12: The beginning of the conflict

Zhu Zhuqing immediately felt Dai Mubai's strangeness, quickly let go of Dai Mubai, and sitting on the bed, her small face flushed red as she said,

"Shameless."

Dai Mubai coughed and took out the Love-Struck Broken Heart Red Sausage and the Narcissus Jade Bone to ease the awkward situation.

Zhu Zhuqing also temporarily cast aside those fanciful thoughts and looked at the Immortal Herbs in Dai Mubai's hand, curiously asking,

"What are these two Immortal Herbs? What are their effects?"

Dai Mubai carefully introduced them to Zhu Zhuqing,

"This white, crystalline flower and plant next to it looks like an unblemished green lotus and white root, with the function of moisturizing muscles, replenishing bones, and clearing the seven meridians and eight channels. The white flower resembling a peony is called the Love-Struck Broken Heart Red. It hasn't been completely plucked yet. It can change a Soul Master's various physical abilities and greatly enhance a person's potential. Of course, this flower is extraordinary and requires the person to have a beloved in their heart and tolerate not the slightest bit of wavering. Even if they cough up blood and die, they cannot pluck it."

Dai Mubai pointed at the two Immortal Herbs, seriously introducing them to Zhu Zhuqing.

Zhu Zhuqing, however, stared directly at the Love-Struck Broken Heart Red, pointing at it with unwavering eyes, saying to Dai Mubai,

"I want to try if I can pluck it."

"Mm... okay."

Seeing Zhu Zhuqing choose this flower immediately, Dai Mubai felt a moment of hesitation in his heart. He still handed the Love-Struck Broken Heart Red to Zhu Zhuqing. After all, the Zhu Zhuqing in the original work did not pluck the Love-Struck Broken Heart Red. He didn't want Zhu Zhuqing to be obsessed with this flower, especially since there was the backup Narcissus Jade Bone.

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the flower, thinking of Dai Mubai's bravery when he had just saved her. She couldn't help but feel more guilty about her initial suspicion of Dai Mubai. Although Dai Mubai had lightly dismissed it as a coincidence, Zhu Zhuqing didn't believe there were so many coincidences.

He was such a hardworking man, who had finally surpassed his brother, yet when she first came here, she had thought of blaming him because she had easily believed others' rumors.

With such a man, what regrets could she have in this life? Thinking this, Zhu Zhuqing didn't hesitate to strike her lower abdomen, spitting out a mouthful of fresh blood.

When the Love-Struck Broken Heart Red came into contact with the fresh blood, it slowly fell from the air onto Zhu Zhuqing's slender, jade-like hand.

The moment Zhu Zhuqing raised her eyes and met Dai Mubai's gaze, she couldn't help but lower them again, and her cheeks couldn't help but flush red once more.

Dai Mubai couldn't help but be stunned by this sight. This... was completely different from the original work! Why? But looking at Zhu Zhuqing, who was coughing up blood, he still felt a faint ache in his heart.

Dai Mubai looked at Zhu Zhuqing's blushing little face again, and the strangeness below made him want to rush up and fight three hundred rounds.

However, Dai Mubai still suppressed his evil fire. Now was not the time. Dai Mubai looked at Zhu Zhuqing and said gently,

"Zhu Qing, swallow this Immortal Herb. It can definitely give you a terrifying level of improvement."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at the Love-Struck Broken Heart Red in her arms with some reluctance. Dai Mubai saw Zhu Zhuqing's hesitation and couldn't help but sit down and hold Zhu Zhuqing's small hand, saying,

"I know you are reluctant to part with this flower, but to personally defeat them, you must swallow it. And I can stand in front of you alone, it's okay! But if you don't want our descendants to fall into this corrupt fate again, you must have strength to do so, because we have to fight against the entire royal family and the ducal mansion."

Hearing that she might have a chance to personally defeat her sister, Zhu Zhuqing's strong-willed nature made her hesitate. Hearing that Dai Mubai was willing to confront them alone, Zhu Zhuqing's heart couldn't help but fill with deep affection. Finally, hearing that her descendants would have to continue this cruel fate,

The hesitation in Zhu Zhuqing's eyes completely disappeared. That's right! If she didn't want her descendants to continue falling into this corrupt fate, she had to fight against the entire royal family and the ducal mansion. The strong-willed Zhu Zhuqing was unwilling to let Dai Mubai stand in front of her alone for all of this.

"Okay! Mu Bai, I am willing to swallow this flower."

Zhu Zhuqing looked at Dai Mubai, her face full of determination, and said to him.

Dai Mubai finally felt a large stone lifted from his heart. The current Zhu Zhuqing might not know what Dai Mubai was about to face, but Dai Mubai knew clearly: Tang San, Tang Hao, and even the entire Haotian Sect behind him. Since he had been reborn, there would be a day when they would clash, and that day was coming soon.

Thinking this, Dai Mubai took out the Martial Soul Evolution Stone (Female Exclusive) and explained,

"My Martial Soul mutated because of this kind of object. Zhu Qing, you should absorb it too."

Dai Mubai introduced it to Zhu Zhuqing. Zhu Zhuqing looked at the Martial Soul Evolution Stone, thinking of Dai Mubai's Martial Soul when he saved her, which had actually made her feel suppressed. She knew how precious this object was. Looking at Dai Mubai, she nodded heavily and absorbed both objects together.

Dai Mubai arranged for his subordinates to guard this place. Looking at the faintly brightening sky, he calculated that Tang San would arrive in a few more hours and he needed to go back.

At the entrance of Shrek Academy,

Ma Hongjun and Oscar lay on a large tree not far from the gate, watching the people signing up.

Ma Hongjun saw a pink-dressed girl and nudged Oscar, saying,

"Little Oscar, see that pink-dressed girl? She looks good, hahaha, too bad she looks a bit young."

Oscar, who was almost pushed off by Ma Hongjun, couldn't help but push him back and also glanced over, responding,

"She is indeed good, just as Fatty said, a bit young, hahaha."

The pink-dressed girl in line suddenly turned her head and saw the two boys in the tree pointing at her, then laughing with their companions. She instantly felt a surge of anger in her heart.

So she tugged at the blue-clothed boy's sleeve and said aggrievedly,

"San Ge, those two people in the tree are pointing and talking about me."

Tang San turned his head and saw that the two boys were indeed laughing. He couldn't help but feel a bit displeased. Currently, they were lining up to register, and this academy was also one his teacher, Yu Xiaogang, had specifically told him to go to. So he suppressed his anger and coaxed the pink-dressed girl, saying:

"Xiao Wu, we are registering now. It's not too late to find them and settle the score after we're done registering, okay?"

Hearing this, Xiao Wu felt another surge of inexplicable anger in her heart, not knowing if it was towards Ma Hongjun and the other person in the distance, or towards the Grandmaster.

"Not qualified, next." The white-haired old man touched a child's hand and motioned for them to leave.

"Why? Give me back the registration fee!"

The child's father also had a fiery temper and slammed the table, shouting loudly.

The white-haired old man was impatient and looked at the child's father, impatiently explaining the rules,

"Under 13 years old, if you don't have Soul Power above level 20, don't come here. Haven't you heard this rule? Don't think your Martial Soul is good. Can a good Martial Soul reach above level 20 before the age of 13?"

The child's father still saw that there were many people nearby and couldn't help but mutter,

"You can't judge a book by its cover, nor measure the sea by a dipper. How do you know my child's combat power by just touching him?"

The white-haired old man seemed to have heard a joke and waved his hand towards the tree. He leaned back carelessly, pointing at the approaching Ma Hongjun and saying,

"If you can defeat him, you're qualified."

Ma Hongjun chuckled and released his two yellow and one purple Soul Rings, looking at the troublemaker's father and introducing himself,

"Little master Ma Hongjun is only 12 this year. Do you still want to test your combat power?"

Seeing the purple Soul Ring among the three Soul Rings Ma Hongjun displayed, the troublemaking father quickly pulled his son away.

Xiao Wu and Tang San couldn't help but drop their jaws. They didn't expect that the person who was casually pointing from the tree was actually a 12-year-old Soul Venerable.

"This Shrek Academy truly lives up to Teacher's recommendation. There isn't a single mediocre person here."

Tang San couldn't help but sigh, but Xiao Wu tugged at his sleeve and couldn't help but pull his sleeve, pretending to be wronged, saying,

"Then San Ge, are we just going to ignore what he did before?"

Tang San patted Xiao Wu's hand to reassure her and said confidently,

"Don't worry, a Soul Venerable. If he doesn't apologize, I have a way to deal with him."

As a Soul Grandmaster, Tang San was confident that he could defeat Ma Hongjun with his Hidden Weapons.

Hearing this, Xiao Wu finally smiled brightly and hugged Tang San's arm, acting coquettishly,

"San Ge is the best."

In her heart, however, when she saw that Ma Hongjun was a non-mainstream Fatty, she felt that being pointed at by such a person was simply an insult and he had to be taught a lesson.

After Tang San, Xiao Wu, and Ning Rongrong finished registering, Ma Hongjun saw that all three of their Soul Power levels exceeded 25. He planned to call Little Oscar to take them to the final test.

However, Tang San and Xiao Wu stood their ground, not willing to move a single step. Tang San cupped his fists and said, "Senior Ma, hello. Regarding your casual comments about my sister just now, I hope you can apologize."

Hearing this, Ma Hongjun sneered and asked,

"What are you talking about?"