Dai Mubai lay collapsed beside Zhu Zhuqing, gasping in great heaving breaths, his entire body trembling ever so slightly.
Xiao Wu's scorpion braid had come completely undone, sweat dripping steadily from it as her red lips murmured softly.
Tang San propped Ma Hongjun and Oscar's bodies against their respective bamboo baskets, then removed the extra weights. In his current state, his vision was equally hazy. But something in his consciousness still kept him on his feet.
For the others, the punishment — or rather, the training — was over. For him, it wasn't.
Leaning against the table with the water bucket, carrying fifteen kilograms of weight on his back, Tang San forced himself upright and shuffled forward one agonizing step at a time.
Though he no longer had to support anyone else, his feet were already completely unsteady.
"Brother, I'll come with you." Xiao Wu likewise pulled herself up using the table, but after taking only a single step, she crumpled to the ground. Her condition was considerably better than Zhu Zhuqing's, but earlier she had carried Ning Rongrong on her back for a considerable distance — she had reached her limit too.
"Xiao San. I'm coming with you too." It was Dai Mubai who spoke. He hoisted his own weights onto his back as well and staggered over to Tang San's side. The two of them locked eyes, their pale faces squeezing out a rather strained, odd-looking smile. At the same time, they each extended their right hands and clasped them together in midair.
The next moment, the two who had endured the most throughout this entire "punishment" collapsed to the ground together, following in the footsteps of their companions.
The Shrek Seven Devils — seven punished, seven now lying on the floor.
The Great Master watched them fall one after another, never moving a muscle. Only after Tang San and Dai Mubai finally blacked out at the same time did a faint trace of satisfaction cross his face. "Never abandon, never give up. Good. Very good."
Flandre appeared at the Great Master's side together with Zhao Wuji and several other teachers, emerging as if from thin air. "Great Master, you're something too. Cruel enough."
The Great Master paid no attention to the dissatisfaction in Flandre's words and simply waved his hand. "Hurry — take them inside."
Including the Great Master, the teachers quickly removed the bamboo baskets from the children and carried them into the academy.
By the time Tang San regained consciousness, he found himself already in the dormitory. Warmth was seeping into his body from every direction, the cozy comfort so pleasant he nearly groaned aloud.
Collecting his thoughts, Tang San discovered that his naked body was submerged in a large wooden tub filled with brown liquid. Oscar was in another tub on the opposite side, still deep in unconsciousness. With two enormous tubs crammed in, the dormitory was now practically bursting at the seams.
He idly stirred the liquid in front of him. A moderately strong medicinal scent wafted into his nostrils — he twitched his nose, and understanding dawned on him immediately.
After arriving in this world, although he had never studied its medicines in great detail, he had a rough working knowledge. The medicinal ingredients here bore many similarities to those in his previous life. The liquid in these tubs had clearly been boiled from a blend of herbs, primarily those meant to soothe the muscles, invigorate blood flow, and nourish the body's foundations. No wonder, after such an exhausting ordeal, he didn't feel all that much pain upon waking. Just a slight soreness in his legs and a bit of weakness in his body.
Later, Tang San learned that the Great Master had been adding hot water to their tubs at regular intervals to keep the temperature steady. For the girls, he had hired village women to help with the task.
A slip of paper was stuck to the side of the tub, bearing the Great Master's handwriting:
"Eat at the cafeteria when you wake up." The moment he read the word "eat," Tang San's stomach let out a resounding gurgle. Hunger crashed over him all at once.
After climbing out of the water, he noticed two smaller buckets filled with clear water sitting beside the large tubs — clearly meant for rinsing off. The water was anything but warm, and when Tang San lowered himself into it, a violent shiver ran through him. The shock invigorated him instantly, and the lingering ache throughout his body gradually faded away.
He quickly washed the remaining medicinal liquid from his skin, changed into a fresh set of clothes, and finally stepped out of the dormitory. To his surprise, the sky outside was already blanketed with stars. In the silent night, the occasional chirp of insects and cry of birds lent the air a serene quality.
He stretched his body vigorously, and his bones produced a rapid string of pops and cracks, as though every joint was being opened up. He drew in two deep breaths of fresh air, displacing the stale air in his lungs, and strode toward the cafeteria.
From a distance, he could already see the cafeteria lights glowing. When Tang San walked through the door, he found someone already sitting there, eating with great enthusiasm.