Chapter 72 – The Extreme Huo Yuhao
This freshman was called Gao Tu. He was also a student of Class One. Among the nine students expelled by Zhou Yi that morning for defying her, one was his childhood friend.
He still clearly remembered Zhou Yi's reprimand:
"Shrek Academy does not need students who rely on trickery. If one has strength but lacks a righteous heart, then no matter how great their achievements, they will bring disaster rather than benefit to any nation."
Now, hearing it again, those words sounded especially harsh.
"Teacher Zhou, isn't the class monitor you appointed exactly this kind of person?"
Thinking this, Gao Tu sneered, raised his head, and looked coldly at Huo Yuhao.
The scene Beibei least wanted to see still happened. He glanced toward Tang Ya.
Tang Ya only shook her head helplessly, signaling that it wasn't her idea.
Xu Sanshi's physical resistance was indeed strong. After Beibei withdrew his martial soul, his trembling stopped immediately. Furious, he shouted, "So that's it, Beibei! No wonder you had the confidence to beat me!"
As he spoke, his eyes glared fiercely at Huo Yuhao.
Earlier, Jiang Nannan had finally agreed to "accompany him" for grilled fish, but this brat had stubbornly refused to sell him any. Not only had his effort gone to waste, but the brat had even plotted with Beibei to trick him out of a Profound Water Pill.
That honest-looking face turned out to be so deceitful.
Huo Yuhao's face, still streaked with blood, showed grievance. His hoarse voice said, "Teacher Xiaoya, I just wanted to help Senior Brother."
The moment he said this, Gao Tu laughed coldly. "Help? What a noble excuse for cheating. Huo Yuhao, just how thick is your skin?"
Among the spectators were several Class One freshmen.
Though Huo Yuhao's perseverance in the afternoon's physical training had impressed them, in the end he only passed with Wang Dong's help. After all, he was merely an eleventh-rank spirit master. Deep down, they still felt uncomfortable with him becoming class monitor.
But because of Zhou Yi's authority, they hadn't dared to show it.
Now that Huo Yuhao had been caught cheating in public, they eagerly added insult to injury.
"So this is the monitor of our Class One? This is our leader?"
"Cheating? Hah, probably no one knows more about trickery than our class monitor."
"Bah."
Most present stayed silent, but their disdainful eyes stabbed deeply into Huo Yuhao's heart.
Because of his childhood experiences, he was especially prone to extremes.
A few streaks of crimson slid from his eyelids. His blood-stained eyes looked terrifying.
Why?! What mistake did I make that you all must treat me this way?!
Yes, I'm a commoner, but I work harder than any of you! Why should I be looked down on?! Just because my cultivation is low, my talent weak?!
His beautiful fantasies about Shrek Academy were almost shattered.
First Wang Dong, who looked down on him at the start. Then his classmates, who targeted him. And now, the spectators in the stands, scorning him.
It was like the last straw crushing the camel.
One word could perfectly describe his state—possession.
His fists clenched tight, nails stabbing deep into his flesh. Hatred drowned out his last shred of reason. To him, everyone present seemed to become Dai Huabin, the one responsible for his mother's death.
Pffft— A mouthful of blood spurted out. Already injured by spiritual backlash, Huo Yuhao completely lost consciousness.
"Yuhao?!" Tang Ya cried out, startled. Yet the endless hatred in his eyes just before collapsing had felt utterly unfamiliar to her.
The sky darkened. At some point, the starlight had been completely smothered by dark clouds.
Crashhh—
A torrential downpour suddenly poured down. The spectators on the open stands could only leave.
Gao Tu, who had reported Huo Yuhao, was full of smug satisfaction.
From the moment he decided to expose Huo Yuhao, he had already resolved to withdraw from Shrek Academy and go study with his childhood friend at their city's spirit master academy.
If he had to deal with a teacher like Zhou Yi, then Shrek Academy wasn't worth staying in!
The referee teacher also declared the duel invalid.
All he needed to do was report today's incident upward. How it would be handled wasn't his concern.
Xu Zihuang stood silently in the stands, strands of violet hair drenched by rain.
The rain fell on geniuses and failures alike. On the righteous and the unrighteous. Rain was never fair, because it fell upon a world without fairness.
Life itself was unequal. No one would care about your past.
Sympathize with Huo Yuhao?
Perhaps…
But one thing was certain—he did not regret seizing the Skydream Iceworm.
Suppressing that brief sigh in his heart, Xu Zihuang's face regained its warm smile. He pulled a fine umbrella from his soul tool, opened it, and walked toward Tang Ya and Huo Yuhao.
"Tianhuang?" Tang Ya raised her delicate face. Her phoenix eyes seemed to have lost their usual liveliness, her spirits low.
Kind-hearted by nature, she felt guilty about what had just happened to Huo Yuhao. If she hadn't dragged him to sell grilled fish, maybe none of this would have happened.
Beibei and Xu Sanshi also came over. Despite usually having a good relationship, even Xu Sanshi didn't pursue the matter further after seeing Huo Yuhao in such a miserable state.
"You know them?" Xu Sanshi's words clearly referred to Xu Zihuang's connection with Tang Ya and Beibei.
"When I came to Shrek Academy to enroll, I happened to run into Senior Brother Bei and Senior Sister Tang."
Xu Zihuang nodded slightly in reply.
Beibei gestured at him, then bent down to carry Huo Yuhao on his back.
"Let's take Junior Brother back to the dorm first."
Beibei carried Huo Yuhao ahead. Tang Ya also pulled an umbrella from her soul tool to cover them.
Behind them walked Xu Zihuang and Xu Sanshi, sharing an umbrella.
Seeing the heavy atmosphere, Xu Sanshi arched a brow and said, "Beibei, don't blame me for this. I know you wanted to trick me out of the Profound Water Pill for that kid. But his talent is really too poor. Even if he took one, it wouldn't make much difference."
Beibei sighed in frustration. He wasn't sure anymore if bringing Huo Yuhao to Shrek Academy had been the right choice.
Though Yuhao's heart was resilient, it was too extreme.
The venomous hatred in his eyes earlier had even startled Beibei.
"Forget it. Let it be. Whether Yuhao can stay in the academy will depend on himself."
When they reached the freshman dormitory, the group parted ways. Before leaving, Xu Sanshi suddenly handed Xu Zihuang a jade bottle.
"Senior Brother Xu, this is…"
"You gave me advice before. I can't let that go unpaid." Xu Sanshi chuckled, carefree.
Compared to lifelong happiness, what was a single Profound Water Pill?
Beibei looked at Xu Sanshi giving away a Profound Water Pill so casually and couldn't help but feel speechless.
"Since when were you so generous?"
"I've always been this generous. But what I give you is yours. What I don't give, you can't take. Got it?" Xu Sanshi shot back, patting his backside as he left.
Nearly tricked by Beibei, he was still annoyed.
According to academy rules, upper-year students couldn't enter the freshman dorm. So Beibei could only hand Huo Yuhao over to Xu Zihuang.
"Tianhuang, I'll leave Yuhao to you."
"Don't worry, Senior Brother Bei."
As for Tang Ya, she couldn't casually approach the male dorms.
Xu Zihuang supported Huo Yuhao to Dorm 108 and gently knocked on the door.
It opened to reveal a boy with short, pink-blue hair, standing at the entrance and looking Xu Zihuang up and down. His handsome looks surpassed even Beibei's.
Seeing someone even more handsome than himself made him pause. Then, noticing the drenched Huo Yuhao, his brows furrowed tightly.
Xu Zihuang couldn't be bothered to explain. He simply placed Huo Yuhao on the bed and left.
If there was one person he least wanted to get entangled with, it was undoubtedly Wang Dong.