Chapter 31: Yu Xiaogang Wants to Take Xu Yan as His Disciple but Is Rejected and Gets Shut Down Until He Has No...

Joining Shrek Academy was never something Xu Yan particularly cared about; it was a matter of total indifference. Was Bibi Dong of the Spirit Hall not alluring enough? Were Hu Liena or Qian Renxue not beautiful? What could Shrek possibly offer?

Yes, it had Xiao Wu, Zhu Zhuqing, and Ning Rongrong, but how could they compare to the intoxicating charm of Bibi Dong or the bewitching allure of Hu Liena? Ning Rongrong was the cute type, but his feelings for her were mediocre. As for Zhu Zhuqing? Also mediocre; aside from a good figure and ample curves, she had nothing truly striking. She was slightly better than Ning Rongrong in that regard, but her drawback was her cold, distant nature and her tendency to be overly reticent. Overall, compared to Tang Yuehua, none of the Shrek Seven Devils—Ning Rongrong, Zhu Zhuqing, or Xiao Wu—were as captivating. At least, that was how Xu Yan felt for now; as for how things might change after spending more time together, that remained to be seen.

He had come to Shrek only because he had coincidentally encountered Xiao Wu. He had thought to curry favor with her, even calling Liu Erlong "sister." Who would have guessed that just by calling her that, the woman would be so delighted her tail would practically wag? She had invited him to visit Shrek without a second thought. Everything had followed naturally from there.

Tang San, that wretched soul, seemed to harbor deep hostility toward him. Initially, Xu Yan hadn't intended to poach his girl, but after sensing Tang San secretly spying on him with mental power and causing trouble both overtly and covertly, he decided he had to stay just to annoy him—and more importantly, to steal his love interest. Xu Yan mused that he might be acting a bit petty, but he certainly couldn't afford to go soft.

When Flender announced that Xu Yan was now a member of Shrek Academy, Tang San’s expression turned heavy and stern. Xiao Wu, meanwhile, wore a smile, clearly happy, but upon seeing Tang San’s sour face, she quickly reined it in. Oscar, a man who wore his heart on his sleeve, had his thoughts written all over his face. Because Xu Yan was a Food-type Spirit Master, he felt his status within the Shrek Seven Devils was under threat. Furthermore, seeing Liu Erlong, Yu Xiaogang, and Zhao Wuji all favor Xu Yan, he felt a surge of panic. Jiang Zhu, however, was simple-minded and genuinely happy for him.

"Yuhao, welcome to Shrek," Jiang Zhu said, walking over with a shy, sweet smile and blushing cheeks.

Xu Yan was quite pleased by her welcome and replied, "Thank you."

Yu Xiaogang turned to the group and shouted, "What are you all waiting for? You still have several laps left to run. Keep going!"

Oscar and Ma Hongjun immediately pulled long faces, clearly suffering. "Hurry up, or there will be no dinner tonight," Yu Xiaogang said sternly.

Liu Erlong, who had been smiling at Xu Yan, looked at the others and added, "Did you hear him? Get moving!"

Dai Mubai looked at Tang San and said, "San..."

Tang San stared at Xu Yan; his hostility wasn't overtly intense, but his expression remained grim. He turned away and said, "Let's run."

The Shrek Seven Devils followed suit. As Xiao Wu turned to run, she glanced back at Xu Yan. Without a word, she slowly caught up with the others. Tai Long, Jiang Zhu, and the rest departed as well.

Once everyone had left, Yu Xiaogang walked over and said gently, "Yuhao, now that you’ve joined Shrek Academy, you must follow my guidance. From now on, you should call me Master."

Seeing Yu Xiaogang’s demeanor, Xu Yan felt an immediate surge of disgust, his fists clenching inside his sleeves. He had an urge to bash the man’s head in with a club. However, having been trained by his aunt at Moon Pavilion, he had learned to completely conceal his killing intent. He maintained a calm expression and smiled, "No."

Yu Xiaogang, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and even Liu Erlong were stunned.

"What’s wrong, Yuhao? What’s bad about taking Xiaogang as your master?" Flender asked hurriedly. "He is the smartest man on the entire continent and has guided many outstanding Spirit Masters."

"Even if he is smart, I will not take him as my master, because I have already promised someone else that I would," Xu Yan replied quickly. He intended to take Bibi Dong as his master—though, in truth, the apprenticeship didn't matter as much as the person herself.

"Who is it?" Liu Erlong asked anxiously. "Yuhao, you are a student of Shrek Academy now; you must be obedient."

"Sister, I only came because of you. Whether I join or not is of no concern to me. If joining Shrek Academy requires me to take the Grandmaster as my master, then I shall withdraw right now." Xu Yan turned to leave.

Flender rushed over, grabbing Xu Yan and comforting him, "Alright, alright, no need for that. Don't be so impulsive, kid." Flender truly valued Xu Yan's potential; such talent would shine in any academy. If the Spirit Hall people were to find him, it would be a huge loss for Shrek. Little did they know, Xu Yan was actually from the Spirit Hall, and his intended master was none other than Bibi Dong.

Zhao Wuji also grabbed him, saying, "Yuhao, don't be in such a hurry to leave. If it doesn't work out, you can take me as your master; I can guide you hands-on."

Xu Yan looked at him with disdain, thinking to himself, *I'm so outstanding, do I even need a master?*

Liu Erlong tugged on Yu Xiaogang’s sleeve. "Xiaogang, don't let him go."

Yu Xiaogang realized the boy held some prejudice against him, so he said helplessly, "Fine, if you don't wish to be my student, so be it. I appreciate that you keep your word. I won't pry into who you intend to apprentice under; everyone has their secrets."

Xu Yan replied, "Thank you, Grandmaster." *Damn it, you want to take me as your disciple? Are you even worthy?*

Yu Xiaogang then took Xu Yan into a separate room, while Liu Erlong and Flender watched from outside.

"Yuhao, I noticed earlier that your spirit ring configuration seems different from most Spirit Masters. What is the reason for this?" Yu Xiaogang asked, standing with his hands behind his back, looking every bit the mentor.

Xu Yan said calmly, "I cannot say."

"Uh..." Yu Xiaogang was instantly baffled by the response.

"Can you release your spirit again?" Yu Xiaogang tried again.

"I cannot say."

"Just release it once."

"I cannot say."

"Can you use a different phrase?" Yu Xiaogang was getting frustrated.

"I cannot say."

Xu Yan repeated the same words. *Trying to probe my secrets? No chance.*

"You..." Yu Xiaogang was speechless.

He was losing his cool! Outside the door, Liu Erlong and Flender were puzzled to see Yu Xiaogang being stonewalled by Xu Yan.

"Erlong, Yuhao seems to have some hostility toward Xiaogang. Although it isn't obvious, I can sense it in his words," Flender noted. "Do you think Yu Xiaogang did something to Yuhao in the past, or are they enemies?"

Liu Erlong looked equally confused and shook her head. "No, Xiaogang hasn't done anything heinous."

Zhao Wuji interjected, "I'll go try."

With that, Zhao Wuji pushed open the door and said to Xu Yan, "Yuhao, what are you doing? Hurry up and release your spirit so everyone can take a look."

Liu Erlong also walked in, saying, "Yuhao, listen to your sister and release your spirit."

Xu Yan looked at Zhao Wuji, then at Liu Erlong, and said, "Fine, I'll do it for Sister Erlong's sake."