Tang San!
"Uh..." Hearing those two words, Lan Si's mouth twitched. Is this considered shooting oneself in the foot?
He then heard Zhu Zhuqing say, "Earlier, you mentioned that you were a student of Shrek. You must have figured out my identity by now. Is it really as my sister said? Did Dai Mubai send you to fetch me?"
As soon as she said that, Zhu Zhuqing regretted it.
To say she had feelings for Dai Mubai was unrealistic. They both grew up under the shadow of their childhoods, met only a few times, and had almost no communication. Even if she stood in front of Dai Mubai now, he probably wouldn't recognize her.
The only connection they had was that ironic and laughable marriage contract that was suffocating her.
Three years ago, Dai Mubai left her alone and went away.
Zhu Zhuqing was on the verge of despair. Her sister's actions became increasingly bold and reckless. Facing Zhu Zhuyun's endless attempts on her life, she wasn't sure if she would survive to see the next day.
That's why she worked so hard to cultivate—to defeat her sister and earn the right to live.
But as she grew older, she realized this was nearly impossible.
Her sister's talent was no less than her own, and she was five or six years older. That meant Zhuyun had five to six more years of cultivation, a gap that effort alone couldn't bridge.
Then, by chance, she heard about Dai Mubai, who was at a strange academy called Shrek.
What angered her was that, after leaving, instead of working hard and striving for greatness, he indulged in debauchery, abandoning even her hope of survival.
But anger aside, she knew he was her only hope. Only by joining forces could they have a slim chance of defeating Zhu Zhuyun and her brother Dai Weisi.
So, she resolutely set out for Shrek Academy.
On the way from the Star Luo Empire to Shrek Academy, it was no surprise that she was pursued by Zhu Zhuyun again.
In that desperate situation, she met the boy in front of her who claimed to be Tang San, and she casually asked the question she now regretted.
At this moment, she felt conflicted. On one hand, she hoped Dai Mubai would repent and help her through the crisis. On the other hand, she strangely wished this boy had nothing to do with Dai Mubai, that he was merely a stranger who helped her out of a sense of justice.
With this inner turmoil, Zhu Zhuqing anxiously waited for Lan Si's answer.
Lan Si had no idea that Zhu Zhuqing's mind had gone through such a storm in a short time. Following the principle of matching knowledge to age, he feigned confusion, saying, "Uh, what's your identity? And who is Dai Mubai? I only heard that woman in black call you her sister; that's all I know."
Hearing this, Zhu Zhuqing felt a wave of relief but also confusion. "Aren't you a student of Shrek Academy?"
"I'm not a Shrek student, nor is my name Tang San. When you're out in the world, especially facing life-and-death vendettas, only those who think their lives are too long would reveal their true identity."
Lan Si shook his head and started ranting.
"And who would join Shrek, that scam academy? Their admission requirements are so strict—under thirteen, soul power above level twenty, and sometimes even above level twenty-five. You won't find another place like that in the entire Douluo Continent."
"And they don't even have the resources to match. There's no environment simulation for training, not enough teachers, and living conditions are a mess. They gather the continent's top talents, claim the success as their achievement, and blame the failures on the students."
"Their graduation requirement is a soul power level of forty by the age of twenty."
"Since Shrek Academy started, they have enrolled sixty-two students, all top geniuses of the Douluo Continent, with innate soul power of at least seven or eight. Yet, only fourteen have graduated. Where did the other forty-eight go? They disappeared into obscurity due to the lack of proper education."
"And the worst part? They're not ashamed of this; they even brag about it. They dismiss the other forty-eight as embarrassments while boasting about the fourteen who graduated. They claim the best of them has become the youngest elder in the Spirit Hall, second only to the Pope. I don't know where they get this confidence."
"To be an elder in the Spirit Hall, you'd need to be at least a titled Douluo. But Shrek has only been around for twenty years, so even the first batch of students would only be around thirty. A thirty-something-year-old titled Douluo? Do you believe that?"
By the end, Lan Si was parched. He took out a water flask and took a big gulp, finally letting out a long breath.
Looking at Zhu Zhuqing, who was listening intently, her mouth agape, Lan Si's rant left her speechless.
After a while, Zhu Zhuqing, who rarely laughed, couldn't help but chuckle, "No wonder you claimed to be from Shrek Academy. You seem to have quite a grudge against them."
Lan Si shook his head, "No, it's not Shrek itself, but a certain hypocrite. He's always boasting about his theories and recommending Shrek Academy to me."
"Then, what about Tang San? Did you just make that up?" Zhu Zhuqing asked, puzzled.
"No, not really." Lan Si took a bite of the rabbit meat and replied, "He's the hypocrite's disciple. He's someone who bites the hand that feeds him, who turned sour after being brainwashed by the hypocrite. I estimate he'll join Shrek Academy in about a month. Oh, if you go there, be careful of the rabbit by his side—it bites."
"You really have an interesting sense of humor." Zhu Zhuqing shook her head with a smile, tearing off a small piece of rabbit meat, blowing on it, and elegantly placing it in her mouth.
She might not have realized it herself, but today, she had smiled more than ever before.
"After all this talk, I still don't know your name. Those familiar with me call me Ah Si." Lan Si took out two cups from his soul guide and poured a cup of water for Zhu Zhuqing.
Zhu Zhuqing took the cup, thought for a moment, and decided not to lie. She said, "Zhuqing. My name is Zhu Zhuqing."
When she said this, she observed Lan Si's expression. Seeing no reaction, she felt relieved.
"Oh, Zhuqing, Zhu Zhuqing, that's a nice name. From now on, we're friends, Zhuqing." Lan Si extended his right hand.
--
Check out my pa**on to read 50 advanced chapter for just 7$. Link is in synopsis/description of this fic.