Chapter 17: The Three Girls Withdraw! Completely Leaving Shrek!
"I don't know."
Xiao Wu gave a faint, bitter smile. "Am I more important… or is that so-called Master more important?"
"I still want to see for myself. I believe in the feelings Xiao San has for me!"
"Feelings?"
Ning Rongrong wiped the tears from her face and sneered.
"I already said it. What man taught by Shrek Academy can really be relied on?"
"And you still have expectations for him…"
"Don't end up becoming the next one exposed by the light screen! What if the sharp commentary ends up being about you, saying how you were deceived by Tang San and became his accessory?"
"Sharp commentary… about me?"
Xiao Wu looked at the light screen beside them. At last, panic rose in her heart as she suddenly realized something.
This thing could expose people's secrets!
A wave of fear surged in her mind.
'That's right… What if the light screen comments on me? Then everyone will know I'm a soul beast.'
'What if Xiao San finds out I'm a soul beast?'
'And Flender, and the others… even Rongrong and Zhuqing. When that time comes, will they accept me… or will they keep me as a soul ring?'
The moment she thought of this, Xiao Wu finally realized how terrifying the existence of the light screen was for her.
"No… I can't stay in Shrek any longer. I need to go back."
"Xiao Wu?"
Hearing this, Ning Rongrong and the others thought Xiao Wu had come to her senses.
"Xiao Wu, you're right! Shrek really isn't a place we can stay!"
"Come with me to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect. With me there, no one will bully you!"
Zhu Zhuqing still hesitated, while Xiao Wu silently thought to herself,
'Rongrong treats me well, but she still doesn't know I'm a soul beast.'
'If the light screen exposes me and the information leaks, then if I go to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect, the two Titled Douluo there would never let me go.'
'Even if I'm not exposed, they might still see through my true form.'
'Does that mean… I can only return to the Star Dou Great Forest?'
At that thought, Xiao Wu felt a sharp pain in her chest.
After spending so long in the human world, would she really end up slinking back like this?
She had finally found herself a brother, yet because of a mediocre teacher, a rift had appeared between them.
Perhaps she really should never have come to the human world.
Xiao Wu gave a despairing, self-mocking smile and shook her head.
"Rongrong… tomorrow, could you come with me to the Star Dou Great Forest?"
"There's something I need to deal with. Only after I finish it can I have peace of mind."
"The Star Dou Great Forest? Xiao Wu, are you going to obtain a soul ring? But you still…" Zhu Zhuqing asked, curious.
Xiao Wu shook her head.
"No. It's just a personal matter."
"Rongrong, is that alright? Go with me tomorrow, and afterward, we can talk about going to the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
"…Alright." Ning Rongrong had already decided to leave Shrek anyway. Spending one extra day in the forest didn't matter.
The three of them briefly discussed how to leave.
In the end, they decided to use the excuse of taking leave for personal matters and simply depart.
If they openly said they were withdrawing from the academy, Shrek Academy might not let them go.
Flender and Yu Xiaogang might even forcibly keep them there.
When everything had settled, Ning Rongrong felt complicated emotions after the sharp commentary ended, yet she also felt some relief.
Lying on the not-so-soft bed in the Shrek dormitory, she murmured softly,
"Perhaps… I should actually thank the person who wrote that sharp commentary."
"If it weren't for him, I might already have become Oscar's accessory."
"If I ever meet that commentator, I must thank him in person."
...
Spirit City, in a small house in Spirit Village.
Just as Song Ye was about to claim today's sharp commentary reward, he suddenly sneezed.
Rubbing his nose, he muttered casually,
"Who's thinking about me or cursing me?"
"Could it be that guy Ergou next door? He's a soul master too. Last time we nearly fought over a Spirit Hall mission."
"That mission was worth two whole gold soul coins. Damn it!"
Putting those thoughts aside, he decided to claim the reward first.
Because this round of commentary wasn't as high-quality or as long as his earlier commentary about Yu Xiaogang, and it wasn't the first reward either, the prize wasn't particularly great.
Still, it was usable.
[Congratulations, Host, for completing the task!]
[Reward obtained: Storage Gift Pack (a storage ring capable of holding living beings with a capacity of one million cubic meters, containing one hundred thousand gold soul coins)!]
In truth, monetary rewards were far less valuable than special abilities.
However, for soul masters in the early stages, money was still extremely important. Whether for travel expenses or for purchasing cultivation resources, it was indispensable.
One hundred thousand gold soul coins, along with a storage ring capable of storing living beings, were absolutely sufficient.
"Good. At least I won't lack material resources anymore. My soul power is also almost at rank twenty."
"I'll cultivate hard today, break through to rank 20, and tomorrow head to the Star Dou Great Forest to find a suitable soul ring."
"My first soul ring is already a thousand-year one. My second soul ring should be at least several thousand years…"
Fortunately, Song Ye possessed a God-King-level martial soul, the Tree of Life.
Whether in battle or survival, it was extremely effective. Since Spirit City wasn't far from the Star Dou Great Forest, he could take his time searching.
After saying this, Song Ye immediately immersed himself in intense cultivation.
He was just one step away from breaking through rank 20.
...
The next day.
Shrek Academy.
Oscar hurried after Ning Rongrong, asking in confusion,
"Rongrong, what are you three suddenly taking leave for?"
"All three girls leaving together… did something happen?"
His tone was the same as usual, full of concern. After all, the three of them leaving together did seem strange.
If Ning Rongrong hadn't used the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect as an excuse, Flender might not have approved the leave.
However, when Oscar asked now, Ning Rongrong only felt irritated.
Before, she didn't know. Now she did.
Knowing that Oscar had long been with countless women before, she felt disgusted just looking at him.
Seeing this handsome face now only made her imagine him entangled with other women, sweat dripping, the entire room filled with lust…
Thinking of such scenes made Ning Rongrong's heart ache with pain and disgust.
Just then, Oscar reached out as if to place his hand on her shoulder.
Ning Rongrong suddenly shook him off and said coldly,
"Since when did you have the right to call me Rongrong?"
"What status do you think you have? What relationship do we even have?"
"My leave has nothing to do with you. Get lost!"
The sudden change left Oscar completely stunned.
"Ah?"
"Th-this…"
How could he have imagined that the Rongrong who had been affectionate with him just days ago, nearly becoming his girlfriend, would suddenly turn so hostile?
Had he said something wrong?
Done something wrong without realizing it?
Oscar had quite a bit of experience with women, so he quickly responded,
"Rongrong, if you're this angry, it must be something I did wrong!"
"But I just wanted to care about you. If you three girls leave together, something dangerous might happen."
"Rongrong, tell me first if I said something wrong. I'll apologize, and then you can tell me where you're going, alright?"
"I'm really worried about you. I'm afraid something might happen to you…"
When dealing with women, one must always show concern. Every sentence should convey that you are thinking about her.
Oscar understood this principle well.
No matter where he might have gone wrong, the first step was always to apologize and show concern.
However, Ning Rongrong was no longer the same person as before.
Hearing these words now only made her feel nauseated.
She shook off his hand again and cursed.
"Where the hell I go has nothing to do with you!"
"Now get the hell out of my sight!"
—
End of Chapter