Incompetent Yan Shaozhe, Dim-Witted Xuan Zi! Respecting Teachers?

"Brother Tang Qi, what's wrong?" Huo Yutong asked, looking up in confusion.

Tang Qi waved a hand. "Nothing."

He finally knew why Shrek had such bad feng shui. With Gangzi planted here like a "door god," how could it possibly be good?

"M-my dream guy, do you have a problem with these statues?"

Noticing where Tang Qi was looking, Xiao Xiao spoke up timidly.

Tang Qi smiled. "I was just thinking: Yu Xiaogang and Liu Erlong weren't just husband and wife. Weren't they also cousins? What exactly does Shrek Academy mean by putting the two of them at its entrance?"

Xiao Xiao: "..."

The little girl didn't understand, but she was profoundly shaken all the same.

"Let's go."

Tang Qi looked away and headed toward the cafeteria.

Huo Yutong stood dazed at the fork in the road, glancing toward the students streaming in and out of the Teaching Building on the left.

She hurried after Tang Qi and said cautiously, "Brother Tang Qi, we're going the wrong way. Freshman registration is over there."

"I know."

Tang Qi turned his head with a light chuckle. "We'll eat first, then register."

If they registered this early, they would almost certainly end up in Freshman Class One, under Zhou Yi. And Zhou Yi? Wasn't she just Gangzi all over again?

Ten thousand years ago, Gangzi the Soul Grandmaster made students run. Ten thousand years later, Zhou Yi the Soul Emperor was still making them run.

Who knew whether that counted as staying true to the original vision? Besides, the teachers at Shrek Outer Court were generally much the same. Whichever class they landed in would make little difference.

So they might as well eat first!

"Oh... okay." Huo Yutong nodded, only half understanding. Since Tang Qi had said so, she would naturally follow his lead.

Xiao Xiao remained where she was, her gaze darting between the two directions.

Registration lay one way; her dream guy's retreating figure lay the other. The little girl pressed her pink lips together and made up her mind.

"My dream guy! I'm putting off registration just for you! You'd better treat me to lunch!" She darted after Tang Qi, tipping up her face and wheedling sweetly.

"Sure. I'll make sure that little tummy of yours is nice and round." Tang Qi couldn't resist pinching Xiao Xiao's soft cheek. It felt smooth and wonderfully springy.

Don't get the wrong idea. He was pure as ice and jade, an upright gentleman. This was all preparation for bringing Xiao Xiao into the Tang Sect someday.

The tips of Xiao Xiao's ears reddened. She stood there shyly and let Tang Qi have his way with her cheek.

Before long, the three arrived at the Shrek Freshman Cafeteria.

The cafeteria was empty.

Forget students—there weren't even any tables or chairs. Huo Yutong and Xiao Xiao stared, their pretty eyes round.

If they hadn't seen a few serving counters selling food inside, they would have thought Tang Qi had brought them to the wrong place.

Tang Qi had been prepared, but seeing this grand display of "four bare walls" with his own eyes still made him rub his forehead.

He took the two girls to the most expensive counter and bought three meals. Then they went to a corner.

Xiao Xiao pouted, looking thoroughly put out. "I saw the notice at the cafeteria entrance. We're not allowed to take food out, but there aren't any tables or chairs in here. Are we supposed to eat standing up?"

The little girl looked utterly aggrieved.

While the two girls stood at a loss, Tang Qi pulled a square table from his Storage Ring, followed by three chairs, and set them on the floor.

"Sit."

He sat down first and began eating as though nothing were amiss.

Huo Yutong, Xiao Xiao: ?

"Brother Tang Qi, won't this break the academy rules?" Huo Yutong reminded him quietly.

"Break the rules?"

Tang Qi raised an eyebrow.

Tang Qi: Shrek, you dare make the great Tang Sect leader eat standing up? You've already invited your own death!

He swallowed a mouthful of food. "Rules or no rules, I'd call this suffering for suffering's sake. Or you could see it as Shrek's obedience test."

Hearing that, the two girls hesitated no longer. They sat beside Tang Qi and dug in.

Around the cafeteria, freshmen stood in twos and threes against the walls, trays in hand. Their gazes swung toward the trio.

The three paid them no mind and ate as though no one else existed. Soon, they had polished off every last bite.

Shrek's prices were absurdly high, but you did get what you paid for. The food couldn't compare to Huo Yutong's grilled fish, though it was better than nothing.

Outside the cafeteria, Xiao Xiao patted her slightly rounded tummy, looking thoroughly content. "My tummy's gotten so big."

"Hey! Xiao Xiao!" Huo Yutong jolted and glanced around. Seeing that no one had heard, she turned back to Xiao Xiao, her face red.

"Huh?"

Xiao Xiao blinked her big, watery eyes, looking innocent as could be.

"Didn't Tang Qi treat us to lunch and fill me up? What's wrong with saying that?"

"Ooh, Yutong!"

Xiao Xiao suddenly leaned closer and gave Huo Yutong a wicked grin. "Tsk, tsk. Your mind's in the gutter!"

"I... I didn't..." Huo Yutong stammered, her little face turning scarlet.

The meal had clearly brought the three closer. Xiao Xiao was no longer timid; her lively nature was on full display.

"Come on, let's register." Tang Qi changed the subject before Huo Yutong could burst from embarrassment.

The three hurried to the Freshman Teaching Building. After completing registration, Tang Qi paid Huo Yutong's tuition for her first year as a freshman.

Once outside, Xiao Xiao ran straight to the noticeboard. She tipped up her face to study it for a while, then came rushing back in excitement.

"Tang Qi, Yutong, all three of us are in the same class! Freshman Class Nine. The teacher's called Mu Jin."

"Mu Jin?" Tang Qi nodded. He was the tallest of a short bunch, at least.

The three left the Teaching Building and headed toward the Dormitory Area.

After waving goodbye to Tang Qi at the Male Dormitory entrance, Huo Yutong followed Xiao Xiao to the Female Dormitory.

Sunlight shone brightly outside the Male Dormitory.

An old man in gray, his face lined with wrinkles, reclined in a lounge chair. His head lolled to one side, and he looked as though he had one foot in the grave.

Tang Qi didn't slow down. He merely glanced at him.

Wasn't that Mu En, the "Feed-Me-Full Douluo"?

Tang Qi made no attempt to speak to him and walked straight into the dormitory building.

The moment Tang Qi disappeared inside, Mu En slowly opened his cloudy eyes.

A keen light flashed in them. Not a trace remained of his frail, doddering appearance from moments before.

"So this is the new Tang Sect leader Bei Bei mentioned?" Mu En murmured to himself.

Twin Martial Souls: the Blue Silver Emperor and the Clear Sky Hammer. Surnamed Tang, and the Tang Sect leader to boot.

Even this Limit Douluo felt a jolt of astonishment.

His own end was approaching, while Shrek had no worthy successors. None of the younger generation could shoulder its burdens.

Yan Shaozhe lacked ability; Xuan Zi lacked sense.

Could he be Tang San, reincarnated on purpose?!

Mu En shook his head, pushing down the absurd thought.

After all, the memoirs of his ancestor Yu Xiaogang clearly recorded that Sea God Tang San had held his teachers in the highest respect.

According to the Grandmaster, Tang San had once grown frantic and begged through tears to be taken as his disciple.

Tang San: ?

But the boy before him had been so indifferent to a "frail old man" like Mu En. How could he be the reincarnation of Tang San, who respected his teachers so deeply?

No matter. Now that the child had entered the academy, Shrek would surely teach him its ways in time.