Douluo Dalu (Soul Land): To Relive Fate
Chapter 6: Dai Mubai and Shrek Academy
At Soto City, Xiao Wu was walking along the streets with a happy expression, as there was a stick of candied haws in her mouth, as she was nibbling gently on it like a rabbit, as Tang San was carrying some packagaes in his hands, as he was walking carefully to avoid dropping the stack, as he was transferring the items he was collected into his Moon of the 24th bridge storage belt. Liu Shun was holding a large mess of shopping items in his hand, as he was forced to arch his torso back, in order to keep the items balanced on him, as Tang San was doing his best to lessen Liu Shun's share, by taking some of the item from the clump as well, to store in the belt.
"Hee, so delicious~" Xiao Wu hummed gently, as she enjoyed the taste of the candied haws in her mouth.
"Xiao Wu, let's take a break. Please." Tang San begged, as he was trying to use his increased agility to get rid of as many of the boxes in his hands and Liu Shun's load, before it would grow again from Xiao Wu's spending spree. "Liu Shun is beginning to look like he's carrying a metal plate on his chest for his test of bravery by having one slam a hammer on it when he lies on the ground!"
"No. I'm fine, Tang San." Liu Shun strained to reply, as he was unable to speak properly with the massive weight he was carrying that was crushing the wind out of his body, although he was unhurt otherwise. "This is nothing compared to what I trained with before in the last 5 years... I'm far more stronger than I was after we left Nolan Academy. Simple tests of strength like this are laughable against someone with a excellent physique like mine!"
"This is also delicious! Try it!" Xiao Wu said, as she placed a few boxes on food in Tang San's hands.
"Waa! This skirt is so nice! And what a pretty hat!" The peppy girl continued, as she then bought a skirt and a hat, both in seperate boxes, as she placed them on Liu Shun, who was let out grunts as the boxes was placed on his carrying pile.
Tang San could only give Xiao San a annoyed expression, as he took the moment his hands were empty, and Xiao San's focus on Liu Shun, to take a few bites off his own stick of candied haws, before he then smiled as he liked the taste like Xiao San did, and noticing a shop which caught his interest
"This shop..." Xiao San muttered under his breath, as he stared at the front door silently.
Suddenly, he was interrupted by Xiao Wu breezing past him, as she placed another load of items onto Liu Shun, who was about to fall over from how far back he was leaning his body, as Tang San immediately panicked, and went as quickly as possible to lighten Liu Shun's load to a point where he was not in any risk of injuring himself from the strenuous weight of the combined items.
"Xiao San, pay up~" Xiao Wu cooed, as she gave Tang San a little chuckle, as Tang San nodded while keeping to his task of assisting Liu Shun in a dire moment. "You're the best!"
Tang San then went up to the counter where Tang San bought the batch of items, as he discussed with the shopkeeper about the price, as Xiao Wu took a look where Tang San was looking before, as she was curious.
"What are you looking at? I'll pay it for you." Xiao Wu asked Tang Wu, who just finished finalising his payment to the shopkeeper, with a grateful bow for respect to the elder man, as she then latched him by the back of his collar, as she dragged him in. "It's the thought that counts!"
Tang San was glaring at Xiao Wu with a unimpressed expression, as Liu Shun came in, before he then set the items he was carrying on the ground nearby, away from the open door.
The shop seemed to be filled with vintage items, ranging from the standard decorations, to weapons, to even manuals on Spirit Cultivation.
The shopkeeper, who was sitting in a large chair, that was facing away from them, acknowledged them with a wave of his hand, as he spoke. "Feel free to look around. Leave the money if there's anything you like."
"Hmph. What a arrogant shopkeeper!" Xiao Wu pouted unhappily, before she then rubbed her hands against one of the vases nearby. "Xiao San, do you feel Spirit Energy ripples?"
"Yeah, I think this shops sells Essence Tools." Tang San said, as Xiao Wu was still inspecting the vase, as Liu Shun picked up a sword from one of the weapon racks around the store, as he examined it very carefully and slowly, as he tilted to have a look at it from all angles, before giving it a few light swings, and shaking his head, disappointed about something, returning the sword back to where it came from.
"All of these!?" Xiao San asked back in surprise.
"No idea, I'll have to test them with Spirit Energy to know." Tang San replied, as he walked around more aisles in the shop, looking for something. "Essence Tools without a owner will leak Spirit Energy. Master told me that the production method of Essence Tools are long lost. They're more like antiques instead of actual Essence Tools."
"Aw… But I only like new stuff…" Xiao Wu groaned with disappointment, as she knocked her fist a few times against one of the skulls that she found in the shop, as each knock produced a hollow clonking sound, as expected from a hollowed-out skull.
Tang San then immediately went still, as his eyes were upon a large amber-coloured crystal that seemed to be of shoddy craftmanship, as the faces were dull and unpolished, and there were chips and rough edges plenty on it, as well as some visible cracks.
"Such a poor quality crystal. Let's leave already!" Xiao San huffed, as she was not impressed by the looks of the crystal.
However, Tang San only turned to the shopkeeper. "Hey, how much for this?" Tang San asked calmly.
"It's cheap. Only a hundred gold." The shopkeeper immediately replied in a dull and uninterested tone.
"This trash!? That's daylight robbery!" Xiao Wu roared, outraged at the high price.
"It's fine." Tang San told Xiao Wu, before turning towards the shopkeeper again, as he produced a bag of coins with the payment inside. "I'll take it."
There was a moment of silence, before the shopkeeper put out a arm, with two fingers up. "It's two hundred gold now." He replied again.
"What! How could you just-!?" Tang Wu was about to say, before Liu Shun immediately cut her off with a raised hand in front of her.
"Elder Sister Xiao Wu, the shopkeeper is actually testing Tang San here." Liu Shun told her sternly. "Tang San is proving that he is aware of the true value of the item that he is requesting for. Whatever price could be stated for the crystal, it cannon compare to the real value of the crystal to someone like Tang San."
"If you're decided. Then two hundred gold it is!" Tang Wu said with a determined tone, as he slid some more coins into the pouch of coins he's paying with.
The shopkeeper remained silent again, before he then immediately stood up, and then walked into the light, revealing himself as a man with long black wavy hair, as well as glasses and a well-trimmed beard, wearing a beige robe with a black coat vertical from his shoulders.
"No. It's five hundred gold." He spoke, before raising a finger at the crystal in Tang San's hand. "This thing is invaluable to certain people. Pay up if you want it so badly."
"Dishonest trader." Xiao Wu pouted, turning her face away from the trader.
Tang San merely smiled, as he placed the crystal back into the box it came from. "Forget it. I don't have that much money." He said with a humble tone, before he pocketed the coin pouch back in his storage belt, which shocked the shopkeeper, who saw the belt, as the trio turned to leave.
"Wait!" The shopkeeper shouted. "Where did you get that belt?"
"Our master gave it to me." Tang San replied back with a curious tone.
"Unfortunately, our master preferred to remain anonymous." Liu Shun added. "He refused to even let his nickname leave our minds. So we apologise if you're curious about who the master is."
The shopkeeper bowed his head slightly, before he turned around and sat back down on the chair. "You can have the crystal." He said with a defeated tone. "It's nothing expensive anyway. I was merely exaggerating its value."
"I heard that! No regretting it!" Xiao Wu replied, as she walked over, and took the crystal.
"Elder Sister Xiao Wu, must you just take someone's things with such a tone?" Liu Shun asked with a sigh.
"He said it was a gift!" Xiao Wu replied, before he then dragged Tang San and Liu Shun by their collars. "Let's go before he changes his mind again!"
"Thanks. Here." Tang San stated, as he threw the coin pouch at the shopkeeper, who caught it quite skilfully, before they were outside, and Liu Shun shut the shop's door.
The elderly man was left looking at the coin pouch, with a satisfied smile.
"Hmm… He got two good apprentices, huh. Both of them were smart enough to discern the true value of that crystal, and the first one was the one who looked like he had the most use for it." The shopkeeper smirked. "This could be interesting."
Outside the shop, Xiao Wu seemed to be quite happy, as she was humming joyfully.
"A free gift~ Who knew that shopkeeper was so easy to persuade by Tang San?" She chuckled.
Liu Shun only placed a hand on his face, as he sighed deeply at how immature Xiao Wu is for her actual age.
"I did pay actually." Tang San responded back, as Xiao Wu suddenly stopped smiling, turning to him with a confused look. "He did say that it was about 200 gold before he saw the belt, so I assumed that the price he actually set."
"What? You actually paid for this!?" Xiao Wu screeched, before she growled, as she pulled at Tang San's arm with a pout. "Idiot!"
"You'll see why I needed this..." Tang San responded back calmly, as he was unaffected by Xiao Wu's tugging.
Liu Shun then noticed a large hotel door nearby, as it was shaped as a arched doorway under a large pink rose flower on the ground.
"Tang San, Xiao Wu..." Liu Shun said, before pointing to the hotel door. "Let's stay here for tonight? It looks quite nice and friendly."
Tang San took a long look, before he then nodded. "Okay." Tang San answered back with a sigh.
"Hehe, you like it too, don't you~?" Xiao Wu teased with a grin.
"No way." Tang San shook his head firmly to display his disagreement.
"What did you say?" Xiao Wu asked back.
"Nothing!" Tang San shouted, as he barged into the room with Liu Shun and Xiao Wu following after him.
They then met a mature woman with short black hair tied up under a hairband at the reception desk of the hotel, as she greeted them with a smile and bow. "Welcome, accommodations?" She asked them politely.
"Three rooms please." Xiao Wu answered back.
"Sorry, we only have one vacant room left." The receptionist replied back.
"Ah... Only one room..." Xiao Wu grumbled with a unhappy expression.
"Don't worry, our rooms are big and can fit many people." The receptionist answered back warmly.
Tang San paled a little when he realised what this could lead to, as he immediately moved over to whisper to Xiao Wu. "Let's go somewhere else... There might be a place with more vacancies." He softly said.
"Alright! Pay up, Tang San!" Xiao Wu shouted, turning to him, as Tang San immediately cried in utter pain, as if he was pierced through the heart.
Tang San then reluctantly walked up to the counter, as he looked at Liu Shun, who was doing his best to hide the fear that would have been on his face, about how he would have to be in a room with both his blood-brother, and his soon-to-be wife. After seeing Liu Shun's attempt to try and look calm, Tang San sniffled, as he mentally prepared himself for the hell that was going to be their night in the hotel, as he handed the bag of coins over as payment.
'Time to teach her about gender differences...' Tang San made a mental reminder in his own head.
"Thank you. Here is your key." The receptionist said, as she showed a key which had a pink diamond on the head of it. "Please follow me to your room."
"Thank you very much, kind miss-" Liu Shun was about to say, as he moved over to take the key."
"Hold on, isn't that my room?" Another voice rang, from a young blonde male with hetero-chromatic eyes, his left blue and his right golden, who was dressed in a white coat with a thick black strip down from the collar to the waist and golden chevrons on the forearms of the sleeves, black gloves with a white circle on the back of the hands, black jeans and boots. Around his arms were two girls dressed in a short vest and short skirt, both identical in hair-style, as one had grass-green hair, and the other had brown hair. He had a prideful smirk on his face, as he looked at the receptionist with a playful look.
"Hey mister, we came first." Tang San responded back.
"So what?" The newcomer asked with arrogance.
"So it's ours!" Xiao Wu shouted, as she glared at him, as he returned the glare with his own.
Liu Shun only watched by the side, as he recognised who the person was.
'Dai Mubai... The Evil Eye White Tiger... Or the War God back in the era I came from...' He thought to himself. 'Who would have thought that their first encounter would be a confrontation over such a petty matter...? I wonder how their first impressions went.'
Soon the manager of the hotel, who heard of the commotion, came out with a irritated expression on his face. "What is going on here-?" He asked, before he then noticed the group in front of him, especially the two people in the stare-off.
"This room has been specially reserved for young Master Dai." The receptionist filled her superior on the situation at hand, before she bowed deeply in apology. "Sorry, manager."
"Oh my..." The manager muttered, before he then chuckled nervously, as he tried to smile, getting in between the two of them to speak with Dai Mubai. "Haha... I'll get a room right now, young Master. There's no need to worry. Dear customer, can you...?"
Xiao Wu merely let out a loud 'Hmph!', as she glared at the manager, while Dai Mubai breathed deeply. "No, I want this room in particular." He answered back.
The manager was shocked, as he immediately backpedalled away from them, as Xiao Wu looked back at Dai Mubai.
"No way! Why should we!" Xiao Wu shouted, as she lifted her pinky finger up as a sign of scorn towards the blonde-haired youngster. "Don't think bullies can push us around!"
"Are you sure about that?" Dai Mubai responded back, as his smile disappeared in a instant, and he placed his arms off the girls by his side, walking towards Xiao Wu.
"Young Master... P-Please..." The manager tried to mediate the situation.
"Shut up! I'll pay for the damages later!" Dai Mubai yelled back, as he throttled forward, the manager immediately sprinting behind the reception desk, along with the female receptionist.
"Come, brat!" Xiao Wu mocked, as she prepared to utilise her Spirit here. "Your mom won't recognise you when I'm done!"
"Girls shouldn't talk like that." Tang San, as he leapt past Xiao Wu, towards Dai Mubai. "I'll take him."
Liu Shun immediately rushed to Xiao Wu's side, just as the two combatants clashed with each other, their forearms smashing against the other's, as their Spirit Rings flashed from around them, as Dai Mubai had two yellow Spirit Rings, and one purple, while Tang San had two yellow Spirit Rings.
'It's an uneven match...! Even for someone as crafty as Tang San... Winning against Dai Mubai with this kind of power would be a uphill battle at best...!' Liu Shun grimaced, before he then noticed that Tang San is matching Dai Mubai blow-by-blow. 'But for now... Things should be fine for now.'
Tang San and Dai Mubai separated from each other, as Tang San manages to regain his footing with a single step, as Dai Mubai uses his own heel to halt his sliding. Liu Shun then noticed that Dai Mubai's hair turned completely white, save for a clump that was black, as there was a golden mark of three downwards chevrons linked by a thick line down the centre and his hands had golden claws on the tips of the finger.
"Not bad, kid." Dai Mubai complimented Tang San, who merely readjusted his posture for another round, before he then introduced himself. "Dai Mu Bai, Essence Spirit: White Tiger. Level 37 Spirit Expert, at your service."
The manager looks at the broken ground and walls of the hotel lobby, as he began to curse fate for what is happening. "My hotel..." He sniffled.
"Young Master's gaze is so mysterious..." The receptionist, who managed to peek her head out to have a look.
"That's because he's a freak." Xiao Wu responded back. "His eyes are of a different colour. And look at his left eye..."
She then looked closely at the left blue eye, which had a tiger's head mark on it.
"Tang San is doing well so far..." Liu Shun added. "Dai Mubai is merely testing Tang San for now. But if he uses his third Spirit Ring, the purple one, Tang San will most certainly lose, even if he leaves a Spirit Ring unused to counter it."
"Tang San, Essence Spirit: River Grass. Level 29 Great Spirit Master." Tang San responded back, in respect of Dai Mubai's introduction, as hundreds of River Grass strands began to materialise around him. "Please."
"River Grass?" Dai Mubai asked back. "How interesting! Take this!"
Dai Mubai's right hand then glowed, as it temporarily turned into a golden beast claw, using it to slash down at Tang San. Tang San's response was to quickly weave a barrier with most of the River Grass he had, as the attack tore some strands into small pieces from the initial blow.
"Pretty tough, aren't you?" Dai Mubai asked with a raised eyebrow.
"You too." Tang San answered back, before he then immediately used his first Spirit Ring, as the River Grass immediately loosened and shot towards Dai Mubai, before then binding his arms to his body with a snap. However, with a short roar, Dai Mubai immediately snapped the River Grass strands apart, before cutting the rest of them down.
"Haha... Tang San, what an interesting technique you got there." Dai Mubai chuckled. "But Beast Spirits are stronger than Tool Spirits, so your River Grass can't hope to defeat me."
"Not necessarily." Tang San said, before activating his other Spirit Ring. "I have one more trick up my sleeve."
Suddenly, from various points of Dai Mubai's body, River Grass plants began to appear, as they grew quickly, before they bound his arms again, this time with a more thicker concentration of strands.
"Hm?" Dai Mubai said, as he tried to move his arms. "The roots... They have pierced through the skin. It's as if they implanted themselves in me. I can't move at all!"
"My second Soul Ring is from a 600 year-old Ghost Vine. River Grass now has increased toxicity, but it also releases seeds as it attacks someone. Once it has spent enough time absorbing nutrients from a host's body, the seeds will grow, as you have seen." Tang San explained. "So, not only you are bound, but because the plants are directly rooted into you, the poison is already seeping your ability to fight."
"Huh... I was careless..." Dai Mubai sighed with a satisfied grin, before his right eye then began to glow with the same Spirit Mark as his other eye. "But with the power from my 1000-year Spirit Ring, your poison can't harm me for half an hour, far more enough time to finish you off, now that you have used up your Spirit Rings."
Suddenly, his eyes glowed brightly, before a golden light appeared on his chest, as it materialised into a large golden collar with large pauldrons on both shoulders, as well as golden arrow-heads and chevrons on the top of his chest. He easily broke free of his new bindings, as the River Grass were vaporised with his newfound power.
"You... are no match for me." Dai Mubai shook his head. "Now, how should I-?"
Before he could finish his sentence, Liu Shun immediately materialised his Spirit weapon, as he immediately rammed Dai Mubai away, surprising the Beast Spirit user, as he was knocked back enough to give Tang San some distance.
"Who!?" Dai Mubai growled, before he then saw Liu Shun standing in front of Tang San, with his Great Blade of Elements out, in it's wind element form.
Liu Shun merely remained silent, as he had his sword at the ready, as Tang San was surprised that Liu Shun would suddenly intervene in the battle.
"What are you doing? I said I could handle it myself!" Tang San yelled at his sworn brother. "You don't need to interfere, I would have been able to hold out and end this fight at a draw!"
"Not while you're outclassed, Tang San." Liu Shun answered back. "You may be a good attacker, but your Spirit isn't meant for direct combat. It's meant to be a means of disrupting enemies and weakening them for a easy victory for the others. Right now, you can't do anything against him with how high his defence has went after summoning that thing. What is needed now, is someone who specialises in smashing through such defences. And to do that, you need someone who has got something at the same level."
"But-!" Tang San shouted, before he is hushed by a hand gesture from Liu Shun.
"That actually managed to knock me back. And here I thought that my Essence Armour would have stopped such an attack." Dai Mubai mused, as he was intrigued by Liu Shun's strength in that single blow. "Who are you? Are you a friend to the person before me?"
"Indeed I am." Liu Shun said, before he then flared out his energy, displaying his Spirit Rings, as there was one purple, and one yellow. "I am Liu Shun, my Essence Spirit is not for someone like you to know, Level 28 Great Spirit Master. I am Tang San's blood brother, and I will not stand by to let you bully him any further. If you want a fight with that purple Spirit Ring of yours, then take someone at the same level as you. I will be happy to fight in the stead of Tang San, now that he has finished his fight."
"Let's do this!" Xiao Wu exclaimed, as she once again prepared to activate her spirit, before she then got a synchronised 'No!' from both Tang San and Liu Shun.
"I'll finish this fight off." Liu Shun answered back. "Tang San started this fight, and couldn't finish it, so I'll be a good brother and help him at a dire time like this. I didn't expect him to suddenly activate his purple Spirit Ring, so I had to do something before things got worse."
"So you charged in recklessly, just because you believed that your 'brother' was in danger?" Dai Mubai asked with a mocking tone.
"...So what?" Liu Shun retorted back. "Tang San's vines will be a itch compared to what this blade will do to you. And I dare you to try me. Or are you going to end this fight? I won't back down, so you better be ready to fight me as well, if you try to continue."
Dai Mubai looked Liu Shun right in the eyes, noting the determined look in his eyes, before the spirit-user sighed, and dispelled his Spirit, as everything on him turned back to normal, as he yawned a little, covering his mouth.
"Forget it. I have no interest in playing with 12 year-olds like this." Dai Mubai responded back. "I'm still impressed though, so I'll let you have this one."
"What!? Don't look down on us!" Xiao Wu shouted with outrage.
"Anyway, there's only one reason talented kids like you come to Soto City." Dai Mubai continued, ignoring Xiao Wu's comment. "And all of these kids are around 12 years-old."
"Heh. So what is it?" Tang San asked with a smirk.
"The entrance exam for Shrek Academy." Dai Mubai said, as he immediately held the two adoring girls beside him again, as he turned around to leave. "If you have trouble at the academy, just use my name, Evil-Eyed Tiger Dai Mubai."
He then left, as Tang San and Liu Shun dispelled their Spirit Rings, Liu Shun letting out a sigh of relief, and Tang San smiling, remembering Dai Mubai for later.
"Now that the conflict is over..." The receptionist answered back. "Dear customers, I'll bring you to your room now."
The trio then followed after the receptionist, as the manager could only sigh in relief, as the damage was quite little compared to what he had imagined before, although the repair work needed is still significant.
"Why didn't you two let me fight...?" Xiao Wu asked with a disappointed expression.
"After he used the White Tiger Diamond form, even the three of us could lose against him. Liu Shun and me alone, or you and me alone? Not a chance at all." Tang San answered back with a frown.
"So you just let him bully us?" Xiao Wu pouted.
"I won't let him do that. If he insisted on continuing the fight, and Liu Shun was to be beaten here, I have 70% confidence that I can take him down with me." Tang San answered back with a serious expression. "And I know how to do so without any other risks."
Liu Shun was a little shocked to hear how Tang San was willing to risk his own life to win such a hopeless fight, as he was relieved in his heart that Dai Mubai was not interested in fighting them to the point of defeat, whether his words played a factor in doing so, or Dai Mubai intended to throw the fight after Tang San impressed him before.
After they have walked down the corridors of the hotel for a while, they stopped near a door which had a heart sign on the front of the door, as the receptionist slotted the key into the doorknob, and pushed the unlocked door open. It showed a room that seemed to be built for a romantic couple, as most of the furniture in the room are in any shade of pink, the sofas had pink heart cushions on them, and there was a bowl of pink roses with purple leaves on the table. The only light source was the chandelier on top of the room, and the only bed in the room was a queen-sized bed which had a thick blanket.
"This is your room, the Red Sea." The receptionist said with a bow and a smile. "Please call me if you need anything."
She then left, as Xiao Wu ran into the room with glittering eyes, as she was stunned by the beauty of the room.
"Wow~! So grand!" She exclaimed with a exciting tone. "It's so beautiful! No wonder Dai Mubai was so reluctant to give it up!"
Tang San merely remained silent, before he pulled out the crystal that he had brought from the store, as his eyes flared up with spirit to become even stronger, after what he had done.
"What's the matter, Tang San?" Liu Shun asked, as he noticed the look on Tang San's face. "Did the fight bother you in any way?"
"...Sort of." Tang San answered back, after delaying the response for a while. "I never thought that I would fight someone as strong as him in this city. And he seemed like that there are people who are even more experienced and stronger than him. I need more power, to become stronger, so that I won't be in a losing fight as it was before. I need a 1000 year Spirit Ring of my own."
"That's true. But I think you should stick to practising your abilities before you try going for one though." Liu Shun responded with a solemn nod. "In all honesty, I wanted to see how I would do against someone who had a 1000 year-old Spirit Ring like myself. I haven't got much time to use it, ever since the journey we made was quite uneventful. I don't know what else to say, but this: Don't push yourself too far, or you might end up doing more harm than good."
"I'll keep that in mind." Tang San replied back. "Say... About that purple Spirit Ring you have... Did you actually earn it from slaying the beast-"
"Brother!" Xiao Wu shouted, as she tackle-hugged Tang San's arm. "There's only one bed. Let's sleep together!"
Tang San looked at Xiao Wu with a expression filled with awkwardness, as Liu Shun merely pinched the bridge of his nose, as he knew that this wasn't going to be a nice experience for his blood-brother.
"Xiao Wu... Do you know anything about gender differences?" Tang San questioned his sworn sister.
"Nope! I want to sleep with you! Come on!" Xiao Wu said, before turning to Liu Shun. "You too, Liu Shun!"
"No thanks, I'll just sleep on the couch. The bed won't fit the three of us comfortably anyway." Liu Shun refused gently, before then stretching his arms and yawning, and looking out of the window, noticing that the sun was going down. "I'm tired from that long journey we had to get to the city, as well as carrying all that stuff for Xiao Wu... I'll take a nap, and then I'll close the lights for you two."
"Liu Shun, you-!" Tang San growled, as he felt betrayed by his blood brother. "I'll pay you back for this!"
Liu Shun merely plopped himself back-first onto the couch, as he almost immediately fell asleep, after scooting a pillow under his head to rest his head on.
"Xiao San~ Let's sleep together..." Xiao Wu teased, as she pulled Tang San towards the bed, without letting go of him with a tight hug.
"Noooo!" Tang San cried out, as he was dragged to sleep with Xiao Wu, as she held him like a teddy-bear beside him.
The next day...
The trio made their way towards the place where the trials for admission into Shrek Academy where, as Tang San was merely whistling, looking away from Liu Shun, who was glaring murderously at him, as his face had a swollen heel-print on his face, while Xiao Wu was looking for the place from afar, as she was on Tang San's back.
"Geez, 'brother'. That's REALLY the way you treat your relative." Liu Shun spoke with great sarcasm. "Having your sister wake me up with a kick to the face."
"Well, you weren't waking up." Tang San answered back with a devious smile. "So I had her use the best method of waking someone up, like she does back in Notan Academy."
"Except that she kicked me hard enough to crater the wall! Don't forget that you have to pay up as well!" Liu Shun shouted. "I was expecting that you would get me back, but I underestimated how far you would go. Don't do that again, I may be more sturdy than the both of you, but that kick HURTS!"
"Fine, fine, I'm sorry." Tang San halfheartedly apologised. "Is that enough?"
"Hah..." Liu Shun sighed. "The things that I have to deal with..."
"Where is Shrek Academy?" Xiao Wu asked, interrupting the conversation between the two male spirit-users.
"The address is quite vague. But I heard that people are gathering up towards the south, where there is supposed to be a village, which should be where the sign-ups for the trials are."
"So far... So tired..." Xiao Wu grumbled.
"Are you in a position to say that?" Tang San asked with a sweat-drop.
"I'm saying it in your stead~" Xiao Wu giggled, as Tang San sighed.
"Deal with it. You should try to temper your own body like me." Liu Shun added. "After all, Xiao Wu isn't that heavy, isn't she?"
Xiao Wu booted the side of Liu Shun's torso when she heard that, as the black-haired boy let out a cry of pain.
"Alright! I'm just trying to tell Tang San that he shouldn't be complaining!" Liu Shun hurriedly said. "I'm sorry, Elder Sister Xiao Wu, please forgive me!"
"I accept your apology, but don't think I'll let you go that easily next time!" Xiao Wu spoke, with her chest out as a sign of pride, and let out a 'hmph!'.
"Look! A village!" Liu Shun shouted, immediately moving the topic elsewhere, as he pointed to the image of a village just in the distance.
"No way, such a small village?" Xiao Wu asked curiously. "Did Master make a mistake?"
"This should be it." Tang San answered back. "Let's keep going for a while. I'll put you down to walk when we're at the entrance of the village."
They soon walked inside the village, as they navigated through the alleys and streets of the village, until they reached a massive line-up of people, mostly adults with their children, as there was a wooden stand with a green symbol of a horned ogre's head surrounded in a circle on it.
"See?" Tang San said. "I told you that this should be the place."
"Huh... That's a lot of people here." Liu Shun commented, as he examined the small crowd in front of him. "And yet... It looks like that things wouldn't be that easy."
"What!? Failed!?" A person in front of the crowd roared, attracting the attention of the three young experts. "My son's performance was outstanding at his previous academy!"
The trio then pushed through the crowd, as they made sure to excuse themselves for each person they moved aside, before they were close enough to get a close look at the scene, as a man with his own child was complaining loudly, before he then walked in front and slammed his fist on the table.
"Don't think you can get away with this!" The man roared. "Give us our refund, you liar!"
"I've told you. Application fee is 10 gold. No refunds if you fail." Another voice, as it came from the person who was in the stall, as they weren't in view of any of them, due to the bulky structure of the man blocking their sight of them, although they could tell from the mature and deep voice that the person was definitely a man past his 50s in age. "Next!"
"No way! 10 gold is daylight robbery!" The man retorted, as he rushed forward.
"That's right. It's too expensive!" Another person in the crowd yelled as well.
The man in the stall sighed, before he then cleared his throat. "Mubai. Handle it." He said.
"Sure." Dai Mubai came out from behind the stall, as all three of them saw him, as he immediately conjured his Spirit Rings. "If you want a refund. Defeat me yourself, and you'll get a full refund."
The man immediately backed away, as he had a expression of fear on his face.
"I will repeat our school values." The examiner said. "Shrek is a monster that is deemed weird even by Spirit Beast standards. So the academy it is based on, is a academy only for monsters. Remember this! We will only accept people who are akin to monsters in both power and potential. No ordinary person can even dream for such an honour."
"There are 4 tests in our entrance exam." Dai Mubai continued. "Those whose age is above 13 years, or have a Spirit Rank less than Level 21 need not apply."
"As if there will be anyone." The man growled.
Liu Shun and Tang San looked at each other, as Liu Shun had something to say.
"Shrek... I once heard of a tale regarding that one monster..." Liu Shun said. "I once heard that he was a sentient Horned Ogre variant, who is very protective of its territory. Anyone who dared to trespass it would be subject to a fate that would be gruesome even to the standards of other Spirit Beasts. Not only that, but it is very dangerous to go against, because of its stupidly high regeneration means that simple Spirit-users can't hope to even escape it. And that's why there's a legend that none are to trespass the swamp it lives in, and that it annihilated a entire army battalion of spirit-users who were too arrogant for their own good. The only safe thing to assume of it, is that it is non-hostile to those who do it and the territory it owns no harm."
"Is that so? Where did you learn all of this from?" Tang San asked back.
"Let's just say... I have had enough time to gather up a lot of myths to study upon." Liu Shun explained vaguely, avoiding exposing his true identity as a descended god. "Come on, we fit those criteria. Let's have a go."
Tang San nodded, before he then called out. "We'll apply!"
Xiao Wu and Liu Shun followed after him, as the man moved aside, while Tang San produced the bag of money. They soon got a clear look at the examiner, who was a man with grey hair that had a shade of yellow in it, a spiked moustache and a short goatee, a black suit with the symbol of the academy he represents on the right side of his collar.
"Gramps, here's our application fee. A total of 30 gold for the three of us." Tang San said, as he placed the gold down on the table.
The examiner then collected the bag, while Liu Shun turned his eyes to Dai Mubai, who gave Tang San a thumbs-up and a smile, which the latter noticed, before turning to Liu Shun, and giving him a smirk. Liu Shun returned the smirk with his own.
'You'll see what I can do soon enough, Dai Mubai... Don't expect me to disappoint you...' Liu Shun thought boldly.
The examiner then put out both of his hands. "Ok, give me your hands then." He instructed them.
Xiao Wu and Tang San were the first ones to do so, as a golden glow surrounded their hands when they clasped with the examiner's, as the examiner was silent for a moment, as he examined their age through a spirit technique that scanned the very bones.
"You are of sufficient age." The examiner told Xiao Wu, who nodded, before he then turned to Tang San with a intrigued expression. "Are you practising some spirit technique with your hands?"
"Yes." Tang San briefly answered back.
"Then I'll ask for your leg." The examiner stated, before turning to Liu Shun, who watched the process silently. "You there, it's your turn. Your hand, like your friend."
"Of course. Here." Liu Shun responded back, as he clasped the examiner's hand, while Tang San's lifted leg was held in the other, as the same glows appeared, although Liu Shun felt a strange presence that ran down and back across his arm.
'A strange feeling...' Liu Shun thought about the feeling of the spirit technique flowing through his arm. 'It feels so invasive, yet so... comforting and relaxing at the same time...'
"It's useless to just be of age. It's all about the-" The man was about to say, before the trio then summoned their Spirit Rings, as the examiner was especially surprised by Tang San and Liu Shun.
"Oh my, even River Grass can be trained so quickly?" The examiner said with raised eyebrows. "And one of you have already got a 1000 year-old Spirit Ring?"
"We both have trained hard and well to achieve such results." Liu Shun responded back with a graceful bow. "You said that you accepted monsters. As someone who has achieved a 1000 year-old Spirit Ring, and my brother, who achieved two Spirit Rings with River Grass, would that not be enough proof that we are at the standing of monsters, sir?"
"Alright, you little monsters." The examiner chuckled, as he jerked his thumb back. "You can proceed to the next test."
"Thank you gramps!" Xiao Wu thanked the examiner, before she then passed by him, as the other two did the same.
"It's okay, son... We'll find another..." The man tried to comfort his son, by hugging him tightly.
The trio made their way through the pathway, as Dai Mubai appeared beside them.
"The second test is a test of Spirit power." Dai Mubai tipped them off. "But you guys are more than capable, so we'll just greet them, and then leave for the next two tests."
No-one spoke in response, but Liu Shun glanced at Dai Mubai briefly, before continuing along.
Suddenly, from above them, there was the sound of something fast zooming across the sky, as it caused them to all turn around, and see what it was. It was a large purple Spirit Mark that flew towards a particular place.
"What's that? Spirit technique? Circus?" Xiao Wu wildly guessed.
"Looks like a Spirit Mark." Tang San noticed.
"I say the same." Liu Shun answered back. "And this Spirit Mark... It doesn't look like it's from a Beast Spirit. I'd say it's either a Tool Spirit variant."
"This is 'Spirit Mark Release'." Dai Mubai explained to them.
"I've heard Master talk about it. But it's the first time seeing one." Tang San commented. "If you imbue your mark with enough spirit power, you can release it outside your body. It only lasts for a short amount of time. And there's no practical use for it. You can use it as a performance, I guess."
"It's heading over there!" Xiao Wu cried, as she chased the Spirit Mark, as Liu Shun followed shortly after.
"Yes, but there's another way to use it..." Dai Mubai sighed. "Come over and take a look."
When they all arrived, there was varying reactions to what they have seen, as Liu Shun's eye twitched in annoyance, Xiao Wu was genuinely surprised, and Tang San was calm as ever.
They saw that the very same Spirit Mark in the sky, being placed on a long banner above a box, with something covered by a tarp on top of it. And beside the box was a man whose face was covered with white hair, save for his nose and mouth, dressed in a grey tunic with white sleeves, blue jeans, and a white apron.
"Don't miss it! Oscar's food sale! Cheap and good!" The man hollered with a strangely young voice. "It'll guarantee a pass on the test!"
"Are you... kidding me?" Liu Shun hissed. "A Spirit Mark, used for such typical matters? This is just..."
"What do you have?" A male entrant asked the shopkeeper with a fearful look on his face.
"Today's special...! Oscar Brand Smelly Tofu!" The man declared, as he snapped the tarp off the top of the box, revealing a neat stack of yellow smelly tofu blocks. "Absolutely tasty! One for only 5 copper! The more it stinks, the better it tastes! Try one!"
The boy immediately dry-heaved at the pungent smell, before he then ran away. "This, this 'aroma'! I can't stand it!" He gagged.
"Don't go! How about 4 copper a piece?" The man tried to say, before the boy left the area. The man then became depressed, as he drew circles on the ground, heart-broken about how he didn't succeed. "It didn't sell again..."
"Uncle, are you selling these corns?" Tang San asked, pointing to the bundle of corns near the box as well.
The man didn't respond, as he slowly got up. "Uncle?" Tang San, unaware of the fact that his words are insulting the person.
"Who's-Who's an uncle!?" The man roared, as he flipped the box with such might, that it flipped several times in the air, as the smelly tofu blocks flew all around, as one of them landed on the head of Liu Shun, who was too surprised by the reaction to noticed it, and Xiao Wu dodged every single one that came for her, holding her nose with disgust at the smell of them all around her. "I'm only fourteen!"
"What!? Fourteen?" Xiao Wu spoke with a stifled tone, with her nose clamped by her own hand.
"That's right! I'm Oscar, a student at Shrek Academy!" Oscar introduced himself furiously, as he pointed to himself. "Don't think I'm old just because I have a little more hair!"
"With that beard, we should call you Gramps." Tang San answered back.
"I'm still a young handsome boy!" Oscar shouted with outrage, lifting his arms.
"Say that after you shave." Dai Mubai scolded him, with a whack on the head, causing Oscar to stick his tongue out comically, before he was grabbed by the head. "Little Os, you're a disgrace! I've warned you before not to sell your smelly tofu in the academy."
"Why not! Don't look down on food types!" Oscar argued back.
"Food type?" Liu Shun asked back.
"Show him." Dai Mubai huffed, crossing his arms.
"Boss Dai, it's private..." Oscar said, adopting a timid expression and pressing the tips of his fingers together.
"NOW! Don't be such a woman!" Dai Mubai fumed, as his face turned slightly red in anger.
"Don't shout, I'll do it." Oscar said, before he then danced his fingers through the air. "Cute~ Fragrant~..."
He then moved his hand over, as a block of tofu appeared in his hands, as his expression was one of bliss. "Tender Tofu!"
"Acting cute while looking like that. Disgusting!" Xiao Wu complained with a expression of disgust on her face.
"This smell..." Tang San muffled, as he covered his mouth and nose with his sleeve. "It's not fragrant at all..."
"Food types have to chant different spirit chants for the food to take effect. It's not like I want to do it..." Oscar sighed.
"What's with that pose?" Xiao Wu asked, noting the small twinkling of his fingers as he did his spirit chant.
"Oh! Specific poses increase the speed of making the food." Oscar explained briefly.
"Master talked about it before." Tang San said, as he was still avoiding the smell of the smelly tofu. "If one uses their own special pose and chant... It can increase the gathering speed of spirit power. This technique is especially essential for low level Spirit Masters. I'm practising it myself. You can try it as well, Xiao Wu."
"Oh?" Xiao Wu, as she pondered about what pose to use as her unique pose and chant to summon her Beast Spirit.
"By the way, Liu Shun... Why aren't you disgusted by the smell of the smelly tofu? And there's a block on your head." Tang San told Liu Shun.
"Oh? Is there?" Liu Shun responded, as he plucked the tofu from his head. "I might need to wash my hair before I do the exam... As for your question, I have smelt worse."
"Let's not get all serious... Here, have some tofu?" Oscar offered, as he carried a tray of smelly tofu in his hands.
Tang San shook his head, trying not to show disgust, while Xiao Wu just shouted. "Eat it yourself!".
Liu Shun, however, merely took the block that was on his head, and popped it into his mouth, and chewed it for a while, before swallowing it. After a moment of silence, he walked towards Oscar.
"Tofu's not bad. It is helpful though, since I did feel that it helped replenish a bit of my spirit power." He criticised Oscar's smelly tofu. "But the taste... It's far too bland. Perhaps you should try to find some way to alter the taste, or add some extra spices to make it at least likeable?"
Oscar was shocked that Liu Shun was actually eating his smelly tofu, that he didn't notice Dai Mubai smacking the plate from underneath, causing it to fly into the air.
"Are you trying to gas all the new students to death!? Or are you looking for a beating!?" Dai Mubai roared, his patience already wearing thin after Oscar's antics. "Let me warn you, Tang San is my friend, and I have interest in Liu Shun! Don't you dare bother either of them!"
"Okay, okay, I'll sell my corn then." Oscar answered back, backing away.
"No!" Dai Mubai shouted. "I don't trust anything you make for them!"
"What!? I didn't make the corn, I bought them!" Oscar argued.
"I don't care!" Dai Mubai said. "No is NO!"
As they bickered, Tang San and Xiao Wu looked at Liu Shun with amazed eyes, as if he was being strange.
"What? Someone had to say it." Liu Shun said, before he then noticed that there was someone walking past them, as it was a young lady with long flowing black hair, a red and white dress with black full-arm sleeves and a short skirt, long white opaque stockings, and black shoes. He then noticed that there was several blocks of smelly tofu falling towards her. "Miss, look out-!"
However, before his warning could be heard, the woman immediately phased before the tofu could fall on her, as if she was a mere shadow, reappearing near Dai Mubai and Oscar, as the zooming sound caught their attention. She then brushed off her suit, before then continuing along her way.
"Phew... She's hot." Dai Mubai admitted.
"Isn't she?" Oscar asked.
"She's... She's all right- Ow!" Tang San commented, before she then yelped in pain, as Xiao Wu stomped his foot hard enough to hurt him. "Xiao Wu, why are you stepping on me?"
Xiao Wu merely scoffed, as she turned away from Tang San with a unhappy expression.
"Let's not dwell on it further. We still got the other two tests to deal with. If she becomes a student, we'll have all the time to get to know her." Liu Shun suggested.
Tang San and Xiao Wu agreed, as Xiao Wu's expression brightened up a little, as they made their way to the next area, where the remaining entrants were.
Dai Mubai then made his way to the examiner, who was leaning against the chair, a man with a blue shirt, black jeans with white cuffs, and a wool cap on his head. "Let them through. I can vouch for them that they are eligible to immediately move onto the fourth test." He told the examiner.
"Oh, got it. I can allow that." The examiner nodded slowly.
"Okay." Dai Mubai said, before turning to the trio. "Come with me now."
"What's this? Special privileges during examinations?" A boy in the line complained.
Liu Shun gave the boy a glare, before he then walked up to one of the testing orbs, as it glowed brightly in a silver colour, as the base form of the Great Blade of Elements appeared in it, as the number '28' appeared on top of it. "Liu Shun, Level 28 Great Spirit Master."
"Haha, see that?" The examiner suddenly turned lively, as he pointed at the boy who complained. "Whoever's spirit power is above Level 25 can also head to the fourth test."
The boy became dejected, as Liu Shun gave him a smirk that displayed his smugness at how he humbled the boy.
'Brat... Think twice before you got presuming someone. I wonder how much you have trained compared to me...' Liu Shun thought with a hint of pride.
Tang San and Xiao Wu came as well, as their results were as expected, as Xiao Wu was of the same level as Tang San himself.
Everyone was shocked by the results the trio showed, as Dai Mubai laughed loudly. "Anyone else? I'll bring everyone together to go to the fourth test with these three."
"Can I try?" A gentle female voice was heard, as Dai Mubai turned to face the source, a girl with purple eyes and short pink sleek hair, wearing a long white cape with a fluffy collar of yellow feathers, a yellow dress with golden straps with a skirt of petal-shaped sections, and leather greaves and armbands on her feet and arms.
"Of- Of course." Liu Shun said, as there was a light blush on his cheeks, from how beautiful the new girl was. "You're free to try as you wish."
"Thanks. Please take care of me." The girl smiled back, as the orb in her hands glowed a bright pink with the image of a crystalline tower in it, as the number '26' appeared above it. "Oh right, my name is Ning Rongrong."
"Level 26 Great Spirit Master." The examiner noted.
Before Ning Rongrong could put the orb down could put the orb down, the woman from before appeared, snatching the orb with a swift motion, as it glowed with a clear light with dark blue edges, as the symbol of a panther was seen in it, with the number '27' appearing.
"Level 27 Great Spirit Master!" The examiner said. "This is interesting. Student, can I have your name?"
"Zhu Zhuqing." The woman spoke in a cold and emotionless tone.
"What kind of monsters are they...!?" A person within the crowd of entrants cried.
Liu Shun then looked at both Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing, as he recalled who they were.
'Ning Rongrong and Zhu Zhuqing...' Liu Shun thought. 'The fiances of Oscar and Dai Mubai respectively... One's of the era's youngest generation of Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan... And the other is known to be the youngest of the Shrek Seven Devils, but also the second strongest in terms of pure combat capacity, only below that of Dai Mubai.'
He then noticed a white owl flying in the sky, as it was flying towards a large building.
"Hm..." Liu Shun muttered, as he watched the bird attentively, as he noticed that there was a parchment in its mouth, barely visible from where he was.
"Liu Shun? What are you thinking about?" Tang San asked, as he gently nudged his sworn brother's shoulder slightly.
"Huh? Tang San?" Liu Shun said, as he whipped his head down to face Tang San. "Oh... It was nothing. I was just thinking about something, that was all. Time to go?"
Tang San merely gestured at the group led by Dai Mubai, who were already making their way to the next test for them, as Liu Shun yelped, before dashing towards them to catch up to them.
In a building overseeing the academy...
The white owl passed through a open window, as it landed on the hand of the very shopkeeper that the trio had met before, who was sitting in a chair that was near the window.
"Haha, there are a lot of monsters this year." The man chuckled to himself. "Five students skipped from the second test straight to the fourth. This should be interesting to see. Heheh, Wuji, why don't you check them out yourself?"
"Principal, you're working me like a border collie..." A gruff male voice was heard from behind the man.
"Five students means five set of school fees. Zhao Wuji, you're the vice principal. If there's money coming in, why are you complaining?"
"Fine, fine. I just had a hard life, that's all." The other man chuckled, as he audibly cracked his knuckles.
"Stop barking. Just go." The principal of the academy said, waving his hand.
"Quit nagging, old man!" Zhao Wuji shouted, as he stomped out of the room, shutting the door loudly behind him.
The principal got out of his seat, as he moved to the window.
"Heh, this school is getting quite lively." The principal muttered to himself. "Old friend, you said you found a small monster, and a god who has descended to the mortal realm, sacrificing everything he had for what he believed were his friends."
He then looked down, as he focused his eyes on Liu Shun and Tang San, who were walking beside each other. "What will they be like...?"
A/N: For those who are intrigued to find out how Liu Shun obtained the purple Spirit Ring, there will eventually be a flashback which will detail of the journey he took to obtain it. But why explain its coming, before showing it's power?
A/N 2: For those who have been waiting for this chapter, I would like to say that this story and the Unmei Force volumes are the two main stories that I will be working on. I might get back to this if inspiration strikes me, but don't expect quick updates unless I really want to get these chapters done.