Chapter 60 An Encounter with Zhang Lexuan.
After changing his clothes, Deng Mu headed to the inner courtyard canteen. While completing the formalities, he had asked for directions to the canteen. He knew from his teacher that the meat in the inner courtyard canteen came from soul beasts and was said to be delicious, but he had never tried it and didn't know the specifics.
Deng Mu hurried along the winding bluestone path, past several ornately decorated pavilions, and finally saw the vermilion gate of the canteen, with the two large characters "Canteen" boldly carved on the plaque.
Entering the canteen, Deng Mu was somewhat surprised by the interior. The high ceiling was painted with grand scenes of various soul beasts hunting and fighting, which, under the bright lights, seemed to come alive, adding to the fantastical atmosphere.
The tables and chairs were neatly arranged, mostly made of heavy solid wood.
He sighed inwardly at how different the outer and inner courtyards were; the outer courtyard didn't even have a single chair, while the inner courtyard's setup clearly showed a lot of thought and effort had been put into it.
There weren't many students in the cafeteria; they were probably in class or training. This was somewhat similar to the university schedule in his previous life, but here, there was significantly more free time outside of studies and cultivation.
Deng Mu walked towards the food window, the sound of his shoes hitting the floor clearly audible in the empty hall.
Behind the window, the chefs were busily working, steam rising from the stoves, the clinking of cooking utensils, and the rich aroma of meat filling the air, making one's mouth water.
After ordering a few dishes, Deng Mu found a seat and ate.
"Not bad," Deng Mu thought to himself after a few bites.
He figured Wang Dong would be incredibly envious if he knew.
After finishing his meal, Deng Mu left the cafeteria and wandered aimlessly through the inner courtyard, wanting to familiarize himself with the academy.
As Deng Mu passed the martial arts arena, someone caught his attention.
The person had long, black hair that reached her waist, a delicate, flawless face, and a serene, gentle demeanor.
"Senior Sister Le Xuan, so amazing!"
"Of course! Senior Sister Le Xuan is a genius of Shrek Academy!"
Several students whispered about Zhang Le Xuan nearby.
Upon learning that the person was Zhang Le Xuan, Deng Mu looked at her with some surprise. He hadn't expected to run into her so coincidentally.
He remembered that Zhang Le Xuan liked Bei Bei, but Bei Bei treated her like family.
Bei Bei's life was pretty much planned out: destined to be one of the new Seven Devils, then go to competitions to build his reputation, take the Inner Academy entrance exam, marry the Senior Sister, and steadily succeed Yan Shaozhe. If nothing unexpected happened, the next Pavilion Master would either be Bei Bei or the Senior Sister.
But then Tang Ya appeared, and then Huo Yuhao appeared, ruining all the preparations. Now, his appearance seemed to have changed the situation.
These things weren't his concern; he just needed to do his own thing and, incidentally, save the fates of those close to him.
Moreover, the two of them probably won't have much contact in the future.
Thinking of this, Deng Mu stopped looking at Zhang Lexuan and walked towards the dormitory area.
"Hmm?"
As Deng Mu approached his dormitory, he was slightly taken aback to see Ma Xiaotao standing at his door.
Ma Xiaotao's signature long red hair swayed gently in the breeze, like dancing flames. She stood with her arms crossed.
Coming to his senses, Deng Mu approached Ma Xiaotao with a smile and said, "Sister Xiaotao, what brings you here?"
The last time they met was in the Star Dou Great Forest. They hadn't seen each other since then; Ma Xiaotao hadn't wanted him to leave and had asked him to come to Shrek Academy to find her.
Ma Xiaotao looked at Deng Mu, a smile playing on her lips, and said, "What, can't I come see you, kid? I heard you entered the Inner Academy, so I wanted to see how you're doing."
Deng Mu scratched his head and replied with a smile, "Thank you for your concern, Sister Xiaotao. I just entered the Inner Academy and am still getting to know everything."
With that, he opened his dormitory door and invited Ma Xiaotao inside.
Upon entering the dormitory, Ma Xiaotao looked around before plopping down on the sofa. Her long, fiery red hair cascaded down her back, making her appear even more flamboyant and carefree.
Deng Mu stood beside her and said, "Sister Xiaotao, I don't have much to offer you, just some ordinary tea." He then went to pour some tea.
Ma Xiaotao waved her hand and smiled, saying, "Why are you being so polite with me? I'm not here to freeload. I just wanted to ask you how you're adjusting to the inner courtyard. It's not as simple as the outer courtyard; there are tons of experts here."
Deng Mu handed Ma Xiaotao the tea, sat down beside her, and said earnestly, "Yes, I know, Sister Xiaotao. I'm slowly getting used to the environment, and I can feel how competitive it is, but I'll try my best to keep up with everyone."
Ma Xiaotao took a sip of tea, placed the teacup on the table, pinched Deng Mu's cheek, and said, "Thank you so much for that day. If it weren't for you, maybe..." "Several students would die because of me."
Deng Mu paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Sister Xiaotao, what are you saying? In that situation, I certainly couldn't just stand by and do nothing. Anyone else would have helped."
Ma Xiaotao gently shook her head, her eyes serious: "Don't say that. When that evil fire flared up, I couldn't control it myself. If you hadn't appeared in time and used that special method to suppress it for me, the consequences would have been unimaginable. Those students would have been in danger, and I would have felt so guilty."
Recalling what her teacher had said to Deng Mu that day, her face flushed.
She had already woken up, but because her teacher and Deng Mu were talking about her, she pretended to be still asleep and eavesdropped on their conversation. She only woke up after Deng Mu left.
Seeing Ma Xiaotao suddenly blush, Deng Mu was a little puzzled and asked, "Sister Xiaotao, why are you blushing so much?"
Ma Xiaotao glared at Deng Mu and said reproachfully, "I'm not blushing, it's just too hot."
Hearing Ma Xiaotao's obvious excuse, Deng Mu couldn't help but laugh out loud, "Sister Xiaotao, it's quite cool in here, there's no hot weather at all."
Upon hearing this, Ma Xiaotao's face turned even redder. She raised her hand as if to hit Deng Mu and said, "Hmph, you dare to tease me, I said it's hot, that's all. Stop with the nonsense."
Deng Mu smiled and nodded in agreement with Ma Xiaotao, but in his heart, he found her appearance quite cute and amusing. He didn't want to really provoke Ma Xiaotao into anger, after all, when Sister Xiaotao got angry, it was quite difficult to handle.
Seeing that Deng Mu no longer objected, Ma Xiaotao snorted and leaned back on the sofa, crossing her arms. However, the blush on her face hadn't completely faded, giving her a uniquely charming look.
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