By the time Yunchuan had finished silently listing out over a hundred of Dai Mubai's "sins" in his head, the wooden figure had already beaten Dai into something barely recognizable as human. Every rib was broken, bones shattered all over his body, his breathing shallow and ragged—one last gasp from death.
Too ruthless!
What grudge could be this deep?
The onlookers felt a cold shiver run down their spines. Staring at Dai Mubai, who had been brutalized to the brink, none of them dared make a sound, afraid that even the smallest noise might draw the wooden figure's attention and earn them a beating too.
"Stop—stop! Esteemed soul master, if you keep going, Young Master Dai will be dead!" The hotel manager, who had been watching anxiously, finally gathered the courage to step forward and plead. It wasn't that he was moved by sympathy or kindness—he simply knew Dai Mubai was a student from Shrek Academy, where teachers were at least Soul Emperors or even Soul Saints. If a student died here, and the academy's wrath fell on the hotel, his career would be over.
Even knowing he might get caught up in the crossfire, he had no choice but to risk stepping in.
Fortunately, Yunchuan—caught up in the thrill of teaching Dai a lesson—snapped out of it at the manager's words and ordered the wooden man to stop. As much as Dai rubbed him the wrong way, killing him outright would be taking it too far. A vicious beating to vent his frustration was enough.
Wanton killing wasn't his style. Besides, his current identity was that of a Shrek Academy teacher—what kind of example would it be to beat a "student" to death in public?
Thud!
The wooden figure tossed Dai aside. Covered in blood, skin split and flesh torn, he was a pitiful sight. Left like this, he'd be gone in minutes.
That wouldn't do—if he died, the fun would end.
The hotel manager felt a wave of relief seeing Dai thrown aside, but anxiety quickly followed—one look at that mangled state and anyone could tell Dai wouldn't last long without immediate healing. They'd need to find a healer-type soul master right away.
The manager was about to order a staff member to fetch one when Yunchuan moved again. He raised his right hand, a sprig of Blue Silver Grass appearing in his palm.
"What's he doing? Don't tell me he still isn't satisfied and wants to hit him more?" Tang San and Xiao Wu both thought the same, while the manager's heart leapt back into his throat.
Perhaps sensing their tension, Yunchuan gave them a brief sideways glance and said casually, "Relax. If I wanted him dead, he wouldn't survive a single move. I've had my fun; can't let him die now."
With that, his gaze returned to the Blue Silver Grass in his hand. It began to emit a faint, hazy green glow. Yunchuan flicked his wrist lightly.
A single blue-silver leaf detached, drifting gently toward the barely-breathing Dai Mubai…
Before everyone's eyes, the leaf sank into Dai's body. Instantly, his battered frame began to glow with a soft emerald light.
A fresh, natural scent filled the air.
Unconsciously, the spectators drew a deep breath, feeling their bodies relax as if they'd stepped into a vast, untouched primeval forest. The clean air was intoxicating, making them feel lighter down to their bones.
Encased in the gentle radiance, Dai's ravaged body began to knit itself back together at astonishing speed. Swelling subsided, shattered bones realigned, torn skin repaired itself and scabbed over before the scar tissue fell away, revealing smooth, unblemished flesh. In the blink of an eye, the man who had been on death's door looked whole again.
The crowd gaped.
Such miraculous recovery felt like something out of legend.
No one was more dumbfounded than Tang San. Staring at the unassuming Blue Silver Grass in Yunchuan's hand, then thinking of his own martial soul, he couldn't help the bitter thought: So there really is a gap between people. How was it that someone else's Blue Silver Grass could not only fight but heal? Combat, support, recovery—this wasn't a weed, it was a complete all-rounder!
"Ugh—"
With a groan, Dai Mubai stirred, his eyes fluttering open. He stared blankly at the ceiling for a moment before muttering, "Where…? I'm not dead?"
"Alright, you're alive—now get up, and stop playing dead!" An impatient voice snapped.
Dai jolted as if shocked, instinctively sitting up. His first sight was the wrecked hotel lobby around him, and not far away stood that devilish figure, looking his way with obvious annoyance.
"Kid, count yourself lucky you're a Shrek student. If you weren't, you'd already be a corpse."
"You… healed me?" Dai looked down at his bloodstained, tattered clothes and then at his uninjured body. The conclusion was obvious.
"This was just a lesson," Yunchuan said with the air of a senior lecturing a junior. "Don't strut around so arrogantly—you might provoke someone you can't afford to. It's only because you ran into me today. If it had been someone else, you'd have been crushed like a chick in their fist."
"…"
Dai was silent for a long moment, his thoughts unreadable. At last, he rose to his feet and gave a formal bow.
"I understand."
"Good. Since you're fine, get moving," Yunchuan said with a dismissive wave. He turned to the counter. "Give me a room. Put all the damages here on that kid's tab."
The waiter hesitated, glancing at the manager—only to receive a sharp glare in return. Reading the signal, he quickly fetched the key to the last deluxe suite, bowing low as he handed it over. "Please enjoy your stay, sir."
They all watched Yunchuan disappear up the stairs.
Dai Mubai's face was heavy as he pulled out a bulging sack of coins and dropped it on the counter. Without a word, and without so much as a look at the twin sisters nearby, he turned and walked out.
"Young Master Dai, wait for us!" the twins called, scrambling after him.
"What now, Third Brother?" Xiao Wu asked, seeing Tang San still standing there in a daze. Her voice broke him from his thoughts, and he offered a wry smile. "What else can we do? That was the last room—are we going to go start a fight over it? Let's just find another hotel."
"Guess we have to." Xiao Wu pouted, unhappy, but she wasn't stupid. Spoiled by Tang San or not, she could see clearly: Yunchuan had flattened a Soul Sovereign like Dai Mubai without effort. If they went up to provoke him, they'd just get the same treatment. Nothing to gain but bruises.
So the two walked straight out of the hotel.
In the lobby, only the manager and the waiter remained, staring at each other in silence.