Fat Fish Combination

The group left the arena, with Ma Hongjun walking beside them, still savoring the two-on-two match they had just fought.

Wang Xingyu's Blue Silver Grass had tangled up their opponents and drained their Soul Power, while his Phoenix Fire Line had kept them pinned down, unable to lift their heads. The Blue Silver Grass had kept replenishing him, and their teamwork had gone unexpectedly smoothly.

Although the Evil Fire had nearly made him suffer an episode on the spot in the end, he had felt a great deal better after Wang Xingyu sucked it away. The more the fatty thought about it, the more promising their combination seemed. Suddenly, he slapped his thigh.

"That's it!" Ma Hongjun puffed out his chest, looking thoroughly pleased with himself. "If we're going to be regular partners in two-on-two matches, we need a combination name, right? We can't keep registering on the spot every time. That's too half-hearted. I thought of one ages ago-I'm the Evil Fire Phoenix, and you're the Blue Silver plant, so let's call ourselves the Twin Flame and Azure Supremes, or the Twin Phoenix and Vine Shadows. They're imposing, they sound great, and you can tell how powerful they are just by hearing them!"

Wang Xingyu's expression remained indifferent. He neither objected nor agreed. Xiao Wu heard this from beside them and burst out laughing. "What kind of nonsense is that? It's so cringey." She glanced Ma Hongjun up and down. "If you ask me, the easiest name to remember would be the Fat Yu Combination. Little Fatty plus Xingyu. Simple and easy to recognize."

At that, Ma Hongjun bristled, his face flushing red. "Don't call me Little Fatty! You're not allowed to put 'fat' in the name! It sounds awful! I'll slim down sooner or later!"

The group burst into laughter. Tang San added offhandedly, "The Soul Fighting Arena's announcements favor names that are simple and easy to remember. Nobody remembers fancy ones. Fat Yu rolls off the tongue, is easy to remember, and is easy to register."

Ma Hongjun shook his head frantically, completely unwilling. Just then, a passing Soul Fighting Arena staff member happened to come over to record their regular partnership information. Hearing their conversation, he assumed they had already settled on a name and promptly wrote it down.

"A regular two-person combination, right? Fat Fish Combination. From now on, you can enter matches just by giving your name. If you want to change it, that'll be ten Gold Soul Coins."

With a stroke of the pen, the name was entered directly into the Soul Fighting Arena's system, and changing it would cost extra. Ma Hongjun wilted on the spot, wanting to cry but unable to shed a tear, repeating over and over that it sounded awful and was humiliating.

Wang Xingyu hadn't expected it either. Were the people at this Soul Fighting Arena illiterate? I remember them turning Tang San and Xiao Wu's Three-Wu Combination into the Three-Five Combination in the original story, so how did they end up registering my Fat Yu Combination as Fat Fish too?

And changing it is expensive. Damn it.

Ma Hongjun was still chasing after the staff member, asking if it could be changed, but the man walked away without looking back.

"Fat Fish it is, then," he muttered.

Tang San's shoulders shook, clearly as he tried to hold back his laughter, while Xiao Wu laughed so hard she doubled over.

Ma Hongjun was still muttering "Fat Fish," looking as though he had nothing left to live for.

After they left the Soul Fighting Arena, Ma Hongjun walked beside Wang Xingyu on the way back to the academy, still grumbling about the name.

"Next time your Evil Fire flares up, come straight to me," Wang Xingyu said casually as they walked, as though it were a small matter. "I'll use Blue Silver Grass to draw it out for you. Then you won't have to go looking for those girls anymore."

Ma Hongjun faltered for a step and frowned. "I don't have to? How can that work? I-"

"You what?" Wang Xingyu turned his head and glanced at him. "You're still young. Don't go messing around all the time. The Evil Fire Phoenix is a top-tier Martial Soul. Get your Evil Fire under control, and you can reach the summit of the continent someday. Chase after women every day, and let's see you reach any summit."

Ma Hongjun opened his mouth to argue, but then he remembered how relaxed his whole body had felt after Wang Xingyu sucked away the Evil Fire in the arena, and he closed it again.

"Besides." Wang Xingyu snapped open his fan and waved it, lowering his voice. "I'll introduce you to someone later. A respectable girl, and prettier than Cuihua too. But you'll have to earn her respect."

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up. "Really? What's she like?"

"You'll find out later."

He was naturally referring to Bai Chenxiang from the original story.

"Not that again!" Ma Hongjun grew anxious, but when he saw the faint smile at the corner of Wang Xingyu's mouth, he knew the latter wasn't brushing him off. The fatty sniffed and puffed out his chest.

"All right. You said it, so no backing out."

"Fat Fish Combination, no backing out."

When Ma Hongjun heard "Fat Fish," his face fell again.

The group had just reached the gates of Shrek Academy when they heard an argument from a distance. Dai Mubai stood at the entrance, his face livid, with Ning Rongrong opposite him. Oscar stood to the side, trying to stop them.

Ning Rongrong folded her arms and raised her chin slightly, her eyes full of the usual arrogance of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's young miss. "You can't even handle a little girl. How useless."

"Others might be afraid of your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, but I'm not. Make me angry, and I'll kill you." Dai Mubai clenched his hands into fists, forcing the words through his teeth.

"Oh, my, my." Ning Rongrong raised her chin a little higher. "Kill me? Go on, try."

Dai Mubai's tiger Martial Soul suddenly possessed him, and waves of Soul Power surged outward. Ning Rongrong was blasted backward instantly. Oscar hurried behind her, trying to catch her, but the force was too great, and both of them were sent flying.

Wang Xingyu frowned. Blue Silver Grass shot out swiftly, its supple vines catching the two of them securely in midair and setting them gently back on the ground. Tang San stepped forward and raised a hand to Dai Mubai's shoulder.

Dai Mubai turned his head and saw Tang San. His clenched fists slowly relaxed, and he turned and walked into the academy.

Once Ning Rongrong had found her footing, she showed not the slightest gratitude. Instead, she marched up to Wang Xingyu in a fury and ordered him in a matter-of-fact tone, "Go kill Dai Mubai for me. I'll give you ten thousand Gold Soul Coins."

Wang Xingyu looked at her and thought the young miss had gone mad with anger. She was asking a Support System soul master to kill a Power Attack System soul master.

"If you want someone killed, why come to me instead of Tang San? He's Control System, and I'm Support System. Healing him a couple of times is more my line of work. Killing people isn't my specialty."

Once he had finished, Ning Rongrong actually went to Tang San, but Wang Xingyu opened his fan and placed it between them. "Sorry, I'm refusing on Tang San's behalf too. He won't help you kill Dai Mubai. Find someone else."

With that, he waved his fan, walked past Ning Rongrong, and headed into the academy. Tang San and Xiao Wu followed him, paying Ning Rongrong no further attention.

Ning Rongrong stood there, biting her lip as she watched their backs disappear through the academy gates. Only she and Oscar remained at the entrance. Oscar stood a few steps away, at a loss, wanting to approach but not daring to.

Ning Rongrong turned around and looked at him. She took a deep breath and suppressed some of her anger. Her voice was less shrill than before, though she still carried herself like a young miss. "Oscar, are you willing to help me?"

Oscar froze for a moment and looked at her without speaking.

"Don't you like me?" Ning Rongrong raised her chin slightly, trying to regain some sense of control, but there was something more in her voice, something even she couldn't quite explain. Whether it was a probe or a request, she probably couldn't tell herself.

Oscar was silent for a long while. "When we first met, I thought you were an elf."

Ning Rongrong stared at him.

"Back then, you walked over from the registration desk, wearing a green dress, and your eyes curved when you smiled. I thought you were an elf who had walked out of the woods, untouched by dust, a stranger to worldly life."

"Unfortunately, I was wrong. In your eyes, everyone is your servant. Maybe you really aren't suited to Shrek."

With that, Oscar lingered no longer. He turned and entered Shrek.

Ning Rongrong stood at the gate, the moonlight casting her solitary shadow on the ground. Only the chirping of insects remained around her. Her lips moved, and she wanted to say something, but nothing came out.