Spirit City, the Pope's Palace.
"A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast?"
Bibi Dong set down the documents in her hands and turned her gaze to Yue Guan.
"Are you certain you weren't mistaken?"
"Old Ghost and I have both confirmed it," Yue Guan said with a bow. "A Soft Bone Rabbit that has taken human form. Her Soul Power is only in the twenties now, and she is at Shrek Academy."
Bibi Dong slowly rose to her feet.
A Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast that had yet to mature was actually hiding in a human academy?
Such an opportunity did not come often.
"Since you discovered her, why didn't you bring her straight back?"
Yue Guan took an envelope from inside his robes and presented it with both hands.
"Young Master Lin Feng already knows about this. He asked me to deliver this letter to you personally."
"Lin Feng?"
Somewhat surprised, Bibi Dong opened the envelope.
The first few lines described Lin Feng's enrollment at Shrek and his intention to remain there for the time being to temper himself.
Seeing that her disciple had already reached rank forty, Bibi Dong's eyes brightened with pleasure.
But as she read on, her expression gradually changed.
Hold off on hunting Xiao Wu for now?
Could this child have formed some sort of friendship with that Soul Beast?
The thought had barely arisen when the next passage caught her eye.
"Teacher, what your disciple wants is not merely this one Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast."
"The Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python in the Star Dou Great Forest are closely connected to this Soft Bone Rabbit. If we make proper use of her, we will have a chance to find the other two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts through her."
Bibi Dong's grip on the letter tightened slightly.
The Titan Giant Ape.
The Sky Azure Bull Python.
She naturally understood the significance of those two kinds of Soul Beast.
Only after reading the rest did she raise her head.
"Where did he get this information?"
Yue Guan shook his head.
"He didn't say."
"Not even you two know?"
"Correct."
Yue Guan hesitated briefly before adding, "However, he has indeed shown many unusual qualities lately."
"I originally intended to report all these matters to you once he had finished his training."
Bibi Dong glanced at him, then lowered her head again.
This child had certainly given her quite a few surprises on his trip.
At the end of the letter, Lin Feng once again asked her to postpone taking action.
Xiao Wu had not noticed anything yet and was still at the academy, making this the ideal time to observe her. If they seized her immediately, finding the other two Soul Beasts afterward would not be so easy.
He also specifically stressed that he had some matters to attend to and asked his teacher to give him a little time.
"He certainly has some nerve."
Bibi Dong placed the letter on the desk, a faint smile appearing at the corners of her lips.
Any other disciple who discovered a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast would probably have rushed to ask her to act.
Lin Feng, on the other hand, was actually thinking of adding two more.
"Your Holiness, what would you have us do?"
"Follow his plan for now."
Yue Guan raised his head.
Bibi Dong's smile faded, and her voice grew serious.
"Return as soon as possible and keep a close watch on that Soft Bone Rabbit with Gui Mei. Do not let her notice, and above all, do not let her slip beyond your control."
"If she notices anything amiss and prepares to flee, seize her immediately. There is no need to wait."
"Also, if Lin Feng encounters danger, protect him first. Everything else can be set aside."
"Understood."
Bibi Dong paused briefly, then added:
"As for the other two Soul Beasts, verify the information first. Do not act rashly. Once you have ascertained their whereabouts, I will arrange the manpower myself."
Yue Guan nodded solemnly.
Two Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts, and the Titan Giant Ape and Sky Azure Bull Python at that, were certainly not something he and Gui Mei could hunt on a whim.
If they truly intended to act, they had to prepare thoroughly.
"One more thing."
Bibi Dong folded the letter again.
"Tell Lin Feng that I will give him this time. But if anything changes, he must send word promptly. He is not to take risks on his own initiative."
"Yes!"
Meanwhile.
In another mountain forest.
Tang Hao stood at a fork in the path, his gaze sweeping over the ground, his expression terrifyingly dark.
A few days earlier, he had intended to return to check on Ah Yin.
But after passing through the waterfall and entering the cave, all that awaited him was a patch of dug-up soil.
Ah Yin was gone!
The place where he had hidden the Soul Bone had also been opened, and the lead box was gone as well.
Standing in the empty cave, he could scarcely believe his eyes.
This was no Soul Beast wandering in by mistake.
Whoever it was had dug up Ah Yin and had also known where the Soul Bone was hidden.
Tang Hao immediately searched the surrounding area and made inquiries in the nearby villages, but he never found any clear leads.
People regularly came and went through this mountain forest, and after several days, their footprints had long since mingled together.
He did not know who had done it, much less where Ah Yin was now.
She was still only a blade of Blue Silver Grass. What would he do if someone damaged her roots?
At that thought, Tang Hao slowly clenched his fists.
Whoever it was, he would find them!
For the past few days, he had been traveling between the nearby villages and towns and had not returned to Shrek Academy.
Shrek Academy.
"Lin Feng, what complaints do you have now?"
Flender stood at the dining hall entrance, looking at the youth before him, veins faintly bulging on his forehead.
Over the past few days, he had truly learned just how much trouble this new student could stir up.
On the first day, Lin Feng complained that the boards of his dormitory bed were loose, had someone fetch timber, repaired it himself, then brought Flender the bill for the wood.
On the second day, he discovered that the meals barely changed from day to day and took Oscar with him to speak to the person in charge of cooking.
And today, he had stopped Flender again to ask exactly where the academy's tuition fees were going.
"Dean, I just wanted to ask whether the dining hall could buy some more meat."
Lin Feng pointed at the steamed buns and thin rice porridge on the table.
"We can fill our stomachs, sure, but everyone exerts themselves so much every day. How can our bodies keep up if this is all we have to replenish ourselves?"
Flender glared at him.
"The academy has its own arrangements."
"Then those arrangements should include some meat and eggs, shouldn't they? We can't eat like this every meal."
Behind Lin Feng, Oscar nodded instinctively at his words, then quickly lowered his head when he noticed Flender looking over.
Flender took a deep breath. In the end, he pulled a few Gold Soul Coins from inside his robes and handed them to the person in charge of cooking.
"Prepare more from now on."
With that, he turned and left.
He couldn't keep talking to this brat Lin Feng.
Otherwise, before long, he would even be questioning the expenses for Flender's office!
Watching Flender leave, Oscar could not help giving Lin Feng a thumbs-up.
"You really dare to say it."
"I paid tuition. Asking for better food isn't too much, is it?"
Lin Feng smiled, picked up his bowl, and continued eating.
On the evening of the sixth day.
Lin Feng had just closed his door when two soft sounds came from outside the window.
He walked over and opened it. Yue Guan was already standing outside.
"Elder Ju, what did Teacher say?"
"Her Holiness agreed."
Yue Guan entered the room and relayed Bibi Dong's instructions one by one.
After hearing him out, Lin Feng finally felt assured.
At least for the coming stretch of time, he would not have to worry about Xiao Wu suddenly being captured and disrupting his original arrangements.
"Also, stir up less trouble."
Yue Guan glanced at him.
"Old Ghost says you haven't settled down once these past few days."
Lin Feng gave a dry chuckle.
"I'm just attending school normally and exchanging a few ideas."
Yue Guan snorted irritably, and his figure soon vanished beyond the window.
Lin Feng closed the window and sat back down at the desk.
The matter with Bibi Dong had been settled.
Now, all that remained was to wait for Oscar to break through to rank thirty.