Chapter 63
A flicker of strangeness passed through Yu Xiaogang's gaze. Dai Mubai's condition was suspiciously reminiscent of an evil soul master, though the cause seemed rooted in his profession rather than madness.
Ma Hongjun's eyes brightened as he coughed deliberately, catching Flender's attention and pointing to himself.
Flender understood his meaning. Dai Mubai's situation resembled Ma Hongjun's back then — though the nature of their afflictions differed. More importantly, Dai Mubai's identity complicated matters. If the Dai family learned that Flender allowed him to damage his own body through neglect, they wouldn't stay quiet, even if they didn't care much about Dai Mubai personally.
Unlike Ma Hongjun's evil fire, which only pushed him toward certain indecent urges, Dai Mubai's issue could be managed in different ways. Venting wasn't limited to one path.
Patting Dai Mubai's shoulder, Flender spoke reassuringly.
"Don't worry about it too much. Power always comes at a price. Your profession is powerful — perhaps even more so than Oscar's. It's only natural there would be drawbacks. Negative emotions are part of that. Just learn to manage them, and you'll be fine."
"Thank you, Dean."
Dai Mubai let out a quiet breath, forcing himself calm. "I'll pay more attention in the future and won't let my emotions take over."
He responded quickly, understanding the hint. The mention of Oscar reminded him that he'd been granted a power his original talent barely deserved — it made sense there would be consequences. Many would kill for such strength, whether they could handle the burden or not.
"Good," Flender nodded. "Don't be too hard on yourself. The future's long."
Then, Flender turned to Yu Xiaogang. "Xiao Gang, anything you'd like to add?"
Yu Xiaogang nodded. "Negative emotions can't always be eliminated outright — but they can be neutralized. Either vent them, or counter them with positive pursuits. Take up something that cultivates your temperament… or use pain to temper your will. The choice is yours."
Dai Mubai instinctively wanted the easy way out, but catching Zhu Zhuqing's expression from the corner of his eye made him swallow his words. Gritting his teeth, he forced himself to say:
"Master, I choose the second option."
Yu Xiaogang smiled approvingly.
Even Flender looked surprised, clicking his tongue as if meeting the real Dai Mubai for the first time.
"Alright then. You're worthy of Shrek Academy. Teacher Zhao will work with you — starting today, an extra hour of training every day."
Dai Mubai immediately regretted his words. Upon hearing the new punishment, he desperately wanted to take it back, but couldn't without losing face. He nodded stiffly.
"Good."
From the back, Ma Hongjun and Oscar exchanged knowing glances and muttered under their breath. Having spent years with Dai Mubai, they knew him too well. They suspected he'd only taken the tough path out of pride.
They both snickered gleefully at his predicament.
Irritated but unable to vent, Dai Mubai gritted his teeth and suddenly turned to Flender with a wicked idea.
"Dean, Fatty's evil fire hasn't really been resolved yet. Why don't we let him train more too? Oscar as well — he can't just laze around while we suffer."
"Hm? Fair point."
Flender chuckled, well aware of Dai Mubai's petty motives. Still, it was a reasonable excuse.
"Hongjun, Oscar — you heard him. Only three students in our academy. Can't play favorites. From now on, you'll train together. Oscar, as an auxiliary soul master, you'll do half as long… though considering how your sausages can heal you, you might as well stick it out."
"Ah?!"
Ma Hongjun and Oscar pulled miserable faces. They knew Zao Wou-Ki wouldn't hold back on them — and now with Oscar's upgraded sausages, he'd have even less reason to.
Yu Xiaogang remained silent through it all, quietly observing the young ones, making up his mind about something.
Once Dai Mubai's issue was settled, Flender and Yu Xiaogang moved aside to discuss hunting Tang San's second spirit ring. Both men already knew Tang San would inevitably join Shrek after graduating from Notting City. That much was certain.
As their talk shifted, Flender's gaze landed on Lin Bai.
"I want to bring Lin Bai into Shrek Academy," he said. "Any ideas?"
Yu Xiaogang showed an awkward expression and sighed.
"To be honest… back in school, I tried to take him as my disciple. He turned me down flat. Since then, we've barely spoken. He and Tang San didn't get along, and even clashed once. I'm afraid there's not much I can do."
Flender frowned, displeased. "Is it because of your low spirit power? Hmph, then forget it."
Yu Xiaogang shook his head. Some things were about pride, but others were more important.
"No, Boss Fu — we can't let Lin Bai slip away. Grudges aside, he's a rare genius. His martial spirit isn't some ordinary golden needle. It's a sharp Thirteen Spears artifact. With his innate soul power and that dragon beside him… he's the kind of talent Spirit Hall would try to win over.
And let's be honest — even with Liu Erlong, we've only got four students. Not enough to enter the Soul Master Tournament. If Lin Bai joins, those two girls with him might follow. With them, we'd have a chance."
Besides, Yu Xiaogang had his own reasons. If Shrek rose to prominence, he could finally wash away years of disgrace.
Flender hesitated, but Yu Xiaogang's words struck a chord.
"Alright… since you don't mind, I'll think of a way."
He chuckled to himself.
"With these new professions and talent emerging, maybe — just maybe — there's a real chance to defeat Spirit Hall and win that championship."
The two old friends exchanged quiet dreams of the future, speaking softly in a corner, unaware that Lin Bai had heard every word.
Far off, Lin Bai lounged on Yingtian's back, gazing up at the clear, cloudless sky. He muttered softly,
"Where do I even go from here…?"
The deaths of his parents in the battle between Tang Hao and Spirit Hall had severed his ties to this land. Without them, he'd lost any sense of belonging to Douluo Continent.
He teased Xiao Wu from time to time, laughed and sparred — but inside, he was adrift. His days had become empty, save for cultivation. No clear path lay ahead.
"Tch… busybodies, all of them. If I get bored, might as well make my own fun. Yu Xiaogang wants me in Shrek to fight in his little tournament? He'd better not regret it later."
Lin Bai smirked darkly to himself, stretched out his limbs, and closed his eyes, basking lazily in the warm sun.
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