Ding!
[From Dai Mubai's resentment +25!]
Ding!
[From Dai Mubai's resentment +27!]
Ding!
[From Dai Mubai's resentment +29!]
The notifications from Dai Mubai's resentment flooded the system panel, with the speed of the updates constantly breaking records. Ye Yin was completely baffled. He was sure he hadn't done anything, so why did Dai Mubai suddenly hold such a massive grudge against him? And it was still growing stronger by the second.
He wouldn't be this angry even if I had stolen Zhu Zhuqing from him, Ye Yin thought to himself. He genuinely couldn't figure out the reason for the prince's hostility.
"Dai Mubai, I sense you're angry," Ye Yin observed calmly.
Dai Mubai's tone was ice-cold. "No."
"That's good to hear," Ye Yin replied with a nod.
Ding!
[From Dai Mubai's resentment +47!]
Ye Yin sighed. "Forget it. It's getting boring just standing around and watching this." He turned to the teacher sitting at the registration desk. "Teacher, do you want to get off work early?"
Li Yusong, the teacher in charge, shot Ye Yin a sideways glance. "That's a stupid question. Who doesn't want to get off work early? You think I'm working here out of passion?"
Ding!
[From Li Yusong's resentment +19!]
"Then let me help you out," Ye Yin offered.
"And how are you going to do that?" Li Yusong asked, skeptical.
Ye Yin looked over the long queue of people waiting to register and shouted at the top of his lungs, "The requirement to pass the first assessment is to be under thirteen years old and have a Spirit Power of at least level twenty-one! 1 If you don't meet these requirements, you can leave now. Even if you fail, the ten gold coin registration fee won't be refunded!"
Li Yusong whipped his head around to stare at Ye Yin, his face a mask of pure shock.
Ding!
[From Li Yusong's resentment +10!]
[From Li Yusong's resentment +11!]
[From Li Yusong's resentment +12!]
A wave of shock rippled through the crowd.
"What! The conditions are that harsh?"
"I'm not applying anymore. Let's go."
"Quick, let's get out of here! I almost got cheated out of ten gold coins."
In the blink of an eye, the line of hundreds of people vanished, leaving no one behind. One young man, who had just handed over his money, glared at Ye Yin with pure hatred. "Why didn't you say that earlier!"
Ding!
[From Li Erniu's resentment +10!]
However, the person right behind him, who had been about to pay, looked at Ye Yin with immense gratitude. "Brother, thank you so much! If it weren't for you, I would've been tricked out of ten gold coins. My family runs a restaurant in Soto City. Come by anytime, and the meal's on me."
Li Yusong's face was dark as he glared at Ye Yin, his resentment practically boiling over. A large portion of Shrek Academy's income came from these registration fees. At ten gold coins per person, a hundred people meant a thousand gold coins. When the academy's income was high, the teachers' salaries didn't necessarily increase. But when the income was low, their salaries would most definitely be cut.
"Ye Yin," Li Yusong said through gritted teeth, "I really have you to thank for this!"
Ignoring the furious teacher, Dai Mubai led Ye Yin, Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Tang San into the academy grounds. Li Yusong silently packed up his wobbly, three-legged table and the stones he used as its fourth leg, storing them in his spirit tool. As he watched Ye Yin's group walk away, he had a strong feeling that Shrek Academy was about to be plunged into chaos.
When they arrived at the location for the second assessment, they found Oscar hawking his Big Recovery Sausages to potential students.
Seeing this, Dai Mubai frowned and marched over with the others. "Oscar, haven't I told you not to sell your things here? Do you want to disgust everyone to death?"
Oscar just chuckled. "Boss Dai, don't worry, I'll stop selling for now."
Xiao Wu asked curiously, "Disgusted? Why would it be disgusting?"
Before anyone could answer, Oscar decided to give them a demonstration. He struck a pose and chanted his spirit incantation, "I have a Big Sausage!"
As he finished, an identical sausage appeared in his hand. "See? Want one? It's not disgusting at all."
Ye Yin eyed the sausage in Oscar's hand and shook his head. "No, thanks. I'm not disgusted by the sausage itself. After all, a sausage is just a sausage. But your Big Sausage... it's too small." He paused, letting his words sink in. "The sausage itself isn't what's disgusting. It's that you deliberately twist the meaning of your incantation that makes it disgusting. The problem isn't the object; it's the person. By twisting the meaning like that, what exactly are you trying to imply? Are you trying to say that you're also..."
Ye Yin trailed off, leaving the rest of his sentence hanging in the air.
Oscar's face went from confused to furious in a matter of seconds. Did this guy just call him a weakling? Someone actually said his sausage was small! This was an insult that could not be tolerated. Absolutely not! This was a matter of a man's dignity!
Ding!
[From Oscar's resentment +33!]
"I'm furious! Don't talk nonsense here!" Oscar sputtered, his face red with anger. "How are the junior sisters in the academy going to look at me in the future if they hear this!"
Ye Yin just pouted. "Then prove it. There are a lot of people here right now. Just take off your pants and show everyone. The more people who see, the clearer the truth will be."
Oscar, already fuming from the insult, was completely provoked by Ye Yin's challenge. This was about his honor! He could lose face, but his dignity had to be defended! He was trying to win the priority mating rights this year!
"Fine! I'll take them off!" he declared, placing his hands on his waistband, ready to prove his worth.
Just as he was about to act, Ye Yin suddenly yelled to Lu Qibin, the teacher overseeing the second assessment. "Teacher, there's a pervert here! He's about to take off his pants in front of the girls!"
Oscar's hands froze in place. He turned his head stiffly to look at Ye Yin, his eyes wide with disbelief. Are you really this cruel? What do you gain from ruining me like this?
Ding!
[From Oscar's resentment +44!]
Lu Qibin walked over angrily, his gaze fixed on Oscar. "Oscar, did a donkey kick you in the head?"
Oscar forced an awkward smile. "Teacher Lu, he's just talking nonsense. How could I possibly do something like that?"
Smack!
Lu Qibin raised his hand and flicked Oscar hard on the nose. "You're still lying! Do you think I didn't see where your hands were? Is it not a school rule that you are forbidden from harassing female classmates?"
Oscar nodded meekly. "It is, it is. I promise I won't do it again, Teacher Lu."
Lu Qibin let out a long sigh. "Considering this is your first offense, I'll let you off the hook this time."
Just as he was about to turn away, Ye Yin added quietly, "He's already trying to harass them before he's even properly enrolled. What will he be like once he's officially a student? Is the only reason he hasn't harassed anyone before because there were no female students in the academy?"
Oscar's jaw dropped. He stared at Ye Yin in horror. Buddy, you're trying to get me killed, aren't you! What possible benefit is there for you in this?
Ding!
[From Oscar's resentment +22!]
[From Oscar's resentment +23!]
Lu Qibin, who had been about to leave, immediately spun back around.
Smack!
Another sharp flick landed on Oscar's nose. "You're coming with me! Go face the wall and reflect on what you've done!"
Oscar shot one last, resentful glare at Ye Yin, as if to say, I'll be watching you, forever!
Watching Oscar get dragged away, Dai Mubai felt a wave of relief and comfort wash over him. The tension he had been feeling instantly melted away. This was how it should be. He shouldn't be the only one suffering from Ye Yin's torment.
The requirement to skip the second and third assessments and proceed directly to the fourth was to have a Spirit Power of level twenty-five or higher. 2 Ye Yin, Xiao Wu, Tang San, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong all met this condition. Under Dai Mubai's guidance, the group made their way to the fourth and final test.
----------------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion