Chapter 82: Tang San's Mental Breakdown
Balak Kingdom, Soto City.
Soto Grand Hotel—one of the most luxurious hotels in Soto City and even the entire Balak Kingdom. Its scale was grand and magnificent, on par with even the Spirit Hall in Soto City.
After the final team match between the Emperor Team and Shrek, Zu Zong had made nearly three hundred thousand gold soul coins through his wager.
Since everyone had clearly made up their minds to squeeze a treat out of him, Zu Zong wasn't going to be stingy. Just reserving a super-luxurious private hall at the Soto Grand Hotel had already cost him ten thousand gold coins.
With everyone not yet present, Zu Zong leaned lazily on a fifteen-meter-long beast-hide sofa, cuddling with the little kitty. The young couple whispered sweet nothings to each other.
Those who arrived early, now benefitting from Zu Zong's hospitality, chose not to interrupt and just sat nearby nibbling on melon seeds with a tinge of sour envy. Even Xiao Wu had been distracted—Zu Zong had paid a hefty sum to have Dugu Yan and Ye Lingling keep her busy.
Holding Zhu Zhuqing's soft, delicate hand, Zu Zong felt utterly content. Too bad they'd have to part ways for a while—it left him reluctant to let go.
Zu Zong whispered gently, "Zhuqing, I'm heading back to Heaven Dou tomorrow. I'll miss you."
Zhu Zhuqing nodded lightly, "Mm."
"Zhuqing, will you miss me?"
"Mm."
"Zhuqing, how about… you don't go back tonight?" As he said this, Zu Zong was already mentally bracing himself for a stiletto heel to the face.
Unexpectedly, Zhu Zhuqing blushed deeply and gave a soft "Mm."
Zu Zong froze. His heart skipped a beat, a surge of excitement welling up. Was tonight finally the night he would graduate from boyhood into full adulthood?
What Zu Zong didn't know was—if this were the past, Zhu Zhuqing would have definitely said no. Though she didn't dislike the idea of being intimate with him, she was a reserved girl. She knew well that the easier something was for a man to obtain, the less he would cherish it.
Even though she believed Zu Zong wasn't the type to abandon her, she still dreamed of saving herself for the wedding night, dressed in the most beautiful bridal gown, before giving him her most precious gift.
But now, things had changed. Zhu Zhuqing sensed danger.
No one knew better than she how exceptional her man was. In both appearance and talent, he stood above all others. On the Douluo Continent, strength was revered, and Zu Zong clearly had the potential to stand at the very top.
Among his peers, any girl who hadn't already given her heart away would surely be drawn to him.
Excluding Xiao Wu—who had gotten to him before she did—even the aloof Ye Lingling had started looking at Zu Zong with a different gaze. Others might not notice, but Zhu Zhuqing saw it clearly. After all, she herself had once worn that same look back in the Star Dou Forest cave.
And now, she had become Zu Zong's girlfriend.
Seeing Zu Zong's dazed expression, Zhu Zhuqing curved her lips into a smile. "Don't get your hopes up. I'm not sharing a room with you."
"Uh…" Zu Zong's face stiffened, and his smile froze mid-air.
He quickly composed himself. Room or no room—what mattered was she was staying.
As one senior back on Blue Star once said: when doing big things, one must take things step by step.
While Zu Zong and Zhu Zhuqing flirted in their corner, the members of both the Emperor Team and Shrek Academy began arriving one after another.
Out of the corner of his eye, Zu Zong noticed Qin Ming talking quietly with Yu Xiaogang, Flender, and Zhao Wuji. Yu Xiaogang kept glancing his way.
No doubt, they were discussing Shrek's old trick—"borrowing a chicken to lay an egg"—using the Heaven Dou Royal Academy's quota for the Continental Advanced Soul Master Tournament.
In the original story, Flender had even been unhappy about this, feeling it was unfair to hand over half the credit to Heaven Dou Academy. Later, after joining Heaven Dou, he ended up beating up Xue Beng. Not that it mattered—Zu Zong had done that too.
The real issue was how, after that, they kept mocking Heaven Dou teachers and were finally kicked out by Xue Xing, who called in Dugu Bo.
Frankly, Shrek's "don't cause trouble = coward" motto was flawed. In reality, they only bullied the weak and feared the strong.
But now, things had clearly shifted. Shrek had suffered a humiliating defeat against the Emperor Team. They no longer had the arrogance they once displayed in the novel.
Soon, the banquet was ready and everyone took their seats.
"To victory!" the group cheered, raising their glasses in celebration.
Zu Zong swirled the wine in his cup, scanning the table. All of Shrek's members were present—except for Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Meng Yiran.
Noticing this, Zu Zong chuckled to himself. "Looks like Tang San's psyche really broke this time. Maybe he's thinking of switching to cultivating the Clear Sky Hammer, just like he did after his defeat in the original story."
"Let's see if Yu Xiaogang can talk him out of it again. Meng Yiran probably went back with him. As for Dai Gonggong… hmm. He's been acting a little too delicate lately—I can't figure him out."
Zu Zong turned to Yu Xiaogang and Flender, feigning confusion.
"Master, Dean Flender—where are Little San and Dai Go—er, I mean, Dai Gongzi? Why didn't they come?"
—Damn, I almost bit my tongue. Nearly called him Eunuch Dai out loud.
Yu Xiaogang's already stiff face darkened slightly, and his brows furrowed. He knew his prized disciple Tang San too well. On the surface, Tang San always appeared calm and modest, never one to fight or argue—but in truth, he was more proud and ambitious than anyone.
This kind of crushing defeat most likely dealt a heavy blow to his pride.
If it weren't for needing to speak with Qin Ming about Shrek's admission into Heaven Dou Royal Academy, Yu Xiaogang probably would have already gone to comfort his disciple by now.
Yu Xiaogang said, "Although Little San's poison has been neutralized, his body hasn't fully recovered yet. He returned to the academy to rest."
Flender also frowned. "Mu Bai... Mu Bai wasn't feeling well either. He left with Little San."
Dai Mubai's departure had caught Flender off guard. Normally, Dai Mubai was the one who loved these gatherings the most.
But this time was different.
After the soul battle ended, many people who knew Dai Mubai started calling him names behind his back—like "Lady Dai," "Eunuch Dai," and "Sissy." Most of those voices came from his ex-girlfriends.
When he heard about it, Dai Mubai was utterly humiliated. It was like waking from a dream. He immediately changed back into his masculine clothes and swore to become a man again.
As it happened, the daughter of the hotel's owner was also one of his exes. Naturally, Dai Mubai chose to avoid this place entirely.
Flender only learned the full story after asking Ma Hongjun.
As the wine flowed and the dishes were passed around, things quickly loosened up.
After a few drinks, everyone started to feel the buzz. The girls were still alright—they were drinking low-alcohol wheat beer. But the guys? A whole different story.
To "thank" Master Yu Xiaogang, Zu Zong generously brought out more than ten bottles of century-aged soul wine that the system had stolen in earlier years.
The moment he uncorked them, everyone was drooling.
Flender and Zhao Wuji especially couldn't contain themselves. With the academy's budget always stretched thin, they normally didn't even splurge on cheap wheat beer. Now, tasting such a divine brew for the first time—they were ecstatic.
Even the usually uptight, repressed Yu Xiaogang downed a few cups.
[End of Chapter]
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