"Wang Sheng, I'm willing to increase the enrollment subsidy I previously offered to 50 gold coins per year, and for your spirit ring, the Academy will unconditionally prioritize helping you select and hunt for it. How about joining our Shrek Academy?"
"Dean Flender, I've already told you, there's no way I'd transfer to another academy. Wherever my teacher is, I'll be. Unless my teacher becomes a teacher at your Shrek Academy, there's no way I'll join Shrek. My apologies."
"Kid, these benefits are already pretty good. Don't be too greedy. At most, I can arrange a luxurious single room for your accommodation. You should nod now, right?"
"Sorry, Dean Flender, I refuse."
"Kid, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit. I'm kindly inviting you to join our Shrek Academy, offering so many benefits, and you're not tempted? Do you really like being a watchdog here at Peach Blossom Spring Academy?"
"Look, does Su Ran treat you like a human? Letting a peerless genius like you guard the gate like a dog, living in the gatehouse, aren't you feeling wronged? I can't even bear to watch."
"With your talent, if you come to our Shrek Academy, I can train you as a core disciple, allowing you to shine brightly on the continent and in the Spirit Master Tournament in the future. But at Peach Blossom Spring Academy, Su Ran will only use you like an animal."
"Look, your spirit power is almost at level thirty. He went out hunting for spirit rings with two beautiful female students, leaving you here to guard the gate. Why didn't he take you along? He clearly doesn't care about your third spirit ring at all. Aren't you feeling wronged staying here?"
"Wang Sheng, you're still young. You need to think clearly. This decision concerns the rest of your life."
"Dean Flender, please respect yourself. My teacher is not the kind of person you describe. I am not a watchdog, nor am I a peerless genius.
If my teacher hadn't allowed me to study with him, I might still be an unremarkable Spirit Master who couldn't even see the shadow of a second ring.
Being a gatekeeper at Peach Blossom Spring Academy is my own choice, not something my teacher forced me to do. If you continue to sow discord between me and my teacher, then..."
"Please engage in a life-and-death duel with me."
At the entrance of Peach Blossom Spring Academy, peach blossoms fell in scattered flakes. Wang Sheng walked out of the gatehouse. Even though Flender's cultivation was far superior to his, he showed no fear.
From the first day his teacher left the Academy with his two junior sisters to hunt for spirit rings in the Star Dou Great Forest, this Flender had been sneaking around outside Peach Blossom Spring Academy with shifty eyes, constantly trying to talk to him and persuade him to leave Peach Blossom Spring Academy and join Shrek Academy.
The initial one-time enrollment reward of 10 gold coins had also increased to 50 gold coins a year.
For Wang Sheng, this was an insult.
"A life-and-death duel with me? Are you sure? I am a Spirit Saint."
"You are certain to die."
Flender was somewhat incredulous. In this day and age, a Spirit Grandmaster dared to challenge a Spirit Saint?
Did he have a chance of winning?
Isn't this just seeking death?
"I once heard my teacher recite a poem: 'From ancient times, who has not died? Let a loyal heart illuminate the annals.' What is there to fear in dying to protect the beliefs in one's heart?"
"Ignorant! Simply ignorant! I've never seen such a blockhead, a wooden dummy. Bah."
Flender met Wang Sheng's resolute gaze, took a deep breath, spat on the ground, and flicked his sleeves, walking away.
Damn it.
He had intended to take advantage of Su Ran being out with his disciples to poach someone, but he was repeatedly rejected and got a cold shoulder from a Spirit Grandmaster. He had completely lost face.
How could he have the mind to engage in a life-and-death duel with him?
If word got out, winning would be embarrassing, and losing would be even more so.
...
"Whoa!"
Not long after Flender left, a strong, resonant neighing sound came from outside Peach Blossom Spring Academy.
"Finally back, phew~"
"Senior Sister Rongrong, don't be angry anymore. Get off the horse."
"Hmph, seeing as you were on my side defending our teacher, I'll forgive you for now. But you're not allowed to do that again in the future!"
"Mhm, got it."
Zhu Zhuqing and Ning Rongrong rode a single horse, Snake Woman brought Meng Yiran, while Su Ran and Dragon Duke each rode a thousand-year Spirit Beast, returning from the Star Dou Great Forest.
When dismounting, Zhu Zhuqing leaped off the saddle first and reached out to help Ning Rongrong down.
After several hours of travel, and experiencing the thrill of the other's ample chest bumping into her, Ning Rongrong found Zhu Zhuqing much more agreeable and haughtily forgave Zhu Zhuqing's previous 'imprudence'.
Snake Woman and Meng Yiran also dismounted one after another, looking at the peach blossom trees in front of Peach Blossom Spring Academy's gate. Although it wasn't luxurious or grand, it had a feeling of a Peach Blossom Spring, with peach blossoms dancing and a gentle fragrance wafting.
"Is this our Peach Blossom Spring Academy? It's so beautiful."
Meng Yiran's eyes widened. A campus environment with falling peach blossoms like this would probably be disliked by few girls.
"The campus environment is not bad, but the Academy is too small, less than a tenth of the Alien Beast Academy's area."
Dragon Duke said lightly. Alien Beast Academy was a high-level Spirit Master Academy where Meng Yiran had previously studied. It had performed excellently in the All-Continent Elite Spirit Master Tournament, making it one of the key Spirit Master Academies cultivated by the local kingdom.
He and Snake Woman were also honorary teachers at Alien Beast Academy.
"Hmph, it's small now, but it will definitely get bigger in the future. Just you wait," Ning Rongrong snorted.
"Girl, I know your Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School is rich, but show some respect to this old man. Even if your Sect elders came, they would have to call me Senior Dragon Duke."
"No way, you're bragging."
"Heh..."
"Teacher, you're back?"
"Mhm, we were delayed for two more days. You've been guarding the Academy alone, nothing happened, right?"
Wang Sheng heard the commotion and came out to help tie the horses. Su Ran spoke to him.
Wang Sheng rubbed his head and led the two swift horses to the stables in the Academy:
"Nothing major happened. I've already handled everything."
"That's good. But if you encounter any trouble you can't solve, just tell me."
"Mhm!"
As soon as he saw Su Ran, Wang Sheng was full of energy, feeling his whole body filled with power.
"But, teacher, why did you bring back two Spirit Beasts?"
"These two Spirit Beasts, one is for your third spirit ring, and the other is for your new junior sister."
"Let me introduce you. This is Meng Yiran, my new student. These two are Meng Yiran's grandparents. You can call them Elder Long and Elder She. This is my student, Wang Sheng."
Su Ran said.
"Alright, Wang Sheng, lead these two Spirit Beasts to the side yard and keep them in separate enclosures. Use iron cages, and at least three large iron chains to tie their limbs. They'll probably be completely out of my illusion in a few minutes, so be quick and don't hurt yourself."
"Mhm, okay, teacher!"
Wang Sheng nodded sharply, somewhat excited.
Despicable Flender, did you see that?
Who said my teacher doesn't care about me? Who said my teacher wouldn't help me hunt for my third spirit ring?
My teacher directly brought my third spirit ring home for me!!!
I, Wang Sheng, was originally unremarkable, and it's all thanks to my teacher's guidance. What more could I be dissatisfied with?
Even if my teacher didn't help me hunt for my third spirit ring, with my teacher's looks and charisma, I would willingly follow him!
I want to say, even being a dog, what's wrong with being Teacher Su Ran's dog?!
Woof!
Woof woof woof!
...
The next morning, after Su Ran and the others returned, Zhao Wuji also returned with the Shrek students.
However, their return was different from their departure.
They had left running like idiots under a scorching sun.
But they returned running like idiots in a continuous drizzle.
Rain can extinguish fire, but it cannot extinguish the enthusiasm in Xiao Wu's heart.
Even after leaving the Star Dou Great Forest, Xiao Wu couldn't stop thinking about it and couldn't help but ask:
"Teacher Zhao, Third Brother, did you really not see a very handsome boy, six or seven feet tall, in the Star Dou Great Forest? He was my savior, otherwise I would have been killed by that giant ape. He's my savior, I must find him."
"Xiao Wu, you've asked us no less than ten times on the way. We really haven't seen such a man."
"Exactly, Xiao Wu, you keep saying this man is handsome, how handsome is he exactly? How does he compare to Boss Dai?"
"Dai Mubai? Compared to my savior, he's not even one ten-thousandth as good, okay?"
Xiao Wu pouted, speechless.
That night, she had actually turned back and asked Er Ming to help her search, but after searching all night, she found no trace of that person. He had likely already left the Star Dou Great Forest, so she could only return to the Shrek team.
"I won't give up! I will definitely find you!"
Xiao Wu touched her belly. She used the white towel as a bellyband, so she could constantly remember that handsome youth, as if he was touching her.
Ma Hongjun and Oscar exchanged glances, then looked at Tang San pitifully: Xiao Wu... she wouldn't have fallen for someone else, would she?
One night, just one night she disappeared, and she...
True, sometimes, that one night was too satisfying, too stunning, and indeed makes one linger and unable to stop.
Tang San's mood was somewhat complicated.
Xiao Wu suddenly started fawning over another boy, and he felt quite disheartened.