Chapter 61: Shrek Academy
Early the next morning, Luo Ling accompanied Zhu Zhuqing as they left Soto City, heading for Shrek Academy on the outskirts.
He had no intention of joining the Shrek Seven Devils. He had little fondness for the so-called "academy of monsters."
Especially that ridiculous philosophy — "If you don't dare to cause trouble, you're mediocre." In Luo Ling's eyes, that was utter nonsense.
The only reason he was going there was because, through the eyes of his crows, he had already seen Ning Rongrong arrive ahead of them.
At the same time, Tang San and Xiao Wu also left the city, following behind at a distance.
It was easy to tell that Xiao Wu still remained wary of him.
Luo Ling didn't care. Soon, everyone had exited through the southern gate of Soto City.
Their journey led them to a small village. At the entrance sat a wooden table, and behind it was an elderly man, appearing to be in his sixties.
Aside from Luo Ling, everyone else looked surprised. Because at the very entrance stood a broken wooden sign with five crudely carved characters:
Shrek Academy.
Zhu Zhuqing glanced at the sign, remembering Luo Ling's previous evaluation of the school. Could it really be a scam?
"Little San! This is the academy you recommended?" Xiao Wu's expression darkened. This place didn't look like an academy at all.
"I-It should be… I think," Tang San said awkwardly. "We're already here, might as well take a look."
Dozens of people were lined up at the entrance — at least a hundred in total. Among them, a gorgeously dressed girl saw Luo Ling and her eyes instantly lit up!
"Brother Ling!" Ning Rongrong called out happily, jogging toward him.
Her dress fluttered gracefully in the light wind, like a dancing butterfly.
"What are you doing here?" Luo Ling asked, though he already knew. He masked his surprise well.
"You said you were coming to Soto City, so I came too," Ning Rongrong said softly, her cheeks a faint pink.
"Does your father know?"
"…" Ning Rongrong fell silent.
So she had sneaked out.
Luo Ling didn't push further. He simply patted her head gently. "Since you're here, stay with me. Otherwise, Uncle Ning will blame me for not taking care of you."
"Mm!" Ning Rongrong nodded eagerly. Then she noticed Zhu Zhuqing beside him, smiling ever so slightly. "And who's this young lady, Brother Ling?"
Her tone was sweet, but Luo Ling immediately sensed the faint hostility behind it.
He smiled helplessly. "This is Zhu Zhuqing. She's a friend I just met. She came to enroll in Shrek Academy, so I accompanied her."
Then, gesturing toward Ning Rongrong, he continued, "And this is Ning Rongrong. You can think of her as my cousin."
At the word cousin, Zhu Zhuqing nodded politely, showing no reaction. But Ning Rongrong froze in shock.
Luo Ling bent down slightly to whisper in Ning Rongrong's ear, "Let's just pretend to be cousins. Don't reveal my identity."
Ning Rongrong quickly understood — he didn't want to expose himself as the Holy Son of Spirit Hall. She nodded seriously in agreement.
A short distance away, Xiao Wu watched their interaction, her ears twitching slightly, lips pursed in slight displeasure.
Meanwhile, the registration for Shrek Academy had already begun.
The old man behind the table lazily greeted the crowd. "Enrollment fee is ten gold soul coins. Drop it in that box."
A young boy hurriedly took ten gold coins from his father and placed them inside the box.
The old man nodded slightly. "Stretch out your hand."
The boy obeyed. The elder squeezed his wrist twice before shaking his head. "You're too old. Not eligible. Next."
The boy blinked in confusion, while his father quickly stepped up, smiling ingratiatingly. "Teacher, my son just turned thirteen recently. Couldn't you maybe make an exception?"
"Don't hold up the line! Our academy only accepts children under thirteen. Over thirteen, no exceptions. You can leave."
"Then what about our fee?"
"Once paid, no refunds."
"You're swindling us! Return our money, or we're not leaving! If we had known this so-called Shrek Academy was such a dump, we'd never have come!" the boy's father erupted.
But the old man only glanced up indifferently. "Mubai, someone wants a refund. Take care of it."
From the side, a figure stepped forward, sneering. "Want your money back? Sure. Beat me, and I'll give it all back."
Dai Mubai revealed his martial soul without hesitation—two yellow rings and one purple glowed around him, exuding suppressive power.
The father and son instantly staggered backward under the pressure.
…
A short distance away, Luo Ling and his group witnessed the scene.
Zhu Zhuqing's brows furrowed tightly.
Ning Rongrong frowned. "What kind of academy does this? Charging random fees and intimidating applicants?"
Luo Ling remained silent. He already knew exactly what Shrek Academy was like.
More students came forward only to be rejected again — all dismissed under the ridiculous excuse that "Shrek Academy only accepts monsters."
Luo Ling nearly laughed out loud. How shameless can one get?
Monsters? If they were truly geniuses, would they even need to come to this shabby academy?
It was the height of hypocrisy—pretending to be noble while bathing in delusion.
At this point, the old man had revealed his strength as a six-ring Soul Emperor. Many people left, discouraged, until only a handful remained.
Tang San and Xiao Wu were among those convinced to stay. They approached the registration table together.
Dai Mubai noticed Tang San, visibly uncomfortable, then his gaze shifted.
He saw Luo Ling — and beside him, Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing.
His face darkened instantly.
Luo Ling noticed his glare and smiled faintly in return.
"Brother Ling, you're not seriously thinking of joining this academy, are you?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously.
Luo Ling shook his head. "Not me. You."
"Me?" Ning Rongrong blinked in surprise. "You want me to join?"
"Yes. This academy uses Spirit Hall's name to scam people. I need to investigate. But I'm already thirteen, so they won't accept me. I'll have to trouble you to enroll instead."
"I'll accompany you as your 'guardian student,' just to observe."
He made up the excuse casually. The truth was, it would be convenient to stay close once Yu Xiaogang arrived—the Blood Demon Ritual was already prepared.
Zhu Zhuqing listened quietly. When Luo Ling mentioned he was only thirteen, her eyes widened slightly.
His strength had already been proven at the hotel when he had easily defeated a Soul Honored like Dai Mubai.
That level of power—at only thirteen—was beyond belief.
"Zhu Qing, what about you? Will you be staying?" Luo Ling suddenly turned to her.
She hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded.
(END CHAPTER)
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