"Uh..."
Huo Yuhao and Xiao Xiao exchanged glances, both sensing something was amiss.
"Did you happen to sneak a peek at some scene of a rabbit spirit absorbing human yang energy while you were in the divine realm? How do you say such things so smoothly?"
After eight months of interaction and coexistence last year, the tensions between Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and Xiao Xiao had dissipated.
After witnessing Huo Yuhao's strength and methods, Wang Dong's perception of him had greatly changed. This once strong attack-type class monitor of Class 1 had even developed a bit of admiration for the control-type class monitor, Huo Yuhao.
This was quite normal, as during those eight months, Huo Yuhao stood out like a crane among chickens—no, like Godzilla among chickens—at Shrek Academy.
Collecting protection fees from senior students, sneaking into the library at midnight like a flying thief, defeating the Soul Elder Dai Huabin despite being a mere Soul Grandmaster—all these feats earned him the admiration and respect of his peers.
Under Zhou Yi's high-pressure teaching, the once proud little princess Wang Dong had matured prematurely, nearly developing a complex akin to Stockholm Syndrome.
There was no other way; with a mentally unstable teacher like Zhou Yi and a group of classmates who had already developed Stockholm Syndrome, if Wang Dong didn't take on the responsibility, Class 1 might have fallen apart long ago.
In a way, Zhou Yi seemed to have accelerated Wang Dong's growth in maturity, which could be considered her only teaching achievement.
Thank you very much, Teacher Zhou Yi!
As for Huo Yuhao, he never harbored any ill feelings towards Wang Dong, or rather, the character from the original story. Instead, he admired her.
Although Wang Dong was a bit headstrong when she first appeared, she apologized to Huo Yuhao after learning about his orphan status. Her personality was gentle, kind, cute, lively, and occasionally cool—a very independent and genuine person.
She was a character with a strong sense of self, never relying on others. When studying at the academy with Huo Yuhao, she always fought alongside him, never showing any princess-like behavior.
The phrase "sharing blessings and enduring hardships together" was a true reflection of their relationship when their cultivation was still low.
She never handed all responsibilities to Huo Yuhao despite his strong talent and rapid growth. She constantly worked hard to improve herself, striving to keep up with Huo Yuhao's pace. In the Valley of Yearning, she didn't hesitate a moment to sacrifice herself to save Huo Yuhao.
Wang Dong's unwavering commitment to her lover made her an independent, valiant, and devoted woman, unlike the foolish Tang Wutong.
Tang Wutong, in her so-called "complete form," would always quote her father, believing he was a mighty God King and looking down on others.
Her famous line was, "Why do women need to be so smart? If a woman is too smart, she can't highlight her man's brilliance."
Growing up in the divine realm with a God King father undoubtedly made her spoiled and fostered a princess-like personality where everyone indulged her.
If she descended with such a personality, Huo Yuhao, being naturally stubborn and strong-willed, would never fall for her. But due to a scheme, Tang San sealed Tang Wutong's memories, turning her into a tool to bind Huo Yuhao, called Wang Donger.
A good example of this is how Wang Donger severed Huo Yuhao's ties with Juzi, yet still acknowledged her as a good woman. In contrast, Tang Wutong, upon hearing from Tang San that Huo Yuhao and Juzi had a son, ran straight back to the divine realm without even listening to an explanation.
In a normal loving relationship, no matter how angry one is, they would at least hear the other party's explanation. Considering they had gone through life-and-death situations together, it was unreasonable to not even listen to an explanation, indicating a lack of confidence in her lover.
If it were Wang Donger, even if she were furious, she would hear Huo Yuhao out before making a decision. Hence, Tang Wutong was not Wang Donger.
Since the God King Tang wanted to scheme against him, Huo Yuhao didn't mind bringing Wang Dong into his "Alliance of Fatherly Woes." He would even craft a Frostmourne for Wang Dong, letting the God King experience a "drafty little cotton-padded jacket."
Of course, this was looking far ahead. Given the current situation, handing the Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone to Wang Dong would undoubtedly arouse Dai Yaoheng's greed, possibly leading him to take action like Dai Huabin.
But Wang Dong also had a cheat ability similar to Huo Yuhao's. Huo Yuhao's trump card was the Heaven-level combat skill, Ghost Possession, while Wang Dong's was the strongest soul skill in history, Sea God's Descent!
If he could incite a conflict between the White Tiger Duke's Mansion and the Clear Sky Sect, the fun would only increase! If Mu En, who resided in Sea God Pavilion, was the strongest human, then the Clear Sky Sect's two great beasts, the Green Snake and Black Gorilla, were the strongest beings in the Douluo Plane, second only to the Silver Dragon King. Even Di Tian might not dare to confront them.
If the Clear Sky Sect and the Nine Treasure Glazed Tile Sect jointly attacked the White Tiger Duke's Mansion, coupled with the Dragon God Douluo Mu En's directive for accountability, the small White Tiger Duke's Mansion might face a fate similar to the Spirit Hall being besieged by the upper three sects.
"We're all classmates, and although we had some unpleasant encounters when we first enrolled, that's all in the past." Huo Yuhao smiled as he handed the Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone to Wang Dong.
"I'm giving you this Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone to thank you for speaking up for me during my conflict with Zhou Yi."
"Otherwise, without your testimony, I wouldn't have been able to bring down that perverted old spinster Zhou Yi. Since you called me brother, rest assured, I'll take good care of you."
At this moment, Wang Dong looked like a child who had received her favorite toy, unable to maintain her usual aloof demeanor as she held the Golden Radiance Left Arm Bone with great fondness. Xiao Xiao, standing nearby, was also happy for her beloved and nodded gratefully at Huo Yuhao.
"By the way, let me remind you, with your talents, you must have at least a yellow or even a purple credit rating at the Treasure Pavilion, right?" Huo Yuhao asked.
"Yes, both Wang Dong and I have a purple rating with a credit limit of 100,000 gold soul coins, which can be used once a year and re-evaluated the next year. We also get a 10% discount on any purchases at the Treasure Pavilion." Xiao Xiao nodded.
"Haha, having a credit limit is nice, but I advise you not to overspend. Otherwise, you'll regret it later." Huo Yuhao smiled faintly. "When you owe someone, you might end up paying dearly."
"Ah?"
Wang Dong and Xiao Xiao were startled by Huo Yuhao's words, then thoughtfully nodded. Huo Yuhao then stood up and returned to his original seat.
Since he intended to recruit Wang Dong, it was necessary to distance her from Shrek Academy to avoid future complications.
After all, Shrek Academy's practice of encouraging students to take on debt was rather distasteful. He would save whoever he could.
You may love Shrek, but Shrek may not love you!