The Fatty's Heart Ached with Every Drop-Call Me Big Brother

He crashed to the ground with a howl.

"Ah... What bastard dared sneak up on your Fatty Lord?"

He shook his head.

"Pfft..."

He spat out a mouthful of blood.

Then he sprang to his feet. Fury, pain, humiliation,

and a trace of bewilderment he could not explain all mingled together, twisting his face.

Veins bulged on his forehead. He gnashed his teeth as flames swirled around him, and two Soul Rings rose spinning beneath his feet.

The Evil Fire Phoenix Martial Soul appeared behind him. "Screech..." It let out a cry like a rooster.

The temperature around them soared.

But Li Qiu showed no fear.

He charged straight ahead and threw a domineering punch.

The wind around his fist howled like a dragon's roar.

"Phoenix Fire Line!"

Ma Hongjun roared,

ignoring the sharp pain in his swollen face.

His First Soul Ring settled over him,

and a beam of crimson flame

"hiss..."

shot from his mouth.

The tongue of fire moved so fast

that it reached Li Qiu in an instant.

But clad in the Immortal Demon Armor, Li Qiu feared no Evil Fire.

He took several quick strides, leaped high, and drove a flying kick into Ma Hongjun's stomach.

"Boom..."

His belly sounded like a beaten drum.

Ma Hongjun doubled over like a shrimp and flew backward.

Ma Hongjun was stunned.

What the hell was going on?

Who was this guy? That armor hid his face,

and he wasn't even afraid of my Evil Fire.

This was fucking unbelievable.

His blows hurt like hell, too. He wasn't holding back at all.

It was as if he had a grudge against me.

"Whoosh..."

That demon appeared before him in an instant.

Then a foot stamped down viciously.

Aerial Kicking Combo...

"Ah..."

Ma Hongjun screamed as his arm broke beneath the stomp.

"Bang, bang..."

Then fists like cannonballs rained down on him.

"Ah, ah..."

Ma Hongjun was beaten like a dying dog, utterly unable to fight back.

All he could do was scream and curl up in a muddy patch of weeds.

Satisfied with the beating, Li Qiu turned and ran into the distance.

Once he was five hundred meters away and out of sight,

he put away the Demon Armor and returned to the dormitory.

He met no one along the way.

That beating had felt incredible.

He had finally let out most of the anger bottled up inside him.

A little while later,

Ma Hongjun came wailing back to Shrek Academy.

Outside the dormitory,

"Boo-hoo... Ah..."

Dai Mubai and Oscar were training. Drawn by Ma Hongjun's cries, they ran over to him.

Zhao Wuji heard him too and approached from nearby.

"Whoa... Fatty,

did you run into a hornet's nest?

Why's your face all bruised and swollen?"

At the sight of Ma Hongjun's miserable state,

Dai Mubai could not help staring in surprise,

his eyes wide.

"Uh... Fatty, is your arm broken?

Did you fall while running from the hornets?"

Oscar came over, his face covered in stubble and his expression astonished, and stared at Ma Hongjun on the ground.

Li Qiu also emerged from the dormitory, yawning and stretching.

Ma Hongjun was covered in blood, his face bruised and swollen, one arm hanging limp. He cried as though he were at death's door, looking utterly pitiful.

Li Qiu was delighted. That's what you get for bullying me when I was still confused.

"Boo-hoo... I ran into this terrifying guy on the hill behind the academy. He wore armor and was covered in demonic flames.

He attacked me on sight. I went all out, but he still beat me senseless.

He even used an Aerial Kicking Combo on me... Boo-hoo..."

Ma Hongjun was helped onto a chair, where he wept miserably like a dying dog.

"Whoever he is, he's got some nerve!

He dared attack one of Shrek's Little Monsters?

I'll teach him what fear means!"

Zhao Wuji sprinted toward the hill behind the academy.

When Ma Hongjun spotted Li Qiu, he glared and roared,

"Li Qiu, you bastard!

Can't you see how badly your Fatty Lord's hurt?

Get over here and heal me!"

"Ah... My stomach hurts!"

Li Qiu immediately clutched his belly and ran toward a nearby toilet.

Damn Fatty. You can suffer a little longer.

And you still dared yell at me.

Seeing this,

Dai Mubai and Oscar exchanged gleeful smiles.

"Haha... The poor rooster's fallen from his perch, and even the dogs are kicking him!"

Oscar laughed strangely, his whiskers fluttering.

"Li Qiu's got some nerve!

I like it, though!

We're from Shrek Academy.

A Soul Master who never causes trouble is no good. He ought to be rebellious, with plenty of nerve!

Li Qiu used to be too timid. He obeyed every word and was no fun at all!"

Dai Mubai's double pupils followed Li Qiu into the toilet.

"Each word stings my heart like another drop of pain..."

Ma Hongjun had not expected Dai Mubai to speak of him that way.

His heart ached.

"Li Qiu, you bastard, did you die in there?"

Ma Hongjun was furious. He had waited half an hour, and Li Qiu still had not come out.

"Sorry. Something I ate at lunch upset my stomach. I'm weak all over now!"

Li Qiu came over with a pale face, one hand pressed to his belly, and spoke feebly.

"Damn... You... Can you still heal me?"

In agony, Ma Hongjun turned a fierce gaze on Oscar beside him.

"Give him a Recovery Sausage!"

"I've got a Big Sausage!"

Oscar immediately produced two sausages.

He tossed one to Li Qiu

and stuffed the other into Ma Hongjun's mouth.

Eating one restored stamina and Soul Power and eased pain.

After swallowing the sausage, Ma Hongjun hurt less.

Li Qiu ate his sausage too, then summoned the Five Elements Pearl and shifted it to the Wood Attribute. The pearl turned green, and green Life Energy spilled from it, enveloping Ma Hongjun.

A little while later,

his broken arm knitted together, his wounds healed, and the bruises on his face vanished.

But Li Qiu had not healed him completely.

Once the sausage's effects wore off, his broken arm would hurt again.

"All done!"

Li Qiu turned and left.

Dai Mubai and Oscar noticed that Li Qiu's Martial Soul seemed much stronger.

"Has he reached level nineteen?"

Oscar could sense that Li Qiu's Soul Power fluctuations had grown stronger too.

"Yeah, he's definitely level nineteen! His healing has improved quite a bit as well!"

Dai Mubai said,

"We'll recover faster from injuries from now on!"

Li Qiu ignored their astonished looks and headed for the dining hall.

[Spirit Hall Saintess: I had someone gather three hundred jin of Spirit Medicine. I'll send it across time and space to you tomorrow!]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: Call me big brother, and I'll accept it.]

Li Qiu wanted to know what it felt like to have the young Bibi Dong call him big brother.

[Spirit Hall Saintess: ...]

[Big brother...]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: Why does that sound reluctant? Say it sincerely!]

[Spirit Hall Saintess: ... These are just words. I can't speak to you. How can you tell whether I'm reluctant?]

Li Qiu could almost see the young Bibi Dong rolling her eyes.

She was clearly speechless.

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: Heh, say it again. Once our activity level is high enough and the group levels up, we'll be able to talk. We might even be able to take photos and record videos!]

[Spirit Hall Saintess: Bro... Happy now? What's an activity level? How does the group level up? And what are photos and videos?]

[A Leaf Knows Autumn: Just chat with me more to raise the activity level. That'll level up the group. You'll learn about the other features later.]

[Spirit Hall Saintess: All right. I'm going to eat...]