Zhang Yang had a dream last night.
In the dream, Tang Ya had come over to visit late at night.
They had studied and discussed the details of the Tang Sect's recruitment drive for the following day, and the atmosphere had grown quite heated.
As they talked, she had started complaining about her boyfriend again, comparing Bei Bei to Zhang Yang. The more she thought about it, the more annoyed she became.
After that, Zhang Yang couldn't remember much. He only recalled a woman's voice echoing in his mind, though he wasn't sure if it was the system's. The two of them seemed to have been "sparring."
[You used the Law of Devouring. Your Soul Power increased.] [The other party used the Devouring Talent. Your stamina decreased.] [Your Law of Devouring was stronger than the other party's Devouring Talent. You won. Your Soul Power is temporarily stored in your Martial Soul and will burst forth after you obtain a Soul Ring.]
Zhang Yang couldn't make sense of it...
Not until he woke from his deep sleep early the next morning.
He noticed a piece of underwear in Blue Silver Grass colors lying by the bed.
Who had left this thing behind? The answer was beyond doubt. In any case, it couldn't have been Tang San...
Nonsense! Of course it belonged to Tang Ya!
It dawned on Zhang Yang that last night hadn't been a dream at all!
He felt the warmth lingering in the bed. That girl probably hadn't been gone long.
She had probably felt guilty and fled in such a hurry that she had forgotten to take even this important piece of "equipment," leaving it as Zhang Yang's spoils of war.
He picked up the Blue Silver Grass-colored garment and put it away for the time being, intending to return it when he had the chance. Then he waited until it was time to head out.
She had already paid him, so he naturally had to put in the work today.
A little unexpectedly, though, Tang Ya herself didn't show up.
Perhaps she had "fled in utter defeat" last night and was too embarrassed to face Zhang Yang, or perhaps she was simply too tired.
With no other choice, the "image ambassador" took charge of recruitment, with Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong'er, and Xiao Xiao assisting, while their homeroom teacher, Zhou Yi, kept things under control.
It was worth mentioning that Bei Bei hadn't come either.
Zhang Yang even wondered whether the two of them were breaking up.
But in any case, the Tang Sect's recruitment drive went relatively smoothly.
In fact, today was more like a fan meet-and-greet. The vast majority had come for Zhang Yang himself.
Fortunately, Shrek had some students without influential backgrounds, and they finally managed to talk more than a dozen into joining. Compared with the Tang Sect's original size, it had grown severalfold.
"Strange. Teacher Xiao Ya actually missed something this important." Huo Yuhao was quite surprised. This wasn't like Tang Ya at all.
"Senior Brother Bei Bei didn't come either. It really is strange. Could something have happened?" Wang Dong'er was more perceptive. As she spoke, she gave Zhang Yang an almost imperceptible glance.
If there was a problem between the two of them,
then the culprit could only be this bad guy.
After her affection reached 60, the way Wang Dong'er looked at Zhang Yang had also become slightly more aggressive.
Unlike Tang Ya, however, she knew that Zhang Yang and Xiao Xiao were dating, so she hesitated without thinking.
No matter what, Xiao Xiao was a good sister to her. Stealing someone else's man was far too wicked, and Wang Dong'er couldn't feel right about it.
But... every time she looked at Zhang Yang,
that resolve would waver without her realizing it.
As a result, she had been distracted throughout the Tang Sect's recruitment drive today and had even nearly made a mistake.
"Wang Dong, are you all right? Are you sick too?" Xiao Xiao looked at her in confusion and asked with concern. She still didn't know that Wang Dong was a girl.
"It's nothing. Maybe I just got tired from all the work. Go keep Zhang Yang company. He's leaving with Eldest Senior Sister tomorrow." Wang Dong'er pretended to be calm and deliberately teased her to divert her attention.
At the mention of Eldest Senior Sister, Xiao Xiao's face immediately fell.
She had experienced firsthand just how charming Zhang Yang was.
What was more, the two had known each other before, and Zhang Lexuan had even used her authority to secure him a place at Shrek.
The two of them must be incredibly close. With a man and a woman going out alone together this time, she wouldn't believe nothing would happen.
But the problem was that obtaining a Soul Ring was too important.
Even if she was uneasy, she had no reason to stop him.
Since Wang Dong'er had brought it up, Xiao Xiao went ahead and asked, "What do you think I should do?"
That stumped Wang Dong'er. I'm worried about it myself. Why ask me? She shook her head with a wry smile. "Just let nature take its course."
That really was what she thought.
There was no doubt about Zhang Yang's charm.
But because of that, there was simply no solution to be found.
If a man wasn't outstanding, she wouldn't be interested. If he was too outstanding, there would be too many rivals to count.
Was she supposed to confess to Xiao Xiao that she was actually a girl too, and that she liked Zhang Yang, then suggest the two of them share him equally?
Forget it... I'll think about it later.
Wang Dong'er's head ached, and she stopped thinking about it.
Beside her, Xiao Xiao couldn't help scratching her head at those words. She would just let nature take its course, then.
Her boyfriend wasn't leaving until tomorrow, so they could still go on a date today. She would enjoy herself first and consider everything else afterward.
After all, she was still the official girlfriend for now, so Zhang Yang naturally wouldn't refuse. They spent the whole day together like that.
Unfortunately, though Xiao Xiao was precocious, she wasn't as "understanding" as Tang Ya and couldn't bring herself to make a night raid on her boyfriend.
The night before his departure was instead quite uneventful.
Zhang Yang went to sleep early, resting up as he waited to obtain his Soul Ring.
At the same time, in the Shrek Inner Court, Zhang Lexuan couldn't sleep.
She sat alone by Sea Lake, the moon overhead casting a halo of light across her lovely face.
Suddenly, a faint sound came from behind her. She turned to see an old man with a hunched back and one foot in the grave approaching through the air.
"Lexuan, still awake? If I remember correctly, you're taking Zhang Yang to the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow?" Mu En stopped nearby, a trace of helplessness in his voice.
"Yes, Elder Mu. There happens to be a mission to kill an Evil Soul Master nearby, so I'll get him a Soul Ring on the way." Zhang Lexuan's eyes flickered. Clearly, her words didn't reflect what she really thought.
Hearing this, Mu En's lips curved upward.
What does she mean, getting Zhang Yang a Soul Ring on the way?
If you ask me, that mission to kill an Evil Soul Master is what's really "on the way," isn't it?
"If you've already made up your mind, then follow your heart... But remember to keep your guard up. That boy isn't very honest."
With that, Mu En vanished from the spot.
It seemed he had come all this way just to say that.
Zhang Lexuan smiled faintly and didn't pay it much mind.
Instead, she thought that with Zhang Yang being so charming, exceptionally talented, and possessing such an outstanding bearing, wouldn't it be strange if he were honest?
As a woman traditional enough to be willing to become a child bride, she didn't mind such things much, as long as he liked her too.
That handsome face appeared in her mind, and she recalled how it had felt to spend time with him not long ago. Zhang Lexuan rose, returned to her dormitory, and went to her wardrobe.
She carefully picked out the clothes she should take this time.
Yet she discovered to her dismay that she hadn't paid attention to such things before.
She really didn't have many outfits suitable for spending time alone with a certain someone, and it was too late to buy any now.
Forget it. I'll rely on my own charm! Zhang Lexuan firmly believed that Bei Bei didn't know a treasure when he saw one, but Zhang Yang most certainly did!
She packed a few things and slept for several hours.
At the first hint of dawn, she got up full of spirit.
Wearing an outer robe suited for combat, her glossy black hair pinned up and a touch of makeup on her face, she headed straight for the academy gates...