All organizations exist to serve those in power. Just like how Shrek Academy is divided into the outer and inner court—students of the outer court are treated like children of a stepmother, only able to watch enviously as inner court students enjoy more resources. Even within the inner court, there's a special group of seven students known as the Shrek Seven Devils, representing the pinnacle of glory.
But so what? Aren't they all just workhorses running around for the academy's upper echelons? That so-called glory is nothing more than a ploy by the higher-ups to stir enthusiasm among subordinates. In the end, it's all just smoke and mirrors—completely useless!
Not far away, Zhou Yi stood tall with her hands clasped behind her back, her eyes scanning across the students before finally resting on Huo Yuhao. After just two sessions of training, she had already picked up on some clues. The weighted training using iron vests was grueling for these kids. Most of them were exhausted or even collapsed after class. The benefit of this kind of training was that once spirit power was completely drained, the resulting cultivation became noticeably more effective. Plus, it helped strengthen the body.
But Huo Yuhao was different. Although he didn't try to stand out and his performance was always average, Zhou Yi keenly noticed that this training didn't pose any challenge for him. Which could only mean one thing: his physical strength had already reached a rather high level.
Zhou Yi didn't increase Huo Yuhao's training load because this kind of training was mainly meant for the early stages of cultivation. Huo Yuhao clearly had already laid a solid foundation.
Her gaze then shifted to the student charging at the front of the group—Wang Dong. She had to admit, this batch of new students had really surprised her. Even with her picky standards, she couldn't find much to criticize. She was even secretly glad she'd been demoted here. Of course, she wouldn't show any of this—no need to let the kids get cocky.
Days passed quickly. On the fifth day, the academy's usual calm was shattered.
"Did you hear? Someone died over at the South Plaza!"
"Just now in the dorm, they said four new students were burned to a crisp—looked horrible. And two sixth-year seniors got badly injured. They've already been taken to the infirmary."
"Shh! Keep it down. I heard the attacker was from the inner court—someone with a powerful background. Even the Sea God Pavilion Elders were alarmed!"
"Yeah, I heard two of the dead were from Old Lady Zhou's class. And everyone knows what her temper is like. She stormed straight into the inner court right after it happened. But look at the academy now—not even a statement, not a ripple. I also heard the two injured seniors have been put under house arrest. They're not allowed to contact the outside. You do the math on what that means."
"Heh, isn't it obvious? Inner court students are the legitimate heirs, and we're just the stepkids. Compared to them, our lives are worth squat!"
"Quiet! Watch your mouth. It's one thing to understand what's going on, but you can't go spouting it off. You'll get yourself in trouble!" The last speaker looked around cautiously and only relaxed a little once he saw no one was watching.
The rest shut their mouths too. Anything involving the inner court and the Sea God Pavilion was not something they could gossip about freely. No one wanted to get labeled as rumor-mongers tarnishing the academy's name.
Huo Yuhao strolled out of the academy, having heard every word of their conversation.
This part was recorded in the original novel, too. Though in the original, it was Dai Yuhao and Wang Dong who were attacked. If not for the intervention of the Skydream Iceworm, Dai Yuhao would've kicked the bucket right then and there. As for Wang Dong? Please—her dad's a God King. Like he wouldn't give his daughter a life-saving trump card.
In this life, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong weren't exactly on good terms, so he hadn't wandered near the lakeside. As a result, other people had ended up as the victims.
As for the attacker… yeah, not your average punk. It was none other than Ma Xiaotao, personal disciple of the current Shrek Academy Headmaster, and a once-in-a-century genius.
And Ma Xiaotao's background wasn't simple either. Rumor had it that she was descended from Ma Hongjun, one of the first-generation Shrek Seven Devils, who eventually became the God of the Phoenix.
Ma Hongjun, back in the day, was infamously known as the Evil Fire Chicken. He and his equally notorious bro Dai Mubai, the so-called "peerless pervert," used to hang out in brothels all the time. Ma Xiaotao's bloodline was likely the result of one of his "adventures" outside.
Of course, it wasn't entirely Ma Hongjun's fault. His spirit—the Evil Fire Phoenix—was powerful but flawed. That evil fire within required… frequent relief. Hence, his rampant womanizing.
By the time it got to Ma Xiaotao, the flaws of the Evil Fire Phoenix were still there. Her rampage was a result of the evil fire overpowering her mind and driving her to attack the new students.
Still, she was lucky. Her teacher had some real skill—unlike Flender, who once took his student on a trip through red-light districts.
Anyway, back to the point. Huo Yuhao was thinking that maybe he could use this incident to build a good relationship with Ma Xiaotao and the academy. After all, the second ice-type spirit he'd gotten from the Skydream Iceworm was high-grade and could suppress the evil fire in Ma Xiaotao's body.
Sometimes, you've got to play the game. Huo Yuhao knew his strength was still too low. Laying low was his only option.
Whether by coincidence or fate, today was full of drama at Shrek Academy. At the academy gate, a stunning girl was being blocked from leaving. She was wearing a form-fitting purple school uniform, her golden wavy hair cascading down her back. Compared to her, the other girls around her looked like background props.
The guy blocking her path wore the black uniform of a Shrek fifth-year or above. Huo Yuhao recognized both of them—Jiang Nannan and her number-one simp, Xu Sanshi.
The vibe between them? Far from romantic. Jiang Nannan looked ice-cold and disgusted. Xu Sanshi was clearly agitated, face red with anger. A fresh bouquet of roses lay discarded at his feet.
"Why, Jiang Nannan? What's so wrong with me? Tell me what you want—I'll do anything! Yeah, I messed up, but don't I deserve a second chance?"
"What's so right about you? Running off to those kinds of places at your age? Whether you change or not has nothing to do with me. Just stop bothering me!" With that, Jiang Nannan turned and walked back into the academy, not sparing him another glance.
Xu Sanshi stood there, dazed, his expression filled with sorrow and just a hint of regret.
Some onlookers nearby whispered amongst themselves, pointing fingers. From the snippets they caught, it wasn't hard to guess there'd been some kind of shady history between the two. Whatever it was, it clearly wasn't the kind of story you'd proudly tell in public.
Huo Yuhao couldn't help but smirk. He remembered their embarrassing little secret—apparently when Xu Sanshi was twelve, his family's Xuanwu spirit needed to be awakened through a, uh… virginity-based ritual. Classy.
Jiang Nannan's mother was sick, and their family was poor. Xu Sanshi's family butler, knowing his young master's "preferences," spotted Jiang Nannan and, after throwing enough money around, managed to bring her to Xu Sanshi.
What a breedable little turtle.