"What?" "No way, is that true?" "The famous Master's spirit power is only rank 29?"
Although Dai Mubai had lowered his voice, the four students huddled around him heard every word. They were all a little skeptical. The dean had just given the man such a grand introduction that they'd been completely fooled. If Dai Mubai hadn't said anything, they never would have questioned it.
"Of course, it's true. Why would I lie to you?" A flash of disdain crossed Dai Mubai's face. As a prince of the Star Luo Empire, he had heard of this "Master" long ago. At first, he had been curious, but after looking into the man's history, he discovered the embarrassing truth. The so-called Master's spirit power had been stuck below rank 30 for most of his life, effectively fixing him at the Spirit Grandmaster level forever.
And his Spirit was even more of a joke. It was a bizarre mutated Spirit that looked like a cross between a pig and a dog, with a unique but useless attack method. He had heard rumors that the "Master" came from a powerful, mysterious family, but he didn't know any of the details.
Seeing the lingering doubt on their faces, he decided to press his case. He was especially focused on Zhu Zhuqing, who had leaned in to listen for a moment before resuming her usual cold indifference and walking off on her own. His original plan was to capture her attention with his worldly knowledge, but it was clearly failing.
Thinking fast, he deliberately raised his voice so she might overhear. "Think about it! Why do you think the dean introduced all the other teachers by stating their Spirit and rank, but when it came to the Master, he didn't mention any of that? All he did was go on and on about his 'Ten Core Competencies' and 'invincible theory.' In my opinion, it's because the truth is too embarrassing to say out loud!"
A smug look appeared on Dai Mubai's face. He was quite satisfied with his sharp, undeniable logic. He glanced intentionally in Zhu Zhuqing's direction, but she still had the same deadpan expression. He couldn't help but feel a wave of helplessness. The girl was impossible to figure out. Since she had arrived at Shrek, the only time he had ever seen her smile was when she was talking to Huo Feng.
Meanwhile, Ma Hongjun and Oscar exchanged a quiet look. They had known Dai Mubai for a long time and understood his personality. He rarely joked about things like this. They both nodded; they were convinced.
Ning Rongrong, however, was still uncertain. As a princess of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan, she had never paid much attention to matters outside her own world and had never heard of Yu Xiaogang. Her mind was a whirl of confusion, and she didn't know what to believe. She glanced back at Huo Feng and Xiao Wu, who were still standing in the middle of the playground. A strange thought entered her mind: if Huo Feng had been the one to say all this, she probably would have believed him without a second thought.
Shaking her head, Ning Rongrong tried to clear her mind of such messy thoughts. When she looked up, she realized Zhu Zhuqing had already walked some distance away. "Zhuqing, wait for me!" she called out, quickly trotting to catch up. The two girls walked off arm in arm.
"Well…" Dai Mubai's face flushed with obvious embarrassment. His plan had been a complete failure.
"Boss Dai, why do you think the dean asked Huo Feng and Xiao Wu to stay behind?" Ma Hongjun asked, completely oblivious to his leader's frustration. "Is he going to give them some special treatment?"
"Yeah, what's up with that?" Oscar chimed in.
The two of them were still pestering him with questions, not noticing his sour mood.
"How the hell would I know!" Dai Mubai finally snapped. "If you're so curious, go ask the dean yourself! Or wait for Huo Feng to come back and ask him!" Without another word, he quickened his pace and stormed off, leaving Ma Hongjun and Oscar utterly confused. What was that all about? They looked at each other, shrugged, and followed him.
Back on the playground, Flender was looking at Huo Feng and Xiao Wu with a warm smile. Seeing that the other students were gone, he finally spoke.
"You two have known the Master for a long time, so I won't beat around the bush. He has something he wants to ask you." Flender's tone was calm and friendly, but inwardly he was fuming. He glanced at Yu Xiaogang, who was still standing there with a serious, pretentious look on his face. You're the one who needs a favor, so why are you still putting on airs? He, the dean, was the one being cordial, while his friend, the one in need, was acting aloof. Flender was beginning to suspect he had praised Yu Xiaogang a little too much earlier. The man seemed to have forgotten his place.
"Haha, yes, we've known the Master for a long time," Huo Feng responded with a polite smile. He turned his gaze to Yu Xiaogang. "We graduated from Notting Junior Spirit Master Academy, where the Master was a teacher. If you have something to ask, sir, please just ask directly."
Xiao Wu nodded in agreement but remained silent.
"Excellent, that's for the best," Flender said, satisfied.
At that moment, Yu Xiaogang finally moved. He slowly opened his half-closed eyes, squeezed a forced, ugly smile onto his stiff face, and spoke in a slow, deliberate tone. "Huo Feng, it's nothing important, really."
Even now, he was still posturing, completely unaware that Huo Feng knew his entire history. This act of being a dignified, profound intellectual was utterly transparent. In Huo Feng's eyes, it was nothing.
"You should still remember your classmate, Tang San, correct?" After a long, hesitant pause, Yu Xiaogang finally got to the point. "I was just wondering… have you seen him in Notting City these past few days?"
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