"Lu Qian, get serious! We're in the middle of a fight here!"
Zhao Wuji spoke irritably to Lu Qian, who stood a short distance away.
Tang San, off to the side, felt even more conflicted.
He had been so furious over Xiao Wu's injury that he had challenged Zhao Wuji himself, even staking their eligibility to enter Shrek Academy on it.
And this clearly should have been a tragic, heroic affair-or at the very least, a very serious one.
But wasn't Lu Qian's beaming demeanor a little out of place right now?
Besides, nothing about Lu Qian's condition suggested he was injured at all.
Tang San knitted his brows, beginning to question Lu Qian's true strength.
"Sorry, Teacher Zhao. You two carry on. I'll keep a lower profile."
Lu Qian hurriedly turned and offered an apologetic smile.
Zhao Wuji glared at Lu Qian, then said to Tang San:
"All right, let's continue."
"Yes, Teacher Zhao."
After offering Zhao Wuji that apologetic smile, Lu Qian immediately took Zhu Zhuqing's small hand and led her to a secluded spot nearby.
The delighted surprise had yet to fade from Zhu Zhuqing's little face when two rosy clouds rose to her cheeks.
Gently freeing herself from Lu Qian's large hand, Zhu Zhuqing couldn't help asking:
"How come you're here?"
"Would you believe me if I said I was waiting for you?"
Lu Qian spoke with a faint smile.
"Really?"
Zhu Zhuqing's beautiful eyes flickered as she looked up at Lu Qian.
Was this boy before me really someone fate had arranged?
Their first meeting had come at Zhu Zhuqing's most heartbroken moment. Faced with the womanizing Dai Mubai, her heart had been like dead ashes. Yet just then, Lu Qian had appeared and given that bastard Dai Mubai a harsh lesson.
Although she didn't know exactly why Lu Qian had helped her, Zhu Zhuqing had indeed felt grateful, and nothing more.
During their subsequent conversation, Lu Qian had expressed his feelings, and Zhu Zhuqing had somehow muddled her way into agreeing to his seven-day wager.
During that time, Lu Qian's carefree manner had left a deep impression on Zhu Zhuqing.
The reason Zhu Zhuqing had been so delighted to see Lu Qian was actually quite simple: before this, she had already left Suotuo City, intending to return to the Star Luo Empire.
But for some reason, Zhu Zhuqing had ultimately turned back, come to Shrek Academy, and met Lu Qian.
"This time, you have to believe in fate, don't you?"
Delighted, Lu Qian held his hand out before Zhu Zhuqing. She glanced at him, her little face flushing crimson again, so shy that she didn't know what to do.
The words of that "most miraculous fortune-teller in Suotuo City" kept flashing through her mind:
"Your road to love is fraught with hardship. Unless you can face your heart and follow fate's arrangements, you will never find happiness in this lifetime."
Did following fate's arrangements mean Lu Qian, standing right here before me?
At that moment, Zhu Zhuqing's gaze suddenly grew ardent. Lu Qian could clearly sense that she seemed to have made some sort of decision.
Naturally, Lu Qian wouldn't let such a good opportunity slip away. He pulled Zhu Zhuqing forcefully into his arms and leaned down to kiss her little mouth.
Meanwhile, unable to break free, Zhu Zhuqing even closed her eyes!
Yet just as Lu Qian was about to succeed, two ill-timed voices suddenly rang out.
"Stop!"
"Stop!"
Hearing someone speak, Zhu Zhuqing immediately broke free of Lu Qian's embrace, while Lu Qian, whose pleasant moment had been interrupted, looked toward the two with utter impatience.
His eyes were filled with thoughts of knifing someone.
Lu Qian had recognized both of them from their voices alone. One was Ning Rongrong, and the other was Dai Mubai.
Ning Rongrong's gaze toward Lu Qian was extremely hostile. How to put it-it felt rather like a wealthy woman catching the pretty boy she kept running off to find true love.
As for Dai Mubai, his gaze was even more hostile. As the saying went, the murder of one's father and the theft of one's wife were hatreds that left no room to share the same sky.
Yet Lu Qian had actually just tried to put a cuckold's green hat on him right before his eyes!
Even if Dai Mubai truly didn't like Zhu Zhuqing, he still had his dignity!
Faced with Dai Mubai and Ning Rongrong eyeing him like tigers, Lu Qian might not have cared himself, but for Zhu Zhuqing's sake, he could endure it.
"All right, all right, let's go take the fourth trial. Let's get into Shrek Academy first."
"Mm."
Hiding behind Lu Qian, Zhu Zhuqing answered in a voice as faint as a mosquito's buzz.
"Lu Qian! What is your relationship with her?!"
At last, Ning Rongrong couldn't hold back her outburst.
"Can't you tell?"
Lu Qian raised their clasped hands.
"You're ruthless!"
Ning Rongrong turned around, ready to leave.
Dai Mubai suddenly thought this might be a good opportunity to disgust Lu Qian, so he stepped straight into Ning Rongrong's path.
But before he could even speak, Ning Rongrong cursed at him:
"Get lost!"
Her Little Demoness temperament was laid utterly bare.
Seeing Dai Mubai fail to steal the chicken only to lose his rice as well, Lu Qian couldn't help laughing aloud.
Zhu Zhuqing didn't want to see Dai Mubai, so she had remained hidden behind Lu Qian.
At this moment, faced with Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, Lu Qian had to make a choice.
And his reason for choosing Zhu Zhuqing first was simple: Ning Rongrong's temperament had to be worn down, or his wish to share one big bed with them would never come true!
While Lu Qian was staging a grand romantic drama, Tang San was genuinely fighting for his life.
Of course, the miserable part wasn't that Tang San was fighting for his life, but that nobody was paying any attention to him while he did!
When Lu Qian looked toward the battlefield again, all he heard was Zhao Wuji's furious roar:
"Are you a hedgehog?!"
Zhao Wuji had grown somewhat angry. A low growl escaped his mouth, and his fifth Soul Ring, gleaming a deep black, suddenly lit up.
His mighty roar shook all of Shrek Academy. This was the fifth Soul Skill of Zhao Wuji's Great Strength Vajra Bear Martial Soul, Gravity Crush!
In the midst of battle, Tang San felt tremendous pressure coming from every direction at once. His body hurtled uncontrollably toward Zhao Wuji, and the pressure surrounding him seemed about to crush his body to pieces.
This force was already beyond what Tang San could withstand at present. This was the fifth Soul Skill of a mighty Soul Saint!
Bam!
With a dull thud, Zhao Wuji sent Tang San flying, and he landed squarely beside Xiao Wu.
Pfft!
Tang San couldn't help coughing up blood. He was already powerless to fight again.
There were two fairly crucial reasons why this battle had ended so early.
First, Tang San's arm was injured, which severely affected his ability to display his strength as a Hidden Weapon master.
Second, Tang San didn't have the piece of hair crystal Lu Qian had bought ahead of him to make those ten extremely important Dragon Whisker Needles!
Although Zhao Wuji looked somewhat dusty and disheveled at this point, he was nowhere near as miserable as he had been in the original plot.
Before you continue