What Hardship? It Was Just a Matter of Choosing Different Interests

The more the girl spoke, the more worked up she became. Even the plaster cast and splint around her neck started to loosen, drawing displeased looks from the two healing-type Soul Master Clones nearby.

Just then, Zhang Lexuan reached the final stage of absorbing the Soul Ring.

The hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring slowly settled over the moon Martial Soul in her palm.

All right! Time to get every Clone out of here.

If Zhang Lexuan decided to drag Banner Bro out and burn him alive, we'd be finished.

The Clones sensed the information Jiang Hao sent them.

One after another, they slipped into the Grass Forest as fast as they could and were absorbed with a single command.

The moment Zhang Lexuan finished absorbing the Soul Ring, she strode toward Jiang Hao.

She glanced at the injured students laid out on four makeshift Blue Silver Grass Supports, her brows knitting tightly.

Senior Brother Wang had lost both arms.

Junior Sister Xu had broken her neck.

Of the other two junior brothers, one had lost a leg. The other's face had been mangled beyond recognition, covered in blood and torn flesh.

Jiang Hao couldn't even tell which one he was. But since when had a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master been capable of so much?

"Thank you!"

Zhang Lexuan tilted her head back forty-five degrees and stared at the sky.

She fought to keep the tears of anguish from spilling out of her eyes.

"Get ready, little guy. It isn't safe here. We need to take them away."

Zhang Lexuan steeled herself.

She lifted the junior brother with the mangled face in one arm and grabbed Senior Brother Wang, who had lost his arms, with the other. She carried the junior brother with the severed leg on her back.

Seeing this, Jiang Hao wasted no time. He pulled one senior sister along with one hand and dragged Ma Xiaotao with the other.

Then he followed Zhang Lexuan.

Before long, they found a secluded cave. Its smooth stone walls rose some distance above the ground.

The entire cave was dry, with no snakes, scorpions, or other venomous creatures.

Jiang Hao surveyed the cave, carefully assessing its surroundings.

Meanwhile, Zhang Lexuan lit a campfire at the cave entrance.

After absorbing the hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring, the stubborn blockage inside her had finally broken. She could absorb Soul Power and cultivate normally again.

The hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring had raised her level by three. Unfortunately, by the time she woke up,

the Soul Bone was already gone.

"When did they leave?"

Zhang Lexuan asked those who were awake.

The firelight fell across her face, revealing tear tracks that had already dried.

Her expression was so calm she seemed to have lost all feeling.

At the sight, Jiang Hao answered honestly.

"Not long ago. Right before you finished absorbing the Soul Ring, they all dashed into the grass."

Night had settled outside. Zhang Lexuan gave a soft laugh.

"The Star Dou Great Forest is so dangerous at night.

Yet they ran straight into it. They have some nerve. Did they think I'd kill them?"

Zhang Lexuan murmured, leaving Jiang Hao at a loss.

They stole your Soul Bone. You should be furious. Why aren't you furious?

Of course, he couldn't say that now.

Who knew what she had in mind?

"We may have to wait a while before we can hunt a Soul Ring for you.

Although absorbing the hundred-thousand-year Soul Ring restored my strength, I still have many injuries that can't heal here.

I can't guarantee I can keep you safe on a Soul Hunt anytime soon.

Besides, we have four injured people with us.

Xiaotao hasn't woken up either. Once she does, we'll head out and try our luck along the way.

If we happen upon a suitable Soul Beast for you near the edge of the forest, I'll do my best to help you hunt it."

"Then, Sister Lexuan, aren't we waiting for Elder Xuan to come back?"

At the words "Elder Xuan," a cold green glint flashed in Zhang Lexuan's eyes. Her fingers clenched until her knuckles cracked.

"Didn't he say he'd watch over us from the shadows nearby?

Then let him go watch over Sea God Island at Shrek Academy!"

Early the next morning, after Ma Xiaotao woke up, Zhang Lexuan led them swiftly toward the edge of the Star Dou Great Forest.

Not long after leaving the forest, they happened upon a rather dubious-looking wagon, which took them back to Shrek City.

"Whoa!" Two horses so thin they were almost skin and bones came to a steady stop at Shrek Academy's East Gate.

"Miss, that's thirty Gold Soul Coins! You're at Shrek Academy."

Zhang Lexuan looked at the boy in the fox-face mask.

He wore ragged clothes, and the more she looked at him, the more he resembled those people in the forest.

But she had no proof.

She took sixty Gold Soul Coins from her Soul Tool Ring and slapped them down on the wagon.

"Your payment. No need to thank me."

"What? Xiaotao, you ran into a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast?!"

As soon as they returned to Sea God Island, Ma Xiaotao grabbed Jiang Hao's hand and went looking for her teacher, Yan Shaozhe. All the way there, she said she would make her teacher stand up for them and punish that wretched Xuan Zi good and hard!

After Jiang Hao had cared for her these past two days, Ma Xiaotao's attitude toward him had softened considerably.

Her temper had naturally cooled as well. She carried herself like a big sister from next door, ready to stand up for a younger child.

"That's right, Teacher. You have to stand up for us.

That thing nearly slapped me to death. If a senior sister hadn't stepped in front of me,

your disciple wouldn't be here to see you now."

Ma Xiaotao burst into tears. She hugged Yan Shaozhe and wiped her eyes on his clothes.

Perhaps because her Evil Fire wasn't flaring so fiercely, Ma Xiaotao no longer needed to hold back her emotions.

Sniffling and sobbing, she rubbed her face against Yan Shaozhe's long sleeve.

Looking at the twelve-year-old girl weeping in his arms, her face like pear blossoms drenched in rain, Yan Shaozhe felt both furious and helpless.

He was furious because Xuan Zi had done it again. He hadn't taken the students' lives seriously at all.

He had actually disappeared during a Soul Beast hunt, and even after the students returned, no one knew where he was.

He felt helpless because Xuan Zi held high status and great influence within the Sea God Pavilion.

Almost no one could do anything to him.

This matter would probably end with Xuan Zi paying compensation, and that would be that.

A trace of light seemed to fade from Yan Shaozhe's eyes.

"You two stay here for a while, children.

I'll be right back."

Sensing a voice coming from within the Golden Tree on Sea God Island, Yan Shaozhe understood that Mu En was calling him.

He left.

Before long, he found Mu En waiting for him by Sea God Lake.

Yan Shaozhe's expression shifted as he considered how to begin.

He rested a hand on Mu En's wheelchair.

At last, he said, "Teacher, Elder Xuan, this time he—"

"Enough!" Mu En cut him off.

"I know what happened. But Yan Shaozhe, you know I don't have much time left.

After I'm gone, Xuan Zi will be this academy's only guardian.

He has his faults, and he never learns no matter how many times he's told, but his Martial Soul is to blame.

It isn't his fault. When he returns, I'll make sure he reflects on what he's done.

At the next Shrek Academy tournament, I'll have him accompany the team as their Path Protector to make amends.

As for the families of the children who died and the relatives of those badly injured,

and the students put in danger during this operation,

Shrek Academy cannot leave them to fend for themselves!

I'll leave this matter to you.

Make sure you handle it properly!

Oh, and when you have the chance, take a close look at Jiang Hao. I feel there's something unusual about him."

"How could that be? He's only six years old. You think he had something to do with this?" Yan Shaozhe snapped his head up to stare at Mu En.

"That isn't what I mean. Even if there is something unusual about him, he couldn't have caused something involving a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast.

It's what Lexuan told me. She said a group of young children with one Soul Ring each saved her.

She said one of them had a Food-type Martial Soul and sounded a lot like him."

"You suspect he has Twin Martial Souls?"

"No. Lexuan said Jiang Hao was there at the time too.

What I'm wondering now is whether the child we brought back all those years ago really is theirs."

With that, Mu En waved for Yan Shaozhe to leave.

Yan Shaozhe sighed and watched Mu En go off alone. Teacher, Teacher, is there really nothing you want to tell me? How could we have gotten that wrong?

And when Elder Xuan makes a mess, I'm the one who has to clean up after him.

He shook his head helplessly and turned to leave.

But how could Mu En, a Limit Douluo, fail to hear his disciple's resentful complaint?

He raised his head, his eyes filled with confusion.

He looked at the withered branches of the Golden Tree.

"Yan Shaozhe, I hope that one day you'll understand why your teacher has to do this."

Meanwhile, the mood elsewhere was rather different.

"What's your Martial Soul?"

"Why didn't you talk on the way back?"

"Do you hate talking to people?"

"Why are you ignoring me?"

Ever since she caught him trying to wipe her face that morning,

Ma Xiaotao had grown talkative, circling him now and then with one question after another.

But when he thought about Ma Xiaotao's circumstances and where her loyalties lay—

a die-hard Shrek supporter—

she might well stand against him someday. Letting himself grow attached to her now

would be like buying a long, sharp knife to turn against himself in the future.

"It's nothing. I'm just an ordinary level-ten Soul Master. My Martial Soul is me."