Qin Ming forced himself to swallow. "So you're saying most of them are only twelve or thirteen years old?"
Flandre nodded.
Qin Ming's gaze swept across the Shrek Seven Devils one by one, and he smiled ruefully. "Now I understand why you wear masks. You've given me far too many shocks. I always thought the Imperial Battle Team had pretty impressive talent, but compared to you lot, they're absolutely nothing—if you were the same age, they wouldn't stand a chance of winning."
Flandre said nothing, simply looking at the disciples before him with a smile. The students of Shrek Academy could be said to be his greatest achievement in life. Qin Ming had been one, and now these Shrek Seven Devils were no different.
Dai Mubai asked, "Senior, would you mind if I ask—what level is your Soul Power at now?"
Qin Ming answered instinctively, "Level sixty-two. Luck's been on my side."
The Shrek Seven Devils exchanged glances, all simultaneously recalling Flandre's timeless maxim. Shrek Academy only accepts freaks, never ordinary people.
"All right, enough mutual flattery. Sit down, little freaks. Order whatever you want to eat. Today your stingy Academy Head is being generous. Don't hold back on my account—order whatever you like." Zhao Wuji called out to the Shrek Seven Devils in a loud voice, glancing at the smug Flandre.
The smile on Flandre's face stiffened instantly, while the Shrek Seven Devils cheered in unison, immediately summoning the waiter. True to form, they showed no mercy toward Zhao Wuji's account and began ordering without hesitation.
Ma Hongjun was the first to snatch the menu. He flipped through it—only three pages—and tapped a few items, signaling the waiter to note them down.
Flandre was sitting right beside Ma Hongjun. Seeing that his disciple had picked some of the cheapest dishes, he felt a surge of satisfaction. Good—worthy disciple of mine, really knows how to save me money. Excellent. But what Ma Hongjun said next sent him crashing straight from heaven into hell.
"Oh, actually, forget those dishes I just picked. Everything else on the menu—one of each. Make the portions big. And bring two barrels of top-quality wheat beer. Hurry it up." Ma Hongjun hadn't given anyone else a chance to order; he had single-handedly completed the glorious task on behalf of the entire Shrek Seven Devils.
He turned to look at Flandre and asked with genuine puzzlement, "Huh? Teacher, what's wrong with your face? It's turning green. Did you not sleep well last night?"
Qin Ming, sitting nearby, managed to maintain his composure, but Zhao Wuji had already burst into unrestrained laughter. Flandre's stinginess was well known among the academy's teachers.
Qin Ming's expression had returned to normal by now. He smiled and said, "How could I let the Academy Head foot the bill? After all these years, I've finally come back. Teachers, please give me the chance to thank you for everything you taught me back then. Without you, there would be no Qin Ming today."
Zhao Wuji laughed heartily. "Little Ming, you're still so thoughtful. I was actually looking forward to watching Flandre bleed for once. Guess that's off the table now."
The moment Flandre heard Qin Ming offering to pay, his complexion improved dramatically. He shot Zhao Wuji a glare. "Enjoying watching me make a fool of myself, are you? Fine, old Zhao—it's been a while since we sparred. When we get back, I'll find you for a little practice session. Might help boost our Soul Power."
"Uh..." This time, it was Zhao Wuji's turn to stop laughing. He and Flandre had sparred countless times, and he knew Flandre's strength all too well. As a power-type Soul Master, he was completely helpless against Flandre, who belonged to the agility-attack system and was a flying Soul Master to boot—on top of having Soul Power two levels higher than his.
At their level, every single level difference in Soul Power was nowhere near as negligible as it was at the Shrek Seven Devils' current stage. A gap of even one level was an absolute one.
Qin Ming looked at the seated Shrek Seven Devils, letting his gaze finally rest especially on Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Zhu Zhuqing. "What a pity. If you juniors weren't Shrek's people, I'd have done everything in my power to bring you to the Imperial Academy. If you joined us, perhaps..."