Xiao Wu blinked, momentarily stunned by the scene in front of her.
'What's going on with Zhu Zhuqing?'
Qi Lin glanced at the man in the shop—Dai Mubai—who had both arms wrapped around a pair of twins and was even openly groping them. In that instant, Qi Lin understood Zhu Zhuqing's reaction completely.
"Let's go," he said gently, supporting Zhu Zhuqing.
Though she tried to keep calm, her slightly reddened eyes and trembling body betrayed the emotional storm she was suppressing.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly, and the three of them turned to leave.
Back in the shop, Dai Mubai seemed to sense something. He looked toward the door, only to catch sight of three departing figures.
Among them, the black-clothed figure's back made Dai Mubai frown unconsciously.
Was it just an illusion?
Why did that person's aura feel strangely compatible with his own?
Before he could ponder further, the twin sisters in his arms leaned in, whispering into his ear.
"What's Dai Shao thinking about?"
Dai Mubai snapped out of it, chuckling heartily.
"Just thinking about how I'll make you two little minxes beg for mercy tonight."
"Oh, Dai Shao, you're so bad!"
Their coquettish giggles made Dai Mubai grin wider, his expression one of pure indulgence.
As for the strange sense from earlier, he had already tossed it to the back of his mind.
'Screw it. I'll never beat my big brother anyway—might as well enjoy myself while I can.'
…
Elsewhere, Qi Lin finally let go of Zhu Zhuqing.
"So, the person you've been looking for is in that shop, huh?" he asked.
Zhu Zhuqing nodded slightly, but Xiao Wu still looked puzzled.
"If the person you're looking for was there, why didn't you go inside?" she asked.
Qilin smacked his forehead lightly.
"You're unbelievable."
"Huh? I'm unbelievable?" Xiao Wu pointed at herself, bewildered.
Seeing her confusion, Qi Lin explained, "That Dai Shao guy wrapped around those two girls? That's the one Zhu Zhuqing was looking for."
Xiao Wu's eyes widened in shock.
"What? That guy is the one she's been looking for?"
"Wait—what's their relationship? Are they lovers or something…?"
In a flash, realization dawned on her.
No wonder Zhu Zhuqing looked so devastated.
Zhu Zhuqing forced a smile and shook her head.
"He is indeed the one I came to find. But we're not lovers. In fact, this is my first time seeing him in person."
"The reason I was so upset… is because of something else."
"I see…" Xiao Wu murmured, her eyes dimming a little.
"Then, Zhuqing, does that mean you're not coming with us to Shrek Academy tomorrow?"
"I…" Zhu Zhuqing hesitated. She wanted to say no. But then again, where would she even go?
She had traveled all the way from Star Luo Empire to Suotuo City, enduring hardship and fatigue. Could she really just return like this, tail between her legs?
A flash of stubbornness crossed her face.
'No!'
'I won't go back!'
If Dai Mubai had chosen to fall, then she would rise alone to challenge fate.
"I'm not going back!" she said firmly.
She still wanted to see Shrek Academy with her own eyes—to see if a place that had attracted two geniuses like Xiao Wu and Qi Lin truly had something unique.
If it did…
Then maybe…
There was still hope for her!
"That's great, Zhuqing!" Xiao Wu beamed.
The two girls chatted as they walked, while Qilin trailed silently behind them.
That night, they found a modest inn in the city. Thankfully, unlike in the novels, there wasn't some awkward situation where only one room was left.
The next morning came quickly.
After asking a passerby for directions, the trio set off toward Shrek Academy.
Outside Suotuo City, as they passed vast stretches of farmland, Xiao Wu looked around in confusion.
"Wait… the academy isn't inside the city?"
Zhu Zhuqing, with her noble upbringing, replied, "Many advanced soul master academies create simulated environments for training. That's why they're usually not built within cities."
"Maybe Shrek Academy is like that."
Xiao Wu nodded with sudden understanding. "Wow, Zhuqing, you really know a lot."
Qi Lin couldn't help but snicker at Xiao Wu's hopeful expression.
Let's see if she can keep that look when she actually sees Shrek Academy.
And sure enough, they didn't even need to see the academy itself. Just the nearby rundown villages already had Xiao Wu on edge.
"Would an actual academy really be built out here?"
"Do they have some weird fetish for this kind of setting?"
Zhu Zhuqing shook her head. She'd never heard of any top-tier academy being built in such a remote, rural place.
Eventually, they stopped in front of a broken-down village gate. Above it hung a weather-worn archway with the words "Shrek Academy" scrawled across it.
Qi Lin, having been mentally prepared, wasn't surprised.
But Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing? Their expressions cracked immediately.
"This is supposed to be an academy?" Xiao Wu muttered. "Looks more like some rundown little village!"
"The Grandmaster really sold us out, recommending a place like this…"
Zhu Zhuqing looked equally stunned.
Could a place like this really produce top-tier soul masters?
As Xiao Wu grumbled, a middle-aged man dozing on a rocking chair nearby stirred slightly.
His appearance was average, but his face—long and narrow like a shoehorn—gave off a distinctly scheming vibe.
His identity was clear.
He was none other than the dean of Shrek Academy, a level 78 Spirit Sage with a Owl martial soul—Flender!
What drew his attention was a single word that Xiao Wu had let slip:
Grandmaster.
He opened his eyes, a faint glint flashing across them as he looked over at the trio.
"Little girl," he said, "some things can't be judged by appearance alone."
Qi Lin and the others turned to look at him.
Xiao Wu, never one to back down, crossed her arms defiantly.
"Are you a teacher here?"
"If you say we shouldn't judge by appearances, then what's so great about this Shrek Academy?"
At that, Flender perked up, rising from his rocking chair with sudden energy.
"Well then, let me educate you a bit."
"Shrek is the name of a kind of monster—strange even among soul beasts. Our academy is named after it because we only recruit monsters!"
"At our academy, we only accept children under the age of thirteen who've already reached Rank 21 or higher!"
He paused dramatically, then looked at Xiao Wu with a smug grin.
"Now you understand what sets us apart from other academies, don't you?"
To his credit, Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing really did look impressed—though they didn't quite know why.
They'd officially been bamboozled.
An academy that only recruits monsters? That sounded pretty elite.