Poison Douluo's Rules

The moment Prince Xue Xing spoke, even the wind on the Mountain Road seemed to turn colder.

Qin Ming's expression darkened to the extreme.

He had sincerely wanted to bring Shrek into Heaven Dou Royal Academy. It had the best Mimicry Cultivation Environment, imperial resources, and a stage broad enough for them to grow. If the Shrek Seven Devils trained here, it could only help them in the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

But Prince Xue Xing's "not welcome" stung worse than any poisonous mist.

Flender pushed up his glasses. The smile vanished from his face.

"Your Highness means Shrek isn't worthy?"

Xue Xing said coolly, "Whether you're worthy depends on the rules. The Royal Academy has standards. A little talent doesn't mean anyone can stroll through its Gate."

Qin Ming stepped forward. His voice was low but firm.

"Your Highness, Shrek Academy has trained many outstanding Soul Masters. I'm one of them. Their strength and talent more than qualify them to take the academy's assessment."

Prince Xue Xing glanced at him. "Teacher Qin, you teach at the Royal Academy. You should remember where you stand."

Qin Ming went pale.

That cut deeper than a reprimand.

He could fight for his alma mater, for his teachers and juniors, but he could not openly turn against the Heaven Dou Imperial Family in front of his students. This was not the Suotuo City Soul Fighting Arena, where the hardest fist settled every argument.

Dai Mubai clenched his fists.

Born into the Star Luo Imperial Family, he understood better than most what those words meant. Prince Xue Xing was not questioning Shrek's strength. He was telling Qin Ming that whether the Royal Academy's Gate could open was not for the teachers to decide.

Ma Hongjun muttered a curse, and Oscar pulled him back.

Ning Rongrong's face turned cold too. As the little princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, she had grown up among the powerful, but she hated that tone of someone using rules to crush others.

Bai Jin, on the other hand, smiled.

He looked at Dugu Bo. "Old Poison, do all you people in Heaven Dou start your rules by releasing poison?"

The corner of Dugu Bo's eye twitched. "Is your mouth always this irritating, brat?"

"Depends who I'm talking to."

"Should I feel honored?"

"No need to thank me."

Dugu Bo fell silent for a moment, then actually laughed in exasperation.

Prince Xue Xing's frown deepened. He was not afraid of Soul Masters causing trouble, but he disliked losing control of a situation. People like Bai Jin were the most troublesome: strong, young, and unwilling to say the polite thing.

"Mr. Bai," Prince Xue Xing said gravely, "this is Heaven Dou Royal Academy, not Spirit Hall."

"I know." Bai Jin nodded. "Spirit Hall's cafeteria has better food."

"You!"

Flender suddenly reached out and stopped Bai Jin before he could go on.

"Enough."

Bai Jin looked at him.

Flender took a deep breath and turned to the Shrek group. His gaze passed over Dai Mubai, Oscar, Tang San, and Xiao Wu before finally settling on Qin Ming.

"Little Ming, I appreciate what you tried to do."

Qin Ming said urgently, "Dean..."

Flender shook his head.

Of course he hated to give this up.

Those Mimicry Training Grounds, those medicinal herbs, those resources that could spare the children so many detours—they were right up the mountain. If he bowed his head just once and forced a smile, perhaps he could still fight for a place here.

But he also knew that if he swallowed this humiliation today, every time these Shrek children entered the Royal Academy, they would remember how its rules had been used to force them down.

An academy could be poor.

Its students could not be made to feel worthless.

"Shrek is poor, shabby, and small. The food isn't much, either." Flender did not speak loudly, but his voice was steady. "What we don't lack is backbone. Since we're not welcome, we're leaving."

Qin Ming's eyes reddened at those words.

Prince Xue Xing's expression eased slightly. This was the outcome he wanted.

Bai Jin said nothing more.

He did want a fight.

But this was not his team. He could not fight Flender's dignity into another kind of handout.

Tang San watched Flender's back, his heart trembling slightly.

He had lived two lives and known cold stares as well as the divide between strong and weak, high and low. But Flender's words suddenly made him understand that what Shrek truly taught them might not be limited to winning Soul Fighting matches. It also taught them how to straighten their backs again when others tried to push them down.

Xiao Wu whispered, "The dean was pretty impressive just now."

Oscar sniffed. "He'd have been even more impressive if he hadn't asked about the benefits afterward."

Ma Hongjun nodded at once. "Agreed."

Flender turned and glared at them. "You think I can't hear you?"

At last, a crack opened in the heavy mood.

The Shrek group turned and headed down the mountain.

As they passed Dugu Bo, Bai Jin stopped.

Dugu Bo asked quietly, "You're not going to make a move?"

"I'm worried your old bones might snap."

"Brat, if we really fought, you might not come out ahead."

Bai Jin smiled. "I never said I was only looking to come out ahead."

Neither of them spoke loudly, yet several nearby Soul Masters felt a chill down their spines.

Dugu Bo studied him for a moment, then said, "That poison in the old city wasn't mine."

Bai Jin's eyes shifted.

Dugu Bo continued, "Someone is using poison as a sieve. Survivors are taken away; the dead have their Soul Power drained dry. If you're investigating, don't just watch Ghost Mask. Look into the apothecaries too."

"You're being awfully helpful."

"I hate it when people use poison for dirty work and do it badly."

Bai Jin smiled. "I see. One practitioner looking down on another."

Dugu Bo snorted.

At the word "apothecaries," thought flickered in Tang San's eyes. He remembered the West City Red Mark on the map, then the Old City Blue Silver Grass Withered Powder. The thread connecting them grew clearer in his mind.

But before he could think further, Dugu Bo's gaze fell on his hands.

Tang San's hands were steady.

Years of using Hidden Weapons left marks on the knuckles, the web of the thumb, and the palms that differed from those of ordinary Soul Masters. Dugu Bo might not know of the Tang Sect, but he could see that these hands did more than control Blue Silver Grass.

"Brat."

Tang San stopped. "Senior?"

"Let's talk poison sometime."

Tang San replied respectfully, "If the chance arises, I would be glad to learn from you."

Bai Jin suddenly reached out and pulled Tang San behind him.

"You can talk. Just don't sneak off with him."

Dugu Bo narrowed his eyes. "You're awfully protective."

"The kid hasn't graduated yet. If I misplace him, how am I supposed to explain it to his family?"

Tang San: "..."

Xiao Wu, though, quietly breathed a sigh of relief.

Once they descended the mountain, Qin Ming walked them all the way to the academy Gate. He stood there, guilt written across his face. Several times he tried to speak, but Flender raised a hand to stop him.

"Little Ming, this isn't your fault."

Qin Ming's voice was hoarse. "Dean, I should have arranged things better."

Flender patted his shoulder. "We're glad you still remember Shrek. We make our own way. A closed Gate doesn't mean there's no road."

Bai Jin added from the side, "It does mean no one's reimbursing our travel expenses today."

The emotion Flender had just mustered vanished in an instant.

"Could you say a little less?"

"No."

That exchange lifted much of the weight from everyone's hearts.

Just then, sharp-eyed Oscar pointed at a noticeboard nearby. "Dean, look at that!"

A recruitment notice was posted on the wall.

Blue Tyrant Advanced Soul Master Academy was hiring Soul Master teachers. Generous compensation offered.

Flender's eyes lit up behind his glasses.

"Generous compensation?"

Zhao Wuji saw his expression and could not help saying, "Weren't you just talking about backbone?"

"Backbone is backbone," Flender said earnestly. "Eating is eating."

Bai Jin stretched and looked toward Heaven Dou City.

Sunlight fell across the city walls. Everything looked peaceful.

But through his Six Eyes, he could see an extremely faint wisp of black Soul Power near the old city, like a thread reaching up from underground to quietly hook one corner of the entire city.

He smiled.

"All right, then."

"First, we find a way to put food on the table."

"Tonight, we tear apart the Ghost Den."