"Little friend, tell me your conditions!"
"I'll meet them as best as I can!"
Geniuses are often given special treatment, and for a genius among geniuses, that goes double.
Qi Lin smiled cheerfully as he looked at the dilapidated village before him. "First of all, I can't just settle for any shabby place to stay. I don't need anything extravagant, but it should at least be decent, right?"
Flender nodded. That much was doable.
Qi Lin continued, "Second, let's talk about salary. Let's not beat around the bush—how much are you offering me per month?"
Flender hesitated slightly before replying cautiously, "How about... fifty gold soul coins a month?"
Now, don't forget that even a Soul Elder could receive a monthly subsidy of one hundred gold soul coins from the Spirit Hall.
But once one advanced beyond the Soul Elder rank, that benefit no longer applied.
That's why many Soul Masters, after reaching the Soul Ancestor level, either ended up serving noble clans like workhorses or took on dangerous mercenary tasks—yet still might not make fifty gold soul coins a month.
Of course, Qi Lin's true worth far exceeded such an amount.
If he publicly expressed a desire for money, various powers would be tripping over themselves to throw olive branches his way.
The only problem was—Flender was dirt poor!
If he had that kind of money, would he have agreed to Yu Xiaogang's suggestion to shut down Shrek Academy and move the students to the Heaven Dou Royal Academy?
Granted, part of that decision was so Tang San and the others could qualify for the Continental Advanced Spirit Master Academy Tournament.
Shrek Academy wasn't recognized as a formal institution and couldn't enter the tournament unless they merged with another academy.
But the core reason was that the academy had been running at a loss for years. The teachers weren't willing to risk their lives just to earn a few extra coins. That's why they agreed to Yu Xiaogang's retirement plan.
Because of all that—and because Flender was a notorious cheapskate—his offer came off as downright stingy.
Naturally, Qi Lin wasn't happy.
It wasn't that he truly cared that much about the money—but fifty gold coins? Was that all he was worth?
Qi Lin rolled his eyes and raised his hand, flashing five fingers.
"Five hundred."
"Five... five hundred?!" Flender's eyes nearly popped out of his head.
Even though he knew Qi Lin was worth that much, how long could he even afford that salary?
He couldn't just cut the wages of his old friends to make up for it.
But giving up on Qi Lin? He couldn't do that either.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!
Gritting his teeth, Flender said, "Little friend, I truly can't afford five hundred a month."
"How about this—starting today, your salary will match that of my closest comrades. Two hundred gold soul coins a month."
Seeing Flender's pained expression, Qi Lin chuckled.
"Deal."
Flender couldn't help but grin as well.
"Welcome to Shrek Academy, my young friend!"
With the matter settled, Flender turned to look at Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing, then said to Qi Lin, smiling, "These two are also here to enroll in Shrek Academy, right? What are their spirit power levels?"
If their levels met the standard, then with Qi Lin's backing, they wouldn't need to go through any further testing.
Qi Lin smiled at Xiao Wu. "Xiao Wu, tell Dean Flender your spirit power level."
Xiao Wu giggled. Three spirit rings rose from beneath her feet.
Yellow, Yellow, Purple!
"My name is Xiao Wu. I'm twelve years old, a Rank 37 agility-attack type Battle Soul Elder. My martial soul is the Soft-Boned Rabbit."
Flender's pupils contracted instantly.
Another little monster!
Though not as monstrous as Qi Lin, she was still clearly more talented than Dai Mubai or Ma Hongjun.
Flender then turned his gaze to Zhu Zhuqing, a hint of anticipation in his eyes.
If Zhu Zhuqing had comparable talent, Shrek Academy would truly be striking gold.
Zhu Zhuqing noticed the look in his eyes and blushed with embarrassment. Still, she spoke up:
"My name is Zhu Zhuqing. I'm twelve years old, a Rank 27 agility-attack type Battle Soul Master. My martial soul is the Netherworld Civet."
"The Netherworld Civet!" Flender's eyes narrowed slightly, giving Zhu Zhuqing a closer look.
He had already guessed something about her background.
At that moment, Qi Lin smiled and said, "Dean Flender, Xiao Wu and Zhuqing should meet Shrek Academy's entrance standards, right?"
Flender burst out laughing. "More than meet! Far more than meet!"
"Whether it's Xiao Wu or Zhu Zhuqing, they're both true little monsters."
Qi Lin grinned. "Then… any need for further tests?"
Flender waved his hand. "No need. With their talents, assessments are pointless."
"Perfect."
Once everything was settled, Flender led the three into Shrek Academy.
To be honest, Shrek Academy was truly run-down—its facilities were worse than some rural villages.
While walking, Flender gave a dry cough and said apologetically, "Qi Lin, about the new accommodations I promised… it might take ten days or so. For now, I'm afraid you'll have to make do."
Qi Lin shrugged. "That's fine."
He valued Flender's sincerity more than temporary discomfort.
Afterward, Flender personally arranged the dorms.
Qi Lin got a room to himself. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing shared one.
Of course, Xiao Wu had actually hoped to room with Qi Lin. That's how things had always been between them.
But when she saw that Zhu Zhuqing was all alone, she decided to stay with her instead.
"Boss Flender, what's with the three kids you just brought in?"
"Are they all new students?"
As soon as Flender finished arranging the rooms, an old man in rough linen robes walked over from a distance.
Seeing the three children beside Flender, he asked out of curiosity.
Flender was in high spirits and smiled. "Old Li, their identities are secret for now. Go gather everyone—I've got an important announcement."
Li Yusong glanced curiously at the trio.
What kind of kids were these, to make Flender act all mysterious?
Still, he nodded. "Alright, I'll take care of it."
A short while later, at Shrek Academy's training field—
Flender and the trio sat in the shade beneath a large tree. One by one, the rest of Shrek's staff arrived, summoned by Li Yusong.
The first to arrive was Zhao Wuji. He had been napping and looked quite irritated at being dragged out.
He stomped over and muttered, "Boss Flender, what's this big announcement that needed all of us?"
As he spoke, his gaze swept across Qi Lin and the girls.
Don't be fooled by Zhao Wuji's burly appearance—he was as sharp as he was strong.
The moment he laid eyes on the trio, he already had a guess.
These kids were probably the newest members of Shrek Academy, and by the looks of it, their talent must be terrifying.
But even so, was that enough for Flender to gather everyone like this?
There had to be more to it.
Flender gave Zhao Wuji a sidelong glance and smiled faintly. "Old Zhao, you'll know soon enough."
"Tch," Zhao Wuji grunted, finding a spot nearby and plopping down.
Soon after, two more teachers arrived—Rank 66 Soul Emperor Lu Qibin and Rank 71 Soul Sage Shao Xin.
The group then waited nearly an hour before Li Yusong finally showed up with Dai Mubai and the others.
Flender's face was already turning black with impatience.