In the end, Tang San still held back, because he had seen the bond between Ning Rongrong and Lin Like. Their sincere friendship had earned his approval.
"Ah, ow, ow, ow!!!"
"Waaah! Don't kill me~"
So he merely grabbed their heads, one in each hand, and lifted them up.
But this little punishment seemed a bit too harsh for the somewhat pampered girls.
Ning Rongrong kept spewing all sorts of foul language, even threatening to have her two grandfathers raze this place to the ground.
Lin Like burst into tears on the spot. If she had known, she would never have sneaked out with Ning Rongrong to have fun.
She had exposed her identity outright, and now this savage Douluo native was going to kill her.
Sorry, Brother Xu, Dad, and everyone else. My mission failed.
But dying at the hands of a handsome guy wasn't so bad, was it?
Seeing Lin Like's face covered in tears and snot, Tang San felt a little sorry for her. He released his grip, letting both girls tumble to the ground.
"I told you, you've already passed the fourth test. I'm not going to kill you."
"Get up."
"And Zhu Zhuqing, you passed too. Even under the effects of Fatty's and my combination skill, Lost Mist, you still managed to locate him and muster the courage to attack. That was impressive."
Tang San announced that all three had passed. Ma Hongjun put away the Phoenix Emperor as well and returned to Dai Mubai and the others, joking around with them.
"What soul skill was that thick fog just now? Even I couldn't see through it."
"That? It's my combination skill with Third Brother, Lost Mist."
Ma Hongjun spoke with considerable pride.
Tang San's Blue Silver Dewdrop was a water-like substance, but the steam it produced when boiled was much denser. It also carried soul power, allowing it to interfere with perception to a certain extent.
Tang San remained unaffected, however, because it was his soul skill, and the soul power came from him as well.
Through training, Ma Hongjun had adapted to that environment. With Tang San directing him, he wasn't affected much either.
"But this combination skill mainly relies on Xiao San's Blue Silver Dewdrop. You're just playing second fiddle, aren't you, Fatty?"
Oscar pointed out the key detail.
"Hmph, so what? Right now, I'm the only fire-type soul master who can work with Third Brother anyway. Besides, I've adapted to that thick fog, so it doesn't matter."
Ma Hongjun spoke without a care.
"Tch! You think I care?!" Elsewhere, Ning Rongrong had erupted into another argument with Tang San.
She was clearly unhappy about the little punishment he had just given her.
Beside her, Lin Like looked anxious, but she couldn't stop Ning Rongrong, who was already running wild.
Tang San wasn't impatient. He could tell that Ning Rongrong wasn't merely throwing a tantrum; she was also trying to draw everyone's attention to herself.
She didn't want anyone to discover what had caused that muffled bang earlier.
Unfortunately, she was still too naive.
Ma Hongjun had already told him through a voice transmission, and Tang San had seen it clearly himself.
Before the mist dispersed, Tang San had retrieved some fragments of the badge that could generate a shield. He hadn't taken them all because he didn't want to rustle the grass and startle the snake.
Lin Like would definitely go looking for it. If she couldn't find a single trace, she would surely grow suspicious.
"Ahem! Enough! Ning Rongrong, it's time you reined in that spoiled young lady's temper!"
Just then, Flender arrived and addressed Ning Rongrong.
"Huh? What gives a penniless, hook-nosed old man like you the right to throw your weight around with me?!"
Ning Rongrong spoke defiantly.
In truth, she was panicking inside. Lin Like had been her close playmate since childhood.
Her friend's identity was no small matter. She was the successor of a reclusive sect and had also suffered persecution from Spirit Hall.
That meant Ning Rongrong had to protect her properly.
The best outcome now would be to keep the whole conflict centered on her own bad temper.
"Hmph... unfortunately, your elders have already asked me to discipline you two properly."
Flender smiled faintly and displayed the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect Secret Letter he had received not long ago.
He couldn't help marveling inwardly. Those bastards from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect really knew how to get things done.
He also had to admire Ning Fengzhi's nerve, tossing his own daughter straight into Flender's bandit den-no, Shrek Academy.
The letter had also told him not to investigate the bespectacled girl's identity.
Heh! Things were getting interesting.
Afterward, under Flender's lecture of "Who here isn't stronger than you?", Ning Rongrong was left speechless.
She began to reflect a little, while also feeling relieved that no one had pursued the matter of Lin Like.
The enrollment finally concluded satisfactorily.
Flender also stopped accepting new students. They had about enough people now, and quite a few of the students had identities that carried considerable weight.
So Flender quit while he was ahead. Among the new students were some major financial backers.
After paying their tuition, the group began touring Shrek Academy and headed to their dormitories.
The three girls moved straight into the same wooden cabin.
Incidentally, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Tang San shared one cabin.
Oscar had a wooden cabin all to himself, because his room was filled with all kinds of stinky tofu and spices.
Anyone who lived there long enough would probably turn into a human pickle.
Late that night, in Grandmaster's room, Tang San was studying those fragments with him.
"Hmm... it is indeed a soul tool, but its workmanship is somewhat different from those excavated in Douluo."
"This is much newer. That goes for both the craftsmanship and the materials."
"So, Teacher, are you saying that Lin Like isn't from Douluo?"
"How did you reach that conclusion?"
"Because of her facial features. People from different regions develop different traits because of their various living habits, but overall, they can still be traced back to the same origin."
"But she was different from the people of Douluo from the very beginning. She seems to have lived here before, which simply makes it less noticeable."
"...Xiao San, your powers of observation have already far surpassed mine."
"But that child has even more mysteries surrounding her than you do. In any case, let's take it in stride and just treat her as an ordinary girl."
Even someone as knowledgeable as Grandmaster struggled when faced with a field he had almost never encountered before.
Flender had also told him not to dig down to the roots of everything. She was someone under the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's protection.
"I know. Lin Like isn't evil by nature. On the contrary, she's very kind. I'll treat her as a classmate and companion."
Whether Lin Like's origins made her a friend or foe was still unknown. In short, he would simply treat her normally.
"You could also try getting a little closer to her. Perhaps once she falls for you, she'll open her heart to you."
Grandmaster showed a rare smile as he joked.
"Th-that wouldn't do."
Tang San looked somewhat embarrassed as well. He felt that there was something about Lin Like that drew him to her.
It was probably a kind of... mutual appreciation between fellow craftsmen.
"It's getting late. Get some rest, Teacher. I'll be going."
"Mm. Good night."
Tang San left Grandmaster's cabin but was in no hurry to return, because Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai were both avid snorers.
Going back wouldn't necessarily give him a good night's rest, so he slowed his steps and unwound beneath the starry sky.
He thought about the future.
"Hmm? That's..."
Before you continue