"Teacher, I…" Xiao Xiao hung her head. Tears slid down her cheeks and pattered onto the floor. The girl felt truly wronged.
"Do you actually want to place in the top three? You know it yourself!!" Zhou Yi gave her a chilly glance, then took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. "I put you into this team for a reason—to make you a trump card for Class One. Even though Wang Dong left, if you would just, ahem, do what I said, there'd still be hope for top three. Don't waste my kind intentions…"
With that, Zhou Yi turned and left without looking back.
Only a dejected Xiao Xiao remained.
Chen Yanjin left without a word, who knows where. Huo Yuhao glanced blankly at the tearful girl, pressed his lips together, hesitated, then left as well—feeling a petty twinge of satisfaction. Zhou Yi was scolding her, not him. The teacher might be strict, but she wouldn't scold the wrong person. If Xiao Xiao was wrong, then she was wrong…
…
Only one round of the round-robin was played on the first day—the academy wanted the students to ease into it.
Xie Huanyue faced the Nameless Squad from the original story and, naturally, steamrolled them with ease.
Cafeteria.
Because the freshmen had just finished their assessments, the place was packed. Upperclassmen were wailing outside, unable to squeeze in—like military training back in a previous life. Freshmen were growing and could really eat.
"Ahhh, that hit the spot!"
Xie Huanyue set down his chopsticks, patted his stomach, and looked thoroughly satisfied.
In front of him was a precarious mountain of stacked bowls and plates nearly two meters tall. There were several freshmen this year who could eat like that…
"Junior, could you spare some food for your senior? I'll lick your plate if I have to! Your senior hasn't eaten in three days—I'm starving to death…" Bei Bei said dramatically, clinging to Xie Huanyue's arm.
Tang Ya couldn't help laughing and gave Bei Bei a playful smack on the shoulder.
"Starving to death after three days? Have some dignity as a senior."
"A bunch of gluttons~"
Xie Huanyue: ???
Collateral damage?
"No worries, senior. According to research data in the soul master world, with a Soul Elder's physical standards, one's energy reserves are enough to keep you from starving for years…" Xie Huanyue said honestly.
"So skipping a meal or two won't kill you."
"You little… Deep breaths; dizziness is normal," Bei Bei said from behind the chubby Xie Huanyue, putting him in a rear choke and grinning through bared teeth.
"Xiao Xiao?!"
Amid the banter, Wang Dong suddenly exclaimed.
Su Wen raised his eyebrows in surprise. He saw Xiao Xiao's petite figure enter the cafeteria, head lowered. Even from a distance, judging from her movements and demeanor, she had probably been crying not long ago—her eyes were still red.
Something was off.
"Maybe it's because I switched classes," Wang Dong said guiltily.
She had pulled Xiao Xiao into that mess, thinking she could guarantee a top-four finish for Xiao Xiao with her around. Who would have thought she'd end up hurting her instead?
"I'll go check on her." She instinctively looked to Su Wen.
He nodded, and she stepped lightly toward Xiao Xiao.
Su Wen raised a brow.
If it were just about missing out on rewards, Xiao Xiao might be upset, but not like this. Could it be related to Zhou Yi?
Forget it. He shook his head and focused on eating.
…
Night.
In the dorm.
After washing up, Wang Dong quickly slipped out of her outer clothes and dove into her fragrant blanket.
While chatting, she brought up what happened earlier.
"Su Wen, everyone says you're from the inner court, with, ahem… connections."
Su Wen blinked. "Huh?"
"It's like this. I went to see Xiao Xiao today…" Wang Dong recounted Xiao Xiao's situation in detail, then raised a little white fist, face full of indignation. "I never thought Zhou Yi was that kind of person! For the sake of Class One's results, she actually pressured a twin martial soul student to add a soul ring to her second martial soul this early?!! Ugh!"
"And that Huo Yuhao—I didn't expect he'd be Zhou Yi's lapdog, too. I really misjudged him. I even helped put him and Xiao Xiao on the same team!"
"Huo Yuhao's had standout performances in the Soul Tool Department. Director Fan Yu thinks highly of him. Fan Yu is Zhou Yi's husband…" Su Wen said calmly.
"Ah?!!" Wang Dong's eyes went wide.
"Mm-hmm. Exactly what you're thinking. Zhou Yi never looked down on Huo Yuhao for his low soul power—in fact, she always had high hopes for him. From what you're saying… Xiao Xiao's probably just a sacrificial piece." Su Wen narrowed his eyes, sitting cross-legged on his bed, thinking.
"And the academy's higher-ups—really? That's how they treat a twin martial soul student?" Wang Dong fumed.
"Zhou Yi likely buried the news. That old hag is crazy enough to do anything for results." Su Wen shook his head.
In just three months, New Class One had gone from a hundred students to fifty-four. That had nothing to do with strict teaching anymore; it was just senseless purging.
"Then… could you help her?"
Wang Dong asked in a small voice. "Ahem, if you help, we're brothers! When I inherit the Clear Sky Sect in the future, I'll go through fire and water for you!"
"I can bring up Xiao Xiao's talent with the academy," Su Wen mused.
He knew Yan Shaoze's plan.
The fact that Zhou Yi hadn't been removed yet meant the Martial Soul Department dean was playing a long game. Yan Shaoze might have been shortsighted in the tug-of-war between the Martial Soul and Soul Tool departments, but he still had methods and resolve. Someone like Zhou Yi had long been on his purge list, but kept being spared—because of her husband, Fan Yu.
Qian Duoduo's title as Shrek's number one soul tool master was a bit inflated. If you really compared, Fan Yu was probably number one in the soul tool research field. His importance to Shrek went without saying. So Yan Shaoze's plan faced considerable opposition from the Elders.
Especially Elder Song. As Xian Lin'er's mother and one of the Sea God Pavilion's most senior elders, she was also shielding Fan Yu and Zhou Yi.
"Thank you!"
Wang Dong suddenly stood and bowed to Su Wen.
"…"
The corner of Su Wen's mouth twitched.
Looked exactly like a Clear Sky Sect lad snapping to attention—so sudden it startled him.
"Training tonight?" Su Wen asked softly.
"Mm-hmm~"
In the next moment, in the dark, a cool body slipped into his bed. This time it was Su Wen's bed. Wang Dong, wearing inner clothes, looked a bit eager. "Let's go!"
A few breaths later—
Two auras intertwined, radiating a faint four-colored glow. Soul power circulated through both of them, completing cycle after cycle. Their meridians became subtly tougher, and the growth of their soul power visibly accelerated.
They both sat cross-legged on the bed.
It was as if a faint cocoon of light wrapped around them.
…
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