Five days later and the world was peaceful. The Holy Spirit cult related beings was targeted by every news channels and public outrage and relevant authorities and had likely retreated or dealt with by now.
Shrek and Tang Sect didn't need to go heavy on them now. Everything went as planned and Qiangu Dongfeng was seething with anger and calling Fan Lin to give his threats every now and then no matter how many numbers he changed.
Ignoring Qiangu Dongfeng like air. Fan Lin moved on with his life. He went to the Tang sect to join them, it was just in the Shrek Academy and quite accessible to the students of Shrek. He needed the hundred thousand year old spirit soul but he didn't want to join the inner court and the Outer Court students don't have access to hundred thousand year old spirit souls.
Tang Sect, on the other hand, has no such restrictions. He just needed to get in, pay and it was his. They do have their own form of micro transactions though but it wasn't that hard to exchange.
"Ah, yea, I forgot to add that I might have lost my connection with the people who were creating my Battle Armour. That's a pity.'
'And apparently, my trustworthy men had been brought of by Qiangu Dongfeng and they are frantically searching for the ledger and my informer. Nothing to serious. Ha ha ha. I knew it, humans aren't trustworthy.'
'Hmph! Pathetic.'
'Thankfully, my informer didn't betray me and saved the world.'
"...I am kinda in a hard place now, ain't I?"
'That Quality Dongfeng had put the Holy Spirit Cult on my back claiming that I am a soul beast incarnation and they can get a hundred thousand year old spirit bone from me, along with my hundred thousand year old spirit ring.'
'Really? That's the best lie that he could prepare. He could have told them of the wealth that I possess and what they could use if for and I am pretty sure they would have dared to attack me in Shrek. Pathetic.'
"So contrary to what I have thought, he truly played me."
'I have been played.'
'I was thinking that I was making a profit by extorting him for Battle Armour and Spirit Ascension Platform chances but while I was focused on those, he stole my men, crippled my intelligence network and had legitimate proof that I am the actual slaughterer and had forced me to confine myself here.'
"The unstable mind of mine got me. All I was thinking of was to wait and act. One more plate of sliced apples."
'But even ignoring all that, I still got some small wins. I have more money, the animosity of the Spirit Pagoda and the Holy Spirit Cult. Shrek and Tang Sect would also be on my neck if things got out. Should I have no choice but to kill them all?
'The sarcasm in my thoughts really hurts me a lot.'
"On a completely unrelated note, at least I know who to put my trust in now and I am never trusting myself again."
'Now now, no need to be so pessimistic about myself just this yet.'
'On that note, Ain't I basically trapped in this city till its destruction as well.
"I hate this."
"Whatever. Not like I could be absent for more than three days in a year anyways. I will survive here. Thrive here. I will use their skins to wipe the tears that I would cause them later on."
"Here's your sliced apples."
"Thanks."
"I need some fresh h oney as well. Do you have some?"
"We do. How much?"
"500 kgs."
"...we don't have that much."
"Then however much you have."
I said to the chef and ate the apples that I was given. I should stop talking to myself in the public.
'I will burn those traitors as well.'
...
The 15 days of the exams were over and since it was the protagonist's class all of them passed.
And despite the hundreds of weird things that the hundred other students had done during the 15 days of their semester exams, only one student was fined for immoral behaviour, property damage and terrorism, stalking and taking pictures without permission. Guess who?
"At this point, you just want money from me, right?"
I looked at the ever stern and stiff Elder Cai.
"I am punishing you fairly my child... and don't bring Tang Wulin's example, you don't want to go there."
She said to me while taking a sip of her unknown tea and I just gave her a thumbs up and paid the fine. Money was useless to me since long ago.
Considering nearly two organisations are after me, it won't hurt to back down and not create any more enemies that I already have.
"I will remember this. Money wouldn't be transferrable to my next life anyways. Have it. Buy some good tea as well."
I said and began to leave.
"What do you want to do now?"
As I was leaving the office, Elder Cai asked me.
"What would you like me to do?"
I asked in return, with not my emotionless tone but the apathetic one. My question was not a taunt or sarcasm. I had genuinely asked her that considering even I don't have a clear idea on what should I do next except being a student at Shrek.
"Take a break and achieve mental growth that matches your strength. What do you think about the Inner court?"
Elder Cai after after a sip. I left.
"He didn't answer my question."
All alone in the room, Elder Cai whispered while taking another sip.
"Children are quite eccentric nowadays."
...
15 days later.
After fifteen days of free classes, the children were allowed to go on holidays and they did. At least most of them did. The rest stayed at Shrek Academy and toiled through their days.
Fan Lin slept through the month in his training area. A month of holidays was nothing to him who used his Superior Energy Body skill to passively collect energy while he was in lying like a log with grass, bugs and a few birds eating those bugs covering him by the time he woke up a month later.
Elder Cai, up above in the air, looked at this and speechlessly shook her head. This wasn't what she had meant by her words.