"Thank you for the compliment," Shi Yu said politely. He slipped off his shoes, climbed into bed, and clearly had no intention of discussing anything further—his mind was already set on getting some much-needed rest.
But Dai Huabin wasn't done.
"Shi Yu, I invited you once before to join the White Tiger Duke's Mansion as a guest elder. This time, I'm extending the invitation again—formally." His tone was solemn, his eyes steady. "If you agree, I'll give you the highest possible treatment we offer our guest elders. I'll also make sure you never have to worry about retaliation from Xu Sanshi. In other words… you'll have nothing to fear."
Having witnessed Shi Yu's power firsthand, Dai Huabin's desire to recruit him had only grown stronger.
Shi Yu leaned back on the bed, smiling faintly. "I appreciate your regard and your invitation. But I truly have no intention of joining the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, nor am I interested in becoming a guest elder."
He let the words settle before adding, "I can only refuse your offer. I'm sorry."
With that, Shi Yu lay down, closed his eyes, and clearly signaled that the conversation was over.
It wasn't that joining the White Tiger Duke's Mansion would be without benefits—there would be many—but with benefits came shackles. This wasn't like his time in the Ten Thousand Years Later world, where joining the Spirit Transmission Pagoda for a short stay meant no lasting restrictions. Back here, in this world, such commitments would bind him for life.
And while the treatment might be excellent, Shi Yu valued freedom above all else. He would do what he wished, but never because someone forced his hand.
Shrek Academy was different—it was an institution, not a faction with political demands. Even so, he had no plans to become deeply tied to it. His relationship with Mu En as a disciple gave him a closer link to the Academy, but he wasn't about to pledge his life to it.
Perhaps it was because he wasn't truly from this world; the concept of lifelong loyalty to a sect simply didn't resonate with him.
Dai Huabin's second rejection stung. Anger flickered in his eyes, though he masked it. Even if Shi Yu refused, maintaining a good relationship with someone this talented was worth the effort.
Shi Yu slept deeply until midnight—his exhaustion was real. When he finally woke, his stomach was rumbling. He got up to go find food, only to discover that the dormitory doors were locked at this hour.
"…Not exactly convenient," he muttered, returning to his bed. But after such a long nap, he wasn't sleepy at all.
It wasn't convenient to leave, and it also wasn't wise to take out the rare materials he'd brought back from Ten Thousand Years Later—not with Dai Huabin sleeping just across the room.
"Once this semester ends, I'm applying to live off-campus," Shi Yu decided. Living alone was far more comfortable; sharing a room was nothing but trouble.
With nothing else to do, he began to cultivate, careful to keep his movements silent so as not to disturb Dai Huabin.
The next two days passed quickly. Shi Yu spent most of his time either practicing combat coordination with Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu, or accompanying Jiang Nannan.
This was the peak period for gossip, and Shi Yu was worried Nannan might not be able to handle it alone. With him by her side, most people didn't dare act strangely toward her—let alone gossip to her face.
His battle with Xu Sanshi had also boosted his own reputation. Despite being only in the twenties level-wise, he had defeated a Soul Grandmaster. Whether there had been an ability mismatch or not, the fact remained—it proved his extraordinary talent.
No one wanted to provoke a man like that, especially when the Academy itself seemed to be treating him with a certain wary respect.
And, of course, there was the fact that he'd once killed a fellow student without hesitation. Rumor said he possessed a poisonous Soul Bone—one that no one wanted to be on the receiving end of.
"Tomorrow's the freshman assessment. I'll come cheer you on," Shi Yu told Jiang Nannan as they walked together one evening after dinner.
"If you come, I'll definitely perform my best," she said with a small smile.
"Go for it. I'm counting on you to take the championship," Shi Yu replied lightly.
They strolled along, exchanging idle chatter. Passersby glanced at them with a mix of curiosity and wariness. No one dared say anything in front of them, but whispers began the moment they walked past—usually not kind.
Shi Yu ignored it all. He wasn't about to pick a fight with every pair of eyes in the Academy. Nannan, too, tried her best to tune out both the stares and the murmurs.
She'd begun to take his advice to heart: the past should be left behind, and the present cherished. If she focused on the happiness she had now, why should she let other people's opinions poison it?
Under his guidance, she was gradually becoming less timid, a little stronger each day.
The morning of the freshman assessment arrived. Students from all first-year classes gathered at the competition grounds for the lottery and grouping.
All 930 freshmen—divided into 310 three-person teams—would draw lots to determine their match-ups. The staff tried to avoid pitting teams from the same class against each other in the early rounds, but sometimes it couldn't be helped.
The morning was consumed with organization, and the actual matches didn't begin until the afternoon. On this first day, each team would have only one fight before being dismissed.
Shi Yu accompanied Dai Huabin and Zhu Lu to the ninth assessment arena. After the previous match ended and the field was cleared, they stepped forward when called.
Dai Huabin took the center position, Shi Yu stood on his left, and Zhu Lu on his right. The captaincy had gone to Dai Huabin without dispute; Shi Yu didn't care about titles—especially since they'd already agreed to split any rewards equally.
Their opponents were from the First Freshman Class—the one Huo Yuhao belonged to—but not his trio with Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao.
"Go get 'em!" Jiang Nannan called from the stands, openly cheering for Shi Yu.
He turned, smiled, and waved to her.
"Once the match starts, we go back-to-back," said Qin Liwei, captain of Group Sixteen from First Class, speaking to his two teammates—a comically mismatched pair, one fat and one thin.
"Got it," they replied. All three knew exactly who they were up against. The stories about Shi Yu's strange ability—an 'instant transmission' that had shocked the Outer Courtyard—were already widespread.