Chapter 97 – Love and Hate Are Just a Thought Apart

"Flender, say something!"

"Hit him already!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes were wide with excitement the moment he saw Ye Yu appear. He couldn't stop shouting in his heart, urging Flender to either scold or strike him.

If Flender made a move, Ye Yu would surely beat him down too!

Hmph! You dared laugh at me, old owl? Now it's your turn to suffer!

But the moment Flender laid eyes on Ye Yu, his entire body froze. That long, hooked nose of his twitched nervously, and his stiff face was drenched in cold sweat—from his forehead to his back.

"L-Lord… When did you grace our humble Shrek Academy with your presence?"

"I, Flender, am but the academy's headmaster and did not know of your arrival. I truly failed to welcome you properly! Please forgive me!"

He forced out a nervous laugh and bowed deeply.

Ye Yu replied calmly, "No need for such formalities."

"Ning Rongrong... you could say she's like my younger sister. I happened to run into her while visiting Soto City and found that she had run away from home and was traveling alone."

"So I decided to stay close by and keep an eye on her."

"Her temperament truly isn't great—completely unruly, like a little demon. I've disciplined her before, but it didn't help much."

"You're full of nonsense!"

"I am not some unruly little demon!" Ning Rongrong huffed, planting her hands on her hips and glaring at Ye Yu in frustration.

Earlier, Flender's pressure had genuinely rattled her.

She hadn't expected Ye Yu to step in and speak on her behalf.

The way he stood up for her... Ning Rongrong didn't know exactly how she felt about it, but suddenly, Ye Yu didn't seem quite so annoying anymore.

"You know it yourself," Ye Yu said with a side glance before turning back to Flender. "Still, Headmaster Flender, I do appreciate your willingness to help guide Rongrong's character. I'm sure Sect Master Ning would be grateful as well."

"But discipline should be grounded in reason—education is no exception."

"Having Rongrong run twenty laps around the entire village surrounding Shrek Academy, and demanding it be completed in one morning? That's clearly intentional sabotage."

"Yes! Exactly!" Ning Rongrong's eyes lit up as she exclaimed in agreement. "It's totally impossible! You were just making it hard for me on purpose!"

Ye Yu turned to her and suddenly snapped coldly, "Headmaster Flender may have been in the wrong on this—but you think you were right?"

His words stunned her.

"The training method might be flawed, and you're allowed to question it," Ye Yu said seriously. "After all, this is what Shrek Academy offers—and frankly, it's about the extent of what they can offer."

"You could've made a reasonable argument and pushed back based on logic."

"But instead, you chose to ditch training and spent the whole day playing around in Soto City!"

"That's being defiant at the wrong time and cowardly when it actually counts!"

Flender and Zhao Wuji both looked awkward, irritation bubbling beneath the surface.

What do you mean this is the extent of what we can offer?

Our Shrek Academy produces top-tier talent, thank you very much!

Flender was indignant, even if he kept it to himself.

Ning Rongrong, meanwhile, was red-faced with a mix of embarrassment and anger.

But deep down, she couldn't deny that Ye Yu had a point.

Why hadn't she stood her ground earlier?

Then Ye Yu turned to her again, his tone softer but full of meaning.

"Rongrong, I know the reason you left the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Clan was because you wanted to make real friends—ones who treat you as an equal."

"But do you know what 'equal' truly means?"

"It starts with learning to respect others. You need to rein in your young lady temper. You can't expect everyone to follow your whims, and you can't keep using your clan's status to pressure others."

"If you do, the only people who'll stick around are either too afraid of your background and only want to please you…"

"And you wouldn't like those people."

"Or they won't be afraid of your background—but they sure as hell won't tolerate your arrogance either."

"I've said what I came to say. Think it over."

And with that, Ye Yu's figure flickered, disappearing into the woods without another word.

He... How did he know?!

Ning Rongrong stood frozen.

Not only did he know she had come to Shrek Academy—he even knew why.

This was something she had never told a soul. No one should've known.

Could this be… telepathy?!

She found herself staring in the direction he'd vanished, heart full of curiosity and confusion.

And after being scolded by both Flender and Ye Yu...

Rongrong genuinely began to reflect. The things Ye Yu said weren't wrong.

But strangely, her interest in making friends at Shrek Academy suddenly faded.

Instead, her attention shifted entirely to Ye Yu.

How did he do it? She wondered.

His Spirit Power was only at the level of a Spirit Ancestor, yet he defeated a Spirit Sage like Zhao Wuji—and even held his own against Flender?

How did he turn a useless Martial Soul like Blue Silver Grass into something so powerful?

If she could just forget that time he smacked her behind in front of the entire clan...

He might actually be... kind of cool.

If she could be friends with him, wouldn't that be fun?

After mocking the academy and giving Rongrong a piece of his mind, Ye Yu felt incredibly refreshed.

Both sides had issues.

But as far as he was concerned, Shrek Academy was the bigger problem.

If Flender had just been allowed to PUA Ning Rongrong into submission, Ye Yu would never have sat by quietly.

Besides, if Rongrong became loyal to Shrek Academy…

That'd only complicate things for him down the line.

After all, he already had grudges with both Tang San and Yu Xiaogang.

It was unlikely he'd ever have a good relationship with Shrek Academy.

And Tang San had the support of the Asura God.

Yu Xiaogang had that lunatic Bibi Dong at his back.

Touching either of them right now was like kicking a beehive.

So Ye Yu's best option? Undermine Shrek Academy at every opportunity.

By standing up for Rongrong and putting pressure on the academy, he made sure she wouldn't be emotionally manipulated into loyalty.

And this little gesture earned him a lot of favor with her.

Combined with that unforgettable "discipline" session back at the clan...

Ye Yu figured he might've turned the tables on how Ning Rongrong saw him.

Maybe now, she looked at him the same way rich daddy's girls in his previous life looked at rebellious bad boys.

After all, from what he remembered, girls like that fell for "yellow-haired punks" because they offered a new, forbidden thrill.

To Ning Rongrong, he probably gave off the same vibe.

She might still hold a grudge over the past.

But once that's smoothed out—

Love and hate are only a thought apart.

After Ye Yu's departure, Flender was left feeling deeply awkward. He didn't dare scold Ning Rongrong any further.

Instead, he quickly changed the subject.

"We'll head to the Great Spirit Arena in Soto City next—for your first battle."