My Shoulder Will Always Be There for You

"I'll go right now."

After Lu Shi left, the others all had their own reactions.

Tang San was more than happy to see Lu Shi seeking out another girl in front of Xiao Wu. The more he did this, the more it proved that he was fickle.

The more clearly Xiao Wu would see that Tang San was the only one who truly treated her well.

Ma Hongjun, meanwhile, was envious. He knew very well that when girls cried, they were at their most vulnerable, loneliest, and easiest to grow close to.

How wonderful would it be if I were the one comforting her...

Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing were furious but dared not say anything. That old man had just admired Lu Shi, yet in the blink of an eye, he was doing something so muddleheaded.

If Lu Shi had not been a Soul Saint, he would have been taught a lesson long ago.

Flender stood with his hands behind his back. "Get ready. We're leaving shortly."

As a Soul Saint, how could he fail to notice everyone's emotions? But there was nothing he could do. Tang Hao had already come looking for him and explicitly told him to keep Lu Shi away from Xiao Wu.

What else could he do?

To protect Lu Shi, he could only have him spend more time around girls and act a little more like a flirt. Perhaps Xiao Wu would be disappointed.

Even if she did not leave Lu Shi, at least she should keep her distance.

Lu Shi followed Ning Rongrong, listening to her cry all the way back to the dormitory.

Standing before the darkened wooden door, he knocked twice. "Rongrong, open up. It's me."

The crying inside weakened. Three footsteps sounded, and Ning Rongrong opened the door with a sob. Her eyes were bright red, and two pale tear tracks stood out starkly on her delicate cheeks.

"Lu Shi...!"

She threw her arms around Lu Shi, buried her face in his chest, and began crying again in grievance.

"They're all bullying me... They're all bullying me..."

"I want to go home... I want to tell my father... tell Grandpa Bone... tell Grandpa Sword... I want to kill Flender!"

Since childhood, Ning Fengzhi had never been willing to scold her even once. Chen Xin and Gu Rong had spoiled her beyond measure as well. No one had ever dared to make her suffer even the slightest grievance.

Yet at this tiny Shrek Academy, they were actually all bullying her.

Only Lu Shi treated her well and looked after her.

Lu Shi rubbed Ning Rongrong's soft pink hair.

"Fine. I'll go with you. We'll go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect together and lodge a complaint."

With that one sentence, Ning Rongrong stopped crying.

"We'll go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect right now. We'll tell your father, as well as your Grandpa Sword and Grandpa Bone, and have them flatten Shrek, kill Flender, and Zhao Wuji too."

Ning Rongrong had never expected Lu Shi to say such a thing. She froze blankly, opening her mouth to explain.

"I... no... that's not... I..."

But she had no idea how to explain it.

It was true that she was willful and spoiled, but she had only become that way from being indulged. Her nature was still kind. Everything she had said just now had been said in anger; she had not truly wanted to kill Flender.

"I..."

Seeing that Ning Rongrong had calmed down,

Lu Shi smiled and took out a handkerchief to wipe away the tear tracks on her face. "Have you ever thought about why he assigned you the task of running twenty laps around the village?"

"Twenty laps—forget you, a support-type young lady who has never trained before. Even Oscar, who has always been trained by Flender through running, would exhaust all his strength after twenty laps. Let alone you. It would be normal if you couldn't finish."

Using running to train students was a method still used even ten thousand years later.

It was clear that Shrek Academy had already carved running into its genes.

Ning Rongrong thought it over carefully, and that was indeed true. "Then why did he deliberately make things difficult for me?"

"He's the dean, and you're a student. You act like an obedient good girl, but in reality, you're a spoiled and willful young lady raised in a great sect. You think highly of yourself, look down on him, and even look down on everyone else at the academy. Naturally, he needed to establish his authority. You were the perfect choice. If he didn't deal with you, who would he deal with?"

"If he couldn't even keep a little girl in line, how could he be the dean and manage the academy?"

Ning Rongrong's emotions completely settled, and she was no longer even sobbing. "Then wasn't he afraid I'd complain to my father?"

"Think again about what Flender said. Soul Masters rely on strength, not influence. Doesn't that sound strange? Influence itself is part of one's strength. If you have a powerful background, why not rely on it? Why did he insist on separating the two?"

"A Soul Saint is very powerful, but he is still nothing before the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. Why did he dare to publicly scold you, the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect?"

Ning Rongrong was exceptionally intelligent, and she suddenly realized it. "My father!"

"That's right." Lu Shi nodded. "Your father must have spoken with Flender in advance. That was why he dared to scold you."

"Why would my father do that?"

Ning Rongrong did not understand.

"Of course, it's because you are the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect and the future heir to the entire sect. The people capable of teaching you spoil you, while the people who want to teach you lack the ability. Even when you make mistakes, no one dares punish you. They can only indulge you. Only by leaving the sect can you grow."

"Here, no one will indulge you, and no one will treat you like a young lady. If you don't want to be looked down on or used as an example to scare others, then you can only become strong through your own efforts."

Ning Rongrong's eyelashes trembled as she remained silent.

"Besides, I'd guess your father had other considerations in sending you here."

"Everyone knows that the core disciples of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect are all support-type Soul Masters. To ensure the sect's combat strength, they have always recruited or befriended powerful Soul Masters. Look at the students in this academy. Which one of them isn't more talented than you? They're even all battle-type Soul Masters."

Except for Oscar. The key was that Oscar's talent was stronger than hers as well.

He was a food-type Soul Master with Innate Full Soul Power.

Ning Rongrong recalled what Flender had said, then thought of Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Oscar. She could not help feeling nauseated.

"But Dai Mubai and the others are disgusting. Earlier today, the three of them were even discussing where to go have fun."

When facing Zhu Zhuqing, Dai Mubai had put on the appearance of a devoted lover instead.

"It's all right. Aren't there still Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing? They're also exceptionally talented Soul Masters, and you don't dislike them."

Ning Rongrong lowered her head and fell silent. "So that's how it was?"

She hugged Lu Shi. No one had ever told her these things. After coming to Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and the others had always looked at her lecherously. Flender had bullied her too. Only Lu Shi was willing to guide and comfort her.

"Lu Shi, you're so kind..."

Lu Shi hugged her as well. Ning Rongrong was just tall enough to reach his chest. He raised a hand to smooth her messy pink hair and gently patted her back. "If you still want to cry, you can lean on my shoulder."

Ning Rongrong burst out laughing and clenched her tiny fist, pretending to punch Lu Shi's chest hard. "I'm not a child..."

"You can be one with me."

By then, Flender had already led the group far away. Lu Shi moved at full speed and caught up with them in just a few minutes.

When Flender saw him arrive, he did not ask any questions and continued toward Suotuo City.

Half an hour later,

the group arrived at Suotuo City.

Even at night, the city remained bustling. Pedestrians came and went, vendors along both sides of the streets were still calling out their wares, and the shops were brightly lit.

It was incredibly lively.

Flender led everyone into an inconspicuous tea stall beside the street. They sat around a round table and ordered six cups of the cheapest tea.

When the tea arrived, a layer of tea leaves floated on top.

It was not even as good as plain boiled water.

He pointed outside. "That is where you will be training."

Following the direction of his finger, everyone saw a cluster of towering buildings not far away. They were at least a hundred meters high and enormous. Against the night sky, they looked exceptionally dark and solemn, while faint glimmers of light flickered from within the massive structure.