Without the slightest hesitation, he vaulted over the corridor railing outside the building. The Skyshatter Eagle spirit flickered into existence for an instant, and riding the wind, Arthur hovered briefly before shooting straight through a second-floor window.
At the same time, a chain of thoughts raced through his mind:
"Skipping proper learning at this age and already bullying others."
"If they dare bully someone today, they could kill tomorrow."
"That makes them future evil soul masters."
"And that means I'm justified in putting them down hard."
The start of the school year was supposed to be a happy time, but Tang Wulin felt nothing but misery.
Everything in East Sea City felt new and unfamiliar. As he walked through the streets, people looked at him with a mix of envy and contempt.
Some even called him a hick.
It made Tang Wulin feel awful. He could not understand why city folk carried such hostility toward him.
Thankfully, the upperclassman from East Sea Academy assigned to guide the new students was kind and patient. With his help, Tang Wulin reached the academy, collected his uniform and dorm key from the academic affairs office, and headed to his assigned room.
He had been looking forward to meeting the classmates he would live with for the next few years. But the moment he stepped inside, reality fell far short of his expectations.
The dorm was a plain four-person room. Both lower bunks were already taken.
The two occupants looked up at him.
The student on the lower left bunk was tall and broad-shouldered, with cropped hair and sharp, aggressive eyes. He looked intimidating at first glance.
The other was thin and small, wearing glasses, quietly reading a book.
The bespectacled student introduced himself as Yun Xiao.
From their brief exchange, Tang Wulin learned that the fierce-looking one was named Zhou Zhangxi.
Zhou Zhangxi pointed at him and barked, "New kid, go clean up."
Tang Wulin was still unfamiliar with everything and did not quite understand what was happening. He nodded. "Okay."
He went out to fetch some water.
But when he returned and pushed the door open, he froze.
His belongings were scattered all over the floor.
Zhou Zhangxi was still holding his bag.
His blanket, clothes, and everyday items were strewn across the dorm, including the two sets of uniforms he had just picked up. The floor had not been cleaned since the term started, and the dust clinging to his things was painfully obvious.
Every single item had been bought by his mother. They had discussed each one carefully before making the purchases.
In that instant, memories flooded Tang Wulin's mind. His mother packing his bag before he left, carefully placing everything inside, reminding him of this and that, worry filling her voice.
"What are you doing?!"
Tang Wulin's eyes reddened as anger surged through him.
The luggage my mom packed with so much care. How dare you touch it!
Zhou Zhangxi stepped on the blanket and spoke with open contempt. "Relax. I was just checking what some country kid brought with him."
"Turns out it's all junk. Figures."
Something inside Tang Wulin snapped.
These were things his mother had bought for him. They were not junk.
Under Zhou Zhangxi's cruel taunts, Tang Wulin exploded into motion. The air cracked with sharp bursts as he lunged forward at terrifying speed, fist swinging.
Zhou Zhangxi was no stranger to fights and reacted quickly, raising his arms to block.
But his defense was meaningless, like trying to stop a charging beast with bare hands.
Tang Wulin's punch smashed straight through his guard and into his chest.
The impact sent Zhou Zhangxi flying like a kite with its string cut. He crashed through the window and dropped to the ground below.
From Tang Wulin's roar to Zhou Zhangxi being sent flying, everything happened in less than a second.
Yun Xiao stood frozen, completely stunned.
At that moment, someone stepped in through the doorway. He wore black athletic clothes, his expression cold and detached. Seeing the mess on the floor, he frowned, casually kicked the scattered belongings aside, and said flatly to Tang Wulin blocking the entrance, "Move."
"You deserve to die too!"
Already on the edge, Tang Wulin charged again and threw another punch. In his eyes, this person was no different from Zhou Zhangxi.
Unlike Zhou Zhangxi, the cold, aloof youth did not try to block head-on. With a slight shift of his footing, he avoided the punch and drove an elbow into Tang Wulin's back.
Thrown off balance, Tang Wulin flew toward the dorm entrance.
"Wow. You guys really know how to make an impression, fighting on the first day of school."
Arthur had arrived. He caught Tang Wulin midair and gave him a light shake, effortlessly dispersing the remaining force.
Still blinded by anger, Tang Wulin did not realize he was being helped. Acting on instinct, he swung another punch.
It carried the same power that had sent Zhou Zhangxi flying.
Arthur raised his hand and blocked it calmly. The difference in strength and control was something Zhou Zhangxi could never hope to reach.
"Hey. Calm down."
A thought flickered through Arthur's mind.
A cool breeze brushed past Tang Wulin's head, and the heat in his mind finally faded, clarity returning.
"I... I'm sorry."
Tang Wulin lowered his head in apology, realizing this person had just saved him.
"It's fine. You already said sorry. What else is there to say?"
Arthur waved his hand casually and walked into the dorm.
"Can someone explain what just happened?"
He had sensed malice in the air. He had come ready to judge an evil soul master. No, wait. This was just a bully.
Before passing judgment, he needed the full story.
The cold youth ignored him and chose a bed for himself.
Yun Xiao finally snapped out of it. He had always been quick-witted, and he opened his mouth to explain.
Before he could speak, a deep voice came from outside the door.
"What's going on here?"
A teacher had arrived, and fast.
Ten minutes later.
East Sea Academy, Middle Division Academic Affairs Office.
"So this is why you got into a fight?" Long Hengxu looked coldly at the new students standing before him, his face dark.
"What do you mean, 'this is why'?"
Arthur, who had listened quietly to the full explanation, had not expected the kid he caught earlier to be Tang Wulin.
So Tang Wulin got bullied on his very first day.
He had completely forgotten about this part.
Then that unfriendly guy had to be Xie Xie, right?
Still, if someone messed with things his own mother had prepared for him, he would have fought back just as fiercely.
Long Hengxu ignored Arthur. This was the young master of East Sea City, after all. He could not afford to offend him.
"Zhou Zhangxi, you originally had a chance to enter Class Three. But given your behavior, you clearly have serious character problems. Getting beaten was entirely your own fault. You'll be staying in Class Five permanently."
Zhou Zhangxi tried to argue, but one look from Long Hengxu shut him down.
"And you two. Fighting on your first day of school. You're both assigned to Class Five as well." This time, his finger pointed at Xie Xie and Yun Xiao.
Xie Xie remained indifferent. He did not care which class he was in. He trusted his own talent.
Yun Xiao protested loudly, insisting he had done nothing wrong, but Long Hengxu silenced him without hesitation.
"As for you..."
Now it was Arthur's turn. Long Hengxu hesitated. Arthur technically had not done anything wrong. Praising him felt inappropriate, but criticizing him was even less realistic.
More importantly, Arthur's background was far too intimidating.
"You..."
"I'll go to Class Five too."
Arthur spoke up on his own.
He suddenly remembered that Class Five was taught by Wu Changkong, a former Shrek Academy student.
More importantly, Wu Changkong used a sword as well. Arthur had been worrying about how to properly train his swordsmanship. Su Wuyan only knew how to bully the weak with his so-called ultimate technique.
This was perfect.
He could spar with Wu Changkong.
And see for himself just how strong a Shrek prodigy really was, to prepare for what lay ahead.
"You're sure?" Long Hengxu looked at him strangely. Someone was volunteering for Class Five?
Then it clicked. This year's Class Five was under Wu Changkong. Arthur must have heard about it and set his sights on him.
Heh. Let's see how this turns out.