With Xiong Shaoqing so immersed in his everyday life, wasn't he afraid Tang San would fully spread his wings at Shrek Academy, then double back to strike?
More than a dozen li south of Suotuo City stood a dilapidated village.
This was Shrek Academy, which claimed to "accept only monsters."
Dust billowed over the dirt training ground.
Under Yu Xiaogang's theoretical guidance and the hellish training of Dean Flender and Vice Dean Zhao Wuji, Shrek Academy's new students were running with weights to push past their physical limits.
The runners were scattered loosely across the field.
Dai Mubai ran at the front. Ever since he had been caught cheating at the Rose Hotel and his fiancée had resolutely left him, he had fallen into a frenzy. Like an enraged beast, he vented the wicked fire in his heart through self-torturous training, day and night.
Behind him were Ma Hongjun, brimming with Evil Fire, a panting Oscar, and Ning Rongrong, the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's little princess, who, despite all her pride, had no choice but to grit her teeth and endure under Flender's pressure.
Tang San carried a bamboo basket filled with stones on his back. Sweat slid down his cheeks and dripped into the yellow earth.
He gasped for breath, but his gaze passed over the academy's dilapidated wooden fence toward distant Suotuo City.
On the face that usually wore a gentle, modest smile, the corners of his mouth now curled into a chillingly sinister arc in the unnoticed shadows.
Judging by the time, the Bloodhand Mercenary Corps should have succeeded long ago.
Tang San calculated inwardly, circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill through his body to ease his aching muscles, while a twisted delight surged in his heart.
Ten whole Soul Elders who lived by licking blood off their blades, equipped with the Armor-Piercing Repeating Crossbows and poisoned Fine Steel Nets he had specifically requested.
Even a genuine Soul Ancestor would lose a layer of skin against a killing formation of that caliber.
How could Xiong Shaoqing, a piece of trash only in the teens, possibly survive?
Bloody images of Xiong Shaoqing being hacked apart by a flurry of blades and dying miserably in the street had already begun surfacing in Tang San's mind.
He felt not the slightest guilt. Instead, he considered it only natural.
A fallen noble who could do nothing but deceive young girls with honeyed words, dying in a street vendetta-this was the fate Xiong Shaoqing deserved for not knowing the height of heaven or the depth of earth.
If anyone was to blame, it was Xiong Shaoqing himself for daring to lay hands on the woman Tang San had set his sights on.
Tang San licked his cracked lips, a sanctimonious gleam flashing in his eyes.
Xiao Wu is innocent by nature. If I don't clear away scum with ulterior motives like him, she'll suffer terribly sooner or later.
Carrying out heaven's justice like this is also to protect her innocence for life. My methods might be a little ruthless, but those who accomplish great things don't fuss over trifles. For Xiao Wu's future, what does bearing this little bit of bloodshed matter?
In his heart, he perfectly repackaged the vile act of murdering another person as a noble sacrifice to "uphold justice," moving himself beyond measure.
What a pity I couldn't see that brat's wretched face as he knelt and begged for mercy before dying.
Tang San secretly gritted his teeth.
Shrek Academy operated under closed-campus management, and Flender and Zhao Wuji were notoriously strict. During the new students' first week, no one was allowed to leave without permission.
For now, he was trapped here.
But it doesn't matter. Dead men can't run away.
Tang San took a deep breath and calmed his twisted state of mind. Having witnessed that brat's miserable death firsthand, Xiao Wu must now be distraught, lonely, and helpless.
When a girl was at her most vulnerable and desperate, what she needed most was a broad shoulder to lean on.
Chapter 38: Entering the Star Dou Great Forest Again
Tang San had already rehearsed the script for their reunion in his mind.
I'll wait another two days. Once this round of hellish training ends, I'll find an excuse to request leave, or use the Tang Sect Lightness Skill to sneak into Suotuo City at midnight.
Then I'll pretend I've only just heard the terrible news and go to the inn to find Xiao Wu.
He would comfort Xiao Wu in the gentlest voice and tell her how treacherous the world was.
He would make Xiao Wu understand that only his hidden weapons, only he, her true Brother San, could be the towering tree she could depend on for the rest of her life.
At the thought of Xiao Wu having no choice in the future but to curl up in his arms like a frightened rabbit and obey his every word,
all of Tang San's exhaustion seemed to vanish, and even his weighted running steps grew lighter.
He believed he had laid out a flawless game of chess, toying with everyone in the palm of his hand.
Yet never in his wildest dreams could he have imagined.
At this very moment, in that warm room at the Listening Snow Inn in Suotuo City,
Xiong Shaoqing, whom he wished he could cut into a thousand pieces, was reclining against soft pillows, eating tangerines Xiao Wu had peeled and enjoying Zhu Zhuqing's gentle care as she changed his dressing, comfortably living like an immortal.
With a vicious, venomous grin plastered across his face, Tang San sprinted step by step toward the edge of a cliff.
Five days later.
The snowstorm over Suotuo City finally cleared, and the accumulated snow began to melt.
With his foundation of overflowing level 20 Soul Power, along with Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing's attentive care without leaving his side over the past few days, the penetrating wound in Xiong Shaoqing's left shoulder healed remarkably quickly, leaving only a dark red scar.
That afternoon, outside the Listening Snow Inn.
With the two girls, Xiong Shaoqing first visited Hanmo Publishing House.
He slapped a thick stack of manuscripts for the continuation of "Chinese Paladin" onto the table. Boss Qian's face flushed with excitement. The advance edition had been released over the past few days, and sales had hit a new high.
Boss Qian grinned from ear to ear. After deducting the hundred Gold Soul Coins advanced earlier, he handed over another five hundred Gold Soul Coins in profit shares.
Xiong Shaoqing merely hefted the heavy money pouch casually before stuffing it into the coarse cloth bundle he carried, his face expressionless.
His expression retained its unshakable indifference as he turned and left with the two girls, heading straight out of the city.
He hired a spacious carriage for the three of them.
Thick cushions lined the carriage, and a small brazier stood in the center. Xiong Shaoqing sat in the main seat, arms folded over his chest, resting with his eyes closed.
Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing sat on either side. Although the carriage was spacious, the jolting inevitably brought occasional light contact between them.
With his eyes closed, Xiong Shaoqing outwardly looked cold as ice, like an old monk deep in meditation. In reality, his inner dirty-old-pervert radar was already operating at full power.
On his left was Xiao Wu's sweet fragrance, carrying hints of sunshine and grass. On his right was Zhu Zhuqing's faint, cool scent that warned strangers to keep away.
Occasionally, when the carriage swayed, he could even feel the brush of silken clothing...
Xiong Shaoqing cackled shamelessly inside. Now this is the treatment a transmigrator deserves.
In my previous life, I couldn't even find room to stand on a crowded bus. Now I've chartered a carriage to take two peerless beauties for a ride.
Steady. I'm a deep, brooding God King now. I absolutely cannot open my eyes. If I look in the wrong place the moment I do, my aloof persona will be finished.
Toward evening, the carriage arrived at a small town on the outskirts of the Star Dou Great Forest.
The three of them entered the boundless primeval forest on foot.
The moment they entered the forest, the atmosphere among the group changed.
Xiao Wu seemed to have returned home. Although she did her utmost to conceal it, her steps became much lighter.
Zhu Zhuqing's nerves, however, instantly stretched taut.
Her Hell Spirit Cat Martial Soul gave her not only speed, but also an exceptionally keen sensitivity to danger.
She took the initiative to walk at the front, her black, form-fitting clothes blending into the dim woods as her cool eyes scanned every surrounding shadow like radar.
"Zhu Zhuqing, come back."
Xiong Shaoqing's cold, hard voice sounded behind her.
Zhu Zhuqing paused and looked back, a little puzzled. "Danger lurks in the forest. My Soul Power is higher than yours, and I'm an agility attack-type. I should scout ahead and keep watch."
"Your task right now is to stay close to me." Xiong Shaoqing stepped forward and passed her without allowing any argument, his tall, straight back taking the foremost position. "I'm not dead yet. It's not a woman's turn to be my shield. Stay behind me and talk less."
Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily choked by his blunt words, but as she looked at the freshly healed scar on his left shoulder, warmth flickered in her eyes. Silently, she moved to his side, half a step behind.
Night fell.
The three made camp beneath a wind-sheltered rock near a water source.
Xiong Shaoqing lit a campfire and deftly dressed a low-ranking, antelope-like Soul Beast he had hunted along the way.
He cut the meat into chunks, threaded them onto washed branches, and turned them over the campfire.
Before long, the roasting meat's surface turned golden and crisp. Fat dripped onto the coals with a sizzling sound, and an enticing meaty fragrance instantly filled the camp.
"Here." Xiong Shaoqing handed the two girls the two most tender skewers, without a single burnt spot. He took a skewer of scraps for himself, bit into it, and chewed expressionlessly.
After dinner, the night grew deeper.
The nights in the Star Dou Great Forest were accompanied by the chilling roars of all kinds of Soul Beasts.
Zhu Zhuqing sat beside the fire with her knees hugged to her chest, watching their surroundings warily. Although tired, she stubbornly refused to close her eyes.
The poisoned-crossbow ambush a few days earlier had left her unable to sleep peacefully in an unfamiliar place.
Xiong Shaoqing added a handful of firewood and leaned against the rock, sinking into his Sea of Consciousness to summon the Destiny Diary. After weighing the difference in combat strength between the two sides, he decided to take the "domineering husband protecting his wife against higher-level foes" approach:
[I've entered the Star Dou Great Forest again. The air is filled with the scent of slaughter and blood.]
[Beside the campfire, that girl Zhu Zhuqing is hugging her knees like a frightened cat. She's accustomed to treating every shadow as an enemy, and even subconsciously wanted to walk at the front to scout for me.
[I know both she and Xiao Wu currently have Soul Power above level thirty. Compared with someone like me who's only just reached level twenty, they're indeed far ahead.]
[But so what?]
[If, in this man's body, I could still hide behind girls with a clear conscience and let them tread on landmines, that would truly be the greatest joke under heaven.]
[Once I obtain my second Soul Ring tomorrow, I'll be able to further awaken the remaining origin foundation deep within my divine soul. Then, with the combat instincts tempered a thousand times over in my previous life, I'll have the strength to fight even a high-ranking Soul Ancestor beyond my level]
With the final stroke, Xiong Shaoqing cut off his thoughts.
Across the dancing campfire, he gazed into the distance with seemingly profound eyes. In truth, his peripheral vision was fixed entirely on Zhu Zhuqing's long, straight legs illuminated by the firelight.
Incredible. Those long legs, that figure. Those supermodels from my previous life were nothing in comparison.
Xiong Shaoqing inwardly swallowed. This diary entry is going for the hardcore domineering CEO style.
There should be very few women who can resist such a commanding declaration.
Sure enough, Zhu Zhuqing's body abruptly trembled on the other side of the fire.
She read the diary appearing in her mind. The line, "If I hid behind girls and let them tread on landmines, that would truly be the greatest joke under heaven," pierced straight through her hardened façade.
Chapter 39: A Cat and a Picture Join Forces
She had originally thought Xiong Shaoqing had snapped at her during the day because of his male chauvinism.
Only now did she understand. Although this man's current Soul Power was inferior to hers, in his heart, she would always be the girl who needed protecting.
He possessed not only the confidence to risk his life against stronger opponents, but also the backbone to never let a woman take a blade for him.
He had given them the best-roasted meat, and now he would drag his barely recovered body through a night of keeping watch for them.
Zhu Zhuqing raised her head and gazed steadily across the campfire at the man leaning against the rock.
"All right."
Zhu Zhuqing suddenly spoke softly. For once, she did not insist on keeping watch. Instead, she obediently wrapped her cloak tightly around herself, leaned beside Xiao Wu, and closed those eyes that were always full of wariness.
Because she knew that as long as this man was here, this forest riddled with danger was the safest fortress in the world.
[Ding! Detected that Zhu Zhuqing has completely lowered her defenses, entrusting her life and trust entirely to the host! Bond Points permanently locked] [System feedback: Soul Power Experience Pool continues to fill] [Current overflow level: three levels]
Listening to the crisp notifications in his mind, Xiong Shaoqing's lips curved slightly as he forcibly suppressed the urge to throw back his head and howl.
Everything is ready; all that's missing is the east wind. Tomorrow, it'll be time to find a second Soul Ring worthy of my invincible Archaic Heaven-Shaking Bear Martial Soul.
A lingering layer of cold, damp morning mist shrouded the Star Dou Great Forest at dawn.
Treading over thick fallen leaves, the three continued deeper toward the boundary between the outer region and the mixed zone.
Xiong Shaoqing walked in the middle, holding his Archaic Heaven-Shaking Bear Martial Soul's presence ready but unreleased, constantly sensing the movements around them.
"Roar."
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