Xuanzi looked at Jiang Qingtong and Beibei and said, "You two will serve as captain and vice-captain of the preparatory team. Beibei, you're the captain; Qingtong, you're the vice-captain!"
Upon hearing this, Beibei glanced at Jiang Qingtong, but she didn't return his gaze. She simply gave a short hum of acknowledgment and said, "Understood."
Xuanzi looked from Beibei to Jiang Qingtong again. He'd already heard about the arrangement from Mu En—namely, to pair Beibei and Jiang Qingtong together, using this opportunity to keep her at the Academy.
So he added, "There's one month left before the Soul Master Tournament. During this month, all matters related to the preparatory team will be in your hands. Don't disappoint me."
Beibei gave a solemn nod. "I guarantee we'll get it done. You can count on us, Elder Xuan!"
Xuanzi then turned to Jiang Qingtong and said, "If there's anything you don't understand, just ask Beibei. He's a few years older than you and has more experience—he can handle things well. With his help, your life here at the Academy will be much easier."
The implication in his words went well beyond the mere duties of the preparatory team.
But Jiang Qingtong simply nodded as if she didn't catch the subtext. "Alright, Elder Xuan."
Xuanzi stretched lazily, took a swig from his wine gourd, and waved his hand. "Alright, the rest is up to you two to sort out. I'm heading off! Come find me only when you run into something you really can't resolve."
He left swiftly, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
After he was gone, Beibei clenched his fists. At first, he looked slightly unwilling, but then he took a deep breath, turned to Jiang Qingtong, and said, "Qingtong, let's go. We should talk about the preparatory team."
Having already figured out Mu En's intentions, Jiang Qingtong naturally kept a close eye on Beibei's reactions. Seeing the fleeting trace of self-sacrificial resolve on his face, she scoffed internally.
Does he really think he's some great hero bearing burdens for his clan and country?
How amusing.
Beibei noticed Jiang Qingtong didn't respond—just stared at him, expression unreadable. He felt a bit uneasy.
Could she have figured something out? No, impossible. I've shown no signs of anything… she's just a girl. How could she possibly be that perceptive?
Just as Beibei was mulling over whether Jiang Qingtong had caught on, she suddenly smiled, walked forward a few steps, and said, "Senior Beibei, why not just talk right here?"
Beibei looked up at the sky and said, "It's getting late. Why don't we find somewhere to eat and talk? You must be hungry, right?"
"Not really," Jiang Qingtong shook her head.
Beibei was caught off guard—he hadn't expected that answer.
Jiang Qingtong continued, "But if you're offering to treat me to a meal, I certainly won't say no. I'll pick the place. Let's go!"
Her behavior resembled a calculating modern woman deliberately stringing someone along—but it was Mu En who started this whole game of manipulation! Since they were all playing mind games, who could really claim to be more noble?
Jiang Qingtong wasn't some saint—but was Mu En?
Don't kid yourself.
She picked an upscale restaurant. The prices were steep, but Jiang Qingtong figured Beibei, as a student of Shrek Academy and a descendant of Mu En, could afford it.
If she could enjoy a good meal, playing the fool for a bit was worth it. After all, food is the god of the people.
During the meal, no matter how subtly Beibei tried to steer the conversation toward other topics, Jiang Qingtong would smoothly redirect it back to things like "spiritual development" for the preparatory team. Her conversational defense was airtight—flawless from every angle.
By the end of the meal, every responsibility had been dumped on Beibei. Nothing else had progressed.
"Senior Beibei, I'm heading back now! Let's talk again tomorrow if anything comes up," Jiang Qingtong waved as they returned to the Academy, then walked off toward her dorm.
Beibei watched her back silently for a moment before sighing heavily. He muttered to himself,
"Xiao Ya, I hope you can forgive me. I'm doing this… for the Academy, and for the peace of the continent."
What Beibei was thinking didn't concern Jiang Qingtong in the slightest.
But halfway back to her dorm, someone blocked her path—He Caitou.
"Senior, do you need something?" Jiang Qingtong asked as she looked at the figure standing in front of her.
He Caitou walked up to her. After a moment of silence, he asked, "Are you from the Sun Moon Empire?"
Jiang Qingtong blinked and tilted her head. "You came all this way just to ask me that? Everyone in the Martial Soul Department knows. You could've asked anyone!"
He Caitou took a deep breath and looked at her intently. "In the future, stay here at Shrek Academy, Jiang-shimei."
Wow.
Most people would at least try to soften her up with kind words first, or go the roundabout route—maybe slander the Sun Moon Empire a bit, then try to win her over with emotion. But this guy?
He just blurted it out.
Where'd he learn his conversational skills—from a brick wall?
Jiang Qingtong smiled and stared blankly at him. "Senior, that was a strange way to phrase it. Why did you say also stay?"
He Caitou fell silent for a moment, as if he'd made up his mind. Then he looked her straight in the eyes and said, "Because I'm from the Sun Moon Empire too."
Jiang Qingtong widened her eyes in surprise. "So Senior is also from the Sun and Moon Empire?"
He Caitou nodded, then said, "My real name is Xu He. I fled to Shrek Academy after being persecuted by nobles of the Sun Moon Empire. I know very well how ugly and evil that place can be. With your talent, if you went back there, they'd definitely force you to become a leader of war, dragging the continent into chaos. If that happens, the entire world would come to hate you."
"But if I'm strong enough, no one can force me to do anything, can they?" Jiang Qingtong replied coolly.
In a world where power dictates everything, once you possess overwhelming strength, you become the rule-maker. Who could possibly bind you then?
He Caitou continued, "But what about your family? You can't stay with them all the time. The people in the Sun Moon Empire… they'll stop at nothing to get what they want!"
"Senior, you seem to harbor deep resentment toward the Sun Moon Empire," Jiang Qingtong said softly, eyeing him. "Is it… because your surname is Xu?"
Hearing that, He Caitou froze slightly, visibly unsettled.
Jiang Qingtong continued, "Xu… that's the royal surname of the Sun Moon Empire, isn't it? If I'm not mistaken, Senior, you must be of royal blood, aren't you?"
At her words, a flash of panic crossed He Caitou's face—but this was Shrek Academy. After a brief moment of tension, he managed to suppress the emotion and steady himself.
Under her gaze, he nodded and answered,
"Yes. I am indeed a member of the Sun Moon Empire's royal family."