Minutes passed—or perhaps an hour; Zhu Zhuqing had lost track of time. She only knew that Xu Yunhan, whom she was meeting for the second time, had been sitting quietly beside her for quite a while without saying a word.
Zhu Zhuqing wasn't very talkative, but that didn't mean she liked sitting in silence with others—it always made her uncomfortable.
Still, there was an upside: the quiet helped her calm her restless heart quickly.
As she looked up, she noticed Xu Yunhan staring past her, so she couldn't help but ask, "What are you looking at?"
Xu Yunhan replied without hesitation, "I'm wondering if your cat tail and cat ears are real or fake."
Zhu Zhuqing was taken aback. Few had ever asked her that so bluntly—didn't everyone just think it was cute? Was authenticity really the point?
"Boring!"
She rolled her eyes at him.
Xu Yunhan shifted his gaze to her face and deliberately asked, "Zhu Zhuqing, where are you from? What brings you here?"
Zhu Zhuqing avoided his eyes and didn't want to answer.
"Two encounters in one day—fate must be on our side," Xu Yunhan continued.
"Who said we're fated? Shameless," Zhu Zhuqing muttered suspiciously.
"Heh," Xu Yunhan grinned widely, "They say fate brings people together even over a thousand miles. That's us. By the way, if you don't have anywhere else to go, why not come to Shrek Academy?"
Again, Shrek Academy.
Zhu Zhuqing had been in Soto City for over ten days and had heard of that name—some good, some bad.
Perhaps feeling a little less averse to Xu Yunhan, she asked, "Shrek Academy?"
Xu Yunhan nodded, "Yes, Shrek Academy. Although it's primitive and simple, it's a hidden treasure trove. There are five teachers—three Soul Saints and two Soul Emperors.
Right now, there are only four students. The other three aren't as outstanding as me, but they should have talent comparable to yours."
You don't even know me, how do you know my talent? So shameless, bragging! Zhu Zhuqing scoffed silently.
Still, she was surprised by the teachers' strength at Shrek Academy. "Three Soul Saints and two Soul Emperors, hiding out in the countryside running an academy not recognized by the Barrack Kingdom? Interesting."
Whether royal or imperial, in sects or advanced academies, Soul Saints and Soul Emperors always commanded great respect and generous treatment—loyalty was rewarded handsomely.
For such powerful people to set up shop in a remote area was baffling.
Xu Yunhan's tone deepened, "Everyone has their own way of life—it's not that strange. Maybe if I become a god one day, I'll retire to the mountains and farm."
Become a god?
Zhu Zhuqing was momentarily stunned. She had heard that no soul master had become a god in Douluo Continent for a very long time.
Such a goal seemed distant and unreachable, yet Xu Yunhan spoke of it casually, which made her doubt his seriousness—seemed like wishful thinking.
But looking into his eyes, she saw something genuine.
Maybe this guy really was serious about becoming a god.
Becoming a god! Zhu Zhuqing had never considered that; her goals were to become a Soul Saint, then a Spirit Douluo, and dream of becoming a Title Douluo.
She asked again, "You're probably older than me, right? What's your soul power level?"
Though she knew Xu Yunhan was stronger, she assumed he must be a few years older—that would make more sense.
Confident men attract women; Xu Yunhan was happy to show off a little: "I don't look old, do I? I'm only thirteen. My soul power level barely reached 42."
Zhu Zhuqing's eyes widened, shocked and incredulous. She seriously doubted him.
Seeing her doubtful gaze, Xu Yunhan smiled calmly, not pressing further. He stood up and said, "It's late. I won't keep you from resting. If you don't believe me, come visit Shrek Academy yourself."
Zhu Zhuqing was speechless—why stop halfway like that? Embarrassed to press further, she watched him leave.
After sitting a bit longer, she returned to her room to rest.
But sleep didn't come easily. Thoughts of Dai Mubai with women on both sides and of Xu Yunhan swirled through her mind. She even pondered whether to visit Shrek Academy since she had nowhere else to go for now.
Dai Mubai was unreliable; maybe Shrek Academy was a good choice.
After much deliberation, she decided to inquire more about Shrek Academy tomorrow. She couldn't just trust Xu Yunhan's word alone.
At some point, she fell asleep and dreamed.
When she woke at dawn, she felt puzzled—she had dreamed of Xu Yunhan, which felt uncanny.
Thankfully, the dream was only slightly suggestive.
Leaving the Rose Hotel, she didn't encounter Xu Yunhan or Dai Mubai.
She spent a long time asking around about Shrek Academy and unexpectedly heard an unbelievable rumor: the principal of Shrek Academy had opened a shop in Soto City!
Amazing—an academy principal who was a Soul Saint actually running a store in person.
Was this poverty or just a love of money?
For a Soul Saint, wealth was easy to come by; there was no need to run a store.
Zhu Zhuqing suspected the rumor might be false but was curious and, half-believing, half-doubting, went to check out Flanders' shop.
The shop was tucked away in a somewhat remote location—not too hard to find, but it took Zhu Zhuqing some effort before she finally tracked it down.
What surprised her even more was seeing Xu Yunhan there again.
"Why is he everywhere?" Zhu Zhuqing thought, but this time she didn't suspect him of following her—after all, coming here was her own sudden decision.
Inside the shop, Xu Yunhan was chatting and boasting with Flanders.
He had come looking for materials to craft Spirit Guidance Tools—and sure enough, there were some supplies, including two quite rare items.
After a bit of smooth-talking, Flanders agreed to sell them to Xu Yunhan at a "discount."
Both felt they had made a good deal.
Of course, Flanders wasn't about to give anything away for free, even if Xu Yunhan was the prodigy genius of Shrek Academy.
Xu Yunhan's money came partly from a monthly stipend he received from the Spirit Hall—though once he became a Soul Ancestor, that would stop.
He also occasionally received some "gifts" from Dai Mubai, which helped soften things during their sparring sessions so Xu Yunhan could go easier on him.
"Yo! Zhuqing, we meet again. Seems fate really brought us together," Xu Yunhan said, surprised to see her here.
If it were someone else, they might start suspecting Zhu Zhuqing was following him.
"You're everywhere," Zhu Zhuqing replied, speechless.
Flanders, curious, asked, "Yunhan, is she your friend? Good taste, huh?"
Xu Yunhan didn't respond directly, quickly changing the subject. "Principal, this is Zhu Zhuqing. She's not even thirteen yet, already a Great Soul Master with incredible talent. I'm inviting her to join Shrek Academy."
Another genius!
Flanders' eyes lit up. Even though Shrek Academy was poor, he wouldn't let a talent like this slip away. "Genius! Shrek Academy only recruits geniuses—prodigies!
We always welcome prodigious talents to join Shrek Academy!"
He then glanced at Xu Yunhan proudly—he was a living advertisement. "Xu Yunhan is the most extraordinary prodigy at Shrek Academy! Thirteen years old, already a Soul Ancestor—unprecedented!"