"Alright, you should go rest early too. We have to travel again tomorrow." Tang San reluctantly held Xiao Wu's hand.
"Okay." Xiao Wu agreed, then headed back to her own room. Her heart was beating a little faster, but there was a hint of hesitation and a deep, searching light in the depths of her eyes.
When Tang San returned to his dormitory, he was somewhat surprised to find that Dai Mubai and the other two were still awake. All three of them were looking at him with knowing smirks.
Oscar climbed up from his bed, lifted one leg in Dai Mubai's direction, and whined in an exaggerated, syrupy voice, "We've been traveling all day—my legs are so sore. Big brother, could you rub them for me, pretty please?"
Dai Mubai burst into laughter and mimicked Tang San's voice, "Sure. Right here?"
Oscar eagerly chimed in, "Mm, right here is fine. Rongrong and Zhuqing are already asleep."
Watching their ridiculous act, Tang San glared at them through gritted teeth. "Oh great, you were eavesdropping on us!"
Fatty chuckled from the side, "It wasn't eavesdropping—the soundproofing here is just terrible. Hey bro, rub my legs too while you're at it." As he spoke, he gestured at his pudgy leg.
Tang San nodded seriously. "Sure, no problem. I've heard that some kinds of toxins are actually beneficial to the human body—good for loosening the muscles and getting the blood flowing. I wonder if my Eight Spider Lances would work. Let's try it on you." As he spoke, he pulled off his shirt, revealing his lean, muscular torso, and struck a pose as if he were about to unleash the Eight Spider Lances.
Fatty jumped in fright, hurriedly yanking the blanket over his body and letting out a pitiful wail. "Don't do it, Third Brother! I was wrong!" The memory of the Eight Spider Lances' lethal poison had left an extremely deep impression on him.
Tang San snorted. "Go to sleep."
Dai Mubai chuckled. "Tang San, Xiao Wu has already made her feelings clear to you. Don't be so dense, big brother. Xiao Wu is a rare beauty—grab her while you can, or someone else will."
Tang San blinked. "But we're like brother and sister. Come on, let's not talk about this. We're all so young—isn't it a bit too early to discuss these things? Do you think I'm Fatty? I don't have nearly as much of that restless energy."
Ma Hongjun poked his head out from under the blanket and retorted, "What's wrong with me? Romance between men and women is perfectly natural—it's the most basic instinct."
Tang San shot him a glare. "Seems to me that's all you've got left—instincts."
Dai Mubai didn't say anything more. He shook his head with a smile, sat cross-legged on his bed, and entered a meditative state.
The night passed uneventfully, and early the next morning, the group continued on their journey. By now, they had left the Balak Kingdom and entered the territory of the Sylvas Kingdom.
Fortunately, Flandre did not push the pace again today, merely leading the group northeast at a normal speed.
They traveled all day until they reached Sylvas City, the capital of the Sylvas Kingdom situated at the southern edge of the nation's borders. In something of a first, Flandre chose this large city as their overnight stop. Moreover, they arrived at the city gates just as dusk was settling in.
"Flandre, have you had a change of heart?" When Dean Flandre led everyone into a rather expensive hotel, even the Great Master—who normally never gave money a second thought—couldn't help but find it strange. This time around, Flandre had actually booked five separate rooms so everyone could spread out comfortably. Even dinner was more lavish than any they'd had before.
Both the Great Master and Zhao Wuji, along with the other teachers, were thoroughly puzzled by Flandre's behavior. How could the man who was famously stingy suddenly become so generous?
At dinner, Flandre finally revealed his true colors.
Wearing a pleasant smile, Flandre raised his wine glass and said, "Everyone's worked hard these two days on the road. Tonight, let's treat ourselves to a proper meal. But the little monsters only get one glass of wine each."
Saying that, he downed his own drink first and enthusiastically encouraged everyone to dig into the food.
Dai Mubai whispered in Tang San's ear, "I'd rather see our dean look serious than smile. I don't know why, but every time he smiles, it feels so cunning. Just wait and see—after spending this much, there's definitely something behind it."
Sure enough, after several rounds of wine and dishes, Flandre wiped his mouth clean and addressed the Shrek Seven Devils in a warm tone, "You haven't had a real fight in two months now. Sylvas City has its own Grand Soul Duel Arena—why don't you go get some practice in tonight? Mm, you don't need to compete in every event. Just enter the team Soul Duel—that way you won't be too tired for tomorrow's journey."
Dai Mubai looked at the dean, who had finally shown his fox's tail, and asked with an amused expression, "Dean, does that mean the rewards from our practical combat should also be turned over to the academy?"