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Half an hour later, Tang San led the Shrek group into Soto City. Dai Mubai guided them to a secluded alley where the strong smell of blood immediately assailed their senses, making their expressions change.
In the center of the alley, Ma Hongjun lay in a pile of rubble, covered in blood. A large, dark-red stain had soaked through his pants, especially on his lower abdomen. His face was pale, his breathing was weak, and his eyes were tightly shut. He looked as if he could stop breathing at any moment. To make things worse, he had soiled himself, a result of either the severe pain or extreme fright, making him look utterly disheveled.
Tang San's expression shifted subtly, and he paused for a moment. He quickly suppressed the discomfort he felt, knelt down, and gently helped Ma Hongjun up. "Fatty! Are you alright?" he called out softly, but received no response.
Xiao Wu felt a wave of nausea at the sight. She covered her mouth and turned her head away, unable to look. Ning Rongrong immediately raised her hand to cover her eyes. Zhu Zhuqing, though silent, instinctively averted her gaze.
"Xiao Ao! Quick, use your Recovery Big Sausage!" After a quick check of Ma Hongjun's body, Tang San's eyes darkened, and he urgently called out to Oscar.
Oscar didn't hesitate. He took a deep breath and shouted, "This old man has a Big Sausage!" His first spirit ring lit up, and a plump, fragrant sausage appeared in his hand. He quickly stepped forward and handed the sausage to Tang San.
Tang San took it without hesitation, gently pried open Ma Hongjun's clenched teeth, and slowly inserted the sausage into his mouth. The moment the sausage entered, a warm, golden energy flowed through Ma Hongjun's body. The bleeding from his lower abdomen visibly stopped. Seeing this, everyone's expressions improved slightly.
Dai Mubai slowly let out a breath, his face full of shame. He stepped forward, looked at the unconscious Ma Hongjun, and asked in a low voice, "Little San, Fatty⊠is he alright?"
Tang San was silent for a moment. "He shouldn't die," he said slowly. "However..."
"However what?" Dai Mubai urgently pressed.
Tang San raised his head and glanced at him. His tone was calm but held a hint of anger. "However, his reproductive system has been completely crippled. It's likely he won't be able to have children in the future."
"What?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened suddenly, her face filled with disbelief.
"You mean..." Oscar also widened his eyes, seemingly unable to believe what he was hearing. "If that's the case, how will Fatty deal with the evil fire in his body later?"
"Yes, you heard correctly," Tang San said, his tone unwavering and decisive. "The opponent's attack was extremely vicious, aiming for his vital points. One strike landed directly on the fatty's lower abdomen, directly shattering the meridians and soft tissues in that area. Even with subsequent treatment from a Spirit Master, it will likely be beyond recovery."
The surroundings plunged into a dead silence. A moment later, Tang San stood up, took a deep breath, and scanned the uneasy crowd. His tone was steady but with an undeniable authority. "The fatty's situation is not optimistic right now. We must send him back to the Academy for treatment as soon as possible. Xiao Ao, later you and Rongrong will escort him back. See if the Dean and teachers have any solutions; there might still be a chance to salvage the situation."
"Okay, leave it to me!" Oscar nodded without hesitation. Ning Rongrong also nodded in agreement.
Tang San's gaze then turned to Dai Mubai. "Mubai, you fought that blonde woman. Can you describe in detail what she looks like?"
Dai Mubai's face darkened. He thought for a moment, then gritted his teeth. "That woman had long golden hair. She was very beautiful and had an excellent figure. She wore a golden, close-fitting suit, and her attacks were decisive and ruthless; she was clearly not someone to be trifled with. Beside her was a young man in blue, wearing a bamboo hat, so his face was unclear."
"A young man in blue?" Tang San frowned, a sense of familiarity flashing in his eyes. Didn't my elder brother usually like to wear blue clothes? He wondered how his brother was doing after going to Heaven Dou City. It had been so long, and his brother knew he was at Shrek Academy in Soto City, yet he hadn't even written a letter.
While Tang San was lost in thought, Xiao Wu, beside him, spread her hands. "With just this much information, trying to find someone in a place as big as Soto City is like searching for a needle in a haystack. There's no specific location, no Spirit Master registration, so we can't even trace them."
"We can't find them?" Dai Mubai suddenly slammed his hand against a nearby pillar, his voice filled with anger. "They attacked someone from our Shrek! And injured the fatty like this? Even if it's a needle in a haystack, I'll turn this city upside down to find that woman! Shrek Academy's face cannot be lost!"
Hearing this, Tang San nodded. A hint of killing intent flashed in his eyes. "I agree. Since they've already made a move against us, we absolutely cannot let this go." In Tang San's view, as long as the other party was confirmed to be an enemy, they had already chosen their path to death, and he would not show mercy. Otherwise, it would only bring more trouble upon himself.
He scanned the others and began to assign tasks. "Next, we'll split up to act; this will be more efficient. Xiao Wu and I will be a group, starting our search from East Street. Mubai, you and Zhu Zhuqing will be a group, starting from West Street. Remember, once you spot the target, do not act on your own. Immediately fire a signal flare! This time, besides us, the Dean also sent Teacher Zhao to follow in secret."
With that, Tang San took several signal flares of different colors from the Twenty-Four Bridges Moonlight Night at his waist and handed them to Dai Mubai.
"Understood." Dai Mubai nodded, taking the flares, and responded in a low voice.
The night in Soto City was exceptionally lively. The night market was brightly lit, stalls lined both sides of the street, and hawkers' cries rose and fell. The various aromas wafted through the air, attracting many people.
Tang Chuan and Xiao Ruier walked side by side through the crowd. "Hurry up, Tang Chuan!" Xiao Ruier tugged at his sleeve, her face excited. "Look, look, they're selling sugar figures here, and that, it's an ice sculpture bunny!"
She was like a child who had never seen the world, darting around excitedly. One moment she would buy a candied haw, the next she would insist on watching a street puppet show. Unconsciously, she now held two paper bags filled with newly bought snacks and trinkets. Clearly, the human world was very new to the Emperor of the auspicious beasts.
Tang Chuan watched Xiao Ruier helplessly, letting her drag him all over the street. Just then, Xiao Ruier suddenly stopped. She walked up to an accessories stall, and her eyes were instantly captivated. She picked up a butterfly-shaped hair clip. Pink gemstones adorned the center of the pale golden metal wings, reflecting a soft glow.
"Tang Chuan, look at this, isn't it pretty?" Xiao Ruier clipped the hair clip into her temple, then turned to look at Tang Chuan, her eyes bright and a slight smile on her lips.
Tang Chuan's steps paused, and he looked up at her. At that moment, the golden hair, bright smile, and exquisite butterfly hair clip of the girl before him slowly overlapped with a familiar figure in his memory. She also had golden hair and loved to smile.
On a spring afternoon long ago, she wore an almost identical butterfly hair clip, sitting under a cherry blossom tree on campus. She turned to him and asked, "Do you think I look good today?"
The sealed memories resurfaced, causing Tang Chuan to become lost in thought.
"Hey, what are you spacing out about?" Xiao Ruier tilted her head and waved her hand in front of his eyes.
Tang Chuan snapped back to reality. A hint of complex emotion, difficult to detect, flashed in his eyes. He smiled gently. "Nothing, I just think that hair clip suits you quite well."
"Of course, my taste is excellent," Xiao Ruier immediately raised her chin proudly and hummed.
Just then, a clear and somewhat energetic female voice sounded from a distance, breaking Tang Chuan's brief reverie.
"Brother San, there's a night market over there. Should we go check it out?"