Chapter 34: An Innately Talented Zhu Zhuqing

"Impossible!"

Yu Xiaogang shook his head emphatically.

"Absolutely impossible!"

"No one understands martial souls better than I do!"

The moment anyone mentioned theoretical knowledge, Yu Xiaogang immediately fell into his "expert mode."

He couldn't accept the idea that someone might surpass him in understanding martial soul theory.

Who was he?

He was Yu Xiaogang, the self-proclaimed "Master of Theories," so consumed by his own titles that he often forgot his own name.

"Centuries of martial soul heritage from powerful clans, and you—of all people—think you know better?"

Flender thought mockingly but refrained from saying it out loud.

At that moment, Ma Hongjun, Oscar, and even Ning Rongrong decided they had seen enough.

Yu Xiaogang's attitude was so unbearable that they figured it was better to go off and train by themselves.

"Headmaster, we'll go train on our own!"

Flender had no objections. He simply nodded and said,

"Go on, but train well!"

"Got it, Headmaster!"

With that, the group quickly left, leaving Flender and Yu Xiaogang to continue their argument.

Outside, Ma Hongjun and Oscar both wore sour expressions. It was clear that neither of them was in a good mood.

Suddenly, Ma Hongjun stopped walking and gave Oscar a sly grin.

"Hey, Oscar, want to head into the city for a little fun? I heard some… young ones just arrived at the establishment."

Oscar blinked in surprise, then quickly understood what Ma Hongjun was hinting at.

Normally, he would refuse such offers. He preferred the idea of finding a simple country girl over visiting "those kinds of places."

After all, for a soul master, finding a village girl was easy enough.

Even Fatty Ma Hongjun has had girlfriends—how could I not get one?

"Fine, but you're paying. I spent all my soul master allowance on tuition."

Oscar agreed reluctantly.

"No problem! It's just a single gold soul coin—Fatty here can handle it!"

Ma Hongjun said proudly. Unlike Oscar, he had never bothered paying his tuition. His allowance always went toward "more important uses."

"Let's go!"

"Let's go!"

With their arms around each other's shoulders, the two of them headed toward Soto City, completely unaware that Ning Rongrong was following behind them with a furious expression.

"Tch! Even that flirt Dai Mubai is better than these two. At least Dai Mubai wouldn't go to those kinds of places!"

Having been at Shrek Academy for over half a month now, Ning Rongrong knew exactly what Ma Hongjun and Oscar were talking about.

Watching the two of them disappear into the distance, Ning Rongrong huffed and turned to leave.

After some thought, she decided to look for Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing to see how they were training.

Roughly twenty minutes later, Ning Rongrong followed the path Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing had taken and finally found them.

But when she saw their training method, her head filled with question marks.

Zhu Zhuqing was repeatedly falling into the water, climbing out, and then falling in again.

Meanwhile, Dai Mubai sat at the edge of the water, watching her with a smile on his face.

This… this is training?

Or is this some weird hobby?

Ning Rongrong's eyes widened in disbelief.

Is there anyone normal in this academy?

Tang San? He was just an overconfident fool with a bit of strength—not much, though.

Xiao Wu? Ning Rongrong had no words for her.

Was she dumb? Clearly, she was.

Ning Rongrong had seen Xiao Wu use her second soul skill twice, and both times, Xiao Wu had knocked herself unconscious!

How ridiculous is that?

What's the point of having a skill that knocks you out? Was it designed for "playing dead"?

Then there were Oscar and Ma Hongjun—no need to even mention them.

That left only Dai Mubai and Zhu Zhuqing.

Ning Rongrong had thought they were normal… apart from their constant displays of affection.

But now?

They're just as strange—if not stranger!

Dai Mubai glanced out of the corner of his eye and spotted Ning Rongrong peeking at them with a bewildered expression.

Spying on someone's training? Other than Tang San, only Ning Rongrong would dare to do something like this.

Shaking his head, Dai Mubai ignored her.

Let her watch.

Even if she observed their training, she wouldn't be able to replicate it.

It had taken Dai Mubai considerable time and effort to master these techniques, and he knew the principles behind them.

For someone like Ning Rongrong, who didn't understand the methods at all, it was impossible to learn by just watching.

"Splash!"

Zhu Zhuqing fell into the water again.

When she climbed out, she looked a little disheartened.

"Mubai, am I stupid? I can't even do something this simple."

Without hesitation, Dai Mubai shook his head, brushing a few wet strands of hair away from Zhu Zhuqing's face as he said gently,

"Don't underestimate yourself, Zhuqing. When I was practicing this, it took me three months!"

Of course, Dai Mubai was lying through his teeth—he had only spent a few days learning it.

But seeing Zhu Zhuqing so upset, he decided to exaggerate his struggles to cheer her up.

Zhu Zhuqing frowned slightly, feeling confused.

Didn't I see him falling out of trees just over ten days ago? How did it turn into three months?

Maybe he learned water-walking first, then practiced tree-climbing afterward?

That must be it.

"Pfft…"

Ning Rongrong, still hiding behind a tree, couldn't help but suck in a breath.

I've had enough!

Are these two seriously flirting right now?

Can their relationship even be broken apart?

"I, Ning Rongrong, love a challenge!"

"If it's too easy, I'm not interested!"

Ning Rongrong's peculiar mindset kicked in once again.

"Keep going, Zhuqing. You can do it!"

"Mm!"

After resting for a while, Zhu Zhuqing resumed her practice. She stepped onto the water, fell in, climbed out, and tried again.

Ning Rongrong continued to watch from behind the tree, still unable to make sense of what Zhu Zhuqing was doing.

Then, at sunset, something shocking happened.

Zhu Zhuqing successfully stood on the water's surface!

Ning Rongrong's jaw nearly hit the ground.

What the…?

She's standing on water!

A few seconds later, Zhu Zhuqing fell back in with a splash, but she surfaced quickly, her face glowing with excitement.

"Mubai, I did it!"

"Good. You've found the right feeling. Practice a few more times, and you'll master it completely."

Dai Mubai nodded approvingly. He was genuinely surprised. Zhu Zhuqing's talent was even greater than he had imagined.

The total time she had spent learning tree-climbing and water-walking was less than five days.

That was terrifying progress.

Fortunately, Zhu Zhuqing was his fiancée—otherwise, Dai Mubai might have felt a twinge of jealousy.

Zhu Zhuqing practiced a few more times until she could walk steadily on the water.

Meanwhile, Ning Rongrong remained hidden behind the tree, completely dumbfounded.

So… they really were training?

They had been at it since morning, continuing until nightfall.

The process might have looked bizarre, but the results were real.

Walking on water without using a martial soul?

That was something Ning Rongrong wouldn't have even dared to dream of.

(End of Chapter)