Sausage Shop

"Hahaha! Humble, levelheaded, and with the right attitude. Good, good! What a fine child." Zhao Wuji patted Qin Muchu with relief. Carried away by emotion, he put too much force into it, making Qin Muchu grimace in pain.

Beside them, Xiao Wu couldn't help rolling her eyes. Such high-minded words. Isn't he really here to look for that Ning Rongrong? Hmph. What a two-timing jerk. But when she remembered why Qin Muchu wanted to find Ning Rongrong, an ache rose in her heart. I wonder if my mom and dad could also...

Zhao Wuji realized he had lost his composure. He collected himself and said to Dai Mubai, "Mubai, take them to the dormitories and explain the academy's rules while you're at it."

Dai Mubai bowed. "Yes, Teacher Zhao. Little Chu, Xiao Wu, come with me."

"Hey, Dai Mubai, where are the other students? How come we haven't seen anyone along the way?" Xiao Wu asked.

Embarrassment flashed across Dai Mubai's face. "You know our admission standards are extremely high. Naturally, we don't have many students."

"Is that so?" Xiao Wu glanced at Qin Muchu. He hadn't told her that. "So how many students does the academy have now?"

Dai Mubai hesitated, then held up five fingers.

"Five hundred? That's not so few. Why haven't we seen a single one?"

Dai Mubai stumbled at her words. Fortunately, Qin Muchu reacted quickly and caught him. Dai Mubai shook his head with a wry smile. "No."

Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "Not five hundred? Then fifty? How could that be? Don't applicants have a chance as long as they reach level twenty-one before turning thirteen?"

Dai Mubai nearly coughed up blood. "Do you think reaching level twenty-one before thirteen is easy?"

"Isn't it?" Xiao Wu pointed to herself, then to Qin Muchu. "Little Chu and I are already level forty-seven at eleven. We weren't even eight when we reached level twenty-one."

"What? Level forty-seven? Didn't you just break through level forty?" Xiao Wu's words dealt Dai Mubai's young heart another crushing blow. Fortunately, these two "monsters" had already given him so many shocks over the past two days that he'd developed some resistance.

"Reaching level twenty-one before thirteen is anything but easy. Generally, only geniuses with Innate Soul Power of level seven or higher can manage it, and that's just the academy's first test. After the next three rounds of selection, we admit an average of only two students a year. Last year, we didn't admit a single one. Across the entire continent, we're probably the only school with more teachers than students."

Xiao Wu nodded thoughtfully. "With so few students, no wonder the school is so run-down. It's lucky it hasn't gone under."

Dai Mubai laughed at himself. "Otherwise, our academy wouldn't be stuck in a little village like this. You're right. If my family hadn't provided some funding a few days ago, the school probably wouldn't have admitted anyone this year. It would have closed its doors."

Xiao Wu asked, puzzled, "Then why not loosen the admission requirements? I saw all those people lining up at the entrance. If you eased them a little, you shouldn't be short of funds."

Respect appeared on Dai Mubai's face. "The Dean says it's better to have none than to settle for the unworthy. Shrek would rather close its doors than admit good-for-nothings. Do you know our graduation requirement? Reach level forty before twenty... Uh, forget I said that." He changed the subject just in time. "The academy has admitted sixty students in all, but only fourteen have graduated. Every one of those fourteen became a figure known throughout the world. One even became Spirit Hall's youngest elder, ranking below only the Pope."

At that, Xiao Wu remembered what Qin Muchu had told her earlier. He'd said Shrek Academy would definitely boast that its most outstanding graduate was an elder at Spirit Hall, then explained what a Spirit Hall elder was. She hadn't thought much of it then. Now, seeing the adoration on Dai Mubai's face, she finally burst out laughing. Realizing it was rude to laugh just then, she hurriedly swallowed it back. Her little face stayed stern, though its muscles kept twitching.

Dai Mubai gave Xiao Wu a strange look and continued. "As for those who didn't graduate, either they failed to reach level forty before twenty, or something happened to them. The Dean says anyone who hasn't reached level forty-one shouldn't go out and embarrass him."

Xiao Wu nodded as though this made perfect sense. She touched her cheek, then looked at Qin Muchu beside her. "So being level forty-seven at eleven really is something."

As the three chatted, a languid voice drifted over. "Sausages for sale! Delicious sausages! Come have a look! Oscar Brand Sausage, tasty and cheap! Fair prices for young and old! Just five copper coins apiece! Come take a look!"

The three turned. Not far away, someone was hawking his wares from a handcart. A sign hanging from it bore four large characters: "Sausage Shop." Behind the cart stood a man in plain gray clothes, with neatly trimmed short hair and a face full of whiskers. His large, peach-blossom eyes watched the three of them.

"Little Chu, I'm hungry. Let's buy a couple of sausages." Waves of meaty aroma reached them, and Xiao Wu couldn't help licking her lips.

Before Qin Muchu could speak, Dai Mubai strode toward the cart, cursing. "You bastard, get lost! You're a disgrace to the academy. How many times have I told you not to sell your sausages on academy grounds? If you want to sell them, go somewhere else. Xiao Wu, you can't eat these."

"Why?" Xiao Wu shot Qin Muchu a curious look. He hadn't mentioned this before they came. "Are they poisonous?"

Dai Mubai's expression turned peculiar. "They're not poisonous. It's just... Oscar, make a fresh sausage."

The vendor looked embarrassed. "Boss Dai, do I have to? We're brothers, after all. What will the new students think of me?"

"Cut the crap. Hurry up," Dai Mubai urged.

The vendor helplessly held out his right hand and called out in a lecherous voice, "Your daddy's got..."

Even Qin Muchu lost his composure. Was it really this sleazy? That part wasn't in the animated series. Having seen only the animated series and some related video reviews, he couldn't help twitching at the corner of his mouth.

Xiao Wu's face flushed red, and she spat, "How disgusting! You boys are awful. How can there be such a strange Martial Soul?"

The vendor said sheepishly, "I can't help it. When food-type Soul Masters use their abilities, we need different incantations to make the food change. That line is an incantation. I don't say it because I want to. But there's absolutely nothing wrong with my sausages. Try one if you don't believe me."

Xiao Wu recoiled at once. "Take it away! Who'd want to eat something that weird?"