Shrek Academy's infirmary was a building adjacent to the freshman teaching block.
It was very quiet inside. The halls and connected corridors were lined everywhere with vibrant or lush plants, giving the place a soothing and pleasant atmosphere.
Among them were even many plant-type soul beasts cultivated for their calming effects. One couldn't help but sigh at Shrek Academy's immense wealth.
Just as Xu Zihuang stepped into the main hall, he happened to see two familiar figures descending the stairs.
He quickly quickened his pace, came up to them, and greeted:
"Teacher Lv, Senior Sister Xiao Ya."
The "Teacher Lv" he referred to was the young healing-type teacher who had appeared during their Class Nine combat assessment, while the "Senior Sister Xiao Ya" was naturally Tang Ya.
Teacher Lv lifted her head, smiling kindly as she nodded at Xu Zihuang.
The impression Xu Zihuang had left on her—knocking Wu Feng unconscious with one punch—was simply too deep. Not to mention, she had just been in the stands that morning, watching the elimination round. For such a talented, strong, and polite student as Xu Zihuang, no teacher would dislike him.
"Tianhuang, what brings you here?"
Tang Ya, on the other hand, looked quite surprised.
Xu Zihuang put on an apologetic expression and said with a wry smile:
"Huo Yuhao was injured because of me, after all. So once the afternoon's assessment ended, I thought I should come by to check on him."
"Alright then, Tang, no need to walk me out. You all go ahead and talk."
Catching on, Teacher Lv waved her hand with a smile and walked into a nearby office.
"Thank you, Teacher Lv." Tang Ya chuckled and led Xu Zihuang upstairs.
"Teacher Lv just checked Yuhao's condition. There's no real problem anymore. After resting a bit, he'll be able to resume cultivation normally. She also said you held back, right? Otherwise, if Yuhao had suffered backlash from using his soul skill, he'd have been bedridden for at least ten days to half a month."
As she spoke, she even put on the airs of a little adult, patting Xu Zihuang on the shoulder.
"Tianhuang, you're really something."
But she couldn't keep the act up long, soon bouncing happily along, unable to hide her joy.
If I hadn't held back, Huo Yuhao would be dead, Xu Zihuang muttered silently to himself, though outwardly he just smiled and went along with Tang Ya.
Truth be told, he liked being around this kind-hearted, straightforward senior sister. It gave him a rare sense of ease, letting down the mask he usually wore.
The hatred and pressure on his shoulders were no less heavy than Huo Yuhao's.
Huo Yuhao faced the White Tiger Duke of the Star Luo Empire, but his enemy was the entire Sun Moon Empire under Xu Tiannan's command.
Chatting as they went, the two soon reached Huo Yuhao's room.
Beibei sat at the bedside, speaking softly with Huo Yuhao. When Xu Zihuang entered behind Tang Ya, Beibei looked up and gave him a warm nod.
Just earlier, Teacher Lv had explained Yuhao's condition in front of all three of them. Not only Beibei but even Yuhao himself knew that Xu Zihuang had shown mercy in the morning's match.
Studying Xu Zihuang, Huo Yuhao instinctively glanced at Beibei, recalling his advice:
"Yuhao, if I'm not mistaken, Tianhuang's martial soul should also be a spiritual-attribute body martial soul. Building a good relationship with him will benefit you greatly. You might even learn the method for a body martial soul's second awakening."
"Senior Brother, what's a body martial soul's second awakening?"
"A body martial soul is considered top-tier mainly because of this advantage—the possibility of a second awakening. I don't know the exact details, but if your Spirit Eyes martial soul undergoes a second awakening, your talent will rise dramatically. That would give you the chance to reach the level of a top powerhouse."
A top powerhouse—that had been Yuhao's goal ever since leaving the White Tiger Duke's mansion. Only by becoming one would he have the right to take revenge on the Duke.
Right now, to the White Tiger Duke's household, he was nothing more than an ant they could crush at will.
All he could do was grow stronger and stronger. The Duke's line would persist for ten years, twenty years, even thirty or fifty years—but one day, he would end it.
In that instant, Yuhao's eyes gleamed with a vicious light, his pupils even turning red from that deep, searing hatred.
Though his gaze was mostly hidden by the hair falling over his forehead, the red flash lasted only a moment—yet Xu Zihuang's sharp perception caught it clearly.
Xu Zihuang frowned slightly, and Yuhao seemed to calm down again, his eyes regaining their peace as he sincerely thanked:
"Yu Tianhuang, thank you for holding back during the match today. This afternoon, may I invite you, along with Senior Brother Beibei and Teacher Tang Ya, to eat grilled fish together?"
"Grilled fish? Yes, yes! It's been so long since I had your grilled fish, Yuhao!" At that, Tang Ya's eyes lit up with excitement.
Her attention was completely on the food, not noticing Yuhao's momentary change at all.
Because of his angle, even Beibei hadn't seen it. And after all, this had been his suggestion to Yuhao, so he was naturally content with the outcome.
"We're free this afternoon. But Yuhao, is your body really up for it?"
"Don't worry, Senior Brother, I'm fine." Yuhao shook his head, his gaze toward Xu Zihuang carrying a trace of unease.
Though Xu Zihuang looked easygoing, this was Yuhao's first time approaching someone with an ulterior motive. He couldn't help feeling torn and anxious.
It must've been Beibei's idea, Xu Zihuang realized. He had seen Yuhao's earlier slip clearly.
He didn't know what Beibei and Yuhao had discussed, nor their exact plans. But there was no need to reject them outright for now.
Still, Beibei's scheming left him displeased. It felt as though someone was trying to calculate against him.
"Since Senior Sister Tang Ya and Brother Bei are going, I can't very well refuse." Xu Zihuang laughed brightly.
With Xu Zihuang's agreement, Tang Ya waved her hand in delight.
"Then it's settled! Let's go to the riverside outside the academy. The environment's nice, and we can even catch fish straight from the river."
Neither Yuhao nor Beibei had any objections.
Thus, while the freshman elimination rounds blazed on, the four of them quietly slipped out of Shrek Academy's east gate and reached a wide riverbank.
Blue water under a clear sky, soft breezes stirring the tall spring grasses like rippling waves of green.
Xu Zihuang lay back in the soft grass, letting his body completely relax under the lazy afternoon sun.
A ticklish sensation brushed his ear and nose, making him open his eyes helplessly.
What he saw was Tang Ya, crouched with knees hugged to her chest, teasing him with a fluffy dogtail grass.
"Senior Sister Xiao Ya?"
She playfully rolled her eyes at him, then sat down at his side with a bright smile.
"Tianhuang, relax! We came out to have fun, didn't we?"
"How do you know I'm not relaxed, Senior Sister?"
His words left Tang Ya unusually quiet, a trace of sorrow flickering deep in her eyes.
Though she usually seemed carefree, in some matters she was incredibly perceptive.
Perhaps it was a woman's intuition, but she always felt there was a shadow of herself in Yu Tianhuang.
He looked approachable, polite to everyone—but not all of it was genuine.
When her sect's manor had been seized, when her parents had died, hadn't she also buried that hatred deep in her heart?
But soon she was back to her cheerful self, glancing at the oil stains on Xu Zihuang's white school uniform shoulder. With a playful voice, she changed the subject:
"Your clothes are dirty, didn't you notice? Take them off, I'll wash them for you."
Without waiting for his reply, she started tugging at them directly.
Seeing her determination, Xu Zihuang couldn't refuse.
Sitting up, he watched Tang Ya earnestly scrubbing his uniform at the riverbank, and admitted to himself he was genuinely moved.
From childhood until now, he had truly tasted the warmth and coldness of human relations. From the only son of a powerful prince, to a prisoner in exile, and now regaining his freedom.
Tang Ya was the first person he'd met in so long who, after knowing him only briefly, still treated him kindly without asking for anything in return. Perhaps it was simply because of her pure and genuine kindness.
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