Run!

Oscar spoke up. "Huh? Mister, who are you? Why are you with our dean? You can't just wander into our academy, you know!"

He got beaten up?! Uncle Hao sure didn't hold back! He's swollen up like a pig... Yang Que thought.

Zhao Wuji's face darkened. "Oscar, do you have a death wish?"

Oscar's eyes went wide. N-no way! That voice, that tone!

He dropped to his knees before Zhao Wuji. "Oh! My dear Teacher Zhao, when did you change your look? It suits you perfectly! So handsome!"

Everyone: "..."

Just stop talking. You've missed the horse's rump and slapped its leg!

"Oscar, has it been too long since I put you through your paces? Is your skin itching for a beating?" Zhao Wuji tried to look fierce, but right now, he looked more like a fat pig rooting around...

Everyone struggled to hold back their laughter. In the end, Ning Rongrong let out a snort!

Zhao Wuji's face turned even darker. "Funny, is it? If it's so funny, run twenty laps around the academy! No stopping until you're done! I'll seal your Soul Power in a moment, and someone will be watching you!"

"Huh?!" Everyone's faces fell.

"Huh, what? Is that too few?" Flender said sternly from beside him.

"No, no, no! We're going right now!" Oscar waved his hands frantically.

"Why? Why should I be punished?" Ning Rongrong demanded, hands on her hips.

"Why? Because I'm the dean!" Flender looked down at her.

"You!" Ning Rongrong pointed at Flender.

"Enough. If he says run, run. Why all the fuss? You're not the only one doing it!" Yang Que said, unconcerned.

"You!" Ning Rongrong pointed at Yang Que's nose next, ready to give him a piece of her mind—until his gaze flicked toward her.

She snapped her mouth shut.

A while later, Zhao Wuji sealed everyone's Soul Power, and they were about to set off. Then Flender called out, "Yang Que, Lin Song, you two wait."

"Hm? What is it, Dean?" Yang Que and Lin Song looked puzzled.

"You're different from the others. Yang Que, you'll carry two thousand jin. Lin Song, you'll carry five hundred. No Soul Power, and fifty laps each!" Dean Flender said, pushing up his glasses.

"Why?" Zhu Zhuqing stepped forward and challenged him.

"Why? Same answer: because I'm the dean!" Flender said again.

Yang Que took Zhu Zhuqing's hand. "It's fine. That much weight is nothing."

Lin Song chimed in, "Exactly! For those of us who train our bodies, that weight won't stop us even without Soul Power!"

Zhu Zhuqing gritted her teeth. "That's not what I mean. It's..."

"All right, I know what you mean. He said it himself: he's the dean. So let's follow orders." Yang Que patted her head.

Zhu Zhuqing pouted and ran to the front, plainly unhappy.

Yang Que shook his head.

"Hey, Boss Que! What's up with your girlfriend?" Lin Song asked.

"Mind your own business." Yang Que shot him a sideways glance.

Yang Que and Lin Song each hoisted a huge rock onto his back and chased after the others. From a distance, they looked like two hills, one large and one small, running along!

Flender and Zhao Wuji watched the runners, smiles tugging at their lips.

"You're already getting them used to working as a team?" Zhao Wuji asked.

Flender smiled, his expression unreadable. "Already? It's still too early for that."

"Just watch. Someone's bound to fall behind or fail to finish."

Zhao Wuji scratched his head. "Why?"

"If you understood, what would you need me for?" Flender said with a chuckle.

Zhao Wuji's face darkened. "..." Fine. Just call me stupid. Why beat around the bush?!

The sun climbed high.

Everyone was still running around the academy. By now, they had completed ten laps.

"Huff, huff! Brother Que, why do you think the dean made us run too?" Tang San asked, drenched in sweat.

Yang Que glanced at him and laughed. "You already know. Why ask me?"

Tang San scratched his head and grinned. "I'm guessing the dean wants us to learn to work together."

Yang Que shook his head. "That's not the whole picture. It's part of it, but I'd say he also wants to deal with a few troublemakers."

Yang Que had read the original story. Flender had used this very method there to gradually wear down Ning Rongrong's spoiled-young-lady temper.

"Hm? Deal with troublemakers?" Tang San looked confused.

"Just watch," Yang Que said with an air of mystery.

Just then, a big bald man ran up to them. It was Lin Song. "What are you two brothers talking about? Aren't you tired? Huff, huff! We've been running forever without Soul Power. How are you two still going? Especially you, Boss Que! You're carrying two thousand jin, but you look like it's nothing. My legs are going numb!"

"What happened to all that talk about how a little weight was nothing to body trainers?" Oscar wheezed as he squeezed up from behind.

Lin Song looked embarrassed. He had certainly talked big earlier.

"But seriously, Boss Que, you're carrying two thousand jin. How come you haven't even broken a sweat?" Oscar asked.

Everyone turned puzzled eyes toward Yang Que.

Yang Que smiled. "Heh! Exercise more often, and you can do it too."

Everyone: "!!!!!"

Come on! Is your idea of exercise even the same as ours? You carry two thousand jin without sweating, and you think we can do that by exercising a little? Who are you trying to fool? We'd die of exhaustion before we got anywhere close! Everyone grumbled inwardly.

Before long, a voice came from behind. "Oh, I can't do this anymore! I'm not running. I'm starving!"

It was Ning Rongrong.

Everyone stopped and looked back.

Yang Que frowned. "Get up and keep running! Punishing us isn't the only reason the dean gave us these laps!"

"Who do you think you are? What gives you the right to order me around? Hmph! I don't care what his reason is. I'm done. You can keep running; I'm going to get a proper meal. Anyone coming?" Ning Rongrong asked.

Yang Que shook his head. I was going to lend you a hand and keep you from getting scolded, but it looks like you can't escape it after all. He turned and ran on with the boulder on his back.

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he started forward, but Dai Mubai grabbed him. "Do you want to die?" he whispered in his ear. "Aren't you afraid Teacher Zhao will train you one-on-one?"

Ma Hongjun remembered something and shuddered. "Forget it. I don't want to get chewed out! You go ahead."

Ning Rongrong was baffled. What was that about? He looked ready to go a moment ago. Why did he change his mind?

"Zhuqing, Mo You, will you come with me?" Ning Rongrong asked the two girls beside her.

"No. I'm finishing these laps!" Zhu Zhuqing said through gritted teeth, staring at Yang Que's back.

Well, asking her was a waste of breath! Having a monster for a boyfriend must put a lot of pressure on her!

Ning Rongrong turned to Dan Moyou.

Dan Moyou thought for a moment. "I don't think so, Rongrong. Yang Que's right. This isn't just punishment; it's training too. I'm going to finish."

"Tch! I'm only a support-type Soul Master. What do I need training for? If you won't come, I'll go alone!" Ning Rongrong pouted and headed toward the city.

"Wait, Rong..." Dan Moyou shook her head. She left Ning Rongrong be and started running again to catch up with the others.

As Tang San ran, he thought, Brother Que really is something! He knew someone would give up halfway. I still don't think things through as thoroughly as he does!

If Yang Que had heard Tang San's thoughts, he would have burst out laughing. Kid, your big brother's read the original story!

By the fifteenth lap, the three girls were clearly reaching their limit. Their faces had gone pale.

Yang Que stopped. The others stopped too.

"Xiao San, carry Xiao Wu. Dai Mubai, carry Dan Moyou. We'll keep moving together. No one falls behind!" Yang Que said.

Everyone looked at Zhu Zhuqing. What about your girlfriend? Of course, no one dared say it aloud. That would be asking for a beating.

"I don't need help. I can keep going!" Zhu Zhuqing said through gritted teeth when she noticed them looking.

"Neither do we! We can finish!" Xiao Wu and Dan Moyou said. Clearly, they did not want to leave Zhu Zhuqing running alone.

Yang Que smiled. "Why act tough? Tang San, carry your little sister. Dai Mubai, did you not hear me?"

Tang San and Dai Mubai paused, then ran up and crouched in front of the two girls. Xiao Wu and Dan Moyou could hardly refuse. They really were exhausted, and neither had trained her body. Lasting this long was already impressive.

Then everyone saw Yang Que walk slowly up to Zhu Zhuqing.

To their astonishment, he scooped her straight into his arms like a princess.

"Ah!" Zhu Zhuqing cried out.

"Put me down! You're still carrying two thousand jin of stone!"

"Put you down? Not a chance. Hold on tight! Don't you know how strong I am?" Yang Que said with a grin.

Zhu Zhuqing's face flushed. She stopped resisting and let him carry her, slipping her arms around his neck and resting against his chest.

Seriously? Even on a run, they had to flaunt their romance? Ma Hongjun and Oscar were deeply displeased. Why couldn't we carry someone? They glanced at themselves. All right, forget it. We never thought that.

One was dripping with fat, and the other was a support-type Soul Master. What were they dreaming of?

The sun sank toward the western mountains.

At last, two huge boulders landed on the ground with a rumble. Today's running was finally over!

Flender and Zhao Wuji watched the last two return. Flender cleared his throat. "All right! Everyone's here. Yang Que, report on how the others did."

Yang Que stared. What? He wants me to report? Wasn't that Oscar's job?

Yang Que fell into thought. Then something occurred to him. He looked at Zhao Wuji's head, beaten until it resembled a pig's, and understood at once.

You two crafty old foxes! You're trying to make me lecture Ning Rongrong! Oscar's a support-type Soul Master, so you don't trust him to handle it? Did that beating scare you that badly?

So you want me to take the blame? As if I'd give you what you want!

Yang Que put on an innocent face. "Sorry, Dean, but the task you gave me was too demanding. I was so dizzy from running that I wasn't paying much attention!"

Everyone rolled their eyes.

What? Your face isn't even red, and you're not out of breath. That's what you call demanding? Did you say that wrong? You look like you could take another two thousand jin and run fifty more laps without a problem! Dizzy from running? What nonsense!

Flender and Zhao Wuji clearly had not expected that answer. Yang Que had tossed the blame right back at them: they had given him such grueling training that he could not keep watch. The brat was shameless, too. That amount of exercise looked like a mere warm-up for him, yet he had the nerve to claim it made him dizzy!

"Oh? Is that so? Then Zhuqing, you tell us," Flender said, turning his attention to her.

Yang Que stopped Zhu Zhuqing before she could answer and glared at the two men. Crafty old foxes! You know Zhu Zhuqing's my weak spot, so you're throwing this onto her to force my hand!

Flender raised an eyebrow at Yang Que, as if to say, Boy, you're still too green. Old ginger has the stronger bite! Will you take the blame or not? If you do, you lecture Ning Rongrong. If you don't, Zhu Zhuqing does.

You two are unbelievable! You're afraid of getting beaten up, so you dump this on me. You think she won't hit me?

The others looked between them, confused. What were they doing? It was only a report. What was so hard about that?

Yang Que smiled again. "Dean, I just remembered!"

"Oh? You remembered? Don't force yourself. Zhuqing can report instead," Flender said with a smile.

"No need. I'll do it," Yang Que said through gritted teeth.

"Oh! Then what happened?" Flender asked with interest.

"Everyone else finished. Ning Rongrong got tired and rested for a while," Yang Que said.

"Oh? Are you sure she only rested for a while?" Flender asked.

Before Yang Que could say more, Ning Rongrong stepped forward with her hands on her hips. "I was tired and hungry, so I went to rest for a while. What of it?"

"Oh? Rest? Didn't you go into the city and have a big meal?" Flender asked.

"You sent someone to watch me?" Ning Rongrong's eyes widened.

"Heh."

"What right does this lousy academy have to watch me?" Ning Rongrong demanded angrily.

"The moment you entered this academy, supervising you became my responsibility. If you think this place is trash, you can get out and go back where you belong!" Flender said without mercy.

"You..." Ning Rongrong started, but Flender cut her off. "If you still want to stay, be here again tomorrow morning. Yang Que will supervise you, and he'll have every authority an instructor has. If you don't want that, you can leave today!"

"You... Hmph!" Ning Rongrong turned away, tears shining in her eyes, and ran back to her room.

"You all heard that, didn't you? If you're unhappy with how we teach or with anything else about the academy, pack up and go home now! We don't keep idlers here!" Flender told the others.

Everyone nodded at once.

Flender and Zhao Wuji turned to leave. Before he went, Flender glanced back at Yang Que. Interesting kid. He must have figured something out, and he's quick on his feet. Then again, he dared to live in the Star Dou Great Forest at seven years old...