At the Nuoding City Soul Master Academy, our Tang San has already been thoroughly trained into an obedient simp by Xiao Wu.
Although there's not much value left to squeeze out of Tang San, every time Xiao Wu goes out to flirt with men and scams them out of money—then gets found out—all she needs to do is act pitiful in front of her Gege Ah San and shed a few tears. Our loyal puppy Ah San will immediately jump in to bear the consequences for her.
Take the following scene, for instance—
"You damned rabbit! You've got the guts to seduce men, but not the guts to face the consequences, huh? Get out here and return my son's money!" A furious woman barged into the school, demanding to catch Xiao Wu.
Seeing the woman, Xiao Wu instantly remembered the little brat she had recently scammed so badly he didn't even have underwear left—looks like the parent came looking for her.
The woman came in aggressively. Xiao Wu immediately turned to flee, and the two began a chase. When Xiao Wu saw Tang San walking over, her eyes rolled with an idea. She skipped over to Tang San and hid behind his tall frame, acting coy as she cried, "Ah San Gege, save me!"
Tang San immediately shielded Xiao Wu behind him.
The woman caught up, glaring at Tang San. "Get out of the way and hand over that damn rabbit!"
"Madam, I think there's been some misunderstanding," Tang San said, holding back his anger.
"Misunderstanding? That b*tch seduced my son and scammed him out of all his money! I'm here to settle the score with her!" the woman shouted furiously.
"Xiao Wu isn't that kind of person," Tang San said, his eyes turning red, breathing heavily like an enraged bull.
"Kid, looks like you and that rabbit have something going on. Let me give you some advice—hand her over, and stay away from that b*tch. Otherwise, you won't even know when she's conned you too," the woman warned.
A flicker of killing intent flashed in Tang San's eyes. This woman had humiliated Xiao Wu again and again—he couldn't stand it anymore. Now that she was clearly the enemy, it meant she deserved to die. He loaded his hidden sleeve dart and was ready to claim his first blood.
From the crowd, Yu Xiaogang saw that the time was right. With hands behind his back, he calmly stepped forward, dropping a soul ring as he walked—well, only two rings, anyway.
"Madam, please don't harass my student. I'm Tang San's teacher. If there's an issue, you can speak with me."
Then, Yu Xiaogang took a so-called "objective and impartial" stance, resolving the conflict on Tang San's behalf—and in doing so, gained another chunk of Tang San's "favorability" while also saving one of Tang San's sleeve darts.
As for Yu Xiaogang's "kindness," Tang San only pretended to be grateful in public, acting the part of the devoted student. But inside, he was far from appreciative. As soon as Yu Xiaogang dealt with the situation, Tang San immediately left the scene with Xiao Wu.
"Xiao Wu, tell me what's going on. Why is another woman coming after you?" Even though Tang San trusted her, incidents like this happening again and again were starting to sow seeds of doubt.
Unexpectedly, upon hearing this, Xiao Wu's eyes turned red, and pearly tears began to fall as she sobbed, "Ah San Gege, why are you asking like that? Do you… suspect me too?"
Tang San had almost zero resistance to Xiao Wu's crocodile tears. The moment he saw them, he panicked. "No! That's not what I meant, Xiao Wu. I'm sorry!"
"It's okay, Ah San Gege. I understand. Xiao Wu is often misunderstood by others, so it's no surprise even you would start to have doubts," Xiao Wu pouted.
"No, Xiao Wu, you have to believe me. I swear—even if the entire world doubts you and stops believing in you, I, Tang San, will always believe in you!" Tang San vowed.
"Ah San Gege, you're so good to Xiao Wu."
After Tang San left, Xiao Wu's expression turned cold. A dark glint flashed in her eyes. Looks like my tactics aren't sharp enough—my little puppy is starting to disobey.
For six years, Tang San had been stuck to Xiao Wu like glue. When Xiao Wu pointed east, Tang San wouldn't dare go west. And most importantly, Ah San Gege enjoyed it.
In Tang San's eyes, taking Xiao Wu shopping, cleaning for her, running errands to buy carrots, buying luxury handbags and jewelry, and chasing away annoying pests all meant their relationship was getting closer and more intimate (especially since Xiao Wu would occasionally "reward" him with a little affection).
Spending so much time on Xiao Wu meant Tang San had less time for anything else.
Yet, some remaining sliver of rationality in Tang San's mind still reminded him: by the time he went to Shrek Academy, he needed to reach Level 29. This was tied to a major opportunity—the Eight Spider Lances.
Yu Xiaogang had noticed Tang San's obsession with Xiao Wu was impacting his cultivation, but he didn't dare interfere. He knew very well the place Xiao Wu held in Tang San's heart—intervening too harshly would only cause Tang San to resent him. On this point, it seemed Tang San had him completely figured out.
Don't be fooled—he may act like an obedient student in public, but in private, this unfilial disciple even dared to call him "Gangzi"!
Right now, Yu Xiaogang was adopting a roundabout strategy. On one hand, he was bribing Xiao Wu to act as his spokesperson—using her to emotionally manipulate Tang San into accepting the soul rings he had chosen.
He wanted everyone Tang San encountered on his path of growth to know: Tang San is my loyal student. Only by constantly imprinting his "mark" on Tang San...
Only by solidifying their master-disciple bond could he ensure Tang San would never escape the palm of his hand.
That's right—after experiencing the benefits of having Xiao Wu's help during Tang San's first soul hunt, Yu Xiaogang made sure to collaborate with her again for the second one. Together, they forced Tang San to accept the Ghost Vine soul beast he didn't even want as his second soul skill.
Yu Xiaogang figured it was time for Tang San to move on to a higher-level soul master academy. With his talent, if he went to another school, Yu Xiaogang feared losing him to someone else. He needed to send him somewhere safe. Then—ding!—a light bulb went off in that flat-topped head of his.
Recalling past correspondence with Flender, Yu Xiaogang knew Flender was setting up a school for "monsters," and had already recruited three very talented students. So—send Tang San to Shrek Academy!
Even if their Martial Soul Fusion Skill was gone, Yu Xiaogang still had a long-standing sense of psychological superiority over Flender. Handing his precious student to Flender posed no threat—Flender didn't have the guts to do anything to him.
Plus, with Tang San and Xiao Wu added in, Shrek would have five prodigies already. Just two more and they'd have a full battle team. If they could shine in the Soul Master Tournament, it would be the perfect moment for Yu Xiaogang to rise to fame!
With that, Yu Xiaogang eagerly penned a letter and sent it to Flender.
Upon receiving word from Yu Xiaogang about two extremely talented kids, Flender immediately wrote back: "You must bring them to my Shrek Academy."
So, Yu Xiaogang wrote a letter of recommendation for Tang San and Xiao Wu, instructing them to head to Shrek Academy in Soto City after graduating.
Soto City
Dai Mubai was lying on the bed, enjoying a massage from a beautiful woman. On his left was Ma Hongjun, and on his right was Oscar.
Under the influence of Oscar and Dai Mubai, the once-determined-to-train-hard Ma Hongjun finally… succumbed.
Dai Mubai said with a sigh, "Ah… six years have flown by in the blink of an eye. My happy days as Young Master Dai are coming to an end."
Oscar suddenly remembered something, but since there were others nearby, he only hinted vaguely, "Boss Dai, think about it — you, me, and Fatty have all done that… but what about Tang San, Xiao Wu, Ning Rongrong, and Zhu Zhuqing? Could they have…"
Oscar's words gave Dai Mubai a jolt, and cold sweat broke out on his back.
"No way… Could it be that all seven of us Shrek monsters have been reincarnated? If that's the case, then Zhu Zhuqing…"
If Zhu Zhuqing was also reincarnated but didn't know it, then repeating the same past might just disappoint her.
But if she did know she was reborn, then wouldn't she tear me to pieces?
"Boss Dai, what are you thinking about? Don't tell me you're thinking of Zhu Zhuqing again?" Oscar asked.
Dai Mubai turned his head to Oscar and said, "You must keep my rebirth a secret from Zhu Zhuqing, understood?"
Oscar replied, "Of course we can keep it a secret. But Boss Dai, don't forget — you came to Shrek earlier than in your past life. If Zhu Zhuqing really thinks it through, she might realize something's off."
Dai Mubai: "…"
Dai Mubai realized that if Zhu Zhuqing was a reincarnator too… then he was truly doomed.
Ma Hongjun asked, "Boss Dai, what are you going to do?"
"I…" Dai Mubai fell silent, murmuring, "Zhuqing forgave me once… she should be able to forgive me a second time… right?"
He still had confidence in this. After all, he and Zhu Zhuqing had completed a martial soul fusion. At most, she'd throw a tantrum — she wouldn't betray him.
"And besides," Dai Mubai suddenly said righteously, "in the Star Luo royal family, which emperor in history didn't have three palaces and six concubines? Why must I, Dai Mubai, be the only one faithful to Zhu Zhuqing?"
"I'm a damn war god! I should have a whole forest of women. Why should I hang myself on just one tree? And haven't I treated her well enough? I've always kept the position of main wife for her. Why is she throwing a fit?"
"Damn right, Boss Dai. You've got a point," Oscar said.
" (Little Os), you're just too soft on women — that's why Ning Rongrong walks all over you," Dai Mubai continued. "If I were you and she said she 'wasn't ready,' I'd have handled it that very night."
Hearing his dark past mentioned, Oscar's expression turned awkward. He stammered, "I… I just wanted to warm her heart… who knew…"
Six years ago, when Dai Mubai awakened his martial soul, it resonated with Zhu Zhuqing's. She had already prepared herself to risk everything for a chance at survival.
But what she didn't expect was that her partner would flee that very night — without giving her a chance to prepare.
Zhu Zhuqing could only hypnotize herself into believing that Dai Mubai had simply gone to another place, a different environment, to avoid his brother's suppression and train.
In the Zhu family, ever since her rivalry with her sister became official, her once kind older sister had changed. She constantly suppressed and tormented her. From Zhu Zhuqing's perspective, Dai Mubai must be facing the same treatment.
In terms of talent, Zhu Zhuqing was 2.5 levels behind Dai Mubai. She could only try to make up the gap with effort.
(At age 12, Zhu Zhuqing had innate level 7 soul power and was a level 27 Grandmaster. Meanwhile, our Young Master Dai was only level 25 at age 12 — shows how much time he wasted.)
Once Zhu Zhuqing gained enough strength, she fled from the Zhu family and headed to the Heaven Dou Empire to find her fiancé, Dai Mubai.
Dai Mubai wasn't so much escaping as he was traveling on public funds. He used family money to support Shrek Academy and indulged in wild pleasures across the land. That meant every move he made in Soto City was under the control of the Star Luo Empire.
So everything Dai Mubai had done in the past six years was fully visible to his brother, Dai Weisi.
"This useless trash — six whole years, and all he's done is fool around in Soto City," Dai Weisi sneered.
"Dai Weisi," Zhu Zhuyun said with delight, "I think it's clear — the future throne of Star Luo Empire is yours."
"Of course it is," Dai Weisi said smugly. Then he turned his gaze to Zhu Zhuyun. "Your little sister ran off, didn't she?"
"Yes, she ran away. Why?" Zhu Zhuyun asked.
"There are some things that are hard to do in Star Luo City," Dai Weisi said with a cold laugh. "But outside…"
"If your little sister were to have a little 'accident' out there, who would say anything?"
"Take some men and go kill Zhu Zhuqing."
Zhu Zhuyun's face turned a bit uneasy. Though the two of them shared a common interest, there was a limit. Dai Weisi truly wanted to wipe out his younger brother, while Zhu Zhuyun still harbored a trace of pity in her heart.
She said, "Dai Weisi, think about it. Dai Mubai is a hopeless waste of space. The Star Luo throne is yours sooner or later. Isn't this unnecessary?"
"It's very necessary," Dai Weisi said coldly. "Dai Mubai is my rival. Even if he's a piece of trash, I will eliminate him. The throne might already be mostly mine, but I, Dai Weisi, want a result that's absolute and undeniable. What, are you feeling sorry for your sister?"
"Of course not!" Zhu Zhuyun quickly explained, "If I'm here, she can't be. If she's here, I can't be. The Star Luo throne must belong to me."
"Then that's settled. You handle Zhu Zhuqing — and make sure it's clean," Dai Weisi ordered.
"Alright. I'll go kill her now," Zhu Zhuyun said, steeling herself.
With that, she turned and left.
Dai Weisi sneered coldly. "Dai Mubai, since you're so content to fall into depravity, as your elder brother, how can I not give you a little push? Once you lose your partner, once you lose the Nether White Tiger… let's see how you'll compete with me."
Meanwhile, back in the Zhu family, Zhu Zhuyun returned and immediately gathered her forces to begin the hunt for the escaped Zhu Zhuqing.
Between the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire lay a dense forest. If one avoided the official roads, one had no choice but to face the dangers and uncertainties of the jungle, where soul beasts could appear at any moment and pose a deadly threat to Zhu Zhuqing. Confronted with these terrifying creatures, her only option was to keep running.
But even more terrifying than the soul beasts were the pursuers behind her.
She was gasping for breath as she lay down beneath a tree to rest when an arrow suddenly shot past, embedding itself in the tree next to her head.
"My dear little sister, where do you think you're going?"
Zhu Zhuqing looked up and saw Zhu Zhuyun, leading a group of soul master private soldiers raised by their family, appearing ahead of her.
"Sister, things have come to this point, and you still refuse to let me go?" Zhu Zhuqing questioned.
"Let you go?" Zhu Zhuyun replied coldly. "If I let you go, I won't be able to sit securely as empress."
Zhu Zhuqing forced herself up and ran deeper into the forest.
"After her!" Zhu Zhuyun ordered.
Thus began the relentless chase. Under Zhu Zhuyun's command, Zhu Zhuqing dared not stop for even a moment. She was getting closer and closer to the Heaven Dou Empire's border.
Neither group noticed the figure sitting on a distant mountaintop—a short man shrouded in a black cloak, his face obscured. His voice was that of a child:
"Aiya, little girl, I can tell you're trying to drive your sister toward Heaven Dou's territory. But sometimes, being too soft-hearted doesn't end well. Old man will lend you a hand."
Zhu Zhuqing, a mere Rank-27 Soul Grandmaster, was clearly no match for the many powerful soul masters sent by the Zhu family. The flaw in the plan was obvious to any outsider.
As they closed in, Zhu Zhuyun gave the order: "Loose the arrows. Fire!"
Her subordinates stopped and raised their bows. As they loosed their arrows, a small opening in their formation appeared.
Kilometers away, that cloaked man pulled out a bow exuding a chilling aura. He casually took out a regular arrow, drew the bow, and locked on—
The arrows from Zhu Zhuyun's men brushed past Zhu Zhuqing like warning shots.
Zhu Zhuqing agilely dodged the rain of arrows from behind. She could already see the edge of the forest—hope bloomed in her heart.
She was so close. Just beyond the woods lay the Heaven Dou Empire. If she made it there, she would be safe.
But just as she was about to burst out of the forest, a silent arrow pierced through the air from kilometers away. It struck Zhu Zhuqing in the back, passed through her heart, and exited her chest.
From behind, Zhu Zhuyun saw her sister's body hunch over, her hair disheveled, and blood burst from her chest. Then Zhu Zhuqing collapsed to the ground.
"Zhuqing!" Zhu Zhuyun screamed and rushed forward. She saw her sister lying in the forest mud, eyes lifeless, a pool of blood spreading behind her.
Zhu Zhuyun held Zhu Zhuqing's corpse, sobbing uncontrollably. She had never intended to kill her. She still had feelings for this sister. But fate had forced them to clash.
In her plan, she wanted to drive Zhu Zhuqing into the Heaven Dou Empire, let her see what a useless man her fiancé truly was, so that she would give up on competing and quietly live out her life in obscurity.
That was the last thing she, as an elder sister, could do for her.
Who would have thought—
She looked up at her people through tear-filled eyes. "Who shot that arrow?!"
Zhu family's archers all looked at each other in confusion. One picked up the arrow and explained—it couldn't possibly have come from any of them.
Not one of my people? Zhu Zhuyun was momentarily stunned. A possibility flashed through her mind: Dai Weisi didn't trust her. He must've sent another team to ambush Zhu Zhuqing at the Star Luo–Heaven Dou border.
It was the most likely explanation she could think of.
She painfully brushed Zhu Zhuqing's cheek and closed her sister's eyes:
"Sister, this is the fate we women of the Zhu family cannot escape. You're dead now, at least you'll never have to know what kind of trash your fiancé really is. Everything you suffered, I will one day reclaim from him."
Zhu Zhuyun collected Zhu Zhuqing's corpse and returned with her forces.
"Mission complete. Time to go home," the child-voiced old man in the black cloak put away his bow and turned to leave.
Far away in Soto City, Dai Mubai was bidding farewell to a pair of twin siblings. He had just cut off all unnecessary ties and was fully prepared to welcome Zhu Zhuqing's arrival.
Suddenly, he felt an overwhelming sense of dread, like a piece of his flesh had been ripped away.
Dai Mubai staggered slightly. "What's wrong with me...?"