Chapter 85: Eat and Run!

Tang Wulin narrowed his eyes, his hands balled into fists. He had serious expression on him after he watched the Shrek Academy representative team defeating the Skysea Alliance team as easily as taking a walk in the park.

"They... are strong."

Xie Xie and the others nodded in agreement. The former glanced with a sharp eye at the retreating figures of the Shrek Academy team.

"Yeah. In a one-v-one match, and excluding both Xiu Ye and Xu Xiaoyan, we can most likely win against their best fighters but that's only if they don't have any secret techniques or something that can turn the tables on us."

Even so, class zero's students' eyes started to glow with a bright flame, a fire of hard determination and will. They all clenched their hands. Fighting against them, they can't wait!

Especially Tang Wulin. He wanted to see just how far apart he was in overall power compared to students of the best academy in the continent!

Xiu Ye crossed his arms in front of his chest and let out a sigh. "Okay, enough of that. I understand your eagerness to fight against some of the many students of the continent's, possibly the world's, best academy but we already have an objective that we must accomplish." Everyone winced and sheepishly looked away, embarrassed. Xiu Ye let out another sigh once more.

"Xiu Ye's right. Besides, standing equal to them isn't something to be proud of." An icy voice washed over them like chilling a tide, drawing their attention. Unknown to them, Wu Zhangkong had appeared beside the group.

"They were merely Shrek Academy's outer court students," Wu Zhangkong said, his voice dropping the surrounding temperature by several degrees, except around Xiu Ye.

'Outer court?' Echoed around the minds of Xiu Ye's friends.

Everyone knew that Shrek Academy had both an inner and outer court. Only the inner court nurtured the academy's true elites.

This time, even Xiu Ye was surprised. 'They aren't inner students yet? Huh. I kinda swore that those two were already in the inner court... whatever, I probably remembered wrongly.'

Wu Zhangkong continued, "The outer court's brightest and most capable students are still required to pass an inspection in order to enter the inner court. Matriculating inner court disciples must be sixteen years old or younger. Therefore, none of those on that Shrek Academy team should be inner court disciples. The ones you should all take note of are the two youngest contenders. Since they were sent to represent Shrek Academy at such a young age, their talent surpasses that of common men without a doubt. They have likely already been selected as inner court candidates. As such, they will also be… your greatest rivals."

Wu Zhangkong word's surprised them. Our greatest rivals? What does that mean?

"Teacher Wu, why would we compete with them?" Xu Xiaoyan was flabbergasted.

Wu Zhangkong glanced at her. "That's because I'm training you all to enter Shrek Academy's inner court and fulfill my unfulfilled desire."

Xiu Ye hummed, "Teacher Wu, are you saying you couldn't join the inner court?"

Bitterness tugged at the corners of Wu Zhangkong's mouth. "I entered, but I never graduated."

"Zhangkong..." Xiu Ye glanced behind over Wu Zhangkong to find the ghost lady sobbing and trying to hug the latter; only to haver her arms phased through him, making her cry even more.

'Does she have something to do with teacher Wu's expulsion from Shrek Academy?' He thought, curious. He should probably talk to Wu Zhangkong in private about the identity of the lingering spirit behind him.

"These matters are too far in the future for you to worry about. Just do your best for now. Entering Shrek Academy will be a long and arduous road. I've drawn the lots; the matches begin tomorrow."

Wu Zhangkong didn't bother informing them of their opponents. For both the individual and team competition, the first round would be a knockout battle. Anyone who loses would be immediately eliminated from the competition.

Two events would be conducted the next day. One of them was the blacksmith's, which would also have a knockout round. As such, Xiu Ye would be participating in a total of four competitions. His eyes landed on the time of each competition. Thankfully they didn't overlap, otherwise he really would be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

'Well whatever, it's not like it would be a challenge for me.' Xiu Ye went back to the hotel together with the others.

The city bustled with activity now that the Skysea Alliance Tournament was in full-swing. Tournaments attracted people, so visitors from all over the east coast had traveled to Skysea City.

The city came to life once night fell. People swarmed the restaurants, delighting in delicacies and fine liquor.

Xiu Ye let out a sigh, resigned, as he slowly ate the food together with the two gluttons besides him; Tang Wulin and Xu Lizhi. Since they had nothing to do for the remainder of the day, the latter decided to call on them and wanted to explore the city's food establishment along with them.

And since he had nothing to do, and he honestly wanted to check on the numerous cuisines this city have, he decided to come along with them.

But now... Xiu Ye glanced at them, both gorging on the food in front of them and stuffing them into their mouths like squirrels without stop, he looked the other way and slowly moved away from them.

Hours passed, more orders came, and plates started to pile up around them like a mountain.

'I don't know them. Please. Stop looking at me like that and-don't you record this, you bitch! Not while looking at us like we're trash or something!' Xiu Ye groaned and planted his face on his hands, having already finished eating his meal hours ago, he decided to wait for his two gluttonous friends to finish eating theirs.

But what the fuck was this?! Tang Wulin's appetite has grown more than ever before and Xu Lizhi has the same as well; both trying to outdo the other in eating but why-oh wait, he stopped. Xiu Ye blinked as he watch Xu Lizhi moaned painfully and patting his, even more, inflated belly.

"Finally..." He muttered, in embarrassment and annoyance. He'd been sitting besides them for so long. Now he can finally get back in the hotel, watch something in the soul tv, cultivate and plan out on how was he going to dominate the entire competition. Low-style or mysterious-badass-kid style?

"Alright! Boss, I want to order one salt-crusted baked bluefin tuna." Tang Wulin suddenly called out.

"Oh for fuck sakes..."

"Ah hah! So you're here!" At that moment, a familiar voice was heard.

Xiu Ye turned his head toward the voice to see a furious Ye Xinglan barging her way in. She headed straight for Xu Lizhi.

"D-don't hit me Big Sister Xinglan! I know I was wrong, but I ate really well! Please don't hit me! I've eaten so much so that if you do, I might puke it all out. Wouldn't that be a waste? This is really delicious. Do you want to join us?"

Ye Xinglan's mood lightened at his words. 'This guy is such a glutton.'

But when she shifted her gaze to their table, she nearly jumped up from fright. Did a whole army come to eat?

Plates, bowls and debris from all sorts of food were scattered across two round tables. Seated across from Xu Lizhi, Tang Wulin continued to pull apart a crab's leg with expert movements.

Seeing him eat so merrily, Ye Xinglan couldn't help but feel a bit hungry herself.

Her gaze soon turned towards the last occupant in the table and her eyes widened in surprise.

"You!"

Xiu Ye wearily grinned and waved his hand to her. "Yo!"

"What are you doing here?" Ye Xinglan asked with raised brow.

Xiu Ye shrugged. "Eating." As if it weren't obvious.

Ye Xinglan cheeks darkened. She smacked the table with her hands and leaned towards him. "I meant, why didn't you tell me you were free?"

Xiu Ye crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow. "Oh, and how would I be able to tell you that?"

"By calling me-!" Ye Xinglan froze, eyes widened as realization sinks in. Her already flushed cheeks further went a deeper shade of red like Xiu Ye's hair.

Xiu Ye smirked. "Yeah, you didn't give me your number. Well since you're here and all, how about sit and eat with us?"

At that moment, the boss called out, "Here's the salt baked bluefin tuna!"

As Ye Xinglan turned around and saw the fish, her eyes went wide.

That's… that's just too big!

It was a fish that weighed over fifty kilograms. It was one meter in length, thick and solid. The sizeable crust of sea salt on its surface was like a mountain's peak. Due to its size, the fish was delivered to the table by trolley.

Laughing heartily, the boss said, "Just wait a moment, I'll get a hammer to smash it open for you. My salt-crusted baked bluefin tuna is definitely one of the best dishes in Skysea City."

Xiu Ye smiled. "You don't need to trouble yourself. I can do it."

He made his way to the bluefin tuna.

To ensure that the inner meat stayed tender and juicy, it was protected by a thick coating of salt. Furthermore, because the bluefin tuna was bulky, it needed at least a centimeter of coating; any thinner and the taste would suffer, no matter how much shorter the cooking time would be.

With such a thick layer of salt, even an adult needed a hammer to crack it open.

But to Xiu Ye, this was nothing.

Mjolnir materialized in his right hand in a flash of light and he swung at the salt crust.

A booming sound thunder echoed echoed throughout the room. Following that, sparks of lightning followed by a crack snaked its way along the crust: splitting it open all way.

Xiu Ye put away his hammer and brushed the salt off with his hands, revealing tender white meat beneath. A heavy fragrance immediately burst out, flooding his nostrils.

This prompted Xu Lizhi to shoot up from his seat, staring at the bluefin tuna with the intent to swallow it whole.

"Y-y-you, why didn't you tell me about this sooner! What do I do, I'm too full right now! N-no! I can't let things end like this. I'm going to go exercise for a bit. Don't you two dare finish it without me! I'll be back in a few minutes." The little fatty lurched outside.

Xiu Ye casually retrieved a clean plate and used his knife to carve a large chunk of meat for himself. Tang Wulin followed after him and took some as well.

Just as he was about to sit down and eat, he remembered the girl in front of him. Smiling, he took another plate and handed it to her. "Why don't you have some?"

In truth, Ye Xinglan had already succumbed to shock after taking in the size of the bluefin tuna.

This was her first time seeing such a giant fish. Not to mention, it was served with expert cooking techniques. Although she was stronger and had a steadier temperament than her peers, she was still a ten-year-old child. Ye Xinglan couldn't help but be enticed by such a delicacy.

"Mn, okay." She didn't hesitate to accept the plate. She grabbed a clean fork from the side, sat herself besides him and began eating.

Xiu Ye grinned as he approached the tuna's head and pulled apart the salt crust, and revealing its delicate meat underneath. He slid a knife between the cheekbones and cut out a chunk of meat the size of his palm with one swift circular motion before placing it on a second plate.

He offered the plate to Ye Xinglan. "Try this; it's the best part of the fish. Bluefin tuna has a lot of collagen because it swims in the deep sea, and this section is packed full of it. The collagen, when combined with its tender flesh, bursts with flavor on the tongue."

Once he handed the plate to her, he grabbed his own and carved out another piece for himself. He sat down with a grin and continued to eat.

'It's really good!' Ye Xinglan thought to herself as she savored the supple meat. She sent a furtive glance toward Xiu Ye. 'There's no way this guy can be this nice; he must be hiding something. I need to be careful of him. This fish is so delicious though! I'll finish eating first before dealing with him.'

'Thank god I didn't over-stuffed myself like Xu Lizhi. Hmm. Damn, this is good!' Xiu Ye thought as he ate.

The three continued to gorge themselves. The only dissatisfaction Ye Xinglan harbored was that Xiu Ye had never raised his head once to look at her—he was too preoccupied eating.

Tang Wulin remained silent, though he did glanced at Xiu Ye and Ye Xinglan several times. A knowing grin appeared on his face for a moment before he return to eating.

Ye Xinglan mulled things over as she chewed and swallowed. 'I really don't understand this guy. Well, I admit that the fish is delicious.'

The sea salt complimented the meat's savouriness, preserving the juiciness and creating an umami-filled adventure. Her plate had the most delicious tidbit, courtesy of Xiu Ye. The fragrant collagen and the tuna's soft flesh would forever be engraved in her memory, standing out as her most spectacular food experience.

Half of the tuna had been consumed by the time Xu Lizhi returned. He howled at the sight before promptly diving in to join the glutton forces.

In the midst of the excitement, Tang Wulin set aside a finger-licking morsel for the other boy. The moment Xu Lizhi dug into the piece of tuna cheek, his face went slack with contentment. It was as if he had transcended to a higher realm.

Xiu Ye and Ye Xinglan laughed at the strange face Xu Lizhi was making.

A while later, the restaurant's boss stood stupefied as he stared at the four with his mouth agape. Four kids had actually succeeded in devouring a fifty kilogram fish. Ye Xinglan's cold haughtiness cracked open like a shell, revealing a demeanor irreconcilable with the initial impression of her. She leaned back into her chair. This was the first time in her life that she had felt so full. If she moved another inch, her belly would burst.

She glanced at Xiu Ye for a moment before turning towards the other guy, "Hey, what's your name?" Ye Xinglan asked Tang Wulin.

"Tang Wulin." Despite eating the most, Tang Wulin was still as calm as ever.

'Ugh. I ate too much, but it was damn worth it. Gotta ask the guy how he made or look at his knife.' Xiu Ye rubbed his bloated stomach with a content smile on his face. It had however fell when he felt a sudden disturbance in the table.

"We're leaving now. You settle the bill." Ye Xinglan coldly said towards Tang Wulin.

"I already said I'm hosting!" Xu Lizhi was a man of his words.

Ye Xinglan scowled at him. "Do you have money?"

"Eh…" Xu Lizhi was at a loss for words. "How did I forget about that…"

Xiu Ye's eyebrows twitched. 'Just how unreliable is this guy? Sheesh...'

"Ah, bro? I forgot my wallet back at the hotel, so, can you?" Xiu Ye's eyebrows twitched even more when he felt the begging stare Tang Wulin was sending him.

'You bloody miser.'

"What kind of expression is that?" Ye Xinglan said as she glared at Xiu Ye's stiffened face. "You should know, it's an honor to treat us to dinner."

Xiu Ye rolled his eyes. 'I might be kinda rich, but that doesn't mean I'll have to pay for a meal that your friend here was going to pay for.'

After a moment of incredulity, Xiu Ye nodded his head. "Yeah! It really is an honor. You guys sit down first. Wulin and I can go settle the bill." Saying so, he stood up and took Tang Wulin with him.

Since they were sitting in a lounge, he had to turn and make a beeline for the front desk.

Once they were out of sight, Ye Xinglan smacked the top of Xu Lizhi's head. "Why did you sneak out! Let's see how I'll deal with you once we get back."

Xu Lizhi pulled an indignant face. "Big sister Xinglan, I made a mistake, but didn't you eat happily, too? Everything's fine if you had a good time. What are you hitting me for?"

Ye Xinglan snorted. "We're from Shrek; just how many people do you think are scheming about us? I don't think that Tang Wulin is any good. I bet he approached us with ulterior motives."

After a few blinks, Xu Lizhi retorted "No way. When we first met, he gave me some cookies to eat. That was before he knew which academy I'm from."

The corners of Ye Xinglan's mouth began to twitch. "How are you so sure about that? I bet the Skysea Alliance has been watching you and making plans on how to approach you. If you don't believe me, then just wait. Once they come back, Tang Wulin will definitely think of some way to get closer to us."

Xu Lizhi raised an eyebrow. "Big sis, you've only been accusing big brother Wulin but not Xiu Ye? Why is that?"

Ye Xinglan blinked, her eyes seems lost for a moment, before she looked away. "I just feel that he's different compared to Tang Wulin. Don't think much about it."

Xu Lizhi hummed and faced the direction Xiu Ye and Tang Wulin had departed. "Huh, shouldn't they be back by now?"

Disdain dripped from Ye Xinglan's words, "They probably went to the washroom after eating so much."

"Oh."

After another quarter of an hour, the pair still hadn't returned.

"He sure is taking a long time in the washroom! He ate a lot, so a lot comes out?" Xu Lizhi mumbled.

"Go look for them." Ye Xinlan ordered Xu Lizhi, the beginnings of a storm rumbling in her chest. The reason she had been so forceful in having them pay was that she didn't have any money either! Since they were here to represent Shrek, she hadn't brought any cash.

It wasn't long before Xu Lizhi dragged his chubby self back.

"I-I can't find them. Big Sister Xinglan, I think they left! I bet it's because you were so rude to them, especially big brother Wulin. They probably dipped after paying the bill. See? I told you he wasn't trying to get close to us."

Ye Xinglan said, "This is the so-called 'capturing by letting loose', you know? Let's go then."

She got up with Xu Lizhi and set off.

"Hey, you two! Hold up. Aren't you going to pay the bill?" The boss came over and stopped the two.

.....

On their trip back to the hotel, Xiu Ye couldn't help but chuckle as the cool sea breeze brushed against his face. Tang Wulin seemed to look a little lost though, as he looked towards the ocean.

As for the bill? Meh, it's their problem now. Right now, it was time to go back and relax.

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