Chapter 5: Wang Dong
Huo Yuhao clearly knew that a continent-wide war would break out a few years later, and he had to seize every minute and every second to cultivate.
Huo Yuhao's experience in his previous life told him how terrifying war was; no one could remain untouched by war, and war would only bring one tragedy after another.
Huo Yuhao never believed in any protagonist's halo, nor did he wish to become one of those tragedies.
This feeling of clearly knowing that war was not far off was not pleasant, and Huo Yuhao's heart was actually somewhat anxious.
As someone who could determine the direction of the war in its later stages, he had to seize every minute and every second to cultivate.
Perhaps this way, he would be able to save more people who would sacrifice themselves due to the war. In Huo Yuhao's heart, this was not some great righteousness, but merely a modern person's inability to bear the sight of suffering.
Just as Huo Yuhao continued to cultivate and ponder his future, the door to his room opened.
A handsome youth with powder-blue hair opened the door and walked in.
Huo Yuhao was about to pause his cultivation to chat with him when he heard the youth speak first, "It seems we're roommates. Since you cleaned the dorm so well, I can reluctantly agree to let you live with me. But there are a few rules you must follow: First, no bringing people back to the dorm. Second, no running around naked and being annoying. Third, no snoring at night. Fourth, don't disturb me. Fifth, from now on, you're in charge of cleaning the dorm, but don't touch my bed. Did you hear me clearly?"
Huo Yuhao knew that the youth in front of him was Wang Dong, disguised as a boy, and he also knew she was a girl.
Understanding the inside story, Huo Yuhao, who had originally intended to get along peacefully, abandoned that idea after seeing Wang Dong's condescending attitude and irritating gaze.
The haughtiness of a capitalist was not enough to describe Wang Dong's expression at the moment; it was a kind of disdain that seemed to casually decide life and death.
"Please give me a reason why I need to follow your rules. What are you to me? Or do your rules supersede the rules of Shrek Academy?"
Huo Yuhao replied coldly, feeling somewhat disappointed in this so-called female protagonist.
Wang Dong snorted, "Just because I'm stronger than you right now, you must listen to me. If you don't listen, I'll beat you out."
"What a twisted concept of strength and weakness. Is someone who arbitrarily tramples on the rights of the weak considered strong? How ridiculous. I don't know how you formed such a concept, but remember this: people who casually bully the weak will never become strong." Huo Yuhao stood up and responded with a serious expression.
"That's just an excuse because you can't beat me. Since you say I can't become strong, then why can't you beat me?"
"I'm afraid you won't listen to anything I say until I defeat you. I will fight you to prove that I am the stronger one in your eyes right now, and to prove that your so-called strong should also show respect to other classmates, nothing more."
Huo Yuhao placed his storage spirit tool on the bed to prevent damage during the upcoming fight, then turned and went downstairs.
"Alright, then let me see how you prove it."
Wang Dong followed closely behind him.
In an open space near the new student dormitory building, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stood facing each other.
A yellow and a purple spirit ring rose from beneath Wang Dong's feet, while only a single yellow spirit ring rose from beneath Huo Yuhao's feet.
"You talk a big game, but you're just a one-ring Spirit Master." Seeing that Huo Yuhao only had one spirit ring, Wang Dong retorted with some disdain.
Huo Yuhao didn't waste words with Wang Dong. Under his mental force detection, all of Wang Dong's movements were exceptionally clear.
Without giving Wang Dong any chance to react, at the instant Wang Dong attempted to release a Spirit Ability, Huo Yuhao, combining it with Purple Demon Eye, used another Spirit Ability from his first spirit ring: Mental Shock.
With the enhancement of his Spirit Sea Realm mental force, Wang Dong fainted in just an instant. There was no complex battle, nor any close-quarters combat with Wang Dong.
Before Tianmeng Iceworm helped him awaken his second Spirit, Ice Jade Emperor Scorpion, Huo Yuhao had a very clear understanding of his own positioning.
A mental force-type Spirit Master primarily focuses on long-range mental interference and mental damage.
Even if he had some close-combat ability due to improved physical fitness and Tang Sect unique skills, close combat would absolutely be his last resort.
Knowing that Wang Dong was a girl, Huo Yuhao found a teacher to carry Wang Dong back to the dormitory.
Since the fight would be known sooner or later, he didn't need to hide anything. Having the teacher carry her back also saved him from Wang Dong trying to extort him after she woke up.
"She's fine, nothing serious. She'll probably wake up on her own this afternoon. Young people are really energetic; they can't stay still as soon as they arrive at the academy."
The Shrek teacher, who always adhered to the philosophy of "those who dare not cause trouble are mediocre," merely commented on their energy and then left.
Knowing that he had acted with restraint, and after the teacher confirmed Wang Dong was unharmed, Huo Yuhao stopped paying attention to Wang Dong and continued to focus on his cultivation.
Huo Yuhao hoped to raise his spirit power to Level 20 before the new student assessment and absorb his second spirit ring before returning to participate in the assessment.
This would also save him from a bunch of people mocking him for being a one-ring Spirit Master. The era of feigning weakness to ambush opponents was over; it was better to display some talent to acquire resources.
Time flew by. As soon as Huo Yuhao finished lunch and returned to the dormitory, he saw that Wang Dong had already woken up.
Wang Dong lay on her bed with her eyes open, not speaking when she saw Huo Yuhao approach.
Huo Yuhao didn't know if Wang Dong felt embarrassed or simply disliked him after being beaten, but Huo Yuhao wasn't going to care.
He was still very busy, with not enough time for cultivation, let alone time to care about a girl's feelings.
He had also arranged to meet Senior Apprentice-Brother Beibei and Tang Ya tonight to sell grilled fish in Shrek City, so he had even less time to waste with Wang Dong.
Huo Yuhao originally didn't want to waste time selling grilled fish, but unfortunately, Xuan Water Pill was currently only available from Xu Sanshi.
Therefore, for Xu Sanshi's Xuan Water Pill, Huo Yuhao prepared to sell grilled fish for two days.
If Huo Yuhao remembered correctly, Xu Sanshi came to cause trouble on the first night of school when he was selling grilled fish, which wouldn't delay him too much.
At night, Huo Yuhao arrived at the gate of Shrek Academy, took out the grill he got from Tang Ya and the cleaned green fish, hung up a sign saying "One silver coin per fish," and began grilling the fish.
Soon, the aroma of grilled fish spread out.
With the help of Huo Yuhao's Spirit Eye, the green fish was grilled to a perfect crispy outside and tender inside. The fish meat was cooked just right, tender but not dry, and the fish skin was crispy and fragrant, making for a very good presentation.
Slowly, a long queue formed in front of Huo Yuhao's stall.
Looking at the somewhat long queue, Huo Yuhao suggested that customers after the twentieth person come back tomorrow. Excluding the four fish reserved for Tang Ya and Senior Apprentice-Brother Beibei, Huo Yuhao only sold about twenty fish a day, so those at the back wouldn't be able to buy any today.