The Soul Battle ends.
Manager Ao approaches Ma Hongjun again, extending an olive branch and attempting to recruit Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and the rest of the group.
His offer is extremely generous: they can wait until the Shrek Academy members graduate, and he's willing to sponsor the academy with one million gold soul coins during their studies.
Actually, this offer has been made before; the Barak royal family had considered recruiting them, but that was because they required Shrek graduates to be under the control of the Barak Kingdom.
This kind of sponsorship, tantamount to selling themselves, is unnecessary for the Shrek Academy members. Just by looking, several of them have impressive backgrounds, and even Ma Hongjun, with the weakest background, now has his own small fortune.
Moreover, he's practically halfway to becoming the son-in-law of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School.
Therefore, he politely declines Manager Ao's offer again.
The Shrek team has become famous overnight.
Their lives thereafter are very simple: happy days at the Rose Hotel, cultivating;
evenings at the Great Soul Arena for Soul Battles.
After their first team Soul Battle, the Shrek Silver Soul Battle Team's position is firmly established.
Because there were very few Silver Soul Masters, teams were subsequently assigned to teams with Iron and Bronze Soul Masters.
Dai Mubai and the others would engage in one-on-one and two-on-two Soul Battles daily, with team Soul Battles only scheduled every few days.
A month passed.
During this time, thanks to Ning Rongrong's assistance, Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing's progress was very rapid and smooth. Every day, Ma Hongjun would observe Zhu Zhuqing's opponents, then review the battles with her, analyzing her weaknesses and helping her improve.
Although this wasn't explicitly stated, everyone noticed that Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing were growing closer.
However, the arranged marriage between Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing remained undisclosed.
The relationship between Xiang Chengxian, Dai Mubai, Ma Hongjun, and Zhu Zhuqing was somewhat awkward.
Moreover, being in the same team, although no one said it aloud, there was a barrier between them, hindering team cohesion without clarifying their relationships.
Today, Dai Mubai approached Ma Hongjun.
"Hongjun, I'm going to talk things out with Zhuqing. We have no feelings for each other, and I think it's time to clarify our positions regarding the marriage."
"I was thinking the same thing. What do you want to do?"
"Ask Zhuqing to come out. I'll talk to her alone.
It's best if we can have an open and honest discussion about the relationship between our families."
"Okay!"
In a small teahouse next to the Rose Hotel, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing walked coldly into a small private room on the second floor.
Ma Hongjun and Xiang Chengxian waited in the lobby below.
It was actually quite awkward.
Fortunately
, Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing talked for about ten minutes before both of them came out smiling.
Zhu Zhuqing no longer had her usual aloofness; she seemed to have let go of a burden.
"Mubai."
"Zhuqing."
Ma Hongjun and Xiang Chengxian approached.
"How did your discussion go?" Ma Hongjun asked.
"Zhuqing is my cousin. Hongjun, you can't bully her in the future," Dai Mubai said with a smile.
Zhu Zhuqing smiled at Ma Hongjun, her aloof demeanor unchanged as she preferred not to waste words.
Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing's families were related through marriage, making them cousins.
Now that Dai Mubai had called Zhu Zhuqing his cousin, their relationship was considered settled.
"Let's go back!"
Zhu Zhuqing said softly, a rare occurrence for her.
"Cousin, future sister-in-law, Hongjun and I will be leaving now."
With that, Zhu Zhuqing took Ma Hongjun's arm and left the teahouse.
Ma Hongjun gave Dai Mubai a look, and Dai Mubai nodded. Ma Hongjun followed Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing had changed a lot today. Although she hadn't resisted Ma Hongjun holding her hand lately, she hadn't expected her to take his arm today.
"So soft!"
Ma Hongjun and Zhu Zhuqing didn't return to the hotel but wandered the streets.
Meanwhile, Xiang Chengxian and Dai Mubai remained in the teahouse.
Xiang Chengxian asked, "What did you say?"
"What else can I say? You and I, she and Hongjun, we all have someone we love. And there's absolutely no emotional foundation between Zhuqing and me.
Even the spirit fusion technique between our two families wasn't passed down to us. Perhaps it's because I already have a spirit fusion technique with you, or perhaps it's because my spirit has mutated."
In short, now Zhuqing and I, aside from the arranged marriage stipulated by our families, are just cousins, classmates, and teammates.
"However, this makes it much easier to dissolve my marriage with her.
Anyway, we no longer have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, while you and I do.
Although Hongjun was forced to be a bit of a playboy, he's still a good match. Moreover, his strength and talent will definitely be welcomed by Zhu Qing's family, after all, he's a son-in-law with twin Martial Souls.
So, as long as we can defeat my brother's team in the Advanced Soul Master Elite Tournament, we'll have a say, and then, everything will be up to me." Since
being with Xiang Chengxian, Dai Mubai was unusually domineering for a moment. After saying these words, he embraced Xiang Chengxian. He
finally had a bit of a prince's aura.
On the street, Zhu Zhuqing was still holding Ma Hongjun's arm.
"Actually, I didn't have a good impression of Mubai before. I often heard about his playboy deeds.
After coming to Shrek Academy, Mubai surprised me. I originally thought he was still indulging in debauchery, but after seeing him, he was like a different person, completely different from the rumors I heard.
Gradually, I realized that these changes in him were because he had Sister Chengxian."
Ma Hongjun listened intently. He really wanted to tell Zhu Zhuqing that Dai Mubai's change wasn't just because of Xiang Chengxian, but also because of him, Ma Hongjun. "
I'm actually a little disappointed. Mubai hasn't considered my feelings as his nominal fiancée at all.
I've gotten used to this, because no one has ever considered my feelings since I was little.
It's just that being alone is really tiring."
Ma Hongjun stopped and pulled Zhu Zhuqing into his arms.
Zhu Zhuqing looked up at Ma Hongjun, then rested her head on his chest.
"Just when I felt utterly alone, about to fall into despair, you appeared.
Hongjun, you made me a woman again, you entered my heart, you gave me hope for the future.
Rongrong has already told me about your second martial soul and your physical condition.
I don't care how many women you have in the future.
I just want to tell you.
I only have you.
Don't let me down in the future."
Zhu Zhuqing buried her head in Ma Hongjun's arms and closed her eyes.
Ma Hongjun leaned down and kissed her forehead.
Then he picked her up in a princess carry. "
Don't worry about anything, don't think about anything.
From now on, be my cat, you just need to enjoy yourself."
Zhu Zhuqing shyly punched Ma Hongjun's chest in his arms, her cheeks flushed, and her cat ears drooped.
The usually aloof cat was unusually cute today.
Zhu Zhuqing let go of all her burdens, and in this embrace, she felt very happy.
This man gave her a sense of security she had never felt before, not even from her father.
Once again, she fell asleep in his arms.
Compared to her previous coma, this time she was awake.
But just like before, she was happy.
"Be my cat, you just need to enjoy yourself!" "
These words kept echoing in Zhu Zhuqing's mind, and with them, she drifted off to sleep.