Teaching assistant

Early the next morning, an urgent bell rang through the academy. After returning the previous night, Tang Xuan had entered deep meditation again, replacing sleep with meditation so that not a moment of cultivation time went to waste.

Upon hearing the bell, he straightened his clothes and headed to the place where he had fought Zhao Wuji yesterday. Tang San and the others were already standing neatly in a row, while Flender stood on the platform. Tang Xuan exchanged a glance with Flender, then took his place beside Dai Mubai. He noticed a short, plump boy with red hair whom he did not recognize in today's lineup.

Tang Xuan looked at him and thought, This should be Ma Hongjun, the Evil Fire Phoenix, one of the Shrek Seven Devils.

Ma Hongjun noticed Tang Xuan too. He nudged Oscar beside him with his wrist and whispered, "Hey, is that the new student who fought Teacher Zhao yesterday? He doesn't look all that special." He's just a little better-looking than me, Ma Hongjun thought, stealing another glance at Tang Xuan.

Oscar turned his head. "That's right, it's him. Let me warn you: watch that mouth of yours. Don't run it, or no one's going to help you when you get beaten up. Also, he and Tang San are brothers. He's Tang San's older brother. Unless you want another beating, you'd better rein yourself in."

Ma Hongjun had met Tang San that morning and, thanks to his rude remarks and a few misunderstandings, had received a beating from him. Tang San's current strength was nothing like it had been when he first arrived at Shrek in the original story. After being tempered by things such as powerful soul beast bloodlines, his Blue Silver Grass was stronger than before. It was more than enough to handle Ma Hongjun's Phoenix Fire, so Ma Hongjun had been beaten badly that morning. Had Dai Mubai not happened to arrive, that fat body of his would have been done for.

At Oscar's words, Ma Hongjun's sphincter clenched, and cold sweat poured down his back. Remembering his experience that morning, he realized neither brother was someone to trifle with. To keep his head on his shoulders so he could keep eating, Ma Hongjun decided he really ought to rein himself in.

Including Tang Xuan and the other new arrivals, the academy had eight students in total, and all of them were now present. Flender swept his gaze over everyone from the platform and began to speak.

"I am the academy's dean, Flender, a level seventy-nine Agility Attack Battle Soul Saint."

"To the five new arrivals: starting today, you are students of Shrek Academy. After we dismiss, go to Teacher Li, who handles the finances, and each pay one hundred gold coins in tuition."

"Now that you are students of Shrek Academy, I don't care where you came from or what great family or powerful faction you belong to. Here at the academy, you will follow my arrangements."

"Oscar, step forward. Tell me, what is the best thing for a support-type soul master to do when encountering an enemy on the battlefield?"

"Run immediately. Staying alive comes first," Oscar answered.

"Correct. An excellent answer."

"Support-type soul masters are extremely important in team combat. To keep supporting your teammates during battle, you must stay away from the enemy and protect yourselves. You must learn to run."

"Oscar, Ning Rongrong, you two support-type soul masters will run twenty laps around the village. Finish before dinner. Oscar, lead the way."

"The rest of you are dismissed. Gather here again at dusk. Your first lesson begins tonight." Flender turned toward Tang Xuan and Tang San.

"Tang Xuan, Tang San, come with me." With that, Flender walked away.

Oscar turned to Ning Rongrong. "Follow me." He felt quite helpless too. The dean was stirring things up again. Oscar started running, with Ning Rongrong right behind him.

"Whew! Finally dismissed!" Ma Hongjun stretched lazily.

"Everyone, get some rest and prepare for tonight's training." He really felt that having Tang Xuan and the others take part in tonight's training was too soon. They had only just enrolled, and even he found tonight's training difficult. Meanwhile, Tang Xuan and Tang San followed Flender away.

In Flender's office, Flender read and reread the letter Grandmaster had sent with Tang San. Every so often, he looked up at Tang Xuan and Tang San standing before him, then propped his forehead on his hand and let out a long sigh.

He put down the letter. "Xuan, San, I haven't seen you for a few years, and your progress truly astonishes me. Especially yours, Xuan!" Flender looked at Tang Xuan, appearing rather troubled.

"Xuan, I honestly don't know what else I can teach you. The academy requires students to reach level forty before graduating, but your soul power is already at level thirty-nine. You could break through to level forty at any moment. The academy also requires you to earn a Silver Soul Badge at the Soul Fighting Arena, but you've already reached the highest rank, Purple-Gold Soul Fighting. To be honest, you could graduate from the academy right now."

"San can still deepen his theoretical knowledge here and gain some practical combat experience. But those things no longer mean much to you." Flender rubbed his forehead again. What a headache! Before, he had been desperate to get Tang Xuan into the academy. Now that Tang Xuan was here, he had nothing to teach him. Ah, what a headache.

"Then what do you have in mind, Dean?" Tang Xuan had mainly come to Shrek Academy to get acquainted with the main cast. After all, they would be the people around his younger brother in the future. Besides, he felt they were a group worth befriending.

With his hand still against his forehead, Flender suddenly had a flash of inspiration.

"How about this, Xuan? The academy will hire you as a teaching assistant, specifically to train them." Flender pointed at Tang San beside him.

Tang Xuan was thoroughly puzzled by Flender's suggestion. What's this supposed to be? Even being a student feels like a chore, and now you want me to be a teacher? Ha, not a chance!

"Dean, you're joking, right? I can't be a teacher. I'm really not suited for it." Tang Xuan hastily shook his head, refusing again and again.

Flender took Tang Xuan's refusal as modesty and automatically ignored it.

"Xuan, you have good cultivation methods, so you ought to share them. Your teacher mentioned in his letter that you once trained Tang San and Xiao Wu specifically. See? You even have experience! That's settled, then. Starting tomorrow, you'll take full charge of their training. While serving as teaching assistant, you'll retain your status as a student. You'll be both student and teacher. After your fight with Zhao Wuji, I'm sure no one will dare question you. Don't worry, I'll support you fully." As he spoke, Flender pushed Tang Xuan and Tang San out of the office and shut the door.

After being pushed out, Tang Xuan's thoughts were in disarray. Somehow, without knowing how it had happened, he had become a teacher again. At the end of the day, I'm still the academy's owner. Am I taking odd jobs from myself? Flender, you damned profiteer, you've really worked that abacus well. Just my rotten luck. Tang Xuan walked away, his face full of indignation.

Inside, Flender had worked his little abacus with exquisite precision. A monster student doubling as an instructor, and he even saved a salary. What a bargain!

Tang San remained outside the door. Did I just turn invisible again? Forget it. I'll go find Xiao Wu. He turned and left Flender's attic as well.

At dusk, the assembly bell rang again. Flender looked at the eight students before him, his expression stern. His gaze finally settled on Oscar.

"Oscar, did you finish your twenty laps?"

"I... we finished." Oscar's eyes shifted evasively, clearly betraying his guilty conscience. Come on, man, can't you sound a little more confident? Who would believe you when you say it like that?

"Are you certain you both finished?" Flender reached out and touched Oscar. The seemingly casual gesture actually sealed his soul power.

"Then run another twenty laps. You know why."

Oscar said nothing more and ran off again.

"Ning Rongrong, what about you?" Flender turned to face Ning Rongrong directly.

At this point, Tang Xuan began to look forward to what came next: the grand showdown between the demoness's true nature and the profiteer.

"Flender, you're nothing but a mere Soul Saint. What gives you the right to boss me around?" Her words left her roommates, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, deeply astonished. Was this still the modest, gentle Ning Rongrong from yesterday? She seemed like an entirely different person.

"Yes, I'm only a mere Soul Saint, but here at Shrek Academy, I have the final say. If you don't want to stay, leave immediately. I don't want to see the Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda gather dust in your hands either." Rather than getting angry, Flender smiled.

Ning Rongrong grew even more agitated at Flender's words. Looks like the Little Demoness is about to crack. You really know how to intimidate little girls, Flender. No wonder you're still a bachelor!

"You're talking nonsense! I'm the Sect's most outstanding genius! How could I let the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda gather dust?" Ning Rongrong glared straight at Flender.

Flender remained utterly unfazed and continued, "A genius? Everyone here is stronger than you. You can't even begin to compare with Tang Xuan and Tang San. Which of those three-Ma Hongjun, Xiao Wu, and Zhu Zhuqing-doesn't have higher soul power than you? Oscar, a fellow support-type soul master, is more outstanding than you too. Admit it. You're the worst of them all." Every word Flender spoke struck home like a pearl of truth.

No one had ever spoken to her like that in her entire life. Ning Rongrong broke down and shouted, "Impossible! I'm not the worst!" She ran away crying.

"Mubai, go tell Oscar to stop running. Have him comfort Ning Rongrong."

"Yes, Dean." Dai Mubai ran off to find Oscar.

"The rest of you, get ready. We're heading to the location for tonight's training." Flender glanced in the direction Ning Rongrong had run. If I didn't have Ning Fengzhi's handwritten letter, I wouldn't want to provoke this young lady.