"Crying?"
Yun Chuan looked at Ning Rongrong's tear-brimmed eyes and couldn't help thinking to himself, So darn cute. But on the surface, his tone stayed cold.
"What's there to cry about? Who do you think you are? Without the Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan, you'd just be another reasonably pretty girl — no one special — maybe tucked away in some corner where no one notices you. You've got talent, you've got background, and yet you don't work hard, preferring to enjoy an easy life. That's your choice, and you can live that way if you want… but if you come to Shrek Academy, you follow our rules."
"This isn't your Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan," Yun Chuan went on in that flat, unhurried voice. "The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda is the strongest support-type martial spirit on the continent — but what you're doing now? You're disgracing it."
"I am not!" Ning Rongrong's voice rose in anger and agitation. She was, after all, still just a twelve-year-old girl. The Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Pagoda was the pride of her clan — her pride.
"Not?" Yun Chuan's smile turned sharp. "Then tell me, out of the seven students here, who are you actually better than? Tang San and Xiao Wu — both higher level than you, with far more combat experience. Dai Mubai? By thirteen he was already a rank-thirty Soul Elder. Could you manage that?"
"Ma Hongjun — top-tier beast spirit, flaws and all. Still level twenty-seven today. Zhu Zhuqing? She may only be slightly higher than you in soul power, but her will is like steel. Tell her to run twenty laps — no, a hundred — and she'd crawl the last one if she had to. Can you?"
Ning Rongrong's chest heaved with fury.
"I'm a support-type — how can you compare me to them?" She bit back her tears, clinging to her defense. "On the battlefield, I'm more useful than any of them!"
"You're right — that's true." Yun Chuan nodded, then his tone dropped like a hammer. "But here's another truth: on the battlefield, only the living can support their team."
He looked at her, eyes full of open disdain. "With your attitude? If an enemy targeted you, would you escape? With your arrogance and impatience, could you find teammates who'd genuinely protect you while you cast your skills? No. You'd be abandoned — and killed."
"…Well, I'm still better than Oscar, right?" Ning Rongrong, seizing at hope, wiped her eyes as if clutching a life raft.
"Sorry — but the headmaster tells me Oscar may be the most talented of you all." Yun Chuan smiled mercilessly, shattering her last defense. "He's a food-type soul master born with full innate soul power. Have you ever even met one like that?"
Ning Rongrong just stared at him.
She didn't want to believe it — but she knew Teacher Tang Chuan wouldn't lie about something like this. She'd always kept herself separate from the battle-types; comparing was pointless. But hearing all this now, she felt a cold sinking in her chest — like she was about to implode.
Even Oscar was stronger?!
Food-type soul masters almost never advanced easily — and one with full innate soul power was unheard of.
He'd torn away her last scrap of pride.
With a choked sob, Ning Rongrong broke and ran, tears streaming down her cheeks.
"I hate you, Tang Chuan!" came her wailing cry from down the road.
Watching her flee, hand over her face, Yun Chuan did feel a flicker of guilt. But it was the kind of blow she needed if she was ever going to grow. Better now, in private, than later in front of everyone when the shame would cut much deeper.
In a way, he was helping her.
…And, sure, he was also working on building favorability. He wouldn't deny it. He had always liked certain characters from the original story — especially the female ones.
Coming to this world, seeing "two-dimensional waifus" made flesh… who wouldn't be tempted?
And Yun Chuan knew exactly what he was — a shameless skirt-chaser. Why else would he have maxed out his Charm stat before he was even born? A good face just made wooing the ladies that much easier.
—
He ambled back toward the academy… and soon spotted Oscar, still running his endless laps.
An idea sparked.
"Morning, Teacher Tang," Oscar called between breaths as he passed.
"Hold up, Oscar," Yun Chuan said.
"Huuh… what is it, Teacher?" Oscar slowed, still panting lightly.
"You got a thing for Ning Rongrong?" Yun Chuan asked bluntly.
Oscar's ears went pink. He scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. "Well… a gentleman admires a fair lady, right? Heh."
Such an innocent kid, Yun Chuan thought. All the more reason to stamp out a budding rival before it grew teeth.
"You know her background?" Yun Chuan asked.
"Sure — Seven Treasures Glazed Tile Clan. Why?"
"No big deal. Just thought you should know — in the top support clan on the continent, there's an unspoken rule: male or female, whoever they marry has to be a battle soul master." Yun Chuan's tone stayed mild. "Support-types have no offense. Only a battle-type partner can truly protect them. That's the reason."
"She… has to marry a battle soul master?"
The words hit Oscar like a lightning bolt. He was no fool. He knew exactly what that meant — and as a food-type soul master, he wasn't even in the running.
"…Why tell me this?" he asked quietly, head down.
"Ai, because it's for your own good," Yun Chuan said gravely. "You two will never happen. Better you know now, before you sink deeper and just end up hurting yourselves. Understand?"
Oscar was silent a long while, then exhaled slowly. When he raised his head, his smile was forced but his voice steady. "Got it. Thanks for telling me, Teacher. I know what to do now."
"Good. That's more like it." Yun Chuan nodded, satisfied. Potential rival eliminated at the seed stage. No spark now meant no tragic romance later — and no rival willing to fight to the death for her.
Sending Oscar back to his run, Yun Chuan strolled toward the girls' dorm.
The door was shut.
Knock knock.
Footsteps inside — then the door cracked open to reveal Xiao Wu.
"Teacher Tang? What is it?" she asked curiously.
"Is Ning Rongrong in?"
"She is. Came back in tears just now, won't answer anything I say."
"Oh, she tripped while running, got a little banged up. I've healing — came to patch her up." His face didn't so much as twitch at the lie.
"Then you'd better help her — she's been crying forever," Xiao Wu said, pointing inside.
Yun Chuan smiled and stepped in. The girls each had individual rooms — much better than the boys' quarters. He scanned briefly, homing in on the faint sound of sniffles.
He eased open the door to Ning Rongrong's room. She was buried under her blanket, barely audible whimpers escaping.
After a moment's thought, he rummaged in his storage tool and pulled out a delicate little cake. The moment it appeared, the room filled with sweet fragrance.
Girls could never resist dessert. Sure enough, a tousled head poked cautiously from beneath the covers… only to meet Yun Chuan's smiling gaze.
Her face immediately darkened. "Get out! I don't want to see you!"
He stayed silent, knowing she needed space. Just set the pretty little cake on her desk and headed for the door.
He'd noticed at breakfast she'd barely eaten, the food not to her taste. This cake he'd bought in Soto City was perfect bait.
All part of the plan.
(End of Chapter)