A rare smile crossed the old man's face. "He really is a little monster. Mubai, take them inside."
"Yes." Dai Mubai stepped forward, offering Tang San a smile, though his gaze still seemed to linger on something behind Tang San's back.
Under Dai Mubai's lead, Tang San and Xiao Wu followed him into Shrek Academy — which was, in truth, nothing more than a village.
Dai Mubai said, "I knew you'd pass without a problem. The later exams should be a breeze too." As he spoke, he couldn't help but glance back toward the academy's entrance.
Xiao Wu said huffily, "What are you looking at? Trying to pick up girls again?"
Dai Mubai's brow furrowed. "What do you know. I sensed that the girl's aura was remarkably similar to mine — not just similar, but with a complementary quality. In Martial Souls, encountering one that complements your own is extraordinarily rare. But once you do find one, joining forces can multiply your Martial Soul's power many times over. That's what's known as a Martial Soul Fusion Technique."
Xiao Wu blurted out a laugh. "So you're saying that girl's Martial Soul must be a tigress?"
A trace of embarrassment crossed Dai Mubai's face. "That's… possible, I suppose."
Entering the village, all that could be visible were wooden buildings. The words "simple" and "unadorned" could not have described them more fittingly.
Before long, Dai Mubai led them to an open clearing. Wooden houses surrounded it on all sides. The clearing spanned roughly five hundred square meters, situated right in the center of Shrek Academy.
The candidates who had passed the preliminary test were already gathered ahead. The unmistakable fluctuations of Soul Power made the air shimmer and tremble.
Dai Mubai pointed toward the line of waiting candidates. "You'll take your second exam here. The teacher will explain what to do. I need to head back out and check on something — if that girl's Martial Soul really does complement mine, I'm going to recruit her no matter what."
With that, Dai Mubai hurried away. Tang San and Xiao Wu, following his instructions, joined the back of the line behind the other candidates.
Just then, a soft, languid voice rang out.
"Sausages for sale! Sausages for sale! Take a look, have a peek — don't pass by without stopping! Oscar's sausages: delicious, fragrant, and sweet. Affordable price, generous portion. Only five copper coins each. Eat an Oscar's sausage, and you're sure to pass the entrance exam with ease!"
Tang San and Xiao Wu turned their heads to look. Not far to the side, a person was pushing a cart, hawking his wares. Waves of savory, meaty aroma drifted from the cart, and several candidates already standing in line had wandered over to buy some.
The man standing behind the cart wore a plain gray outfit. His short hair was neatly combed, and his face was covered with a thick beard — yet he possessed a pair of large, peach-shaped eyes, and his gaze kept drifting toward the girls in the candidate line. Xiao Wu was naturally not immune to his scanning eyes either. It was hard to believe that such a soft, almost feminine voice could come from a man with such a rough and burly appearance.
Tang San turned to Xiao Wu. "There are still a few people ahead of us, and you didn't eat much breakfast. Want a sausage?"
Xiao Wu tilted her head. "It does smell pretty good. Sure, let's try one."
Tang San nodded, told Xiao Wu to hold their place in line, and walked toward the cart.
Getting closer, he could see that the sausage seller was about the same height as himself. A wooden board was nailed to the side of the cart, with four characters carved into it: Sausages Exclusively.