce discussion with the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's soul masters. In the end, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess, Ning Rongrong, arrived with the help of the Titled Douluo Sword Douluo Chen Xin and ended the discussion.

She asked Zhu Zhuqing where she had seen the Jade Pendant in the portrait. Zhu Zhuqing remained silent, while Chen Xin spoke with Qian Yu's father. After learning that they were from Sea God Island, he became noticeably cautious.

For the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, Sea God Island was an existence worthy of their attention!

Unable to get the answer she wanted no matter how she asked, Ning Rongrong ultimately adopted a gentler approach. She asked Zhu Zhuqing where she wanted to go and what she wanted to do. In the end, she brought Zhu Zhuqing to Shrek Academy, and the two of them joined Shrek Academy together.

Before that, she had even used her sect's influence to obtain all the information on what Shrek Academy student Dai Mubai had done since arriving in Suotuo City, then handed it to Zhu Zhuqing.

"Is that Jade Pendant important to you?"

Zhu Zhuqing let out a soft sigh. If it truly was that important, then she really had no way to say it aloud!

After all, that Jade Pendant was on Haiming, the man who had saved her life!

Though she had only caught a fleeting glimpse, she was certain that the jade tassel on Haiming's folding fan was precisely the Jade Pendant Ning Rongrong had been searching for!

"Important? I've been searching for it for so many years!"

Ning Rongrong was obviously agitated. She could no longer maintain her usual gentle and refined image. Her jade-like hand slammed heavily against the water's surface, sending up a large splash.

"That was a keepsake my mother left for me. But five years ago, while I was playing in the streets and playing hide-and-seek with Grandpa Sword, someone stole it!"

As Ning Rongrong recalled the memory, she gritted her teeth in hatred.

"The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect mobilized its disciples and finally found my Jade Pendant in a remote city. But after the person who stole it fought the disciple who found him, he escaped with severe injuries and vanished without a trace!"

"So tell me! I'm begging you! Where exactly did you see my Jade Pendant?"

(Ning Rongrong's mother never appeared, and even her older brother never appeared, so just treat them as nonexistent~ After all, having one of the protagonist's parents sacrificed to the heavens is standard practice, isn't it?)