Shrek's Auditing Student

Hearing Zhu Zhuqing's indifferent answer beside him, Yu Tianshuang's gaze darkened. Killing intent spilled from his long, narrow eyes as he stared at the blond man downstairs, who had a woman in each arm.

Seemingly sensing the killing intent Yu Tianshuang was giving off upstairs, the blond man and the blue-clad youth both looked up.

Under Yu Tianshuang's murderous gaze, an instinctive thought arose in the blond man's heart. Run. Run, quickly.

But the next moment, he forced himself to calm down, shook his head, and looked at Yu Tianshuang again.

Then he noticed the girl in black and purple beside Yu Tianshuang. The stirring of his Martial Soul made his heart tighten.

"No way... what are the chances..."

The blue-clad youth noticed that the stern youth upstairs was not looking at him. He composed himself and turned back to the blond man across from him.

"Tang San. Martial Soul: Blue Silver Grass. Level 29 Control System Battle Soul Grandmaster. Please enlighten me."

Hearing the blue-clad youth's words, the blond man forced himself to focus and summoned his Martial Soul.

"Dai Mubai. Martial Soul: White Tiger. Level 37 Power Attack System Battle Soul Elder."

"Blue Silver Grass?" Dai Mubai smiled disdainfully.

The cute girl in pink grew anxious and hurriedly said, "What? Are you looking down on Blue Silver Grass?"

The blue-clad youth followed up on her words. "There are no trash Martial Souls, only trash Soul Masters."

Dai Mubai agreed and repeated the words.

A fight between the two was on the verge of breaking out, and the hotel owner had already hidden behind the counter.

Then Yu Tianshuang's voice came from upstairs. "There are no trash Martial Souls? Only trash Soul Masters? In my opinion, wouldn't it make more sense the other way around? 'There are only trash Soul Masters, no trash Martial Souls' sounds better."

After speaking, Yu Tianshuang glanced at Zhu Zhuqing beside him, then jumped down.

He touched down on one foot, his hands behind his back. A breeze from somewhere lifted the hem of his clothes and stirred the bangs over his forehead.

"So handsome..." The girl in pink could not help murmuring as she watched Yu Tianshuang descend so gracefully.

The blue-clad youth fell into thought upon hearing Yu Tianshuang's words. There are only trash Soul Masters, no trash Martial Souls. That runs completely counter to Teacher's theory, but on closer thought, it seems to fit Teacher rather well. Wait, how can I think that about Teacher?

He shook his head, clearing the jumbled thoughts from his mind, and focused on Yu Tianshuang, who had floated down from downstairs.

Then Yu Tianshuang formed an ice-blue longsword in his hand and gave it a swing. "Take one sword strike from me," he said to Dai Mubai, "and I'll give you my room."

Seeing Yu Tianshuang, who had been beside Zhu Zhuqing, come down so ostentatiously and treat him with such contempt, Dai Mubai could not help snapping, "Arrogant brat! Fine, your Grandpa Dai will take one sword strike from you."

Thinking of Yu Tianshuang being with Zhu Zhuqing left a bad taste in Dai Mubai's mouth. He wanted to use this chance to teach Yu Tianshuang a lesson.

With a casual swing, a streak of ice-blue sword Qi flew from the longsword in Yu Tianshuang's hand, slashing swiftly toward Dai Mubai.

Before the sword Qi Yu Tianshuang had unleashed even reached him, Dai Mubai felt its keen edge and bone-piercing chill. Not daring to be careless, he hurriedly used his defensive measure.

"First Soul Skill, White Tiger Protection Barrier."

Clang! The sound of metal striking metal rang out in front of Dai Mubai. The ice-blue sword Qi then broke through his defense and struck him, freezing him in an instant.

Ignoring the stunned reactions of the people around him, Yu Tianshuang let the longsword in his hand dissipate and looked up at Zhu Zhuqing.

"Let's eat first. Come on."

Upstairs, Zhu Zhuqing had covered her little mouth with her delicate hand, an expression of surprise on her face. Hearing Yu Tianshuang, she came to her senses, answered "Mm," and went downstairs toward him.

"You can go check in now."

After saying that to Tang San and the cute girl in pink beside him, Yu Tianshuang walked out of the hotel side by side with Zhu Zhuqing.

Inside a restaurant in Suotuo City, the atmosphere between the two sitting across the table from each other grew a little awkward again. Yu Tianshuang finally spoke. "You came looking for that man named Dai Mubai, didn't you?"

Zhu Zhuqing grew a little uncomfortable and, with a trace of fear that Yu Tianshuang might misunderstand, said, "Yes. He's the fiancé my family arranged for me. I heard about what he'd been doing here when I was still in the Star Luo Empire, but I never imagined he'd be even worse than that. I'm so disappointed in him."

Yu Tianshuang pondered for a moment. "Can you tell me your story?"

"I live in a family without affection or warmth. The only thing valued in that family is one's usefulness. Before the family's interests, 'ties of blood' are pale and cheap."

"From the moment I was born, my fate seemed to have been decided. I was destined to become a stepping stone for my older sister, then a discarded pawn once I'd been used up, just as you heard. But I couldn't accept it, so I risked my life to escape. I want to live, then work hard to grow stronger and break the shackles of fate."

"The person you defeated at the hotel just now is my fiancé. His fate is the same as mine, but he actually chose to fall into depravity. I originally wanted to find him, wake him up, and break free of fate together with him. But now I'm powerless. I can't see the slightest possibility or hope in him."

After falling into her memories for a while, Zhu Zhuqing spoke slowly and calmly, as though telling someone else's story.

As Zhu Zhuqing slowly explained what had happened, Yu Tianshuang thought for a moment and said, "If that's the case, I don't think there's much hope in finding him either. You and he are already younger than your sister and his brother, and he's so absorbed in wine and women, with no desire to improve. I think you should find another way."

Zhu Zhuqing was at a loss. She had risked her life to escape the Star Luo Empire and come here to find Dai Mubai, hoping they could work together to find a sliver of a chance to survive. But after seeing the reality, she was utterly disappointed in him. Now she did not know what to do. Did she really have to submit to fate?

Silence fell over the table until the server brought their dishes.

Zhu Zhuqing had not eaten for a day and a night. Looking at the food on the table, she heard her little stomach give a treacherous grumble.

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing clutching her stomach, her face red and her head lowered in embarrassment, Yu Tianshuang laughed heartily. "Don't think so much about it for now. Fill your stomach first."

Zhu Zhuqing picked up some food and placed it in her bowl, her pretty face red. "Put this meal on my tab too. I-I'll pay you back for it later."

With that, she ignored Yu Tianshuang, lowered her head, and began eating quickly in small bites.

Early the next morning, the two prepared to head to Shrek Academy. As it happened, Tang San and the cute girl in pink also came downstairs. During a conversation with the readily familiar Xiao Wu, they learned that the two were also headed to Shrek Academy, so all four set off together.

"Heavens, Third Brother, look at that little village. Look, surely that sign doesn't really say Shrek Academy?"

The cute girl in pink, Xiao Wu, looked at the words "Shrek Academy" on the sign at the little village with a face full of disdain and asked in disbelief.

"This should be the right place, Xiao Wu. You can't judge things by their appearance alone. Teacher must have been right to send me here. He has his reasons."

Tang San also had some difficulty hiding his embarrassment, but he went on to comfort Xiao Wu and reassure himself.

"This... Zhu Zhuqing, are you sure? I explained it very clearly to you on the way here. You..."

"Although that trash has fallen into depravity, the fact that he was willing to stay at this academy for so long shows it must have something special about it."

Though shocked by the rundown village academy before her, Zhu Zhuqing spoke to reassure herself.

As the long line gradually dwindled, Yu Tianshuang and the others reached the front.

The old man in charge of registration at the gate was actually a Soul Emperor. It seemed Shrek Academy did have a few tricks up its sleeve.

Just then, Tang San and Xiao Wu successfully registered amid a chorus of astonishment. Yu Tianshuang also noticed Dai Mubai glaring fixedly at him from beside the Soul Emperor in charge of registration.

Ignoring Dai Mubai's gaze, Yu Tianshuang waited until Zhu Zhuqing had successfully registered, then slowly asked, "Teacher, do you accept auditing students here?"

The Soul Emperor looked surprised, then raised his head to look at Yu Tianshuang. "We do. Double tuition, and of course, double the registration fee too."

After paying double the registration fee and passing, Yu Tianshuang said to Zhu Zhuqing, "Go take the test with Tang San and the others first. I'm waiting for someone here."

"It's all right. I'll wait with you. There's no hurry."

"Third Brother, let's wait with Brother Tianshuang too."

"All right. We have nothing else to do, and it's still early. There's no hurry to take the test."

As time slowly passed, a girl with waist-length hair and a set of luxurious blue-green clothes finally arrived at the registration desk.

After Ning Rongrong successfully registered, the Soul Emperor teacher gestured toward Yu Tianshuang's group with his eyes. "Go take the entrance test with them."

"All right, Teacher. Tianshuang, Brother Tianshuang?"

Following the registering teacher's gaze toward Yu Tianshuang and the others, Ning Rongrong spotted the familiar figure at once and spoke in disbelief.

"Rongrong, you certainly made me search for you. Luckily, I knew you were coming here."

Once Yu Tianshuang spoke, Ning Rongrong ran over in delight and threw herself at him.

"Brother Tianshuang, why are you here? Aren't you from Skywater Academy?"

"It's all because of you. I came to take you back."

"No, Brother Tianshuang, I'm not going back."

Ning Rongrong clung to Yu Tianshuang and spoke coquettishly.

"That trick won't work on me."

"All right, all right."

Ning Rongrong let go of Yu Tianshuang and straightened her clothes. Then she said seriously, "Although I'm the heir to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, I know in my heart that I won't grow stronger under the protection of Father, Grandpa Sword, and Grandpa Gu. That's why I left the family and came here. In this world where the strong are revered, I want to have the strength to protect myself and the people I care about."

Hearing Ning Rongrong's words, Yu Tianshuang thought for a while. "All right. But if I don't think this place can help you grow stronger, you'll still have to come back with me."