The metallic shell of the federal-standard armored vehicle gleamed coldly under the searchlights, casting sharp contours onto Wu Zhangkong's chiseled profile.
Though Wu Zhangkong appeared calm on the surface, his mind was in turmoil. Gu La wasn't a student of Shrek Academy—he had no legitimate reason to stop the Federation from taking him away.
However, he didn't trust the Federation. During his time at Shrek, he had carried out numerous investigations into corrupt Federation officials and witnessed plenty of dark, sordid deeds. He knew that despite its long history, the Federation was no longer pure at its core.
"Teacher Wu, don't worry about me."
Hearing the commotion, Gu La walked over to greet them.
Then, turning to the captain of the special operations team, he said, "Ask me whatever you need here. Don't waste time."
The captain had initially planned to take a tougher stance when he saw Wu Zhangkong hesitate. But now, seeing Gu La's composed demeanor, his heart sank… This attitude was unmistakable!
He braced himself for what would come next.
"My master is the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo. The evil soul masters' attack definitely has nothing to do with me. Captain, you should focus on taking care of the attacked civilians."
Gu La's expression remained indifferent. If not for overhearing Wu Zhangkong's phone call on the train, he wouldn't have revealed his relationship with Leng Yaozhu so soon.
But he knew that compared to the Federation, Shrek Academy was far more domineering and unreasonable. If Zhuo Shi were to arrive, he might even force him into becoming his disciple. To avoid such an unpleasant situation, it was better to nip any potential complications in the bud.
Wu Zhangkong frowned and turned away. While he felt perplexed and regretful, the special operations captain was outright panicked. The Heavenly Phoenix Douluo was a towering figure he'd only seen on television—how could he have encountered one of her disciples?
When he noticed the emblem on Gu La's chest, his Adam's apple bobbed nervously twice—it was the crest reserved exclusively for core members of the Spirit Pagoda. Even the artificial light from the armored vehicle's soul-guided spotlight dimmed slightly, as if bowing to this symbol of authority.
There was no need for further confirmation. The captain immediately shifted his tone: "So you're a distinguished disciple of the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo. My apologies for my earlier rudeness. Let's begin."
His knuckles underneath his tactical gloves turned white from gripping them too tightly, but he forced himself to remain composed.
"May I ask, Mr. Gu, do you know why the evil soul masters attacked you? Or perhaps you've offended someone?"
The captain subtly hinted that the Federation was aware of the Holy Spirit Sect's existence and sometimes used evil soul masters to carry out dirty tasks, like assassinating rivals—as long as it didn't cause too much of a stir or attract the intervention of Shrek Academy.
Gu La shook his head. "I've always been kind to others and never made enemies. As for the reason they attacked me, it might be related to the pharmaceutical company I founded—Arceus Pharmaceuticals."
"The evil soul masters likely wanted to obtain the formula for the Body-Forging Bone-Fortifying Solution through me. Their goal was to strengthen their ranks and overthrow the Federation's rule!"
The captain waved his hands frantically. "No, no, it's not like that."
Then, his eyes widened. "So Arceus Pharmaceuticals is your company, Mr. Gu? That means the Type-1 Body-Forging Solution is also your masterpiece?"
He gripped Gu La's hand tightly and shook it firmly. "Your invention is a monumental achievement that has impacted countless soul masters across the continent. My team and I are all your fans. Those evil soul masters who dared attack you are truly madmen!"
"Rest assured, I will personally ensure that the evil soul masters who attacked you are brought to justice!"
A question mark seemed to appear on Wu Zhangkong's forehead.
He had no idea that Arceus Pharmaceuticals belonged to Gu La. Recalling how he had hesitated repeatedly in class to recommend the Type-1 solution, Wu Zhangkong felt a twinge of embarrassment even in his icy heart.
His gaze toward Gu La grew slightly dangerous—after the competition, extra training!
Gu La, oblivious to Wu Zhangkong's ominous thoughts, had no intention of revealing Qiangu Dongfeng as the mastermind. Nor did he expect the Federation to find the evil soul masters. A casual brush-off was enough to put the matter behind him.
As for the injured civilians, most had already been healed by him. As for those who had died, there was nothing he could do. Gu La didn't tie everyone's fate to himself, but since he had money to spare, compensating them with federal credits was one of the few things he could do.
After simplifying the tedious procedures, Gu La and the others smoothly arrived at their booked hotel. Exhausted from the attack, no one felt like wandering around. They ate dinner early and retired to rest.
---
The next day, the air was fresh and cool after the rain. Tianhai City was bustling with activity due to the upcoming tournament. Streets were decorated with lanterns, and many tourists from out of town strolled along the roads.
Inside the hotel, Wu Zhangkong hung his head low, while beside him, an elderly man with fiery disheveled hair and a fierce beard raged, "You finally contact me after all these years, and you still toy with me! You didn't even confirm whether he already had a teacher. Did leaving the academy make you lose your mind?"
The elder was none other than Zhuo Shi, the Crimson Dragon Douluo. Upon hearing about a fire-attribute prodigy, Zhuo Shi had rushed to Tianhai City overnight, traveling at breakneck speed without answering his communicator.
Only upon arrival did he learn that the disciple Wu Zhangkong recommended had already become someone else's apprentice—and worse, he couldn't overpower or snatch him away.
Zhuo Shi felt deeply frustrated. A genius with twin martial souls and ultimate fire—how perfect for him! Yet someone else had beaten him to it.
Seeing Wu Zhangkong's dejected expression, Zhuo Shi couldn't bring himself to scold the disciple he had once been proud of.
"Fine, it's not your fault. If no one told you he already had a teacher, how could you have known?"
"But you made me come all this way for nothing. You owe me a disciple."
Zhuo Shi tried his best to lift Wu Zhangkong's spirits. Once, Wu Zhangkong had been a candidate for the leader of Shrek's Seven Monsters. But after suffering setbacks, seven years had passed with little progress in his cultivation. It pained Zhuo Shi to see such wasted talent.
Hearing this, Wu Zhangkong perked up slightly. His ice-blue eyes flickered. "Teacher, there's another student. I originally planned to recommend him to you after he enrolled. Since you've arrived early, would you like to take a look?"
"Since I'm already here, let's go see."
Zhuo Shi didn't hold much hope. The requirements for inheriting his legacy were extremely high, especially regarding bloodline and vitality. That was why he hadn't found a successor even in the continent's top academy.
Thus, Wu Zhangkong led Zhuo Shi to Tang Wulin's room. All the boys were staying in this suite. When Xie Xie saw Wu Zhangkong walk in with an old man, he opened his mouth to say something cheeky.
Wu Zhangkong shot him a glare, signaling him to behave. Now wasn't the time for his antics.
Tang Wulin stood up to greet them. "Teacher Wu."
Wu Zhangkong nodded and introduced, "This is my teacher. Tang Wulin, show him your bloodline power."
Zhuo Shi gave a reserved nod, sizing up Tang Wulin. He was as handsome as Wu Zhangkong, but Zhuo Shi wondered about his talent.
Meanwhile, Gu La was completely ignored. Observing Zhuo Shi's striking appearance, Gu La stroked his chin thoughtfully.
A question lingered in his mind: Why had Zhuo Shi come? Had Wu Zhangkong not informed him that I already had a teacher? Or was he here to recruit Tang Wulin as his disciple?
What a coincidence.
Or perhaps… was this the effect of luck at work?
------------------------------------------------------
40+ Chapters Ahead: patreon.com/EphemeralShadow
There's something for free patrons too! Free Patrons receive 1 chapter in advance :)